Brain Age sells 4M, pixelated man laughs while closing eyes
by Blake Snow 
{ Aug 10th 2006 at 12:25PM }
It's official. Four million people are now self-conscious in how they pronounce the word "Blue." Okay, maybe just the 500k in the Americas, but you get the point. Nintendo announced in a gloating press release today that the company has sold more than 4 million copies of Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day with Japan driving about 75% of those sales. What's your Brain Age? Or has this game made its way to the bottom of a drawer somewhere?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Judd @ Aug 10th 2006 12:32PM
20 baby. But since I'm 19 no matter what i do "The Doctor" tells me that I should take my Brain Age with a grain of salt. Also "pixelated man laughs while closing eyes." That's funny.
Loque @ Aug 10th 2006 12:33PM
that graph is hilarious looking.
Rhine @ Aug 10th 2006 12:33PM
Im at brain age 27 atm. And I've been playing for about 2 months but I skipped three weeks in between those months when I was on vacation. It hasnt made it to the bottom drawer yet suprisingly I keep coming back to it trying to beat my Calculations score x20 which i can only get down to 19 seconds... damn me and my 6's that look like 8's
Jables @ Aug 10th 2006 12:34PM
It is a great game (if it's really a game?), but with the hype it received, I would have expected more than 500k units sold in the US. You can't beat a system w/ such great titles for $20 though.
Devwar @ Aug 10th 2006 12:35PM
I don't really get the whole "Blue" thing, I've never had an issue with the game recognizing me saying "Blue" clearly.
Lorben @ Aug 10th 2006 12:35PM
2.3% of Japan owns that game.
vidGuy @ Aug 10th 2006 12:36PM
And this is why the Wii will sell in Japan like nothing they've ever seen.
Zozart @ Aug 10th 2006 12:38PM
I played it for just over a week before I got bored and banished it to the bottom of the drawer. Bit like Nintendogs, really. Once the novelty wore off there wasn't much of a game in there.
Still, I don't regret buying it, and these sales figures are great!
PancakesHouse @ Aug 10th 2006 12:38PM
I mainly just use Brain Age for Sudoku now, it puts me to sleep before bed.
OtakuCODE @ Aug 10th 2006 12:39PM
Loque: The Japanese always best us when it comes to games. They get more games and a greater variety of game types because we're so uptight about everything. Uptight about violence in games, sex in games, uptight about judging people who play games as losers, etc, etc, etc. Pretty much any graph of an internationally great-selling hit will show you what this one does - the Japanese see something awesome and they flock to it on its merit and enjoy the hell out of it. The rest of the world dips their toes in but tries to keep a stiff upper lip about it.
Maybe we'll see a change soon... but until we've got our own bunch of cosplayers who aren't looked down upon, where fandom is a hobby and not a sickness in the opinion of the majority of society, I expect the trend to continue.
reguy @ Aug 10th 2006 12:47PM
as is the case with most nintendo products and games the 'fun' is over in a few days. I bought it and sold it in like 10 days, and im glad i sold it because my friend doesnt play it either. Where would nintendo be without the crazy japanese that wait in line to buy these games and pink ds lites?
Bring on the wii!!! Watch you tire of it in a week and then r.o.b. will play your games for you
bassbeast @ Aug 10th 2006 12:51PM
@10:
"im glad i sold it because my friend doesnt play it either."
Huh? This means what, exactly?
Marty @ Aug 10th 2006 12:54PM
I never had a problem with saying Blue... Weird.. My twin brother did though. Maybe because he lived in Mississippi so long though. BALOU...
AK @ Aug 10th 2006 12:54PM
Since when has america ever been uptight about violence?
Or maybe Otaku, different markets enjoy different games. America (generally) enjoys WWII games, and we make some great ones. Just because Japan doesn't enjoy these types of games (rightfully so), doesn't make them any less great.
What works in one country doesn't neccessarily mean it will work well in another.
They are different cultures, and each one finds different kinds of games enjoyable.
Phoenix42 @ Aug 10th 2006 12:55PM
Hecks naw, Sudoku r0x0rz my s0x0rz!!!11oneone
But seriously, I bought a DS Lite yesterday, and until New Super Mario Bros. comes in from Amazon, I'm stuck w/ Brain Age. I really think it's fun though, and shudder to think of the possible colors in Brain Age 2. Imagine screaming "Lavender" around campus.
Loque @ Aug 10th 2006 12:56PM
OtakuCODE, I completely understand that, but when the talking head guy is sitting on European sales and STILL has room to look UP at the large Japanese sales (who obviously enjoy the content quite a bit)It's quite hilarious.
Regardless of the cultural reasons behind it.
darryl @ Aug 10th 2006 1:04PM
Stupid game for stupid people... people who need brain training.
daniel @ Aug 10th 2006 1:04PM
my brain age is 40 but i only play it about once a week i had problems with blue at first but if you say it a bit louder and slower it usually picks it up its alrite but i wouldnt have bought it myself my sister who bought it likes it though i think shes down to 23
my opinion @ Aug 10th 2006 1:07PM
I am amazed on how well this title has sold, then again, we got it. Waste of money. The thing is very limited and extremely repetitive. The dolt says the same "tips" over and over and the tasks, well it's clear that the developers spent less than 10 seconds programing the dang thing.
Hopefully these Four million people will wise up and realize how they were, to put it nicely, GYPPED! The system is way overrated as are its "games".
MadAlive8 @ Aug 10th 2006 1:14PM
i have three copies of the game..
Al @ Aug 10th 2006 1:21PM
I got my Brain Age down to 21 in about a week and stopped playing the training games.
I still play the Sudoku, however. It's the best implimentation of Sudoku I've played.
Darth Pixel @ Aug 10th 2006 1:22PM
That's not a game. It's snake oil for dodo birds who think they can get smarter by solving simple puzzles over and over and over...
I am reassured to see it's mainly a success in Japan.
Niel @ Aug 10th 2006 1:26PM
Except for the blue recognition I enjoy brain age and won't get rid of it until I beat my brother's jet speed on 20x calculations.
theron @ Aug 10th 2006 1:29PM
I just gave up on the color thing, since every time I have to do that one I end up with a brain age of 50.
"Are you in a quiet place right now?"
"Hell no!"
Despite all this, I still can't get my brain age below 25, since I killed too many brain cells in college to do decently on word memory.
gman @ Aug 10th 2006 1:37PM
i like this game. A quick session when you wake up is pretty damn refreshing before you jet to work, and honestly, i feel much more alert because of it.
nambit @ Aug 10th 2006 1:43PM
I Love the respect for people's tastes here. Especially comments suggesting it's a stupid game for stupid people. Some of you are so full of it!
People like the game, it sold extremely well, respect folks tastes. It's a success so don't be so jealous. Don't kid yourselves guys, Sony or Microsoft would kill for such a game. So relax with the anal/ignorant comments.
Daniel @ Aug 10th 2006 1:44PM
I was just playing Sudoku at lunch, and I sometimes still play random training exercises. My sister, who doesn't game at all, LOVES doing the drawing tests. The lowest I got my brain age is 23. For the $20 it is, it's totally worth it.
As for the guy who mentions Japanese people buying their 'pink DS Lites' - I know of three girls who would buy a DS Lite this second if they offered it here (in Canada). Lite sales will be through the roof (moreso than they already are), I guarantee if (when?) they bring the pink version to North America.
Redeemer31 @ Aug 10th 2006 1:47PM
Maybe the game is too complex for them and hence they belittle it?
reguy @ Aug 10th 2006 1:55PM
nah daniel I was talking about japanese men waiting in line for a pink ds lite. yeah it could be for their gf but the japanese are crazy so I dont think so. as long as im here i might as well insult the japanese some more, they have to game because it distracts them from their tiny penis, not like us americans with our big, gigantic penis'
also to nambit, please stfu, respect peoples taste my ass, stop trying to tell people what the can and cant say. 'um i cant write that cuz nambit will get mad at me'
SymetriX @ Aug 10th 2006 2:02PM
blue.... Blue.... Blue!....BLUE!!! BUH-LOOH!!! BLOOOOO!!!! BILLLLOOOOOO!!!!! BLUE MOTHER!@#$ER!
darkjedimatu @ Aug 10th 2006 2:17PM
@ reguy
it's called not being an ass just because you don't like a game that others do. So why don't you stfu douche...
@ redeemer
I agree. It's like a bunch a kids that have to run around and try to ridicule everyone else because they can't have a good time. Crabs in a barrel syndrome.
The game is fun and it's different. Great for quick pick up and play sessions.
Leave the Trolls for the hounds and the buckshot.
EP @ Aug 10th 2006 2:24PM
The pen is blue...The pen is blue...The goddamn pen is Blue!!!!!!!
All Your Lost Socks @ Aug 10th 2006 2:47PM
XD lol, I love that movie, SP.
There's no point in insulting people because of the type of games that they play, because then whatever you are saying can, really, be applied to yourself.
I won't even respond to the comments against the Japanese, simply because it's so obviously flamebait. Can no one cloak that stuff well enough to get people to fall into the trap anymore? Yeesh.
I think this is great. Whatever game it may be, the sales figures are a Good Thing for Nintendo. Plain and simple.
I haven't played this game yet, but it's one of the few on my list yet to be picked up.
All Your Lost Socks @ Aug 10th 2006 2:48PM
EP, not SP. GBA moment. :P
Phil @ Aug 10th 2006 2:55PM
I love Brain Age, though about a month ago I stopped playing it. The whole "blue" thing is hilarious, it even inspired me to do a Flash cartoon on it. I tried to share it here before, but I guess Joystiq didn't dig it.
MetaHuman @ Aug 10th 2006 3:58PM
"That's not a game. It's snake oil for dodo birds who think they can get smarter by solving simple puzzles over and over and over...
I am reassured to see it's mainly a success in Japan."
It's not for getting smarter, genius. It's to keep sharp. Simple problems provoke quick thinking and can help maintain cognative skills. Obviously some people need it more than others.
That said, thankfully though it's a fun game otherwise. I was suprised when I last visited my relatives and shared one Brain Age between my 2 cousins, my aunt and my grandmother. Everyone can enjoy it.
You don't say Blue you say BRUE!!! It works!!! :P :P
OtakuCODE @ Aug 10th 2006 4:09PM
AK: Ever heard of Germany, England, and other little countries on a continent called Europe? They ban violent games all the time, replace the blood with green goo, etc. And in America, parents across the country go in for a ratings system without question, convinced without argument that violent content is bad for their kids. The western nations are most definitely uptight about violence. Go watch Battle Royale and tell me that we're as relaxed about violence in entertainment as the Japanese are.
And you obviously don't know what you're talking about when it comes to different cultures liking different games... WWII games are frequently a hit in Japan. Medal of Honor: Rising Sun was a huge phenomena, in particular. They're just not uptight about stuff the way we are, where we'd be all freaked out about "killing our countrymen" the Japanese know what it is: a game with no people involved getting hurt.
reguy: You're the perfect example of western uptightness. You think that men buying a pink DS is something to be ashamed of and you see no problem spouting your ignorance in a public place. (I use the word ignorance not as a personal jab, but as its dictionary meaning says it should be used - to indicate a lack of knowledge. In this case that knowledge is that color preference is not linked to sexuality, and sexuality is not linked to the worth of a person.)
All Your Lost Socks: My comments about the Japanese culture are not meant to be taken as insults, they're explanations as to why when games do well all over the world, they do MANY MANY times better in Japan than anywhere else, even considering their lower population, higher cost of living, etc.
astroboy @ Aug 10th 2006 4:38PM
game is at the bottom of the drawer. Had a brain age of 20 but that was like a month after the game hit canada. I don't know, just couldn't get into it felt like work. Brain academy seems a bit better in presentation. (Played it at a demo in best buy).
oh well, patiently waiting FFIII's arrival =D I'm willing to play it again since it seems totally different
Butch @ Aug 10th 2006 4:53PM
"Glasses Glasses"
1up_clock @ Aug 10th 2006 6:36PM
"Stupid game for stupid people... people who need brain training."
Which is exactly why I reccomend this game to you.
Brad Lee @ Aug 10th 2006 6:55PM
I think what would be a more interesting graph is how much Nintendo has made in profit because of this game. It only took them 3 months to create the entire game, so I can't imagine they had much cost to fulfill. So, even if Nintendo only made 5 bucks of profit off each Brain Age sold, that is still 20 million freakin' dollars!
I haven't played Brain Age in a while. Eventually I got to the point where I would get 20 for weeks straight. Then again I don't do the voice recognitions because they just don't work well for me. But, reading this article makes me want to play it again.
" i like this game. A quick session when you wake up is pretty damn refreshing before you jet to work, and honestly, i feel much more alert because of it."
Thats a great idea, I think I might give that a shot!
"as long as im here i might as well insult the japanese some more, they have to game because it distracts them from their tiny penis, not like us americans with our big, gigantic penis' "
*cough* negative star *cough*
Wolfkin @ Feb 9th 2008 5:41PM
First of for $20 brain age is a good buy. Second yeah I've had the blue problem. I'm gonna try with 'Brue' as someone said. could work. BA is a nice simple game and for $20 you couldn't ask for anything more but I'll be a goat licker if it doesn't get annoying having to listen to his tips over and over again. Multiplayer could have been better. The one and only task is weak.
On the plus side it looks like BA: Academy does everything Brain Age did right and more. I don't know about the repetitiveness but I played the multiplayer with an importer friend of mine and it was fun. I destroyed him, but for all his importing his sucks at anything that isn't a japanese rhythm game.
Bertrand @ Aug 10th 2006 8:19PM
My brain is 20 and I'm 36. Bragging right!
Brad Lee @ Aug 10th 2006 8:22PM
Sweet Jesus! I just went back to the game. I haven't played in a week, and I haven't done a brain age check in almost a month, but I just dominated my previous high score on "word memory." My former highest score was 25, and now it is 29! I was one away from a perfect 30! Needless to say my brain age for today is 20 :)
Despite its simplicity, Brain Age is surprisingly satisfying, especially when you top your high scores!