News from the future: DS outsells Wii this holiday (in Japan)

by Vladimir Cole { Sep 30th 2006 at 12:33AM }

Enterbrain, publishers of leading Japanese game magazine Famitsu, surveyed Japanese retailers for some surprising results.

Question 1: which new console will sell better this holiday season?

88% Wii
11% PS3

Question 2: including all hardware, which system will generate the most sales?

60.7% Nintendo DS
32.8% Nintendo Wii
3.3% PS2
1.6% PS3
1.6% Xbox 360

If retailers are right, it'll be a Nintendo holiday this December (in Japan). Oh, hey: PSP, WRU?

Reader beware, we're translating a German version of an article originally written in Japanese. Content may have been lost in translation. We'd be happy to update the post if you come up with a better translation.

[Via Nintendo DS Fanboy.com]

Tags: ds, ps2, ps3, wii, xbox, xbox 360

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Sub @ Sep 30th 2006 1:01AM

360 and PS3 were tied in the second poll. I'm surprised.

LK @ Sep 30th 2006 1:04AM

The post that acknowledges the inevitable complaints of the fanboys about to come has become a cliche like "first post".

This is that cliche.

Minty Fresh @ Sep 30th 2006 1:08AM

Outselling the PS3 won't really be that hard...considering there aren't going to be that many, in any region.

Geoff @ Sep 30th 2006 1:22AM

1.6% said the 360 would generate the most sales in Japan this holiday? I think the 360 is awesome, but saying that it will be the biggest seller in Japan is just plain crazy. Who is this 1.6%?

Raynre @ Sep 30th 2006 1:32AM

Either the 360 really (relativley speaking) sparked some interest in Japan at TGS, or the PS3 has really fallen that far in retailer's opinions.

Brandon @ Sep 30th 2006 1:41AM

I think this is reasonably certain and not suprising at all given that Japan loves the DS so much and because it comes at a lower cost. Of course they are different types of game that warrant the price difference, but it doesn't change the fact that the more thrifty consumer will buy the DS. What does suprise me is the 88% to 11%. I'm guessing the 88% just used the logic that there are fewer PS3s to go around. I'd like to see how they'd think it would pan out given unlimited supply of both.

Me @ Sep 30th 2006 1:46AM

I'll tell it like it is guys....More people in the world like what Sony and the Playstation brand brings to the table in terms of games than any other brand of console in the world. It's all about the games and Sony's systems have them. This holiday season the PS3 will sell out instantly (who doesnt have $499 for the baddest gaming machine ever when the 360 cost $399 and i own it with no job...nope mommy didnt buy it for me... i did myself) and the PS2 will deffinately be the best selling system of them all because of availabilty, low cost, and widest selection of AAA titles. Then you gota add the PSP into the equation generating even more sells for Sony. Sony is the shit, but im not bias !!! I currently own the 360 and have owned just about every system ever made....well atleast not the shitty ones. So basically this post is just idiotic at best because anybody who knows games and the gaming business as good as me knows what i said is true. Yeah..yeah the ds and wii will have some bit of success as well will the 360, but none of these systems or companies will see the kinda of success as Sony will this holiday season !!! End story.

Paul Gale @ Sep 30th 2006 1:51AM

Wii and DS Lite will definitely own Japan this holiday season and that statement isn't one of fanboyism or anything like that; it's just a fact. There's no reason for me to believe that PSP or PS2 will outsell the DS Lite (just look at the last "almost two years of sales"), and as for PS3 vs. Wii, based on the fact alone that there will be more Wii units available, it'll sell more than PS3 by default. Still, obvious predictions aside, it's interesting to see what the Japanese retailers think about the consoles' standings for Fall.
Paul Gale
1up.com

feeble @ Sep 30th 2006 1:55AM

the questsions are flawed as they only ask "which will sell the best"

meaning that 2nd, or 3rd place sales cannot be determined.

it could be a close race for sales, but the retailers consider the DS/Wii to be on top.

eslim21 @ Sep 30th 2006 1:56AM

This is a little off. There will be more Wii's then PS3's. So of course the Wii will do better

Negativecool @ Sep 30th 2006 2:10AM

Clearly this translation has been tarnished by to many people translating the same message and passing it on...I mean...where did "purple monkey dishwasher" come from eh?

Kn1ves @ Sep 30th 2006 2:28AM

I'll tell it like it is guys....More people in the world like what Nintendo brand brings to the table in terms of games than any other brand of console in the world. It's all about the fun games and Nintendo's systems have them. This holiday season the Wii will sell out instantly (who doesnt have $250 for the funnest gaming machine ever when the PS3 cost $599) Then you gota add the DS into the equation generating even more sells for Nintendo. Nintendo is the shit, but im not bias !!! I currently own the PS1 and have owned just about every system ever made....well atleast not the shitty ones. So basically this post is just idiotic at best because anybody who knows games and the gaming business as good as me knows what i said is true. Yeah..yeah the PS2 and PS3 will have some bit of success as well will the 360, but none of these systems or companies will see the kinda of success as Nintendo will this holiday season !!! End story.

Like what I did there? I dont sound bias at all right?
http://illusivedesigns.net/kn1ves

David @ Sep 30th 2006 2:53AM

Am I missing something? PS3 has less launch units... Wii has more... PS3 will sell less than Wii... Where's the news?

MosquitoControl @ Sep 30th 2006 2:55AM

I agree - who the hell picked the 360 in Japan?

In the US I'd expect the 360 to take it, based on stock alone.
I'd expect the PS2 and the Wii to be duking it out for second (handhelds not included.)

I don't think this Christmas will tell us anything.
It'll be next Christmas that matters. Will the Wii have come and gone, already boring people? Will the PS3 catch the installed userbase the 360 already has and push itself in a position to pass the 360? Will the 360 keep flying? Will the PSP already be buried?

Kaemon @ Sep 30th 2006 3:34AM

Ahah #7 you are so bias... and #12, Kudos to you for having that nice little thing there, for a second I thought you had just quoted him ^_^.

Burns11 @ Sep 30th 2006 4:35AM

Is there a link to the original Japanese article? Neither of the pages linked had it and I couldn't find it right off on Enterbrain's site.

Jok3r @ Sep 30th 2006 5:46AM

Nintendo to Sony

"The price is right, bitch"

John Lucas @ Sep 30th 2006 7:23AM

Prepare folks. This is the sign of the future.
The world ain't ready for Nintendo's second coming I guarantee you.
Nintendo's gonna shock the record charts all THROUGH the next 5 years.
And watch the respect grow.
Street cred is Nintendo's!

John Lucas

Gareth Jones @ Sep 30th 2006 9:17AM

Always makes me wonder why people sign their messages when their name is already plainly visible in the line right beneath.

Either people love seeing their name on the internet or I guess they don't pay much attention to the format of the posts.

Jonn @ Sep 30th 2006 9:35AM

Onoz! Joystiq is totally biased against Nintendo! They're totally Nintendo fanboys! I'm going to Kotaku!

32_Footsteps @ Sep 30th 2006 10:10AM

Also, let's factor in two other things - the DS is probably going to have more available units than any other system, and the DS will have more "must have" games than any other system if trends continue as they have been. And must-have games move systems.

Picking the DS as the best-selling system this holiday in Japan is about the easiest prediction you could hope to make.

B33 @ Sep 30th 2006 11:48AM

The poll was flawed... And asking retailers is foolish. You should be asking the customers. And based on customer polls the Wii and PS3 both blow the 360 out of the water.

DsDude @ Sep 30th 2006 1:38PM

Oh no! Nintendo's gonna lose horribly in console sales this holiday season to... Nintendo!!! :o

LaughingTarget @ Sep 30th 2006 1:52PM

B33 -

Sony can't sell any more than a half-million consoles by year end in Japan, therefore, it is automatically delegated far behind the DS and Wii, mainly because they have a lot more on hand and the DS will sell a half-million a week during December. Asking a consumer which one he wants is particularly worthless because if more people want something than there is a supply for, they're not going to get it, and the retailer won't sell it.

You can't blow anyone out of the water if you don't bring any ammunition.

Evan @ Sep 30th 2006 3:53PM

Based on previous sales, the DS should come out on top. There simply won't be enough Wiis available [in Japan] to top the DS. But, even if Nintendo only ships 1 million Wiis to Japan, that should still be enough to secure 2nd place.

PS2 sales are on the decline, they'll be lucky to sell 250,000 in Japan this holiday season.

2004 Japanese Christmas sales (6 week period):
DS 1,495,000
PS2 870,000
2005 Japanese Christmas sales (6 week period):
DS 2,005,000
PSP 597,000
PS2 337,000

Beeves @ Sep 30th 2006 4:24PM

@Me

I love how you rant and rant about how good Sony is and quietly put "I'm not biased" in the middle.

Why do you tell people these things? So you can feel good about all the Sony products you own? I'm a fan of Nintendo but that doesn't mean I have to go around parading about how good they are. Please try to explain your posts so that at least people can take you seriously.

'anybody who knows games and the gaming business as good as me knows what i said is true.'

Yep, I guess that's why the DS is outselling the PSP at the moment.

elmer @ Sep 30th 2006 6:46PM

@ B33

Asking retailers isn't that dumb.

For one thing, polling consumers tends to attract people who like answering polls, or perhaps are zealous for gaming. For instance, polls by famitsu of their readership are fairly useless, as it gives an indication of famitsu readers' opinions, not the total market; hence ridiculous FF representation. Also, people tend to not really know what they want, or say what they wish they could have, not what they actually end up getting. Retailers don't have quite the same predelictions. All business is good business to them, and they try to spot where the market will go, not what they think they might currently like.

Furthermore, retail chains will probably tend to answer these polls as a matter of course, so the retail chains are evenly represented, unlike people polls.

Finally, it's interesting to note that in terms of Sony and Microsoft's quotes for "SALES" numbers, it's the retailers who decide, not the consumers. Retailers buy the systems from the manufacturers and sell them on to the consumers like you and me. Sony and Microsoft consider a sale to be when a retailer buys from them, not one of us. So if retailers are saying they don't expect those two to win, and the power is really in their hands, the fact may follow the prophecy. Sony's figures for PSP sales are incredible. Many of them are sitting on shelves. Of course you have to concede this could happen also to Wii and DS, but the PSP did sell amazingly to real consumers on hype alone for a very long time.

Oh, and as for the percentage who thought 360 might win, I think it's fair that 1.6% might believe Sakaguchi could turn the tide, even though it won't happen.

Signed - Nintendo Fanboy for Life of the NDF (Nintendo Defence Force).

David @ Oct 1st 2006 3:00AM

As someone mentioned above, its the "must have" games that sell the hardware. So what are the must have games for each machine?

Chris @ Oct 1st 2006 1:04PM

Considering the prices, Nintendo has to sell about 2 systems to equal one PS3.

The fact that retailers believe that PS2, at $150 is going to outsell the PS3 by almost half again more, is crazy.

Just remember, its not who outsells who, but who profits more. Just because Nintendo is going to ship double the amount or whatever it is, doesnt mean that they will profit most. Remember the prices? Yeah. 2 nintendo wii's for every 1 PS3.

My prediction: PS3 outsell's everything. Nintendo has become a console for kids, with educational games and shit. Sorry Fanboys, nothing against you guys, but the Wii is going to get shit on.

banjit @ Oct 1st 2006 1:59PM

Japanese are intelligent consumers. They know what they want and they get it. They don't like to be tied down with units that lag, are slow, cumbersome and break down quite often, hence, anything "Microsoft". Who wants to spend most of their time fixing things or taking products back for repair. Japanese like things to work, smart consumers, whereas other consumers don't have a clue and waste time and money constantly repairing. Where's the fun in this. The poll is logical. An American poll would have it flipped upside down. Go figure! A European poll would probably have it close to the this one.

Fischsticks @ Oct 1st 2006 10:26PM

Holy crap Chris I hope you are joking...

Do you understand the concept of profit? Sony does not make a single penny off of the PS3's themselves, it all comes from games ect. While Nintendo on the other hand makes money on every Wii plus the games ect. Sony would have to sell alot of ps3 games to turn that big of profit, Sony would have to sell every launch game to every person buying a PS3 to profit like Nintendo will with the Wii...

just wow... you are dumb...

ackmondual @ Oct 2nd 2006 1:22PM

PS3 may not have that many units as Wii, but since Wii costs about x2 to 2.5x the amount of a PS3, in terms of $$, i believe the wii will still outsell the ps3 in that regard

doom3 @ Oct 7th 2006 11:32AM

Hey It's funny but winning the hearts and minds of the japanese public means alot more than just hardware sales.It translates into developers and publisher wanting to get paid and to a lesser extent pride may factor in. Most of the games you like are from japan. Don't you realize that these developers are going to make games for who every sells better in japan. Yeah they can sell some units in other territories but if you look at the Ken ps3 price cut for japan then you'll see how important it is. Gaming almost lives or dies in japan according to the developers over there. I mean if Japan loved quake 3 more then you would see way more FPS games. The simple fact is that they don't at the monment. They like RPGs and other new types of games. You have older player claiming there is nothing for them to play over there. These same older players don't have the income of a 20 some thing hardcore player. Thats another reason why the DS is killing every thing it's a balance of price and technology to deliever new gaming experiences.

Also too the retailers are another reason why a console wins the war or not. If A rapper comes into a store to buy a game system while wearing fronts and a large platinum chain you just know they are going to try and sell him a PS3. How many rappers do you know? Now if a Mom comes into to buy a console you know the retail chain is going to tell her about the Wii's parenting features and easy going price tag. How many moms do you know? Also too regular gamers that come in to see whats new for their xbox 360 and PS3 may find a drought in games due to long production times. There like 4 million bored xbox360 gamers based on the software sales. They get bored and the retailer may say some thing like... Hey here is the wii some thing new and it's cheap... Hell he already spent 400-500 plus on an xbox why be cheap and not give the Wii a try? unless some hoe he believe nintendo raped and killed his dad by some how no being able to release games fast enough...LOL

Ackmondul is right also. Although I think he ment to say IF the Wii cost x2 to 2.5x the amount of a PS3. That would be crazy but there are atleast 6million hard core gamers out there that would pay that with the inclusion of the rare adult content games...LOL. Nintendo was conserative about the wii this time around spec wise i'll admit, but I think they did that to illustrate a point or a turning point in gaming. If the Wii had the specs of the xbox 360 with the controller then the wii would obviously would have been a run away hit with the hard core and yes they would buy it at a retarded price also. nintendo would have marketed it as the first real VR system leap froging over the HD gen. Unfortunatly the hard core would have bought it but at such a high price I don't see too many other people(these are the people not interested in sci fi). So i think they ultimidly made the right choice. No matter how much of a fan boy you are even you can't make a 20 year old buy a 600 dollar system with nothing fun to play, when he could spend that on clothes , girls, and partying. With most people the console are competiting with those things. Yet if you are a PC type of shy guy then your looking at specs... you'll be buying a direct x compliant video card with that money. But if you are a cheap Geek then you'll buy a PS3 and try to show it off to your friend who just got their direct x 10 gaming rig up just to get a blank stare, then they'll say hey lets hook my pc up to this tv!

Oyeah Chris your wrong badly mistaken almost slow bus wrong. Nintendo made a great profit on the GC even though it was third. They will make profit on the Wii too. Now if you are claiming that sony has lied and they will turn a profit with in months of retooling and stream lining production.. yes yes that could be true.. If blue ray wins then they will make hugh profits being that they are the only manufacturer of the laser. The PS3 is only a ticket their going to use to make that profit roller coaster happen. That is the true reason why investors are down about the ps3. They also make their own chips I believe also. Which means they built a fab for these chips. Which isn't easy just ask amd but once they do the next chip shrink they could be making as high as a 50%+ profit. Sony hardly every drops it's prices once they cut over head on production. Yet Amd and intel alwasy drops their 1000 dollar chip to about 200 dollars. So if your trying to say that the PS3 maybe artificaly high then you may be right. Some fanboys may tell you its to recoup for R&D maybe but when is that expected to recoup and will the saving be passed on to the customer? Once we find out those things then sony may be consider to be back in this race cus once the price gets alittle more affordable I may get one then.

Will nintendo get the kiddy games only this time?
Well if metriod, zelda, redsteel, heros, Res evil and countless other producers in japan wanting to make games on this system end up kiddy then I guess nintendo is gonna be in trouble. Plus to being kiddy din't kill the GC it was lack of thrid party support due to it's install base. So basicly being fun with big dry spells killed the GC. The xbox Is going to ship with the Pinata game...LOL Come on man talk about kiddy! All systems have kiddy games...

Now if all of that is correct nintendo is going to be just fine. They have the potiential to be the number one selling console by march or maybe by january the way things are going. They have gotten the attention of the developers in the home of gaming. Which did not happen in the last generation. More importantly the arm chair quarter backs and general sports playing guy might rather play a good looking sports game where they can use their body rather button combos with out doing the sprints required of the sport.

Sports games are the ultimid casual gamer application EA knows this and EA is also one of the biggest publisher. Not since live95 have I wanted to play a sport sim. Lets face it if all you can get is more sweat on the player in a HD generation then I'd be pissed.

David is right most have game will sell systems.
xbox360 bioshock gears of war maybe blue dragon-hardcore market along with the guys that love gore will love that stuff.
Mass effect- not sure when it's coming out looks cool- for sic if rpg guys star trek and star wars fans.

Oh Oh strangle hold is going to rock.. it's what gears of war should have been. MS better promote that game!

PS3 this one is harder they have MGS but no real release date. A's creed which is coming to the xbox too. and of course FF. DMC 4 even though the offical videos did not rock as much as the shake secert cam footage found on you tube.

Then you have the Wii must have games... Well the wii mote with any thing attached to it...LOL that will last for as many months as the PSP hype did. Then you get almost all of nintendos big guns in the first gen of games it seems.
Older people will get brain train, wario ware and a host of fuctions to use daily on the wii.
younger guys will choose between hero, res evil, zelda, metroid, and redsteel. Will we see a GTA typegame on the wii? If not some one will make money off of the god father game.
Then you have the kiddy games like FF ports secret of MANA games, Dragon balls, animal crossing, and of course the industry shaping Pokemon is coming to the wii... Which is quite scary for the adult gamers on this post boared. Why you ask? Well you know they have a TV show right? The Wii could easily be set up to deliever pokemon episodes directly to your wii every week... then to top that off you can have interactive episodes... Now if this happens the Wii channels idea will become the first real console setup to offer developers a real set up for episodic content. Then they could just release the session on one disk if you really want to keep them.

Then comes the Anime explosion... what happens when the Wii becomes the way you get your favorite comic, or anime fix. What happens when nintendo approaches DC comics with this idea? What if you could watch all of your sin city collection on a Wii? The channels thing is much more accessible than say a controller bar or a dash board. It becomes easy to drop alot of different channel on board and not seem to cluttered. We have services today with over 500 channels..LOL But too many options on a dash board or a any other menu is bad design. Channels work though becuse they are simply door of possiblity.