Japanese hardware sales, Aug. 20 - Aug. 26: Labor of love edition
by Ludwig Kietzmann 
{ Aug 31st 2007 at 8:00PM }
With this edition of the weekly Japanese hardware sales chart, Joystiq would like to encourage all of its American readers to have a blissful Labor Day weekend devoid of emotional trauma, nuclear apocalypse and above all, any sort of productivity. Joystiq also requests that readers forward this sentiment to their illiterate friends and colleagues.Though incorrectly thought of as a holiday meant to celebrate the birth of life, Labor Day really highlights the complete and utter loss of it. As a working man, woman or abducted child, you may feel that your employment has slowly encroached upon the things that really matter in this existence -- video games. We urge you to spend the next few days ignoring any and all emails, telephones and shrieks from significant others.
Oh, and play something decent, would you?
- DS Lite: 100,430
53,389 (34.71%)- Wii: 46,283
27,655 (37.40%)- PSP: 26,089
7,626 (22.62%)- PS3: 16,393
5,327 (24.53%) - PS2: 15,139
101 (0.66%)- Xbox 360: 2,044
401 (16.40%)- Game Boy Micro: 423
5 (1.20%)- GBA SP: 163
49 (23.11%)- Gamecube: 116
29 (20.00%)- GBA: 65
41 (170.83%)- DS Phat: 30
15 (100.00%)[Source: Media Create]
See also: Previous Japanese hardware sales charts
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Kaemon @ Aug 31st 2007 8:06PM
Ouch! Did they just run outta everything?
Fernando Rocker @ Aug 31st 2007 8:07PM
What the fuck happen???!
I heard that when the DS sales drops below 100,000 per week, its going to be first sign of the apocalypse.
hvnlysoldr @ Aug 31st 2007 8:08PM
I blame MP3:C redirection.
SoxFan13 @ Aug 31st 2007 8:09PM
How is it possible that the Micro, GBA, and DS Phat are going up????? I'll never understand Japanese culture.
Word of the street. @ Aug 31st 2007 9:21PM
The reason why the GBA micro and the DS phat sales areg oing up can be resumed in 3 word:Weird Japannese Fetish.
Word of the street. @ Aug 31st 2007 9:23PM
Oh crap my post is plagued by grammatical errors again.
I meant “words” and ops it seems a space was eaten up there.
Fernando Rocker @ Aug 31st 2007 8:10PM
The Wii sales drops because they are sending Wii's to America from Japan.
Stupidiot @ Aug 31st 2007 8:10PM
Got Bioshock for my PC this morning and I'm loving it so far. I just wish that Nintendo would put more effort into getting games out earlier in Europe, I want my Metroid now damnit, or I'll have no time to play it among all the other games... oh and school (I don't really need A-levels do I? :p)
Is there any reason the sales charts took such a hit this week, or were last weeks exceptional for some reason?
hvnlysoldr @ Aug 31st 2007 8:14PM
Also I completely forgot about Labor Day. Is that the day we're not supposed to wear white after right?
Fernando Rocker @ Aug 31st 2007 8:21PM
I like the parrot... I used to have one, but someboy stole it... who the fuck stole a parrot??!
Noshino @ Aug 31st 2007 11:20PM
oh, it wasn't stole, I believe the parrot just decided to get the hell away from you, even animals, damn...
hvnlysoldr @ Sep 1st 2007 12:33AM
That was a low blow Noshino. Poachers are scum.
BPM @ Aug 31st 2007 8:27PM
Just to reiterate the obvious before someone asks about it:
Japanese sales are given out every week by Media Create, and for free. And are fairly accurate, as they also account for online sales in Japan.
American sales are given out once a month by the NPD Group, and are not free. They are somewhat inaccurate, as they don't track online sales or sales from some retailers (i.e. Wal-Mart).
European and Australian charts are given out sporiacally.
Japanese sales charts are important as they'll help indicate the trends in Japan, meaning also where Japanese development will follow.
Fernando Rocker @ Aug 31st 2007 8:28PM
Hey.. you didnt add me to your Wii =( I want to trade tokens in MP3:C
BPM @ Aug 31st 2007 11:03PM
Yeah, I did. I even sent you a Voucher already.
jackbauer @ Sep 1st 2007 1:47PM
hey get me in on the MP3 token trading i want to get the mii bobblehead!
t_m @ Sep 1st 2007 11:54AM
why do we always get these stupid japanese charts?? Who cares about sales outside america? Where are the US charts?? YOu guys just post these because you are all nintendo fanboys!!
Mal F4cti0n @ Sep 1st 2007 1:03PM
t_m,
You sir, are an idiot.
For the hundreth time. The Japanese track their sales on a weekly basis. The NPD numbers come out monthly and people have to PAY for them. There are no US weekly sales, dumbass.
Paviel @ Aug 31st 2007 8:27PM
Reallocating Wiis from Japan to the US doesn't explain the blow to the DS Lite sales, though.
I'm still inclined to think that this is a case of MS.
Market saturation, that is.
blooh @ Aug 31st 2007 8:42PM
...still waiting for toysrus to mail me bioshock
i did get accepted for the call of duty 4 beta though, but it gives me an error when i try to download it :( maybe i need live gold first?
john @ Sep 1st 2007 10:41AM
Thanks alot jerk. I didnt get into the beta and I have a gold account. Maybe you should read the conditions on the website before you signed up. You are a disgrace to the xboxlive community. If you didnt sign up maybe that code would have went to somebody who needed it. (Like me)
Kaemon @ Aug 31st 2007 8:43PM
How DO they relocated them from japan to US, they have to make them for it since they're region locked... or maybe... actually no, its probably just the firmware.
Catprog @ Aug 31st 2007 11:53PM
They can choose how much to make of each region each month.
Meloche @ Aug 31st 2007 9:06PM
everyone are doomed!!111!1
Word of the street. @ Aug 31st 2007 9:26PM
DSL still dominates:New and exciting!.
The Wii in second place:see above.
PSP in 3rd palce and still no one respects it.
The x360 sold a lolable amount of units as usual in Japan.
Wow Japannese charts are so new and exciting
mr nimblewick @ Aug 31st 2007 10:28PM
Hey Japanese charts, I like you. I mean... I like... you, charts. Oh charts, won't you stay the night? I don't care that you're old and droopy. Be with me!
hvnlysoldr @ Sep 1st 2007 1:28AM
The charts are the rebound for Joystiq I take it.
tenwyn @ Sep 1st 2007 2:44AM
Last week was a holiday, this week holiday hangover which explains the lowered sales across the board. Any questions, comments or concerns?
blooh @ Sep 1st 2007 3:38AM
what holiday?
License to ill @ Sep 1st 2007 9:25AM
Yeah what holiday? And when do holidays effect sales I mean besides Christmas or black friday?
josh @ Sep 2nd 2007 2:38PM
"Obon is a festival with origins in the Buddhist urabon ceremony of giving offerings to one's parents and other ancestors. In addition, native traditions have become intermixed with Buddhist practice in the present-day Obon. Although it is not a national holiday, many companies close their offices, and people return to their ancestral homes in the country, resulting in traffic jams and overcrowding on the railways both at the beginning and at the end of the August Obon. Bonfires guide the spirits of the departed home. Priests read from the scriptures for the souls; relatives place offerings in front of altars. At the end of the period, a second round of fires guides the spirits back to the other world. Around this time, a special form of communal dancing, bon odori, is popular, with many communities hosting events in public parks to the accompaniment of live or recorded music. The traditional date of Obon was the fifteenth day of the seventh month according to the lunar calendar; after Japan adopted the Gregorian calendar, some people continued to celebrate it on the traditional date, while most adopted either July 15 or August 15 (which is close to the traditional date). In recent years, with a decline in religious observance, the August date has become predominant. In addition, the Perseid meteor shower reaches its peak around this time, and since Japanese tradition associates "shooting stars" with the spirits of the departed, this meshes nicely with an August obon." - wikipedia
License to ill @ Sep 1st 2007 1:29AM
Damn big drop offs! Im not a big fan of wii games but MP3 looks damn good and the controls look tight...
Oh well I still have Bioshock and COD4 to look forward to...
jopojelly @ Sep 1st 2007 1:41AM
Heh, helarious. good writing.
Admiral_Mike @ Sep 1st 2007 7:07AM
This proves it! Video games are a fad. Long live marbles and jacks!
SeriousKriss @ Sep 1st 2007 8:32AM
Don't you mean "Oh, and play something decent, WOULD YOU KINDLY?" ;)
doogles @ Sep 1st 2007 9:21AM
Go go Game Boy Micro!
License to ill @ Sep 1st 2007 9:28AM
423 people agree with ya...;)
t_m @ Sep 1st 2007 12:06PM
Hell yeah!
I've been playing Metroid Fusion and Final Fantasy 6 on my GBA all week. MF in particular is an awesome game.
To be honest, though i love my DS lite, I actually sped much more time playing on my GBA micro. Its just so much more convienient to carry around everywhere.
Plus my girlfriend has kinda been hogging the DS recently...
doogles @ Sep 1st 2007 9:16PM
I actually got mine months ago, but still. t_m, you need to get Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones if you've not already.
doogles @ Sep 1st 2007 9:17PM
Sorry for the double post, but you can get it for $10 new at Best Buy. I'd hate to hear you bought it used for twice as much at Gamestop.
t_m @ Sep 1st 2007 12:04PM
Well hopefully everyone is at the beach. Things are pretty quiet right now, as everyone is on, or is just coming back from their summer vacations.
This was the week after Obon, so maybe the sales jumped in the holiday, and then went down with after work blues.
But most likely, the fact they are WEEKLY sales makes them much more volatile.
Leo @ Sep 2nd 2007 2:52AM
I forgot there even WAS a GBA micro... =p