Japanese 2005 Sales figures

Shifty Geezer

Shifty Geezer

uber-Troll!
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Legend
Here's info on Famitsu's round up of last year
http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2021&Itemid=2

Top-selling Japanese games of 2005

1. Animal Crossing DS -- 1,169,757 (DS)
2. Gran Turismo 4 -- 1,066,749 (PS2)
3. Brain Training -- 1,011,341 (DS)
4. Nintendogs 965,665 (DS)
5. Winning Eleven 9 -- 923,288 (DS)
6. Shin Sangoku Musou 4 (Dynasty Warriors 5) -- 917,985 (PS2)
7. Yawaraka Atama Juku -- 875,371 (DS)
8. Tamagotchi -- 773,910 (DS)
9. Kingdom Hearts II -- 737,652 (PS2)
10. Mario Kart DS -- 669,575 (DS)
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6 pages of talk and personal opinion along with the figures. I won't quote anything here other than the above unadulterated facts - quoting bits of articles seems to attract comment on only the quoted parts, which are oft out of context. If you want to see the info, check the link!

The only observations I'll make is DS has dominated the top ten with 7 titles to PS2's 3, making DS seemingly the platform of choice of Japanese software developers if you can do something new with the touch screen, and sales seem relatively slow with no games beating 1.2 million sold, only three games beating 1 million. And SOTC was placed at only 69th position!
 
one said:
It's a typo - Winning Eleven 9 is for PS2.
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I was surprised by that one. I didn't think PES was on DS.

LB : DQ8 was out last, last year (2004) and sold I think 3 million from November to Jan 1st 2005, judging from the article (which you HAVE read in full, haven't you. You didn't JUST start talking looking at only my quote...)
 
Shifty Geezer said:
judging from the article (which you HAVE read in full, haven't you. You didn't JUST start talking looking at only my quote...)
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Uhm.. Of course i read the article in its entirety! I mean, do you think i just read a couple of words in your post and clicked on "reply"???

Er...
 
inefficient said:
Kingdom Hearts II launched Dec 21st in Japan.

So that 737,652 figure is what the game did in less than 2 weeks?
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See that's the thing, apparently it sold 1M in 3 days... so that figure is a bit strange...
 
Looks like the Japanese have gone mobile. Will the home console battle, meaning PS3/Revolution/Xbox360 fight, still be relevant in Japan in a few years?
 
I was thinking that. Handhelds are much more in demand. But then you're comparing old consoles with new handhelds. If there's no new console hardware to buy I guess the money goes on portables. Even if XB360 doesn't pick up, I'll be very surprised if PS3 and Rev don't take the top spots next year.
 
thatdude90210 said:
Looks like the Japanese have gone mobile. Will the home console battle, meaning PS3/Revolution/Xbox360 fight, still be relevant in Japan in a few years?
Click to expand...

Everyone in Japan already has a PS2, and you won't see console sales take off again, till PS3 hits the market.
 
I don't get the appeal of non-games, but I do commend Nintendo for finding out what other people enjoy and exploiting that. Kinda makes me sad to see an analysis including the following though:
'5 of them cannot be "won"'

Also, mobile (phone) games have become very popular in Japan, so have portables apparently, but I would expect the new consoles (PS3/Rev) to take pride of place this year, even though DS might outsell it on hardware shortages etc.
 
Shifty Geezer said:
Top-selling Japanese games of 2005

1. Animal Crossing DS -- 1,169,757 (DS)
3. Brain Training -- 1,011,341 (DS)
4. Nintendogs 965,665 (DS)
7. Yawaraka Atama Juku (Gentle Brain Training) -- 875,371 (DS)
8. Tamagotchi -- 773,910 (DS)
Click to expand...
This to me is quite depressing, and while I'm happy to see Nintendo successful again, to see it happen on the backs of titles such as this is disheartening.

It may be early to proclaim any such concern, but I ernestly hope the Japanese gaming industry doesn't devolve into prominently producing titles such as these rather than traditional games, as simplistic pet simulators and edutainment isn't my idea of gaming.

I'm hoping it's because the PS2 is getting quite old now though (which is the only current gen console that many Japanese gamers own) and as such many are turning to the new handhelds to ease the wait until the PS3 releases.
 
Heian-kyo said:
This to me is quite depressing, and while I'm happy to see Nintendo successful again, to see it happen on the backs of titles such as this is disheartening.

It may be early to proclaim any such concern, but I ernestly hope the Japanese gaming industry doesn't devolve into prominently producing titles such as these rather than traditional games, as simplistic pet simulators and edutainment isn't my idea of gaming.
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Can you expand on this line of thinking? My take on the DS sales in Japan is that they mirror exactly what critics have been clamoring for. Primarily, innovative titles but more importantly, not sequels to current titles. (Of course, the successes on the DS will spawn their own sequel, but whatever...)

To be honest, I'm a bit torn by the results. Part of me is depressed, as you say, that we have such simple games having such a large impact.

But the other side is invigorated with the knowledge that the game industry is far from only producing big-budget sequels. Systems like the DS, and to a lesser extent Xbox Live Arcade, lead me to believe that there will be a place for both the long-form game, such as DQ8 or even SOTC, and the simpler games like Brain Training and Geometry Wars.

It should be heartening, not depressing.
 
Sis said:
Can you expand on this line of thinking? My take on the DS sales in Japan is that they mirror exactly what critics have been clamoring for. Primarily, innovative titles but more importantly, not sequels to current titles. (Of course, the successes on the DS will spawn their own sequel, but whatever...)
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Whats innovative in that list?
I would argue only Brain Training. Even then, theres two games Brain Training games there.
And people have been saying "Think of it more like PC software on a handheld".

Phenomenal success yes, good entertainment perhaps, but not innovative.
 
Sis said:
Can you expand on this line of thinking? My take on the DS sales in Japan is that they mirror exactly what critics have been clamoring for. Primarily, innovative titles but more importantly, not sequels to current titles. (Of course, the successes on the DS will spawn their own sequel, but whatever...)

To be honest, I'm a bit torn by the results. Part of me is depressed, as you say, that we have such simple games having such a large impact.

But the other side is invigorated with the knowledge that the game industry is far from only producing big-budget sequels. Systems like the DS, and to a lesser extent Xbox Live Arcade, lead me to believe that there will be a place for both the long-form game, such as DQ8 or even SOTC, and the simpler games like Brain Training and Geometry Wars.

It should be heartening, not depressing.
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Nicked hit the nail on the head in his post, but I'll reiterate: none of those 5 titles I listed are anywhere near innovative.

The Brain Training games' success is, as much as many will argue against it, a fad. It's gotten crazy word of mouth in Japan, it's super cheap (just over ¥2000 each) and it does something that hasn't been done before (not in content though; just putting edutainment on a portable device). I say it's a fad not to flame, but to point out the simple fact that because it's nothing not seen elsewhere, it'll eventually fade.

Nintendogs is nothing but a pet simulator, and a startingly simplistic one at that. It succeeds because it's selling to females predominantly, and as much as I believe it also has little staying power, the appearance of Tamagotchi on the list disagrees (Tamagotchi of course being what Nintendogs essentially emulates to a tee). Appealing to females is great, but Nintendogs does so superficially, and that's not the kind of gimmicky success I want Nintendo to have.

Animal Crossing is a bare bones port of the N64/GC game that adds surprisingly little, and I believe it's selling to a lot of the female owners who purchased Nintendogs awhile back.

I will add that I fully agree simplistic content is also essential to the industry, though I think the term simplistic is the wrong way to go. I would use the word 'lighter'. Less commitment, high replayability, etc. Geometry Wars is a great example. I wholly disagree with Nintendo's philosphy of limiting gameplay functionality (fewer buttons on the Revmote) because of what they deem 'too complex'. Eight buttons on a controller doesn't mean all eight have to be used for every game.
 
Nicked said:
Whats innovative in that list?
I would argue only Brain Training. Even then, theres two games Brain Training games there.
And people have been saying "Think of it more like PC software on a handheld".

Phenomenal success yes, good entertainment perhaps, but not innovative.
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Fair enough, but I'll lamely turn the question around on you: please define innovative in your words. I have not played the brain training games, but I think Animal Crossing and Nintendogs speak for themselves.

If you want to call them derivative then we have a seperate debate. But I'd like to at least have a framework for what is innovative before we start that debate ;)
 
Heian-kyo said:
Nicked hit the nail on the head in his post, but I'll reiterate: none of those 5 titles I listed are anywhere near innovative.

The Brain Training games' success is, as much as many will argue against it, a fad. It's gotten crazy word of mouth in Japan, it's super cheap (just over ¥2000 each) and it does something that hasn't been done before (not in content though; just putting edutainment on a portable device). I say it's a fad not to flame, but to point out the simple fact that because it's nothing not seen elsewhere, it'll eventually fade.

Nintendogs is nothing but a pet simulator, and a startingly simplistic one at that. It succeeds because it's selling to females predominantly, and as much as I believe it also has little staying power, the appearance of Tamagotchi on the list disagrees (Tamagotchi of course being what Nintendogs essentially emulates to a tee). Appealing to females is great, but Nintendogs does so superficially, and that's not the kind of gimmicky success I want Nintendo to have.

Animal Crossing is a bare bones port of the N64/GC game that adds surprisingly little, and I believe it's selling to a lot of the female owners who purchased Nintendogs awhile back.

I will add that I fully agree simplistic content is also essential to the industry, though I think the term simplistic is the wrong way to go. I would use the word 'lighter'. Less commitment, high replayability, etc. Geometry Wars is a great example. I wholly disagree with Nintendo's philosphy of limiting gameplay functionality (fewer buttons on the Revmote) because of what they deem 'too complex'. Eight buttons on a controller doesn't mean all eight have to be used for every game.
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Thanks for the thoughtful post. I do disagree with you as I believe the targetted audience views these titles as innvovative, new, and fun. But I also am more than willing to agree that the titles may just be rehashed, derivative works. I fully agree with your view about Geometry War being simplistic, highly repeatable, with a low cost of time-investment. It's all in the perspective, I suppose.
 
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