Sales Chart JPN: Everyone is getting in a brawl.

Week 28 January - 03 February 2008

Everyone is getting a brawl this week, as Super Smash Bros Brawl takes over the lead with 819,647. Wii Fit has been demoted down to 5th. In fact, the first 4 are all new games, with PS3 version of Devil May Cry 4 a very far behind 2nd (205,390). The Xbox 360 version taking 7th place (40,023), some 5 times less.

Only World Soccer Winning Eleven: Ubiquitous Evolution 2008 on the PSP and Mario and Sonic Olympics on the DS survived this week's new game onslaught, both 10th and 8th this week respectively.

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

Wii - Super Smash Bros Brawl
PS3 - Devil May Cry 4
PS2 - Tales of Destiny: Director's Cut
PS2 - Haruhi Suzumiya's Wonderment
Wii - Wii Fit

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

DS - 24
Wii - 9
PS2 - 7
PS3 - 5
PSP - 4
360 - 1

Console War VII: Battle for Nippon

Has PSP taken over the DS? This week saw the PSP overtaken DS by about 5K. Quite a feat. Super Smash Bros Brawl taking the Wii to new heights, more than twice of the PS3. Not a bad week for PS3, either, selling over 40K. PS2 is still selling in the 10 thousands.

Wii - 94,473
PSP - 72,528
DS Lite - 67,472
PS3 - 41,796
PS2 - 12,115
Xbox 360 - 6,060

Market share this week

DSL vs PSP
48.19% vs 51.81%

Wii vs PS3 vs XBox 360
66.38% vs 29.37% vs 4.26%

Source: Media Create

Sales Chart JPN: Fit to go... still.

Week 21 January - 27 January 2008

Looks like the Wii is getting back into the grove, with Wii Fit still ruling the Earth, well, at least in Japan. It sold yet another 89,248 this week. World Soccer Winning Eleven: Ubiquitous Evolution 2008 on the PSP came second kicking the goal... post with 76,669, more than 10,000 behind. A PS2 game still dominates. Lucky Star is getting lucky with 71,512. PSP has another game, Yggdra Union, in the top 10, albeit only selling 17,304 copies.

All the Mario franchise is still doing well. Mario and Sonic Olympics on the DS is at 4th (50,169) and Mario Party DS is at 6th (21,840). Xbox 360's Call of Duty 4 survived two weeks and has now dropped out of the chart.

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

Wii - Wii Fit
PSP - World Soccer Winning Eleven: Ubiquitous Evolution 2008
PS2 - Lucky Star: Misasagi Sakura Gakuen Sakura Fuji Festival
DS - Mario and Sonic Olympics
Wii - Wii Sport

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

DS - 27
Wii - 8
PSP - 6
PS3 - 5
PS2 - 4

Console War VII: Battle for Nippon

The PSP is much closer to the DS now, less than 2,000 between them. The DS, PSP and the Wii are doing in the range of 70,000's while the rest is, well, lacking way behind, but at least the PS3 is continuing to outrun the PS2 as it should be.

DS - 79,370
PSP - 77,933
Wii - 74,544
PS3 - 34,363
PS2 - 11,364
Xbox 360 - 4,296

Market share this week

DSL vs PSP
50.46% vs 49.54%

Wii vs PS3 vs XBox 360
65.85% vs 30.36% vs 3.80%

Source: Media Create

Sales Chart JPN: Nintendo still Fit to rule

Week 14 January - 20 January 2008

The Wii is still fit to rule as Wii Fit continued to take control (92,471). Behind it is the DS version of Mario and Sonic Olympics (89,909). Third place belongs to Mario Party DS (33,003), while Wii Sport is at number four (30,458). PSP's Monster Hunter Portable 2nd remain fifth (23,614). Xbox 360's Call of Duty 4 dropped to 29th this week.

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

Wii - Wii Fit
DS - Mario and Sonic Olympics
DS - Mario Party DS
Wii - Wii Sport
PSP - Monster Hunter Portable 2nd

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

DS - 26
Wii - 9
PS2 - 5
PSP - 5
PS3 - 4
360 - 1

Console War VII: Battle for Nippon

DS continues to lead ahead of Wii and PSP. As usual, PS3 and Xbox bring up the rear. PS3 has selling a lot more than PS2 lately, so maybe it is finally time for the PS3 to shine. Who knows? Maybe GT5, MGS4, etc will make the PS3 a dominant force once again.

DS - 88,575
Wii - 81,638
PSP - 79,923
PS3 - 38,117
PS2 - 13,539
Xbox 360 - 4,552

Market share this week

DSL vs PSP
52.57% vs 47.43%

Wii vs PS3 vs XBox 360
65.67% vs 30.66% vs 3.66%

Source: Media Create

Sales Chart JPN: Mario takes a back seat as everyone do their exercise

Week 07 January - 13 January 2008

Mario Party DS took a back seat this week to second places (43,082) as Wii Fit took control (89,584). Wii Sport still at number three (33,267). A surprise mover this week is PSP's Monster Hunter Portable 2nd, which has constantly be PSP's entry in the top 50 since its debut. It went up to 5th this week (25,927), just behind Final Fantasy IV (32,427). Professor Layton is still doing very well indeed, with Curious Village (the first game) at 17th and Pandora's Box (the second game) at 6th (25,303). Xbox 360 also scored an entry with Call of Duty 4 at 22nd, which should see them drop next week.

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

Wii - Wii Fit
DS - Mario Party DS
Wii - Wii Sport
DS - Final Fantasy IV
PSP - Monster Hunter Portable 2nd

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

DS - 24
Wii - 11
PS2 - 5
PSP - 5
PS3 - 4
360 - 1

Console War VII: Battle for Nippon

Another pretty even week, DS are only slightly ahead of the PSP in terms of sales, only just over a thousand separating them. Wii, on the other hand, is till miles ahead of the PS3. Quite a different in console numbers.

DSL - 97,369
PSP - 96,159
Wii - 84,530
PS3 - 38,907
PS2 - 14,499
Xbox 360 - 4,690

Market share this week

DSL vs PSP
50.31% vs 49.69%

Wii vs PS3 vs XBox 360
65.97% vs 30.37% vs 3.66%

Source: Media Create

Sales Chart JPN: Mario, Mario, Mario and Mario in the Top 10.

Week 01 January - 06 January 2008

It's still the world of Mario over in Japan at the moment. After the Christmas break, the ichiban spot is still Mario Party DS (195,781), Wii Fit at niban (127,142) and Wii Sport at sanban (118,286). Is it because of Christmas break, or if the Japanese has rediscovered Nintendo's dominance? The top 13 games are all Nintendo's, with quite a many making a come back.

But looking at the top 10, four of them are Mario themed, such is the power of the plumber during holiday seasons. It happens every year, and it will continue to happen for many years to come.

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

DS - Mario Party DS
Wii - Wii Fit
Wii - Wii Sport
DS - Final Fantasy IV
Wii - Super Mario Galaxy

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

DS - 32
Wii - 9
PS2 - 3
PSP - 3
PS3 - 3

Console War VII: Battle for Nippon

DS continues to dominate, but PSP is showing signs of resistance. Less than 50K separate them this week. The same can't be said of the Wii and PS3, though. It's more than 3 to 1 in favor of the Wii. PS3 is struggling, but is doing a lot better than PS2, which continues to sell in the ten thousands. Maybe it does have another year to go before PS3 finally takes off (maybe with GT5 or MGS4). Even Xbox 360 sold almost 10K this week.

DSL - 266,568
PSP - 218,234
Wii - 207,797
PS3 - 64,183
PS2 - 32,010
Xbox 360 - 9,763

Market share this week

DSL vs PSP
54.98% vs 45.02%

Wii vs PS3 vs XBox 360
73.75% vs 22.78% vs 3.47%

Source: Media Create

Sales Chart JPN: MArio holding on

Week 17 December - 23 December 2007

For the second week, Mario Party DS held on to the top spot leading up to Christmas (not that the majority of anyone care about the religious significant of the event in Japan). Another 329,826 was sold this week.

It's rare to see a Final Fantasy game not getting to number 1 on its first week. And now we have seen it. Only 287,697 FFIV on the DS were sold, coming second this week.

The other new games on the top 10 were Naruto: Shippuuden N-Ultimate Accelerator 2 (PS2; 108,717) and Doraemon Baseball: Dramatic Stadium (DS; 84,639). Why does Doraemon have a baseball game, I have no idea.

It has been a long time, but the number of games on the top 50 for the DS has risen back to above 30.

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

DS - Mario Party DS
DS - Final Fantasy IV
Wii - Wii Fit
Wii - Super Mario Galaxy
PS2 - Naruto: Shippuuden N-Ultimate Accelerator 2

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

DS - 32
Wii - 9
PS2 - 4
PS3 - 3
PSP - 2

Console War VII: Battle for Nippon

Still the holiday season over in Japan. DS sold more, Wii sold more, more PS3, less PSP, less PS2 and less Xbox 360.

DSL - 279,551
Wii - 232,907
PSP - 171,804
PS3 - 58,167
PS2 - 20,391
Xbox360 - 7,908

Market share this week

DSL vs PSP
61.94% vs 38.06%

Wii vs PS3 vs XBox 360
77.9% vs 19.46% vs 2.65%

Source: Media Create

Sales Chart JPN: Mario fighting back

Week 10 December - 16 December 2007

Same guy, same game. After two weeks absent, you might have forgotten about Mario, but no, he's back. Mario Party DS jumped back to grab the 1st spot this week, selling 180,042. Must be the holiday season. Wii Fit is just behind, on 124,238.

If you were to pay for an uncompleted game, you would probably complain, but not so if that game is Grand Turismo 5 Prologue. Seriously, it's just another way for Sony to make money, right? If you can't wait for the real game, you'll have to settle of this. 115,748 people did. Prof. Layton is still doing well in 5th (74,378).

It must be the holiday season, some of the older games creped back up onto top 10, with only 2 new game (GT5 Prologue and Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon: the Labyrinth of Forgotten Time (Wii, 40,580). Wii Play and Wii Sport both jumped back up.

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

DS - Mario Party DS
Wii - Wii Fit
PS3 - Grand Turismo 5 Prologue
DS - Prof. Layton and the Pandora's Box
Wii - Mario Galaxy

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

DS - 28
Wii - 10
PS2 - 4
PSP - 3
PS3 - 3
360 - 2

Console War VII: Battle for Nippon

Holiday season is certainly coming. DS sold almost a quarter of a million, while the Wii more than doubled that of PS3. One good news is that the PS3 sold a significant amount more than the PS2, while the Xbox 360 still struggles, selling only roughly the same amount as last week.

DSL - 222,132
PSP - 184,610
Wii - 170,558
PS3 - 63,720
PS2 - 18,025
Xbox360 - 8,561

Market share this week

DSL vs PSP
54.61% vs 45.39%

Wii vs PS3 vs XBox 360
70.24% vs 26.24% vs 3.53%

Source: Media Create

Sales Chart US: Modern Warfare kills on the field.

November Sales Figure

Three months on, Master Chief is still in the top 10. But guns still rule the top of the chart. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare came in at number 1, killing the rest of the field. Super Mario Galaxy came second, while Assassin's Creed is the highest ranking new IP in 3rd. No chart should be completed without at least one Guitar game.

Overall, US spent $2.63 billion in November and with Christmas shopping as well, that figure is still to soar, now that's a lot of money.

1. Call of Duty 4 (Xbox 360, Activision) - 1.57 million
2. Super Mario Galaxy (Wii, Nintendo) - 1.12 million
3. Assassin's Creed (Xbox 360, Ubisoft) - 980k
4. Guitar Hero III: Legends Of Rock w/guitar (PlayStation 2, Neversoft/Budcat/Activision) 967k
5. Wii Play w/remote (Wii, Nintendo) - 564k
6. Mass Effect (Xbox 360, Microsoft) - 473k
7. Call of Duty 4 (PS3, Activision) - 444k
8. Guitar Hero III: Legends Of Rock w/guitar (Wii, Neversoft/Vicarious Visions/Activision) - 426k
9. Halo 3 (Xbox 360, Microsoft) - 387k
10. Assassin's Creed (PS3, Ubisoft) - 377k

Console War VII: Battle for America

Everything is on the ups, with DS taking charge in November, selling over 1.5 million units. Something that still struck me as odd is PS2 still doing better than PS3. Why oh why? Oh wait, I know. That's because PS3 doesn't have any 'must have' exclusive games. Games like COD4, Assassin's Creed are all multiplatform. So why bother getting a PS3 when you can play the same thing on the cheaper Xbox 360?

Nintendo DS - 1.53 million
Wii - 981,000
Xbox 360 - 770,000
PSP - 567,000
PlayStation 2 - 496,000
PlayStation 3 - 466,000

Market share for the month

DS vs PSP
72.96% vs 27.04%

Wii vs XB vs PS3
44.25% vs 34.73% vs 21.02%

Source: Gamasutra

Sales Chart JPN: Wii is still Fit to rule

Week 03 December - 09 December 2007

It comes as no surprise that Wii Fit will continue its strong performance (149,587). It has toppled Prof. Layton and the Pandora's Box to take first place. As a matter of fact, the professor dropped to 5th this week (75,609). Mario Party DS jumped back to second (106,995).

There are four new games on the top ten, with Tales of Innocence leading the way (104,317). Xbox 360 has yet another game on the top ten, courtesy of Lost Odyssey (54,581). Is the Xbox 360 finally making in-roads in Japan? Highly doubt that.

Top 5 games:

Wii - Wii Fit
DS - Mario Party DS
DS - Tales of Innocence
PSP - Hot Shots Golf Portable 2
DS - Prof. Layton and the Pandora's Box

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

DS - 26
Wii - 9
PS2 - 5
PSP - 5
PS3 - 3
360 - 2

Console War VII: Battle for Nippon

Wii Fit still rules, and it looks like that is exactly what the Japanese want. That's exactly what Nintendo needs. In the time when PS3 looks like it's finally taking over the world the lead, Nintendo bounded back with yet another innovative way to 'play'.

Leading up to Christmas time, the Japanese is probably going to spend as much as the rest of the world, even though it doesn't celebrate Christmas the religious way.

DSL - 168,255
Wii - 115,057
PSP - 91,481
PS3 - 38,123
PS2 - 11,987
Xbox360 - 8,876

Market share this week

DSL vs PSP
64.78% vs 35.22%

Wii vs PS3 vs XBox 360
71.00% vs 23.52% vs 5.48%

Source: Media Create

Sales Chart JPN: Layton claim top spot while Wii is Fit to rule.

Week 26 November - 02 December 2007

As I have expected, Prof. Layton and the Pandora's Box topped the chart this week (293,897), but not by much. Wii Fit found some footing to come second (261,226). As a matter of fact, the top three games (SD Gundam G Generation Spirits on PS2 coming home in 3rd; 252,380) all sold more than 200,000 copies each. The top 5 games made up more than 1 million copies of software sold this week. Dragon Quest IV is still doing quite well in 4th, while Xbox 360 has yet another game in the top 10 with Assassin's Creed killing at 8th place.

PS2 still rules for now, with SD Gundam G Generation Spirits, Sengoku Basara 2: Heroes and World Soccer Winning Eleven 2008 scoring in the top 10.

Top 5 games:

DS - Prof. Layton and the Pandora's Box
Wii - Wii Fit
PS2 - SD Gundam G Generation Spirits
DS - Dragon Quest IV
PS2 - Sengoku Basara 2: Heroes

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

DS - 29
Wii - 11
PS2 - 5
PSP - 2
PS3 - 2
360 - 1

Console War VII: Battle for Nippon

With the help of Wii Fit, the Wii is fit to rule the world once again. This week taking second behind the forever leading DS. Is Wii Fit going to last as much and as long as Wii Sports (which is still in the top 20)? Is the Wii going to take over Japan again?

Despite having 3 games in the top 10, the PS2 is not selling as much nowadays. Is PS3 finally gaining momentum?

Why am I asking so many question?

DSL - 124,591
Wii - 74,764
PSP - 74,626
PS3 - 37,092
PS2 - 13,703
Xbox360 - 6,632

Market share this week

DSL vs PSP
62.54% vs 37.46%

Wii vs PS3 vs XBox 360
63.10% vs 31.30% vs 5.60%

Source: Media Create

Sales Chart JPN: Another remake, another ichiban

Week 19 November - 25 November 2007

If you think remakes can't make money, you should know better, especially when you are talking about Square Enix. Yep, this week's number 1 is yet another Square Enix remake special. It's Dragon Quest IV, selling over half a million (597,301).

Besides Mario Party DS (109,522), which was last week's number 1, everything else on the top 10 is new. Soccer is still big, with Winning Eleven 2008 PS2 version (293,926) edged out the PS3 version (141,432).

I am surprised that gamers are still playing FFXI. Final Fantasy XI: Wings of the Goddess sold 67,724 copies, while the Xbox 360 version debuted at 26th place. Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games is 6th (62,550), not particularly good, if you ask me. And why on earth are the Japanese playing Pachinko (10th; 35,882) on a gaming console? Strange bunch of people, they are.

Some of the bad performers include Heavenly Swords (from 7th down to 39th) and Armored Soldiers (from 10th to 50th).

My prediction next week, Professor Layton and the Devil's Box going straight to the top.

Top 5 games:

DS - Dragon Quest IV
PS2 - Winning Eleven 2008
PS3 - Winning Eleven 2008
DS - Mario Party DS
PS2 - Final Fantasy XI: Wings of the Goddess

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

DS - 27
Wii - 7
PS2 - 6
PS3 - 5
PSP - 3
360 - 2

Console War VII: Battle for Nippon

After 2 weeks of dominance, the PS3 has gone back to the old days. But not by much. Everything has gone up by a lot since this week. Must be the start of the holiday season, everyone gearing up for the Christmas end of year spending spread. But it is still a familiar sight with Nintendo taking charge on both counts.

DSL - 116,694
PSP - 75,027
Wii - 54,362
PS3 - 50,564
PS2 - 14,875
Xbox360 - 7,117

Market share this week

DSL vs PSP
60.87% vs 39.13%

Wii vs PS3 vs XBox 360
48.52% vs 45.13% vs 6.35%

Source: Media Create

Sales Chart JPN: Mario still reigns and so is the PS3

Week 12 November - 18 November 2007

Same guy, same game. Japan is still having a Mario frenzies right now. The week before, it was Mario Galaxy, last week, it was Mario Party DS, and this week, it still is Mario Party DS, selling roughly half of last week (115,680). But still managed to beat the second place, Bio Hazard (aka Resident Evil) Umbrella Chronicles (82,637). Shin San Goku Musou 5 (or better known as Dynasty Warrior) still doing well at third place (75,515). The Xbox 360 version, however, dropped to 19th. Sports still play a great part on the DS, with Pro Baseball Family Stadium taking out 4th (49,365). PS2 is still hanging onto the top 10 chart, with Armored Soldiers at 10th. Professor Layton and the Curious Village upped another 5 spots to 44th. The second installment is well and truly going to be a hit over Christmas, one would hope.

And it's now looking a bit more rosy for PS3. It has more games on the chart than PS2.

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

DS - Mario Party DS
Wii - Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles
PS3 - Shin San Goku Musou 5
PS2 - Armored Soldiers
XB360 - Shin San Goku Musou 5
PSP - Dungeon Explorer: The Promised Door

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

DS - 26
Wii - 7
PSP - 6
PS3 - 5
PS2 - 4
360 - 2

Console War VII: Battle for Nippon

The PS3 has outsold the Wii again! What's going on? Has the Japanese crazed finally faded? Or has the people finally accept the PS3? Or is it just that they have finally saved enough money to buy one ever since Kutaragi said they should? Who knows? All we know are the numbers.

DSL - 76,069
PSP - 65,609
PS3 - 39,178
Wii - 36,230
PS2 - 8,855
Xbox360 - 6,525

Market share this week

DSL vs PSP
53.69% vs 42.78%

Wii vs PS3 vs XBox 360
44.22% vs 47.72% vs 7.96%

Source: Media Create

Sales Chart JPN: Different Mario, Same Place

Week 05 November - 11 November 2007

Same guy, different game. Japan is having a Mario frenzies right now. Last week, it was Mario Galaxy, this week, it is Mario Party DS, selling roughly the same sort of numbers as Mario Galaxy (234,708). Second belongs to the well establish chart selling, Shin San Goku Musou 5 (or better known as Dynasty Warrior) on the PS3 (188,456). Even the Xbox 360 version is on the top 10. Such is the power of the warriors.

All the new entries to the top 10 this week are all from well established franchise, with Mario and Dynasty Warrior leading the way, but also Castlevania Chronicle (6th) and Ratchet & Clank Future (10th). Whatever happened to original IPs? Well, Professor Layton and the Curious Village made it back to the chart at 49th. Must be the anticipation for 2nd installment, Professor Layton and the Devil's Box. Can't wait for that.

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

DS - Mario Party DS
PS3 - Shin San Goku Musou 5
Wii - Mario Galaxy
XB360 - Shin San Goku Musou 5
PSP - Castlevania Chronicle
PS2 - NBA Live '08

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

DS - 25
PSP - 6
Wii - 6
PS2 - 5
PS3 - 5
360 - 3

Console War VII: Battle for Nippon

Ladies and gentlemen, this week you have witnessed yet another history in the making (sort of). The PS3 outsold the Wii in a country where it has been trailing ever since the dawn of time. So what's up with that? you ask? Well, Dynasty Warrior had something to do with that, but also the 40GB that came out in Japan with obviously a lower price point. The Wii hasn't really decreased, it is still the same kind of numbers, it's just that the PS3 has increased. Everywhere else is roughly the same, with the exception of Xbox, which went back down to the thousands.

DSL - 78,854
PSP - 58,964
PS3 - 55,924
Wii - 34,546
PS2 - 9,043
Xbox360 - 5,817

Market share this week

DSL vs PSP
57.22% vs 42.78%

Wii vs PS3 vs XBox 360
35.88% vs 58.08% vs 6.04%

Source: Media Create

Sales Chart US: Guitar Heros reign on the chart, and so does the Wii.

October Sales Figure

So, into the second month, and Master Chief is still the Chief of the charts. But it is Guitar Hero that takes the reign, with the next 3 spots filled with various version of the game. The best DS selling game was Zelda in 5th, while Wii Play is still up there in the top 10.

1. Halo 3 (Xbox 360, Microsoft) - 433,800
2. Guitar Hero III: Legends Of Rock w/guitar (Xbox 360, Neversoft/Activision) - 383,200
3. Guitar Hero III: Legends Of Rock w/guitar (Wii, Neversoft/Vicarious Visions/Activision) - 286,300
4. Guitar Hero III: Legends Of Rock w/guitar (PlayStation 2, Neversoft/Budcat/Activision) 271.1K
5. Legend Of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (DS, Nintendo) - 262,800
6. Wii Play w/remote (Wii, Nintendo) - 239,700
7. The Orange Box (Xbox 360, Valve/EA) - 238,400
8. Guitar Hero III: Legends Of Rock (PlayStation 2, Neversoft/Budcat/Activision) - 231,700
9. FIFA Soccer '08 (PlayStation 2, EA) - 129,700
10. Brain Age 2 (DS, Nintendo) - 116,900

Console War VII: Battle for America

Wii has regained the lost spot due to the arrival of Master Chief, with over half a million sold. The DS also also back to 2nd spot, while the Xbox 360, after having sold over half a million last month, is back to third place. Not surprisingly, the PS3 is last, as usual. The PSP is roughly the same as last month, which is roughly the same as every other month.

Wii - 519,000
Nintendo DS - 458,000
Xbox 360 - 366,000
PSP - 286,000
PlayStation 2 - 184,000
PlayStation 3- 121,000

Market share for the month

DS vs PSP
61.56% vs 38.44%

Wii vs XB vs PS3
51.59% vs 36.38% vs 12.03%

Source: Gamasutra

Sales Chart JPN: Mario takes Wii back to the top.

Week 29 October - 04 November 2007

After many weeks of substantial absence on the top of the chart, the Nintendo Wii has finally got its charm back this week, with none other than its famous plumber, Mario. Mario Galaxy blasted its way out of this earth and into the next with over a quarter of a million sold (250,585). No doubt the game will stay for a long while on the charts, hovering about in top 10. Is this the hit Nintendo is looking for to revive the somewhat sluggish sales of the Wii in recent week? Only time will tell.

The closest competition only sold 76,708. Yet another flying machine. This one is of the mechanical type. Bandai-Namco's popular Ace Combat is flying the flag for the company at 2nd with Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation. Funny thing is that the game is on the Xbox 360. And this week, there are not one, not two, but three Xbox 360 new comer on the chart!!! Besides Ace Combat, The Idolm@ster came in at 21st and Earth Defense Forces 3 came in at 29th. This is probably the best week for Xbox for a very long time in Japan.

Third is last week's number 1, Final Fantasy Tactics A2 (50,514). FF is losing steam on this one, me thinks. Not many new comers in the top 10 this week, with Super Robot Wars Scramble Commander the 2nd the third and last new comer this week at 4th (20,525). Quite a mix this week with 4 different system featured on the top 4. But guess what? No PS3 or PSP games. The best PSP game is still Gundam Battle Chronicle, and the PS3 Hot Shot Golf 5. Last week's PS3 entry, Imabikisou, which was 4th, has got lost and can't find its way back to the charts. Wii Sports found its way back to top 10.

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

Wii - Mario Galaxy
XB360 - Ace Combat 6
PS2 - Super Robot Wars Scramble Commander the 2nd
DS - Final Fantasy Tactics A2
PSP - Gundam Battle Chronicle
PS3 - Hot Shot Golf 5

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

DS - 25
PS2 - 8
Wii - 7
PSP - 5
360 - 3
PS3 - 2

Console War VII: Battle for Nippon

Ladies and gentlemen, this week you have witnessed history in the making (sort of). The Xbox 360 outsold PS3 in a country where it traditionally does shit. I don't think most of the number comes from Ace Combat, but certainly a large number of it is contributed by Idolm@ster. I won't be surprised in that was the case, given the Japanese idol culture. Not even during the week of Halo 3 did Xbox archived these kind of amazing numbers for Microsoft.

Elsewhere, DS and PSP is roughly the same while Wii has bounced back from the 20K-ish per week, at least for now. Interesting to see the numbers in the following weeks.

DSL - 78,552
PSP - 59,714
Wii - 37,617
Xbox360 - 17,673
PS3 - 17,434

Market share this week

DSL vs PSP
56.81% vs 43.19%

Wii vs PS3 vs XBox 360
51.73% vs 23.97% vs 24.30%

Source: Media Create

Sales Chart JPN: Yawn, yet another FF game on top.

Week 22 October - 28 October 2007

Seriously, when was the last time a non-re-release Final Fantasy game not make it to the top at least once? This time, it's Final Fantasy Tactics A2. Get it while it's hot (142,191). It didn't sell as much as the last FF game released, Crisis Core (that sold almost half a million in the first week), and also less than the last FF game on DS, Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings (274,004 in the first week). Hmm, is the Japanese finally got tired of the FF milking franchise?

Onto other news, number 2 is taken by yet another new PS2 games, Ar Tonelico 2 (72,365). Developers are still producing PS2 games like PS3 never existed. 7 out of the 10 PS2 games on this week's chart are new. Well, at least Sony is still kind of making money from their out system. But I wonder if that would be the case when they stop the BC in the PS3, and stop making PS2 consoles altogether.

Number 3 is Konami's Winning Eleven DS (28,985). PS3's Imabikisou (22,663) is number 4. 7 out of the top 10 games are new. The only ones that stayed up are DS Bungaku Zenshuu, DS Kyotaro Nishimura Suspense New Detective Series: Kyoto, Atami, Zekkai no Kotou Satsui no Wana and Pokemon. Wii games have been noticeably absent for the past few weeks, but Ghost Squad has rectified the situation, coming in at 7th, while Xbox 360 has another entrant this week with Bladestorm at 33rd. Beautiful Katamari has been rolled off the island altogether, never to be seen on the chart again. Probably it was a bad idea to release the game on the XB.

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

DS - Final Fantasy Tactics A2
PS2 - Ar Tonelico 2
PS3 - Imabikisou
Wii - Ghost Squad
PSP - Gundam Battle Chronicle
XB360 - Bladestorm

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

DS - 22
PS2 - 10
Wii - 8
PSP - 5
PS3 - 4
360 - 1

Console War VII: Battle for Nippon

The hardware numbers have been more or less stable this week. Everything increased slightly, some more than others. Maybe people are preparing for the "holiday" season. Japan doesn't have Christmas holiday, but they still have the Christmas spirit (not the religious kind). We should see some big numbers in the weeks ahead.

DSL - 76,243
PSP - 59,792
Wii - 27,502
PS3 - 18,785
PS2 - 11,698
Xbox360 - 3,718

Market share this week

DSL vs PSP
56.05% vs 43.95%

Wii vs PS3 vs XBox 360
55.00% vs 37.57% vs 7.44%

Source: Media Create

Sales Chart JPN: Seaman evolves to number one, just by a nose.

Week 15 October - 21 October 2007

Yet another PS2 game topped the chart this week. Sega's Seaman 2 sold 32,798, just a nose in front of yet another non-game game on the DS, DS Bungaku Zenshuu (32,438), a collection of Japanese literature readable on the dual screen. Why is non-game game so popular on the DS? I have no idea. Goku is still hanging onto top 3. While the detective mystery DS Kyotaro Nishimura Suspense New Detective Series: Kyoto, Atami, Zekkai no Kotou Satsui no Wana still going well in 4th.

Surprise comes at 7th with Beautiful Katamari on Xbox 360. Why it was released on the Xbox 360 only when the last ones were on the PS2, I have no clue either. But 18,935 for an Xbox game in Japan is not bad.

It has been a while since a Wii title is in the top 10, and this week, the best one is Wii Sports at number 12. Has the Japanese finally released the lack of games on the Wii?

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

PS2 - Seaman 2
DS - DS Bungaku Zenshuu
PSP - Gundam Battle Chronicle
XB360 - Beautiful Katamari
Wii - Wii Sports
PS3 - Lair

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

DS - 27
PS2 - 8
Wii - 5
PSP - 5
PS3 - 4
360 - 1

Console War VII: Battle for Nippon

DS is still leading the charge, but no where near as dominant as it once was. It dropped this week while the PSP stayed around the same. The situation is the same with the Wii and PS3, the gap is closing.

Nintendo better release some good games soon. Otherwise, the Japanese might finally get over the "wow" factor, like so many things (read: idols) before it.

DSL - 70,608
PSP - 58,669
Wii - 24,932
PS3 - 17,130
PS2 - 10,281
Xbox360 - 3,011

Market share this week

DSL vs PSP
54.62% vs 45.38%

Wii vs PS3 vs XBox 360
55.31% vs 22.81% vs 6.68%

Source: Media Create

Sales Chart JPN: Detective found out how to get to ichiban.

Week 8 October - 14 October 2007

After a couple of weeks away from the top, DS has regain the top spot. If you are not a follower of Japanese literature, you won't know why this week's number one is a detective suspense game based on works by Nishimura Kyotaru. He is apparently, a famous writer in Japan.

But I've got a question, what is with Japanese and a bloody long name? The full name of this week's number one is *big breath* DS Kyotaro Nishimura Suspense New Detective Series: Kyoto, Atami, Zekkai no Kotou Satsui no Wana *phew*. 33 Japanese characters. God, that was long. A detective story that uses your brain. I bet you haven't been using that rusty brain of yours besides the occasional brain age, right?

Anyway, it sold 60,707 copies, beating Goku down to number 2 with 47,085. This week only 3 new games, one is the DS Kyotaru Nishi... blah blah blah, and the other one is Arcana Heart on PS2 (22,891) looks like a chick fighting game (but not the Dead of Alive kind of chick), and Lair on PS3 (21,813). The rest is the old stuff. Pokemon is still there, and so is Gundam. Master Chief is still hanging on at 48.

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

DS - DS Kyotaro Nishimura Suspense New Detective Series: Kyoto, Atami, Zekkai no Kotou Satsui no Wana
PS2 - Dragon Ball Z: Sparking! Meteor
PSP - Gundam Battle Chronicle
Wii - Mario Party 8
PS3 - Lair
XB360 - Project Gotham 4

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

DS - 27
PS2 - 8
Wii - 6
PSP - 5
PS3 - 2
360 - 2

Console War VII: Battle for Nippon

Is PSP faze over? By the look of it this week, yes. DSL fell, but not as much as the PSP fall. It's not dropping back to the 'pre-slim' 30-40K range for the PSP, maybe the slim PSP is doing something right for once. Wii is about the same, while the PS3 rose just a little bit. Xbox sold more hardware this week with PG4, than the week with Halo 3. Go figure.

DSL - 78,746
PSP - 59,584
Wii - 20,575
PS3 - 12,365
PS2 - 10,181
Xbox360 - 6,161

Market share this week

DSL vs PSP
56.93% vs 43.07%

Wii vs PS3 vs XBox 360
52.62% vs 31.62% vs 15.76%

Source: Media Create

Sales Chart US: Master Chief ran away... with US$1b

September Sales Figure

It's no secret that Master Chief is going to dominate the sales chart this month. Halo 3, an Xbox 360 exclusive title, has helped the US game industry to break the US$1 billion mark, to $1.3 billion.

Master Chief sold 3.3 million copies in September. The next best game is Wii Play, which sold a measly 282,000, which is just 3 million copies behind the first guy. The long waited Zelda didn't fare too bad, but Meriod Prime 3 managed less than 200K, a bit disappointed by Nintendo standard.

The best Sony game is still on the PS2, with Madden NFL 08. With Sony pulling the plug on backward compatibility in the new 40GB PS3, Sony would have no games worth buying anymore. Won't be surprised if next month's sales chart is dominated by Nintendo and Microsoft. Oh, sorry, they already are.

Top 10 games in US for September

1. Halo 3 - Xbox 360 (Microsoft) - 3.3 million
2. Wii Play - Wii (Nintendo) - 282,000
3. Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass - DS (Nintendo) - 224,000
4. Madden NFL 08 - PS2 (EA) - 205,000
5. Skate - Xbox 360 (EA) - 175,000
6. Madden NFL 08 - Xbox 360 (EA) - 173,000
7. Metroid Prime 3 - Wii (Nintendo) - 167,000
8. BioShock - Xbox 360 (Take 2) - 150,000
9. Brain Age 2 - DS (Nintendo) - 141,000
10. Heavenly Sword - PS3 (Sony) - 139,000

Console War VII: Battle for America

With Master Chief taking charge, it's easy to see why the Xbox 360 took the lead in September. Followed closely by the Nintendo hardwares. The top 3 consoles sold close to or over half a million units each. The bottom 3 are all Sony (who else?). To their credit, PSP increased sales due to the PSP slim, but PS3 fell. PS2 is still selling in shitload. Almost a year on, and PS2 is still selling, hate to say this, Sony, but your black brick sucks.

Next month, it's likely Wii will take back the lead, or are they? Can Master Chief hold out another month and lead Xbox to the promised land?

Xbox 360 - 527,800
Wii - 501,000
Nintendo DS - 495,800
PlayStation Portable - 284,500
PlayStation 2 - 215,000
PlayStation 3 - 119,400

Market share for the month

DS vs PSP
63.54% vs 36.46%

Wii vs XB vs PS3
43.63% vs 45.97% vs 10.40%

Source: Gamasutra

Sales Chart JPN: DS is back on top, only just.

Week 1 October - 7 October 2007

Is it just me, or are the Japanese still not getting sick and tired of Dragonball? The anime went on for 10 years, the manga spanned more than 30 volumes, and then there are endless trading cards, figurines, plushies, etc. And don't get me started with games.

I'm not saying I don't like Dragonball, but come one. It's still number one in Japan? I just don't know anymore. Anyway, yes, Dragonball is still number one in Japan, apparently. And it's still on the PS2. Named Dragon Ball Z: Sparking! Meteor, it sold 203,828. You know you're in trouble when the best game of the week is sold on your previous gen gaming console when your latest one has been out for almost a year.

Dragon Ball Z: Sparking! Meteor on the Wii sold a modest 39,708 to take on 4th place. Gundam Battle Chronicle on PSP (86,208) and Archaic Sealed Heat on DS (49,678) filled up 2nd and 3rd.

Konami's next soccer game, Jikkyou Powerful Major League 2 (34,577), is 5th. Overall, new games filled the top 5 spots.

BTW, if you see Halo 3, please say hi to Master Chief for me. He dropped from 1st to 36th. Not unexpected, but still... Ouch.

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

PS2 - Dragon Ball Z: Sparking! Meteor
PSP - Gundam Battle Chronicle
DS - Archaic Sealed Heat
Wii - Dragon Ball Z: Sparking! Meteor
PS3 - The Elder Scrolls IV
XB360 - Halo 3

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

DS - 23
PSP - 10
Wii - 7
PS2 - 6
PS3 - 3
XB360 - 1

Console War VII: Battle for Nippon

It's only back a couple of months ago that you see Wii selling over 40,000 a week. How a couple of months has changed the landscape. Wii only sold just above 20,000 this week. PS3 did half that number.

Things seemed to have died down a bit between DS and PSP, each sold roughly the same, with DS just edging out PSP by less than 1,000 unit. Xbox 360 is back to its normal weekly numbers. It is interesting times indeed. Wonder what next week will hold.

DSL - 87,445
PSP - 86,895
Wii - 20,704
PS3 - 10,822
PS2 - 10,446
Xbox360 - 1,547

Market share this week

DSL vs PSP
50.16% vs 49.84%

Wii vs PS3 vs XBox 360
62.60% vs 32.72% vs 4.68%

Source: Media Create