Vita Surges In Japan Thanks To Hatsune Miku Project Diva F

The PlayStation Vita hasn't exactly been burning up the sales charts over the summer.

But the handheld had a very strong Gamescom showing and on top of which, the Japanese got a highly anticipated title they seem to love: Sega's Hatsune Miku Project Diva F.

And that game has helped to propel the Vita up the Japanese sales charts, as noted by Andriasang. Sony's portable saw a big surge in sales, moving 46,877 units in the week ending September 2, putting it well ahead of any other game system besides the Nintendo 3DS.

Nintendo 3DS: 67,926 (64,921)
PlayStation Vita: 46,877 (9,751)
PlayStation 3: 12,846 (12,243)
PlayStation Portable: 10,918 (10,676)
Wii: 8,038 (8,476)
Xbox 360: 525 (563)
PlayStation 2: 411 (439)
Nintendo DSi: 279 (311)

Hatsune Miku Project Diva F sold over 158,000 copies in its first week of availability and doubled the tally of the runner-up title, Devil Summoner Soul Hackers for the 3DS. And...dude...the 360 sold 525. Seriously. 525. That's just...comical.

Tags: vita, playstation vita, vita sales, vita numbers, sony

9/5/2012 12:21:33 PM Ben Dutka

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Comments (48 posts)

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Killa Tequilla
Wednesday, September 05, 2012 @ 12:34:43 PM
Reply

Shouldnt be a surprise over how many Xbox 360's were sold.

5 up, 1 down

Highlander
Wednesday, September 05, 2012 @ 12:45:48 PM

lol, how about this....

Microsoft paid Namco a large dumptruck of money to make the Idolmaster game exclusive to the 360 in Japan. When it launched it drove Japanese 360 sales like no other and XBL sign up rates in Japan peaked during that game's launch window. When Idolmaster 2 for PS3 was announced, lots of folks in Japan perked up and when it launched there was a significant wave of 360s being sold in favor of PS3s to play Idolmaster 2. The 360 is such a joke in Japan it's not worth considering. But Microsoft deliberately attempted to spike the market there with their exclusivity contracts. Even with those attempts (they were not limited to Idolm@ster) the 360 still failed in Japan.

6 up, 3 down

Killa Tequilla
Wednesday, September 05, 2012 @ 1:14:17 PM

LoL that was a goood read. Microsoft deserved it.

3 up, 4 down

Highlander
Thursday, September 06, 2012 @ 9:48:59 AM

Hey Killa, look there are at least 3 360 fans that can't take the truth... ;)

2 up, 0 down

PoopsMcGee
Wednesday, September 05, 2012 @ 12:39:31 PM
Reply

I'll tell you what: bundles! My local Best Buys can't keep the Madden bundle on the shelf and the game is scoring pretty badly on Vita.

Speaking of which I couldn't wait any longer and took the plunge! I ended up getting the Madden bundle because they just got a shipment in the night before and I'm completely stoked with the purchase!

I also bought Gravity Rush (so far it's AWESOME, love the art design), Uncharted, and Hot Shots (both of which I have yet to try).

I immediately downloaded Skype and Netflix and just downloaded Zen Pinball as well.

This system is the bomb.

7 up, 0 down

CrusaderForever
Wednesday, September 05, 2012 @ 12:49:46 PM

Congratulations, glad you are loving it! It truly is an amazing portable. The Zen Pinball 2 is so awesome! I am just addicted to it. Just bought more tables today. I spent 3 hours on the Spider-Man table alone!

Also, Sony announced God War Collection and Ico and SotC Collection patches for Remote Play!!! I downloaded the GoW Collection patch and GoWII runs without any problems. GoWII looks fantastic on the OLED screen. The SotC Collection patch has not been released as of this morning when I tried. I cannot wait to finish my Ico play through on the Vita. Sony is taking no prisoners!

3 up, 0 down

PoopsMcGee
Wednesday, September 05, 2012 @ 1:09:21 PM

Thanks!

Yeah, the remote play patch is awesome news as I have yet to break into my SotC collection. Now that collection moves up in the backlog to next in the personal playing rotation I think...

I think I actually read someone talking about Zen Pinball on here and that led to me checking it out. That was probably you then, so thanks for the nudge!

I was going to wait for the AC bundle but I just couldn't wait any longer (I wasn't totally enthused about the white anyways, I like my electronics in the classic sleek black).

2 up, 0 down

BikerSaint
Wednesday, September 05, 2012 @ 1:45:33 PM

FYI,
The 1st 4 games of the Zen Pinball 2 tables(Spiderman, Wolverine, Ironman, & Blade) are bundled together for FREE for Playstation Plus members on both the PS3 & the Vita right now on the PSN store.

Plus you can also D/L almost 20 more ZP2 table demos consisting of all the other tables to sample them too.

2 up, 0 down

PoopsMcGee
Wednesday, September 05, 2012 @ 2:00:23 PM

@BikerSaint

Thanks! Yeah, I'm a Plus guy so that's what gave me the final nudge...

1 up, 0 down

Highlander
Wednesday, September 05, 2012 @ 12:40:48 PM
Reply

*sigh*
Never heard of Miku Hatsune? Ben, I'm shocked! Shocked I say! Vocaloids (entirely synthetic singers) are huge in Japan as are music and rhythm games. Look at the Idolm@ster games for example. It's funny to me that games such as this are system sellers in Japan, and here the system sellers are shooters.

There is a message there you know.

I suspect that Call of Duty will help Vita here more than anything else. Certainly no amount of Vocaloids of Idolm@ster girls will help it outside Japan, not they'd get the chance to try since the games are never going to be localized.

Miku Hatsune is big business with sell out concerts, as for that matter are the Idolm@ster girls. Miku Hatsune concerts are interesting, Miku is a Holographic projection the singing is sequenced with a live band. The voice of Miku is a synthetic blend of real artists. The Idolm@ster 'girls' are (you'll be glad to hear) real actresses/singers. The intriguing thing about them is that they sing in their character voices and still manage to a) harmonize and b) sing with emotion. It's not just typical kawaii anime voices either, there are a cu0ple of real divas among them.

As cute and adorable (and pleasant) as these characters and games are, the makers of the games believe that they would not sell in the west, so we will never see them here outside of importing them. It's a real shame because these games focus on things other than action and killing, and are just as compelling (if not more so) as shooters. But alas, we in the west are so very dedicated to our shooters.

9 up, 2 down

cLoudou
Wednesday, September 05, 2012 @ 12:44:43 PM

Your words are lost to most here, Highlander.

5 up, 0 down

Highlander
Wednesday, September 05, 2012 @ 12:46:05 PM

I know, but I still have to say them.

4 up, 1 down

Looking Glass
Wednesday, September 05, 2012 @ 12:53:34 PM

Well you know Highlander there has been some evidence to suggest that they are at least looking into the possibility of bringing a Hatsune Miku game to the west. And since Project Diva F is obviously helping the Vita a lot in Japan and with it needing more support in the west I would say there is at least a little bit of room for hope.

Last edited by Looking Glass on 9/5/2012 12:54:10 PM

2 up, 0 down

Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Wednesday, September 05, 2012 @ 3:27:41 PM

Oh now, you shouldn't be shocked, Highlander. :)

You knew I had that weird thing going on, where I loved JRPGs but I've always disliked anime and many other distinctly Japanese things. I do know Japan's love of stuff like karaoke, but I certainly don't keep up on certain games.

2 up, 2 down

Warrior Poet
Wednesday, September 05, 2012 @ 3:30:39 PM

I never liked vocaloid culture, but the Project Diva games are rock-solid awesome. I'd take it over Rock Band any day. They even have a song editor which lets you sequence your own MP3s in the rhythm game and trade them online.

0 up, 0 down

Highlander
Wednesday, September 05, 2012 @ 3:34:58 PM

LOL Ben, I know, but man, you gotta embrace your inner geek and follow this stuff. ;)

1 up, 1 down

Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Wednesday, September 05, 2012 @ 3:55:05 PM

I embrace my inner geek in other ways. ;)

2 up, 3 down

Qubex
Thursday, September 06, 2012 @ 5:24:38 AM

Lol!

Must say its good to see the Vita get some love. It seems, like previous Sony hardware, it will eventually mature and set itself alight in this competitive market... as long as Sony can keep bundles, pricing and orginal/exclusive software attractive it will be a success generally...

Q!

"play.experience.enjoy"

0 up, 0 down

Looking Glass
Wednesday, September 05, 2012 @ 12:49:54 PM
Reply

For those who don't know Hatsune Miku is a virtual diva and a pop culture icon in Japan. They love her A LOT over there. So it's not surprising that one of her games would be a system seller for the Vita.

And for those who are curious a number of her songs as well as videos of some of her concerts are available for viewing and listening on youtube. I've personally found her to be quite pleasing to the ear. I don't have a Vita yet because money is a little tight right now but if one of her games were to be localized on the Vita I would purchase one immediately for the chance to play it and that's a fact.

Last edited by Looking Glass on 9/5/2012 12:53:51 PM

0 up, 0 down

Highlander
Wednesday, September 05, 2012 @ 1:22:34 PM

Funnily enough, Miku Hatsune is a 'real' enough figure that someone as high profile as Lady Ga Ga (who I am most definitely not a fan of) felt the need to 'go after' Miku. This simply increased Miku's strength in Japan and made Ga Ga look like she had gone a little ga-ga. I mean really, are you so insecure in your own talent that you feel the need to argue with a virtual pop icon? Really? Well, that should tell us something about Lady Ga Ga, shouldn't it...LOL.

2 up, 1 down

SmokeyPSD
Wednesday, September 05, 2012 @ 3:40:06 PM

The concept to me of Hatsune miku is more honest than most studio produced acts out there. Gorillaz is another example of this. Why fake that your "real" when you are clearly not. Makes for interesting creative possibilities.

2 up, 0 down

Geobaldi
Wednesday, September 05, 2012 @ 1:06:13 PM
Reply

I first heard of Hatsune Miku sometime last year. Since then I now have the vocaloid program and have been attempting to learn and use it. Quite complicated, for those without music composition/editor experience, like me :P

0 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Wednesday, September 05, 2012 @ 1:24:52 PM
Reply

I need some serious JRPGness to take the plunge, but any good news for this struggling little fellow is good news.

0 up, 0 down

shadowpal2
Wednesday, September 05, 2012 @ 2:22:23 PM
Reply

Gotta say Ben - I am shocked as much as TheHighlander - really I am!!!

She's as much of a hit on the Internet here in the U.S/Europe/South America as KPop has been...only difference being I don't really listen to KPop...I listen to Hatsune Miku, Megurine Luka, and some other Vocaloids.

But HATSUNE MIKU - would do it! Definitely have an impact! More importantly: MONSTER HUNTER. Get that baby out and the Japanese will be all over the VITA - dead serious on that.

As usual - it takes software to sell hardware. But there will be times when developers won't want to make things for hardware...because there really isn't a good enough userbase for the piece of hardware. Which is why good software has to first come from first-party studios. And we already saw one with Gravity Rush - which honestly is an amazing game...just...not amazing as it could have been. Kind of like with Mirror's Edge

0 up, 0 down

Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Wednesday, September 05, 2012 @ 3:28:36 PM

There's another problem. I have no idea what "KPop" or "Vocaloids" are. You may as well be speaking gibberish...maybe you are, just to mess with me. ;)

1 up, 4 down

Highlander
Wednesday, September 05, 2012 @ 3:48:35 PM

K-pop - Korean Pop Music
J-opp - Japaneese Pop Music
Vocaloid - virtual singer. The appearance is generally Anime styled, the voice is a synthetic amalgamation of multiple real voices that have been analyzed and combined to provide a complete set of phonemes for the Japanese language. They are then stitched together to make any word, and the software let's you alter aspects of the singing to change timing, rhythm, emphasis and so forth, letting you construct a complete virtual performance by your virtual artist and sequence in the music you desire too. The actual performance is quite good.

Vocaloids are not necessarily intended to compete with or replace human artists. I think they are merely an adjunct, another outlet for artistry. I mean, if you can't sing to save your life, you might still be able to create something beautiful using a Vocaloid.

3 up, 1 down

Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Wednesday, September 05, 2012 @ 3:55:51 PM

So...a singer that isn't real. You've GOT to be kidding me.

I'm very much out of it, obviously, but I think I prefer that. LOL

1 up, 4 down

Highlander
Wednesday, September 05, 2012 @ 4:00:43 PM

lol, no, I am not kidding. I'll post you a link...

3 up, 1 down

Highlander
Wednesday, September 05, 2012 @ 4:03:45 PM

Try this on for size...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZfnsvIqsfg&feature=fvwrel

0 up, 1 down

Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Wednesday, September 05, 2012 @ 4:38:01 PM

Wow. Just...awful. LOL

1 up, 3 down

Highlander
Wednesday, September 05, 2012 @ 4:45:57 PM

lol

Better than Milli Vanilli...and Ga Ga...

1 up, 3 down

Clamedeus
Wednesday, September 05, 2012 @ 11:06:53 PM

That's really cool Highlander. o.o

0 up, 0 down

Beamboom
Thursday, September 06, 2012 @ 3:22:34 AM

To even compare this with real life artists... I mean...

Nah. I'll not comment on it any further.

Last edited by Beamboom on 9/6/2012 8:33:23 AM

1 up, 2 down

Highlander
Thursday, September 06, 2012 @ 10:08:15 AM

Beamboom, if you don't appreciate it, that's fine. But neither you nor anyone else should or should pass judgement on it to the point of dismissal. Ben, I feel similarly about your "Just....awful" comment.

The technical achievement of getting a completely synthetic artist to work at all should not be underestimated. Given that this is a gaming news website, the implications for the future of games should be clear. That alone should generate some level of appreciation.

The song is in Japanese and makes no accommodations for any other audience. If you are not at all accustomed to listening to J-pop or anything sung in Japaneses you're going to find it difficult to hear the actual structure of the song.

I find that's true of anything sung in a foreign language. The first time I listened to a Bollywood soundtrack is was completely alien to me. But after watching a movie or two, my ear got accustomed to the ebb and flow of the languages used and the music became vastly more clear and entertaining.

I have found the same to be true with Japanese and Japanese pop/rock. It's much easier now for me to listen to a song in Japanese and hear the song. I can listen and appreciate the voice, passion and artistry in the singing far more easily than I could before my ear became accustomed to Japanese.

Miku is not the same as a human artist, but compared to the virtual artists that went before them Vocaloids are light years ahead. They are not directly comparable to human artists for the same reason that it's difficult to compare a Finnish heavy rock band to a brit-pop icon of the 80's. As I said before "Vocaloids are not necessarily intended to compete with or replace human artists. I think they are merely an adjunct, another outlet for artistry."

The performance itself is not terrible. No, it's not like listening to Celine Dion blasting out a classic Ballad - or whatever it is that you like. But for what it is - it works pretty well.

0 up, 0 down

Beamboom
Thursday, September 06, 2012 @ 11:19:16 AM

I seriously don't know where to begin. Really, I don't know what I should start commenting on, on what level I should begin. The stack is too high.

I just have to fold my cards. I'm out of this game. Sorry! :)

Last edited by Beamboom on 9/6/2012 11:20:50 AM

0 up, 0 down

Highlander
Thursday, September 06, 2012 @ 11:42:47 AM

lol, fold away. If it's not for you, it's not for you. At the end of the day, it comes down to that.

0 up, 0 down

Beamboom
Wednesday, September 05, 2012 @ 3:03:04 PM
Reply

"Virtual artists. When boybands created by producers just isn't fake enough."

0 up, 3 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Wednesday, September 05, 2012 @ 3:15:50 PM

But wouldn't we all prefer a virtual artist than a real life faker?

5 up, 0 down

Beamboom
Thursday, September 06, 2012 @ 2:16:36 AM

Are we talking girlfriends now?

1 up, 1 down

bebestorm
Wednesday, September 05, 2012 @ 5:12:55 PM
Reply

I really like the series if Sega ever releases it I'll certainly buy it.

2 up, 0 down

mehrab2603
Wednesday, September 05, 2012 @ 6:20:22 PM
Reply

Even though I got a 3DS instead of Vita, I was sad to see Vita not doing so great. This news really makes me happy. Hopefully with the release of CoD, it'll get similar results in the west. Best of luck Sony.

1 up, 1 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Wednesday, September 05, 2012 @ 6:21:40 PM
Reply

Who would have though all you have to do to sell hardware is sell software that everyone wants?

2 up, 0 down

ZenChichiri
Wednesday, September 05, 2012 @ 6:52:20 PM
Reply

I was thinking of picking this up just because I do enjoy a good rhythm game or two for a quick pick up and play experience then I noticed the price tag on play-asia: 90 bucks! Ouch. Guess I'll wait a bit ;)

Gotta say not a fan of vocaloids in general (concerts, culture, etc.) but the fact that it's a rhythm game draws me in more. I'm like an ADD kid that needs to twiddle their fingers at least a couple times a day.

0 up, 0 down

kraygen
Wednesday, September 05, 2012 @ 11:41:59 PM
Reply

I got to say I was surprised how many ps1 games were available after the update last week. I guess they should have announced more of them so people didn't think there were so few.

0 up, 0 down

faraga
Thursday, September 06, 2012 @ 1:44:15 AM
Reply

I want this game. If my Japanese would be better I'd consider importing it and buying a Vita.

0 up, 0 down

Trentlee
Thursday, September 06, 2012 @ 4:36:05 PM
Reply

I was really hoping for a US release for this game since there is dlc that i wont be able to get later on. Its actually pretty amazing how good the V3 voice banks sound. It takes so much effort to make one of these songs and tbh i really enjoy them. Plus they are not limited to just songs either with mmd you can make videos using these characters and more. Plus the entire vocaloid community is what drives their success. Everyone creator as google put it.

0 up, 0 down

Mr_Sterg
Thursday, September 06, 2012 @ 10:16:52 PM
Reply

I wish we got those crazy jap games here.

0 up, 0 down

Sol
Friday, September 07, 2012 @ 9:56:56 PM
Reply

Hatsune Miku huh, I'd expect her to push consoles TBH, so I'm not really surprised. For the states, I'd say several things could push Vita sales, for example, a shorter scale F2P version of an MMO like FFXI, a Kingdom Hearts Portable collection, a decent and/or familiar action title other than Ninja Gaiden... the list goes on. Instead of throwing out flagships and new IPS, toss in something good from a familiar series that has been in the PSLibrary since before PS3 came to play. Granted I'm curious about things like Golden Abyss, Ninja Gaiden, and several of the new IPs, revamp a classic and use it to push a console. Hell.. if I saw a Megaman X10 I'd raid my local game store if I had the cash.

Last edited by Sol on 9/7/2012 9:57:35 PM

0 up, 0 down

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