Japanese hardware sales, 3 July - 9 July: paging Rod Serling
by Ludwig Kietzmann 
{ Jul 14th 2006 at 10:00PM }
There are times when reading the Japanese sales charts can be a decidedly odd and disturbing experience, as if your mind suddenly becomes aware that all is not right in the universe. Like a homicidal clown lurking in a dark corner, this week's situation is certainly amusing, but it's not something you want to come into contact with on a regular basis. It's just wrong. The ranking, according to number of units sold:- DS Lite: 149,454
4,112 (2.68%)- PSP: 31,959
6,024 (23.23%)- PS2: 23,332
199 (0.86%)- GBA SP: 2,818
101 (3.46%)- Xbox 360: 1,610
287 (15.13%)- Game Boy Micro: 1,379
64 (4.44%)- DS Phat: 1,009
2,495 (71.20%)- Gamecube: 934
68 (6.79%)- GBA: 20
3 (17.65%)- Xbox: 13
5 (62.50%)Looking at the opposite ends of the list is like glancing into the cackling face of madness (it bears a vague resemblance to Groucho Marx). The DS Lite endures a minor slip, its older sibling takes a complete fall down a set of stairs and the original Xbox experiences the biggest improvement percentage-wise out of the whole lot. Did we enter into some sort of zone where normal things don't happen very often?
[Source: Media Create]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Petrie @ Jul 14th 2006 10:12PM
The box has nowhere to go but up, the percentages are just highly misleading. Making a big deal out of nothing here.
JoYo @ Jul 14th 2006 10:24PM
just ordered my new ds lite 2 minutes ago...cant wait!!!!
Bob Saget @ Jul 14th 2006 10:51PM
Haha, from 5 to 13. Alert the blogs!
Jonn @ Jul 14th 2006 10:54PM
Clearly this is a sign that Sony will dominate the next console generation, crushing Micro$oft and Wii-tendo like bugs. All of y'all are just hatin' on Sony. You are biased.
Now that that's out of the way; Dodododo dodododo dodododo.
bearattack79 @ Jul 14th 2006 11:01PM
Stop posting this, better news exists in the gaming world. If we had a live feed of the data it would be changing all the time. This is a simple snap shot. This shows nothing.
Kouheikun @ Jul 14th 2006 11:08PM
Actually the Xbox went from 8 to 13, Bob Saget. Hence the sales increased by 5 units, or an increase of 62.5%
Just had to get the math out of the way :)
the deaf guy @ Jul 14th 2006 11:08PM
oh yes joystiq is so biased... they are biased on sony, nintendo, microsoft they hate them all! its crazy isn't it?!
/endsarcasm
Fan @ Jul 14th 2006 11:20PM
Please the deaf guy..
Joystiq hates Playstation just like the rest of the internet. I never really could understand why, but its not like I care. I guess they wannabe cool and hip and are swayed like sheep to follow the trends.
darryl @ Jul 14th 2006 11:32PM
Yes Joystiq, the sky is falling... watch out, you just may get squished.
Ian @ Jul 15th 2006 12:00AM
Here comes the usual xbox bashing...
Matters @ Jul 15th 2006 12:26AM
There is nothing weird about this list at all.
It looks nearly the same as it has all year. Shit it looks almost the same as half of last year also with the exception of the DS Phat.
The reason the DS Phat went down so much is stock. It pretty much sells out of stock and there isn't much left to sell. Same with the DS Lite. It sells out constantly.
It's not impressive at all that the lowest selling item on the list (with only 13 units sold compared to ~150,000 ds lites) went up the most in percentage. Gee I can count the increase on one freaking hand.
Geist @ Jul 15th 2006 12:37AM
OMG JOYSTIQ IS SOOOOO M$ FANBOYS, THEY POST THE STUFF WHEN THE XBOX GOES UP!!!!11!! SOOOO BIASED!!!11!1!111
Night Elve @ Jul 15th 2006 1:08AM
Keep it up Xbox 360 ¡¡¡
Hold on ¡¡¡ Hold on ¡¡¡
=P
ROFLMAO
Night Elve @ Jul 15th 2006 1:20AM
By the way my resources told me that those 5 Xbox were bought by American Citizens living in Japan xD.
AK @ Jul 15th 2006 1:50AM
Why do y'all obsess so much on the japanese sales numbers?
Greg @ Jul 15th 2006 2:47AM
Ak..thats exactly what I was wondering like the oracle said in the matrix we cant tell you the future you just have to make up your damn mind.....There's probably someone shopping online right now because of this list..its rediculous!
Brian @ Jul 15th 2006 2:56AM
Can joystiq just delete any comments about the value of a post. They don't serve any use and are annoying as hell. If you think it was a bad post, use your damn mouse and move on! Don't clog the comments with your retardation.
cringer8 @ Jul 15th 2006 3:00AM
@AK
Are you completely clueless? Sony and Nintendo are Japanese companies. Japan has the highest (per capita) level of "technophilia" in the world. What they are buying is VERY important to these companies and therefore important to their followers (all of us). Also, it's a gaming press release. Why wouldn't they post it?
For those of you whiners who don't like what the numbers are showing...too bad. These posts are the only objective posts you can find on Joystiq. It's numbers...fact...raw data. If you visit Joystiq often enough, you can recognize trends from these figures, trends that could affect the next gen war.
@Joystiq
Never stop posting these (software or hardware).
BONESTOCK @ Jul 15th 2006 3:15AM
I'd like to see weekly updates from here in the states.
Vincent @ Jul 15th 2006 3:26AM
HERE IS THE Monthly USA Sales (June 2006)
http://pspupdates.qj.net/Monthly-US-Sales-June-2006-Holy-DS-Batman-/pg/49/aid/58833#comments
NDS - 593,000
PS2 - 312,000
360 - 277,000
PSP - 221,000
GBA - 189,000
GCN - 51,000
XBX - 24,000
Enjoys, the sucess of PS2!!!!!!
Moimopoi @ Jul 15th 2006 3:36AM
Hahah,The PS2 is CRUSHING the xbox360...
Take that Xbox's fanboys....
PS2 rule!!!!!!!Sony Rule!!!!!
Ian @ Jul 15th 2006 3:42AM
"21. Hahah,The PS2 is CRUSHING the xbox360...
Take that Xbox's fanboys....
PS2 rule!!!!!!!Sony Rule!!!!!"
Oh yeah a 129 console is "crushing" a 300-400 dollar console. Just how many units as the PS3 sold? Oh wait its not out.
Insomnia Bob @ Jul 15th 2006 4:12AM
Interesting to see that the PSP has sold an increased number of units for, what, two weeks in a row now? Can't help but wonder why...
Oh, wait, maybe it has something to do with the fact that they're actually starting to bring out decent games on the damn thing. See, Sony? You CAN do it! Now quit trying to shove proprietary movie formats down our throats, and focus on what made you great all these years...GAMES.
And, for pete sake, Joystiq is not 'anti-' anything. Sony has been shooting itself in the foot from a PR standpoint for MONTHS. It's not Joystiq's fault if very little of the news is good re: sony.
Jon Speed @ Jul 15th 2006 4:24AM
Ian Wrote:
"22. "21. Hahah,The PS2 is CRUSHING the xbox360...
Take that Xbox's fanboys....
PS2 rule!!!!!!!Sony Rule!!!!!"
Oh yeah a 129 console is "crushing" a 300-400 dollar console. Just how many units as the PS3 sold? Oh wait its not out."
Seriously, what the hell?
don_sf @ Jul 15th 2006 5:14AM
ps3 will sell more than xbox 360.
internet preorders have already shown that many many more people had pre ordered at this point than 360 preorders.
beat speaking of xbox 180, its doing really well - it sold more than 5 units. whats a little bit suprising for me is gamecube, a current gen console made by a japanese company called nintendo with quite alot of good games is selling poorly.
all i can say is lol, xbox fans have to accept they will come last in the next gen console war even after having a year extra. that is why they are so angry all the time.
remind me what the xbox 360 can do which is so great than you couldnt do last gen............?
jay cee @ Jul 15th 2006 5:26AM
m$ won't be number one this gen they came out to early they are the only next gen system out there and still not doing that good i live in seattle and most of the people i talk to want a ps3 and some a wii name one game other then halo that sells the system you can't m$ can't make games but they can fuck up a os
T-Bag @ Jul 15th 2006 5:32AM
@ don_sf,
Play next-gen games with a price tag less then $600. Oh, and it can also avoid 3.16 fps and BSOD. It also won't break down in about 2 years so you won't have to worry about re-purchasing it. Oh, and don't forget that the 360 has a vast library already. Not to mention that it's only going to expand in the next few months, whilst the ps3 is getting an "A Day In The Life Of An African Animal".
... You know what though, my opinion still is gamers>fanboys. I just wish Sony consumer whores would embrace such logic someday.
Steven @ Jul 15th 2006 5:34AM
Its disturbing how ignorant certain fanboys are... I see the ps3 doing well intially and then tailing off immediately, it simply costs too much.
Taka @ Jul 15th 2006 6:19AM
@26.
The PS3 which was reported to slow down to 3.16fps and suffer a supposed BSOD was a development unit and not a final production unit. Having experience with a development XBOX360 unit I can tell you it really likes BSOD and slow down too. A bit too much really, but then all systems crash some time or another.
Insomnia Bob @ Jul 15th 2006 6:47AM
@25. Pre-orders? Orly? From where, exactly?
GameStop/EBGames
isn't even taking pre-orders until October to avoid the massive
backlog the ended up with during the 360's launch, and since they're
the biggest American game chain...uh, who's taking these pre orders?
Journalism = reporting (provable) facts, and providing commentary on them.
Fanboyism = making crap up to support your own personal position.
Marc @ Jul 15th 2006 8:00AM
Fan,
go out on the internet and find a gaming blog that covers all the companies. I can guarantee all of them are for Nintendo or Microsoft. Sony just gives bad news. Nintendo and Microsoft give good news, plain and simple.
Revolution @ Jul 15th 2006 9:35AM
I can't wait to get my console of choice (I'm not saying which to avoid the flames). I am actually very excited about the next geration consoles (as you all should be). I seem to remember a time when gamers were happy about video games and not pissed off to the point of foaming at the mouth. Thank the interweb and thank 12 year-old douchebags for making something that is supposed to be super-exciting, kind of a downer.
striderhayasa @ Jul 15th 2006 9:58AM
@ cringer8
agreed. *
It's the epitome of fanboydom though. If Sony is rocking the charts then all is well in the world. But if Sony screws up and gets destroyed in the charts, then Joystiq and any other site reporting it is accused of being biased.
Get it together people. What would you have any other website or blog do? Not post the update because Sony isn't topping the charts? Now who's being biased? It's relevant news. Man up and stop crying.
When the issues for the 360 came last year and earlier this year, MS got ripped for it. When Nintendo changed the Revolution name to Wii, they got ridiculed for it. When the PSP was announced and developers scaled back DS projects or jumped ship from Nintendo DS to do PSP development, Nintendo got ripped for that too with a doomsday scenario of total failure.
That doesn't sound biased to me. Sony created their own bad press. Live with it. Don't get mad at the site or other people because Sony isn't allowing you to be the fanboy you want to be with their screw-ups and bs.
back on topic...Dslite still topping the charts....Nintendo still dominating the top 10....FFIII, Zelda and Castlevania are still not out yet for DS. Jump SuperStars 2 and Bleach 2 are coming for DS as well as a lot of other great product. I guess this list is going be pretty similar for the rest of the year.
darryl @ Jul 15th 2006 10:28AM
PS3 will dominate, again... argue all you want on stupid little blogs, it won't help your crusade. Sony will not be able to manufacture enough units to keep up with demand. The price, $600 for the top model, is far from over-priced. If you find it over-priced, then it's not for you. There are other consoles that will be priced within your budget.
Disposable Hero @ Jul 15th 2006 12:27PM
I find it silly how when Joystiq posts sales numbers... NUMBERS, everybody starts going "OMG u gys is so biased!! Y dunt u eva psot s@les #s where plastsrarion is on teh top?!!?! Sony h@ting f@nboys!!"
And then of course, theres ALWAYS those people who havent realized they cant see into the future yet and say "YEAH! Teh nnientodo is gonn@ win teh consool sale$!!!" Or the ps3 or the 360, whatever one they support. Its fine to give your opinions on why you think it will come out on top, but when you treat it like fact, youre just making an ass of yourself.
Doomstalk @ Jul 15th 2006 12:36PM
@ darryl
Exactly. For most people $500/600 toy (and that's what all consoles are- toys) is not a justifiable expense. If you think the PS3 will "dominate" based solely on the upper/upper-middle class, then you haven't been paying very close attention to just how wide gaming's demographic has become. Games are for everyone now, and if you price your hardware outside of the middle and lower-middle class, you've just alienated a large chunk of your potential market. That doesn't sound like a recipe for domination to me.
darryl @ Jul 15th 2006 12:57PM
@Doomstalk
...yes, except how many low/middle-class people are buying 400 ipods? It's no secret, they're selling like crazy. Are these all rich upper-class buyers?
$600 is not a lot of money, maybe for lower-class, but certainly right in line with the middle-classes... If you're suggesting that a $600 PS3 is only affordable by the rich upper-class, then I think you need to do some homework.
Consider, these are launch prices. After one year, how much will the price drop? Two years? Three years? Sony was smart to invest in their own technology, as that will enable them to dramatically reduce manufacturing costs, and quickly.
The PS3 will dominate the next round, regardless of how much FUD you pump out.
nick @ Jul 15th 2006 2:14PM
Conclusion: Sony has the top selling console in Japan, Microsoft has the second top selling console, and Nintendo has the third top selling console.
Nintendo has the top selling handheld, and Sony has the second top selling handheld.
Alfonso Robles @ Jul 15th 2006 3:18PM
thats just a good sign that TEKKEN DR, and BRAVE STORY are just what the PSP needed in japan.
Meanwhile I wait for valkirie profile.
redspear @ Jul 15th 2006 6:40PM
32. I can't wait to get my console of choice (I'm not saying which to avoid the flames). I am actually very excited about the next geration consoles (as you all should be). I seem to remember a time when gamers were happy about video games and not pissed off to the point of foaming at the mouth. Thank the interweb and thank 12 year-old douchebags for making something that is supposed to be super-exciting, kind of a downer.
Well obviously you missed the SMS V Nintendo flame wars.
Better yet the Genesis Vs SNES flame wars were even worse.
lol @ Jul 15th 2006 11:56PM
360 FTW!!!
Just kidding.
Insomnia Bob @ Jul 16th 2006 1:34AM
@ darryl. Bought my wife an Ipod for her birthday. Sure as hell didn't pay $400 for it. But, maybe I've just got more sense than money. So, putting aside the fact that Sony, and your, argument, is basically "What, you can't afford it? Well, screw you, then, poor guy.", I don't think you should underestimate the power of the 'lower class'.
I work in a game store in what is probably the worst area of my city. Ghetto all around, poor people, welfare, crack houses, you name it. It sucks. Big time. And we sell CRAP loads of games. During the holidays we do more buisness in our distract than any other.
Now, that said, what do people buy in our store? Gamecubes. Why? Cause they're $60 used. Occasionally we'll see someone spring for a PS2. ($99 used.) Recently, we stopped selling N64 and PS1 games. That ticked off a lot of people.
This, you see, is the mainstream. These people are not hard core gamers. They just want a system to occasionally play some game all their friends are talking about, or to get their kids to sit still for a while.
What system are these people going to be buying at Christmas? The $250 console with a bunch of old recognizable titles (I get 5-10 requests for Pac-Man or Donkey Kong games...a DAY.), or the $600, upscale system with a launch library of games that either no one has heard of, or that you can get on any system?
Sony has been exclusivly targeting super-hardcore gamers, and the kind of people who are willing to spend $1000 on a DVD player. And that's nice and all, but I'm not sure there's enough of a market to keep this thing afloat.
As for the price drops, how is that a sales feature of a brand new platform? Yeah, sure, the price will drop...eventually. And just about any gamer friend of mine that I've talked to, and a lot of people from the store are telling me the same thing: "I might get a PS3. Eventually."
Will it do well at launch? Unquestionable. The hype machine alone will move a bunch of systems. Will it do as well as Sony seems to think it will? Probably not. Will it crush the competition? Maybe. If the price drops like a rock and they get more exclusive titles that people want.
Don't count your chickens, Sony.
gman @ Jul 16th 2006 4:04PM
ahhh darryl...the desperate cry of a Sony fanboy who's found himself caught in some f'd up universe where it looks like Sony just may be toppled from the console throne they so recently stole. It's not your fault the PS3 is having a truckload of software and hardware problems...and being set back again and again by blu-ray related DRM issues. If you think high priced consoles win wars, you obviously have never heard of the 3D0, Jaguar, CDi.....all priced from the $600-800 range and all failed miserably. The fact is not enough people care about getting a "bargain" on a chincy blu-ray player, which is bound to have it's share of problems alone (*cough...ps2 dvd playback), to justify the price boost the system is suffering through, just because Sony wants to shove their shiny new disc format down consumers' throats....UMD anyone? ...anyone?
uchiha5 @ Jul 16th 2006 7:31PM
I don't think its that people can't afford it but the fact that alot of people aren't going to WANT to spend $600. Think about it, if you were someone who played occasionally would you spend $600 on a game system. I sure as hell wouldn't. Is there anything you would buy for $600 if your going barely going to use it. I think you guys are forgeting that middle class people (like myself) can afford these things but some just don't want to.
Now as for you Sony fanboys. You guys really need to just face the fact that the future ain't looking to bright for Sony right now. They have a $600 console with almost the same exact games and graphics as a $400 console. Plus the 360 is starting to come out with some really good exclusives. Also you guys are really underestimating Wii. Its getting poitive news. Its winning all of its polls by a landslide. And these polls are winning the hardcore and casual side of things. The reason why is because for one hte controls excite the casual because its really an interesting and interactive way to play. And the hardcore is interested in it because its a whole new way of playing videogames. Its really funny how despite how much attention Wii is getting MS/Sony fanboys still believe that its going to fail.
Im personally going to get Wii first and 360 a little later. I got a PS2 last time but theres not one game Im interested in for PS3. Especially at launch. Thats one other thing, people don't realise is that 360 will be having Gears of War, Halo 3 etc.. Wii will have Zelda and Metroid. But the PS3 will only have games that are going or already for the 360 at launch with identicle graphics. So I just don't see what advantage Sony has this time around.
Brad Lee @ Jul 16th 2006 7:32PM
"...yes, except how many low/middle-class people are buying 400 ipods?"
Posted at 12:57PM on Jul 15th 2006 by darryl
Uhh, not that many last time I checked, considering Apple has much cheaper MP3 players for exactly that market. Besides, you SO used this argument before in a previous article where you ranted about PS3 being the best system ever, which is a lot like this rant actually. I wouldn't be surprised if you just ctrl+c'ed your previous posts and ctrl+v'ed them onto this article, because your arguments really haven't changed any.
Your consistancy of Sony fanboyism notwithstanding, your argument is rubbish. The $400 Ipod may be selling well, but that is only because the entire Ipod line sells ridiculously well. The fact of the matter is, the most popular Ipod model is around $200, which is likely the one most middle class families purchase. If anything, your argument only further supports the general consensus that most people will pass on the PS3 because it is overpriced. Two hundred bucks will get you an Ipod with a good amount of harddrive space and audio/video playback (or even more space if you don't need the video playback). Four hundred, on the other hand, will get you an Ipod with a ridiculous amount of space that most people probably won't even come close to using in their entire lives. And so, the majority of people pay $150-$250 for an Ipod, not $400. If most people paid that much for an Ipod, there would be $600 and probably even $800 versions of the Ipod to target the upper class. But, since most people pay around $200 for an Ipod, the $400 one is for the upperclass and audiophiles only.
And that makes a good analogy for the PS3 price debate. Most people will likely look at the PS3 and not really see a difference between it and the 360, which is much cheaper. Same with the $200 Ipod and the $400 Ipod. And when a consumer asks why the other one costs so much more, the response is "because it has more space" and that simply is not enough to rationalize an extra $200. The same goes with PS3. When PS3 comes out and people ask why it costs more than 360 and the response they get is "because it plays bluray" most people probably won't care and just go with the cheaper alternative. I mean seriously, most people looking for a video game console won't care what kind of movies it can play anyway.
Then again, people are stubborn at purchasing Ipods when there are cheaper and, overall, better Mp3 players on the market. However, that has more to do with the Ipod's integration with Itunes, the Ipod's immense popularity, and Apple's incredible marketing techniques. One might say the same for Sony, but sorry to say Sony's popularity has been dropping as of late and their marketing has been atrocious (example, the PSP Black ad, and PSP ads in general). Also, the difference in price between Ipods and other Mp3 players is marginal, while the difference between PS3 and other nextgen consoles is much greater.
I still think most people (outside of Japan anyway) who are looking for a tradition gaming console with HD graphics will flock to the 360, while casual gamers just looking for a fun system to play with every once in a while will buy a Wii. That doesn't leave much left for Sony, except for their diehard elite and the snobby upperclass that just can't get enough of them steak dinners!
So while you're playing your PS3 and listening to your $400 Ipod, I'll be enjoying my 360, Wii, Creative Zen Micro, and Nintendo DS for the same price ($600 + $400 vs. $400 + $250 + $200 + $150).
VampireHunter Z @ Jul 17th 2006 3:44PM
It is surprizing that the DS Phat took such a plunge. Don't tell me they are sold out because there is no way they cut down manufacturing amounts so significantly. People are just going for the Lite version.
There is still hope for the 360 in japan. The DS didn't start out so hot but now it's a complete monster. The DS might very well be on it's way to be the best selling handheld of all time. The funny thing is they didn't even push it as the official successor to the GBA.
GamerZero @ Jul 18th 2006 10:02AM
It wouldn't matter if 360 or Wii came second to PS3 in sales.I still wouldn't buy a PS3.Microsoft and Nintendo will have great titles this year and I won't have to sell an arm or leg to enjoy them.
I think all three company's will have strong sales.Competition is hot and that is good.