Joystiq

Japanese hardware sales, 21 August - 27 August: dear diary edition

Ludwig Kietzmann — 2006-09-01T19:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Nintendo DS, Nintendo GameCube, Sony PlayStation 2, Sony PSP, Microsoft Xbox, Microsoft Xbox 360

1 September, 2006

Dear Diary,

Today Joystiq posted the Japanese hardware sales charts and, oh em gee, it was so crazy. My Nintendo was at the very top and the only other thing that had a green arrow was that big Xbox. Totally weird. I can't wait to show my friend Allan the numbers. He has one, but he only got it because of that game where the girls punch each other in bikinis. He's such a pervert, but I'm glad he's been hanging out with me every day since last week. We've been listening to Ayumi Hamasaki non-stop, I'm surprised he hasn't complained.

I have to feed the hamster.

Oh, and here's the ranking, according to number of units that have totally been sold:

- DS Lite: 163,274 88,779 (119.17%)
- PSP: 29,945 11,590 (27.90%)
- PS2: 21,829 5,004 (18.65%)
- GBA SP: 2,719 1,104 (28.88%)
- Game Boy Micro: 1,819 447 (19.73%)
- Xbox 360: 1,197 296 (19.83%)
- Gamecube: 837 85 (9.22%)
- DS Phat: 410 302 (42.42%)
- GBA: 14 6 (30.00%)
- Xbox: 12 5 (71.43%)

[Source: Media Create]

Previous diary entries follow in the second part of the post.

31 August, 2006

Dear Diary,

Sometimes, I like it when Allan's this quiet. He looks so peaceful sitting in the corner of my room, without moving and without playing those silly pranks. It's good to have a friend that won't ever just leave you. He smells funny, though.

I read on Joystiq that there's a pink PSP coming out. It's like they read my mind! It's not because there haven't been any games I'm interested in or anything like that. I just refuse to play games on a machine that's not pretty. I would never have played Brain Training if it wasn't for the Pink Nintendo.

Reminder: Joystiq posting sales numbers tomorrow!

27 August, 2006

Dear Diary,

My Nintendog is so stupid. I keep telling him to sit down but he just won't listen. Even my Aibo was more obedient before I accidentally trampled him in a furious session of DDR (MAXX Unlimited on Heavy). I'm just going to let him starve and become a little pile of bones. It's not like he's real or anything.

It looks like Allan just nodded (he's still visiting!) so I guess he agrees.

25 August, 2006

Dear Diary,

I was so mad today. I came home from school and I saw Allan playing with my Nintendo. You know what he did? He erased my Final Fantasy III save! I had 99 elixirs and level 42 characters! So I took my old Nintendo (the phat one) and beat him to death with it. I'm just going to let him slump in the corner of my room until I'm done with the game.

I have to feed the hamster.

24 August, 2006

Dear Diary,

What a day! I stood in a line for 6 hours to get Final Fantasy III for the DS. My friend Allan came with me, but I noticed that almost all of the people in my class came to get a copy. I saw Ayumi somewhere behind me in the line. I think she has a PSP and she's probably just copying me (again!). Anyway, I'm going to play the game now. I hope it's good!

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Japanese hardware sales, 10 July - 16 July: rapid weight gain

Ludwig Kietzmann — 2006-07-21T22:25:00+00:00

Filed under: Nintendo DS, Nintendo GameCube, Sony PlayStation 2, Sony PSP, Microsoft Xbox, Microsoft Xbox 360

It seems Japanese gamers are still maliciously toying with the original DS, kicking it to the bottom of the charts one week and hoisting it back up again the next. Shortages and a shifting focus to the Lite are likely to blame, but we can't help but picture a somewhat nervous and haggard DS Phat staring into a cracked mirror, contemplating whether people want him ... or just want him dead. The ranking, according to number of units sold:

- DS Lite: 140,858 8,596 (5.75%)
- PSP: 35,283 3,324 (10.40%)
- PS2: 23,927 595 (2.55%)
- DS Phat: 11,821 10,812 (1071.56%)
- GBA SP: 2,619 199 (7.06%)
- Game Boy Micro: 1,581 202 (14.65%)
- Xbox 360: 1,105 505 (31.37%)
- Gamecube: 928 6 (0.64%)
- GBA: 28 8 (40.00%)
- Xbox: 10 3 (23.08%)

The PSP continues to do well this week (despite boasting only half as many screens as its main competitor) while the Xbox 360 takes a bit of a tumble. The latter system's fortunes continue to look glum in Japan, a situation that could easily be reversed by one ingenious move -- releasing the console in pink. What else have they got to lose?

[Source: Media Create]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Japanese hardware sales, 3 July - 9 July: paging Rod Serling

Ludwig Kietzmann — 2006-07-14T22:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Nintendo DS, Nintendo GameCube, Sony PlayStation 2, Sony PSP, Microsoft Xbox, Microsoft Xbox 360

There are times when reading the Japanese sales charts can be a decidedly odd and disturbing experience, as if your mind suddenly becomes aware that all is not right in the universe. Like a homicidal clown lurking in a dark corner, this week's situation is certainly amusing, but it's not something you want to come into contact with on a regular basis. It's just wrong. The ranking, according to number of units sold:

- DS Lite: 149,454 4,112 (2.68%)
- PSP: 31,959 6,024 (23.23%)
- PS2: 23,332 199 (0.86%)
- GBA SP: 2,818 101 (3.46%)
- Xbox 360: 1,610 287 (15.13%)
- Game Boy Micro: 1,379 64 (4.44%)
- DS Phat: 1,009 2,495 (71.20%)
- Gamecube: 934 68 (6.79%)
- GBA: 20 3 (17.65%)
- Xbox: 13 5 (62.50%)

Looking at the opposite ends of the list is like glancing into the cackling face of madness (it bears a vague resemblance to Groucho Marx). The DS Lite endures a minor slip, its older sibling takes a complete fall down a set of stairs and the original Xbox experiences the biggest improvement percentage-wise out of the whole lot. Did we enter into some sort of zone where normal things don't happen very often?

[Source: Media Create]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Japanese hardware sales, 19 June - 25 June: the bigger they are

Ludwig Kietzmann — 2006-06-30T15:25:00+00:00

Filed under: Nintendo DS, Nintendo GameCube, Sony PlayStation 2, Sony PSP, Microsoft Xbox, Microsoft Xbox 360

... the harder they fall. The Japanese population's brief rekindling of their romance with the DS Phat, showing a massive 1559% increase in sales last week, seems to have died out for now. Our obese friend takes the sharpest fall this week, with slimmer, trimmer machines like the Game Boy Micro and DS Lite faring better. The ranking, according to number of units sold:

- DS Lite: 157,022 15,535 (10.98%)
- PS2: 25,467 4,730 (22.81%)
- PSP: 24,737 84 (0.34%)
- DS Phat: 10,132 12,616 (55.46%)
- GBA SP: 3,784 858 (18.48%)
- Game Boy Micro: 1,502 208 (16.07%)
- Gamecube: 1,197 195 (19.46%)
- Xbox 360: 1,169 238 (16.92%)
- GBA: 25 5 (25.00%)
- Xbox: 10 5 (33.33%)

The rest of the chart seems intentionally unremarkable, with the Lite reigning on top and the spinless Xbox sweeping the ground floor. Very soon, it will be expected to clean up the explosion of confetti and glitter accompanying the launch of the Noble Pink DS Lite.

[Source: Media Create]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Japanese sales charts, May 29-June 4: Mario on top again

Jennie Lees — 2006-06-09T06:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Nintendo DS, Action, Adventure

New Super Mario Bros is still going strong at the top of the Japanese sales charts this week. With over 330,000 sales -- well over a million, cumulatively -- the title's dominance has well and truly whipped the rest of the charts into submission, with only a small amount of reshuffling since last week:

1. New Super Mario Bros. [DS]
2. Brain Age 2 (Kahashima Ryuuta Kyouju Kanshuu: Motto Nouo Kitaeru Otona DS) [DS]
3. Brain Age: Train your Brain in Minutes a Day (Kahashima Ryuuta Kyouju no Nouo Kitaeru Otona DS Training) [DS]
4. Metroid Prime Hunters [DS]
5. World Soccer Winning Eleven 10 [PS2]
6. Tetris DS [DS]
7. Animal Crossing: Wild World [DS]
8. Eigo ga Nigate na Otona no DS Training: Eigo Duke [DS]
9. Jikkyou Powerful Major League [PS2]
10. Dragon Quest & Final Fantasy in Itadaki Street Portable [PSP]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Japanese sales charts, May 22-28: New Super Mario dominates

Jennie Lees — 2006-06-02T10:28:00+00:00

Filed under: Nintendo DS, Business

Last week we saw the .hack franchise dominating the Japanese charts, but it's all change this week as newcomer New Super Mario Bros. flattens all competition. Just shy of 900,000 sales, it's exceeded the sales of the rest of the top ten combined -- and probably the rest of the top forty.

1. New Super Mario Bros. [DS]
2. Brain Age 2 (Kahashima Ryuuta Kyouju Kanshuu: Motto Nouo Kitaeru Otona DS) [DS]
3. Brain Age: Train your Brain in Minutes a Day (Kahashima Ryuuta Kyouju no Nouo Kitaeru Otona DS Training) [DS]
4. Dragon Quest & Final Fantasy in Itadaki Street Portable [PSP]
5. Tetris DS [DS]
6. KimiKiss [PS2]
7. World Soccer Winning Eleven 10 [PS2]
8. Eigo ga Nigate na Otona no DS Training: Eigo Duke [DS]
9. Animal Crossing: Wild World [DS]
10. Jikkyou Powerful Major League [PS2]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Japanese sales charts, May 15-21: .hack on top

Jennie Lees — 2006-05-26T09:02:00+00:00

Filed under: Business

This week a new release has sped straight to the top of the chart -- .hack//GU Vol 1: Saitan (Rebirth in the west) dominates the charts with over 90,000 sales. There are two forthcoming sequels in this branch of the popular .hack franchise, though we have to wonder if Bandai will release a corresponding tie-in MMO.

1. .hack//GU Vol 1: Saitan [PS2]
2. Brain Age 2 (Kahashima Ryuuta Kyouju Kanshuu: Motto Nouo Kitaeru Otona DS) [DS]
3. Tetris DS [DS]
4. Brain Age: Train your Brain in Minutes a Day (Kahashima Ryuuta Kyouju no Nouo Kitaeru Otona DS Training) [DS]
5. World Soccer Winning Eleven 10 [PS2]
6. Animal Crossing: Wild World [DS]
7. Jikkyou Powerful Major League [PS2]
8. Eigo ga Nigate na Otona no DS Training: Eigo Duke [DS]
9. Pokémon Ranger [DS]
10. Mario Kart DS [DS]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments