Japan Sales Thread *renamed

[inefficient]

PSN games like Tekken5: DR would not be counted.

I wonder where Tekken would be ranked if it was.

 

[Hardknock]

That logic is based on what though exactly?

Before the PS3 launched, 360 had an infinitely large lead over the PS3 in install base, can we agree? I'd be interested to know how many 360 games appeared on the Top 30 list in that year it had to itself, and how long they lingered. There's a fallacy being commited here in comparing the first week sales of an exceptional title such as Gears of War to the ongoing sales of the mediocre titles presently available on the PS3. The install base is doubled, but at the same time it's only ~300k more in absolute terms.

This is a forum of educated people; let's try to reflect that in our analysis of these numbers.

I'm not sure I'm following you. We all are in agreeance that PS3 owners don't appear to be buying games. This is further backed up by the attach ratio. Why this is happening is anyone's guess but that's the reality of the situation.

 

[DuckThor Evil]

This is a forum of educated people; let's try to reflect that in our analysis of these numbers.

I personally don't think the point is that X360 has more games on the list than PS3, like you said It's no wonder that Gears outsold older PS3 games. I think the point is that PS3 still should have some presence on that list, we don't need to bring the X360 into that equation at all. MS in Japan has been almost nonexistant, but Sony hasn't. They should be on that list, period. The fact that it's currently impossible due to potential games not being released is not all forgiving explanation, it actually makes PS3 look worse.

They should have a steady stream of average to good games coming to their home market, so we could see the PS3 on those lists.

 

[Carl B]

I think the point is that PS3 still should have some presence on that list, we don't need to bring the X360 into that equation at all. MS in Japan has been almost nonexistant, but Sony hasn't. They should be on that list, period. The fact that it's currently impossible due to potential games not being released is not all forgiving explanation, it actually makes PS3 look worse.

But, why should they be on that list beyond the fact that they've launched, and now people think they should be on that list week after week (else they've 'failed')? The PS3 has its own presence on the hardware list, a list I'd of course like to see when available. This is a software list, and there's simply no killer PS3 software out as yet. I myself own a single PS3 game to date; but I venture to say that similar to myself, most Japanese early adopters intend on purchasing a decent number of games as certain titles become available. As I mentioned, I think Virtua Fighter 5 will represent the first of these.

 

[Tap In]

But, why should they be on that list?

because they should have launched in Spring 06 and then they would have games on the list.

 

[assen]

If ~30,000 PS3's are selling a week...

The mere fact that you are suggesting 30000 consoles per week as a reasonable guess of the sales of PS3 in Japan what, two months after release? is telling by itself.

 

[RobertR1]

Japan belongs to Nintendo.

Now please return to you regularly scheduled PS3 vs 360 debate

 

[TrungGap]

That logic is based on what though exactly?

Before the PS3 launched, 360 had an infinitely large lead over the PS3 in install base, can we agree? I'd be interested to know how many 360 games appeared on the Top 30 list in that year it had to itself, and how long they lingered. There's a fallacy being committed here in comparing the first week sales of an exceptional title such as Gears of War to the ongoing sales of the mediocre titles presently available on the PS3. The install base is doubled, but at the same time it's only ~300k more in absolute terms.

This is a forum of educated people; let's try to reflect that in our analysis of these numbers.

Now, we need someone to get the Japanese game release dates. What we need to know if there were any games released for the PS3 since Dec. As you can see even some unknown game release it shows up as a blimp...after all this is top 30. Considering that PS3 is twice the market size as the 360 in Japan, we should see something on the radar with every release.

Edit: On the PS3, FORMULA ONE was launch on 12/28, yet it didn't show up on the top 30. Maybe Japanese just don't like driving game?



360
-------
#21, 27
http://eg.nttpub.co.jp/rank/20051205.html

#13
http://eg.nttpub.co.jp/rank/20051226.html

#13, 18
http://eg.nttpub.co.jp/rank/20060109.html

#17
http://eg.nttpub.co.jp/rank/20060327.html

#11, 21
http://eg.nttpub.co.jp/rank/20060417.html

#16, 24
http://eg.nttpub.co.jp/rank/20060626.html

#29
http://eg.nttpub.co.jp/rank/20060724.html

#12, 29
http://eg.nttpub.co.jp/rank/20060925.html

#22, 26
http://eg.nttpub.co.jp/rank/20061002.html

#8, 15
http://eg.nttpub.co.jp/rank/20061120.html

#4
http://eg.nttpub.co.jp/rank/20061204.html

#28
http://eg.nttpub.co.jp/rank/20061218.html

#7
Jan 15-21 http://eg.nttpub.co.jp/ranking.html

PS3
------
#9, 10, 13, 21
http://eg.nttpub.co.jp/rank/20061106.html

#16, 19, 22
http://eg.nttpub.co.jp/rank/20061113.html

#29, 30
http://eg.nttpub.co.jp/rank/20061120.html

#26
http://eg.nttpub.co.jp/rank/20061218.html

 

[gokickrocks]

didnt famitsu rate motorstorm pretty high? im surprised that didnt make the cut

 

[DuckThor Evil]

But, why should they be on that list beyond the fact that they've launched, and now people think they should be on that list week after week (else they've 'failed')? The PS3 has its own presence on the hardware list, a list I'd of course like to see when available. This is a software list, and there's simply no killer PS3 software out as yet. I myself own a single PS3 game to date; but I venture to say that similar to myself, most Japanese early adopters intend on purchasing a decent number of games as certain titles become available. As I mentioned, I think Virtua Fighter 5 will represent the first of these.

Well I do think that a manufacturer should be on a top 30 software list week after week in their home market. It's not like we are talking about top 5 or even top 10 lists here...
The inability to hit top 30 is quite telling imo.

I haven't studied how similar lists looked in the U.S last year, but I'd be surprised if there was a single week that no X360 game hit top 30.

 

[London Geezer]

I think that this chart, rather than showing any shortcoming in Sony or MS offerings - it's too early for Sony, considering the supply issues and all other issues which will be ironed out soon; and it's just not MS's territory- is about how absolutely dominant Nintendo is, and at the same time how "next gen" is not really making an impact in Japan... Yet...

And this is a company which was being written off just 3 or so years ago, with people saying that their only way to survive was to be bought by MS...

When the really big games will start rolling out on PS3, the chart will be littered with DS and Wii games, and a few PS3 games here and there.

 

[DuckThor Evil]

I think that this chart, rather than showing any shortcoming in Sony or MS offerings - it's too early for Sony, considering the supply issues and all other issues which will be ironed out soon; and it's just not MS's territory- is about how absolutely dominant Nintendo is, and at the same time how "next gen" is not really making an impact in Japan... Yet...

And this is a company which was being written off just 3 or so years ago, with people saying that their only way to survive was to be bought by MS...

When the really big games will start rolling out on PS3, the chart will be littered with DS and Wii games, and a few PS3 games here and there.

Good post, although I would like to point out that the people who predicted Nintendo to go away, just didn't have a clue that while Nintendo didn't sell the most they still made nice profit, and if people didn't understand that then their opinions were flawed to a point where there was no value left in them. Nintendo knows how to make a buck.

 

[assen]

*Some* hardware numbers are in, at least on VGCharts:

http://www.vgcharts.org/japweekly.php

(Mod: split off or rename thread?)

 

[Dizzy]

I said it before the console market in Japan is not a very viable market at this time. Japan is owned by Nintendo and the DS.

I do find it shocking how poorly the PS3 software sales have been and I don’t think it is because they are using the PS3 to play PS2 games.

As for Virtual Fighter 5 being in the top 30, I would doubt it. VF5 will sell on any console I wouldn’t be surprise to find it in the top 10 or #1. If VF5 doesn’t show up in the top 30 when is released then Sony should be very scared.

 

[London Geezer]

I said it before the console market in Japan is not a very viable market at this time. Japan is owned by Nintendo and the DS.

I do find it shocking how poorly the PS3 software sales have been and I don’t think it is because they are using the PS3 to play PS2 games.

As for Virtual Fighter 5 being in the top 30, I would doubt it. VF5 will sell on any console I wouldn’t be surprise to find it in the top 10 or #1. If VF5 doesn’t show up in the top 30 when is released then Sony should be very scared.

For VF5 to be No1, at least half the PS3 owners in Japan would need to buy it in the first week. Very unlikely but you never know... In the end it depends on what other games are released that week. Any decently big game on Wii, DS or even PS2 would kill VF5 in sales simply because of userbase.

I don't doubt VF5 will sell very well in the long run, it's just that now there aren't enough PS3's around to make a huge impact. Which also explains why it's going to 360 too.

 

[Corwin_B]

Good post, although I would like to point out that the people who predicted Nintendo to go away, just didn't have a clue that while Nintendo didn't sell the most they still made nice profit, and if people didn't understand that then their opinions were flawed to a point where there was no value left in them. Nintendo knows how to make a buck.

Indeed.

Even with the lackluster Cube, Nintendo made a nice profit by virtue of inexpensive HW coupled with very good 1st party SW sales. With the DSLite (and now the Wii), they tweaked this formula on several fronts :
- even less expensive HW, profitable from day one, opting out of the arms race entirely
- better system design to appeal to the "Ipod crowd" (we are miles away from the purple lunchbox and from the DS Brick)
- software with a wider appeal especially to non-gamers or "lapsed" gamers, in addition to their hardcore fanbase
- better PR (although there is still room for improvement)

Personally, I never doubted they would manage to make a lot of money. But their current success is astonishing. If the Wii momentum lasts, it may very well end up first this generation.

 

[TheChefO]

I don't doubt VF5 will sell very well in the long run, it's just that now there aren't enough PS3's sold to make a huge impact. Which also explains why it's going to 360 too.

Fixed

The ps3 is available, just not enough have sold.

Still I find it surprising that MS has sold Gears to Japan with a limited userbase to a region that doesn't typically like First Person Shooters into the top 30! Either this is a fantastic job of marketing by MS or Japanese gamers are warming up to fps's.

I'd be SHOCKED if Virtua Fighter does not land in the top 30 for ps3 when it launches. The interesting thing will be to see how it sells on 360 later this summer in that region.

 

[London Geezer]

Fixed

The ps3 is available, just not enough have sold.

Still I find it surprising that MS has sold Gears to Japan with a limited userbase to a region that doesn't typically like First Person Shooters into the top 30! Either this is a fantastic job of marketing by MS or Japanese gamers are warming up to fps's.

I'd be SHOCKED if Virtua Fighter does not land in the top 30 for ps3 when it launches. The interesting thing will be to see how it sells on 360 later this summer in that region.

The amount of PS3's shipped but not sold would not impact things much, so your argument is a bit flawed. If there were 1M PS3's sitting on shelves, against 500k sold, then you'd have a point. As is stands, unsold PS3's are a very small percentage compared to the userbase.

 

[Bad_Boy]

Still I find it surprising that MS has sold Gears to Japan with a limited userbase to a region that doesn't typically like First Person Shooters into the top 30! Either this is a fantastic job of marketing by MS or Japanese gamers are warming up to fps's.

But gears isnt a FPS

 

[TheChefO]

The amount of PS3's shipped but not sold would not impact things much, so your argument is a bit flawed. If there were 1M PS3's sitting on shelves, against 500k sold, then you'd have a point. As is stands, unsold PS3's are a very small percentage compared to the userbase.

According to Sony, they have "shipped" 1 million ps3's to Japan.
According to reality, they have sold 552k to Japan (up to January 14th)

http://forum.pcvsconsole.com/viewthread.php?tid=8272&page=26