Sales Chart JPN: Nintendo's honeymoon over?

Week 17 September - 23 September 2007

Cloud and gang are certain getting a lot of attention nowadays. For the second week running, FFVII: Crisis Core tops the Japanese games sales chart with 108,519. No wonder Square Enix is milking as much they could possibly can out of the series.

And second on the chart is yet another PSP game, Kojima's MGS series - Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Plus (93,354). That pushes both Pokemon down the 3rd and 4th spots. Does this mark the end of Nintendo's honeymoon? Or is it just a minor hiccup? Only time will tell.

But DS games still take a stranglehold on the number of games on the top 50 week in, week out, it's hard to imagine Nintendo losing market share anytime soon.

Best selling games for each platform (that is on the chart) this week

PSP - Final Fantasy VII Crisis Core
DS - Pokemon Dungeon
PS2 - Kiniro no Corda 2 Anchor
Wii - Mario Striker Charged
PS3 - Everybody's Golf 5

Number of titles in the top 50 for each platform this week:

DS - 28
PSP - 8
PS2 - 7
Wii - 5
PS3 - 2

Console War VII: Battle for Nippon

With the slim PSP on sales on the 20th and the influx of FFVII sales still going strong into its second week, it's no surprise that PSP has taken over the hardware sale this week for the second week running.

Much like what happens with the DS not so long ago, PSP sold more than twice as many unit as everything else combined. It's so quick how the tide turns. Certainly not a good week for Nintendo, no doubt the Sony guys are laughing now. But is this a long term thing, or will it be over in a month? Sit tight, PSP still has a very very long way to go till they catch up with the DS. Maybe the DS is not selling because everyone and his dog in Japan has one?

PSP - 277,794
DSL - 70,523
Wii - 24,992
PS2 - 11,373
PS3 - 10,732
Xbox360 - 1,687

Market share this week

DSL vs PSP
20.25% vs 79.75%

Wii vs PS3 vs XBox 360
66.80% vs 28.69% vs 4.51%

Source: Media Create

Master Chief locking up.

You just know it's going to happen someday. Master Chief might save humankind, but he certainly as hell not going to save your Xbox 360. Threads have already appeared on Xbox.com and Bungie claiming that Halo 3 is literally killing their Xboxes.

Xbox owners are obviously not happy, but hey, I thought you would have gotten used to it by now. Remember Forza 2, anyone?

Not sure whether it only affects the earlier Xbox or not, but it looks like it's the cheap stakes standard edition that is causing most of the trouble. I'd laugh if a Halo 3 owner was told by a Microsoft technician to stop being a cheap ass and buy the Limited Edition instead.

Source: Kotaku

Nintendo now Japan's 2nd most valuable company

Back in July, Nintendo became the 5th largest Japanese company. Two months on, it is now Japan's second most valuable company, surpassing Canon with 8.34 trillion yen. As said so many many times before, Nintendo's fortune is fueled by the demand for both the DS and the Wii. Nintendo software also plays no small part in its fortune.

However, it will be a long way to the top, as the big mother of them all, Toyota, has a market value of 24 trillion yen, 3 times more than Nintendo. Nintendo shareholders is laughing all the way to the bank with their share quadrupling over the past 2 years.

Source: Reuters

Sales Chart JPN: Gamers just never get enough of FFVII

Week 10 September - 16 September 2007

Final Fantasy VII was made 2 generations ago, all the way back on the PSX. FFVII has been hailed arguably as the BEST FF game there is. I haven't finished it, so I can't tell. But what is certain is that Square Enix hasn't finished milking the series yet.

Given the popularity of FFVII, it's not surprising that PSP's Final Fantasy VII Crisis Core topped the chart this week with 486,659. The other Final Fantasy on the DS, the FF Chronicle Ring of Fate is still at no. 8 with 23,672.

Next in no.2 and 3 are another milking series, the Pokemon. It's another Pokemon Dungeon something rather something. Yeah, don't ask. I have no idea why it's still selling like there's no tomorrow, but they are. And since they are, why not make two of the same game, and then give it a different colour each - blue and red. Oh look, we can double our sales by selling essentially the same game!

4th belong to another PSP game - Fate / Tiger Colosseum. I think it's based on the Fate/Stay Night anime series.

Nothing else is interesting on the top 10. But look! Wii Sports is at no. 14! and Xbox 360 has Musou Orochi at no 33!

Best selling games for each platform (that is on the chart) this week

PSP - Final Fantasy VII Crisis Core
DS - Pokemon Dungeon
PS2 - Another Century's Episode 3 THE FINAL
Wii - Mario Party 8
PS3 - Blade Storm
XB360 - Musou Orohi

Number of titles in the top 50 for each platform this week:

DS - 33
PS2 - 8
Wii - 3
PSP - 4
PS3 - 2

Console War VII: Battle for Nippon

OMG! Is that PSP that I see on the top of the chart!? So it is. Must be the push of FFVII. This week, PSP outsold DSL by about 16,000. And the Wii only outsold PS3 by 2 to 1. Is this really the end of Nintendo's run in the land of the rising sun? Only time will tell.

PSP - 95,487
DSL - 79,974
Wii - 26,181
PS2 - 13,128
PS3 - 13,101
Xbox360 - 1,243

Market share this week

DSL vs PSP
45.58% vs 54.42%

Wii vs PS3 vs XBox 360
64.60% vs 32.33% vs 3.06%

Source: Media Create

Nintendo makes $74 per Wii

According to some analyst in Japan, they reckon Nintendo's non-stoppable Wii makes money right from the first day. Citigroup analyst Soichiro Fukuda estimates that Nintendo's gross profit per console is 1,500 yen in Japan, 5,600 yen in the U.S. and 8,500 yen in Europe. That's about $13, $49 and $74, respectively.

Sony and Microsoft is yet to make any money. Microsoft might make profit if the XBox isn't that shit, and Sony... well, don't hold your breath. You might die before they make any profit on the PS3, if ever.

The flow thru effect is that companies that provide components for the Wii are riding the high waves as they post profits all because of their number 1 customer - Nintendo. Tabuchi Electric, for example, produces the AC adaptor for the Wii. It reported a 492% increase in operating profit during its first quarter.

I wonder how the Blu-Ray component companies are doing right now.

Source: GameDaily

Crimson/Black DS coming out... in Japan

As if Japan doesn't have enough colours for their DSes yet, here comes another colour. Well, actually, here comes two colour in one. It's a Crimson / Black DS that is packaged with the Brain Age 2 in the US.

Can't do the same package in Japanese, probably because everyone in Japan already has one both Brain Age game.

Coming out in October 4, priced tag: 16,800 yen, same as every other colour. This is one colour you don't have to wait for. Just go and buy the Brain Age 2 package.

Professor Layton 2 coming out in November

Level-5, the maker of Dragon Quest VIII and more recently, Professor Layton and the Curious Village (coming to US in December), has announced that the next instalment of Professor Layton is coming out in November. Titled (translated) Professor Layton and the Devil's Box, it will feature the continue adventure of our beloved English professor and his sidekick, Luke.

This time, looks like they are off to find a box of some sort. I just can't wait for this to come out. For those who know, I am a Layton fan. I love the game. November can't come fast enough.

I might have said before that Layton would be a good source for Anime material, but seems like Level-5 has different ideas. There is going to be live-action Layton movie. We'll just have to wait and see how it will turn out.

Teaser after the jump.

Source: Famitsu [via Kotaku]

Just you wait, Japanese otakus are going to speak Gundamium with you soon.... in English.

Learning English has always been hard for people in non-English speaking countries. In Japan, the English business is a big business (most of that business goes to Nova, but that's another story). So what's a better way to learn English than to read up on Gundam!

Gundam is a big business in Japan, and English is big business in Japan, too. So I guess it's only natural that the two would go together... someday (like today). There bound to be people who would buy this stuff. But judging from the book's cover, I'm not sure how useful these Gundam would be. "Fighting with Gundam is not always the best solution." Yeah, right. It's the ONLY solution.

Source: Q-Taro

Hold it! US Phoenix Wright gets plushy.

Phoenix Wright 3 might be out in Japan (and many importers' hand), but there might still be some incentive to get the official English release. Those who pre-order the Phoenix Wright 3 will get a pretty plushy doll that you can use to poke the eyes of others instead of using your own finger.

Now if only the plushy comes with the voice recording of "Objection!", "Hold It!" as well, that would be perfect.

Source: Kotaku

Wii sell, and Wii sell fast, like a million in 38 weeks fast.

It's official. Chart Track, an independent sales tracking company for the gaming industry, has reported that Wii is now the officially the fastest selling console in the UK. The Wii took just 38 weeks to sell 1 million units in UK, 11 weeks faster than PS2, and 22 weeks faster than the Xbox 360.

PS3 has no games and expensive, while Xbox 360 is plagued by issues. Nothing bad so far has been said about the console, besides broken TVs. But hey, maybe you shouldn't be playing bowling then.

Source: The Telegraph

Sales Chart JPN: After 9 months into next gen, PS2 is STILL on top

Week 20 August - 26 August 2007

With the PS2 being 'out-dated' by the next generation consoles some 9 months ago, you would have thought that should be the end of the line for the 6 years old console. Not so, according to the Japanese. This week, Sengoku Musou 2 (182,484), by the same maker of the popular Dynasty Warriors series, Koei, tops the sales chart. And yep, it's PlayStation 2 game. It's either the game developers themselves don't have faith in the PS3, or that all their next gen budget is in the Nintendo camp right now. Either way, one can't discount the fact that PS2 still sell around the same number of PS3 every week.

But who would have thought that the Square Enix can't put it off with its latest milking instalment of the Final Fantasy series. The new one, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates only managed 177,845 in its opening week, almost 100,000 less than Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings. Did the Japanese got burnt by FFXII or something? Maybe FFIV DS would make a better impression, and maybe Square Enix should stick with remaking and remaking and remaking previous Final Fantasies.

Talking about remakes, 3rd places belong to a DS remake, Phoenix Wright 3 (56,787). It's the DS remake of the GBA version. That promote Phoenix Wright 2 back onto the top 50. Kind of expected that.

I don't know what's with the Japanese, but My Housekeeping Diary is back to 5th place with 23,678. Maybe there's a lot of housekeeping to do on the DS?

PSP managed a game in the top 10 with Dragoneer's Aria (23,617) at 6th. Despite having 4 new games in this week's top 10, it still can't push Wii Sports (18,223) out of the top 10.

Best selling games for each platform (that is on the chart) this week

PS2 - Sengoku Musou 2
DS - Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates
Wii - Mario Party 8
PSP - Dragoneer's Aria
PS3 - Everybody's Golf 5

Number of titles in the top 50 for each platform this week:

DS - 34
PS2 - 6
Wii - 6
PSP - 3
PS3 - 1

Console War VII: Battle for Nippon

Maybe it's a slow week in Japan or something, the DS fell to just 100K this week, and the Wii dropped to 46K. Most have dropped as well, but as usual, Nintendo is still winning. Don't think it will be any different next week, and the week after, and the week after, and the week after...

DSL - 100,430
Wii - 46,283
PSP - 26,089
PS3 - 16,393
PS2 - 15,139
Xbox360 - 2,044

Market share this week

DSL vs PSP
79.38% vs 20.62%

Wii vs PS3 vs XBox 360
71.51% vs 25.33% vs 3.16%

Source: Media Create