Animal Crossing: New Leaf breaks eShop records

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has revealed that the latest Animal Crossing title has broken digital sales records for the company, and has sold more than 4 million copies in Japan.

"Animal Crossing: New Leaf was launched in the U.S. on Sunday, June 9 and is having an immediate impact," said Iwata during a Nintendo E3 Analyst Briefing.

" A wide variety of consumers, including women, enjoy this title"

"The digital version of the game set a new record for launch day sales in the Nintendo eShop and sales of Nintendo 3DS hardware were nearly four times greater than the previous week."

The game is due for release today in Europe. The game currently has a Metacritic score of 88.

"In Japan, it has become a hit with sales of more than four million units. A wide variety of consumers, including women, enjoy this title and it has given great momentum to the sales of Nintendo 3DS," said Iwata.

"Also, since consumers tend to play this game continually, they actively use Nintendo 3DS over an extended period. This game has greatly contributed to the platform in many ways. The success of this title is crucial for the future of Nintendo 3DS in the US and European markets."