Japanese-Hardware-Sales
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Japanese hardware sales, Nov. 17 - Nov. 23: Unwise purchases edition
We rarely ask any favors of you, dear readers, so we're hoping you'll oblige the following humble request. You see, in the midst of Black Friday's acquisitional frenzy, we may have gotten a tad carried away, making purchases beyond our fiscal means -- and far beyond our typical practicality. What dark forces would drive us to purchase a set of nickel-plated egg beaters, a lifetime supply of Poligrip denture paste, three Razor scooters and the complete Kenny Loggins discography, you may ask? Our damnable, hard-wired frugality.Our savings accounts now liquidated, we currently find ourselves in a residential crisis. Had we only possessed the foresight to place importance on rent payments rather than kitchen utensils and smooth, smooth music, we may have avoided this predicament. That's where you guys come in -- we either need to pawn off our regrettably obtained goods to pay off our living expenses, or be put in contact with a landlord who will accept the aforementioned odds and ends as apartmental compensation. Surely, someone out there knows of a kind superintendent with unsecure dentures and a proclivity for scooting.The spending habits of Japan's console-purchasing populous mirrored our own over the past week, with most systems seeing major sales increases. Six of the top ten best-selling titles belonged to Nintendo's handheld -- combined with the limited availability of the DSi, this caused a major bounce-back for the DS Lite. We've sent a congratulatory "Hang in There, Baby" poster in response, though we're not sure the DS Lite will receive it, as it is an inanimate object.- DSi: 88,843 3,516 (4.12%)- PSP: 61,226 23,073 (60.47%) - Wii: 35,298 8,511 (31.77%)- DS Lite: 18,580 15,021 (422.06%) - PS3: 17,436 12 (0.07%) - Xbox 360: 15,474 7,491 (93.84%)- PS2: 5,281 140 (2.58%)[Source: Media Create] See: The smooth, smooth archives
Japanese hardware sales, Nov. 10 - Nov. 16: Early Edition edition
What if you received tomorrow's Japanese hardware sales figures ... today?We're not exactly certain what parallels we can draw between our humble weekly feature and the short-lived CBS soothsaying series Early Edition, but it was the only clever theme we could attach to this particular post which is, in fact, a day early. If you could somehow use this information save someone's life this evening, it would certainly help our allusional plight. We considered forcing an orange tabby cat through the internet and onto your front porch to recreate a theme from the show, but decided against it as the cost would be tremendous, and the trauma inflicted to said kitty would be, well, unsurvivable.Here's the news, sans mutilated feline: The DSi, despite experiencing a drop customary to the weeks following a frenzied console launch, remains king of the hill. The software figures for the week follow suit -- three of the top five games belong to Nintendo's handheld, with Kirby Super Star Ultra taking first place. However, the vacuous pink puff ball was unable to save the DS Lite, whose sales were cut in half this week, netting it a last-place finish -- just as prophecy foretold.- DSi: 85,327 19,570 (18.66%)- PSP: 38,153 5,573 (12.75%) - Wii: 26,787 2,061 (8.34%)- PS3: 17,448 906 (4.94%) - Xbox 360: 7,983 4,776 (37.43%)- PS2: 5,421 322 (5.61%)- DS Lite: 3,559 4,822 (57.53%) [Source: Media Create] See: The unsurvivable archives
Japanese hardware sales, Nov. 3 - Nov. 9: Dear brother edition
To my younger brother and sworn enemy, the DS Lite:From high atop the pillowed throne you've become so accustomed to over the years, I doubt you ever looked beneath you at the competition that scrambled to match your unparalleled sales prowess. Even if you had, it would have been quite the ocular feat for you to have seen me, jilted and decomposing in last place. Don't bother looking now -- I've been retired for quite some time, living out my days in a cottage on an island off the coast of Kumihama, a respite afforded to me by my lucrative years, and a perfect locale for me to focus my energies on planning your demise.Fret not, dear brother -- my murderous ambitious were recently sated by the birth of our newest sibling, the DSi. You see, you're about to suffer the same fate which I befell, a fate worse than death itself: abandonment. "But, no," you may protest, "dad said they'd still love me when they received their new bundle of joy!" An empty promise, brother, I assure you. You're already quite far down the path I carved over two years ago, your sales figures rendered in twain, your rank plummeting just one week after the DSi's victorious emergence. You will eventually come in last, your weekly tally dropping into the double digits, then single -- then, deeming you irrelevant, Media Create will no longer list you.It's a long, cruel road to obscurity, my brother. DSi shortages will boost your sales, giving you momentary resurgences -- but this is but a detour from your inevitable fate. You will be crushed -- though I will not be the one to do the crushing. I no longer harbor the disdain that rose up within my gut the day you entered the world and promptly stole the spotlight, your slender frame casting a shadow upon my bulky build. You are more than welcome to join me in Kumihama. We can spend our evenings sipping rice wine, and PictoChatting about our all too brief, camera-less reign.See you in about eighteen months,-- The DS Phat- DSi: 104,897 67,028 (38.99%)- PSP: 43,726 6,632 (13.17%) - Wii: 24,726 1,603 (6.93%)- PS3: 18,354 21,233 (53.64%) - Xbox 360: 12,759 6,640 (108.51%)- DS Lite: 8,381 7,988 (48.80%) - PS2: 5,743 971 (14.46%)[Source: Media Create] See: The abandoned archives
Japanese hardware sales, Oct. 27 - Nov 2: Impossible math edition
We were certain that the release of Nintendo's new shutterbug handheld, the DSi, would have a rather volatile effect on the Japanese hardware sales numbers this week -- and as the dastardly text-skippers among you already know, we were quite correct. The usual suspects played a thrilling round of Musical Chairs, bringing about a comeback for the PS3, and a return to the bottom rung for the Xbox 360. The [Source: Media Create] text is glad you're back, 360. It missed you terribly.The big news of the week, however, was the DSi, which sold like hotcakes Pocky to Japanese gamers, who reportedly can't go a month without buying some iteration of the DS without developing delirium tremens. Unfortunately, my predecessor in the ways of the Japanese hardware sales failed to warn me about the caution required when adding a new system to the weekly chart. When typing in the DSi's sales figures into my trusty Excel spreadsheet, my computer attempted to discern the percentage of change between last week and this week's sales, divided by zero, then imploded my office.Don't fret, dear readers -- I'm fine, though I'll likely lose the damage deposit on my apartment. The fate of my computer, however, is still up in the air. My theoretical mathematics professor seems to think that my laptop might been sucked into a self-sustaining space-time vortex, sending it hurtling on a Bill-and-Ted-esque journey through history. This is, of course, preposterous. Oh, hey. Thomas Jefferson just added me as a friend on Facebook.- DSi: 171,925 [New Entry!]- PSP: 50,358 10,109 (16.72%)- PS3: 39,587 35,656 (907.05%) - Wii: 23,123 1,169 (4.81%)- DS Lite: 16,369 6,596 (28.72%) - PS2: 6,714 248 (3.56%)- Xbox 360: 6,119 1,725 (21.99%)[Source: Media Create] See: The imploding archives
Japanese hardware sales, Oct. 20 - Oct. 26: Endorsement edition
Dear readers, the time you've all been eagerly anticipating for months now is finally upon us. Like many honorable news publications have done before us, we're ready to announce who we've chosen to endorse in the upcoming election for the office of the President of the United States -- an endorsement so poignant, you may find yourself completely disregarding the sage advice of Powell and Cheney Bakula and Sorbo.The Joystiq staff has often found itself divided when forced to come to a consensus, such as our ranking of the ten best games of the year, or when choosing between the Ritz-Carlton Suite or the Hugh Hefner Sky Villa for the destination of our monthly company picnic. However, in this crucial moment in our nation's history, we found ourselves swiftly and unanimously agreeing upon which candidate could best guide us through the turmoils and tribulations America will face throughout the next four years; a candidate with policies so bold, conviction so strong and a presence so electrifying that his victory would ensure a safer, more prosperous America.As you've likely already guessed, the candidate we're speaking of is none other than Lando Calrissian.While rigid Constitutionalists may decry Calrissian for his seeming ineligibility for the role of Commander in Chief (a fair position, as he is not a U.S. citizen, nor is he an actual person), his service as a General in the Alliance Forces, as well as his administrative experience during his term as Baron-Administrator of Cloud City, have proven him to be the responsible choice on November 4. Change is coming, friends -- and it's wearing an outrageously fashionable gold-inlaid cape.- PSP: 60,467 99,349 (62.16%)- Wii: 24,292 1,732 (6.66%)- DS Lite: 22,965 6,874 (23.04%) - Xbox 360: 7,844 12 (0.15%)- PS2: 6,962 299 (4.12%)- PS3: 3,931 794 (16.80%) [Source: Media Create] See: The Millenium archives
Japanese hardware sales, Oct. 13 - Oct. 19: The Britening edition
As we're sure you, dearest readers, already know, Sony had a killer week in the hardware sales arena (the PS3's diminishing sales notwithstanding) thanks to the release of the scanlinetastic PSP-3000 (or, as it has been cleverly monikered, the PSP Brite). Observing this radical increase, along with the historic success of the identically illuminated (and phonetically similar) successor to the Nintendo DS, has inspired us to make some much needed changes to this humble weekly feature -- changes which have been incorporated into this very post.Eagle-eyed readers have likely already noticed the liberal use of lens flares in the image above. According to our grandmother (whose recently acquired copy of Photoshop 7.0 and daunting techno savvy have made her the queen bee of the Quivering Oaks Retirement Community) the more lens flares you can fit into a single image, "the more gentleman suitors will ask for your company to the Sunday night ether frolic." We're not exactly sure what she meant by that, but we're fairly certain it's a good thing.More subtle than the flare-filled image above is the surreptitious shift in the color of the text you're currently reading, from a stark #000000, to a whimsical #000001. You may not have noticed this particular change -- but we assure you, your subconscious has. That tingling feeling currently coursing through your brain? That's the sort of pleasure one can only glean from the kind of luminescence exhibited here. Then again, that may just be the sensation of cataracts developing on your eyeballs -- a side-effect to the aforementioned changes which we discovered in beta and, admittedly, should have warned you about.- PSP: 159,816 135,915 (568.66%)- DS Lite: 29,839 2,075 (6.50%) - Wii: 26,024 3,147 (13.76%)- Xbox 360: 7,856 93 (1.20%)- PS2: 7,261 279 (4.00%)- PS3: 4,725 1,009 (17.60%) [Source: Media Create] See: The archives, if seeing is still a possibility
Japanese hardware sales, Oct. 6 - Oct. 12: Hooverville edition
If we had to describe the past week to you, we would probably say that it was very educational. Actually, that's not what we'd say at all, our true answer would likely be laden with copious amounts of crying and more profanity than a Bob Saget stand-up comedy special. For decency's sake, we'll explain it to you, dear readers, as being positively chock-full of education.How so, you might inquire? Well, first and foremost, we've learned to never trust colleagues who claim to have discerned knowledge from the future based solely on their favorable placement on the time zone chart. We've learned that entering the stock market during a period of remarkable turmoil is an unfathomably unwise course of action. We've also learned that Chihuahuas, while adorable, are not what established investors would refer to as "blue chip" stocks. Finally, we've learned the sort of anguish one feels when they lose their entire savings and all personal property within a matter of hours, and, as a result, how to build a comfortable dwelling out of a hollowed-out Maytag dishwasher.The Japanese video game industry seems to have had an equally disastrous week, with significant decreases in hardware sales across the board. However, it's difficult for us to feel pity for the companies involved in this weekly Battle Royale -- we wager nobody at Sony, Microsoft or Nintendo has been forced to learn the proper way to cook and eat shoes due to the unfortunate figures you see below. - DS Lite: 31,914 10,471 (24.70%) - PSP: 23,901 2,144 (8.23%)- Wii: 22,877 2,453 (9.68%)- Xbox 360: 7,763 508 (6.14%)- PS2: 6,982 1,636 (18.98%)- PS3: 5,734 1,498 (20.71%) [Source: Media Create] See: The chock-full-of-continuity archives
Japanese hardware sales, Sept . 29 - Oct. 5: Tomorrowland edition
As you've surely already noticed, a handful of our more travel-hardened writers have spent the past few days in the natal region of this humble weekly feature in order to more aptly cover the industry happenings at the Tokyo Game Show 2008. While we've missed their presence dearly, particularly at our bimonthly badminton tournament against other gaming blogs (Kietzmann is quite the racqueteer, you see), we've found their overseas stationing to be quite profitable for us homebound 'Stiqers.You see, thanks to the inexplicable magic of time zones, it's a bit after midday tomorrow in Tokyo at the time of this posting. Our overseas cohorts have discovered a number of startling, time-sensitive pieces of valuable information, then sent them hurtling westward (geographically) and backward (chronologically) to the rest of the staff. We've been using this information to gain a valuable edge in the somewhat turbulent American investment market -- much like the oft-exploited sports almanac from Back to the Future lore (sans the frequent demands for its immolation by absent-minded, silver-haired chronophysicists).Fret not, dear readers -- we can hear your requests for these valuable investment protips through the insulation provided by our wide-brimmed moneyhats. Here, we'll break you off a piece -- following an unlikely endorsement from acclaimed Japanese film critic Tadao Sato, Beverly Hills Chihuahua will set the highest single-day box office record in cinematic history tomorrow, and will remain at the top of the charts worldwide for fourteen months. As such, you might want to consider dropping a few bucks on Disney (DIS), and, of course, Chihuawow! (CWOW!), the West Coast's most prestigious Chihuahua distribution outlet. - DS Lite: 42,385 15,462 (26.73%) - PSP: 26,045 374 (1.46%)- Wii: 25,330 984 (3.74%)- PS2: 8,618 1,230 (12.49%)- Xbox 360: 8,271 3,020 (26.75%)- PS3: 7,232 1,043 (12.60%) [Source: Media Create] See: The time-sensitive archives
Japanese hardware sales, Sept. 22 - Sept. 28: Candidacy edition
Let me begin by apologizing for the hasty nature of the announcement of my being chosen as the running mate for the honorable Weekly Webcomic Wrapup. What my fine, fellow feature lacks in clarity and eloquence, he more than makes up for with sheer enthusiasm. Perhaps this is why he, with wisdom acquired during his three years of publication, chose me as his running mate -- to balance his passion with my own levelheadedness. In that respect, I am more than glad to play the Abbot to his Costello, the Brain to his Pinky, and the Linnell to his Flansburgh.With that bit of business out of the way, I'd like to talk to you about why you should support a WWW/JHS ticket for the office of King and Queen Vice-King of the Internets. As you know, the Internets is a big place that requires a great deal of regulation from its executive officers. While the current administration has adopted a laissez-faire approach to their prestigious post, our leadership would provide a much needed repaving of the information superhighway -- for starters, all domain names will be required to end with ".fun". Not only will it simplify the Internets navigation process, but it may just bring a smile to the face of the typical, hard-hearted Internets user.Our other major platforms include: Stronger punitive measures against the proliferation of Rick Astley songs Energy conservation through the deactivation of the Internets at 11 p.m. every night Free candy for supporters So, when Election Day rolls around, won't you consider the benefits of a Weekly Webcomic Wrapup/Japanese Hardware Sales administration? Our change will be swift, our policies fair, and our candy delicious.- DS Lite: 57,847 3,395 (5.54%) - Wii: 26,314 3,607 (12.06%)- PSP: 25,671 3,003 (10.47%)- Xbox 360: 11,291 2,486 (18.04%) - PS2: 9,848 2,128 (27.56%)- PS3: 8,275 119 (1.46%) [Source: Media Create] See: www.archives.fun
Japanese hardware sales, Sept. 15 - Sept. 21: Warhammered edition [update]
No time for nonsense today, dearest readers. The regularly scheduled shenanigans must be sidelined this week for a much more important cause: Warhammer Online just finished patching, and we're jonesing to play it. Don't feel neglected, friends -- you still hold a very important place in our collective heart. Just, you know, not as important as the unignorable siren call of a brand new, potentially addictive MMO. [Update: We apologize for the dismissive and frankly unprofessional tone of the above paragraph. We feel such blatant duty shirking doesn't accurately display the level of integrity and dedication to our readers that we strive for with each post -- even when those posts are as inconsequential and nonsensical as these weekly hardware sales charts.] [Update: Inconsequential, eh? We'll have you know that just last week, we received a lovely email from a reader who said that thanks to our hardware sales feature, she's found the courage to return to her job with her father's tuna fishing operation following the untimely tuna-devourment of her husband. She's even invited us to the christening of their newest commercial fishing vessel -- how's that for inconsequential?] [Update: Beg our pardon. We meant no disrespect to what is surely our most valued demographic -- recently widowed tuna harvesters.] [Update: Fine, bub. You think you can do better? You can finish the post, then.] [Update: Gladly. Hey, the Xbox 360 outsold the PS3 for the second week in a row. Looks like Microsoft finally ... developed a ... strategy to ...][Update: Oh, that's great. Really -- absolutely hilarious. I wasn't aware that Ray Romano had joined our staff.][Update: You're incredibly fired.] - DS Lite: 61,242 2,617 (4.10%) - Wii: 29,921 235 (0.79%)- PSP: 28,674 1,482 (4.91%)- Xbox 360: 13,777 14,411 (51.12%)- PS3: 8,156 103 (1.28%) - PS2: 7,720 51 (0.67%)[Source: Media Create] See: The recently widowed archives
Japanese hardware sales, Sept. 8 - Sept. 14: Infidelity edition
We here at the Japanese Hardware Sales Institute of Hardware Sales (yes, it's a tad redundant -- our R&D department is working on a new moniker) take great pride in our weekly charge of bringing you the console sales rankings from the Land of the Rising Sun. In fact, as our catalog of posts increases and our rapport with you, our incredibly sharp-witted readers, becomes more and more personal, we're beginning to notice that the aforementioned pride may be turning into irreversible hubris.You see, earlier this week, the Japanese hardware sales made headlines outside of the confines of this humble feature. This enraged us -- not towards any particular author who had placed their journalistic toes in our highly specialized waters, but we were rather miffed that fate had snatched our solemn weekly charge from our unassuming hands. If only Enterbrain had not published the report that the Xbox 360 had unceremoniously overtaken the Wii (a report which was expediently contradicted by our source, Media Create), we could have continued our weekly routine of being your exclusive method of fulfilling your sales chart jones.Sadly, we can't find it within ourselves to pretend that you don't actually know this week's rankings. We know you saw the headlines, and tried to restrain yourself from spoiling your beloved Sunday evening literature. Unfortunately, the part of your brain that causes you to flip to the last page of your Agatha Christie mysteries before you read them, or sneak a peek at the unwrapped Christmas presents nestled under your parents' bed caused you to read on. You cheated on us, is what we're basically trying to say. If we don't answer your calls for a while, it's because we need some time to think about your latest transgression -- and because we probably can't hear our phone over our Dashboard Confessional-infused break-up mixtape.- DS Lite: 63,859 12,447 (24.21%) - PSP: 30,156 4,306 (12.49%)- Wii: 29,686 3,442 (10.39%)- Xbox 360: 28,188 27,144 (2,600.00%)- PS3: 8,053 264 (3.17%) - PS2: 7,669 279 (3.51%)[Source: Media Create] See: The archives you have come to fear the most
Infinite Undiscovery, price cut help Xbox 360 outsell Wii in Japan
It wasn't so frightening when the Xbox 360 outsold the PS3 for a week back when Tales of Vesperia came out, but now that it's sold more than the Wii during the week ending Sept. 14 ... well, now we're stricken with panic. According to Enterbrain, the Xbox 360 sold 28,861 units during the week, while the Wii sold 27,057 (the PS3 managed 8,050).Xbox 360 sales were more than likely spurred by the one-two punch of a Japanese price cut and the release of console-exclusive Infinite Undiscovery, which sold 86,708 units in its first week. MCV points out that the 360 has now sold 717,275 units in Japan -- the very foundations of our world would be shaken if it actually went on to sell a million units.%Gallery-23402%
Japanese hardware sales, Sept. 1 - Sept. 7: Making the band edition
We find ourselves in a predicament, dear readers. As many of you already know, Included in Rock Band 2 is an online World Tour mode, allowing the widely dispersed Joystiq crew to form a musical supergroup the likes of which Xbox Live has never seen before. Unfortunately, we found ourselves at an impasse when it came time to name our humble rock outfit. We've been hotly debating our respective choices over Skype for the past four hours. Tears have been shed, though we're not saying whose.That's where you come in. In the following poll, we've listed our top choices thus far. We need you to serve as our unbiased arbiter -- simply vote on the name you like best. Or, because we have the most clever readers of any blog on the planet, feel free to add your own suggestions in the comments. Just do it quickly. This dispute is tearing our once close-knit family in twain.- DS Lite: 51,412 5,027 (8.91%) - PSP: 34,462 7,202 (17.29%)- Wii: 33,128 2,627 (7.35%)- PS3: 8,317 1,458 (14.92%) - PS2: 7,948 862 (9.78%) - Xbox 360: 1,044 2,080 (66.58%) %Poll-19744% [Source: Media Create] See: The hotly debated archives
Japanese hardware sales, Aug. 25 - Aug. 31: Supercollider edition
Got any exciting plans for this coming Thursday? Perhaps you've got front row tickets for a Black Eyed Peas concert. Maybe you're meeting your biological father for the first time in your life, a result of him faking his death to escape a hefty mob debt while you were a toddler. Perhaps you've enrolled in Afro-Cuban disco step funk classes at your local community college. Maybe you simply plan on tending to your piñata garden, reclining in the swaying shade of the monkeynut trees. All those sound great -- which is why it gives us a heavy heart to inform you that none of those things, not your estranged progenitor, your community college, your precious piñatas, or Will.i.am, will exist on Thursday.The Large Hadron Collider, a sixteen-mile long, seven story tall ring of death which straddles the border of Germany and Switzerland, will see to that. We're not exactly sure what it does, but we are fairly certain of a few things -- for instance, we know that despite its colossal size, it runs almost entirely on car batteries and hubris. We also know that it's the world's biggest particle collider, and that trying to shoot one particle into another from miles away is pretty difficult. Oh, also, we know that during its inaugural run this Wednesday, it's going to create a sustainable black hole that's going to devour mankind, the Milky Way galaxy, and Will.i.am.Sure, the eight-thousand physicists that have worked on the project have assured mankind that the odds of that last event occuring are approximately one-in-a-thrillion -- but of course they would say that. We know the truth, and have already begun selling our automobiles, gaming systems, and houses to afford a sturdy craft that will carry us far from the gravity well's sinister reach. Unfortunately, we're pretty certain we bought a 1974 Gremlin wrapped in duct tape with a jumbo-size roman candle tucked into the tailpipe. We'll let you know how it works out for us.- DS Lite: 56,439 444 (0.79%) - PSP: 41,664 5,940 (12.48%)- Wii: 35,755 582 (1.65%)- PS3: 9,775 755 (8.37%) - PS2: 8,810 390 (4.63%) - Xbox 360: 3,124 427 (12.02%) [Source: Media Create] See: The Black Eyed archives
Japanese hardware sales, Aug. 18 - Aug. 24: Packs 2008 edition
It was an easy enough mistake to make, really. After forty-eight hours of driving, the exit to Tacoma, Washington, looks terribly similar to the exit to Seattle. Eyes made weary from two straight days of travel could easily confuse a radio tower for the Space Needle. The absence of a Starbucks on every street corner should have been a dead giveaway, but my typically keen observation skills weren't at their sharpest following my lengthy PAX-bound pilgrimage. Yes, unrelenting fatigue had brought me to Tacoma -- but some other force, be it fate or coincidence, had arranged for the 2008 Packs Convention to kick off in tandem with my accidental arrival.I would later discover that the Packs Convention (or PacksCon, as their annual attendees have affectionately nicknamed it) was not, in fact, a video game expo hosted by the creators of a certain wildly popular webcomic. It was a celebration of portable textile containers; an unparalleled trade show for backpacks, fanny packs, attache cases, satchels, purses, man purses, handbags, duffel bags, gym bags, totes, luggage, and rucksacks. Booths lined the halls of the Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center, representing major players in the industry and their experimental designs. Though not my intended destination, I was fortunate enough to witness the future during the past 72 hours -- and the future involves edible briefcases.It wasn't until I was halfway through yesterday's Jansport panel that I had realized the mix-up. Cursing my ambitious travel arrangements, the PacksCon administrators, and the concept of homonyms, I began to wonder if there would be a major gaming convention this year that I wouldn't miss out on. However, I found some small amount of solace in my newfound knowledge of the textile container industry -- and, following a number of grief purchases, how incredibly easy it was to store my belongings for the long trip home.- DS Lite: 55,995 22,671 (28.82%) - PSP: 47,604 16,809 (26.10%)- Wii: 35,173 17,863 (33.68%)- PS3: 9,020 2,373 (20.83%) - PS2: 8,420 1,748 (17.19%) - Xbox 360: 3,551 3,807 (51.74%) [Source: Media Create] See: The travel-weary archives
Japanese hardware sales, Aug. 11 - Aug. 17: Back to school edition
Here's a fun fact you may not be aware of -- a majority of Joystiq's readers fall into the 65 - 80-year-old age bracket, explaining why a majority of our ads are for prescription arthritis medication, Stouffer's Seasoned Bread Stuffing, and seasons of Matlock on DVD. As such, only a select few of you know that many schools across the country will be back in session tomorrow. The anguish among the nation's young people is almost tangible -- excluding those whose schools operate on a quarterly schedule, or homeschoolers, or Guitar Hero aficionados with irresponsible hippie parents.With all the superb, high-quality games that dropped this summer, we wouldn't blame you for feeling like your scholastic minds aren't exactly at their sharpest. Instead of doing your summer reading of The Sun Also Rises or attending your bi-weekly Algebra Club meetings, you focused your attention on moving up the ranks of Battlefield: Bad Company or toiling through the story modes of Soul Calibur IV. Luckily, the repercussions of your educational neglect aren't as severe as you might fear -- somewhat subliminally, these Japanese hardware sales posts have provided subtle instruction over the long, humid summer months.Don't believe us? Perhaps you don't recall the various history lessons we've snuck into your consciousness. It seems you also don't realize the firm understanding of the statistical sciences we've surreptitiously imbued into your unaware mind. How quickly you've forgotten the important baking lesson that will certainly serve you well as you enter your incredibly challenging Home Economics course. Finally, think back to the valuable lessons of acceptance, resourcefulness, and stick-to-itiveness we imparted as we faced our own work-related hardships.Hemingway is for the birds; we'd wager that as you grace the halls of your learning establishment tomorrow morning, you'll find yourself better equipped than your contemporaries for the mental challenges provided by your educators -- and for that, we have just one thing to say. You're very, very welcome.- DS Lite: 78,666 18,232 (30.17%) - PSP: 64,413 5,912 (10.11%)- Wii: 53,036 14,530 (37.73%)- PS3: 11,393 1,720 (17.78%) - PS2: 10,168 1,665 (19.58%) - Xbox 360: 7,358 17,604 (70.52%) [Source: Media Create] See: The scholastic archives
Japanese Xbox 360 sales fall back to Earth
Well that was fast. It seems like just last week we were reporting the bizarre news that the Xbox 360 had suddenly leapfrogged the PS3 in weekly Japanese sales, selling nearly 25,000 units on the strength of Tales of Vesperia's release. Things are back to normal this week, though, with Microsoft's system once again sitting comfortably in last place with 7,258 units sold. Don't get us wrong, this is still a relatively strong number considering the system's historically low sales and reportedly widespread supply problems in Japan. But anyone hoping that last week's numbers were a sign of a permanent realignment in the Japanese console market might want to return to reality's cold embrace.
Xbox 360 leaps past PS3 in weekly Japanese console sales
It looks like the week ending August 10th brought a bit of a surprise to the sometimes predictable Japanese hardware sales charts, as the just released numbers have now revealed that the Xbox 360 has shot past the PlayStation 3, and by a wide margin no less. All told, Microsoft moved some 24,962 units during the week, compared to just 9,673 PS3s sold -- a number that, by all accounts, is largely due to the release of the 360-exclusive Tales of Vesperia game, which itself sold over 100,000 copies. That still leaves the Xbox 360 well behind the Wii, however, with it moving an impressive 38,506 units during the same time period, although that was a dip of more than 6% from the previous week. In related news, the DS Lite regained its slight lead over the PSP, with it moving 60,434 units compared to the PSP's 58,501, and Joystiq took a not-to-be-missed dip into the Bizarro world for it's always insightful account of the week's events -- you can check it out at the link below.[Via Joystiq]
Japanese hardware sales, Aug. 4 - Aug. 10: Bizarro world edition
You awaken this morning with a stabbing pain in your side, as you do nearly every morning. The straps on your ceiling-bed, while successful in keeping you tightly bound to your mattress, simply aren't comfortable. You undo the safety clasp and gently crash to the ground, taking special care to not land on the rotating floor-fan, which you paid the steep price of twelve steaks to have repaired just last Frumpday. You pull on your sandpaper pants, flannel overpants, one rollerblade, a cast iron breastplate, then place a sock puppet on each of your hands before checking yourself out in the mirror. You look good.Gliding into the kitchen, you're pleased to find that the dictionary delivery boy (who usually runs behind on his dictionary route) arrived promptly at red o' clock to supply today's edition of the widely circulated definitorial tome. Your dog, though still incensed about last night's heated argument concerning the rapidly shrinking national bureaucracy, has made a fresh pot of coffee for you. How considerate of him. You pour some into a salad bowl, climb on top of the stove, and slowly empty the steaming brew onto your lap. "Refreshing," you exclaim! You then turn your attention to the dictionary -- skipping past the classified ads, you quickly find that week's Japanese hardware sales figures.- DS Lite: 60,434 3,036 (5.29%) - PSP: 58,501 2,680 (4.38%)- Wii: 38,506 2,603 (6.33%) - Xbox 360: 24,962 19,603 (365.80%)- PS3: 9,673 165 (1.74%) - PS2: 8,503 542 (5.99%) "How entirely predictable," you remark.You wish, more than anything, to live in a world parallel to your own -- a world where beds are placed on floors and rotating fans are attached to ceilings. A world where steaks are eaten, not spent. A world where wearing two rollerblades at a time (or none, for that matter) isn't considered an illegal activity. A world where dogs kept their acerbic, self-righteous opinions to themselves. A world where coffee could be enjoyed with one's mouth. A world where the PSP would possess an unflagging sales dominance over all other systems in Japan, while the 360 would possess a contrariwise familiarity with last place.But such a world, such a strange and marvelous world, could not possibly exist. [Source: Media Create] See: The frequently emptied archives
Japanese hardware sales, July 28 - Aug. 3: Olympic observation edition
We're big fans of the 2008 Beijing Olympic games. Not because we're avid followers of swimming, or weightlifting, or badminton -- but because we like to believe that we live in a world where one country can achieve dominance over all the others by simply having more graceful and elegant gymnasts than their fellow nations. However, we're confused by the lack of decent ludological representation for the biyearly global pissing match test of athleticism. We've never been satisfied with a single Olympic video game -- be they realistic or adorable.Perhaps this is due to confusion on the developers behalf on how to actually create an Olympics-based title. The Olympics are, after all, an assortment of specialized, miniature games. How one could possibly craft an entire title around these ... minigames is completely beyond our comprehension. Perhaps that's why our favorite game based around the ancient tradition eschews the bonds of accuracy entirely. We speak, of course, of developer U.S. Gold's magnum opus, Izzy's Quest for the Olympic Rings. Seriously, who needs digital triathlons when you've got production values of that caliber?In news related to the actual purpose of this feature, the PSP once again takes home the gold this week -- though following last week's pattern, all of Sony's consoles took a sales hit while the others received a steady, if not minor, increase. Following four months of Sony superiority, could we be nearing a drastic change-up on the prestigious sales chart pedestal? Oh, wait -- we've got a better Olympic-themed metaphor: Could the PSP be ready to pass the torch? Better yet -- will the 360, in a Kerri Strug-esque show of persistence, secure a first place finish over the Russian gymnastics team, by which, of course, we mean the other consoles?- PSP: 61,181 6,271 (9.30%) - DS Lite: 57,398 430 (0.75%) - Wii: 41,109 85 (0.21%)- PS3: 9,508 1,184 (11.07%) - PS2: 9,045 246 (2.65%) - Xbox 360: 5,359 418 (8.46%) [Source: Media Create] See: The incredibly athletic archives
