Monster Hunter tops Japan's 100 best-sellers list in '08, MGS4 best-selling PS3 game

by Majed Athab on Feb 17th 2009 3:50PM

The results are in for Japan's Top 100 software sellers for 2008 and the data is certainly unsurprising. Rising to claim the #1 spot is Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G. The PSP phenomenon has been topping the Japanese software charts for most of last year, and is, in fact, still selling hotly in Japan.

The PS3's best-selling game in Japan, Metal Gear Solid 4, barely scratched the top ten as it ranked in at #11. It was knocked out of the top ten by nine Nintendo exclusives, which include the likes of Super Smash Bros. Brawl at #5. But wait, Solid Snake is also in that title ... In a way, you could say he infiltrated the top ten. Back to your old tricks, Snake? And here we thought you had retired.

Source

Tags: capcom, konami, metal-gear-solid-4, Metal-Gear-Solid-4-Guns-of-the-Patriots, mgs4, monster-hunter

Reader Comments (50)

?....!

!It's the enemy!! GO GO GO

What sucks is I was going to do it first xD

Question. Is that the same game as Monster Hunter Freedom 2? Cause that's the only American one I could find at my local store (couldn't find the one listed in this article). Either way, I'm digging Freedom 2 a lot more than I thought I would :)

Yah it is.

No, it's another title which will be renamed "Monster Hunter Unite" when it is released in Europe and the US, presumably this year.

Well, yes and no.

Monster Hunter Portable 2 is Freedom 2

Monster Hunter Portable 2G (which is the expansion), will be released later in spring as Freedom Unite.

WTF did someone hack tmac's account? Is this a post NOT pertaining to an anti-Nintendo rant along the lines of "Yeah but those nine games in the top 10 are first party only/craptastic casuals/Nintendo lacks 3rd party goodness blah blah blah"???

Amazing.

MHF - the best game EVAR!

350+ hours and still playing it daily...

Where are the 360 games?

you dont know much about japan do you?

I saw Tales of Vesperia around 80 or so ... that was the only one I knew for sure was on the 360 in the entire list. Lots of other games I no nothing of so it's possible it had other games as well.

So is the only 360 game in there Tales of Vesperia?

Well, considering the low amount of 360s in japan, the fact that any 360 title made it into the top 10 is surprising.

The Baron (haggard?)

vesperia wasn't in the top 10 it was somewhere in the 80's.

Oh. Well then, nevermind that point of interest.

Japan only supports their companies aka Sony and Nintendo that why there are a lack of 360 games.

I guess that's why they prefer Yahoo over any other site, or why they prefer YouTube over NicoVideo

http://www.alexa.com/site/ds/top_sites?cc=JP&ts_mode=country&lang=none

Or why McDonald's is succesful just like Apple is.

Seriously, stop making up excuses as to why the system isn't that great in the region, it is more about the content, also, japanese gamers are more focused on the single player or local multiplayer aspect of console games, while the 360's main forte is online multiplayer.

We've been over this, again and again. It's been shown that the Japanese can accept the 360 readily, it just has to appeal to them, and Microsoft's strengths generally don't translate to the Japanese market, which cares little for online play or realism

Or the consumers buy games which they like... how many Japanese titles do you find in the 10 ten...

Or maybe it's because the original XBox bombed in the Japanese market due to a terrible launch, plus I really doubt the Ford Pinto-level quality control issues have helped them any either.

The Japenese are wise, they can smell shit a mile off hence why they don't go anywhere near xbox360.. If only the rest of the world would do the same..

vDopey, you are the MAN! High five buddy!

So how come that doesn't apply to the US. Funny how the 360 does so well in the US compared to the PS3 but in Japan the PS3 does much better than the 360. National xenophobic attitudes are rife in places other than the US you know. Japan and the US are in the same boat when it comes to subtle racism.

I don't think it's out of the question to state that many Japanese gamers may not like non-Japanese games due to some feeling of national pride. Seems pretty possible to me.
Take for example how many white Americans identify rock music as their music, and generally refuse to listen to rock music made by non-whites. Or how black Americans identify rap music as black music, and look down on any rap music made by whites.
If a group feels that it was the "true" source of a certain kind of media, or somehow the "best" at it, it's not uncommon for that group to reject things they see as "cheap, unauthentic imitations."

Remember the whole "swap discs to create monsters" idea, and the short lived cartoon?

Thank you, country-that-invented-bukkake!

monster rancher

Oh, wait. Was that Monster Rancher?

Meh...like anyone even cares.

I care

how much do games cost in Japan.... specifically the Nintendo games

xbox and PS are in the $60 range

In Japan, prices can vary depending on the game, especially for anticipated titles. And Wii games aren't always cheaper as they are in the West. Mario Kart Wii for instance was 5800 yen ($62)... but Smash Bros. Brawl was 6800 yen ($73).

If you thought that Brawl price was expensive, look away now for the MGS4 price: as this was a massive, long-awaited blockbuster, it cost 8800 yen ($95). That's for the regular edition, the limited was more. PS3 games aren't all that price by any means; Little Big Planet is 5,980.

Of the top of my head I'd guess there is less difference between the price of Wii and PS3/60 games than elsewhere.

It would be interesting to know what proportion of the entire chart was Nintendo titles, but not that interesting, so I can't be bothered to work it out. The summary is 'a lot'.

oh and just to note - the yen is rather high against the dollar at the moment - so if you want to convert prices into how they might feel rather than the literal conversion rate, just take off the last two digits instead.

So its been over six months, where are the know it alls who swore "mark my words" metal gear solid 4 would be multiplatform?

Me thinks the sales are solid enough to kill that dumb old rumor.

The thing of it was that the way Metal Gear Solid 4 was made, it would cost them quite a bit to be able to port it over on to the 360. It's not like many other games which are made with multiplatform in mind

the money they got for all the marking and promotional items in the game/real life probably helped pay for a chunk of what would have been.

ah, tricky snake... good job.

Mario and Sonic hold the number 27 and 47 spots. Whats up with that?

Also, "Touhoku Daigaku Mirai Kagaku Gijutsu Kyoudou Kenkyuu Center Kawashima Ryuuta Kyouju Kanshuu: Motto Nou wo Kitaeru Otona no DS Training" is the best name for a game ever. The box art must just be black text on a white background.

*Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games

Well, that's because there are 2 versions, DS and Wii

"The box art must just be black text on a white background."

Is it really that hard to look it up?

http://image1.play-asia.com/170/PA.51023.002.jpg

I wonder where Yakuza 3 will be on this list same time next year.

(now just if they will bring it over to the US. Come on! I'd be perfectly happy with subtitles!)

Dude I've pretty much accepted that it won't be localized for the NA & EU markets and have decided to just import it and wing it. I'm sure someone will release a translation guide like most of the games that stay exclusive to the Asian region.

Rebel.FM Theorizes that they will make so much money from Y3 that they can't NOT translate it. God, I hope they are right.

LOL I got hit with a lot of replies for my earlier comment, but it is true when it comes to video games Japan supports its own.

The reason you got down-voted is because you're a White Sox fan ;)

hahah hurricane!!!!

GO CUBS

Dissida made it to twelve with only 14 days of sales O_o

The Japanese are simply more technologically advanced, to the point that children and grandma's will have the knowledge to get full use of a PS3, unlike the west where only the true appreciater of technology will get full use of all the features. They UNDERSTAND the benefit of new technology over old tat in a white box. Making it easier to justify the extra initial cost.

Not to mention they appreciate the more arty, innovative games. Rather than the millions of 8-18 year olds blasting away at each other on ANOTHER generic FPS game on their (2nd / 3rd) 360's.

Nintendo, well them and Japan are like bacon and eggs, The Japanese were always going to lap up those cute little buggers! Nintendo cannot go wrong in Japan.

I almost have a problem with Monster hunter Freedom 2, I'm itching for MHFU, possibly more than Killzone 2. I cannot put Monster Hunter 2 Down, I play in the evening, I play in my lunch break, I play in my ciggy breaks, every day!

If you don't have or havent played monster Hunter 2 - go buy it.... NOW. If you don't have a PSP, Monster Hunter Freedom 2 justifies buying one. I haven't played anything else on my PSP for months!

My trip there recently showed me quite a few have jumped onto the 3d experience train, I'm curious now after seeing it pop up on the news over here too, but the 3d glasses thing is turning me off :S

i actually took my girlfriend to see "My Bloody Valentine 3D" at the weekend, also played with this new 3D tech at a small recent games show in the Midlands. Well last year recent.

It was SUPERB, the glasses are like light shades, with one lens slightly darker than the other, really no hassle to wear, unlike the cardboard red and green jobbies of the past.

Was really truely worrying when pickaxes were flying at the screen or the barrel of a shotgun comes right out at you, or my favourite, where some guys jaw flys right at you, this new 3D tech is the bollocks, really is.

Best thing is trying to read the credits without the glasses on! Impossible.

I've got my eye on this new 3D gear, shame i just got a nice big new HD LCD, will probably need a new one for 3D. Bugger.

Didn't I read that they reckon they'll be able to do this 3D schtick with the PS3? - I personally reckon it's the next thing in gaming, and in cinema.

If it's still playing, check out my bloody valentine, generic, gorey, brutal horror film, but in super awesome 3D.

Its already happeneing with PS3, the problem is buying enough of the bloody things for everyone watching to see the 3D effects ¬_¬ Otherwise the double vision could seriously damage thier eyes, lol

Monster Hunter tops Japan's 100 best-sellers list in '08, MGS4 best-selling PS3 game

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