Japanese hardware sales, 26 June - 2 July: You've got red on you

by Ludwig Kietzmann { Jul 9th 2006 at 3:00PM }

Oh, the horror. Be sure to keep angry fanboys and dubiously trained pet bulls away from the monitor this week, as it displays an awful lot of red. Even the mighty DS Lite experiences the strange sensation of slipping, possibly caused by the tight grip of an overweight sibling. The ranking, according to number of units sold:

- DS Lite: 153,566 3,456 (2.20%)
- PSP: 25,935

1,198 (4.84%)
- PS2: 23,133 2,334 (9.16%)
- DS Phat: 3,504 6,628 (65.42%)
- GBA SP: 2,919 829 (21.91%)
- Xbox 360: 1,897

728 (62.28%)
- Game Boy Micro: 1,443 59 (3.93%)
- Gamecube: 1,002 195 (16.29%)
- GBA: 17 8 (32.00%)
- Xbox: 8 2 (20.00%)

As a commenter jokingly suggested last week, it's awfully difficult to resist the temptation of traveling to Japan and purchasing 10,000 Xbox consoles, just to ... exacerbate things.

[Source: Media Create]

Tags: DS Lite, DS Phat, DsLite, DsPhat, Hardware sales, HardwareSales, Japan, Japanese sales, JapaneseSales, Sales charts, SalesCharts

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

lol @ Jul 9th 2006 3:04PM

360 FTW!!!

fwacce @ Jul 9th 2006 3:10PM

2600 FTW!!!

Capt. Castellanos @ Jul 9th 2006 3:16PM

wow!
thats weird!

all the sales that went up are very unliked in japan.

but oh well.
change of heart i guess.

SilentK @ Jul 9th 2006 3:17PM

SHAWN OF THE DEAD FTW!

KawF @ Jul 9th 2006 3:25PM

Didn't Ninty Nine Nights, or whatever it's called, just come out in japan? That could quite possibly explain the current positive fluctuation in sales of Xbox 360.

idioteraser @ Jul 9th 2006 3:48PM

It's been quite a while since N3 came out. It's probably more likely news of the PS3 has increased the sales.

As for Dslite and DSphat it's probably shortages at work.

idioteraser @ Jul 9th 2006 3:52PM

The huge question is who rebuys their ps2 every week? Because seriously 22,000 a week isn't normal for a console close to it's end.

lol @ Jul 9th 2006 3:55PM

Supposedly ps2's break often..so i'm guessing they keep buying new ones? Mine finally broke after 4 years of use.

Brad Lee @ Jul 9th 2006 4:04PM

If I were rich, I'd SO buy 10,000 Japanese XBoxes for no other reason than to see a %1000 increase for one week. I have to admit, that would be damned funny.

KawF @ Jul 9th 2006 4:04PM

The major reason to why so many PS2 consoles are still being sold I'd guess is that there are still coming many great games for that system, and unlike microsoft with Xbox 1, Sony has not abandoned the PS2. It will still be alive quite well for quite a few years to come.

But if it helps you sleep at night, please do believe that it has to be people rebuying due to broken hardware.

lol @ Jul 9th 2006 4:13PM

Don't you think that after months and months of so many consels sold, that everybody that wanted one would have had one by now? Unless that many people were oblivious to the many other great releases in the past, that wouldn't make sense.

Xizer @ Jul 9th 2006 4:37PM

So many PS2s are still being sold because the PS2 is always breaking. People are always having to buy replacements.

OftenK @ Jul 9th 2006 4:50PM

Xbox 360: She's like buttaaaa.

Lee @ Jul 9th 2006 5:00PM

"So many PS2s are still being sold because the PS2 is always breaking. People are always having to buy replacements."

Erm, yeah, that explains over 21,000 more than the 360, that'd be awful convenient. Nowhere near that many PS2s suffer from this breaking, especially since the PS2 slims. It's far more likely FFXII and simililarly AAA titles keeping it going.

Insomnia Bob @ Jul 9th 2006 5:08PM

Take a closer look at the numbers, guys. 360 FTW? Uh, no. It didn't even outsell the Gameboy SP. Sure, it's a big jump up percentage wise, but they only sold eighteen hundred units NATION WIDE. Those are some pretty sad numbers for the first next gen console.

I wouldn't take this week as a sign that MS has broken the Japanese market.

Likewise, the DS Lite sold down, and the PSP sold up...but the DS still sold almost 7 times as many units. A green arrow is nice...but if you're that far behind the competition when they have a slow week...well, it's kinda like competing in the special olympics.

No matter how hard you try, you're still retarded.

cap-n-crunch @ Jul 9th 2006 5:18PM

It's still great 360 news. Rome was'nt built in a day.

idioteraser @ Jul 9th 2006 5:19PM

Ahem you must have missed the court cases Sony settled out of court over mass batches of defective PS2s.

Sony believes in planned obselance (sorry don't recall the spelling grammer nazis) meaning after the warranty goes out the unit dies. People kept buying walkmans five or even more times.

I highly doubt people will rebuy the PS3 multiple times like sony is planning on people doing so.

lol @ Jul 9th 2006 5:23PM

My comment about 360 FTW!!! was obviously a little sarcastic. Of course they're far behind breaking any ground over there, but at least they sold a few more this time.

skyrous @ Jul 9th 2006 5:34PM

I know a lot of PS2 fans... But I don't know anyone who isn't on their 2nd PS2. My brother is on his 3rd. These machines only have to last a few years until the next gen comes along you'd think sony could make a box that would last that long.

20 years ago sony = quality

how the mighty have fallen

epobirs @ Jul 9th 2006 5:50PM

#17

Class action suits are rarely evidence of anything except lawyers getting rich. What was originally created as a tool for the Civil Rights movement has been corrupted into a tool for unscrupulous lawyers who are the soel parties to benefit from most cases.

Shaymus22 @ Jul 9th 2006 5:51PM

360 FTW indeed!!

epobirs @ Jul 9th 2006 5:55PM

#19

My launch PS2 is still working fine. I know of others also stubbornly continuing to function.

Does my anecdotal evidence trump yours?

I've also been told that every Xbox has one foot in the grave but again, my launch unit just keeps playing games without a hitch.

Jay @ Jul 9th 2006 5:56PM

skyrous; not even. 20 years ago... 1986. ooh! I was born. but also my parents were buying hifi components. now, they bought Wharfedale and Sony speakers. both similarly priced, only the Sony ones had tweeters blown in 15 years. now, thats quite a while yes? But look at the comparison - the Wharfedales are now permanent residents to my studio setup. I have 2 close, and 2 high up on the walls for the serious work.

For similar price you can get hardware with build quality equal or higher than Sony. Or in the case of DS Lite+PSP - much much less. Sony never had good quality and they don't seem keen on changing that.

My1stBorn4aPS3 @ Jul 9th 2006 6:04PM

Wow. DS seriously sells 150,000 units a WEEK? Thats crazy. By now half the population of Japan should have one. Thats includes everybody. Women, children, old people, perverts and thieves. Nintendo has literally created a new market of people. Miyamoto is still printing out the moeny on his limited edition DS lite prolly due out at the beginning of next year. Wii will prolly do the same. Dont you see people in Japan, Nintendo is taking all your money!?! They are dominating the world yet everyoine views them as the underdog! Can't anyone else see what they are doing?! They have been running the game console market since NES days. Sony was NEVER on the top. Nintendo makes the most money and always has, yet people look at them and say 'aww you poor guys let me support you...' Nintendo don't need your support they already own half of your belongings! The heads of nintendo are laughing right now counting your money and will laugh again when Wii launches cuz everyone sees them as underdog. They laugh at you! My god does no one else see the Nintendo empire coming?!

Stranger678 @ Jul 9th 2006 6:05PM

I'm on my 3'rd PS2, it is a testament to how good the games are that I have repeatedly bought it.

However my Xbox, Gamecube, 64, Snes, Dreamcast are all still working fine, never needed to replace.

The NES had to have a pin connector replaced....twice...which makes it as reliable as a PS2

boots @ Jul 9th 2006 6:14PM

lol, fanboys. "PS2 BREAKS LOL" they never mention any numbers... oh wait, this one time a 360 fanboy cried this: "PS2 did NOT sell 100 million! They only SHIPPED 100 million, but simply sold 40 million, and many had to rebuy so many that only 25 million people ever had a PS2!!". That's the only numbers I've ever heard from 360 breaking.

Anyway, the truth is, many people used this lawsuit despite not having a broken PS2, or even a PS2. I know a lot of people with PS2s, and nobody with a broken one. Yet, I know 10 people with an Xbox, and 4 of them broke. One of them got a 360 instead, let's hope it doesn't burn.

For the record, my 360 is fine, and I hope I don't have to use my 1-year warranty (or that if it ends up breaking like a third of X360's, it does before it expires).

boots @ Jul 9th 2006 6:17PM

Oops... I don't know what I was thinking with the last sentence on this. I meant the only nuvers I've ever heard from 360 fanboys....

---"PS2 did NOT sell 100 million! They only SHIPPED 100 million, but simply sold 40 million, and many had to rebuy so many that only 25 million people ever had a PS2!!". That's the only numbers I've ever heard from 360 breaking.----

boots @ Jul 9th 2006 6:18PM

What the hell is happening! Numbers, not nuvers! Something is wrong with me today... sorry

Cabbage @ Jul 9th 2006 6:23PM

The reason that the Xbox360 numbers spiked this week is that Chromehounds came out over there. It placed at #16 on the charts (at 9600 units sold).

Rather than buying 10,000 Xbox360 units, I would think it would be more fun to spend that money on an Xbox360 game. You could easily buy enough to put that game into the top ten! (#10 this week only sold 23,760 units)

50,000 units sold would be about equal in price to the 10,000 360s, and it could put the game in at the number 3 position in the charts. That might trick Japanese publishers into thinking the 360 is worth developing for! ...or not.

pooman @ Jul 9th 2006 6:29PM

the ps2 sucks, mine broke after 3 years but my ps1 is still working strong even after around 7 - 8 years?! So i got myself a ds..im not gonna rebuy the same hardware unless it's a new release of the original which has better functions unlike the ps2 slim version.

Part Troll @ Jul 9th 2006 6:30PM

Shaun of the Dead for the win, indeed. I think I'll go watch it right now.
*disposes of bricked 360*

Colon D @ Jul 9th 2006 6:32PM

To the Winchester!

-=| @ Jul 9th 2006 6:35PM

The PS2 wasn't that bad. I think people just forget how careless they were with it. I got one at launch and haven't had any problems with it. (well..the cords in the back won't stay in unless taped...and the lack of great games.)

Pedrocas @ Jul 9th 2006 6:45PM

Those numbers don't mean only replaced ps2. I will still buy my first one, and with me there's a lot of people doing the same.

However those 360 numbers are a shame for a new console...

DinnyHoon @ Jul 9th 2006 7:05PM

The PSPs sales have risen because of the 2.6 downgrader.

Now then, there's my excuse to comment out the way..

Shaun Of The Dead FTW!!!

adaaaaaaa @ Jul 9th 2006 7:17PM

"So many PS2s are still being sold because the PS2 is always breaking. People are always having to buy replacements."

if the ps2 is so crappy and keeps breaking than why would ppl keep buying more of them?

josh @ Jul 9th 2006 7:19PM

People also still buy PS2s because there are always new kids getting older who are having birthdays and asked for a PS2, or kids whose parents couldn't afford a PS2 before, and now they can, or college students who move into their own apartments or dorms and get a PS2 of their own, etc.

Nick @ Jul 9th 2006 7:31PM

lol, exacerbate, was that a shaun of the dead reference :P Silly Joystiq writers FTW!!!

skyrous @ Jul 9th 2006 7:51PM

"if the ps2 is so crappy and keeps breaking than why would ppl keep buying more of them?"

Because people bought games that they want to play, My brother wants to play grand turismo he has to buy more of sony's garbage hardware. unlike with dvd players where your spoiled for in choice hardware and can simply choose to buy quality, you have no such luxury in game systems.

Thankfully nintendo doesn't make crap so I don't have to worry:)

kalel @ Jul 9th 2006 7:54PM

Quit dropping your shit and letting it overheat.
- life lesson number 3

Stonehenge @ Jul 9th 2006 7:57PM

Has Sony honestly not yet realized homebrew is the only thing keeping their handheld alive amongst true gamers?

1up_clock @ Jul 9th 2006 8:30PM

"Has Sony honestly not yet realized homebrew is the only thing keeping their handheld alive amongst true gamers?"

Of course not. THEY'RE NOT PAYING ANY ATTENTION TO THE CONSUMER.

idioteraser @ Jul 9th 2006 8:35PM

Here is the thing about the psp hardware. Sony takes a hundred dollar loss each unit made. They make up the money from game sales.

Thing is psp games don't sale due to rampant piracy. In addition to a few other factors but the amount of homebrew users who admit to piracy of psp games is quite high. So the firmware updates are in effort to get people to buy psp games and not download them onto mem sticks.

Tell me what company wouldn't do the same in that situation?

Sony losses so much money on each piece of hardware made and takes in so few on the games sold on their hardware. It's why Nintendo's game division rakes in more then Sony's.

idioteraser @ Jul 9th 2006 8:36PM

As for the class action suits if you ever bothered to read the settlements you would have seen that you would have to either provide the unit or the retail slips to get the reduced repair rate or a 20 dollar ps2 game of the Sony corp's chosing.

Evan @ Jul 9th 2006 8:43PM

Hmmmm.....perhaps I should now take a cricket bat to all the consoles in the house, and perhaps both the fried mobos in my room....mmmmm....satisfying machine slaughter....

n8dogg @ Jul 9th 2006 8:57PM

My PS2 is still running strong after about 5 years of service.

Kevin @ Jul 9th 2006 9:05PM

@25

"I'm on my 3'rd PS2, it is a testament to how good the games are that I have repeatedly bought it.

The NES had to have a pin connector replaced....twice...which makes it as reliable as a PS2"

I'm sorry I never understood how the NES over 20 years ago can be compared to the PS2 that was launched 6 years ago. Thats a great comparison considering the technology and the fact that the PS2 was the company's 2nd introduction into home consoles while the NES was Nintendo's first. /sarcasm.