PS3 suffering in Japan [Archive]

JayVe

10-09-2008, 03:33 PM

According to Play.tm, the PS3 has just had its worst week ever in Japan (http://play.tm/news/21748/ps3-suffering-in-japan/), outsold by every other system.

PS3 suffering in Japan

Worst weekly sales tally to-date recorded

The latest hardware sales figures are in from Japan, and it looks as if last week was a bad one for Sony's next-gen PS3 console, the system hitting its lowest weekly total.

For once, the Xbox 360 comes in ahead of the PS3, with the humble PS2 beating both so-called next-gen systems. For the week-ending October 5th, the DS lead hardware charts, shifting in excess of 42,000 systems. The PSP was second with 26,000, the Wii just off this with 25,000. Fourth was the PS2 with 8,000 and then there's the 360 with a few hundred less. The PS3 is last with just over 7,000 systems sold. Ouch.

violent

10-09-2008, 03:36 PM

Tales of Vesperia. Considering that it's the first time isn't using the term "suffering" a little premature?

Virtual Machine

10-09-2008, 03:38 PM

What was released lately?

The Ps3 will be owning japan in the next 18 months to 24 months. Count on it, and the 360 will be on life support or dead outright in that country.

Gorvi

10-09-2008, 03:47 PM

ex·ag·ger·a·tion –noun

1. the act of exaggerating or overstating.
2. an instance of exaggerating; an overstatement: [I]His statement concerning the size of his income is a gross exaggeration.

violent

10-09-2008, 03:48 PM

Ah, just noticed it was Kamalot.

JayVe

10-09-2008, 03:50 PM

Tales of Vesperia. Considering that it's the first time isn't using the term "suffering" a little premature?

Play.tm used the word 'suffering'. Although, I do remember quite clearly for the first year of the Xbox 360's life, any time the PS2 managed to outsell the 360, a number of Playstation fans used it to show how the 360 is a 'failure'. Yet now that the PS3 is outsold by the PS2, everything is normal.

And... this isn't the first time either. Isn't this the third week in a row where the 360 has outsold the PS3?

violent

10-09-2008, 03:52 PM

Play.tm used the word 'suffering'. Although, I do remember quite clearly for the first year of the Xbox 360's life, any time the PS2 managed to outsell the 360, a number of Playstation fans used it to show how the 360 is a 'failure'. Yet now that the PS3 is outsold by the PS2, everything is normal.

Um, think whatever you want based on what you want but using the term "suffering" based on one weeks performance is premature in my book. Whether it was you, Play.tm or Jesus Himself who said it.

JayVe

10-09-2008, 03:53 PM

Um, think whatever you want based on what you want but using the term "suffering" based on one weeks performance is premature in my book. Whether it was you, Play.tm or Jesus Himself who said it.

Is this really the first week where the 360 outsold the PS3 in Japan? :cool:

violent

10-09-2008, 03:55 PM

Is this really the first week where the 360 outsold the PS3 in Japan? :cool:

As far as I know. Point is that the PS3 has been outselling the 360 in Japan for a majority of it's lifecycle and completely ignoring that for the sake of labeling a single weeks performance lacks tact. My qualm here is about inaccurate reporting, not of console sales.

JayVe

10-09-2008, 03:57 PM

As far as I know. Point is that the PS3 has been outselling the 360 in Japan for a majority of it's lifecycle and completely ignoring that for the sake of labeling a single weeks performance lacks tact. My qualm here is about inaccurate reporting, not of console sales.

Well, I suppose the authors at Play think that the PS3 sales ARE suffering. Maybe not overall, but you can have short-term suffering without being terminally ill.

Gorvi

10-09-2008, 03:57 PM

It's been about 3 weeks now. The 360 had a very significant price drop and 2 big JRPGs launch in that time frame. The PS3 hasn't had a single notable release in that time frame. A little bit of context goes a long way sometimes.

JayVe

10-09-2008, 03:59 PM

It's been about 3 weeks now.

Thanks for clarifying that Gorvi.

As one can clearly see, the PS3 can be overall healthy, but can still suffer from week-to-week. In fact, it looks like the first time the 360 outsold the PS3 in Japan was about a year ago...

http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/11/12/xbox360_outsells_ps3_japan/

Goronmon

10-09-2008, 03:59 PM

Although, I do remember quite clearly for the first year of the Xbox 360's life, any time the PS2 managed to outsell the 360, a number of Playstation fans used it to show how the 360 is a 'failure'.And it was stupid back then as well. :p

violent

10-09-2008, 04:00 PM

Well, I suppose the authors at Play think that the PS3 sales ARE suffering. Maybe not overall, but you can have short-term suffering without being terminally ill.

Yeah I agree but you have to admit that short term reporting that isn't explicit of their intentions merely spreads misinformation. I guess if that kind of tactic brings in readers then I understand why it would be done even though I don't agree with it.

JayVe

10-09-2008, 04:03 PM

Yeah I agree but you have to admit that short term reporting that isn't explicit of their intentions merely spreads misinformation. I guess if that kind of tactic brings in readers then I understand why it would be done even though I don't agree with it.

No

Nowhere does it says that the PS3 is unhealthy, or in danger. There is nothing with the term 'suffering' that denotes 'unhealthy'. It isn't misinformation. Sales of the system are suffering. Does that mean the PS3 is in danger? Of course not! There's nothing in the article or in my presentation of it that suggests such.

Stop projecting

violent

10-09-2008, 04:06 PM

No

Nowhere does it says that the PS3 is unhealthy, or in danger. There is nothing with the term 'suffering' that denotes 'unhealthy'. It isn't misinformation. Sales of the system are suffering. Does that mean the PS3 is in danger? Of course not! There's nothing in the article or in my presentation of it that suggests such.

Stop projecting

Uh, ok. Considering that based on the first few responses based on your report people thought it a bit overreacting. But hey, I guess we're all projecting. You don't need to get defensive cowboy. I simply think that the title is a bit presumptuous. I'm apologize if that bothers you but really but as a reader, that's how I saw it.

fitbabits

10-09-2008, 04:08 PM

I think the only thing suffering in Japan right now is the quality of games being produced.

violent

10-09-2008, 04:09 PM

I think the only thing suffering in Japan right now is the quality of games being produced.

And I agree.

OldJadedGamer

10-09-2008, 04:37 PM

And the piss poor showing from them at TGS this year isn't helping anything.

Gorvi

10-09-2008, 05:53 PM

And the piss poor showing from them at TGS this year isn't helping anything.
You and I are looking at different shows, I think.

OldJadedGamer

10-09-2008, 07:02 PM

You and I are looking at different shows, I think.

We must be because the show I'm looking at SCEJ didn't announce any new games. Not sure if this is the only web board you are reading but most gamers are saying the same thing right now on other gaming forums so you might actually be looking at a different show.

Media Create hardware numbers came out today and the 360 outsold the PS3 for the fourth week straight in Japan and to date since the PS3 has been released in Japan this week of sales marks the lowest it has ever been.

King3567

10-09-2008, 07:07 PM

Suffering is a little over the top, but those are pretty bad figures. Still, I don't think Sony CEOs will pan handling anytime soon ;)

JayVe

10-09-2008, 07:14 PM

Media Create hardware numbers came out today and the 360 outsold the PS3 for the fourth week straight in Japan and to date since the PS3 has been released in Japan this week of sales marks the lowest it has ever been."Beating us for a short moment is like accidentally winning a point from a Karate master, and Microsoft is still not black belt."

-Ken Kutaragi-

Deadend

10-09-2008, 07:18 PM

PS3 is doomed!!! Xbox 360 is slightly less doomed. At least going by sensationalist charts. This is just like the PS3-360 sales in the US.. .but the other way around. PS3 has been selling slightly more units each month, but still has yet to make up the difference of sales from last December.

What it comes down to, is that Japan hates good graphics and games that are not Monster Hunter or waggle.

Dukefrukem

10-09-2008, 07:24 PM

why do we care about Japan news anyway? Anyone here live in Japan?

JayVe

10-09-2008, 07:27 PM

PS3 is doomed!!! Xbox 360 is slightly less doomed. At least going by sensationalist charts. This is just like the PS3-360 sales in the US.. .but the other way around. PS3 has been selling slightly more units each month, but still has yet to make up the difference of sales from last December.
You know... that's a really good perspective.

What it comes down to, is that Japan hates good graphics and games that are not Monster Hunter or waggle.
You know... that's an AWESOME perspective.

JayVe

10-09-2008, 07:28 PM

why do we care about Japan news anyway? Anyone here live in Japan?

You NEVER cease to amaze me.

Dukefrukem

10-09-2008, 07:32 PM

You NEVER cease to amaze me.

That was a real question. We always talk about Japan and Australia but why? It sucks that the PS3 isn't doing well in Japan... oh well time to play Warhawk.

King3567

10-09-2008, 07:38 PM

That was a real question. We always talk about Japan and Australia but why? It sucks that the PS3 isn't doing well in Japan... oh well time to play Warhawk.

Well, it's funny to see how the 360 performs, you know for the lulz, and the sales figures influence a lot of developers decisions on what system to make their games for and all that stuff. I don't really care about sales figures anymore as I've figured that once the money is paid for, what the developers do is all out of my hands and only causes stupid system war debates.

Dukefrukem

10-09-2008, 07:44 PM

Well, it's funny to see how the 360 performs, you know for the lulz, and the sales figures influence a lot of developers decisions on what system to make their games for and all that stuff. I don't really care about sales figures anymore as I've figured that once the money is paid for, what the developers do is all out of my hands and only causes stupid system war debates.

Which I suppose doesn't matter any more, since there are barely any third party developers that develop exclusively anymore. So as long as sales for systems are solid overall on this planet, the first party developers will continue to provide exclusives and the third will develop for all.

JayVe

10-09-2008, 07:58 PM

So as long as sales for systems are solid overall on this planet...

Well, then its nice to know whats happening elsewhere on the planet too.

DeathtollWRX

10-09-2008, 11:27 PM

This is a hilarious thread. I have to agree though, I'm one of those that doesn't care about who's doing what in Japan anyways. Alot of the games I like are not produced in Japan anyways.

Do sales in Japan actually really effect what we get to play here? I'm sure it did in the past but with 360 doing well in the US I'm thinking American gamers are less worried about what happens in Japanese gaming then ever before.

Gorvi

10-10-2008, 05:37 AM

We must be because the show I'm looking at SCEJ didn't announce any new games. Not sure if this is the only web board you are reading but most gamers are saying the same thing right now on other gaming forums so you might actually be looking at a different show.
So let me get this straight: when Microsoft doesn't announce new games at E3 and focuses on what's coming out soon, it's a good thing, but when Sony does pretty much the same thing at TGS, it's a bad thing, right? There were new games announced by third parties, exclusives even.

Deunnero

10-10-2008, 06:26 AM

PS3 is doomed.

My actual contribution to this tread is lacking any real substance.

Goronmon

10-10-2008, 06:29 AM

That was a real question. We always talk about Japan and Australia but why? It sucks that the PS3 isn't doing well in Japan... oh well time to play Warhawk.Japan contains game developers. People like to play video games. Therefore it's interesting to know how certain consoles are doing as it may affect the platform future games are developed for.

And where is TFO when you need him?

Crowe

10-10-2008, 06:42 AM

why do we care about Japan news anyway? Anyone here live in Japan?

Don't know, Don't care.

That was a real question. We always talk about Japan and Australia but why? It sucks that the PS3 isn't doing well in Japan... oh well time to play Warhawk.

I'm from Australia, that's enough. Suck on a fat one.

JayVe

10-10-2008, 07:08 AM

I'm from Australia, that's enough. Suck on a fat one.

Ahahaha!

Why do people lump Australia and Japan together? Are they in the "That-sounds-far-away-so-I-don't-care-group"? :D

Chris_D

10-10-2008, 07:41 AM

why do we care about Japan news anyway? Anyone here live in Japan?

*raises hand* :p

DangerousDaze

10-10-2008, 08:00 AM

*raises hand* :p

Is this an oh snap moment? *consults chart*...

Karak

10-10-2008, 08:43 AM

And the piss poor showing from them at TGS this year isn't helping anything.

Agreed. Anyone thinking otherwise is the typical deluded person who assumes the same crap is ok. MS is no better. Well maybe a little better but still disappointing.

But a couple weeks of sales just doesn't mean much. I will say though that the bumps at times(being so large in number) is good. It shows that new people are out there who wouldn't mind a new system as long as games actually come out on it.

JayVe

10-10-2008, 08:51 AM

Agreed. Anyone thinking otherwise is the typical deluded person who assumes the same crap is ok. MS is no better. Well maybe a little better but still disappointing.

Gamasutra has an analysis of the TGS (http://www.colonyofgamers.com/cogforums/showthread.php?p=20875#post20875).

OldJadedGamer

10-10-2008, 10:20 AM

So let me get this straight: when Microsoft doesn't announce new games at E3 and focuses on what's coming out soon, it's a good thing, but when Sony does pretty much the same thing at TGS, it's a bad thing, right? There were new games announced by third parties, exclusives even.

Microsoft and Sony both announced new first party games at E3 so I'm not sure what you are talking about.

Karak

10-10-2008, 10:24 AM

Gamasutra has an analysis of the TGS (http://www.colonyofgamers.com/cogforums/showthread.php?p=20875#post20875).

The last sentence in the MS paragraph makes a boatload of sense.

The PS3 stuff. I think that is pretty well known though you will always have people who argue cause its like teasing their mom or something.

Nintendo keeps on trucking.
Thanks for the link.

JayVe

10-10-2008, 10:31 AM

The last sentence in the MS paragraph makes a boatload of sense.

This one?

One probably wouldn't argue that Microsoft is winning the battle in Japan. Rather, the company has muscled its way into a significant install base worldwide -- and now Japanese companies are releasing their expensively-produced titles across multiple platforms out of global necessity. It's definitely getting Microsoft somewhere.I would agree with you. In response to the number of former exclusives that are heading to Microsoft's platform, Sony's Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida had this to say in a recent interview (http://www.colonyofgamers.com/cogforums/showthread.php?t=915)...

Eurogamer: We're seeing fewer and fewer exclusive games, though. Yesterday it was announced that Tekken is coming to 360, for example. So what's Sony's current strategy when it comes to exclusivity?

Shuhei Yoshida: We anticipated this shift in third-party publishing economics. We have invested in our first-party studios so we can produce more exclusive titles.

Karak

10-10-2008, 10:51 AM

This one?

I would agree with you. In response to the number of former exclusives that are heading to Microsoft's platform, Sony's Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida had this to say in a recent interview (http://www.colonyofgamers.com/cogforums/showthread.php?t=915)...

Ya. I think the "it's getting them somewhere" mentality is a good passive way of describing it without all the evil and devious meaning behind many of the other descripters.

Urizen

10-10-2008, 12:35 PM

ex·ag·ger·a·tion –noun

1. the act of exaggerating or overstating.
2. an instance of exaggerating; an overstatement: [I]His statement concerning the size of his income is a gross exaggeration.

Thanks, Webster. Here's one for you:

suffering

adjective
1. troubled by pain or loss; "suffering refugees"
2. very unhappy; full of misery; "he felt depressed and miserable"; "a message of hope for suffering humanity"; "wretched prisoners huddled in stinking cages" [syn: miserable]

We can argue semantics all day long. We could stretch the understanding of the word 'suffering' to exist wherever a product is missing its goals, and more specifically wherever it is losing. The PS3 has spent many weeks (this year and last year) selling under 10K.

It's been about 3 weeks now. The 360 had a very significant price drop and 2 big JRPGs launch in that time frame. The PS3 hasn't had a single notable release in that time frame. A little bit of context goes a long way sometimes.

That sounds like one metric of a suffering console to me.

The aberration for the PS3 is not when the 'notable release' is absent, but when it is present.

JayVe

10-15-2008, 02:58 PM

Anyone want to make a bet about how Japan turns out this week?

Purple Santa

10-15-2008, 03:14 PM

Anyone want to make a bet about how Japan turns out this week?

I have a couple of packets of ketchup...i'll bet that :D. Hey it's all I have at the moment...

How Japan turns out? They on a makeover show or something?;)

JayVe

10-15-2008, 03:19 PM

I have a couple of packets of ketchup...i'll bet that :D. Hey it's all I have at the moment...

How Japan turns out? They on a makeover show or something?;)
Trading Spaces: The Country Edition

This week: Japan and Bangladesh swap for exciting remodeling drama!

I'm starting to hear rumblings that the Xbox 360 beat the PS3 in Japan again this week, for the 5th week in a row. Dunno how reliable it is... but I guess we'll find out tomorrow!

OldJadedGamer

10-15-2008, 03:39 PM

Rumored Famitsu numbers are:

DS 33,998
Wii 21,506
PSP 19,873
PS2 7,527
360 6,690
PS3 5,899

That would set an new record for all time lowest weekly sales for the PS3 again since launch.

JayVe

10-15-2008, 03:45 PM

Rumored Famitsu numbers are:

DS 33,998
Wii 21,506
PSP 19,873
PS2 7,527
360 6,690
PS3 5,899

That would set an new record for all time lowest weekly sales for the PS3 again since launch.

But... not suffering. Right? ;)

KingGorilla

10-15-2008, 03:48 PM

Is Microsoft really taking overall second place everywhere as a victory? Nintendo is just cleaning everyone's clock. If Sony or MS can stay even or make a penny of profit in the wake of that, that is a victory in itself.

Johan

10-15-2008, 04:38 PM

PS3 5,899

That would set an new record for all time lowest weekly sales for the PS3 again since launch.

But, it could have been much worse...like 5,898!

Does Sony make money off of the hardware yet? I haven't heard/read about that much for a while...

OldJadedGamer

10-15-2008, 05:00 PM

But, it could have been much worse...like 5,898!

Does Sony make money off of the hardware yet? I haven't heard/read about that much for a while...

The PS3 is cheaper in Japan then it is anywhere else in the world yet sells the worst there. It's now priced at the same point that the PS2 was a launch.

Johan

10-15-2008, 05:43 PM

The PS3 is cheaper in Japan then it is anywhere else in the world yet sells the worst there. It's now priced at the same point that the PS2 was a launch.

Really?

Wow...that's crazy.

Durka-Dan

10-15-2008, 06:09 PM

Play.tm used the word 'suffering'. Although, I do remember quite clearly for the first year of the Xbox 360's life, any time the PS2 managed to outsell the 360, a number of Playstation fans used it to show how the 360 is a 'failure'. Yet now that the PS3 is outsold by the PS2, everything is normal.

And... this isn't the first time either. Isn't this the third week in a row where the 360 has outsold the PS3?

So the end justifies the means? It's interesting that the PS3 has dipped in sales especially seeing as how Sony encouraged another console to do well in Japan. I'm seeing it as a pre-winter slowdown. Wait, do the Japanese have a holiday season like us?

KingGorilla

10-15-2008, 06:12 PM

Wait, do the Japanese have a holiday season like us?
From what I remember, the entire world takes its cues from America.

MalReynolds

10-15-2008, 08:06 PM

do it matter ? meh they are both good systems and i could care less which outsells the other ...

Johan

10-15-2008, 08:12 PM

From what I remember, the entire world takes its cues from America.

So let me get this right...the entire world is enmeshed in ten trillion dollars of national debt, fifty-three trillion dollars in unfunded mandates, and several more trillion dollars in consumer debt?

I'm thinking America is the financial intestinal tract, and the rest of the world is getting tired of dropping their money in it, only to see it pooped away...

WAIT.

What I meant to say is; YES. :D

i could care less which outsells the other ...

You could care less? Well...at least you care!

RandoM51

10-16-2008, 03:14 AM

JayVe

10-16-2008, 03:26 AM

Name a next gen console that costs more the $300 that isn't suffering in Japan?

Sounds like the Xbox 360 has been less than $300 in Japan, for more than a year (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21419126/).

TOKYO - Microsoft is slashing Xbox 360 prices in Japan by about 13 percent as the price war among video game consoles heats up around the world ahead of the key year-end shopping season.

The Xbox 360 console will sell in Japan for $304 beginning Nov. 1, down from $348, the U.S. software maker's Japan unit said Monday in a statement.

A more basic version of the machine now selling for $261 [October 2007] will go for $243, according to Microsoft Corp.

RandoM51

10-16-2008, 03:33 AM

Sounds like the Xbox 360 has been less than $300 in Japan, for more than a year (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21419126/).

...and is still suffering(duh), next?

This is probably a great time for you to go back to evav and be a mod. Nobody is left over there to call you on your BS.

JayVe

10-16-2008, 03:42 AM

...and is still suffering(duh), next?

This is probably a great time for you to go back to evav and be a mod. Nobody is left over there to call you on your BS.

You did not ask for a console that under $300 and is successful.

Price isn't what's keeping people from buying the Xbox 360 or the PS3 in Japan, so blaming it on expensive consoles won't work.

MalReynolds

10-16-2008, 04:35 AM

Then what is ?

JayVe

10-16-2008, 04:43 AM

Then what is ?

Could be a number of things. Novelty of the Wii, lack of compelling software for the HD consoles, apathy of gamers? To make the issue as simple as hitting a magical price of $300 and expecting the thing to fly is silly, especially since HD console gaming has been available for less than $300 in Japan for more than a year. People need the whole package, not just a shiny piece of hardware at a magical price point.

Durka-Dan

10-16-2008, 09:47 AM

Could be a number of things. Novelty of the Wii, lack of compelling software for the HD consoles, apathy of gamers? To make the issue as simple as hitting a magical price of $300 and expecting the thing to fly is silly, especially since HD console gaming has been available for less than $300 in Japan for more than a year. People need the whole package, not just a shiny piece of hardware at a magical price point.

I'll start worrying about the PS3 when Microsoft starts to really close the gap in Japan in total sales just like I'll worry about the 360 here in America when Sony starts catching up.

Johan

10-16-2008, 09:54 AM

I'll start worrying about the PS3 when Microsoft starts to really close the gap in Japan in total sales just like I'll worry about the 360 here in America when Sony starts catching up.

Do people actually worry about this stuff? :confused: I suppose stockholders should be concerned, because their investment is involved, but if any of the big three went belly-up tomorrow, there's still be too many games out there to play and too little time to play them...and games you already owned would still work.

Worry? Really?

This is probably a great time for you to go back to evav and be a mod. Nobody is left over there to call you on your BS.

So glad you're here. Now I can trudge through shit again to read the good stuff.

neutralism

10-16-2008, 10:03 AM

PS2 7,527

Who the hell keeps buying PS2s over there? :confused:

You would think everyone from Crown Princess Masako to Mugen the street vagabond would own one by now... :mad:

OldJadedGamer

10-16-2008, 10:48 AM

Name a next gen console that costs more the $300 that isn't suffering in Japan?

Other than niche gamers Japan has no use for the PS3 or the 360. Land of the handheld nowadays.

...keep on spinning. :)

Japanese gamers aren't just price sensitive this gen, they never have been price sensitive. The PS2 didn't seem to have any problems selling like gangbusters when it was being sold for close to $400 bucks over there.

Durka-Dan

10-16-2008, 02:40 PM

Do people actually worry about this stuff? :confused: I suppose stockholders should be concerned, because their investment is involved, but if any of the big three went belly-up tomorrow, there's still be too many games out there to play and too little time to play them...and games you already owned would still work.

Worry? Really?

Worry not in the sense like my mom is having surgery. Worry like I hope my home team wins the next game, but if they don't that's alright I'll just pick another team. :D

MalReynolds

10-16-2008, 05:32 PM

you talking Penguins ?

OldJadedGamer

10-16-2008, 07:19 PM

Official Media Create Numbers are in for the week. 360 beat both the PS2 and PS3 in sales for the week. First time ever for the 360 to beat the PS2 and lowest the PS3 has ever been in it's entire lifespan.

DS Lite 31,914
PSP 23,901
Wii 22,877
Xbox 360 7,763
PS2 6,982
PS3 5,734

violent

10-16-2008, 07:22 PM

Official Media Create Numbers are in for the week. 360 beat both the PS2 and PS3 in sales for the week. First time ever for the 360 to beat the PS2 and lowest the PS3 has ever been in it's entire lifespawn.

DS Lite 31,914
PSP 23,901
Wii 22,877
Xbox 360 7,763
PS2 6,982
PS3 5,734

You realize just how sad those numbers are right? And I'm not talking about just the PS3.

OldJadedGamer

10-16-2008, 08:22 PM

You realize just how sad those numbers are right? And I'm not talking about just the PS3.

Yup, sure do. But remember, the 360 launched a year before the PS3 there and the second the PS3 hit retail, that very day... it outsold the 360 LTD.

So for it to come from the dead and pull this off, no matter what the numbers are is impressive.

crazyD

10-16-2008, 08:50 PM

PS3 suffering huh? Wonder who started this thread...

violent

10-16-2008, 09:20 PM

So for it to come from the dead and pull this off, no matter what the numbers are is impressive.

360 came out with a JRPG based on a largely popular franchise. Japanese people bought it. Good to see Microsoft get a couple of sales out there. The numbers though? There's nothing impressive about them. The DS selling over 31,000 units in a single week on the other hand is quite impressive.

I take it though that your scope doesn't go on beyond that of the MS/Sony race, am I right?

OldJadedGamer

10-16-2008, 09:26 PM

360 came out with a JRPG based on a largely popular franchise. Japanese people bought it. Good to see Microsoft get a couple of sales out there. The numbers though? There's nothing impressive about them. The DS selling over 31,000 units in a single week on the other hand is quite impressive.

I take it though that your scope doesn't go on beyond that of the MS/Sony race, am I right?

Nah, I was one of those people that knew the Wii and DS would be a run away success in Japan when they were first shown to the public but I was drowned out by fanboy drivel at the time so that's not exciting to me.

It's way more impressive to see a great king fall (we all love watching Britney fuck up her life) and someone we counted out previous, rise if just for a bit. There is more drama there. The Wii/DS/PSP sales are predictable and hence... boring.

violent

10-16-2008, 09:31 PM

Nah, I was one of those people that knew the Wii and DS would be a run away success in Japan when they were first shown to the public but I was drowned out by fanboy drivel at the time so that's not exciting to me.

It's way more impressive to see a great king fall (we all love watching Britney fuck up her life) and someone we counted out previous, rise if just for a bit. There is more drama there. The Wii/DS/PSP sales are predictable and hence... boring.

But see, that's the thing. The Gamecube was in dead last in the previous gen. It went from dead last to blowing the competition away. If things were going to be gauged on dramatic effect, they should win that too. What I'm seeing with Microsoft's recent success is finally a foothold for them to potentially become an entity out there. The concept that this is any indication of the turning of tides is greatly premature. I think people should stop looking at this as being a factor to Sony(As the very title of this thread attempts to exploit) and more an instance of congratulations to Microsoft.

OrigamiPanther

10-16-2008, 10:01 PM

more an instance of congratulations to Microsoft.
Agreed.

With numbers being tossed around, here's a few more just for fun.

Total PS3 sales in Japan as of Sept. 1, 2008: 2,320,000
Total XBox 360 sales in Japan as of Sept. 14, 2008: 717,275
Total Wii sales in Japan as of June 30, 2008: 6,430,000
Total DS sales in Japan as of June 30, 2008: 22,970,00

Total population of Japan as of 2007 census (estimate): 127,433,494

Percentage of consoles compared to total population

PS3: 1.82%
XBox 360: 0.56%
Wii: 5.05%
DS: 18.03%

So from that perspective everything's suffering.

'Cept the DS.

That thing's like Mothra, man.... ca-CAW!

Johan

10-16-2008, 10:31 PM

^^^Post more often...that was an interesting post! :)

jpublic

10-17-2008, 08:12 AM

What I'm getting from this is a strong suspicion that this is the last (or next-to-last)generation of traditional console we'll see from Japan. Portables are doing so much better there.

OrigamiPanther

10-17-2008, 08:57 AM

What I'm getting from this is a strong suspicion that this is the last (or next-to-last)generation of traditional console we'll see from Japan. Portables are doing so much better there.

It's certainly possible, but more than anything else, the gaming culture is so different there that it'll just take some time for the next gen to really take hold. PS2s are still selling over there partially because the amount of content generated for that platform far exceeds the content that was produced over here, and partially because retro gaming is pretty big. They will play a console until it doesn't work anymore and then go out, buy a new one (or get it repaired) and play that one until it dies. Part of the reason DS did so well was it's backwards compatibility with GBA games. Sony really hurt themselves within that market by not releasing a very reasonably priced (in the $300 range) PS3 with the PS2 hardware. That probably would have sold like hot cakes.

My memory is failing me now, but I think Nintendo kept producing new units of the Famicom until 2003? And they only recently decided to finally stop repairing the Famicom system because they were running out of parts? I mean, continuing to create and then having a stockpile of replacement parts for a system that is over 20 years old is just amazing when you think about it within this particular market.

Edit: Found the article (http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jAJfrC1k8lDKLOCGJu4VonjOYxBg). Yeah, Nintendo stopped repairing Famicom systems this time last year.

JayVe

11-02-2008, 05:12 PM

Wow

Xbox 360 has topped the PS3 for six weeks in a row.

Sony’s console shows no signs of catching Xbox 360 as PSP 3000 rules the roost

Proving that it’s sales popularity is anything but a passing success, Xbox 360 has outsold PS3 for the sixth week in succession in Japan this week, according to figures from Media Create.

Microsoft’s machine sold 7,844 units for the week ending October 26th – nearly double the number of that managed by PS3, whose 3,931 is the lowest the console has seen since its release.

Source (http://www.mcvuk.com/news/32185/JAPAN-PS3-sales-slump-further)

But, even though the PS3 sales are at an all-time low for the country, and the foreign-made Xbox 360 is outselling Sony's console almost 2/1, the PS3 is NOT SUFFERING in Japan. :rolleyes:

Johan

11-02-2008, 05:14 PM

Wow

Xbox 360 has topped the PS3 for six weeks in a row.

So, the race for last place is pretty tight then? :D

Chris_D

11-02-2008, 05:20 PM

But, even though the PS3 sales are at an all-time low for the country, and the foreign-made Xbox 360 is outselling Sony's console almost 2/1, the PS3 is NOT SUFFERING in Japan. :rolleyes:

The thing is, the PS3 just doesn't have much that Japanese gamers actually want at the moment. So it's not so much that the 360 is taking away sales from the PS3, I'm sure the PS3 would be languishing almost as badly if the the 360 wasn't even available. Things like Blueray don't really interest the average consumer over here, so it's not a factor like in North America.

A full version of Gran Turismo, FFXIII, or some other well known RPG franchises will probably give the PS3 a bit of a boost. The loss of exclusives like Tales and Star Ocean to 360 has probably hurt the PS3 more than it's helped the 360.