Japanese hardware sales, July 28 - Aug. 3: Olympic observation edition

by Griffin McElroy @http://twitter.com/griffinmcelroy on Aug 10th 2008 10:35PM

We're big fans of the 2008 Beijing Olympic games. Not because we're avid followers of swimming, or weightlifting, or badminton -- but because we like to believe that we live in a world where one country can achieve dominance over all the others by simply having more graceful and elegant gymnasts than their fellow nations. However, we're confused by the lack of decent ludological representation for the biyearly global ~~pissing match~~ test of athleticism. We've never been satisfied with a single Olympic video game -- be they realistic or adorable.

Perhaps this is due to confusion on the developers behalf on how to actually create an Olympics-based title. The Olympics are, after all, an assortment of specialized, miniature games. How one could possibly craft an entire title around these ... minigames is completely beyond our comprehension. Perhaps that's why our favorite game based around the ancient tradition eschews the bonds of accuracy entirely. We speak, of course, of developer U.S. Gold's magnum opus, Izzy's Quest for the Olympic Rings. Seriously, who needs digital triathlons when you've got production values of that caliber?

In news related to the actual purpose of this feature, the PSP once again takes home the gold this week -- though following last week's pattern, all of Sony's consoles took a sales hit while the others received a steady, if not minor, increase. Following four months of Sony superiority, could we be nearing a drastic change-up on the prestigious sales chart pedestal? Oh, wait -- we've got a better Olympic-themed metaphor: Could the PSP be ready to pass the torch? Better yet -- will the 360, in a Kerri Strug-esque show of persistence, secure a first place finish over the Russian gymnastics team, by which, of course, we mean the other consoles?

- PSP: 61,181