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Far Cry 3 And The Stranger In A Strange Land After taking a breather from consuming video game hardware last week, Japanese gamers return to the electronics stores of their choosing, snapping up almost 160,000 new PSPs. The PSP-3000 model took Japan by storm, outselling every other platform combined. And multiplied by two.
The Media Create weekly hardware charts show some minor shifting, not unlike the earthquake we experienced in Tokyo this week. Fortunately, our hotel didn’t crumble as Nintendo DS sales did this week, even though Pokémon Platinum continues to top software sales charts. The Wii and PSP swap places, as do the PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360. Poor PlayStation 3 settles for last place again.
For the third week in a row, Microsoft has outsold Sony again on its home turf, continuing to move Xbox 360s at a respectable clip. Nintendo remains undaunted in the console wars, as combined sales of both the 360 and PS3 are well below that of the Wii and account for about a third of Nintendo DS sales. In other words, Nintendo rules, everyone else drools, hardware-wise.
…because it only moved a thousand units last week. That’s with two Xbox 360 titles charting in the top fifty (Musou Orochi: Maou Sairin and Tales of Vesperia). Sure, it was a slow week for hardware sales across the board, with Wii sales bottoming out at 33K, but it certainly reads like Microsoft’s supply is at near-starvation levels. Look at that teeny green slice! Now look away! It’s too horrible…
Media Create’s weekly hardware sales for September 1 to 7 are as follows.
Nintendo DS – 51,412 PSP – 34,462 Wii – 33,128 PlayStation 3 – 8,317 PlayStation 2 – 7,948 Xbox 360 – 1,044
No relief in sight for the 5000 or so Japanese gamers who might be on the weekly hunt for an Xbox 360. With a limited supply, those looking for a Microsoft brand console on which to play a copy of Tales of Vesperia or a second game will be left wanting until such time as supplies are replenished. That means that only 3500 Japanese gamers could get their hands on a 360 this past week. Just heartbreaking to see demand kind of (maybe) outstripping supply like this.
There’s better news for Nintendo, as continued sales of Rhythm Tengoku Gold and Dragon Quest V help the portable carve out a big slice of the hardware pie.
Nintendo DS – 55,995 PSP – 47,604 Wii – 35,173 PlayStation 3 – 9,020 PlayStation 2 – 8,420 Xbox 360 – 3,551
The Xbox 360′s Japanese victory over its hi-def console competitor was short lived. Xbox buying fever has broken in a big way overseas, with the flagging console returning to last place on the Media Create hardware charts. Not that Sony’s PlayStation 3 is doing that much better right now. At least Microsoft can blame its drop on depleted stock.
The success story this week though is that of the Nintendo DS, which extends its lead over the PSP by a hefty margin. The numbers you need are below.
Nintendo DS – 78,666 PSP – 64,413 Wii – 53,036 PlayStation 3 – 11,393 PlayStation 2 – 10,168 Xbox 360 – 7,358Meet the new boss. It’s the same as the old boss, as the Nintendo DS reclaims its top spot on the Japanese hardware charts, dethroning the long-standing king of handheld sales, Sony’s PSP. That’s not the biggest news from this week’s Media Create chart, as you can probably determine from that key lime green slice of pie chart. The Xbox 360 rocketed out of last place on the charts, thanks to the new release of Tales of Vesperia in Japan.
Can Microsoft keep the momentum up overseas? Will next month’s release of Infinite Undiscovery keep the thrill of playing JRPGs on Western consoles alive?! Oh, the excitement!
Nintendo DS – 60,434 PSP – 58,501 Wii – 38,506 Xbox 360 – 24,962 PlayStation 3 – 9,673 PlayStation 2- 8,503Will nothing end the tedium of the PSP dominating Media Create hardware charts? We can’t even take satisfaction in the continuing dismal fortunes of Microsoft overseas. Truth be told, the 360 has another relatively good week, as sales in the 1,000 to 2,000 range are more common. PlayStation 3 sales return to normal, as the Metal Gear Solid 4 bump continues to wane. Here are the results of the Japanese console war from June 30 to July 6.
PSP – 56,439 DS Lite – 47,455 Wii – 44,525 PlayStation 3 – 14,359 PlayStation 2 – 11,768 Xbox 360 – 4,776
Just because Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G sales are waning (finally) doesn’t mean that the urge to buy PSP hardware is becoming any less intense. And even though the PSP doesn’t have any software showing in the top ten for the week doesn’t mean that it can’t continue to rule the roost on the Media Create weekly sales charts. Nintendo hardware continues to nip at its lead and we imagine fortunes will change soon.
Somewhat more surprising is the big boost that the Xbox 360 got during the week of June 23 to 29. The release of Mobile Suit Gundam: Operation: Troy certainly seems to have helped Microsoft move some hardware. They really should just rebrand the thing the Xbox RX-78-2 locally. Can’t hurt.
Don’t throw yourself on your sword quite yet, Sony Computer Entertainment Japan middle manager, the PSP is still doing just fine in your country, according to Media Create. It’s doing fairly spectacularly actually, pushing another 64K in a week. Plus, you’ve had an amazing run since the release of Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G. But the gap between the PSP and the Wii is becoming narrower, essentially halving from week-to-week. Hey, at least you’re not suffering the shame that is the Japanese release of John Woo’s Stranglehold, which debuted in 46th place. Ouch!
