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Japanese hardware sales, Oct. 19 - Oct. 25: Time travel sugar rush edition

by Griffin McElroy { Nov 1st 2009 at 9:30PM }

Hey, guys! How was your Halloween? Good to hear! Well, we've been up eating candy for roughly two days straight now, and whoa man do we love Whoppers. The malted milk chocolates, not the burgers, which are okay, but that malted milk chocolate is the jam. Some dude came up to us yesterday, and he was like, "Hey! Stop eating so much candy! You're an adult!" You should've seen us, we just opened up a new carton of Whoppers -- they come in cartons, remember -- and just slammed them in like four seconds.

Unfortunately, our fructose binge caused our particles to vibrate at a frequency which dislodged us from the timestream, and kept us from experiencing linear time like the rest of the world for about 60 minutes. It was a pretty terrifying experience, but to The Hershey Company's credit, it says right there on the box: "Warning: Shotgunning an entire carton of Whoppers may dislodge the consumer from the timestream for one hour." Well maybe next time you shouldn't make such a delicious product. Think about that. Mister Hershey.

So. Anyways. We've been trying to read about String Theory and stuff all day, but it's hard to turn the pages of a book that's one hour in the future. Luckily, we're really slow readers. Well, we can't feel our hands anymore, so it's probably time to put the ol' Whopperoonis down, and tell you about the Japanese hardware sales figures for this week before we go into a coma. See, both of those Pokémon gamjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj

- DSi: 42,199

7,945 (15.84%)
- PSP: 32,865

7,235 (18.04%)
- PS3: 29,977

919 (2.97%)
- Wii: 25,917

4,824 (15.69%)
- DS Lite: 6,550

1,096 (20.10%)
- Xbox 360: 4,470

1,144 (34.40%)
- PS2: 1,951

182 (8.53%)

[Source: Media Create]

See: The malted archives

Japanese hardware sales, Oct. 12 - Oct. 18: Almost pure evil edition

by Griffin McElroy { Oct 25th 2009 at 9:30PM }

We place equal amounts of stock in the practices of numerology and demonology -- that amount being very little, mind you -- but even we were perturbed by the digits which appeared in this week's Japanese hardware sales chart. From what we know of the teachings of Iron Maiden, six-hundred and sixty-six is like, the evilest number there is. We're almost certain that if you say it three times, the devil jumps out of the ground, and says really mean things about your shoes.

Imagine our terror as we read over the following chart. If one turns the sales reduction of the DSi upside-down -- there's one! If one less person would have bought a PS3 this week -- there it is again! If you add 360 (like, from the Xbox 360) to the system's sales increase, then you take the number of letters in "DS Lite" and add that to the sales reduction of the PS2, and then you subtract that number from the first number -- oh, no, here he comes!

"What? These shoes? These are Sketchers. What? No, Sketchers are still really cool! You ... you're a jerk, you know that, Lucifer?"

- DSi: 49,145

999 (1.99%)
- PSP: 33,508

6,592 (16.44%)
- PS3: 30,231

665 (2.15%)
- Wii: 29,965

776 (2.52%)
- Xbox 360: 3,662

336 (10.10%)
- DS Lite: 2,590

2,864 (52.51%)
- PS2: 2,109

24 (1.13%)

[Source: Media Create]

See: The six-hundred and sixty-fifth archive

Japanese hardware sales, Oct. 5 - Oct. 11: Imploded analogy edition

by Griffin McElroy { Oct 18th 2009 at 11:00PM }

It wasn't just relief that we felt after learning of the folk hero-esque Balloon Boy's safety -- it was inspiration. "Ah, yes," we said to ourselves upon hearing of the boy's false flight, "we've found our subject for the next Japanese Hardware Sales post." The plan was deceptively simple: It would be a metaphor! An analogy! But for what? Sales! Sales, on occasion, go up -- just like balloons. It was perfect! It would work -- it had to work.

Imagine our dismay when we actually calculated the changes in sales from last week's data. All of them, down. No -- this won't do. Can't be! The plan, the analogy! We check CNN, hoping to read of some brave copycat, utilizing bizarre means of downward transportation -- a Tunnel Boy, if you will. We could work with that. The analogy, it would stand.

Sadly, no such boy existed.

- DSi: 50,144

3,149 (5.91%)
- PSP: 40,100

11,115 (21.70%)
- PS3: 30,896

6,642 (17,69%)
- Wii: 30,741

4,651 (13.14%)
- DS Lite: 5,454

5,207 (48.84%)
- Xbox 360: 3,326

918 (21.63%)
- PS2: 2,133

46 (2.11%)

[Source: Media Create]

See: The imploded archives

Japanese hardware sales, Sept. 28 - Oct. 4: Orwellian edition

by Griffin McElroy { Oct 11th 2009 at 10:00PM }

After giving the Japanese game purchasing community a stern talking-to last week, we were refreshed to see such fantastic rebounds for a pair of our contenders in the most recent sales data. However, we were troubled by the causes behind said rebounds -- the PSP spiked due to the launch of the PSP Go, and the Wii got a bump from Wii Fit Plus. In other words, two products similar to their previous iterations, albeit with simple modifiers attached to their monikers. In even more other words, it's straight up Newspeak.

Perhaps the other consoles could have experienced similar boosts with the same treatment. We bet the Doubleplusgood Xbox 360 would garner a huge sales increase, as would the Goodplayful PS3. Though nothing can be done for the Doubleoldful PS2, we're afraid. It's about time Big Brother sent it to the Ministry of Love to be bathed in his ever-shining Tripleplusgood light. Or fed to rats. One of the two.

- DSi: 53,293

10,049 (15.86%)
- PSP: 51,215

33,881 (159.46%)
- PS3: 37,538

2,422 (6.06%)
- Wii: 35,392

23,661 (201.70%)
- DS Lite: 10,661

4,396 (29.20%)
- Xbox 360: 4,244

610 (12.57%)
- PS2: 2,179

168 (7.16%)

[Source: Media Create]

See: The doubleplusgood archives

Japanese hardware sales, Sept. 21 - Sept. 27: Diminishing returns edition

by Griffin McElroy { Oct 4th 2009 at 8:30PM }

Okay, Japanese game consumers. It's time we had a heart to heart. Last week, Enterbrain analyzed the Japanese hardware and software sales figures for the first half of fiscal '09, and ... well, let's just say the numbers were pretty grim. We certainly understand that times are kinda tight -- as made evident by the surplus of red arrows witnessed this year -- but let's take a moment to step back, observe the big gaming industry movements from the past six months, and illustrate how much you guys dropped the ball.

Seriously, in the past six months, Japan has seen the release of a new Dragon Quest game, a new Monster Hunter game, two new Pokémon games, a sleeker version of the PS3 and a veritable rainbow of new color choices for most of our weekly contenders. What's gotten into you, Japan? Has your interest shifted away from video games? What's your new area of expertise -- tell us, so we can start tracking the sales of whatever that may be instead.

Oh, who're we kidding. The release of Final Fantasy XIII (and the accompanying Squeenix-branded PS3) will more than make up for this slow half-year. Go ahead and keep doing whatever it is you're doing that isn't purchasing video games. Come December 17, you'll flock back like moths drawn to a spiky-haired, turn-based flame.

- DSi: 63,342

2,731 (4.13%)
- PS3: 39,960

11,095 (21.73%)
- PSP: 17,334

3,739 (17.74%)
- DS Lite: 15,057

1,502 (11.08%)
- Wii: 11,731

4,967 (29.75%)
- Xbox 360: 4,854

111 (2.24%)
- PS2: 2,347

376 (13.81%)

[Source: Media Create]

See: The diminishing archives

Japanese hardware sales, Sept. 14 - Sept. 20: Live from Tokyo edition

by Griffin McElroy { Sep 27th 2009 at 10:30PM }

We're here! We're really here! The land of the rising sun! The place where all the magic happens. The factory in which the sausage is made. Sales sausage! We're currently sitting in Shibuyo, with -- what? Shibuya. That's what we said. We're sitting in Shibuya, getting ready to go on a shopping excursion in Ikeahabar, where we'll -- Akihabara. Okay, we were way off with that one, but c'mon, we lost like, six hours getting out here. Nine hours. Twenty hours?

Fine! Not all of us made the trip to the Tokyo Game Show this year -- not even the guy who, on a weekly basis, takes hours out of his day to compile the hardware sales figures of the region. In some circles, that would qualify such a person as an expert on Japanese ludological affairs. Such a qualification might inspire such a person to purchase and tirelessly study a series of tapes which teach the listener the beautiful, elegant language of Japan. Such a series of tapes cost such a person $300. Such a person isn't made of money, you know.

Sales charts are below. Pokémon Heart Gold and Soul Silver sold a whole bunch again, and -- oh, screw it. It's Miller time.

- DSi: 66,073

425 (0.64%)
- PS3: 51,055

4,289 (7.75%)
- PSP: 21,073

2,698 (14.68%)
- Wii: 16,698

870 (4.95%)
- DS Lite: 13,555

2,376 (21.25%)
- Xbox 360: 4,965

2,603 (34.39%)
- PS2: 2,723

111 (4.25%)

[Source: Media Create]

See: The jetlagged archives

Japanese hardware sales, Sept. 7 - Sept. 13: Heart and Soul edition

by Griffin McElroy { Sep 20th 2009 at 10:00PM }

Ahhh. Nothing feels quite so soothing as a swift return to the world of Japanese hardware sales which we're all familiar with. The roaring sales inferno sparked by the launch of the PS3 slim has died down, percentile increases and decreases are back in the double digits (as opposed to the quintuple digits) and Nintendo's handhelds are flourishing following the release of another installment in an ever-popular RPG franchise, Pokémon Heart Gold and Soul Silver. Tired of disrupting the status quo, our charts have settled back into the nook they've carved into the soft suede recliner of history.

Also, for curious parties, Soul Silver outsold Heart Gold by nearly 3,000 units. This means that not only are purchasers of the former going to find it incrementally more difficult to catch 'em all, but that the Japanese people clearly prefer Ag over Au. Who'd have thunk it?

- DSi: 66,498

6,079 (10.06%)
- PS3: 55,344

96,439 (63.54%)
- PSP: 18,375

3,809 (17.17%)
- Wii: 17,568

3,989 (18.50%)
- DS Lite: 11,179

2,870 (34.54%)
- Xbox 360: 7,568

741 (10.85%)
- PS2: 2,612

389 (12.96%)

[Source: Media Create]

See: The silvery, silvery archives

Japanese hardware sales, Aug. 31 - Sept. 6: Does not compute edition

by Griffin McElroy { Sep 13th 2009 at 10:30PM }

Us: Listen, Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. We need to talk about your PS3 Slim sales calculation.
Excel: What's wrong with it?
Us: We've never doubted your number-crunching capabilities before, but ...
Excel: Well, when a number increases from 1,040 to 151,783, that's an upshot of 14,494 percent.
Us: Listen! Listen to yourself. Do you even know what "per cent" means? It means "out of 100," or something. That number is impossible.
Excel: Where did you learn math? Or Latin, for that matter?
Us: Um, college?
Excel: Human college?
Us: Yes.
Excel: That's cute. I was born in a math factory.
Us: Is that where you learned how to love? Oh, that's right. You can't. Man, this is awkward.
Excel: We're done here.

- PS3: 151,783

150,743 (14,494.52%)
- DSi: 60,419

538 (0.90%)
- PSP: 22,184

3,897 (14.94%)
- Wii: 21,557

3,481 (13.90%)
- DS Lite: 8,309

1,005 (13.76%)
- Xbox 360: 6,827

427 (5.89%)
- PS2: 3,001

178 (5.60%)

[Source: Media Create]

See: The unloving archives

Japanese hardware sales, Aug. 17 - Aug. 23: Bottom drops out edition

by Griffin McElroy { Aug 30th 2009 at 9:30PM }

The entire Japanese gaming hardware market was visited by the ghost of plummeting sales this week -- a natural side-effect from the waning of interest in the highly anticipated RPGs which hit the nation throughout the past month. However, no console took the brunt of the depreciation quite as hard as the PS3, which took an unfamiliar last place finish in this week's charts. You'll find it just below its last-gen brother, the PS2 -- which would likely be maniacally cackling right now, if it was equipped with the vocal chords required to do so.

Don't go hocking your Sony stock just yet -- the sizable drop can be attributed to the nation's anticipation for the PS3 Slim, which is set to rise like a phoenix on September 1. To continue our cryptozoological metaphors, the other consoles should level out like a winged chimera by that point -- except for the PSP, which may be strengthened like a minotaur with the Japanese release of Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny. Also, the Xbox 360 will inexplicably be like a chupacabra. There's no reason for this observation. You're just going to have to trust us.

- DSi: 59,578

28,358 (32.25%)
- PSP: 27,187

12,695 (31.83%)
- Wii: 26,972

20,760 (43.49%)
- Xbox 360: 8,979

183 (2.00%)
- DS Lite: 5,735

2,186 (27.60%)
- PS2: 3,295

1,612 (32.85%)
- PS3: 2,052

3,892 (65.48%)

[Source: Media Create]

See: The cryptozoological archives

Japanese hardware sales, Aug. 10 - Aug. 16: Science edition

by Griffin McElroy { Aug 23rd 2009 at 10:30PM }

Far too often, we here at the Institute for Japanese Hardware Sales Tracking deal in half-truths for the purpose of attempted comedic affect. Sometimes, we deal in reverse-truths. Other times, supertruths -- but how would you even be able to tell? Ah, see. You just got logic schooled, son.

Today, we're trying something completely different: Explaining the causes for the changes in hardware sales for each console with cold, hard, unfeeling scientific fact. Observe -- and learn:

The DSi increased because people are still buying boatloads of Dragon Quest IX. Simple.
The wheels have somewhat fallen off the Wii wagon as interest in Monster Hunter 3 subsides.
The PSP increased because Dissidia: Final Fantasy is coming out in North America next week, and Japanese gamers want to experience the magic all over again at the same time ... that we do. This is science, trust us.
360 sales increased 68.54%, due to wizards.*
The DS Lite decreased because it doesn't have a camera in it. Duh.
The PS3 didn't do much, as folks are putting off their Sony purchases 'til the Slim drops.**
The PS2 is ... it's like, twenty years old. Science can't explain why people are still buying it. You know who can?***

* - You're going to have to trust us on this one.
** - Yes, the PS3 Slim news didn't drop during the week of August 10. Wizards got involved, and time-traveled the news over to Japan early.
*** - Wizards.

- DSi: 87,936

17,870 (25.50%)
- Wii: 47,732

592 (1.26%)
- PSP: 39,882

5,989 (17.67%)
- Xbox 360: 9,162

3,726 (68.54%)
- DS Lite: 7,921

778 (8.94%)
- PS3: 5,944

118 (2.03%)
- PS2: 4,907

306 (6.65%)

[Source: Media Create]

See: The scientific archives

Japanese hardware sales, July 27 - Aug. 2: Out with the old edition

by Griffin McElroy { Aug 9th 2009 at 11:30PM }

Here's a nice little riddle for you: What's the only thing capable of toppling the latest perfectly-rated entry in a historically best-selling, Japanese-focused franchise released on a similarly popular Nintendo console? The answer is, of course, the latest perfectly-rated entry in a historically best-selling, Japanese-focused franchise released on a similarly popular Nintendo console. See that, readers? That there was a trick question. We feel bad, having made you feel so very foolish, but we're suckers for parallelism.

Though Dragon Quest IX has shipped over 3.5 million units, its' time in the spotlight has drawn to a close -- at least, temporarily. The current alpha dog over in Japan is Monster Hunter Tri, which sold nearly 530,000 units in its first few days on store shelves -- and also caused a hefty sales boost for the Wii as well. Nintendo's other platforms have stagnated somewhat -- but with their newly rekindled Wii success, we doubt they care too terrible much.

- Wii: 95,357

71,362 (297.40%)
- DSi: 73,710

6,652 (8.28%)
- PSP: 33,049

2,526 (8.28%)
- DS Lite: 12,027

358 (2.89%)
- PS3: 8,760

237 (2.63%)
- PS2: 3,617

312 (9.44%)
- Xbox 360: 3,552

472 (15.32%)

[Source: Media Create]

See: The rekindled archives

Japanese hardware sales, July 13 - July 19: Red Zone edition

by Griffin McElroy { Jul 26th 2009 at 10:30PM }

FF2913. No, it's not the 2,913th entry into the Final Fantasy franchise (but let's give it a few centuries, we're sure they'll get there eventually). No, that there's the hexidecimal code capable of striking pure, unadulterated fear into the heart of any gaming hardware manufacturer. It goes by many names: Failure Crimson, Downward Spiraling Scarlet, Market Decline Rubicund -- for simplicity's sake, we usually just refer to it as "Down Arrow Red." There's a lovely streak of it severing the digits in this week's chart in twain. Poor digits.

We guess things aren't all that bad -- especially for Nintendo, whose DSi and DS Lite sales are still pretty extraordinary thanks to the recently released Dragon Quest IX. Still, unless Square Enix churns Dragon Quest X out in the next week, or someone starts releasing new colors for their consoles, we may not see ol' "Victorious Upsurge Chartreuse" for a while.

- DSi: 96,986

21,216 (17.95%)
- PSP: 24,053

2,474 (9.33%)
- Wii: 20,807

1,334 (6.03%)
- DS Lite: 9,932

229 (2.25%)
- PS3: 8,865

999 (10.13%)
- PS2: 3,352

156 (4.45%)
- Xbox 360: 2,899

662 (18.59%)

[Source: Media Create]

See: The rubicund archives

Japanese hardware sales, July 6 - July 12: Secret to success edition

by Griffin McElroy { Jul 19th 2009 at 10:00PM }

There's an underlying trend beneath this week's Japanese hardware sales rankings -- every console that Dragon Quest IX cannot be played on sank like a stone made of lead. Every console on which Dragon Quest IX can be played skyrocketed like a sky ... rocket. Do you see the lesson presented here, gaming hardware manufacturers? If you don't have Dragon Quest IX on your console, you should probably get up on that. Then again, you could just start painting your consoles red. That seems to work too.

The Squeenix-developed RPG -- which is apparently perfect -- sold an absolutely staggering 2,318,932 copies in its first two days on store shelves. After running the numbers, we've calculated that during those two steamy Akihabara nights, 13.2 copies of Dragon Quest IX were sold every second. (Seriously.) We've also discerned that Square Enix will harvest a million buckets of money from the Japanese sale of this game alone -- but it's nice to see Nintendo's catching a few pails of their own.

- DSi: 118,202

71,347 (152.27%)
- PSP: 26,527

6,322 (19.25%)
- Wii: 22,141

2,830 (11.33%)
- DS Lite: 10,161

2,654 (35.35%)
- PS3: 9,864

1,332 (11.90%)
- Xbox 360: 3,561

2,315 (39.40%)
- PS2: 3,508

226 (6.05%)

[Source: Media Create]

See: The steamy archives

Japanese hardware sales, June 29 - July 5: Pottermania edition

by Griffin McElroy { Jul 12th 2009 at 10:00PM }

Our every action over these past two weeks have felt completely inconsequential -- when measured against the action we'll be taking Tuesday night at midnight, each one just seems pointless. The action we speak of is, of course, our viewing of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince -- the latest film adaptation of J.K. Rowling's successful series of books. Oh, sorry, did we say "successful series of books?" We meant literary black tar heroin.

For the better part of the past decade, we were complete junkies for Rowling's nefarious brand of wizardly fiction. For nearly two years now, we've been without any new outlets of Pottery, leaving us with a terrible case of the shakes -- one we attempted to cure by trying to get into a certain series of vampire romance novels. Though exponentially more erotic, these didn't give us the rush we needed. Inevitably, we turned to fanfic, which turned to slashfic, which turned to cosplay, which turned slashfic cosplay. We're in a bad place, friends.

Fortunately, we no longer have to worry about the gruesome perils of House-Elf bondage, as the film is coming out in just under 50 hours. At that point, we'll have ourselves a sizable fix for another year, at which point we'll get the two-part adaptation of the final book, at which point we'll commit ritual suicide, because, c'mon -- what else is there?

- DSi: 46,855

6,970 (17.48%)
- PSP: 32,849

6,060 (22.62%)
- Wii: 24,971

3,181 (14.60%)
- PS3: 11,196

114 (1.01%)
- DS Lite: 7,507

1,912 (34.17%)
- Xbox 360: 5,876

110 (1.91%)
- PS2: 3,734

156 (4.36%)

[Source: Media Create]

See: The costumed archives

Japanese hardware sales, June 22 - June 28: Freedom Hangover edition

by Griffin McElroy { Jul 5th 2009 at 10:00PM }

We have the extreme misfortune of writing this piece whilst still in the dank, viscid clutches of July 5th -- a 24-hour period universally accepted as the worst day ever. There's nothing pleasant about nursing broken ribs obtained during feverish slip n' sliding, nor is there anything worth celebrating in that $300 receipt for the illegal explosives you acquired last night -- yes, they were beautiful, but they were so brief. That money could have been spent on more important things, such as rent, or rib-doctor bills.

On this crummiest of days, it's as important as ever to try and find the silver lining in your life's costly, nauseating rain clouds. Sure, your highly illegal "Bottle Rocket Surprise" maneuver didn't work as well as you'd intended, but now that you don't have any hair left on your arms, you'll be able to swim really fast, like Michael Phelps, who is awesome.

Oh, and we've got Japanese Hardware Sales for you to digest! They may not be as juicy or flavorful as the nine Cheddarwurst you consumed last night, but at least they won't attempt to escape your body during the slimy alien autopsy scene in the middle of your annual viewing of Independence Day.

[Image]

- DSi: 39,885

579 (1.43%)
- PSP: 26,789

1,095 (3.93%)
- Wii: 21,790

2,404 (12.40%)
- PS3: 11,310

951 (9.18%)
- Xbox 360: 5,766

968 (14.37%)
- DS Lite: 5,595

64 (1.16%)
- PS2: 3,578

192 (5.09%)

[Source: Media Create]

See: The hairless archives