Recent figures show Wii sells four-to-one against PS3 in Japan
by Alexander Sliwinski 
{ Oct 2nd 2007 at 2:25PM }
Japan's Enterbrain says the Wii outsold the PS3 four-to-one in the country between April and September. Nintendo sold 1.6 million units while the PS3 sold 385,492. Although this shows recent figures between the two systems, a report from early September showed the Wii outsold the PS3 three-to-one since their launch last year. Don't even bother asking about the Japanese Xbox 360 sales figures.So, when will the PS3 find redemption, considering Heavenly Sword and Lair obviously didn't hit the spot? Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter says it's Little Big Planet that will resonate with the Japanese market and be the "console seller." Now it just needs a street date. Time is ticking and Wii is on the march.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
loungemonkey @ Oct 2nd 2007 2:28PM
So I am assuming it is selling 1,000 to 1 against the 360.
Sorry I just had to bother.
Spoit @ Oct 3rd 2007 12:59PM
Nah, surely it's OVER 9000!!!
Raikage (NDF - PK THUNDER RING) @ Oct 2nd 2007 4:25PM
WA WHAT!!! OVER NINE THOUSAND!!!!!
wootman @ Oct 3rd 2007 6:22PM
id say its more like 599 times more than the ps3.
YourSlay3r @ Oct 2nd 2007 2:30PM
This isn't suprising at all. Wii has a much better price, awesome games coming out (SMG, SSB BRAWL) and has the virtual console.
Once PS3 gets some more games and they lower the price we will see a "big bang" in PS3 sales in Japan.
Marty @ Oct 2nd 2007 3:36PM
Honestly, I think the Japanese have already decided what is to become of the PS3... there isn't redemption in it's future.
And Little big Planet saving the PS3? In Japan, no less? If there's any reason for you to stop believing analysts, this folks, is it.
upz @ Oct 2nd 2007 4:36PM
We love to beat up on analysts here, but in all honesty, Pachter is right far more often than he's wrong. After all, he was one of the first to predict both the PS3 price drop and the budget priced PS3 SKU, but of course, we selectively choose not to remember those instances. On the other hand, Pachter's demonstrated that he knows very little about the Japanese market. LittleBigPlanet is almost guaranteed to push systems in western markets, but whether it'll make much of a splash in Japan is still up in the air.
Nick @ Oct 2nd 2007 2:50PM
I always though LBP looked like more of a western oriented game...
DarthDavid @ Oct 2nd 2007 2:31PM
Japan will NEVER respect/embrace an American console no matter what games are on it....Microsoft doesn't seem to understand this, just stick with the US and Europe.
Ihar `Philips` Filipau @ Oct 2nd 2007 6:26PM
Silly.
As soon as games would start appearing - console would sell. For basically one game - average for Japs - they are not going to invest into such piece of hardware. (*)
Also, as soon as Xbox would be profitable, you can expect much much more activity from Microsoft on Xbox and XBLA front.
Cheaper games and cheaper game development costs - this are things Microsoft can and will make reality.
(*) Free hint from otaku: JRPG to attract audience???? M$, you must be silly. Ecchi and dating simulators are what ruling Jap gaming market.
ThornedVenom @ Oct 2nd 2007 11:38PM
If they can adopt PCs, they can adopt American consoles!!! =P
James @ Oct 2nd 2007 2:34PM
This is what happens when you release a good system, after all, isn't it all about the good games?
Smoke_Dawg_187 @ Oct 2nd 2007 3:40PM
I totally agree with you. It is all about the GAMES.
wootman @ Oct 3rd 2007 6:26PM
developers, developers, developers, developers.
*does steve balmer dance*
Crono (NDF - French Taunting from Holy Grail Ring) @ Oct 2nd 2007 2:35PM
PS3 will never take off in japan. Its expensive, ugly, and doesn't have any japanese centric games on it.
mr nimblewick (SegaDF - Jogurt Ring) @ Oct 2nd 2007 2:40PM
Poor ugly bastard!
Liquid @ Oct 2nd 2007 2:50PM
Never?! If this generation is like the previous, price drops and form factor changes are in our future. Get FF out the door and all your arguments are invalid.
Slaziman @ Oct 2nd 2007 2:55PM
O rly?
FFXIII
That is all
samfish (MSDF- Nurse Outfit!) @ Oct 2nd 2007 3:08PM
FF XII will be out in 2009 in all likelihood. By then, do you really think it'll do much good for the PS3's total sales?
Crono (NDF - French Taunting from Holy Grail Ring) @ Oct 2nd 2007 3:08PM
Ya Rly!
FF13 has a release date of what, sometime in 2009? The console war will be long over by the time FF13 arrives.
You might have me on form factor changes, though. But again, that probably won't happen until 2009 as well.
NoHitHair @ Oct 2nd 2007 3:11PM
Are you guys honestly that daft? Have you not watched the previews for FFXIII? The Japanese that I've spoken with are disgusted with how blatantly Americanized the series has become. FFXIII's release on the PS3 won't even come close to salvaging the system.
All Square manages to accomplish nowadays is limply tossing out vague storylines solely intended to validate their overstaffed art department's obsession with action scenes. Advent Children anyone? What a joke.
Slaziman @ Oct 2nd 2007 3:19PM
sauce on FFXIII coming out in 2009 and not 2008?
mr nimblewick (SegaDF - Jogurt Ring) @ Oct 2nd 2007 3:21PM
@ Slaziman
Aw, don't go all 4chan on us. :(
blooh (CDF - Ass Ring) @ Oct 2nd 2007 3:27PM
well they did 13% in the first year of it's development, and that was only a couple years ago or less
Count Noobula @ Oct 2nd 2007 3:44PM
I agree with you. The PS3 is not an aesthetically pleasing machine. It looks gigantic, does not fit in with anything else you own, and is really expensive. The Wii is small, "cute", has that nice glossy finish to it, is inexpensive, and loads more fun. Nintendo knew what they were doing when the DS lite took off like a bat out of hell. They continues the physical-interactive trend by putting motion control in the Wii.
Crono (NDF - French Taunting from Holy Grail Ring) @ Oct 2nd 2007 3:49PM
@slaziman
"sauce" would be common sense, combined with some deductive reasoning. If they started development right after or shortly after FF12 (a reasonable assumption), and by june or july of this year it was only 13% complete (according to square), you can extrapolate that a 2008 release will be very unlikely.
Let me turn it around now. I want your "sauce" that FF13 will have a 2008 release date.
upz @ Oct 2nd 2007 4:15PM
You don't think 13% for XIII (13!) and 1.3% for Versus XIII (13!) are a bit too coincidental? Especially considering Square stated it was nearly 80% done a few months prior? Show me a developer that can pinpoint their progression on a game to one-tenth of a percent and I'll show you a Nintendo fanboy who isn't threatened by the Final Fantasy XIII.
Source forthcoming.
upz @ Oct 2nd 2007 4:23PM
*the Final Fantasy XIII brand.
Here's the source for the 80%. Top right blurb.
upz @ Oct 2nd 2007 4:24PM
http://finalfantasy-xiii.net/image.php?image=media/scans/psmuk/01.jpg
Slaziman @ Oct 3rd 2007 6:17AM
The 13% thing was obviously a play on it being the thirteenth installment as upz said.
So yeah Crono, ownd
Word of the street(IDF-Digital Ruler). @ Oct 2nd 2007 2:41PM
I wonder if the Wii and PS3 game library in Japan is better or if Japanese people are just buying them wii and the PS3 for the Brand.
Japanese people will never buy an American system no matter how good is it,I’m surprised it even sells in Japan.
Word of the street(IDF-Digital Ruler). @ Oct 2nd 2007 2:42PM
Damn I need to Proof read my comments.
mr nimblewick (SegaDF - Jogurt Ring) @ Oct 2nd 2007 2:44PM
I think that people all over the world are still buying the Wii for Wiisports. I don't know about the PS3 though.
Crono (NDF - French Taunting from Holy Grail Ring) @ Oct 2nd 2007 2:45PM
Honestly, for microsoft in japan its a matter of marketing screw ups.
Like how bad Sony screwed up their marketing here, imagine that for microsoft, and only in japan.
blooh (CDF - Ass Ring) @ Oct 2nd 2007 2:48PM
yeah japs are pretty shallow. very few are giving the 360 a chance, even though it's got great games. I used to be a sony fanboy, but they just kept pissing me off with all the shit about the ps3, I'm glad I got a 360. I just follow the good games :)
Mr Khan @ Oct 2nd 2007 2:50PM
We don't need to go through this again
Japan buys Western products, just because a Western system hasn't gotten it right yet, doesn't mean they can't
mr nimblewick (SegaDF - Jogurt Ring) @ Oct 2nd 2007 3:04PM
"yeah japs are pretty shallow."
What is this, WWII? No one says "japs" anymore.
Crono (NDF - French Taunting from Holy Grail Ring) @ Oct 2nd 2007 3:12PM
Actually, thats like the 5th time I've heard it on joystiq, so obviously someone still says "japs".
Honestly, more people would say "japs" instead of "japanese" because of ease of typing, but "japs" was used as a racial slur in WWII, so nobody says it now, even though most people on this site probably have a high opinion of the japanese people and culture.
Stupid racism. Making me type out the word "Japanese".
blooh (CDF - Ass Ring) @ Oct 2nd 2007 3:20PM
well they call us gaijins, it's shorter than a-mer-i-cans
Word of the street(IDF-Digital Ruler). @ Oct 2nd 2007 3:37PM
Well after doing a full research on the issue (Okay I just remembered some stuff a guy from Japan said once) is true that this is the fault of the Xbox 1?,it seemed the support for Japan was non existent and it disappointed a lot of costumers in Japan and that’s why the XB360 sales are so poor in Japan well that was what that guy said.
Yet I don’t get it why they buy the PS3?, wouldn’t be better if they bought it when MGS4 arrives or some other game like FFX3 in my knowledge PS3 current library are still multi platforms and 3 good exclusives Heavenly sword, Warhawk and Resistance fall of man, in the case of the Wii well is sort of the same the Big 3 Super Paper Mario, Zelda and Metroid the only difference is that the rest of the Wii heavy hitters are coming this year Super smash brothers brawl and U R MR GAY A.K.A Super Mario (Lost) Galaxy.
Mr Khan @ Oct 2nd 2007 5:13PM
See, i don't think that it was intended as Racism, but that it simply was the faster way to say it at the time. The fact that they were the enemies, however, made it into a dirty word, as it was used in a derogatory way
I would too use "jap" if it wasn't inappropriate, although to abbreviate the country, JP is adequate
blooh (CDF - Ass Ring) @ Oct 2nd 2007 6:36PM
yeah, call em nips if you wanna be short and racist
Ska Oreo @ Oct 2nd 2007 2:49PM
Little Big Planet the savior of the ps3 in japan? Highly doubt it. It isn't quirky enough and lacks that Japanese style that Nintendo games have.
Sieged Eagle @ Oct 2nd 2007 2:57PM
Sony has to get its act together quickly before it's too late. A price drop would be wise, since $500 USD for the single console is still expensive (but at least they weren't stingy enough to sell the 80GB version with Motorstorm included, but still, it's a "tad" expensive).
Well, right now Sony and the PS3 isn't having the luck like in the last-gen, but we'll see if they have a chance by 2008, since they'll have the prime meat by that time.
Martez @ Oct 2nd 2007 2:57PM
LittleBigPlanet doesn't have a release date yet? Wow, that sucks.
Konny @ Oct 2nd 2007 2:57PM
Take a closer look at recent weeks.. the wii has nosedived.. its around 25k/week now and on a downward trend. Still, outselling PS3/360, but, so it should since its so cheap and marketed towards moms and grandmas. Its not a supply shortage either, so, dont give me that crap.
The top selling games are WiiSports, WiiPlay, and Mario Party8.. basically gimmick games where the novelty wears off.. Wii isnt gonna be big this year as it was last; how do you keep the hype for WiiSport up? Even games like Zelda and DQS arent selliing.
And... its less than one year into the Wii life, it shouldnt be declining.
samfish (MSDF- Nurse Outfit!) @ Oct 2nd 2007 3:06PM
You were told this last time you posted the exact same thing: EVERYTHING is declining in Japan, except the PSP, obviously. This should tell you something larger is at play.
And yet, regardless, the Wii is STILL apparently 4:1 against the PS3 over there.
mr nimblewick (SegaDF - Jogurt Ring) @ Oct 2nd 2007 3:06PM
You keep up hype with the casual crowd by releasing Wiifit, Wiimusic, Wii Motor Sports, etc.
And have you noticed that the PS3 and 360 have also been trending down in Japan? It's a lull in the game buying season.
megaStryke @ Oct 2nd 2007 3:07PM
You know what Konny? You are absolutely right. All along, you have been the voice of reason. Why, oh why, have I been so blinded all this time? The truth is clear as day! My eyes have been opened! Thank you. Thank you, Konny. You have shown me the light. The road to salvation will be long and arduous but it is one that I must take and take alone. Farewell! And many thanks!
Konny @ Oct 2nd 2007 3:12PM
Everyone expected 360 to struggle and PS3 to a less extent due to its price point and dearth of games... but, the Wii has gone from 100k+ units a few weeks ago to barely pushing 25k last... it shouldnt be doing this given its cheap price and mass market appeal.
The hype-train is slowing down.. the following few weeks of sales will make this more clear. Theres only so much WiiSports can do a year after its big buzz release.. its not new anymore. And, JDM dont seem to care about Zelda, Metroid, SSBB, DQS.. you know, REAL games.