PSP is Japan's best-selling console of 2010, Pokemon Black/White the top game

by JC Fletcher on Dec 29th 2010 9:30PM

You could probably guess the two best-selling games in Japan this year: Pokemon Black and White and Monster Hunter Portable 3rd. The DS monster collecting adventure and the PSP monster murder adventure sold 4,734,064 and 3,163,750 units respectively, according to a year-end report by ASCII. Monster Hunter managed to finish in second place after less than one month of sales -- it was released on December 1.

It should come as no surprise, given the blockbuster status of those two, that the DS and PSP were the best-selling hardware platforms in Japan as well. The PSP was the only console to show growth in sales versus 2009, selling 600,000 more consoles than the previous year. 2,719,544 DS systems were sold in 2010, down a million from 2009. Find out how other systems did, and see the rest of the top ten best-selling games, after the break.
Japanese hardware sales, 2010:

PSP -- 2,729,718
DS -- 2,719,544
Wii -- 1,592,563
PS3 -- 1,542,258
Xbox 360 -- 231,258
PS2 -- 83,030

Japanese software sales, 2010:

Pokemon Black/Pokemon White -- DS -- 4,734,064
Monster Hunter Portable 3rd -- PSP -- 3,163,750
New Super Mario Bros. Wii -- Wii -- 1,692,401
Wii Party -- Wii -- 1,385,541
Dragon Quest VI -- DS -- 1,354,841
Dragon Quest Monsters Joker 2 -- DS -- 1,305,750
Tomodachi Collection -- DS -- 1,112,298
Super Mario Galaxy 2 -- Wii -- 931,534
Inazuma Eleven 3 Spark/Bomber -- DS -- 930,580
Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep -- PSP -- 844,980

Via: 1UP
Source: ASCII

Tags: ascii, ds, japan, japanese-hardware-sales, microsoft, Monster-Hunter-Portable-3rd, nintendo, playstation, pokemon-black-and-white, ps3, psp, sony, xbox

Reader Comments (62)

Nothing really surprising, although I thought the DS would be over the PSP. I wonder what kind of margin of error this has.

@Sponge The PSP outsold the DS. Last week it outsold the DS just under 2:1, which put it about 50k ahead, and we're waiting for full number from Media Create.

@Sponge Well they are combining 2 generations of DS against 1 of PSP.

DSi and DS are separate generations of hardware.
DSi is more powerful, has exclusive games. It's as much a separate generation as Wii is from Gamecube, for the exact same reasons.

So PsP won out by a much larger margin than they are letting on.

@Extinction uh...no it's not.

@(Unverified) He's right in that they are separate platforms that are unrightfully combined (that DS number in the article is DSlite+DSi+DSiXL) with different hardware (the DSi does have more RAM, and two cameras). But he's wrong in that he's saying that it's a GameCube to Wii difference. It's much more Gameboy -> Gameboy Color deal.

@Extinction

Uh no, the DSi and DS lite are still both considered the same generation.

Just because the DSi has it's own set of games for download doesnt mean it's an entirely new generation. Both systems use the same library.

The DSi's specs were only increased (not by much) to improve current DS game performance rather than to support newer high end games.

@Extinction um NO. DSi and DS share the same game library. You don't see any games that say "Only compatible with DSi". They are both the same generations of hardware just like the PSP and PSP Slim n' Lite are the same generation

Holy hell. Are those MILLIONS!? AFTER 1 FREAKING MONTH!? Why do people even make games like Heavy Rain or Alan Wake? Just make games like Monster Hunter or Pokemon. From a buisness standpoint, that makes sense.

Jesus, normal games are lucky if they reach 2 million in a YEAR let alone 3.1 million in a MONTH. I still cant belive that.

@Billlop Japan is not the US.

@dagamer34

Who cares? Make a game japanese people like, sell it over there. 3.1 million is more than most games EVER see in WORLDWIDE sales. Let alone ONE MONTH sales for Japan only.

@Billlop People have been trying to copy Pokemon for around a decade with little success. The games are popular because there is a lot under the hood.

@Billlop
I would present a list of games and franchises that have tried to copy the success of Pokemon and Monster Hunter, but the list would be too long. The monster hunter side is a little shorter. Most recently I can think of God Eater and Lord of Arcana.

If you want to copy the success of Pokemon in the West you just make Call of Duty, and done.

@Lerkero

I guess so. Dynasty Warriors 7 will sell like hotcakes when its released in Japan. I seriously cant wait to see those numbers.

231,000 for the 360 yikes. It's not even like they don't have the right content nowadays either. Maybe they should start going after that eroge market

One time in Japan I sent next to this girl.. When she opened her legs I saw her Monster Hunter...

@cwinters2k8 Nice job making sense.

@cwinters2k8

Nice to see there are some really intelligent people left. You sir, could be the next Albert Einstein or Da Vinci. I salute you, brave trailblazer of our time! *wipes tear from eye*

@Billlop
crap. When I said this joke to my friends on MHtri they all laughed.. But in the real World i get down voted lol...Mayybe next time.

@cwinters2k8
This is not real life. This...IS THE INTERNET.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-r6BTWKWXk

I love you, PSP.

/hugs

@Ezio Auditore da Firenze

I love your PSP too.

/hugs

@Ezio Auditore da Firenze

I love my PSP too!

/hu.....errm

/blows dust off psp

/Hugs PSP

@Billlop If your PSP is dusty I'd hate to see any of your consoles.

@Ezio Auditore da Firenze
I love my PSP too.
*hugs*
Now let's play some LBP for the psp!

@Ezio Auditore da Firenze PSP is for idiots

@Ezio Auditore da Firenze

Add me to the PSP-loving camp. I've probably spent more hours playing games on my PSP this year than my PS3 (and easily more than the DS). Dead system my ass.

Monster Hunter, you are amazing.

How amazing is Monster Hunter? Amazing.

@FakeKevinButler

I didnt get that...exactly what is Monster Hunter?

@Billlop
It's...a popular video game series.

@The Only Girl

Really? I mean i have over 400 hours in MH Unite, but im still not sure what it is :P

My brain is about to explode.......WHO IS BUYING PS2?!

@Bumper
I bought one just the other day. Fun times will be had.

Never underestimate the power of Monster Hunter.

Man, that's a slim margin separating the DS and PSP. I also thought that the PS3 was outselling the Wii in Japan, but I guess I was wrong.

@A Sandwich Well they are combining 2 generations of DS against 1 of PSP.

DSi and DS are separate generations of hardware.
DSi is more powerful, has exclusive games. It's as much a separate generation as Wii is from Gamecube, for the exact same reasons.

So PSP won out by a much larger margin than they are letting on.

@Extinction

Just because you wrote it again doesnt mean your right. DSi is just a touch up of the DS, like the PSP Go and the PSP 2000 and the PSP before them.

The best game on psp isn't even top 10. poor ol Ys

The pokemon games are awesome, so they deserve it.

@Cheesus Crust *used to be awesome...

@Cheesus Crust
Its the same shit in a different package, one which was and IS still very entertaining.

Why is Xbox so far behind everything else?

@Yuglyoshi

Because Japan is Sony / Nintendo territory. They are Japanese companys. Microsoft is very American.

@Yuglyoshi

Simply put, it's because Microsoft is primarily a Western company, which gives them a few disadvantages. First, they don't have as much experience with what appeals to the Japanese as Nintendo and Sony, so their efforts aren't as effective. Secondly, Japan is fairly nationalistic when it comes to purchasing products (not all, but a good deal), which only complicates matters.

@Mr Fister Apple is huge in Japan. No one can crack Apples dominance on consumer gizmos including Japnese companies. So that's not it.

If MS had spent more time tweaking their hardware to avoid the RROD numbers this console gen would only be a race between Nintendo and MS.

So it goes.

@Jack Kevorkian

Totally unrelated, but do I smell a Slaughterhouse 5 reference?

Japan is indeed a strange, foreign place.

@garnsr

That, according to the top 10 games list, mostly likes great games. Monster Hunter, Pokemon, Kingdom Hearts, Dragon Quest ect. Better than the US or UK charts anyway. full of Just Dance and Call of Duty

@garnsr

Japan is the only country that makes sense to me actually. Probably why I prefer to live here.

they need to bring monster hunter to ps3/360

@GuardianLegend Monster Hunter Frontier was on the Xbox 360, sold good for a 360 title in Japan, but terribly for the franchise in general. A PS3/360 game built from the ground up would be no different. It would sell ok, but nothing compared to the PSP entries.

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Monster Hunter Freedom 3

PSP is Japan's best-selling console of 2010, Pokemon Black/White the top game

Reader Comments (62)

Posted: Dec 29th 2010 9:37PM Sponge said

Posted: Dec 29th 2010 10:24PM Takao said

Posted: Dec 29th 2010 11:15PM Extinction said

Posted: Dec 29th 2010 11:30PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Dec 29th 2010 11:47PM Takao said

Posted: Dec 30th 2010 6:21AM commenter7 said

Posted: Dec 30th 2010 5:59PM Narutogameking said

Posted: Dec 29th 2010 9:43PM Billlop said

Posted: Dec 29th 2010 9:47PM dagamer34 said

Posted: Dec 29th 2010 9:58PM Billlop said

Posted: Dec 29th 2010 10:05PM Jack Kevorkian said

Posted: Dec 29th 2010 10:15PM Lerkero said

Posted: Dec 29th 2010 10:34PM Billlop said

Posted: Dec 29th 2010 9:44PM Crayola Q Pants ESQ said

Posted: Dec 29th 2010 9:45PM cwinters2k8 said

Posted: Dec 29th 2010 10:16PM Carl1412 said

Posted: Dec 29th 2010 10:33PM Billlop said

Posted: Dec 29th 2010 10:56PM cwinters2k8 said

Posted: Dec 30th 2010 12:38AM The Only Girl said

Posted: Dec 29th 2010 9:47PM Ezio Auditore da Firenze said

Posted: Dec 29th 2010 10:00PM LoneWolf18 said

Posted: Dec 29th 2010 10:31PM Billlop said

Posted: Dec 29th 2010 11:51PM Takao said

Posted: Dec 30th 2010 12:59AM AltairtheAssassinwhokillstuff said

Posted: Dec 30th 2010 3:17AM Juri said

Posted: Dec 30th 2010 8:51AM Kevadu said

Posted: Dec 29th 2010 9:49PM FakeKevinButler said

Posted: Dec 29th 2010 9:59PM Billlop said

Posted: Dec 30th 2010 12:57AM The Only Girl said

Posted: Dec 30th 2010 7:17AM Billlop said

Posted: Dec 29th 2010 9:58PM Bumper said

Posted: Dec 30th 2010 12:57AM The Only Girl said

Posted: Dec 29th 2010 9:59PM Diemer said

Posted: Dec 29th 2010 10:00PM A Sandwich said

Posted: Dec 29th 2010 11:16PM Extinction said

Posted: Dec 29th 2010 11:51PM jph89 said

Posted: Dec 29th 2010 10:00PM Cleric said

Posted: Dec 29th 2010 10:16PM Cheesus Crust said

Posted: Dec 29th 2010 11:17PM Extinction said

Posted: Dec 30th 2010 12:09AM Cheesus Crust said

Posted: Dec 29th 2010 10:23PM Yuglyoshi said

Posted: Dec 29th 2010 10:28PM Billlop said

Posted: Dec 29th 2010 10:58PM Mr Fister said

Posted: Dec 29th 2010 11:57PM Jack Kevorkian said

Posted: Dec 30th 2010 12:09AM Xiegfried said

Posted: Dec 29th 2010 10:26PM garnsr said

Posted: Dec 29th 2010 10:29PM Billlop said

Posted: Dec 29th 2010 11:21PM SprSynJn said

Posted: Dec 29th 2010 11:19PM GuardianLegend said

Posted: Dec 29th 2010 11:49PM Takao said

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