Japanese hardware sales, Nov. 22 - Nov. 28: Cataclyzed edition

Why, you may ask, have we been traveling door-to-door to the homes of our gaming-obsessed acquaintances, and hugging them deep and long, like two friends bidding a fond farewell on the last day of summer camp? Because soon, so very soon, we will lose those friends to the inescapable maw of World of Warcraft: Cataclysm. Sure, they've promised that they won't let it happen again — not like last time, when they disappeared for six entire months, missing birthdays, weddings, funerals and Bar Mizvahs as they tirelessly continued their pursuit of one Mr. Lich King — but we're not buying it.

Japanese gamers are likely in the same boat, but for different reasons — Gran Turismo 5, Super Robot Wars L and the Final Fantasy-infused Mario Sports Mix all arrived in the territory during the same week, bolstering sales for their respective pieces of hardware. You know what they didn't bolster, though? Friendships.

- PSP: 75,689 [DOWN] 20,912 (21.65%)
- PS3: 68,840 [UP] 39,782 (136.91%)
- Wii: 41,267 [UP] 13,416 (48.17%)
- DSi LL: 28,370 [UP] 6,534 (29.92%)
- DSi: 26,548 [UP] 5,998 (29.19%)
- Xbox 360: 4,329 [DOWN] 2,754 (38.88%)
- PSP Go: 1,675 [DOWN] 141 (7.76%)
- DS Lite: 1,539 [DOWN] 365 (19.17%)
- PS2: 1,332 [UP] 77 (6.14%)