another-week-in-japan posts(Subscribe to this feed)
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 7/7-7/13
by Candace Savino 
{ Jul 18th 2008 at 2:00PM }
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 7/7-7/13
by Candace Savino { Jul 18th 2008 at 2:00PM }
There's so much DS software love in the top ten that we don't know what to highlight! If pressed, though, we'll have to choose Densetsu no Stafi 5, because 1) Stafy is just the cutest and 2) it performed better than the rest. Band Brothers DX is inching toward 200,000 sales, though, and will probably hit that landmark next week.The other DS love goes to Hana Yori Dango: Koi Seyo Onago, an otome based on an anime/manga/j-drama. Although the chances of it happening are about ... zero ... we'd love to see that one localized, as Hana Yori Dango is one of our guilty pleasures. Last but not least, we'll mention the sometimes inappropriate Gegege no Kitarou, which debuted in ninth. (Oh yeah -- there's also Derby Stallion, but really.)
Software sales gave DS hardware a small boost, but Nintendo's handheld is still stuck behind the PSP:
- PSP: 56,998 (
559) - Nintendo DS: 48,540 (1,085)
- Wii: 41,768 (
2,757) - PlayStation 3: 12,458 (1,901)
- PlayStation 2: 10,405 (1,363)
- Xbox 360: 3,807 (969)
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 6/30-7/6
by Candace Savino { Jul 11th 2008 at 8:00PM }
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)
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 6/23-6/29
by Candace Savino { Jul 4th 2008 at 7:30PM }
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)
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 6/23-6/29
by Candace Savino { Jul 4th 2008 at 7:30PM }
_0704.jpg)
The other Wii games that found themselves in the top ten were Mario Super Sluggers, and of course Wii Fit and Mario Kart. As for hardware, the Wii dropped to third place, falling behind the DS by a minuscule margin:
To see the top ten software sales numbers and rankings, just clicky clicky on the "continue reading" link below.
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 6/16-6/22
by Candace Savino { Jun 27th 2008 at 11:45AM }
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)
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 6/16-6/22
by Candace Savino { Jun 27th 2008 at 11:00AM }
The new Wii kid
Everything else Wii related is pretty much just business as usual, but check past the break to see where the games ranked in the top thirty and how much the top tenners sold.
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 6/9-6/15
by Candace Savino { Jun 20th 2008 at 8:00PM }
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.
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.
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 6/9-6/15
by Candace Savino { Jun 20th 2008 at 7:00PM }
Just as we were starting to get comfortable with the DS coming in third consistently on the Japanese hardware charts, Metal Gear Solid 4 came out and helped push our favorite handheld down to fourth. Fourth! Meaning, it only did better than the PS2 and 360. Snaaaaaaaaaaaaaaake! DS hardware did get a little boost, though, despite the fact that not much new software made its way into the charts:
- Playstation 3: 75,311 (64,455)
- PSP: 64,675 (2,659)
- Wii: 45,564 (925)
- Nintendo DS: 39,201 (4,181)
- PlayStation 2: 7,297 (1,018)
- Xbox 360: 2,163 (117)
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 6/2-6/8
by Candace Savino { Jun 13th 2008 at 11:45AM }
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)
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 6/2-6/8
by Candace Savino { Jun 13th 2008 at 11:45AM }
The top Wii game last week wasn't Mario Kart, or even Wii Fit. Rather, beloved roguelike Shiren got the coveted title, as Shiren the Wanderer 3 debuted in second behind the PS3's new Dragon Ball Z. The previously mentioned Nintendo games did show up in the top ten, though, along with Family Trainer. We're happy to see both Smash Bros. Brawl and Battalion Wars 2 hanging tough in the top thirty; the previous week had us a bit worried. In hardware, though, the Wii remains sandwiched between the PSP and the DS:
Just click on past the break if you'd like to see how Wii software fared.
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 5/26-6/1
by Candace Savino { Jun 6th 2008 at 11:45AM }
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)
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 5/26-6/1
by Candace Savino { Jun 6th 2008 at 11:45AM }
Despite less than stellar software sales, Wii hardware performed well. Yet, once again, the Wii fell behind the currently dominating PSP:
The software figures are located after the break, so click on.
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 5/19-5/25
by Candace Savino { May 30th 2008 at 9:30AM }
To put it bluntly, sales for the game were low. In fact, it didn't even make the top fifty in Media Create's charts, and Famitsu reports that the title only sold 1,300 copies. Compared to sales in other regions (like North America and Europe, for example), where Guitar Hero III performed fiercely, you can see that tastes often differ between western and eastern gamers.
Other than that, there's not to much to report about the software charts. Battalion Wars 2 managed to hang in the top ten, while Mario Kart Wii slipped into third place. Meanwhile, Smash Bros. Brawl might be in danger of falling out of the top thirty soon.
In hardware, the gap between the Wii and the PSP lessened as sales for Nintendo's console rose, while sales for Sony's handheld fell. Still, the PSP had a lead of about 15,000 units last week, keeping the Wii locked in its second place spot:
The software numbers are located after the break, so go on and take a look.
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 5/19-5/25
by Candace Savino { May 30th 2008 at 9:30AM }
- 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)
Check out the sales numbers and rankings for yourself after the break.
