Japanese hardware sales, 24 July - 30 July: incredibly incalculable increase
by Ludwig Kietzmann 
{ Aug 4th 2006 at 9:15PM }
Just as several wily commenters predicted last week, the original Xbox suddenly (and quite mysteriously) experiences a sales increase over its impressive tally of zero this week. The resulting percentage rise is so incredibly gargantuan and intimidating that it simply cannot be comprehended by the human mind, at least not without the aid of divine omnipotence or persistant alcohol poisoning. The ranking, according to number of units sold:- DS Lite: 176,853
85,600 (32.62%)- PSP: 42,604
6,666 (18.55%)- PS2: 26,451
4,163 (18.68%)- Xbox 360: 2,246
774 (52.58%)- GBA SP: 2,229
724 (24.52%)- Game Boy Micro: 1,766
356 (25.25%)- DS Phat: 1,530
4,814 (75.88%)- Gamecube: 1,039
37 (3.44%)- Xbox: 11
11 (infinite)- GBA: 9
11 (55.00%)Other points of interest this week include the Xbox 360's flirtation with the fourth position in the charts (and the huge gap between it and the PS2), the DS Phat's return to unpopular status and the vaguely demonic number of new PSP owners.
[Source: Media Create]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Erik Novak @ Aug 4th 2006 9:25PM
What came out for 360 that caused the sudden 50% increase?
Shino @ Aug 4th 2006 9:33PM
Bullet Witch.
logikil @ Aug 4th 2006 9:37PM
Yay Bullet Witch!
Dizzy the Egg @ Aug 4th 2006 9:40PM
im suprised bullet witch made such a minimal sales increase. I expected sales to be in the 5,000+ margin this week.. shocking.
Master X 24 @ Aug 4th 2006 9:43PM
Bullet Witch is coming out in the USA thanks the Atari and i think with all the cool Japan 360 games coming out the 360 will do betterin japan . With Project Sylpheed, Dead Rising, Tenchu Senran, and Blue Dragon coming out plus whatever MS has Planed for the TGS and X06
http://forum.teamxbox.com/showthread.php?t=461196
GSI @ Aug 4th 2006 9:51PM
"Project Sylpheed, Dead Rising, Tenchu Senran, and Blue Dragon"
Sorry but even though I own a 360, those 4-5 games will NOT help the system play catch-up and all of a sudden convince the entire nation of Japan buy the system. There might be a _small_ jump in sales but nothing that will prevent it from being a failure in Japan.
Mark B @ Aug 4th 2006 9:51PM
The fact that the Xbox 360 BARELY outsold the GBA SP is absolutely fucking hilarious!! LMAO
Josh @ Aug 4th 2006 9:55PM
The Japanese will not support a system that does not appeal to their tastes. The Japanese do not like FPS games (or maybe they just don't like them on consoles, what with the crappy dual analog controls and all), so the 360 will not sell well over there. Even a few good RPGs won't do the trick when the biggest Japanese franchises all are going to have games on the PS3 (save Dragon Quest, I think). Compared to the dozens of RPGs that will inevitably be on the PS3, why would someone in Japan *waste* their money no a 360 for just a couple of RPGs on that system?
Yuki~Summer Ver.~ @ Aug 4th 2006 9:57PM
You're laughing? Isn't this the highest it's ever gotten? You should be impressed.
Personally, I think the ole 360 might still have life left in her for Japan. Sure, it'll never hit #1, but it might be able to nab a little more of a market share.
Shino @ Aug 4th 2006 10:01PM
Josh, they'd "waste" their money on anything that had Hironobu Sakaguchi, Nobuo Uematsu, or Akira Toriyama attached to it.
Especially if it's all three of them at the same time. (Blue Dragon)
Huzzah!! @ Aug 4th 2006 10:03PM
PSP up 6666? That cant possibly be coincidence... I smell a conspiracy...!
By that I mean... actually I dont know. But its WEIRD.
Brian (Magus) @ Aug 4th 2006 10:03PM
PSP is up "6666"? I think that says something about Sony's evilness...
Huzzah!! @ Aug 4th 2006 10:08PM
PSP up 6666? That cant possibly be coincidence... I smell a conspiracy...!
By that I mean... actually I dont know. But its WEIRD.
GSI @ Aug 4th 2006 10:09PM
I wouldn't call those a *waste* (well maybe Akira Toriyama maybe) but those 4-5 games will NOT save the system from being what it already is in _Japan_...a complete failure.
marcin @ Aug 4th 2006 10:20PM
sony can suck my big ole deek cause i'm not spending a dime on any playstation products. never have, never will.
darryl @ Aug 4th 2006 11:19PM
I AM ERROR.
William @ Aug 5th 2006 12:55AM
I love the picture.
And 6666 is not 666. If anything, it's 2/3rds of 10000.
Andrew @ Aug 5th 2006 12:56AM
It would be hilarious if a Microsoft Rep made a statement about how well the original XBOX is doing in Japan. "We saw an infinate percent increase over in Japan this week, while the Nintendo DS only sold a measly 175,000 units!"
clee @ Aug 5th 2006 1:11AM
psp has been steadily increasing week in week out. If this continues it will surely be within touching distance of ds lite's sales numbers also.
Not that hardware is that important anyway. Software sales is the most important, and the DS games are totally pwning psp game sales.
Edward @ Aug 5th 2006 1:28AM
Why are you guys going on and on about the Xbox' sales? Selling a handful of units each week should not be the focus of this blog item. The DS Vs. PSP Vs. PS2's incredible consistency should.
We know these charts are inaccurate. There is bound to be a few hundred units discrepancy between what was sold and what every retailer can possibly provide to a market data collection service. The 11, 0, 9, etc Xboxes sold is most likely a way of saying people are simply not buying it, but store inventory is slightly fluctuating for whatever reason. Yet Joystiq is drumming on about infinite increases and thousand percent falls. What an absolute joke of an article's content.
Sure there are plenty of Xbox fans that visit this website, but I think it's clear than the data collected pertains to a market that does not hold any value to the console. If you are going to post inter-continental statistics, make your comments sensible, i.e. within the realm of that market. Imagine a Japanese reader seeing the chart on this story and trying to fathom why the write-up is dedicated to a system they are well aware and been labelled a failure a long time ago in Japan. How many charts do we have to go through, where the Xbox sells an incredibly low amount of units - in one case none - to stop blogging about it? Everyone knows the system had a rough time and if they don't they can look at the chart.
It's not funny, it's laughable, and nobody except the thin line of Xbox supporters who actually have faith in the system in Japan (if there are any of those people left) would ever want to read impressions on the rate of sales of the Xbox in Japan.
Again, what an absolute joke.
hey alex @ Aug 5th 2006 1:32AM
Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the 360 the most expensive item on the list?
So for the GBA which is under $100 and portable to almost outsell an item that is three times the cost is not out of the realm of possibility. If anything, it's interesting an item that expensive is selling as well as it is. I wonder how Sony will do when the PS3 is released...
Incidentially, these numbers mean that the 360 is now the second best selling console in Japan.
duscrom @ Aug 5th 2006 1:45AM
"Compared to the dozens of RPGs that will inevitably be on the PS3, why would someone in Japan *waste* their money no a 360 for just a couple of RPGs on that system?"
See, that's the shit I hate. How can you compare what MIGHT come out against what IS comming out. So far there is ONE major RPG announced for the PS3. And there is 5 years left in the life span of both consoles.
360 has Blue Dragon, Cry On, Tri-Ace has commited to an unnannounced Title, Chopains Bell. Enchanted Arms, as well as more.
Could that be all? No.. could the PS3 be gittine more? Who knows. They aren't announced. The Wii may get them all.
Paul Gale @ Aug 5th 2006 2:46AM
Wow, more very impressive DS Lite system sales. It's so great to see that the system is doing so well, especially after many thought that it would just be a gimmick. Just imagine how many copies of titles like Pokemon Diamond/Pearl and Final Fantasy 3 are going to sell now that the Japanese (and for that matter world wide) sales are up so high for the system. Meanwhile on the Xbox front, I'm extremely impressed with its sales data. I was worried that Xbox might be dead in Japan, but it's still alive and well, kicking just as hard as it did 2 weeks ago. :) Thanks for the data Joystiq.
Paul Gale
1up.com
idioteraser @ Aug 5th 2006 3:22AM
It should be noted that the psp in Japan is often bundled with five games. Also that week Amazon Japan had a sale on the psp with the result being the psp was just nine more dollars then the ds lite.
Reason for the DS lite and DS phat numbers being lower has to do with shortages. DS phat is being phased out and they cannot make enough DS lites.
JPRacer @ Aug 5th 2006 3:39AM
Why do you always post Japan sales and not north america and europe sales? Probably 99% of your readers ARE NOT Japanese.
Scott @ Aug 5th 2006 4:41AM
@23
Japan releases sales numbers weekly and America releases sales numbers monthly, that is why we see the Japanese sales figures more often...
BPM? @ Aug 5th 2006 4:42AM
JPRacer, this has be stated time and again: Japanese sales figures are FREE to obtain, and are compiled WEEKLY. And are quite accurate (despite what Edward thinks).
American sales figures are NOT FREE to obtain, and are compiled MONTHLY. And are not very accurate, as some retailers do not participate (and online sales aren't counted, either).
As for European sales figures... I'm not sure about those, to be honest!
Paul @ Aug 5th 2006 4:48AM
"Why do you always post Japan sales and not north america and europe sales? Probably 99% of your readers ARE NOT Japanese"
Japanese sales charts are done weekly, USA are done mouthly.
JPRacer @ Aug 5th 2006 5:09AM
Ok guys, thank you for the info!
Kevin @ Aug 5th 2006 5:27AM
Wow, Edward sounds not only like a giant douche, but one without even the slightest hint of a sense of humour.
Ostap @ Aug 5th 2006 7:27AM
Yeah, Edward, whats the matter with you?!
"If you are going to post inter-continental statistics, make your comments sensible" While this week's analysis was quite a bit more exhuberant, I enjoyed its juvenile excitement.
You know, 42% of this blog's title is related to Joy; so what if they have a little fun with inter-continental statistics.
Its ok, Joystiq, you can keep playing with the calculator. Don't listen to Edward.
striderhayasa @ Aug 5th 2006 8:57AM
@GSI
AGREED! Akira Toriyama is grossly overrated. *
360 is toast in Japan. There is no way it will compete in Japan over the course of the next gen. MS is fighting the good fight but it's all for naught. The Japanese gaming society as a whole just aren't interested.
@ Paul
It's going to be insane when FFIII comes out for the DS Lite. I expect the sales figures to be laughably in favor of the DSLite to the point of hysteria. If the rumors prove false and Zelda Phantom Hourglass still makes a 2006 debut, sales records will be broken and then some.
32_footsteps @ Aug 5th 2006 9:07AM
Vaguely demonic number for the PSP? You mean how it's Nero plus another 6,000? Yeah, real scary there.
You know what would be interesting? Amalgamate all of the Japan sales charts and get a YTD for each console. Heck, I might do it myself later on today if Joystiq isn't interested in it.
Ford Dent @ Aug 5th 2006 9:40AM
Damn 32 footsteps, they love you here.
Sorry, had to comment on that. Go DS?
Jake Parker @ Aug 5th 2006 1:49PM
If the xbox sold 100 one week, and then 200 the next, we get (200 - 100)/ 100 * 100% = 100% increase, in general:
(new - old) / old.
If the xbox sold 0 previously, we get 0/0, which could be anything, not necissarily infinity. In this case, as "old" approaches 0, (new-old)/old approaches new, therefore the xbox's % is approaching 11% increase, not infinity.
Please, did anyone go through highschool?
Anthriel @ Aug 5th 2006 3:47PM
Jake Parker, I'm afraid you just made a fool of yourself.
Increase = (New - Old)/Old
New = 11
Old = 0
Increase = 11/0 = Infinite
What you are thinking of is (f(x)-f(x+h))/h.
Which is entirely different.
Oh, and by the way, 0 * Infinite can be anything, but x/0 is invariably Infinite. Well, as long as x is a real number and not 0, that is.
nick @ Aug 5th 2006 5:30PM
America does not release sales numbers, and the actual US sales numbers are not known outside the companies which are selling the products. What you have instead is marketing research firms that have access to a minor portion of sales data from the market. Not all sales data from all retail is available. So these companies perform calculations on the numbers they have, and they estimate what they believe the overall US sales data to be. It's not totally accurate, but it's meant to give you an idea or indicator of the market.
OneEyedB0B @ Aug 5th 2006 5:50PM
Technically, the percentage increase for the xbox is 'undefined' as any fraction with a denomenator, 0, is mathematically (for lack of a better term) undefinable. Infinity is simply a term that is applied to numbers that have no conceivable end, such as Pi, or an irregular fraction. ANYWAY, it's undefined. :)
The one thing in this post that actually has me laughing is that (for once) the XBOX is beating the GBA. Now that's just out of left field ...
Draco @ Aug 5th 2006 6:30PM
@ Anthriel
UMM... 0xinfinit can only be 0, 0 times anything is 0.
and anything / 0 is never infinit either, you can't devide something by nothing. its impossible.
but infinit is the closest thing x/0 you can have.
Guilherme @ Aug 5th 2006 10:50PM
@Draco
Actually, no;
0 * infinite can't be done because infinite is not a number.
and anything/0 also can't be done by definition...
lim( x * y) (x->0 and y->infinite) can be zero, can be a namber and can be infinite... all depends witch rate the function aproximate of zero.
But lim(A / X) (A =! 0; x -> infinite); =! being different (or A is not zero); is infinite.
aall depends in which way you do the math
@ hey_alex (20)
You can't simply say that; microsoft loses money each console they sell; to get back selling games, acessories, etc... so, more cosoles selling is a big deal, and the pricing of the consoles isn't...
you could't even do the math right... letmme show you:
DS Lite - 16800yen * 176,853 = 2,971,130,400 yen
PSP - 20790yen * 42,604 = 885,737,160 yen
Ps2 - ~16000yen * 26,451 = 423,216,000 yen
XBox 360 - 38800yen * 2,246 = 87,144,800 yen
As you can see, that doesn't move a inch in the position of the xbox 360...
Guilherme @ Aug 5th 2006 10:53PM
sorry;
i didnt pay attention on the console word; handhelds arent consoles for you guys...
My bad
Evan @ Aug 6th 2006 10:43AM
@14. "sony can suck my big ole deek cause i'm not spending a dime on any playstation products. never have, never will."
And what were you playing during the PS1's reign?
With a price of under $100 and a huge selection of used and price-reduced "Greatest Hits" games, how can anyone pass up a PS2 now? Even if its just to play that one or two exclusive games that you missed on your console? To pledge allegiance to one company’s console means your missing out on a lot of potentially enjoyable games. For what? The elite status of being an XBox fan-boy?
[-Z-] @ Aug 7th 2006 1:06AM
Jake parker, i think u need to retake high school percentage calculation.
It's very simple
11/0 x 100% = Infinite x 100% = Infinite.
Try on your calculator and see what u guy.
32_Footsteps @ Aug 7th 2006 11:20AM
Well, Ford, someone thinks I'm clever/funny/insightful. I make no claims as to whether or not I am.
Anyhow, I went through and picked out the last 9 weeks on the Japanese sales charts (I could have dug further, but I was lazy and just went with what I could find on Joystiq). Here's my numbers, and some comments:
Sold numbers are in the span from 5/29 to 7/30. Avg. is the average number per week, and proj. is the estimated year-end numbers.
DS Lite
Sold: 1,449,334
Avg.: 161,037
Proj.: 8,373,930
The DS Lite sales have been overall consistent, so I think the ove 8 million sold by the end of the year seems reasonable. Hardware shortages are probably the only thing that will stop it.
PSP
Sold: 267,370
Avg.: 29,707
Proj.: 1,544,747
Actually, the PSP is trending upwards, so the projection seems a little low to me. It could come close to 2 million units moved by the end of the year.
PS2
Sold: 202,829
Avg.: 22,537
Proj.: 1,171,901
The PS2 has actually been trending up quite rapidly as well (not as much as the PSP, but still)... the only monkey wrench is that the PS3 is obviously going to cut into PS2 sales when that finally launches. Because of that cut-in, I think the projection is about right, but I wouldn't be surprised to see it surpass it.
DS Phat
Sold: 59,618
Avg.: 6,624
Proj.: 344,460
Tracking the Phat is a complete headache. The numbers spike and drop almost at random. The Phat actually never sold its average in any given week - it either way overshot or way undershot. I think it'll fall well short of that projection, moving around 250,000 by the end of the year. However, if there are further shortages of the DS Lite, that projection might actually be a bit low - the spikes have come during previous Lite shortages.
GBA SP
Sold: 30,444
Avg.: 3,383
Proj.: 175,899
This is where the projection severely overestimates demand. The GBA SP has been trending down as quickly as the PSP has been trending up; I think it's because people realize they'd get pretty much the same thing out of either DS model. I'd actually be bold enough to say that it will sell around 125,000 when all is said and done. Only a collector's edition would push this back up the charts.
GB Micro
Sold: 13,309
Avg.: 1,478
Proj.: 76,896
Oddly, the Micro sells very steadily. Its sales slightly trend upward, but not enough that I think the projection will be off by much. I suppose it does attract a different customer than other portable models, and it might just be a clever idea to milk those last couple of dollars out of the old hardware.
Xbox 360
Sold: 13,251
Avg.: 1472
Proj.: 76,561
The 360 sales resemble DS Phat sales, but with less radical swings. It mostly spikes when popular games come out, so if Microsoft can convince more Japanese developers to work on the system exclusively, then they can improve on this projection. However, for the time being, the projection looks about right to me.
Gamecube
Sold: 8,937
Avg.: 993
Proj.: 51,636
The Gamecube has been almost oddly steady - I think a large number of Japanese people pick one up with their GB Micro. Thus, the numbers look mostly right, but expect the Wii correction to hit this like the PS3 will hit PS2 sales - I think a bit over 40,000 is good for the Gamecube.
GBA
Sold: 193
Avg.: 21
Proj.: 1,115
GBA sales are almost totally fueled by people with large hands who are too cheap to get either model of DS. There's probably a small subset owned by Pokemon fans with large hands (you can't trade or battle over the DS, since you can't use the link cable with one). The sales are slowly trending down, but Nintendo should still sell around a thousand. Not bad for its last year, really.
Xbox
Sold: 130
Avg.: 14
Proj.: 751
Keep in mind that it's trending downwards, and fast. It's quite possible that it won't even be on the charts by the end of the year. Outside of some American being funny and buying up a bunch of Japanese systems, it'll be a moral victory to sell 500 Xboxes.