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And the next-gen winner is ... IBM?
Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft are all in a battle to get their product in your living room. Given that most consumers have either constrained time or money, they won't be able to get all three. Slice it how you may, there will be one definite winner in the next-gen marketplace; (drum roll) that winner is IBM. Regardless of which console a consumer ultimately chooses, IBM will be getting a cut of the profits. IBM developed the processor in the Wii and Xbox 360 and IBM also has their name on Cell, along with Sony and Toshiba. Owning the processor trifecta is more than enough to make up for losing Apple's business to Intel. No other company stands to win regardless of which console takes the top spot. Even ATI, whose chip is in the Wii and 360, could stand to take a back seat to Nvidia if the previous generation's sales numbers repeat themselves. No matter what turns out, we already know IBM won the console wars. Now that's settled, we should start arguing over which IBM chip will win. [Thanks, Gamer Jay]
Japanese hardware sales, 31 July - 6 August: heavy meta
Though we may frequently appear to be aloof, apathetic or altogether addicted to awe-inspiring alliteration, the Joystiq crew is actually attentively attuned to the needs of its readers and commenters. We know what you want, and what you want is what we know -- that is to say, we'll teach you how to make an official Joystiq Japanese sales chart post in the comfort of your very own home! Step 1: Create a terrible introductory paragraphThe introductory paragraph helps ease the reader into the wealth of information provided by one of these posts. It functions like a soft mattress placed in-between the reader and the pit of rusty nails that is the weekly onslaught of numbers. Make sure that the introductory paragraph is self-referential, wildly incoherent and not even remotely related to the actual sales numbers. You may introduce a second paragraph if you feel the mattress needs to be thicker, though it's recommended that you implement a silly allegory to maintain interest and "humor."A third paragraph, however, is most certainly not recommended. It will only serve to anger those that are eager to reach the actual information. Step 2: Insert the sales information obtained from Media Create:The ranking, according to number of units sold:- DS Lite: 163,572 13,281 (7.51%)- PSP: 49,352 6,748 (15.84%)- PS2: 25,987 464 (1.75%)- GBA SP: 2,784 555 (24.90%)- Game Boy Micro: 1,928 162 (9.17%)- Xbox 360: 1,389 857 (38.16%)- DS Phat: 1,159 371 (24.25%)- Gamecube: 904 135 (12.99%)- GBA: 34 25 (277.77%)- Xbox: 14 3 (27.27%)Step 3: Create a final paragraph (must be worse than introductory paragraph)In your final paragraph, you may opt to analyze the week's sales trends (the Xbox is always a hilarious topic), possibly referring to coinciding NPD reports or pointing out how the DS Lite outsells everything, in the universe, ever. Alternatively, you may use it as a denouement to any running jokes you regrettably started in Step 1. [Source: Media Create]
Japanese hardware sales, 17 July - 23 July: bad comparison week
The most interesting parts of this week's chart reside at the very top and at the very bottom, much like a decapitated body with Lamborghinis for feet. Nintendo's magical, dual-screened device continues to dominate Japan, raking in the cash like a pickpocket with eight magnetic arms. The ranking, according to number of units sold:- DS Lite: 262,453 121,595 (86.32%)- PSP: 35,938 655 (1.86%)- PS2: 22,288 1,639 (6.85%)- DS Phat: 6,344 5,477 (46.33%)- GBA SP: 2,953 334 (12.75%)- Xbox 360: 1,472 367 (33.21%)- Game Boy Micro: 1,410 171 (10.82%)- Gamecube: 1,076 148 (15.95%)- GBA: 20 8 (28.57%)- Xbox: 0 10 (100.00%)It's as clear as Daniel Day-Lewis' acting ability -- while the DS Lite enjoys brisk sales that trump the rest of the chart combined more than three times over, the Xbox finally languishes in the lowest point possible. Its performance in this part of the world may not have been entirely deserved, but it still turned out to be more embarassing than a discus-throwing competition where each disc has been replaced by a custard pie.(Worst. Comparisons. Ever.)[Source: Media Create]
Japanese hardware sales, 19 June - 25 June: the bigger they are
... the harder they fall. The Japanese population's brief rekindling of their romance with the DS Phat, showing a massive 1559% increase in sales last week, seems to have died out for now. Our obese friend takes the sharpest fall this week, with slimmer, trimmer machines like the Game Boy Micro and DS Lite faring better. The ranking, according to number of units sold:- DS Lite: 157,022 15,535 (10.98%)- PS2: 25,467 4,730 (22.81%)- PSP: 24,737 84 (0.34%)- DS Phat: 10,132 12,616 (55.46%)- GBA SP: 3,784 858 (18.48%)- Game Boy Micro: 1,502 208 (16.07%)- Gamecube: 1,197 195 (19.46%)- Xbox 360: 1,169 238 (16.92%)- GBA: 25 5 (25.00%)- Xbox: 10 5 (33.33%)The rest of the chart seems intentionally unremarkable, with the Lite reigning on top and the spinless Xbox sweeping the ground floor. Very soon, it will be expected to clean up the explosion of confetti and glitter accompanying the launch of the Noble Pink DS Lite.[Source: Media Create]
Japanese hardware sales, 29 May - 4 June: How bizarre [Update 1]
Oh, look. It's the weekly Japanese hardware sales chart. Every time I look around, it's in my face. The ranking, according to number of units sold:- DS Lite: 135,614 149,411 (52.42%)- PSP: 24,595 2,632 (9.67%)- PS2: 18,513 1,285 (6.49%)- GBA SP: 4,364 2288 (34.40%)- Game Boy Micro: 1,270 743 (36.91%)- Xbox 360: 1,245 3 (0.24%)- Phat DS: 1,159 2,967 (71.91%)- Gamecube: 798 318 (28.49%)- Xbox: 43 35 (43.75%)- GBA: 30 14 (31.81%) Whether it's a rare planetary alignment or mass hypnosis, something irregular is surely to blame for this weird state of events. Microsoft's consoles are the only ones not to take a sales plunge this week -- even the DS Phat's fall from grace sends it hurtling past the Xbox 360. How bizarre.[Update: Quite bizarrely, some of the numbers were from last week. Corrected.][Source: Media Create]
Do the Japanese know what HDTV is?
While we're busy playing Xbox 360 or at least watching streaming HDTV on it, Microsoft is having a hard time selling the console in Japan. There are many reasons for this but I ran across the most unbelievable reason today.The Japanese don't know what HDTV is, at least according to Microsoft of Japan's Xbox chief of operations Yoshihiro Maruyama.He says that "they were ineffective at marketing the 360's HD-video capabilities," explaining that it's hard to market something when the target audience doesn't know what it is. If they don't want them, they should send them to the states and help the poor souls who paid too much on eBay. Kevin?
