@okenny :) ...building bridges (to hide under):

I think it's expected that the 360 wouldn't immediately drop to the average selling pace in just one week's time. I really don't think we can truly predict whether it's gaining ground yet because of the supposed shortage. If the 360 truly was in short supply last week, then how would sales look if they weren't? We probably won't have a good picture of what Tales has done to change the 360 in Japan until stocks are replenished. Then again, by that time Infinite Undiscovery will probably be released and sales are going to bump up anyway.

I see the 360 leveling off at about 7K-8K a week from now on. That is higher than their previous average.

LittleBigPlaneteer

Nintendo has over half of the pie and Xbox is but a sliver... ahh, things are back to normal in Japan.

dArk_stAr

@bialia: I'll probably pick up a silver PS2 sometime in the new year actually. #1 - to build up my console collection #2 - There are a whole bunch of games I never got around to playing. Like Rogue Galaxy.

MrBionic

Wouldn't be surprised if nintendo went to bakeries and got these charts made into real pies.

AngelMayLaugh

@bialia:

People who can't afford an XBOX or PS3? Not everyone has hundreds ready to drop on a gaming system, at least they are buying the best last generation console for a great price.

Thunder-1

this sold out thing is a marketing trick...as we get closer to holidays. using psychology on ppl.. just like what nintendo do with wii.

darktorns

i just want to know who the people are, on both sides of the pacific, that are still buying all these ps2s??

bialia

The PSP is still holding strong as usual, good to see ^.^

GTA4er

New shipment was going to hit next month I thought. Its no wonder its selling low, they can't sell what isn't on the shelves.

CHunterX

85,000 Sony hardware units shifted in Japan as opposed to 7,000 for Microsoft.

Scott3D

Two questions. Does the game that pushed these sales have any steam left? And will stock arrive in time to affect next weeks charts?

IconYu

@SpishackCola:
I should probably finish my thought before hitting submit next time.

To add the ending. I wouldn't doubt that there is still a big glut of people that haven't been able to get their hands on a 360 since Vesperia came out. Once the 360s are back in the retail channels, these people will swoop in and pick them up. You could still be right Ad-hominem in that this is the general week one 360 burst for the small hardcore following the 360 has in Japan, but I'd like to think that it is different this time.

SpishackCola

@Ad-hominem:
While history is very much on your side, the Tales series is a major franchise in Japan. Unless there is some massive bug that makes the game unplayable that I haven't heard of, people in Japan will gravitate towards buying this game (and the system if they didn't when it came out) based on the name alone.

SpishackCola

@Michael McWhertor:

That's a shitty way of looking at it :\ The way I see it, we all new the Tales game was an unsustainable hike... kind of like when MGS4 released and pushed the PS3 sales into 400K+ in the states.

As I said last week, this week is the true test to see if the 360 is indeed picking up steam in Japan and I argue that it is since the sales are still higher then the weekly total prior to the Tales game release. If the 360 sales fell bellow 6.5K then we would say that it's going back to it's regular habits but these numbers show that the average is still climbing.

...that's a good thing :)

okenny :) ...building bridges (to hide under)

@Ad-hominem: This is a full-on, major-retailers-making-signs-shortage. People litterally bought them all up.

justhesh

@Akisazame: This is the only site where I can see 10 people yell at it for a bias against Sony in one post, then another 10 people yell at it for a bias against Microsoft in another, and 10 more people yell at it for a bias against Nintendo in a third.

Perhaps some of the individual contributors have biases, but Kotaku as a whole? no.

MrBionic

@PuppyGuarder:
This person has it right. Remember when the Wii had artificially deflated numbers here in the US in the early part of 07 do to the massive sellouts and under supply/production of units? I would wager to say that is what we are seeing here over the general sweep-in week one blowout, followed by normalcy the second week.

I think the 360 could hit 5 digit sales again if MS is able to push consoles out asap.

SpishackCola

@PuppyGuarder: @sarcasmOD: @Grumpz®: Yeah, but common sense says that's not why they only sold 7,000. I mean, remember, they claimed the same thing with Blue Dragon. They said "We're sold out, expect more next month", but more sales never came.

Ad-hominem

@PuppyGuarder: That's a good point, they are having honest-to-god supply/demand issues.

justhesh

That's still a pretty decent week for the 360, regardless.

justhesh

If the 360 is virtually sold out until September over there (which is what I gathered), then.. that's a pretty good excuse for Microsoft, right? So I'm not sure if I like the title which implies their demand for 360 has gone back to miniscule when they're apparently sold out over there as we type.

misleaddding headlinneeesss

PuppyGuarder

@sarcasmOD: Completely left out the 360 part.

sarcasmOD

Feels good when things are back to normal :P

lol

@Grumpz®: Yeah, I think they are, but I think the trend will go back to how it was before.

tironabardheblu

It seems to me like the fact that Japan didn't have any consoles to sell and won't get any more until September would be the entire reason they didn't sell more. I mean, if they only had 7,000 consoles left, they couldn't sell more regardless of the demand. I'd like to see if anything changes once they, you know, have some to sell.

sarcasmOD

isn't the 360 sold out?

Grumpz®

@ryivanV2:
No way.

MartinSWE

I called this last week, saying it would follow the trend of Blue Dragon, and it did exactly that. I mean, almost down to the exact number is it identical.
The DS and PsP are doing great, but those Ps3 numbers are brutal. At least it's tempered by the fact that Sony still holds 40% of the consoles sold in Japan.

And, I have to point this out- DS- **,666. Coincidence?
I think not!

Ad-hominem

hahahahaha

chaos_isnt_here

@ryivanV2: I don't think so..

Ahsayuni

It would seem that all new infants born in japan are given the customary slap to the check and a Nintendo DS.

Shooter McGavin

Where did the green go? D:

Fadakar

Aaaaaaaand everything goes back to usual. Well, that isn't much different from what MGS4 did, from what I recall.

Oh, and a jab at Sony. Because it wouldn't be Kotaku if they left that out.

Akisazame

im always amazed how the ps2 is doing. i mean we dont see gamecube or xbox. last gen is still kicking ass.

resetbutton

Did anyone really believe that the xbox would continue to sell well, regardless of stock?

ryivanV2

Wow that bump fell off alot faster then i thought it would.

snakepliskin

@MrBionic: Well, we may have to go back in time...I guess we can count the 32x as one. Even though it was an add-on, it still pretty much needed its own games.

Then again, that's the past! Now, we're all treated to 6 great platforms (including PC).

Saint Anima

Xbox ignoring??
A.) the console is COMPLETELy SOLD OUT THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE COUNTRY
B.) i only sold 3k less than the PS3

cranium

@Saint Anima: Has there *been* a paperweight platform? I can't honestly think of one (outside of the mainstream that is. N-Gage doesn't really count ;))

MrBionic

@jasongw: Yeah that joke wasnt funny the first time you used it either.

snakepliskin

@jasongw: Wasn't too funny, if you were trying to be funny. No platform is a "Paperweight" this generation. The PSP has just as many good games as the DS...it all depends on what the user likes.

Saint Anima

MS better get its ass in gear since 9-11 is when Infinite Undiscovery comes out.

Witzbold

@jasongw: Playstation Paperweight? Mine sees far more action than my DS does.

Far more.

MrBionic

@SpishackCola: @justhesh: I would agree with you guys, but there are likely at least 500,000-1,000,000 Xbox 360's sold in Japan.
Tales of Symphonia, the 2003 release of the series, sold 1,000,000 worldwide.
Tales of the Abyss, the 2005 release, sold half a million in Japan, on the already well-establish Ps2.

I honestly don't see why this should sell phenomenally better than any of the other ones in the series, on a console not exactly know for it's popularity in Japan.

Ad-hominem

@Deus_EpS: Probably the same things it has over here (or wherever you are) that makes it sell like hotcakes everymonth. Those types of numbers are not unique to Japan.

subnet6

@justhesh: I was thinking the same thing. I was hoping to see the PS3 get a little more traction though.

subnet6

God, I missed SO MANY good PS 2 games when I got rid of mine for an XBOX back in 2003.. Dumb. I love my PS 3 but it's the 40 gig w/out backwards compatibility. Dragons Quest 8, GOW 1 & 2, Indigo Prophecty, Shadow of Collosus, etc. Oh well, makes me sads...

Sparky13

2 things were always quite likely: A) that 360 would revert to low numbers of sales, and B) that DS would again overtake the PlayStation Paperweight (PSP).

jasongw

I wonder just what the Wii has over there that makes it sell like hot cakes every month.

Deus_EpS

lolskies 360 in japan thought it would never end

RawnevetSbboD

@Saint Anima: The 360 CAN be a paperweight. Depends on how moody it is :P

HikariOblivion

@Saint Anima: Ok, I'll concede the 32X. I'd have conceded the SegaCD too, but NHL94 on it was fantastic.

MrBionic

the world makes slightly more sense again.

sqoon

7k is still thrice the usual, plus there's supposedly a shortage.

TheHun

Those hiccups don't last for either of the graphic powerhouse systems. Unfortunately it lasts even shorter for 360 cause PS3 at least had a few weeks of riding high before back to business as usual.

TheNexusRebound

@cranium: I saw that comment as damage control from MS who knew this would happen...

Deus_EpS

Poor 360, it looked good there for such a short time. It's like Hapan is teasing MS just to get their hopes up so they can crush them.

EmeraldDragon

Sony should be spell $ony, 3 selling consoles in market.

Morphine16

@cranium:
"A.) the console is COMPLETELy SOLD OUT THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE COUNTRY"

This is false. The Elite and the Arcade models are still available in Japan.

Tomato

@HikariOblivion: Can be said for every console. :) Although law of averages does favor the 360 as of right now.

MrBionic

You know...just cause is sold out doesn't make impressive (talking of 360). That means Microsoft only had and ammount that is less of what Wii sells on a week ready for the ToV release (and for this month). They sold 27,000 or so last week and 7,000 this week...and now is sold out. Is just really sad...you finally get a game that picks up your pace and you have only some 'spare' (in quantity that is) console left in Japan to sell O_o...by the time they do get more systems the steam will be less.

daknight

@Zero_Beat: The problem with your analogy is that Sakura is popular.

suya123

@Passa: In Japan, 360 = Sakura, PS3 = Chun-Li, Wii = Shin Akuma. The first two are good in their own right, but damn is Shin Akuma powerful.

Zero_Beat

Uhh.. 7k with an apparent shortage is pretty good compared to the PS3 which sold only 4k more..

I think the real issue here is how badly the Wii is asskicking both the PS3 and 360 in Japan.

Passa

I know Microsoft has struggled in Japan, but people seem to forget or even realize what it is up against. You ask Sony fans why the PS3 is behind the 360 and I can guarantee you "but the 360 had a one year headstart" will come up at some point.

What does that have to do with the 360's weak sales in Japan? Well Nintendo and Sony had several years of a headstart in Japan of making and selling gaming consoles.

So when you step back and look at the big picture in Japan then you might begin to realize that Microsoft has actually done a pretty damn good job in Japan. Microsoft also as a disadvantage, because they aren't a Japanese company.

Microsoft can't just match what the competition offers to succeed in Japan. They have to offer something significantly better to get people to switch to the 360, because of how familiar the Japanese Market is with Sony and Nintendo.

With all that said, it might not look all that great, but Microsoft is definately making strides, ok baby steps with the Japanese. You might not see signficant results of those steps yet, but in the long run Microsoft could definately do some damage in Japan.

MitchCumstein-III

Of course, the article fails to remind us that the system is sold out across the country, which might have a minor effect on the sales numbers.

Does Not Equal (ダズノット)

You'd think since Kotaku ran a story on the 360 being sold out in Japan that everyone here would know about it.

Tyrannical

@Zero_Beat:

sakura is several dam tiers higher than chun li in every game shes in, so ur sf analogy is incorrect.

maraxusofk

@resetbutton:

We don't see Gamecube and Xbox anymore because Nintendo and Microsoft stopped making them.

KillerCRS

@maraxusofk: D'oh, I was afraid I had those two switched around.

Zero_Beat

To add to my book I wrote above, remember the rumor that Microsoft might allow different companies to make the 360. That rumor seems to have gone away, but could Microsoft be planning to implement that practice in Japan?

If Microsoft were to let a highly recognized Japanese company build their own 360s they could really explode in Japan. That is just my opinion, but it could eliminate several roadblocks in Japan for the 360. Microsoft seems to be bringing several games focused on Japan to the 360 so you never know.

Anyone else think this sort of thing could happen? If so, do you think it would help Microsoft in Japan?

MitchCumstein-III

@resetbutton: scary isn't it? and we were so excited for the new generation. we wanted it. GTA proved we had hope but everyone is over it by now.

Xtreme_Hindu_Cow

@MrBionic: Hey! Don't say no thing about my Sega CD. My Lunar gave it a reason to breathe after Sonic CD gave it life! Few other games too, but I guess in most peoples eyes it was a paperweight, which is a shame.

@HikariOblivion: Aww. Well, that's its own fault then! :)

Anyway, I'm pretty sure if Microsoft just so happened to bring the stock back up over there during Infinite Undiscovery week, it'll do well again.

Saint Anima

@KillerCRS: ...Because they were failures compared to the PS2 maybe?

Agnates

@Sparky13: I still find myself buying PS2 games. I really love how "last gen" games looked. Simple, but clean graphics that are completely non-offensive. The new stuff is nice, but I still find last gen stuff really...what's the word..."charming" I guess.

@Does Not Equal (ダズノット): Read the last line of the first paragraph. It's there!

Wolfers

@LittleBigPlaneteer: I think you hit it on the head! :)

okenny :) ...building bridges (to hide under)

The DS back on top, took a beating for most of the year but the PSP had a lot of great software that pushed it up. Though, I can imagine that if DQIX lands this year, I can see that release alone pushing DS sales so high that whatever gains the PSP made in all of 2008 over the DS, the DS will wipe away and then some in mere weeks.

Avrum

@resetbutton: Probably because all Gamecube and a lot of Xbox games can be played on the currently available Wii and 360 SKUs. I still don't see the reason Sony cut BC, and I really hope it's not just to try and push out more PS2s for their supposed 10 year lifespan gag.

formina

Hint for Microsoft: Relaunch 360 in orange or teal or some other ugly colour. Name it 'XBOX 360 -- Tales of Dragon Quest: Guns of the Nintendogs Edition' and it will sell like fucking crazy.

marmidukestank

Lots of soreness in the comments! Funny that Microsoft only had 25K consoles in the country and are now "sold out."

@okenny :) ...building bridges (to hide under): Call 'em like I see 'em, okenny.

Michael McWhertor

Apparently people can't seem to read "Depleted stock". You can't sell if you haven't anything to sell. It's just natural for consumers to look for alternatives should they not get what they were supposed to. They're not ignoring it, they're looking for alternatives cause they can't get their hands on one. Had Microsoft had say 50 consoles that were collecting dust on Japanese shelves then consider Microsoft to be an utter failure. Fact is, the shelves are empty. I own both consoles so I expect PS3 Fanboy/Drama Queens to lay-off.

mixtech

@Avrum:The DS is already wiping away the PSP's gains. It started last week.

And to think, a month ago, people on here swore up and down the DS had reached it's satrutation point and yet, here we are, back to 70k a week in sales once more.

@Michael McWhertor:I believe it, honestly, as why keep more then 30k when your weekly sales always were under 30k?

@Saint Anima:A 299 dollar paperweight, loaded with FMV shovelware. Even Working Designs was hard pressed to save it.

Foxstar Sixtail

it looks shocking, until you note the ps3 sales lol:)

Justifan

That was quick.

KM91

Arghhhh..sorry, I can't say anything better to that.

Rutt

The 360 is sold out.....

Maffoo

So since the 360 is sold out until September, next week's chart should be hilarious.

SeedyXX

They might squeeze small shipments through the pipeline to keep a market presence but XBOX 360 will be effectively sold out until September. PS3 isn't that far out of reach, so it would be interesting to see if XBOX 360 starts consistently outselling PS3. Besides, Sony hasn't really held down those exclusives as well as they did before. Why would any intelligent consumer buy the more expensive console to play the same games? Namco is even saying they still don't know whether or not Tekken 6 will be PS3 exclusive. Little Big Planet will probably sell lots of PS3s, as it seems to have something for everyone, but I can't think of anything else (not even Resistance 2, which I'm really excited about) that will attract a whole lot of new consumers. We'll see what heppens when XBOX 360s are stocked, but if XBOX 360 starts beating PS3 again, Sony will have to start asjusting their strategy. Some look at overall sales, but in an industry that's always moving, you're only as good as your last quarter.

Sylar

And the world is back to normal

optimusprime

So much for that...

Meeeh

@resetbutton: Thats because its pretty hard to find a PS3 with backwards compatibility, while 360 and Wii have a xbox and a cube integrated already, so M$ and Nintendo are selling to consoles for 1, its a hell of a deal don't ya think?

KristenBal

@Saint Anima: hehehe.. sorry. I actually want a Sega CD again, but not that newer one, the old one. The massive one. The thing that you could knock a Moose out with if you tossed it at one.

Awwww yah.

MrBionic

@Wolfers: So it is. I guess I got all caught up in the lingering header.

Does Not Equal (ダズノット)

To all those who think the xbox is sold out in Japan, it isn't. I can still buy it in amazon japan and through many online and retail stores here in tokyo. So it ISN'T sold out. When I wanted to buy the DS and the Wii or the PSP last year, they really were sold out, as in I had to go to the stores everyday at different times to make a line and pray to get them.

tokyoeroking

excuses are like opinions, everybody has one

ImSoFresh

PS3 sales during the MGS4 weeks were 75k, 20k, 18k.

360 sales during the ToV weeks were 25k and 7k so far.

The PS3 dropped 73% for the 2nd week while 360 dropped 70%, matching quite nicely. If the trends follow, then expect the 360 to sell 6.5k.

kftgr

I'm not sure how anyone could say the drop was not because of a supply problem. I mean you can't sell what you don't have regardless of demand. People will still probably want it when gets back in stock, sure there won't be as much demand as before, but I think that will see at least a slight raise over normal xbox sales when they do get there new stock in.

Karl Marx Vladimirs Linens

Well of course not many Xbox 360's are going to be sold in Japan this week. Microsoft already announced last Monday that they had completely sold out in Japan and would ship more consoles in the first week of September.

Moar_pr0nz