Sales Numbers

[naum]

Interesting week for JP hardware sales for the week ending 3/2.  Particularly because even with no new releases, the PSP remained at the top of the sales charts, beating out the Wii and the DS.

1. PSP   -    73,706
2. WII   -    64,535
3. NDS   -    51,922
4. PS3   -    13,520
5. PS2   -    10,986
6. 360   -     2,282

…

Was curious would death of HD-DVD would mean to 360 v. PS3 sales and PS3 bests 360 by 5:1 margin…

…of course, Wii enjoys 5:1 margin over both consoles combined…

Is this first month PS3 > PS2?

[Miasma]

That's just Japan, the xbox has never sold well there.

[HaemishM]

How did a 360 title make it into Japan's Top 10 software sales?

[Velorath]

How did a 360 title make it into Japan's Top 10 software sales?

That's happened a number of times.  It will likely completely drop off the charts next week.

[Roac]

How did a 360 title make it into Japan's Top 10 software sales?

One in ten 360 owners bought it.  That's crazy saturation; even the very best games (excluding ones that get packaged with consoles) can't expect more than 20% lifetime.  Flipside to that is yeah, it can't sustain it's position.  It won't be top 10 next go round unless nothing else sells.

[Velorath]

More Japanese sales numbers (hardware numbers aren't up yet).  Nothing particularly noteworthy.  I'm just happy Yakuza 3 did well as it's pretty much one of Sega's only worthwhile franchises right now (even if we still haven't gotten 2 in the States yet).

01./00. [PS3] Yakuza 3: Kenzan! (Sega) - 181,000 / NEW
02./02. [WII] Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Nintendo) - 50,000 / 1,408,000
03./03. [WII] Wii Fit (Nintendo) - 49,000 / 1,659,000
04./00. [PS2] Gundam Musou Special (Bandai-Namco) - 39,000 / 189,000
05./00. [WII] Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (Nintendo) - 32,000 / NEW
06./09. [WII] Wii Sports (Nintendo) - 19,000 / 2,838,000
07./04. [NDS] Soma Bringer (Nintendo) - 17,000 / 68,000
08./00. [NDS] Doraemon: Nobita and the Green Giant DS (Bandai-Namco) - 17,000 / NEW
09./07. [PSP] Musou Orochi (Koei) - 16,000 / 87,000
10./00. [WII] Everyone's General Knowledge Training TV (Nintendo) - 14,000 / NEW

11./08. [NDS] Harvest Moon: Shining Sun and Friends (Marvelous Entertainment)
12./13. [WII] Wii Play (Nintendo)
13./06. [NDS] Etrian Odyssey II: The Royal Grail (Atlus)
14./16. [PSP] Monster Hunter Portable 2nd (Capcom)
15./12. [WII] Family Ski (Bandai-Namco)
16./00. [PS2] Nobunaga's Ambition: Kakushin w/ Power-Up Kit (Koei)
17./18. [NDS] Mario Party DS (Nintendo)
18./14. [NDS] Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games (Nintendo)
19./10. [WII] Winning Eleven Play Maker 2008 (Konami)
20./15. [NDS] Jirou Akagawa Mystery: Nocturne: The Invited Killer (Marvelous Entertainment)
21./11. [NDS] Keroro Gunsou 3: Adventure in the Sky! (Bandai-Namco)
22./19. [NDS] Mario Kart DS (Nintendo)
23./20. [NDS] Taiko Drum Master DS (Bandai-Namco)
24./21. [NDS] New Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo)
25./28. [NDS] Animal Crossing Wild World (Nintendo)
26./25. [PSP] World Soccer Winning Eleven: Ubiquitous Evolution 2008 (Konami)
27./17. [PS3] Lost Planet: Extreme Condition (Capcom)
28./39. [PS2] Yakuza 2 (Sega)
29./35. [NDS] Kanji Brain Test 2.5M (IE Institute)
30./26. [NDS] Tokimeki Memorial: Girl's Side 2nd Season (Konami)

[Velorath]

Februrary's NPD numbers are in:

Hardware

PlayStation 2 351.8K
PlayStation 3 280.8K
PlayStation Portable 243.1K
Xbox 360 254.6K
Nintendo DS 587.6K
Wii 432K

Top 10 SW

360 CALL OF DUTY 4: MODERN WARFARE* ACTIVISION 7-Nov 296.2K
360 DEVIL MAY CRY 4* CAPCOM USA 8-Feb 295.2K
WII PLAY W/ REMOTE NINTENDO OF AMERICA 7-Feb 289.7K
PS3 DEVIL MAY CRY 4* CAPCOM USA 8-Feb 233.5K
WII GUITAR HERO III: LEGENDS OF ROCK* ACTIVISION 7-Oct 222.9K
NDS MARIO AND SONIC: OLYMPIC GAMES SEGA OF AMERICA 8-Jan 205.6K
360 LOST ODYSSEY MICROSOFT 8-Feb 203.6K
360 TUROK TOUCHSTONE 8-Jan 197.7K
PS2 GUITAR HERO III: LEGENDS OF ROCK* ACTIVISION 7-Oct 183.8K
360 ROCK BAND* MTV GAMES/ELECTRONIC ARTS 7-Nov 161.8K

The 360 continued to lose ground last month, but MS execs are now claiming to have the supply issues worked out.  Conspiracy theorists are speculating that MS has been holding some units back in anticipation of GTAIV's launch next month.  The Wii is still doing crazy numbers despite never being in stock anywhere, and the PS2 is still going strong as well.

Lost Odyssey had decent sales for an RPG on the 360, and COD4 continuing to be the top seller this long after release is a bit surprisng.

[Jain Zar]

The DS selling DOUBLE what the PSP sold is.. woah.  Hell, its nearly selling double the PS3.

[schild]

Unfortunately, DS game sales in America for third parties is pretty bad. Ahem, third parties that aren't making total kiddy games. And no, I'm not pulling this out of thin air. I've spoken to a number of companies that make DS games because it's reasonably easy to break even (read: Even with the lower costs at least we're not in the red) because of the crap margin due to cartridges, packaging, and licensing.

[Jain Zar]

^^  Stop being a Sony fanboy/apologist.

You actually make me feel bad about actually buying any games for my PSP with this kinda shit.

Seriously.

If we were to follow your line of thinking the PSP is even worse since all anyone ever talks about using their PSPs for is emulation to the point many sites' PSP game thread always has the question and answer of "I have to upgrade the firmware and thus break my emuwarezness?  No sale".

Please stop.  I'M BEGGING YOU.

[schild]

^^  Stoo being a Sony fanboy.

You actually make me feel bad about actually buying any games for my PSP with this kinda shit.

Seriously.

PSP games have high margin and are easy to make money on.

If that makes you feel better.

Edit: What I mean is that Sony made a third-party friendly process (including the cost of UMDs) compared to the way overpriced cartridges Nintendo pimped.

[schild]

I am too ashamed to even post the NPD numbers for this month.

Like. I don't even know what to say.

500k? I could've understood that.

But 721k? What the fuck are people playing? Now I'm serious. I really, really don't understand what they're playing. It can't still be Wii Sports.

But then, America did vote Bush in. Twice.

[sigil]

THere's as many Wii Titles on most displays as 360 and PS3. sometimes more.

Granted most of them are total shit, but it's probably spread out to the Nintendo games and one or two others, like at our house.

Nowadays, My son plays more wii games, and I"m spending more time on handhelds and the PC.

[sidereal]

500k? I could've understood that.

But 721k? What the fuck are people playing?

Pardon?  I was too distracted playing Super Smash Bros to hear the question.

[Velorath]

500k? I could've understood that.

But 721k? What the fuck are people playing?

Pardon?  I was too distracted playing Super Smash Bros to hear the question.

You and 2.7 million other people apparently.

[HaemishM]

But 721k? What the fuck are people playing? Now I'm serious. I really, really don't understand what they're playing. It can't still be Wii Sports.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Guitar Hero 3. Metroid Prime: Corruption. Super Mario Galaxy. Wii Play. And next month both MLB 2k8 and Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 will factor into the sales numbers, though they won't be as big as the others, because the system finally got 2 decent (but slightly gimped) popular sports franchises that weren't Madden.

[Velorath]

I'm actually more shocked by the DS vs. PSP numbers.  Even with the PSP having two games in the top ten for the month with God of War and FFVII: Crisis Core, the DS still completely destroyed the PSP in sales, 698k to 297k (the DS didn't have a single game in the top ten).

[schild]

I'm actually more shocked by the DS vs. PSP numbers.  Even with the PSP having two games in the top ten for the month with God of War and FFVII: Crisis Core, the DS still completely destroyed the PSP in sales, 698k to 297k (the DS didn't have a single game in the top ten).

People buy things other people are buying.

It took people like 3 to realize the Spice Girls sucked.

[Nija]

Too bad they don't officially track R4DS sales!

[Jain Zar]

I'm actually more shocked by the DS vs. PSP numbers.  Even with the PSP having two games in the top ten for the month with God of War and FFVII: Crisis Core, the DS still completely destroyed the PSP in sales, 698k to 297k (the DS didn't have a single game in the top ten).

People buy things other people are buying.

It took people like 3 to realize the Spice Girls sucked.

Well, popularity is what sold the original NES over the superior Master System or a Commodore 64.
It's what sold shitty PCs over Amigas.

Its just in this case, the popularity is DESERVED. 
The DS has a good price, and its a much better system overall than the PSP.  No need for screen protectors or a screen cover.  Longer battery life.  A killer suite of games.  No disk loads.
Price matters as much as specs do, if not moreso.

Same thing with the Wii, except its game selection is kinda assy.  (But to be honest, the 360 and PS3 have assy games too.  Their assy games just cost more and are aimed at Frat Gamers.)

Your finger just isn't on the pulse of gaming dude.  Neither is mine, but I am well aware of that.  (Fuckin EA.  Fucking FPS.  Fucking RTS.  Fucking Gangster Shit.)

[Velorath]

April NPD's are up:

Hardware
PlayStation 2   124.4K
PlayStation 3   187.1K
PSP           192.7K
Xbox 360          188.0K
Wii         714.2K
Nintendo DS   414.8K
   
Top 10 VG Titles - April'08   
   
360 GTA IV   1.85mm
Wii Mario Kart w/ wheel   1.12mm
PS3 GTA IV   1.00mm
Wii Play   360K
Wii Super Smash Bros. Brawl   326K
PS3 Gran Turismo 5:  Prologue   224K
DS Pokemon Mystery Dungeon:  Explorers of Darkness   202K
DS Pokemon Mystery Dungeon:  Explorers of Time   202K
Wii Guitar Hero III   152K
360 Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare   141K

[Miasma]

Holy Wii.

[Velorath]

Holy Wii.

Yep.  A lot of people are shocked that 360 and PS3 sales actually dropped despite GTA IV being available at the end of the month.

[HaemishM]

And not counting Wii Play, the Wii still had 3 of the top 10 games, while all the other systems had 2.

Attach rate? What's that?

[MisterNoisy]

Attach rate? What's that?

The number of games sold per console in the marketplace.  (Unless you were being facetious, in which case I think the 360 still leads in that particular metric)

[HaemishM]

You have fallen into the sarchasm! You take over 9,000 points of damage! 

[Jain Zar]

I think most every developer is starting to hate themselves now.  Spending way more money to make games on the upper tier systems while  the Wii and DS just crush everyone.

Maybe they will start putting their A list developers and actually advertising their good games for it now instead of catering to the GTA, Halo, and Madden crowd.

[Azazel]

Weren't we speculating on that exact point a year ago?

[Jain Zar]

Weren't we speculating on that exact point a year ago?

Most likely.  You can't expect anyone with an MBA to make SMART decisions can you? 

[Velorath]

May NPD's:

HW
PlayStation 3 208.7K
PlayStation Portable 182.3K
Xbox 360 186.6K
Wii 675.1K
Nintendo DS 452.6K

SW Top 10
Top 10 SKU's May 2008 Rank # Units
(includes CE, GOTY editions, bundles, etc.)
360 GRAND THEFT AUTO IV TAKE 2 INTERACTIVE (CORP) APR 2008 1 871.3K
WII MARIO KART W/ WHEEL NINTENDO OF AMERICA APR 2008 2 787.4K
WII FIT W/ BALANCE BOARD NINTENDO OF AMERICA MAY 2008 3 687.7K
PS3 GRAND THEFT AUTO IV TAKE 2 INTERACTIVE (CORP) APR 2008 4 442.9K
WII PLAY W/ REMOTE NINTENDO OF AMERICA FEB 2007 5 294.6K
WII SUPER SMASH BROS: BRAWL NINTENDO OF AMERICA MAR 2008 6 171.1K
PS2 IRON MAN SEGA OF AMERICA APR 2008 7 130.6K
WII GUITAR HERO III: LEGENDS OF ROCK W/ WIREACTIVISION (CORP) OCT 2007 8 116.8K
NDS POKEMON MYSTERY DUNGEON: EXPLORERS OF DARKNESS NOA APR 2008 9 107K
NDS POKEMON MYSTERY DUNGEON: EXPLORERS OF TIME NOA APR 2008 10 102K

[Margalis]

Predictions of the Wii's imminent demise remind me of Geldon and his predictions that WOW would crash any second now...

Sometimes you have to just allow for the fact that "ZOMG I HATE THIS!" doesn't translate into consumers not buying.

[Merusk]

It's gonna crash any day now!  Yep, any day.  You just keep watching, it's only been a year and a half.  It's all about the long-haul, not the sprint.

Yep.