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False alarm: Xbox 360 may not have outsold Wii in Japan last week
There are now conflicting reports about the week the Earth stood still. It seems the Xbox 360 may not have outsold the Wii in Japan last week, as Media Create's data contradicts that of Famitsu owner Enterbrain, which shows that the Wii actually triumphed. Well, that explains why we're all still here ... because the fabric of existence should have completely torn itself apart.The Media Create data shows that the Wii sold 29,686 units (up 2,500 from Enterbrain's count), while the Xbox 360 unit count is roughly the same as Enterbrain's figure at 28,188. Now it's time for us to get Uncle Chester out of the bunker and tell him that Fallout 3 won't be an edutainment title.[Via X3F]
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%
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 7/7-7/13
We're kind of glad to see Persona 4 blow away the competition in software, even if it's not a Wii game (cough -- it should be). Nothing else really sold all that well, not even the games in the top ten. Wii Fit and Mario Kart Wii keep piling on copies to their ever-growing mountains, though, and remain snug in the top ten.The other big news in terms of Japanese software is the release of Resident Evil 0. Capcom's port did debut at spot six, but only sold 20k copies in its first week. This game won't come even close to being the cash cow that Resident Evil 4 was, but we're sure Capcom will still make a pretty ported penny.Hardware sales show that the Wii was stuck in third, again:You can check out Japan's software sales and rankings from last week after the break.
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 6/30-7/6
The most recent Japanese charts showed us that musical instruments have more legs than horses, as Band Brothers DX jumped up into the first place spot. Meanwhie, Nanashi no Game made its debut in the top ten, but only sold a total of 30,000 copies. Hardware sales were also interesting, as the DS stubbornly held onto the second spot: PSP: 56,439 (2,442) Nintendo DS: 47,455 (1,429) Wii: 44,525 (3,955) PlayStation 3: 14,359 (3,614) PlayStation 2: 11,768 ( 4,095) Xbox 360: 4,776 (328) With the Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G craze finally starting to quiet a bit, we don't think it will be too long before the PSP dips closer to DS sales (as long as Nintendo's handheld can maintain its own momentum). Enough about the future, though -- it's all about the now. So, go on and see how software fared last week in Japan by clicking past the break.
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 6/23-6/29
Oh, Japanese gamers, how we love you -- after all, only you would buy 150,000 copies of Derby Stallion in one week. Such sales were enough to put this DS horse racing sim into first place, above Band Brothers DX and even the Wii's Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World. Besides Derby Stallion and Band Brothers, another DS title that made it into the top ten was Higurashi no Naku Koru ni Kazuna, a murder mystery visual novel.The beauty of it all is that this DS software success managed to propel DS hardware into second place, barely skating past the Wii: PSP: 58,861 (490) Nintendo DS: 48,884 (12,285) Wii: 48,480 (7,443) PlayStation 3: 17,973 (2,363) PlayStation 2: 7,673 (1,327) Xbox 360: 5,104 (2,549) To see sales numbers and rankings for the top ten games, just click past the break.
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 6/16-6/22
The DS found itself back in cozy old third place in this week's chart, as the hype from Metal Gear Solid 4 died down a bit in Japan: PSP: 59,531 (5,325) Wii: 41,037 (4,527) NDS: 36,599 (2,602) PS3: 20,336 (54,975) PS2: 6,346 (951) Xbox 360: 2,555 (392) Meanwhile, Let's Make a Pro Baseball Team's steady climb back into the top ten makes us wonder if supply just wasn't meeting demand a few weeks earlier, when the game fell out of the top thirty. Yet overall, the DS had a relatively boring week in terms of software, with no exciting new releases to congratulate or poke fun at (unless you consider the budget-priced re-release of Puyo Puyo 15th Anniversary "exciting" and "new").If you want to see what Japanese gamers were buying last week, though, just click on past the break.
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 6/9-6/15
Last week in Japan was all about Sony dominance, as Metal Gear Solid 4 rocketed the PS3 into first. The Wii still did pretty well for itself, though, nabbing the third spot in hardware and nine of the top thirty in software:Shiren the Wanderer 3 managed to remain in the top ten despite the Metal Gear bullying, but everything else was as we expected. Just click past the break if you want to check out the software rankings and sales numbers.
MGS4 runs 12 circles around closest competitor first week in Japan
We already knew sales of Metal Gear Solid 4 were good for Japan, with Famitsu reporting earlier that 476,000 copies had been sold in the first few days of release. According to Media Create, that figure sneaks in an extra 11,000, as they're only tracking 465,000 in sales for the first week (via Gamasutra).Despite the missing units, the launch provides some interesting statistics. MGS4 moved over 12 times as many units as its closest competitor, Mario Kart Wii (38,000), and more than double that of the non-Metal Gear top 10 combined. Sorry, Snake, there's no place to hide in Japan. Snake? Snaaaake? SNAAAAAAKE! Check out our Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots page for all things Metal Gear. While you're at it, enter for your chance to win a copy of MGS4 signed by Hideo Kojima!
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 6/2-6/8
We're crying for Namco Bandai's Tears of 99 right now, as the game debuted in the twenty-third spot this week. We guess Japanese gamers just didn't feel like being bummed out, and therefore avoided buying this original title. Sad, indeed.The rest of DS software didn't do so hot, either. Detective game Misa Yamamura Suspense premiered in fifth, and Beautiful Letter Training continues to sell incredibly well for a nongame about calligraphy, but otherwise sales were a disappointment. Front Mission 2089 and Endless Frontier: Super Robot Wars OG Saga are already showing a lack of legs, since both of the games dropped considerably from the previous week. Glory of Herakles and Let's Make a Pro Baseball Team! have even fallen out of the top thirty completely. Hardware is the same old story: PSP: 62,016 (9,970) Wii: 44,639 (6,212) Nintendo DS: 35,020 (3,335) PlayStation 3: 10,856 (1,687) PlayStation 2: 6,279 (924) Xbox 360: 2,280 (321) Check out all the software numbers and rankings for yourself, should you feel so inclined. They're listed after the break.
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 5/26-6/1
Two DS games debuted in the top ten this week (Endless Frontier: Super Robot Wars OG Saga and the cutesy spatial puzzler Empty Space Training), but otherwise, DS software had a relatively lackluster performance. Only twelve titles ended up in the top thirty, which is low for Nintendo's handheld. As for hardware, the DS is getting comfortable in third place behind the PSP and Wii: PSP: 71,986 (7,537) Wii: 50,851 (1,804) Nintendo DS: 38,355 (951) PlayStation 3: 9,169 (98) PlayStation 2: 7,203 (14) Xbox 360: 1,959 (12) Front Mission 2089: Border of Madness is another game that premiered last week, taking twelfth in the charts. If it follows the path of games like Let's Make a Pro Baseball Team! and Glory of Herakles, though, it's likely to drop soon. As for English of the Dead, the game didn't debut in the top fifty, and according to Famitsu it only sold 1,500 copies in its first week. Click on past the break to see the other software numbers and rankings from 5/29 to 6/1.
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 5/19-5/25
After a somewhat stalwart week, DS software recovered nicely and once again dominated the charts. Even though the same amount of games appeared in the top thirty (fifteen in total), they ranked higher on average than they did in the previous week. Good software sales also gave DS hardware a little boost: PSP: 64,449 (6,087) Wii: 49,047 (7,475) Nintendo DS: 37,404 (2,499) PlayStation 3: 9.071 (1,370) PlayStation 2: 7,189 (167) Xbox 360: 1,947 (473) Four new games debuted in the top thirty, including Sega's Let's Make a Pro Baseball Team!, which nabbed the first place spot from Monster Hunter. The other three games were Glory of Herakles, Scarlet Fragment, and Tea Dogs Room 3. Herakles (or Hercules, if you prefer) is the title that sparks our interest the most, as it's an interesting RPG published by Nintendo. Even so, it's first week sales were (unfortunately) subpar, yet good enough to land it in the top ten.Check out the sales numbers and rankings for yourself after the break.
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 5/12-5/18
The new kid on the Japanese Wii software block last week was Battalion Wars 2, which faired well enough in its debut to hit the top ten. Will it stay there? Our guess is no, sadly. Still, it's nice to see the game get some recognition in Japan.Once again, the only non-Nintendo title for the Wii that made the top thirty was Deca Sports, which dropped thirteen spots from the week before. Ouch. We're not sure what made Japan fall so out of love with Deca Sports in one week, but the game seems to have lost some of its legs. Smash Bros. Brawl also took a spill, falling from tenth place to nineteenth.The other noticeable drop was Mario Kart Wii, which only fell one spot, but an important spot -- from first to second -- and finally succumbed to the frightening power of Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G. Hardware was also a PSP victory, as the handheld beat all other systems by a convincing margin. Now that you've seen the hardware numbers, check past the break for the software sales.
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 5/5-5/11
There's no new DS software in the top of the charts to report this week, but that doesn't mean Nintendo's little handheld didn't completely clean house. In fact, nineteen of the top thirty were DS games, showing how gluttonous the dual-screened portable can get when it comes to sales. Some old favorites also popped back up around the bottom, including Brain Age 2, Animal Crossing, and the original Taiko Drum Master DS.Hardware continues to be a struggle, though. That doesn't mean the DS is doing poorly, because it's not; sales for the handheld even jumped up almost 10,000 units since last week. However, since the PSP and Wii have been doing so well lately, it's hard for Nintendo's handheld to compete: PSP: 89,884 Wii: 67,308 Nintendo DS: 51,228 PlayStation 3: 8,054 PlayStation 2: 7,464 Xbox 360: 1,298 We have no doubt that the DS will be on top again soon enough, but until then, you can check out the satisfactory software numbers posted after the break.
One third of Japanese Wii owners have Wii Fit
Every week, sales charts show us that Wii Fit is popular among Japanese gamers. To give you a sense of just how well it's doing, though, Enterbrain recently reported that two million copies of the fitness title have been sold in Japan. Matched with recent reports of six million Wii consoles being sold in the region, that means every one in three Japanese Wii owners bought a copy of Wii Fit.It hasn't yet caught up to its Nintendo cousin, Wii Sports, which has almost reached the three million mark. Yet, keep in mind that 1) Wii Fit was released a year after Wii Sports and 2) Wii Fit is a lot more expensive; it costs more than a usual Wii game, while Wii Sports costs less than the standard. To throw in another interesting comparison, Media Create sales indicate that there are almost as many Wii Fit owners in Japan as PS3 owners (with the PS3 currently having a 50,000 unit edge).While we find it unlikely that Wii Fit will hit the same one-in-three ownership ratio in Europe and North America, we have little doubt that the exercise software will do well in those regions, too. Let it be said that Nintendo definitely understands the casual market. Gallery: Wii Fit [Via NeoGAF]
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 4/28-5/4
Ah, remember Link's Crossbow Training? The game that was bundled with the Wii Zapper last November (December, for PALs)? It was only released in Japan last week. If sales are any indication, though, Japanese gamers were clamoring for the goron-junk shooter rail shooter, as it claimed the third place spot.Even so, Link had to hail to the king (baby), as Mario Kart Wii still dominated the charts. The other big news for Mario Kart Wii? It passed one million sales in the Far East, denoting its success. Meanwhile, Deca Sports clamored back into the top ten, but Brawl only slipped further downward, thus answering our question from last week. Also proving that the Japanese love their sports games for the Wii, Bandai Namco's Pro Baseball Family Stadium debuted at spot twenty.The Wii triumphed in hardware last week as well. While the console continues to trail behind Sony's handheld, Wii sales went up almost 30,000 units from last week -- perhaps from the Link's Crossbow boost. Go on and check things out for yourself after the break, if you feel so inclined.
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 4/21-4/27
Not only did the PSP gain momentum with the hideous brown, er, we mean shiny bronze model that released in Japan last week, but the Wii also beat out its portable cousin, sending the DS to third place in hardware sales: PSP: 92,411 Wii: 48,796 Nintendo DS: 42,435 PlayStation 3: 9,107 PlayStation 2: 7,108 Xbox 360: 1,283 DS software fared better, though, with two new releases gracing the coveted top ten. Taiko Drum Master: 7 Islands' Adventure was the shining star of the week, reaching almost 56,000 sales. Summon Night gets an honorary mention, though, as it debuted in the fifth spot.To check out the other new releases and software placings, just keep on reading ... forever.
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 4/7-4/13
In a strange turn of events, there's only one new DS game in Japan's top thirty this week, and that's Oshiri Kajiri Mushi's Rhythm Lesson DS. In case that title doesn't ring a bell, you may know it better as "that butt-biting bug game." If there's one thing we've learned from this bug, it's that biting is serious business. Despite Japan's love for DS software and quirky rhythm games, though, Oshiri Kajiri Mushi only debuted in the eighteenth spot. Perhaps butt biting is even too weird for Japan?In hardware, the DS fell behind the PSP once again. Yet, there's already signs of the Monster Hunter hype beginning to dwindle, as the PSP sold 35,000 less units than the week before. Will the new brown model that comes out next week help the PSP keep a wide lead, or will the gap start to narrow again between the two handhelds? We're looking forward to finding out!To see the Japanese placings and numbers, just check after the break.
DS software extremely well-represented in 2007 Japanese sales
Japanese site geimin.net has compiled a list of the 500 highest-selling games in Japan (according to Media Create numbers), and, as would be expected of a video game thing related to Japan, the DS shows up a lot. 215 times, in fact.What was the top-selling DS game of 2007? No, not Brain Age 2. Newer, and slightly more game-like. That's right, it was Mario Party DS, which was also #4 overall in sales. We knew it was getting crazy sales, but we didn't realize that it was doing that well. Also a surprise though it shouldn't have been: Dragon Quest IV, which was the fourth highest-selling DS game and the overall eighth best-selling game. We've compiled the top 10 DS games and placed them after the break, but we encourage you to have a look at the whole list!
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 3/31-4/6
Sony dominated the first (and last) five in the top thirty software chart, but aside from that, everything else was Nintendo. The DS had fifteen games to represent it, but even if you added up the sales numbers for all those games, the total wouldn't come close to what Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G sold in its second week.Pokemon Ranger: Batonnage was once again the best-selling DS game, but newcomer Tottado! Yowiko's Deserted Island Life (which is about famous Japanese comedians being stranded on an island) did well, also. In hardware, the DS was crushed for the second week in a row by the PSP, which had its sales boosted by Monster Hunter and Star Ocean 2.Hardware: PSP: 120,964 Nintendo DS: 55,190 Wii: 44,618 PlayStation 3: 11,303 PlayStation 2: 10,423 Xbox 360: 1,452 To see the software listings, just check after the break.
Over 2 million PS3s sold in Japan
The PS3 has sold over 2 million units in Japan, GamesIndustry.biz is reporting. Media Create's numbers show the PS3 having sold 1,999,969, just 31 short of 2 million, as of April 6th. During the week since then the target has been reached, showing strong sales for the PS3 in Japan. It may not be close to beating out the scarily popular Wii, but the PS3 has outsold the Xbox 360 in the region by a ratio of almost 4:1. With huge titles such as Metal Gear Solid 4 and the Final Fantasy XIII series still to come, we expect Japanese sales to only increase further in the future.
