PS3 sells 2 million in Japan – Nintendo DS and Wii still dominating
Sony has had a good week in Japan – the PS3 has reached the two million sales threshold, while the PSP sat at the top of the console sales chart. Unfortunately for Sony, its two great hopes are still light years behind the Nintendo Wii and DS.
Hitting two million sales in Japan IS a big deal, and I congratulate Sony for managing it within 18 months. It’s certainly doing better than the Microsoft Xbox 360, which has currently only sold about half a million units, and continues to prop up the weekly sales chart.
However, Sony’s achievement is put in to context by the sheer popularity of the Nintendo Wii, which is now owned by over five and a half million Japanese gamers. The chances are Sony will never see the PS3 reach anywhere near that figure in its homeland.
In fact, weekly sales figures point to that fact exactly, as the PS3 only sold 11,000 units in the first week of April, that’s a mere 900 more than the old aged pensioner that is the Playstation 2.
The PSP also did well, managing to outsell the DS by two to one in that same week. However, that was mainly due to the release of Monster Hunter Portable 2G, which also came as part of a new PSP console bundle.
Overall, the DS is still kicking the PSP’s butt with 22 million units sold since release compared to just 8 and a half for the PSP.
So where does this leave the console situation in Japan? Well, they still hate Microsoft and the Xbox 360, and that won’t change any time soon, unless the new Wii style remote, apparently codenamed Newton, becomes a reality, and takes the country by storm.
Meanwhile, Sony are still second best, with Nintendo still the darlings, both at home and on the move, with Japanese gamers.
Ignoring the fact that the Xbox still has an overall sales lead, this isn’t too dissimilar than the situation in the United States.
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8 Responses to “PS3 sells 2 million in Japan – Nintendo DS and Wii still dominating”
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April 13th, 2008
I think Dave Parrack can’t be posted on a website without PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii in the post as well
April 13th, 2008
Actually, I couldn’t quite manage to fit Xbox in the title this time. I did try though!
April 14th, 2008
So I’ll assume it’s a coincidence that the traditional Semi-Weekly Gamer.Blorge Full-On Flame Fest hasn’t started here.
Where’s Kevin?
April 14th, 2008
ARVIS – i’m here.. i just don’t live in japan, thus don’t care what the sales are there. besides…the 360 will close the gap any day now to triumph in Japan……. LMAO!!!…sorry, i tried to say that with a straight face.
April 14th, 2008
Ha ha! yes! KEVIN! Whoooo!
I love gamer humor.
You gotta hand it to Microsoft for sticking with the Japanese market for so long, though. Lesser companies would have bowed out long ago (I’m looking at you, Sega).
What do you think, will they bother to release the Xbox NEXT in Japan at all? Does it make fiscal sense for them to do so? They’re doing great in the States, maybe they should focus more on the Western Market?
April 14th, 2008
Do you guys think the rumoured Newton controller could help Microsoft in Japan at all?
April 14th, 2008
I don’t think it’ll make a difference at all. Japanese gamers don’t hate the 360 because it has no motion sensing controls. They hate it for other reasons… heck, they might hate it more because they’re practically copying the Wii.
April 15th, 2008
arvis – i don’t know. I think they’re stuck remaining in japan simply as paying homage, of sorts, to Japan and their developers. Oh well. They are doing great in the states, but if they don’t get their act together and if sony redesigns their controller, ms can watch it all slip away next gen in all markets. my two.