Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 6/30-7/6]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/11/another-week-in-japan-hardware-and-software-numbers-6-30-7-6/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/11/another-week-in-japan-hardware-and-software-numbers-6-30-7-6/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/11/another-week-in-japan-hardware-and-software-numbers-6-30-7-6/#commentsFiled under:

The most recent Japanese charts showed us that musical instruments have more legs than horses, as Band Brothers DX jumped up into the first place spot. Meanwhie, Nanashi no Game made its debut in the top ten, but only sold a total of 30,000 copies.

Hardware sales were also interesting, as the DS stubbornly held onto the second spot:
  • PSP: 56,439 (2,442)
  • Nintendo DS: 47,455 (1,429)
  • Wii: 44,525 (3,955)
  • PlayStation 3: 14,359 (3,614)
  • PlayStation 2: 11,768 ( 4,095)
  • Xbox 360: 4,776 (328)
With the Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G craze finally starting to quiet a bit, we don't think it will be too long before the PSP dips closer to DS sales (as long as Nintendo's handheld can maintain its own momentum). Enough about the future, though -- it's all about the now. So, go on and see how software fared last week in Japan by clicking past the break.

Continue reading Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 6/30-7/6

JoystiqAnother Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 6/30-7/6 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 11 Jul 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3rd-phantom7-islands-adventureanother-week-in-japanband-brothers-dxbatonnagebeautiful-letter-trainingbimoji-trainingbleachbokura-ha-kaseki-holderbokura-no-tv-gamebokura-no-tv-game-kenteicalligraphy-trainingchartsdaigasso-band-brothersderby-stalliongamesaleshigurashi-no-naku-korujapanlets-make-a-pro-baseball-teammario-kartmario-kart-dsmedia-createnanashi-no-gamenew-super-mario-brospokemonpokemon-diamondpokemon-rangerpokemon-ranger-batonnagetaiko-drum-mastertaiko-no-tatsujinFri, 11 Jul 2008 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 6/16-6/22]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/27/another-week-in-japan-hardware-and-software-numbers-6-16-6-22/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/27/another-week-in-japan-hardware-and-software-numbers-6-16-6-22/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/27/another-week-in-japan-hardware-and-software-numbers-6-16-6-22/#commentsFiled under:

The DS found itself back in cozy old third place in this week's chart, as the hype from Metal Gear Solid 4 died down a bit in Japan:
  • PSP: 59,531 (5,325)
  • Wii: 41,037 (4,527)
  • NDS: 36,599 (2,602)
  • PS3: 20,336 (54,975)
  • PS2: 6,346 (951)
  • Xbox 360: 2,555 (392)
Meanwhile, Let's Make a Pro Baseball Team's steady climb back into the top ten makes us wonder if supply just wasn't meeting demand a few weeks earlier, when the game fell out of the top thirty.

Yet overall, the DS had a relatively boring week in terms of software, with no exciting new releases to congratulate or poke fun at (unless you consider the budget-priced re-release of Puyo Puyo 15th Anniversary "exciting" and "new").

If you want to see what Japanese gamers were buying last week, though, just click on past the break.

Continue reading Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 6/16-6/22

JoystiqAnother Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 6/16-6/22 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 27 Jun 2008 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>7-islands-adventureanother-week-in-japanbatonnagebeautiful-letter-trainingbimoji-trainingcalligraphy-trainingchartsdiamondempty-space-trainingendless-frontierevangeliongamesaleshisshou-pachinkojapankyoto-murder-fileslets-make-a-pro-baseball-teammario-kartmario-kart-dsmedia-createmisa-yamamura-suspensemore-toeic-testnew-super-mario-brosnsmbpokemonpokemon-diamondpokemon-rangerpokemon-ranger-batonnagepuyo-puyosuper-robot-wars-og-sagataikotaiko-drum-mastertaiko-no-tatsujinwe-are-fossil-diggersFri, 27 Jun 2008 11:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 6/9-6/15]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/20/another-week-in-japan-hardware-and-software-numbers-6-9-6-15/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/20/another-week-in-japan-hardware-and-software-numbers-6-9-6-15/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/20/another-week-in-japan-hardware-and-software-numbers-6-9-6-15/#commentsFiled under:

Just as we were starting to get comfortable with the DS coming in third consistently on the Japanese hardware charts, Metal Gear Solid 4 came out and helped push our favorite handheld down to fourth. Fourth! Meaning, it only did better than the PS2 and 360. Snaaaaaaaaaaaaaaake!

DS hardware did get a little boost, though, despite the fact that not much new software made its way into the charts:
  • Playstation 3: 75,311 (64,455)
  • PSP: 64,675 (2,659)
  • Wii: 45,564 (925)
  • Nintendo DS: 39,201 (4,181)
  • PlayStation 2: 7,297 (1,018)
  • Xbox 360: 2,163 (117)
There were some surprises this week, as Let's Make a Pro Baseball Team! found itself back in the top thirty (so did Pokémon Diamond). But, you can just see all the hot software action for yourself after the break.

Continue reading Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 6/9-6/15

JoystiqAnother Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 6/9-6/15 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 20 Jun 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We're crying for Namco Bandai's Tears of 99 right now, as the game debuted in the twenty-third spot this week. We guess Japanese gamers just didn't feel like being bummed out, and therefore avoided buying this original title. Sad, indeed.

The rest of DS software didn't do so hot, either. Detective game Misa Yamamura Suspense premiered in fifth, and Beautiful Letter Training continues to sell incredibly well for a nongame about calligraphy, but otherwise sales were a disappointment. Front Mission 2089 and Endless Frontier: Super Robot Wars OG Saga are already showing a lack of legs, since both of the games dropped considerably from the previous week. Glory of Herakles and Let's Make a Pro Baseball Team! have even fallen out of the top thirty completely.

Hardware is the same old story:
  • PSP: 62,016 (9,970)
  • Wii: 44,639 (6,212)
  • Nintendo DS: 35,020 (3,335)
  • PlayStation 3: 10,856 (1,687)
  • PlayStation 2: 6,279 (924)
  • Xbox 360: 2,280 (321)
Check out all the software numbers and rankings for yourself, should you feel so inclined. They're listed after the break.

Continue reading Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 6/2-6/8

JoystiqAnother Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 6/2-6/8 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 13 Jun 2008 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>7-islands-adventure99-no-namidaanother-week-in-japanbatonnagebeautiful-letter-trainingbimoji-trainingborder-of-madnesscalligraphy--trainingchartsempty-space-trainingendless-frontierfront-mission-2089gamesalesjapankyoto-murder-filesmario-kartmedia-createmisa-yamamura-suspensenew-super-mario-brosnsmbpokemonpokemon-rangerpokemon-ranger-batonnageriddle-trainingsuper-robot-wars-og-sagataiko-drum-mastertaiko-no-tatsujintears-of-99tottadowe-are-fossil-diggersyowikos-deserted-island-lifeFri, 13 Jun 2008 11:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 5/19-5/25]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/30/another-week-in-japan-hardware-and-software-numbers-5-19-5-25/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/30/another-week-in-japan-hardware-and-software-numbers-5-19-5-25/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/30/another-week-in-japan-hardware-and-software-numbers-5-19-5-25/#commentsFiled under:

After a somewhat stalwart week, DS software recovered nicely and once again dominated the charts. Even though the same amount of games appeared in the top thirty (fifteen in total), they ranked higher on average than they did in the previous week. Good software sales also gave DS hardware a little boost:
  • PSP: 64,449 (6,087)
  • Wii: 49,047 (7,475)
  • Nintendo DS: 37,404 (2,499)
  • PlayStation 3: 9.071 (1,370)
  • PlayStation 2: 7,189 (167)
  • Xbox 360: 1,947 (473)
Four new games debuted in the top thirty, including Sega's Let's Make a Pro Baseball Team!, which nabbed the first place spot from Monster Hunter. The other three games were Glory of Herakles, Scarlet Fragment, and Tea Dogs Room 3. Herakles (or Hercules, if you prefer) is the title that sparks our interest the most, as it's an interesting RPG published by Nintendo. Even so, it's first week sales were (unfortunately) subpar, yet good enough to land it in the top ten.

Check out the sales numbers and rankings for yourself after the break.

Continue reading Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 5/19-5/25

JoystiqAnother Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 5/19-5/25 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 May 2008 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Didja hear? Doctor Who is back from the future to save the DS in Europe! Hurray!

Haha. Not really. In fact, even though Top Trumps: Doctor Who is the only new Nintendo DS game to appear in a European chart this week, it still only managed a risible 33rd spot in the UK. Still, that should keep you David Tennant fans happy, and we even included a shot of Dave to aid your celebrations. Aren't we nice?

Aside from that, it's the usual tiresome faces, which means lots of Professor Kawashima and ... actually not so much of Mario and Sonic. Yep, there's no doubt about it: the pair's Olympics game is slowly dropping off the pace, appearing in only two top tens this week.

As usual, hit the break to peruse the charts, though please accept our profuse apologies for the lack of an Irish top ten.

Continue reading Another Week in Europe

JoystiqAnother Week in Europe originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 24 May 2008 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The spotlight this week is on Luminous Arc 2: Will, a game that has yet to be confirmed for English language localization. While we're forced to sit and wait jealously, though, forty thousand Japanese gamers ran out and bought the title. Only falling behind the juggernauts Monster Hunter and Mario Kart Wii (and almost squeezing past Nintendo's racer), Image Epoch's SRPG debuted pretty impressively.

In other sales news, the announcement for another Professor Layton game in Japan managed to push the first title in the series back into the top thirty. Aside from that, there weren't any differences in DS software worth mentioning.

In terms of hardware, the numbers for the DS weren't so hot. In fact, we don't remember the sales numbers for Nintendo's handheld ever being this low in Japan. With everyone and their mother already owning a DS in the country, does the system still have room for growth? We won't know for sure until the next big software push, but for now it looks like the dual-screened handheld should get comfy in that third place spot.
  • PSP: 70,536 (19,348)
  • Wii: 41,572 (25,736)
  • Nintendo DS: 34,905 (16,323)
  • PlayStation 3: 7,701 (353)
  • PlayStation 2: 7,022 (442)
  • Xbox 360: 1,474 (176)
The software numbers are located after the break, so go on and take a look. They won't bite!*

*DS Fanboy claims no responsibility for those who get bitten by our sales figures.

Continue reading Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 5/12-5/18

JoystiqAnother Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 5/12-5/18 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 23 May 2008 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hey, you! No, not the guy on the next screen along with the muffin -- you. That's right. You a European? You are? Great! So let's hear it: why have we just checked the latest European charts and found that Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney charted absolutely nowhere? If yours truly can summon up the the effort to scour the high street give his credit card details to an online retailer, you can do the same! No wonder Capcom seems to be thinking twice about releasing Trials and Tribulations here.

And now look what you've done! There are bits of Brain Training and Mario and Sonic everywhere! Eww.

Continue reading Another Week in Europe

JoystiqAnother Week in Europe originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 17 May 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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There's no new DS software in the top of the charts to report this week, but that doesn't mean Nintendo's little handheld didn't completely clean house. In fact, nineteen of the top thirty were DS games, showing how gluttonous the dual-screened portable can get when it comes to sales. Some old favorites also popped back up around the bottom, including Brain Age 2, Animal Crossing, and the original Taiko Drum Master DS.

Hardware continues to be a struggle, though. That doesn't mean the DS is doing poorly, because it's not; sales for the handheld even jumped up almost 10,000 units since last week. However, since the PSP and Wii have been doing so well lately, it's hard for Nintendo's handheld to compete:
  • PSP: 89,884
  • Wii: 67,308
  • Nintendo DS: 51,228
  • PlayStation 3: 8,054
  • PlayStation 2: 7,464
  • Xbox 360: 1,298
We have no doubt that the DS will be on top again soon enough, but until then, you can check out the satisfactory software numbers posted after the break.

Continue reading Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 5/5-5/11

JoystiqAnother Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 5/5-5/11 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 16 May 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>7-islands-adventureanimal-crossinganother-week-in-japanbatonnagebeautiful-letter-trainingbimoji-trainingbrain-age-2calligraphy-trainingchartscrayon-shin-chanemblem-of-gundamgamesaleshitman-rebornjapankanji-brain-testmario-and-sonicmario-partymedia-createnarutonew-super-mario-brospokemonpokemon-rangerpokemon-ranger-batonnagesim-city-2taikotaiko-drum-mastertaiko-no-tatsujinwe-are-fossil-diggerswe-are-fossil-holdersyattermanyowikos-deserted-island-lifeFri, 16 May 2008 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 4/28-5/4]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/09/another-week-in-japan-hardware-and-software-numbers-4-28-5-4/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/09/another-week-in-japan-hardware-and-software-numbers-4-28-5-4/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/09/another-week-in-japan-hardware-and-software-numbers-4-28-5-4/#commentsFiled under:

We realized today that we don't know Japan as well as we thought we did. With our reasoning, a new Gundam game + the popularity of the DS = cha-ching. While the debuting Emblem of Gundam had decent sales for its first week, though, taking the twelfth spot isn't all that impressive -- especially since there was only one new release cluttering up the top ten.

On the other hand, We're Fossil Diggers, Pokemon Ranger, and the Taiko Drum Master DS sequel continued to shine, giving the DS a nice piece of top ten representation. Batonnage managed to reach the half-million mark, while the other two games neared 100,000 copies sold.

For hardware, DS numbers went up since last week, but the handheld is still convincingly behind the PSP and Wii in recent sales. If you want to see the numbers, though, just click past the break. You can check out the software listings there, too.

Continue reading Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 4/28-5/4

JoystiqAnother Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 4/28-5/4 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 09 May 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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For a continent that gave the world tiramisu, Audrey Tautou, and the Renaissance, Europe sure does disappoint us at times. Yep, it's another week of gray, predictable drudgery when it comes to sales of DS software.

All you truly need to know is that More Mario & Dr. Kawashima's Olympics Training sold really, really well, and almost everything we care about didn't. Except for Animal Crossing: Wild World, which popped in to the German top ten, and Mario Kart DS, which secured eighth place in Ireland, and fifth in Germany. So maybe the world isn't all that rubbish, after all. And if you really believe that, we advise you go and rent Eurotrip.

Continue reading Another Week in Europe

JoystiqAnother Week in Europe originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 03 May 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Featuring charts from across the region, Another Week in Europe documents the buying habits and quirky tastes of a whole continent of DS lovers.

It's business as usual for the DS in Euroland, where Brain Training and Mario & Sonic have once again ruthlessly harvested the wallets of gullible (probably non-DS Fanboy-reading) consumers. We would love to suggest that this madness will end soon, but Brain Training has been around these parts for almost two years now, while the for-real Olympics will surely only boost people's interest in assaulting their DS's poor touch screen. In a word: gah.

More pleasingly, there's been a mini-renaissance for (of all games) Mario Kart DS. Sales of the game rose in the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, and Sweden, and we're pinning this sudden rebirth on the success of Mario Kart Wii, which continues to run down the opposition at an alarming pace. Then reverse back over it, just to make sure.

More charts await your attention past the break, though we're sorry to say that the Spanish top ten is taking a siesta this week (see what we did there?). With any luck, it'll be back next Saturday.

Continue reading Another Week in Europe

JoystiqAnother Week in Europe originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 26 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Something caused a Phoenix Wright sales revival, and we suspect it was the Gyakuten Meets Orchestra concert (which was also a Gyakuten Kenji hype event). Both the first and second Gyakuten Saiban games for the DS ended up in the top thirty this week.

Newcomer We're Fossil Diggers (a second-party effort by RED Entertainment that actually sounds really fun, at least to the dinosaur lovers in us) deserves all the glory, though. Debuting at third place, this unique piece of software did rather well for itself in its first week.

Besides the same old games that have been showing up in the charts for the past few weeks, the other notable is Square-Enix's dull-sounding bookkeeping game. It seems like a rather niche title to end up in the top thirty, but who knows -- maybe a lot of Japanese folks are getting ready to take the Level 3 Bookkeeping exam. Or, maybe they just can't resist a game by the beloved Squeenix.

To see all the placings and numbers for yourselves, just click on past the break.

Continue reading Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 4/14-4/20

JoystiqAnother Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 4/14-4/20 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 25 Apr 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ace-attorneyanimal-crossingbookkeepingcrayon-shin-chanfossilgundamgyakuten-saibangyakuten-saiban-2harvest-moonjustice-for-allkanji-brain-testkaseki-horidaamario-and-sonicmario-kartmario-partymobile-suit-gundam-00new-super-mario-brosnsmbphoenix-wrightred-entertainmentshining-sun-and-friendssim-city-2square-enixtaikotaiko-drum-mastertaiko-no-tatsujintottadowe-are-fossil-diggeswe-are-fossil-holderswild-worldyowikos-deserted-island-lifeFri, 25 Apr 2008 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 4/7-4/13]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/18/another-week-in-japan-hardware-and-software-numbers-4-7-4-13/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/18/another-week-in-japan-hardware-and-software-numbers-4-7-4-13/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/18/another-week-in-japan-hardware-and-software-numbers-4-7-4-13/#commentsFiled under:

In a strange turn of events, there's only one new DS game in Japan's top thirty this week, and that's Oshiri Kajiri Mushi's Rhythm Lesson DS. In case that title doesn't ring a bell, you may know it better as "that butt-biting bug game." If there's one thing we've learned from this bug, it's that biting is serious business. Despite Japan's love for DS software and quirky rhythm games, though, Oshiri Kajiri Mushi only debuted in the eighteenth spot. Perhaps butt biting is even too weird for Japan?

In hardware, the DS fell behind the PSP once again. Yet, there's already signs of the Monster Hunter hype beginning to dwindle, as the PSP sold 35,000 less units than the week before. Will the new brown model that comes out next week help the PSP keep a wide lead, or will the gap start to narrow again between the two handhelds? We're looking forward to finding out!

To see the Japanese placings and numbers, just check after the break.

Continue reading Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 4/7-4/13

JoystiqAnother Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 4/7-4/13 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 18 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Featuring charts from across the region, Another Week in Europe documents the buying habits and quirky tastes of a whole continent of DS lovers.

Old Kawashima's not wrong, you know -- well, as far as the DS goes anyway. Y'see, Europe is all about Gran Turismo 5: Prologue this week, but when it comes to Nintendo's handheld, the not-for-profits Prof (along with Mario & Sonic) is making sure no other DS game gets a look-in. Oh sure, you have your Cooking Mama 2s and New Super Mario Bros.s sniffing around the fringes and occasionally racking up a top ten spot, but other than that, there's little resistance. So here's to next week, when hopefully Assassin's Creed: Altair's Chronicles will make a dent in this tedium.

Oh, and if you're reading, Germany: Who Wants to be a Millionaire? Seriously?

Continue reading Another Week in Europe

JoystiqAnother Week in Europe originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 12 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony dominated the first (and last) five in the top thirty software chart, but aside from that, everything else was Nintendo. The DS had fifteen games to represent it, but even if you added up the sales numbers for all those games, the total wouldn't come close to what Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G sold in its second week.

Pokemon Ranger: Batonnage was once again the best-selling DS game, but newcomer Tottado! Yowiko's Deserted Island Life (which is about famous Japanese comedians being stranded on an island) did well, also. In hardware, the DS was crushed for the second week in a row by the PSP, which had its sales boosted by Monster Hunter and Star Ocean 2.

Hardware:
  • PSP: 120,964
  • Nintendo DS: 55,190
  • Wii: 44,618
  • PlayStation 3: 11,303
  • PlayStation 2: 10,423
  • Xbox 360: 1,452
To see the software listings, just check after the break.

Continue reading Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 3/31-4/6

JoystiqAnother Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 3/31-4/6 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 11 Apr 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>animal-crossinganother-week-in-japanbeautiful-letter-trainingbimoji-trainingcalligraphy-trainingcase-closedchartscrayon-shin-changamesalesgundam-00harvest-moonmario-and-sonicmario-kartmario-partymedia-createmissing-professor-and-the-puzzling-towermobile-suit-gundam-00new-super-mario-brosnsmbpokemonpokemon-ranger-batonnagesalesseeking-the-lost-planetshining-sun-and-friendssim-city-2taikotaiko-drum-mastertaiko-no-tatsujintime-hollowtottadowild-worldyowikos-deserted-island-lifeFri, 11 Apr 2008 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Another Week in Europe]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/05/another-week-in-europe/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/05/another-week-in-europe/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/05/another-week-in-europe/#commentsFiled under:

Featuring charts from across the region, Another Week in Europe documents the buying habits and quirky tastes of a whole continent of DS lovers.

After a gray, unrelenting winter (for most of us in the unglamorous northern bits, anyway), the clocks went forward for Europe earlier this week, which we suppose means we're now fully immersed in spring (hence the daffodils, you see -- we really think long and hard about those pictures). Fittingly, the European sales charts are full of the joys of spring themselves!

Wait, no, hold on, we're lying again. Must stop lying. In reality, they're still pretty much unchanged from last week, with the one notable exception being Magic Made Fun (known as Master of Illusion in the U.S.) which debuted on the continent this week, where it reached 8th in Germany, and 7th in Spain -- we expected a little more from this sorcery sim, considering its catch-all appeal.

Anyhow, here's to April, when Assassin's Creed, Draglade, and The World Ends With You should arrive to help shake things up. Make the jump for this week's charts.

Continue reading Another Week in Europe

JoystiqAnother Week in Europe originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 05 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>animal-crossinganother-week-in-europebrain-trainingdenmarkeuropegermanyirelandmagic-made-funmario-and-sonicmario-kart-dsmario-partymaster-of-illusionmaths-trainingmore-brain-trainingnetherlandsnew-super-mario-brospalspainswedenukSat, 05 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 3/24-3/30]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/04/another-week-in-japan-hardware-and-software-numbers-3-24-3-30/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/04/another-week-in-japan-hardware-and-software-numbers-3-24-3-30/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/04/another-week-in-japan-hardware-and-software-numbers-3-24-3-30/#commentsFiled under:

The PSP might have dominated in Japan, selling as much hardware last week as every other system combined, but that doesn't mean the DS didn't do well for itself. In fact, Nintendo's handheld came in second place, selling around 60,000 units.

The story is similar in software, as DS titles came no where near to matching the sales of Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G, yet there was still a lot of DS representation in the top thirty, as usual. New titles rleased last week that made the cut include Mobile Suit Gundam 00, which debuted in third, Vitamin X Evolution, Lux Pain, and Home Teacher Hitman Reborn!

Towards the bottom of the software chart, New Super Mario Bros. reappeared while Taiko Drum Master hung stubbornly onto the thirtieth spot. To see how other games were rearranged, just check after the break for the listings.

Continue reading Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 3/24-3/30

JoystiqAnother Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 3/24-3/30 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>another-week-in-japanbatonnagebeautiful-letter-trainingbimoji-trainingcalligraphy-trainingchartscrayon-shin-changamesalesgundam-00harvest-moonhome-teacher-hitman-rebornjapanlux-painmario-and-sonicmario-kartmario-partymedia-createmobile-suit-gundam-00new-super-mario-brosnsmbpokemonpokemon-rangerpokemon-ranger-2pokemon-ranger-batonnagesalesseeking-the-lost-pastshining-sun-and-friendssim-city-2taikotaiko-drum-mastertaiko-no-tatsujintime-hollowvitamin-xvitamin-x-evolutionvongole-battle-diceFri, 04 Apr 2008 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Another Week in Europe]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/22/another-week-in-europe/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/22/another-week-in-europe/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/22/another-week-in-europe/#commentsFiled under:

Featuring charts from across the region, Another Week in Europe documents the buying habits and quirky tastes of a whole continent of Wii lovers.

Germany, we salute you! This week's chart from the land of the brätwurst will make excellent reading for Nintendo of Europe. Not only is Super Mario Galaxy showing it has legs by making an appearance in the top ten, but the top nine -- NINE! -- spots are occupied by DS titles. The presence of New Super Mario Bros., Mario Kart DS, and Animal Crossing Wild World speaks volumes for the proud German people. With all of this in mind, a picture of one of Germany's favorite icons seemed like the only appropriate image for this week's edition of Another Week in Europe. Plus, we totally love Knight Rider.

Elsewhere, there's a significant DS presence in the UK, Irish, and Dutch charts, while Baby Pals could only crawl to a humbling 25th spot in Britain. Suddenly, everything seems right with the world. Full charts (minus the Spanish one, which failed to materialize this week) await you after the break.

Continue reading Another Week in Europe

JoystiqAnother Week in Europe originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 22 Mar 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>animal-crossinganother-week-in-europedenmarkeuropegermanyirelandmario-kartnetherlandsnew-super-mario-brospalswedenukSat, 22 Mar 2008 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 3/10-3/16]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/21/another-week-in-japan-hardware-and-software-numbers-3-10-3-16/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/21/another-week-in-japan-hardware-and-software-numbers-3-10-3-16/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/21/another-week-in-japan-hardware-and-software-numbers-3-10-3-16/#commentsFiled under:

"If you bundle a game with a special brush stylus, they will come," the heavens whispered to Nintendo.

While we expected Beautiful Letter Training (also known as Bimoji or Calligraphy Training) to do well, we didn't expect it to sell 66,000 copies in its first week. This first-party effort by Nintendo looks as polished and full of content as a calligraphy nongame could get, but we're still surprised by the high demand for this game in Japan. Nintendo has understood sales markets better than anyone else this generation, though, so we probably should have expected this.

Also appearing on the charts are both versions of Hayate the Combat Butler, as we predicted. The mansion edition was slightly more popular, as preference was given to the little girls in little black dresses. At the sixth spot was Shugo Chara!, which, in case you were wondering, is yet another manga/anime-based game about a school girl.

Harvest Moon: Shining Sun and Friends, meanwhile, jumped back into the top ten, while Soma Bringer dropped down a few notches. One other notable game on the chart is the infamous Duel Love, which debuted at spot twenty-seven. That's not a great start for the title, but perhaps nipple rubbing is more niche in Japan than we thought.

Despite making a killing in software and having fifteen games in the top thirty, the DS remained in third for hardware sales. Still, considering that everyone and their mother already owns a DS in Japan, we're somewhat surprised that it comes so close to the top, week after week.

Mosey on after the break to see the numbers in full, folks.

Continue reading Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 3/10-3/16

JoystiqAnother Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 3/10-3/16 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 21 Mar 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>another-week-in-japanbeautiful-letter-trainingbimoji-trainingcalligraphy-trainingchartsdoraemonduel-loveetrian-odyssey-2gamesalesharvest-moonhayate-the-combat-bu...japanjirou-akagawa-mysterymario-and-sonicmario-kartmario-partymedia-createmkdsnew-super-mario-brosnobita-and-the-green-giantnocturnensmbroyal-grailshining-sun-and-friendsshugo-charasoma-bringertaikotaiko-drum-masterthe-invited-killerthree-eggs-and-the-joker-in-loveFri, 21 Mar 2008 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 3/3-3/9]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/14/another-week-in-japan-hardware-and-software-numbers-3-3-3-9/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/14/another-week-in-japan-hardware-and-software-numbers-3-3-3-9/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/14/another-week-in-japan-hardware-and-software-numbers-3-3-3-9/#commentsFiled under:

Japan loves Doraemon, and it shows. Not only did the manga-based robot cat have a successful DS baseball game, but now a game based on the manga itself debuted in the top ten.

Soma Bringer was still the top dog for the handheld, though, selling a total of 68,000 copies in two weeks. Are numbers like these high enough to motivate Monolith Soft to bring the game to English speaking markets? Well, we certainly hope so, but that remains to be seen.

As for hardware, the DS stayed in third place again last week, but wasn't too far behind the PSP:
  • Wii: 57,068
  • PSP: 53,924
  • Nintendo DS: 48,658
  • PlayStation 3: 21,008
  • PlayStation 2: 10,429
  • Xbox 360: 2,891
The numbers and placings for software are listed after the break, so if you're curious, just click away.

Continue reading Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 3/3-3/9

JoystiqAnother Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 3/3-3/9 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 14 Mar 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adventure-in-the-skyanimal-crossinganother-week-in-japandoraemonetrian-odyssey-iigirls-sidegirls-side-2nd-seasonharvest-moonjapanjirou-akagawa-mysterykanji-brain-testkeroro-gunsou-3mario-and-sonicmario-kartmario-partymedia-createnew-super-mario-brosnobita-and-the-green-giantnocturnensmbroyal-grailsalesshining-sun-and-friendssoma-bringertaikotaiko-drum-masterthe-invited-killertokimeki-memorialwild-worldFri, 14 Mar 2008 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Another Week in Europe]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/12/another-week-in-europe/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/12/another-week-in-europe/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/12/another-week-in-europe/#commentsFiled under:

Featuring charts from across the region, Another Week in Europe documents the buying habits and quirky tastes of a whole continent of DS lovers.

Imagine if Nintendo's Brain Training titles really did boost human intelligence. By now, Europe would be an entire continent of freakish, towering intellects, probably on the verge of world domination or something. Indeed, most of the region is still buying Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training, almost two years after it launched. Quite bizarrely, it's even outselling its own sequel in the majority of regions.

Apart from Nintendo's bonce-honing über-hit (notice how I casually throw my mad German skillz around the place), there's the usual suspects here, with Mario & Sonic, Cooking Mama 2, Professor Kageyama's Maths Training, and -- yaaay! -- New Super Mario Bros. all making a splash. That is, except in Sweden and Denmark, where apparently there's some kind of DS shortage. What?

While you dwell on the revelation that the DS doesn't rule every single corner of the world, go past the break for more European charts than you can shake a croissant at. Oh, and mentally prepare yourselves for next week. Why? Two words: Baby Pals. Eek!

Continue reading Another Week in Europe

JoystiqAnother Week in Europe originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 12 Mar 2008 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The DS dropped to third in last week's hardware sales, as the PSP inched its way to first. (In case you haven't been keeping track, Wii sales have been above those of the DS for quite some time, but the PSP and DS keep flip-flopping for the week's best selling portable.)

Hardware:
  • PSP: 73,706
  • Wii: 64,535
  • Nintendo DS: 51,922
  • PlayStation 3: 13,520
  • PlayStation 2: 10,986
  • Xbox 360: 2,282
In the software chart, though, Nintendo's portable dominated once again. There were fourteen DS games to hit the top thirty last week, three of which made the top ten. Most of note is the new release Soma Bringer, a game that many of us outside of Japan have been coveting. It debuted in fourth, and was the top seller for the dual-screened handheld last week.

Meanwhile, Professor Layton 2 and Animal Crossing slipped back into the top thirty, while Harvest Moon and Etrian Odyssey II managed to remain in the top ten. Check after the break to see a whole lot of DS games in boldface.

Continue reading Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 2/25-3/2

JoystiqAnother Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 2/25-3/2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 07 Mar 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adventure-in-the-skyanimal-crossingetrian-odyssesy-iigirls-sidegirls-side-second-seasonharvest-moonjapanjirou-akagawa-mysterykaga-bushin-emakikeroro-gunsou-3laytonmario-and-sonicmario-kartmario-partmedia-createmkdsnarutonew-super-mario-brosnsmbprofessor-layton-2professor-layton-and-pandoras-boxsalesshining-sun-and-friendsshippuuden-dairansensoma-bringertaiko-drum-masterthe-invited-killerthe-royal-grailtokimeki-memorialwild-worldFri, 07 Mar 2008 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 2/18-2/24]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/29/another-week-in-japan-hardware-and-software-numbers-2-18-2-24/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/29/another-week-in-japan-hardware-and-software-numbers-2-18-2-24/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/29/another-week-in-japan-hardware-and-software-numbers-2-18-2-24/#commentsFiled under:

The DS and PSP seem to be in a tooth-and-nail fight for second place. This week, the PSP took back the second spot, but just barely.

Hardware:
  • Wii: 63,504
  • PSP: 53,373
  • Nintendo DS: 50,151
  • PlayStation 3: 14,060
  • PlayStation 2: 9,634
  • Xbox 360: 2,001
The DS did better in software, though, with Etrian Odyssey II becoming popular in its first week. The DS dungeon crawler was only 9,000 units away from Super Smash Bros. Brawl, in fact. Harvest Moon: Shining Sun and Friends was another DS champ, ending up 5th on this week's chart.

There were twelve DS games in the top thirty, which is impressive, especially considering the ton of new releases that came out last week. The new software did manage to bump a bunch of DS games out of the top thirty, though, including big names like Professor Layton and Pandora's Box, Dragon Quest IV, and Final Fantasy IV. To see the software placements, make sure to check after the break.

Continue reading Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 2/18-2/24

JoystiqAnother Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 2/18-2/24 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 29 Feb 2008 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>death-noteetrian-odyssey-iigirls-sidegirls-side-second-seasonharvest-moonkage-bunshin-emakimario-and-sonicmario-kartmario-partymy-heart-to-younarutoneon-genesis-evangelionnew-super-mario-brosnsmbpopulousrasens-trapshining-sun-and-friendsshippuuden-dairansentaiko-drum-masterthe-royal-grailtokimeki-memorialFri, 29 Feb 2008 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 2/11-2/17]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/22/another-week-in-japan-hardware-and-software-numbers-2-11-2-17/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/22/another-week-in-japan-hardware-and-software-numbers-2-11-2-17/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/22/another-week-in-japan-hardware-and-software-numbers-2-11-2-17/#commentsFiled under:

The DS reclaimed second place for hardware, managing to inch past the PSP on this week's chart. A bunch of new releases helped the handheld's sales, as fifteen of the top thirty games last week were DS titles.

Hardware:
  • Wii: 78,583
  • Nintendo DS: 62,362
  • PSP: 59,645
  • PlayStation 3: 17,637
  • PlayStation 2: 11,266
  • Xbox 360: 2,198
The top contender for the dual-screened portable last week was the Japanese dating sim, Tokimeki Memorial: Girl's Side 2nd Season, which beat everything except Smash Bros. and Wii Fit. Meanwhile, After-School Boy and Doraemon Baseball were knocked out of the top thirty, but remained in the top fifty (along with Rune Factory 2). Overall, though, it was a great software week for the DS. If you want to see why, check out the numbers after the break.

Continue reading Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 2/11-2/17

JoystiqAnother Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 2/11-2/17 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 22 Feb 2008 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>animal-crossinganother-week-in-japandeath-notedigimon-championshipdqivdragon-quest-ivffivfinal-fantasy-ivfirst-of-the-north-stargirls-sidegirls-side-second-seasonjapankanji-brain-testlaytonmario-and-sonicmario-kartmario-partymedia-createmkdsnarutonew-super-mario-brosnsmbprofessor-layton-2salestaiko-drum-mastertokimeki-memorialwarriors-roadwild-worldFri, 22 Feb 2008 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Another week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 12/31-1/6]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/09/another-week-in-japan-hardware-and-software-numbers-12-31-1-6/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/09/another-week-in-japan-hardware-and-software-numbers-12-31-1-6/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/09/another-week-in-japan-hardware-and-software-numbers-12-31-1-6/#commentsFiled under:

The big news with last week's sales numbers is not that the DS managed to top 300,000 again, but that the New Super Mario Bros. broke five million in Japan. Not only that, but the game took the sixteenth spot in today's Famistu chart.

Also showing legs is Mario Kart DS, which sold 68,000 copies to take the number eight spot. While it's no surprise that Mario Kart does well week after week (after week), we didn't expect it to make the top ten. We're also happy to see some new DS blood enter the ring, with Rune Factory 2 selling 56,000 in its debut.

The rise in sales from the previous week was most likely due to the New Years holiday, which is a popular shopping period in Japan. These numbers are almost certainly not sustainable, though, so we should see a big difference next week. Of course, we fully expect that the DS will end up on top, as always, with a smattering of its games in the top ten.

Check after the break to see the numbers, with NSMB sales tacked on for good measure.

Continue reading Another week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 12/31-1/6

JoystiqAnother week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 12/31-1/6 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 09 Jan 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>another-week-in-japanchartsdq4dqivdragon-quest-4dragon-quest-ivfamitsuff4ffivfinal-fantasy-4final-fantasy-ivjapanlaytonmario-kartmario-partymkdsnew-super-mario-brosnsmbpokemon-mystery-dungeonprofessor-layton-2rune-factory-2salesWed, 09 Jan 2008 20:00:00 EST