Sales figures (Japan) Sept. 24-30

[FM-77AV]

01./--. [360] Halo 3 - 59,000 / NEW
02./03. [DS] Pokemon Fushigi no Dungeon: Toki - 55,000 / 440,000
03./01. [PSP] Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII - 54,000 / 649,000
04./--. [DS] Tamagotchi Petit Petit Omisecchi Minasankyu! - 54,000 / NEW
05./04. [DS] Pokemon Fushigi no Dungeon: Yami - 46,000 / 389,000
06./--. [PS2] Bleach Blade Battlers 2nd - 31,000 / NEW
07./--. [DS] English Test 2 - 28,000 / NEW
08./--. [PSP] Yugioh Duel Monsters GX - 28,000 / NEW
09./--. [PS3] Oblivion - 27,000 / NEW
10./02. [PSP] Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops+ - 25,000 / 119,000
11. [PSP] Eiyuu Densetsu: Sora no Kiseki
12. [PS2] Phantasy Star Universe: Illuminas no Yabou
13. [PS2] Pachinko Vol 11: Shinseiki Evangelion: Magokoro
14. [WII] Mario Party 8
15. [WII] Super Mario Strikers
16. [NDS] Kanji Nouryoku Kentei Kyoukai Kounin DS
17. [NDS] My Housekeeping Diary
18. [NDS] Mario Kart DS
19. [NDS] New Super Mario Bros.
20. [WII] Wii Sports
21. [NDS] Flash Focus: Vision Training in Minutes a Day
22. [WII] Wii Play
23. [PS3] Agarest Senki
24. [WII] Kekkaishi: Kokubourou no Kage
25. [NDS] Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles - Ring of Fates
26. [NDS] Brain Age 2
27. [NDS] Katekyoo Hitman Reborn!! DS Flame Rumble Kaien Ring Soudatsuen!
28. [NDS] Animal Crossing DS
29. [PSP] Wangan Midnight Portable
30. [WII] MySims


Halo 3 in #1. Looks like even the Japanese have finally developed a taste for games that are actually good (including learning the important rule FPS > the world). Good, good. There's still hope for them.

ED6² in #11. Pretty cool. Maybe they will port more games for PSP (or, actually make actual PSP games from the ground up). It would be nice with Xanadu Next, even though it probably wouldn't be particularly playable on the PSP.

[FM-77AV]

What gave you that strange idea? Obviously it's not true.

[FM-77AV]

From my experience, gaming magazines loves to make up strange lies about Japan. I have no idea why.

[Inochi 命]

pfft sales... figures.

Any one day can look amazing depending on circumstances, but if you look at an individual game over time it's a different picture. This isn't all that amazing once you consider that Halo 3's competition that week isn't so hot either. And I'm not referring to FFVII or Pokemon, I'm referring to the other new releases that week (one which happens to be oblivion for PS3, another game people are getting shocked to see on there). Just consider that when Blue Dragon came out for 360, it sold more than Halo 3 did in its first week and at that time it was 1/4th of 360's owners, then practically dropped off the charts the next week. It also moved 360 units, which Halo 3 kinda didn't. So no, America isn't taking over Japan... the vast majority of Japan still probably won't think of giving many American games a shot (even if Famitsu gives some of them near perfect scores), although GTA kind of gets lucky. I guess it's funny to see it on top of the charts, but it's just really lucky to be there. Actually, if you put the Pokemon scores together it suddenly becomes 2nd (or if you're looking at Famitsu's chart it could be 3rd).

maybe it seems I've said too much, but I've been reading crazy comments on this thing on 3 different sites now so this is everything I've thought up put into one post. just getting it off my brain

besides, if you're thinking that no Japanese gamer plays american games, then watch this:

kotaku.com/gaming/clip/95-yr-old-japanese-grandma-playing-halo-3-306384.php

[Falcom Director of Fanservice]

Inochi brings up some excellent points about these stats.

Also, I am surprised that Phantasy Star Universe is on that list at all, let alone #12. And I'm amused a roguelike, even if it is Pokemon, is doing so well.

[Inochi 命]

A Japanese perspective on why Japanese people don't want american games

it's a little strange when you consider that earlier in the console revolution, Japanese developers were too afraid to bring some Japanese games to America because they thought the west would find them too hard. Final Fantasy was considered a hard game. Now the Japanese love it because it's easy?

Seriously, I just think it's due to a mix of cultural differences and some bias. I don't know where those Japanese devs are getting their answers from.

Also strange: I've never found American games to be difficult. In most cases, just enter the cheat code and you're done!

[sideshow]

Microsoft will never have the edge in japan solely because Microsoft is an American company. I think most japanese people are attracted to their native company's Sony and Nintendo. That article brings a good point that there is just not enough japanese developed games for the 360. Most are foreign games localized. I'm really stoked about Ace Combat 6 and Beatiful Katamary coming out only for the 360 but thats still not going to justify the japanese minds to convert. Its good that Ikaruga, Rez, and Trigger Heart Exelica are making their way to XBOX Live Arcade. There has to be much more japanese developed games to flood the system for people to make the move. The 360 is doing much better than the OG XBOX in japan which is progress.

[sideshow]

Eternal Sonata is coming to the PS3 next year so no XBOX exclusive there. Folklore does look really good but I still cant hand over my money for the PS3 until MGS4. I'm actually more pumped up to get the PSP slim to hook it up to the big screen. Castlevania Rondo of Blood, Silent Hill Origins, and God of War Chains of Olympus are some huge titles coming out for the PSP. Of course I will probably put so much time into Guitar Hero 3 and Rock Band when those come out but am still hesistant what systems to get them for.

[sideshow]

Well, I'm not huge into RPG's unless its a megaten game so Beatiful Katamary has to be the number 1 japanese developed game I'm looking for on the 360.

[Adol.Christin]

weel the xbox sold 5000+ units in that same week. it usually sells only 2000-3000 so that's a huge leap, but in total they only sold:

Hardware September 24 - 30

console - September 24 - 30 - week before that
- PSP: 102,808 + 1 174,985 (62.99%)
- DS Lite: 72,895 2,372 (3.36%)
- Wii: 24,143 849 (3.40%)
- PS3: 13,105 2,373 (22.11%)
- PS2: 12,980 1,607 (14.13%)
- Xbox 360: 5,215 3,528 (209.13%)
- Game Boy Micro: 229 14 (5.76%)
- Gamecube: 73 5 (7.35%)
- GBA SP: 49 57 (53.77%)
- GBA: 41 8 (24.24%)
- DS Phat: 30 15 (100.00%)

funny that the GBA is outselling the fat NDS

[sideshow]

Ya thats crazy that the gameboy advance is even still selling units. Long life span on that handheld.

[Adol.Christin]

if you add GBA and GBA SP together than it even outsells the GameCube

[FM-77AV]

I agree. I think the original DS is far better than the Lite model. It feels better to hold it, but most importantly - the buttons are fantastic (the best of any game controller, minus the SNES). I can't stand the mushy DS Lite buttons! Ugh! Too bad the original DS looks so terrible, but the DS Lite isn't exactly that fantastic-looking either.

I just realized. 0 Xboxes. Well, I'm not surprised. What DOES surprise me, however, is that people are still buying Xbox in other parts of the world (well, I bet at least two people bought one last week). Actually, the fact that people actually bought it even when it was new shocks me. Okay, it must have been Halo... but it's unplayable on the Xbox.

[sideshow]

Well if most people from a given region had huge hands then they would buy the Fat DS over the Lite anyday. Hell I remember when people were hating the DUKE XBOX controller because of how big it was but for me, cause I have large hands, it was comfortable. Makes sense how the original XBOX failed miserable in japan due to how freakin huge the machine was. Make a console the size of a cell phone in japan and I'm sure it would sell very well.