Japanese Sales: PS3 Tops Wii Again, PSP Battles DSi
We recently noted an interesting trend in Japanese hardware sales, and that trend has continued according to Media Create's latest weekly numbers.
The trend is simple: the vice-like grip the Nintendo Wii once had on Japan has weakened if not loosened entirely. For yet another week, the PlayStation 3 has topped the Wii, and this time, it was by a significant margin of nearly 5,000 units. Following hot on the footsteps of articles around the 'Net questioning Nintendo's staying power due to a lack of software and slowing sales, the PSP continues to duke it out with the Nintendo DSi. The latter led the list again, but at 53,680 units, it's not blowing the second-place PSP out of the water, which came in at 48,118 units. Here's a look at the stats:
- DSi: 53,680 - Down 3,721 (6.48%)
- PSP: 48,118 - Down 6,030 (11.14%)
- PS3: 20,362 - Down 2,463 (10.79%)
- Wii: 15,525 - Down 1,751 (10.14%)
- DS Lite: 8,729 - Up 321 (3.82%)
- Xbox 360: 7,812 - Up 2,963 (61.11%)
- PS2: 5,394 148 - Up (2.82%)
On the flip side, we may finally be seeing the end of the PS2, as the Xbox 360 is starting to outsell Sony's last-gen system on a relatively frequent basis. Throughout most of this new generation, the 360 has never managed to top the PS2 (let alone the Wii or PS3) in Japan, and no matter what Microsoft tries to do, they just can't seem to gain a foothold in the Land of the Rising Sun. But this new war, which has snapped into focus after the Wii craze has died down, will clearly continue to rage between Sony and Nintendo. Looks like fun. :)
4/13/2009 Ben Dutka
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Comments (32 posts)
Alienange
Monday, April 13, 2009 @ 7:02:08 PM
Highlander
Monday, April 13, 2009 @ 11:03:33 AM
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Also good to see how well PSP continues to do. Perhaps this continuing trend of sales will lessen the media's shrieking about PS3 or PSP being a failure?
I am so sick of hearing pundits and JOURNALISTS in the western gaming media dismissing the PSP out of hand. The thing has sold 10s of millions of units and continues to sell strongly and yet we still regularly see articles decrying the death of the PSP, or calling it a failure, questioning it's survival....no doubt the same stories by the same people about the PS3 will continue no matter how well it sells.
Funny how it's always the same suspects, whatever happened to fair and balanced reporting of news? Ben, I'm not taking you to task, but you know that there are many would be journalists in the gaming media who are less than objective in terms of their reporting of the various platforms.
How many headlines do you think the "61% Leap in 360 Sales" will gather (story also pointing to the 10% drop in PS3 sales)? Of course the real story is that the PS3 continues to hold a lead in sales against the Wii, but will that be reported positively? Or will it be a case of "PS3 Clings To Slim Lead Over The Almighty Wii In Japan"?
coverton341
Monday, April 13, 2009 @ 11:45:21 AM
It is painfully obvious that the views are skewed in a way that is amusingly inaccurate, but that is just the nature of the beast I am afraid. The general public of the west made up its mind because the 360 was out first and all good westerners know that first means win and we love a winner.
SerendipityDeus
Monday, April 13, 2009 @ 11:04:44 AM
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Qubex
Monday, April 13, 2009 @ 11:21:56 AM
Deleted User
Monday, April 13, 2009 @ 12:49:45 PM
WorldEndsWithMe
Monday, April 13, 2009 @ 12:03:59 PM
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maxpontiac
Monday, April 13, 2009 @ 12:18:34 PM
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ArnoldK PSXE [Administrator]
Monday, April 13, 2009 @ 12:32:34 PM
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Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Monday, April 13, 2009 @ 12:38:12 PM
About five minutes later, I heard him mumble under his breath: "Damn, STILL nothing." And he walked out. ...maybe there's hope.
maxpontiac
Monday, April 13, 2009 @ 1:40:59 PM
Alienange
Monday, April 13, 2009 @ 7:09:17 PM
Havoc
Monday, April 13, 2009 @ 3:22:30 PM
coverton341
Monday, April 13, 2009 @ 5:08:08 PM
HOODGE
Monday, April 13, 2009 @ 2:00:51 PM
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Unfortunately, Sony in the rest of the world is beating out the 360, and I think as for North America we are starting to see the PS3 picking up a lot of steam.
I Still do beleive what John Koller said in an earlier statement that Sony isn't really concerned about being in last place in overall sales. He simply stated that the PS3 is NOT in direct competition with Microsoft and Nintendo. He said the Playstation 3 is the Premium Entertainment system that comes with a premium price, and that the Playstation is really in its own category when it comes to being compared with the other two competitors.
That is how I see it and I don't care who in the end sells more machines. Everybody is doing business and selling their machines to their specific demographics, and everybody is happy. It's a win win for all competitors and us the consumers.
I own all 3 machines and I know Sony's PS3 is the superior machine. I know it has the best games. I know the online rocks over Live now. I know that I can turn on my machine and not worry about it blowing up. And last of all, I know that Playstation in overall history sales since its birth has pwned Microsoft 10 times over, and in just a short matter of time it will own 360 in sales. It's inevitable.
Microsoft knows it, even tho they continue to lie and bash the PS3. Why do you think they are resorting to that type of behavour? Cause they know that their 3fixme is almost done in everything it can do. They see the games Sony has and only can dream that they had them. They hear in their forums all the complaining people are doing about the RROD, the new e74 error, the problems with Live now with the new Dashboard. They hear how PSN is rock solid and performs amazinly well with little to no down time. THEY KNOW ALL THESE THINGS. Why do you think they are ready to push the next crapbox out to the public soon. They have to.
So in the end, I know the truth. You know the truth. Sony's competitors know the truth. Let that give you lots of joy and comfort knowing that in the end PS3 IS #1.
RadioHeader
Monday, April 13, 2009 @ 2:14:43 PM
coverton341
Monday, April 13, 2009 @ 5:09:37 PM
Alienange
Monday, April 13, 2009 @ 7:20:11 PM
The adult fish who got baited into buying a 360 because it was released before the PS3 got what they deserved. An expensive time bomb.
sunspider13
Monday, April 13, 2009 @ 2:31:59 PM
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bamf
Monday, April 13, 2009 @ 10:40:29 PM
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Japan has always been known for its gaming culture, arcade machines are still popular over there, while they're nearly non-existent here in the UK.
So I would say that in Japan, the Wii has been bought mainly by gamers and there's the problem, the Wii has no games and the Japanese are seeing this. A nation of gamers need games and the place to find them is the PS3. The PS3 is gaining momentum in Japan because there are games on the PS3, so imagine what a price cut could do to the sales?
What makes people in the West go out and by the Wii is Nintendo's marketing, I must see 10 TV comercials a day for the Wii and there is more new DSi ads then anything else, and that from someone who doesn't watch much TV.
You can ask these people why they went out and bought a Wii and they couldn't tell you because they don't know. They don't do their research into what the Wii is and what software is on it or coming out. It seems the ads and price is enough.
Then its all Wii sports and nothing else to many Wii onwers. The Wii still has its hardcore faithful who buy the other stuff but what is there for them to buy? Mad World has just come out and its already half price. I played it and its good fun, but ts only like 3 hours long and you've seen everything the game has to offer on the first level, and its easy. The hardcore still buy the old games from a year ago.
The Wii is all about family fun multiplayer but 99% of the Wii games which are party games are crap. Mario Kart Wii is the only fun multiplayer game, which I get bored of after a hour.
Nintendo can fool everyone only for so long and that when Wii hardware slows down everywhere else and without the software, who is going to buy their games?
With the DSi, I think Nintendo have released the handheld because of the PSP success. The DS can only sell so much and when it stops, Nintendo has no sales in the handheld market and sees the PSP keep selling. Could the PSP reach near the DS sales?
VGChartz count the DSi figures with the DS figures and have the DS at 100million which is wrong. The DS sales and DSi sales should be seperate, which woul mean the DS has nearly stopped dead just before 100 million. DSi will be bought by all DS owners and should have its sale figures seperate. So really the PSP is like 50 millon sales ahead of the DSi and could one day catch up to the DS sales figure?

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Monday, April 13, 2009 @ 10:53:33 AM