Batman not so popular in Japan charts

By Robert Purchese Published 22 January, 2010

PSPgo also struggles to make an impact.

Batman: Arkham Asylum got off to a bad start in Japan this week, managing to enter the chart at 23rd on PS3 and 42nd on Xbox 360.

The arguably less alluring Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising faired better and debuted at 20th on PS3 and 26th on Xbox 360, according to Media Create data (helpfully compiled on NeoGAF - thanks!)

This week's (ending 17th January) software champion was PSP game Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep, again. Highly placed newcomers included Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles on Wii (3), Tekken 6 on PSP (6) and The Last Window: Mayonaka no Yakusoku on DS (7).

The rest of top 10 was familiar and comprised of New Super Mario Bros Wii. (2), Friend Collection (4), Wii Fit Plus (5), The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks (8), Wii Sports Resort (9) and Inazuma Eleven 2: Threat of the Invaders (10)

And that meant no room at the inn for Final Fantasy XIII which, after exactly one month on sale, fell out of the limelight into 12th.

Another game that was supposed to flog bazillions was Monster Hunter Tri. Unlike it's ageing PSP sibling, however, this Wii exclusive is now nowhere in the top 50 to be seen.

While the PSP happens to be this week's best selling piece of hardware (73,213), individually the PSPgo happens to be this week's turkey (2027 units).

Combined sales of DS hardware are next highest (DSi LL 30,418/DSi 27.292/DSL 6754), followed by Nintendo's other system, Wii (57,349).

Numbers are down for PS3 but still competitive at 35,156. And Xbox 360 (4622) and PS2 (2580) are bottom of the pile.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

You may also like...

Comments (49) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • mega7ech #1 2 years ago

    Gotta love those happy clappy jappy chappies!

  • urban #2 2 years ago

    bloomin weirdo's!

  • Ignatius_Cheese #3 2 years ago

    Its common knowledge that Japanese gamers have no taste ;o)

  • Waffleaber #4 2 years ago

    They should have reskinned the characters to those of the camp 60's tv show and thrown in some *pow* *zang* *ka-bow* flashes during combat to appeal to the Japanese market more.

  • bad09 #5 2 years ago

    They should of put Princess Robot Bubblegum in, then it would of sold.

  • MaFlippinHeadHurts #6 2 years ago

    PSPgo = Turkey......who would ever have thought?!

  • figgis #7 2 years ago

    A 60's TV show Batman would have been better than the Grubby stroppy powerlifter we got in the game. Good game mind.

  • TRUTH #8 2 years ago

    Final Fantasy XIII is not getting of to a good start as it's already dropped out the charts, also most Jap reviews having been giving the game mixed reviews from average to very good - hardly any Must Have!...I think even the Jap are getting bored of these fairly samey Rpg's.
    Edited by 1 at 22/01/10 @ 16:58

  • Hermiod #9 2 years ago

    Oh well, we'll just have to keep our game of the year candidates to ourselves from now on.

  • bushwod #10 2 years ago

    Inazuma Eleven 2: Threat of the Invaders = stupidity name ever?

  • The-Bodybuilder #11 2 years ago

    Maybe they should accompany it with an anime series where batman powers up for 7 episode before lunging at joker, only for him to threaten to blow up gotham in 1 minute, which of course will last 2 weeks in episodes.

  • GamesConnoisseur #12 2 years ago

    PSPGo seems embarrassing by Sony's standard next to its PSP standard never mind the other hardwares inc X360 which outsold it.

    Pity re Batman but never expected it would do well unless they made Batman over into a teen schoolgirl or such!

  • sarcasmoidosis #13 2 years ago

    @bushwod: It's still "Infinite undiscovery" for me

  • LazyNinjaUk #14 2 years ago

    Unless it has scantily clad, barely legal anime babes in it or an angst ridden hero with long floppy hair and a giant sword, they aren't interested. Seriously, the Japanese region has to be the most stale market for video games.
    Edited by 2 at 22/01/10 @ 18:09

  • FladgeMangle #15 2 years ago

    Funny thing is, the PSPgo is actually brilliant - I have one. If only the price were somewhere this side of fucking mental...

  • trip919 #16 2 years ago

    @ Tyrell

    Aye, it’s not like they’ve made some of the finest the world has ever seen. Is it?

  • G-Money #17 2 years ago

    Wow ignorance prevails at EG... Think the Japs know a thing or two about games. Personally Batman left me cold and Flashpoint is sublime gameplay when it actually works.

  • trip919 #18 2 years ago

    @ Tyrell

    My bad. Lots going on. Stupid Japs.

  • BartonFink #19 2 years ago

    Dunno about anybody else but when it comes to games Japan is becoming largely irrelevant to gaming.

  • BartonFink #20 2 years ago

    As for the whole 360 thing they just don't like western tech. Even though it's the better gaming machine they still don't like it.

  • Burkey123 #21 2 years ago

    Good to see a third party Wii game up there.
    And those PSP Go figures are shocking! :o

  • Lusterpurge #22 2 years ago

    Let's be honest. Looking at the UK top sellers doesn't scream "good taste!" either.

  • electrolite #23 2 years ago

    Crikey, people from the UK (and jilted 360 owners, obv.) now trying to do Japan down because they have different taste. Have you *seen* our charts?

  • sarcasmoidosis #24 2 years ago

    Pricing a hand-held (even a fancy one) at nearly the same value as your home console is a dumb idea.

    How the hell does a game like New Super Mario Bros. on DS still sell for a top 20 after 3 years?

  • electrolite #25 2 years ago

    On another note though, as much as I like my PSP, I'm glad to see PSPGo fall on its arse. Overpriced, and with overpriced software, hopefully a shot across the bows of those encouraging the onset of Digital-only because they can charge the same/more than for a physical copy, with almost none of the overheads

  • Deckard1 #26 2 years ago

    they should have changed the henchmen batman fights into small girls in tiny skirts, who flash there nickers when they attack. And maybe replaced batman with a giant robot. Would have sold a ton.

  • hiddenranbir #27 2 years ago

    Let's be honest. Looking at the UK top sellers doesn't scream "good taste!" either.

    Sshhh! This is about them, not us!

  • Slipstream #28 2 years ago

    Batman not so popular in Japan charts

    Which is a shame really because if they were to give it a chance I think they'd find linear, but structured exploration and the smooth flowing pace of the combat to be right up their alley. Pity.

  • SpaceMonkey77 #29 2 years ago

    Hey, it won't be the first time, that japanese gamers have ditched a good game by the side of the road. Western games almost instantly, get the black stamp of death out there, anyway.

    Nothing to see here, move along.

  • Caspar_Esq. #30 2 years ago

    and now we even get our news courtesy of the GAF. They might even just stop taking the piss out of EG now, its just too easy. Pitiable, even... :S

  • napalm68 #31 2 years ago

    The Wii Monster Hunter tanking is a real surprise. That is unexpected
    Edited by 1 at 23/01/10 @ 06:49

  • El-Dev #32 2 years ago

    "Dunno about anybody else but when it comes to games Japan is becoming largely irrelevant to gaming. "

    Different cultures different tastes, though their top 2 selling consoles, the wii and the ds are the same as everybody elses. Basically just because they don't want to play space marine and blow the shit outta stuff doesn't necessarily make their gaming culture irrelevant.

  • Freek #33 2 years ago

    Japanese developers themselfs have commented on the closed nature of the japanese market, it's not some myth. They don't want to play games from the West, even if they are good. A completly different attitude then the rest of the world. With japanese studios increasingly looking to globalize their studios and cater to different tastes simply to cover costs. The japanese gamer may find that there are less and less games made specificly for them.

  • JeroenZM #34 2 years ago

    That's an interesting point. I can't help but think that the Tokyo Game Show, for instance, is a one-sided mess compared to E3 when it comes to game variety.

  • MDL199 #35 2 years ago

    BartonFink
    22/01/10 @ 19:59
    #24 -3 Login or Register to rate! You buried this comment Comment below viewing threshold Show
    As for the whole 360 thing they just don't like western tech. Even though it's the better gaming machine they still don't like it.


    ============================================================ ==========

    The 360 is a pile of complete junk! It has some great games available for it but that doesn't alter the fact that as a piece of hardware it's f**king awful!

    The highest failure rate of any console in history and by an absolute mile and even if yours doesn't suffer the RROD it's still the most noisy console ever with a cheapo low quality dvd drive. As a piece of hardware the PS3 blows the 360 off the face of the earth!

  • riz23 #36 2 years ago

    There are some pretty offensive comments being made here. Borderline racism. Not good form people. Anyways, culturally the Japanese are different. They like different things, that's just the way the world is. Difference should be lauded not derided and mocked. As for Batman, do you think the Japanese really care about Batman as a character? Japan has arguably the richest comic history in the world, no doubt there are dozens of Manga Heroes who mean more to the Japanese than a dude with a pointy eared mask, a boomerang and a brooding nature. Yes, they are missing out on a good game, but there are many Japanese games that we overlook ourselves through ignorance and misconceptions. Get over it.

  • hiddenranbir #37 2 years ago

    They prefer pointy hair heroes.

  • MiniAmin #38 2 years ago

    Iz it because e iz white?

  • Bangaioh #39 2 years ago

    I find amusing that someone from the UK calls a Japanese weirdo...

  • gelf #40 2 years ago

    Many many great Japanese games have failed over here too, maybe we have no taste either.

  • Phishfood #41 2 years ago

    DC comics was never big in Japan so its no suprise, though a few manga artists have said they've been influenced by American comics before. Yukito Kishiro author of Battle Angel Alita comes to mind.

  • SpaceMonkey77 #42 2 years ago

    Hey, pull the reigns on the Japanese Self Defence Force, no one is being racist.

    Sure, differences should be celebrated, but its hard to do so if japanese gamers won't try a lot of western games out. Because games from any region have been poor in the past, that doesn't always make that success concrete, as things are always changing. Japanese games were once on top of the world, but that's mostly crumbled now, but many japanese gamers are too blind to see most of this reality. Guess its just as well they aren't as vital anymore.

    You don't have to be Batman's biggest fan, to enjoy or hate the game, and I guess much of what we see from Japan, seems to show that western gamers are more accomodating, and willing to try something out, regardless of where its from.

    Different strokes for different folks and all, but too much stroking can shed hair and break backs. When more japanese gamers give western games more of a break, the world will be a better place, and hell, they might even have some fun too.

    Makes me wonder if they passed up on Uncharted 2, aswell.

  • carrotcake #43 2 years ago

    Maybe it's through growing up in the Sega/Nintendo and early PlayStation years that my tastes are really japan oriented. It used to be that almost every good game was of Japanese origin. Really got used to flashy colorful fantasy worlds and stuff, escaping into another world. not interested in most of these drab grey/brown realistic western games about war.

  • dfish #44 2 years ago

    a bit rich to criticise other nations in the week Just Dance is at the top of the charts here in the UK.

  • Genji #45 2 years ago

    It isn't necessarily because the game is "Western" that they don't like it. GTA games, for example, have sold very well over there.

    And I don't think Batman is very well-known over there. A game that lets you "be" Batman isn't necessarily going to appeal to someone who isn't all that interested in the character in the first place.

  • TonyHarrison #46 2 years ago

    "The Wii Monster Hunter tanking is a real surprise. That is unexpected"

    It broke the 1million barrier this week, becoming only the 13th home console game to do so in Japan in this generation (12 of those 13 are Wii games, which means it's outsold all but one game out of the entire PS3/360 catalogue in Japan). At the same time it became the first third party million seller in Japan on Wii, and the biggest selling third party game on a Nintendo home console in Japan since the SNES.

    But other than that, yeah... it tanked.

  • MORZTAN #47 2 years ago

    Yes, I did not get the Monster Hunter comment either... Thanks for mentioning it Mr. Harrison

  • shadow1979 #48 2 years ago

    Just put tentacles and a smiling school girl in the background in the cover and it will garauntee sales for batman.

  • SpaceMonkey77 #49 2 years ago

    This is interesting. Are some saying that japanese tastes are beyond criticism? I hope not. I think their tastes should be in question, more so because they condemn many western games, without even trying them out. Hey, gaijin game, run for the hills.

    I too was as blind, back when I had a SNES, it was all about the japanese games and nothing else. When I got my first PC, this shifted for the better, as I was able to sample the best of both worlds, east and west.

    I'm not saying I expect japanese gamers to run out and buy PCs, but a more open attitude to western product can only help them and us. They don't always have to buy games either, they can also rent or borrow from friends. But to do so first, is to have a more open mind.

    Good or bad games, can come from anywhere.