Xbox 360 demolishes PS3 in Japan - but is it for one week only?
By Dave Parrack
I never thought I’d be able to write that headline, but it’s happened: the Xbox 360 has demolished the PS3 in sales figures over the past week. The question now is how long the Microsoft console can continue this upward sales trend - is it going to be for one week only?
We already knew that the Xbox 360 was going to experience increased sales due to the release of a new game that appeals directly to the Japanese gamer. In the run-up to the game’s release, the Xbox 360 experienced slight but noticeable gains in sales for four consecutive weeks. Then the game in question, Tales Of Vesperia, finally arrived and prompted queues to form outside game shops in the Akihabara electronics district of Tokyo.
Now, Media Create has released the hardware and software sales figures for the week ending August 10, and they show the Xbox 360 beating the Playstation 3 by a country mile. While the Xbox 360 managed to sell 24,962, the Sony PS3 only managed 9,673. This is a huge leap for the Xbox 360, which saw sales of 5,359 the week before.
According to NeoGAF, both consoles were way behind the Nintendo DS on 60,434, the PSP on 58,501, and the Wii on 38,506. Even the age old PS2 managed to sell 8,503, and almost beat its younger brother.
Any doubts that this result is to do with anything other than Tales Of Vesperia can be put to bed by a cursory glance at the game sales chart. The game went straight in at number four, managing to rack up sales of 108,328 units. There’s only one other Xbox 360 game in the top 50, Soul Calibur IV at number 25.
The software sales figures also reveal what a monopoly Nintendo currently holds in Japan, with 25 of the top 50 games being on the Nintendo DS and a further 12 being on the Wii. The PS3 actually only manages one more than the Xbox 360, having three games in the top 50.
The chances are that this victory for the Xbox 360 over its nearest rival the PS3 is going to be a short-lived one. In fact, I give it to the end of the month before the figures are once again reversed. But it does show that the Japanese are only biased against Microsoft all the while that games on the system aren’t catering to their needs. Give them an odd-looking, highly stylized RPG and they’ll come running in their thousands.
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Tips N4G
August 15th, 2008
Hell Yea come on all you 360 fans I want to hear you all cheer. Microsoft must be so proud they out preformed the PS3 in japan yet again for 1 week. Now that is worth taking notice of.
August 15th, 2008
Hey now! We all know the Japanese move so fast that 1 day in Japan = 6 months in NA & the Eu!
August 15th, 2008
Hmm, combine this with the advent of Infinite Undiscovery and Star Ocean 4 and perhaps Microsoft has a future in Japan after all.
-Arvis
August 15th, 2008
Well Kev you asked for it and you got it. Dave delivered just for you. Of course Kev is the one who always says Japan is small and doesn’t matter. If it’s not NA than it doesn’t matter to Kev!
August 15th, 2008
I have no idea how this will play out but with all the JRPG’s coming to the system japanese might just wake up and smell the Bubble Tea.
August 15th, 2008
wylie - yep..i still stand behind my claims that japan doesn’t matter much. but it is nice to see an american console give a spanking to the ps3 in sony’s home field.
will it last? of course not, but it will make a nice footnote in history that for ONCE an american console did well in japan… if only for a week…
August 15th, 2008
wylie - lousy paraphrasing. my only contention is that NA steers the success of a console. Not japan.
if it’s #1 in NA, it will be #1 worldwide.
pretty sure the history of console sales backs this up, but if i’m wrong, Arvis will surely point it out. (not said in sarcasm, Arvis)
August 15th, 2008
Yeah congrats to Microsoft, but I hope this mean s that Sony will step up to the challenge and make a console that beat out the Xbox 360, that would be awesome. If you want to win either system now is your chance.
Checkout this sweet contest stacker 2 has got going on where you design your own 6 hour power t-shirt. The winner gets a year’s supply of 6 Hour Power, 10 t-shirts with your own design on it, an Xbox 360 or a PS3, and a copy of Rise of the Argonauts. For all the contest details checkout this link: http://www.brickfish.com/Entertainment/stacker2?tab=overview
I hope I didn’t overstep my bounds by posting on your blog, and if you have any questions or want more info feel free to shoot me an email. I would love to know what you think of the energy drink!
Feel it fast.
Energy that lasts!
Elle Davis
Brand Ambassador
Elle6hrpower@gmail.com
August 15th, 2008
who is she and what just happened?
August 15th, 2008
Elle- You took a wrong turn, energydrink.blorge is down the street and hang a left.
Only thing worse than a gamer fanboy is a energy drink fanboy!
Besides, have you seen the sales numbers for Redbull for July. More people pay for Redbull than are registered on the free PSN. So that should tell you something!
August 15th, 2008
I feel dirty.
August 15th, 2008
Kev,
Hey man, I take in (from you) as much as I give out!
As for console sales history, I’m pretty certain that there hasn’t been a difference in #1 Sold across territories. Normally if a console is #1 in one territory, it’s #1 in all the others, and since NA tends to have higher sales totals, you could argue it’s the most important market. But, like you, I don’t know this for sure.
Wylie,
Holy crap, you cracked me up with that one. “energydrink.blorge.” Classic!
-Arvis
August 15th, 2008
Looking forward tomorrow, a whole day of gaming followed by football (i’m english so i call it football NOT soccer) Here’s hoping for good weather for a triple whammy.
August 15th, 2008
well, heck..i’m sold…. gimme a red bull *rolls eyes*
August 15th, 2008
Speaking of football, I just got Madden 09 about an hour ago on my lunch break. Any PS3 owners here who feel like forming a league? Anyone? Hellooooooo?
-Arvis
August 15th, 2008
ARVIS - i would, but i’m boycotting EA sports for locking franchises to their company. LONG LIVE NFL2K5!!!
August 15th, 2008
Kev,
Yeah, I was pissed about the exclusivity deal when it happened. But 09 is looking to be the best Madden ever. Still, I would never discourage you from boycotting Madden for those reasons. Fight the good fight, sir.
-Arvis
August 15th, 2008
Normally I would now delete Elle’s comment/spam but as you guys have ripped in to her, it’s more fun to leave it be… carry on
August 15th, 2008
Kev- just curious, not trying to be a smart ass, but do you actually roll your eyes when you type that? (rolls eyes and scratches butt)
August 15th, 2008
You’d never thought you be able to type this headline but it’s happened before. Was it Blue Dragon? Eternal Sonata? Lost Odyssey? it was one of those. This isn’t the first time it’s happened.
August 15th, 2008
You’d never thought you be able to type this headline but it’s happened before. Was it Blue Dragon? Eternal Sonata? Lost Odyssey? it was one of those. This isn’t the first time it’s happened.
August 15th, 2008
@kev, I’m right there with you on the boycott.
Except EA skate, that game kicks ass, well….. I am Sk8man
August 16th, 2008
This will not last long. 360 console number will plummet next week as will the numbers for Vesperia. It happened with devil may cry 4, yakuza and metal gear solid 4. All had huge opening week numbers in japan and the fell off the map the next week. I don’t think vesperia has the staying power of a monster hunter or final fantasy so this victory will be short lived. As for infinite undiscovery, who knows. It could bomb like blue dragon or it could have similar numbers to vesperia, i would bet on the latter. Once these games release though and a few weeks pass 360 will be back at the bottom as usual.
August 16th, 2008
Hmm interesting article. Very interesting. There is only 1 thing I see that troubles me. In November of last year, for one full week (much similar this) the 360 dominated the ps3 in hardware sales. There was much media hype involved with this topic (much similar to this). It was reported by many gamers and critics that such a thing should never have happened. It is ridiculous that a console lose out even a bit in its native country by a little bit even for a short while. Now here’s my problem. Why doesn’t anyone bring up the fact that ps2 was dominating the U.S for YEARS in the last console generation. Why has this been overlooked? The ps3 has also been outselling the 360 for pretty much every month this year according to the latest NPD hardware sales count. I simply don’t understand all the hype over such a meaningless achievement on Microsoft’s part. I enjoy both systems but gosh already, open your eyes planet earth!
August 16th, 2008
wait DAVE does that mean i can post ads about viagra on here?…