Japanese hardware sales, Dec. 17 - Dec. 23: Incoming new year edition

by Ludwig Kietzmann { Dec 28th 2007 at 8:20PM }

Well, here you are again, about to turn over the last page of the calendar, all too cognizant of the fact that an ugly cardboard backing awaits you. Perhaps it'll even bear a yellowed price sticker highlighting how much you overpaid for the Official Best of Midway calendar. Really, you ought to know better than buying one that starts at December!

Though there's still one purely metaphorical and thus environmentally promiscuous page left for 2007 sales in Japan (these are last week's sales, remember), it'll be 2008 by the time you get to read about them. Now, we don't want you walking into the spectacular annual finale without a bit of preparation, so we've poured over the entire year's sales charts to establish and highlight 2007's most prominent trends. You'll find a detailed and nuanced report after the break.

- DS Lite: 279,551

57,419 (25.85%)
- Wii: 232,907

62,349 (36.56%)
- PSP: 171,804

12,806 (6.94%)
- PS3: 58,167

5,553 (8.71%)
- PS2: 20,391

2,366 (13.13%)
- Xbox 360: 7,908

653 (7.63%)
- GBA SP: 54

49 (47.57%)
- Game Boy Micro: 42

14 (50.00%)
- Gamecube: 31

1 (3.13%)
- DS Phat: 12 -- 0 (0.00%)
- GBA: 4

5 (55.56%)

[Source: Media Create]

See: The heavily analyzed archives

The DS Lite sold like, a lot.

Tags: Japanese-Hardware-Sales, JapaneseHardwareSales

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)

Fernando Rocker @ Dec 28th 2007 8:31PM

And I remember when PS3 fanboys were very happy with the two weeks that the PS3 outsold the Wii (by just like 10,000 units).

But the Wii is a fad, right?

And I will use the PS3 fanboys famous quote: "Just wait until Super Smash Bros Brawl..."

Neebs @ Dec 28th 2007 8:38PM

And I remember when you were banned for trolling...

Fernando Rocker @ Dec 28th 2007 8:41PM

That's not trolling... that was tellig the truth...

Just read the comments about the week that I'm telling:

http://www.joystiq.com/2007/11/17/japanese-hardware-sales-nov-5-nov-11-twice-in-a-lifecycle/

roxxxo @ Dec 28th 2007 8:47PM

cmon now neebs, that actually was funny

FK @ Dec 28th 2007 9:18PM

Dear Fernando,

Shutup.

Love,
The Internet

hvnlysoldr @ Dec 28th 2007 9:39PM

@saboola
Ohayo's MP4 Player is ugly
Engadget
Dec 16th 2007 11:19AM It's a blog. Lighten up.

House overwhelmingly passes SAFE Act on obscene images -- Ron Paul dissents to save us from ourselves?
Engadget
Dec 6th 2007 8:13AM It's a blog. Deal with it. Baby.

@Fernando Rocker
I still find you amusing. We cool :) And as soon as I get a wireless router we can be Wii friends:
hvnlysoldr - 2940-7463-0377-7540

Christmas NiGHTS @ Dec 28th 2007 9:46PM

Ok, don't blame me for starting a potential number-trading frenzy, but while it's out there

6019 3396 6990 1194 (Mr Khan, as it were)

(damn i hate this system)

Fernando Rocker @ Dec 28th 2007 9:50PM

Mine Mr. Kahn

6140-3530-5783-6618 add me... I just add you.

Gamertag: "Fernando Rocker" just send me a request/message

Fernando Rocker @ Dec 28th 2007 9:51PM

and I just added you hvnly =)

Mr.ESC @ Dec 28th 2007 10:12PM

How do I shoot Friend codes?

(I don't have Wi-fi so I can't really use neither my Wii,Ds lite or PSP online.)

mr nimblewick @ Dec 28th 2007 11:17PM

Oh man, can I get in on this friend code bonanza?

2405-6416-9705-3649

Fernando Rocker @ Dec 28th 2007 11:31PM

I just added you Mr. Nimble

Add me.

mr nimblewick @ Dec 28th 2007 11:34PM

You are registered, sir!

name123 @ Dec 28th 2007 11:40PM

@Fernando

There's a definite fad quality to the Wii. The Wii certainly isn't selling because of its library. Its library isn't that impressive. Even SMG, doesn't revolutionize gameplay with motion sensing, just as the stylus didn't revolutionize portable games.

If the Wii actually had games to back up its promises of revolutionizing games, I would be a lot less skeptical. But as it stands, it looks like it's just a rough draft for future systems. That's the high price of innovation.

I'm willing to bet I wasn't the only one this X-Mas to see the Wii pushed aside for Rock Band. That says a lot.

Vegeta (aka Ska Oreo) @ Dec 28th 2007 11:54PM

@name.

Wait??? YOU CAN SEE INTO PEOPLE'S HOUSES!!!

THAT'S FUCKING AWESOME!!!

LaughingTarget @ Dec 29th 2007 12:04AM

Just houses? That is kinda lame. Superman can look through anything but lead. You really need to work on that x-ray vision.

roxxxo @ Dec 28th 2007 8:32PM

nice trendline graph

even my neice got a ds for xmas from her great-aunt or something. i've never touched one myself though

Fernando Rocker @ Dec 28th 2007 8:34PM

You should... its the best portable gaming system. So many great games, with excellent quality.

roxxxo @ Dec 28th 2007 8:37PM

eh, there's only 2-3 games i'd get for it

and now that i work i don't have time for gaming away from home, so the 360 works fine :)

Ishimaru @ Dec 28th 2007 8:43PM

Who and why the hell do people still buy Gamecubes??? I can technically understand DS Fats, and GBA's, but Gamecubes??? Come on now...

mr mobius @ Dec 28th 2007 8:49PM

Its because they are afraid of Nintendo announcing they are releasing a cheaper model of Wii that doesn't have backward compatibility before they release Super Smash Bros Bash because the old model is too expensive and they aren't selling enough but still need something dropped off the cheaper model.

hvnlysoldr @ Dec 28th 2007 8:53PM

GameBoy Player and PSO.

bm @ Dec 28th 2007 9:02PM

"Its because they are afraid of Nintendo announcing they are releasing a cheaper model of Wii that doesn't have backward compatibility"

Not gonna happen. It's in the very nature of the Wii hardware to run Gamecube games, since it's basically a Gamecube on steroids, there -is- nothing to remove. The GBA actually had the hardware of an entire Gameboy Color inside it next to the GBA hardware, so removing BC there made the Micro possible. There is no such thing with the Wii.

roxxxo @ Dec 28th 2007 9:08PM

bm needs the sarcasm tags

BPM - The 3rd Strike @ Dec 28th 2007 9:30PM

GAMECUBE ON STEROIDS has a nicer ring to it than TWO GAMECUBES DUCT TAPED TOGETHER.

Oh, and the PSO GameCube severs were shut down back in April. :(

Christmas NiGHTS @ Dec 28th 2007 9:42PM

Still PSO private servers though

Just don't go tellin' the fuzz...

bm @ Dec 29th 2007 3:22AM

"bm needs the sarcasm tags"

Look, I know, alright? :P Just arguing for the sake of discussion and uhh, maybe in case anyone else might take it seriously. Or something. ;p

hvnlysoldr @ Dec 28th 2007 8:55PM

That over-analysis is way way too long. I also wished you put up the software sales.

Fernando Rocker @ Dec 28th 2007 8:59PM

Software in Japan last week:

DS 810,410
Wii 895,511
PS2 302,306
PS3 129,636
PSP 121,502
360 35,770
GBA 9,053

In USA:

Wii 740,000 (yes, the Wii outsold the 360 in software sales)
360 367,000
PS3 226,000

Fernando Rocker @ Dec 28th 2007 9:01PM

*According to vgchartz... not very acurate, but it give you an idea.

hvnlysoldr @ Dec 28th 2007 9:01PM

I was specifically asking Ludwig to put up Media Create's numbers for software in the weekly posts.

Fernando Rocker @ Dec 28th 2007 9:08PM

simmcity @ Dec 28th 2007 9:16PM

Fernando, whats with the anti-sony attitude, we get it allready, you hate PS3 fanboys. Seriously, it seems like everytime the Media Create sales info is up, you post a comment about how the PS3 is doing crap, or how the Wii/DS is better than the PS3, blah , blah , blah...

Koopaknight29 - (Nintendo Loyalist) @ Dec 29th 2007 9:30AM

Heh, welcome to Joystiq my friend. Don't mind Fernando, he's the least of your worries and he's pretty tame for a fanboy around here.

Trust me, drivel comes from all sides in this place. Personally, I find it amusing (although you won't find it from me).

Yeah, I remember phatty and Shaggi. Good times, good times. Wonder if they're still around?

David @ Dec 29th 2007 4:07PM

Be fair now. Every time these numbers come up there's also someone (and sometimes more than one) who feels the need to point out how the Wii library is so weak, or that the Wii is a fad, and the same goes for the DS (at least there's a slight at the library here).

Clack @ Dec 28th 2007 9:20PM

So I went to Best Buy the day after xmas and there were literally piles of PS3s strewn all throughout the store. 2 piles over by home theater, 3 piles forming a triangle around software. 1 pile over by the PC stuff.

Time for another price cut Sony, especially since the PS3 isn't the cheapest BR player now.

Noshino @ Dec 28th 2007 9:45PM

So it seems you are still stalking the PS3s til a new price cut? what is your budget again?....

roxxxo @ Dec 29th 2007 12:01AM

i could buy 20 ps3's with cash after a quick stop to the bank. it doesn't mean i want to though

it's the perceived value of fun per dollar, and I find the 360 to have a much higher "value" than the ps3. and i've still got a pile of games to beat for the 360, so i won't "need" a ps3 anytime soon. by that time, they'll probably be cheaper too :)

i_hate_mtv @ Dec 28th 2007 9:44PM

Well, I guess this negates the 'Wii is a fad' argument.

Or does it.

mr nimblewick @ Dec 28th 2007 11:20PM

I am intrigued. I will buy your book.

sheppy2.0 @ Dec 29th 2007 1:02PM

I don't know, 230K Wiis sold, 170K copies of WiiFit sold. Also keep in mind that Mario Party's do phenominally well despite the fact that they are horrible crafted crud, even on the DS.

Not saying the Wii is a fad, nor the DS. But what everyone else is buying I consider part of the problem. But on the other side of things, my mother finally got into gaming and it was puzzle quest that did it. My stepfather was on DS buying duty and I had to buy the games. She requested Brain Age 2, so I snagged that with Flash Focus and Puzzle Quest. She spent 10 each on the training software before decrying them "bullshit" but she's been hooked to Puzzle Quest.

As for me, well, the only two Wii games I bought over the holiday season was Zak & Wiki and SMG. On the DS, I got FFXII:RW and Phoenix Wright 3. On PSP, I got six new games, on PS3, 12 new games, on 360, despite not having one and thanks to preorders, I grabbed 6 new games. So the Wii and DS aren't exactly a fad to me, but they sure as hell aren't my main system.

driven2sin @ Dec 30th 2007 2:10AM

Puzzle Quest was pretty special. (shame even the 'fixed version is still broken on xbox)

I put it up there with Portal as a big old refreshing taste of gaming like that end scene in Ratatoulie where the critic thinks back to being a kid again

Myke @ Dec 28th 2007 9:44PM

I think that eventually the PS3 will get a large enough library that it warrants a purchase by the mainstream, but that just hasnt happened yet. You can see with a system like the PS2 that eventually the PS3 will have something for everyone, that is if the 3rd parties don't keep jumping ship like Sony has an exposed core or something.

Christmas NiGHTS @ Dec 28th 2007 9:50PM

If you want to get technical, GC had something for everyone too. It had Eternal Darkness, Resident Evil exclusivity, Killer 7 etc for the mature set, many, many games for children, casual stuff, all kinds, that was the reason for the "Who are you?" Ad campaign, touted their selection

Didn't help 'em, though

Myke @ Dec 28th 2007 9:59PM

But what the GC didnt have was 3rd party support. The PS3 *had* that entering this generation and it would have appeared that they would get many many high-selling, quality titles from their allies in 3rd party devs but that appears to be fading. If they can hang onto even 1/2 of the 3rd party support that the PS2 had, they will have 100's of more A, or AA games than the GC ever had. I know, I have a GC and a PS2 =)

hvnlysoldr @ Dec 28th 2007 10:05PM

Capcom gave exclusivity to RE4 to GameCube. Then they ported to the PS2 in order to make up for the lack of sales and now back to Wii. Capcom has now cancelled the Monster Hunter for PS3 and are making it for Wii. No relation right?

AlexP @ Dec 28th 2007 9:48PM

Everyone in my family's got a Wii now. o_O

Even my grandparents.

Geist @ Dec 30th 2007 5:23AM

JOIIIN THE MAAANY......

name123 @ Dec 28th 2007 10:26PM

Congratulations Nintendo!

But, I'm still not impressed with Wii and DS sales because it's obvious a lot of casual gamers are buying them. Does the Wii controller detect shoulder shrugging?

More importantly, the PS3 is outselling the Xbox 360 worldwide in December:

First 3 weeks of Dec:
PS3: 1,583,699
360: 1,555,798
http://vgchartz.com/hwtable.php?cons%5B%5D=PS3&cons%5B%5D=X360®%5B%5D=Total&start=39425&end=39439

It's official: the Xbox 360 is a flop. If you bought one, you're dumb.

The PS3 is outselling the Litterbox 360 even though the 360 has Halo 3, a bunch of so called "killer, AAA" titles, a larger library and a far lower entry price.

So, why did the Xbox 360 fail?

Because it's a product made by hardcore gamers for hardcore gamers. Xbox 360 owners and developers take games WAY too seriously. Also, Microsoft has the least to gain, and therefore the least motivation to succeed in the games industry.

The Playstation's bread and butter has always been the mainstream. That's why when the PS3 hits $299, sales will take off. People will realize then, it's the best, most well-rounded console of all the new systems.