PS3 sales reach new low in Japan

By Robert Purchese Published 31 October, 2008

Wii Music struggles, 360 going strong.

Fewer PS3s are being sold in Japan than ever before, with the figure plunging under 4000 units for the week ending 26th October according to Media Create data.

Sony will take solace in 6962 sales of PlayStation 2 consoles, then, but sitting behind format rival Xbox 360 with 7844 units sold will sting.

The reason behind it all could be the recent Xbox 360 price cut. Microsoft counts no games in the Japanese top 40, and the PS3 claims just NBA Live '09 way down at 39.

Nintendo hopeful Wii Music will be similarly deflated, falling to number five after only two weeks on sale. The melodic Miyamoto composition has sold 129,000 copies in Japan so far.

Elsewhere, the PSP was head and shoulders above competition in hardware land, and DS game Wagamama Fashion Girls Mode won in the software stakes.

Japan software:

  1. Wagamama Fashion Girls Mode (DS) - 76,000
  2. Devil Summoner: Kuzunoha Raidou tai Abaddon Ou (PS2) - 63,000
  3. Pokémon Platinum (DS) - 53,000 (lifetime: 1,810,000)
  4. Rhythm Tengoku Gold (Wii) - 44,000 (lifetime: 1,051,000)
  5. Wii Music (Wii) - 38,000 (lifetime: 129,000)
  6. Yuusha no Kuse ni Namaikida Or 2 (PSP) - 27,000 (lifetime: 86,000)
  7. Devil Summoner: Kuzunoha Raidou tai Abaddon Ou (PS2) - 25,000
  8. Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia (DS) 19,000
  9. Bleach: Soul Carnival (PSP) - 18,000
  10. Wii Fit (Wii) - 15,000 (lifetime: 2,756,000)

Japan hardware:

  1. PSP: 60,467
  2. Wii: 24,292
  3. DS: 22,965
  4. Xbox 360: 7,844
  5. PS2: 6962
  6. PS3: 3931
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.

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Comments (79) Latest comment 3 years ago

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

  • Law07 #1 3 years ago

    Eurogamers views go low - time to post sales article!111
    Edited by 1 at 31/10/08 @ 12:07

  • Triggerhappytel #2 3 years ago

    Wow, poor times for pretty much every console in Japan. And I'm surprised at Wii Music's comparative lack of success.

    Sony really needs to drop the price and put a fucking host of JRPGs into development, or they will never, ever make a noteworthy impact over there.

  • woodnotes #3 3 years ago

    Sony need a PS4.

  • spazmo #4 3 years ago

    Wii music struggles? Times have certainly changed.

  • Pac-man-ate-my-wife #5 3 years ago

    It'll be interesting to see if Wii Music follows Nintendo's long-tail approach. I have a feeling it'll slowly but surely sell a million.

  • Steroyd #6 3 years ago

    360 going strong.

    luv EG's humour.
    Edited by 2 at 31/10/08 @ 12:15

  • Darren #7 3 years ago

    How much is the PS3 in Japan? I understand that it is much cheaper than it is in Europe and even the US? Why aren't Japanese gamers buying the machine... is it the lack of games (seeing as there aren't any in the top 30), it is the fact that the machine is bigger than the original Xbox (which was a criticism of that machine at the time), what?

  • spazmo #8 3 years ago

    Games. Sony need good, 'must have' exclusives.

  • Thunderbolt #9 3 years ago

    Wagamama Fashion Girls Mode?

    Boggles the mind at what the hell that game could be!

  • Steroyd #10 3 years ago

    The yen has strengthened in the global crisis and... the global crisis.

    Not launching any games at all doesn't help, and why is the PSP raping everything or to be more accurate why is DS doing so pooh?

  • CallousB #11 3 years ago

    "It'll be interesting to see if Wii Music follows Nintendo's long-tail approach. I have a feeling it'll slowly but surely sell a million."

    I'm not convinced, it seems to have started slower and dropped far quicker (although it'll obviously pick up over christmas). I think Animal crossing will do far better.

  • spazmo #12 3 years ago

    DSi is out soon.

  • Beano #13 3 years ago

    "Tokyo, We have a problem..."

  • Dizzy #14 3 years ago

    7 weeks at the bottom now for PS3?

    The DSi effect is pulling down the DS probably.

  • muscleblade #15 3 years ago

    "Eurogamers views go low - time to post sales article!111 "

    This is interesting indeed. When the Japanese turn their back on the "homemade PS3" and start buying American made 360s it tells an important message that buying having the best console is more important than patriotism.

  • Gaol #16 3 years ago

    Software sales pretty much sum up Japan's reaction to HD gaming. Pity, as I miss the heaps of software we used to get from over there, a lot of it was top quality.

  • muscleblade #17 3 years ago

    @Darren

    Its simply because the japanese gamers are hardcore and want the most hardcore gaming console. I have asked quite a few Japanese friends and they admit that the 360 offers more for the competitive hardcore gamers that many japanese are.

  • Cappy #18 3 years ago

    Why is Devil Summoner featured in the chart twice? Looks like one of those entries is wrong unless there are two identically named editions with sales being counted separately.

  • NotSoSlim #19 3 years ago

    360 has the JRPGs also new PS3 bundles next week as well.

    360 still hasnt hit 1m units and no one is really into HD gaming as a whole yet in japan and the PS2 sale prove that. Also its a matter of opinion which console is the most hardcore.

  • miiiguel #20 3 years ago

    OMG! Japanese gamers are teh bias!
    Edited by 1 at 31/10/08 @ 12:36

  • Vanmunt #21 3 years ago

    Last Remnant soon... looks like Sony have really dropped the ball letting MS tie up all these Square exclusives... but then again, they couldn't give away the PSP last year and all the mags and internet said it would be as dead as Elvis this year.

  • Cappy #22 3 years ago

    It's not exactly rocket science figuring out why the PS3 is doing worse than the 360. The 360 is getting games that appeal to the market, the PS3 is getting barely any. Without a heavy money hatting campaign to ensure the PS3 didn't get titles like Tales of Vesperia it would be the 360 selling less than 5000 units a week.

  • NotSoSlim #23 3 years ago

    Also note that alot of those so called exclusive 360 JRPGs are timed exclusive. Anyway i doubt either company will be happy with the sales for differing reasons.
    Edited by 1 at 31/10/08 @ 12:39

  • captain_artyfartfog #24 3 years ago

    Euro360mer reaches a new low:
    Describing 7k sales in Japan as 'strong'.

    This is about as strong as a fart after a baked bean eating contest.
    It also obliterates any notion that the Japanese are biased against western consoles, since the 360 is doing slightly better than the PS3 for a few weeks.

    Once the Ps3 has games (since none were released for nearly 2 months over there!!) it will blast the 360 back into the ground agan.
    Edited by 1 at 31/10/08 @ 12:41

  • ps3owner #25 3 years ago

    oh well! at least I can still do some folding at home... buhuuuuu :'(

  • ZeroAX #26 3 years ago

    oh don't cry sony. I'll finally be buying your PS(7kilomonster)3 in the next few months (finally getting me an hd tv and need a blue ray player and an hd console)

  • Steroyd #27 3 years ago

    This is interesting indeed. When the Japanese turn their back on the "homemade PS3" and start buying American made 360s it tells an important message that buying having the best console is more important than patriotism.

    Define "best console" because if we're talking games, they're not selling that well on either console (Xbox 360 has 0 in the top 40 compared to Sony's 1)

    What do these buyers do look at their console?

  • Lukus #28 3 years ago

    Aww! Bless the 360's little heart!

  • urban #29 3 years ago

    do the ps2 and the ps3 not get ,'s because their number is below everyone elses?

    bad weeks happen.

  • DoctorZoidberg #30 3 years ago

    and need a blue ray player

    Why do you need one?

    On topic, I don't think there is anything really amazing to be taken on these figures..... Maybe Japan is just growing out of gaming a bit? I mean the whole Wii revolution over there seems to suggest that gaming is more of a social activity now than a lock thyself away with "insert hardcore singleplayer game" thing for most.

    Swings and Roundabouts springs to mind.

  • canIdoyabombsforya #31 3 years ago

    That's what happens when you try to shovel Laserdisc2 into a games console.

  • HiddenAway #32 3 years ago

    @ Cappy

    There was a Limited and Standard edition of the game this week. Naturally, someone said we had to count both separately...

  • GamesConnoisseur #33 3 years ago

    RE PSP question, Monster Hunter craze is the short and simple answer for the reversal of the fortune.

    So its pretty bad week for PS3 again, but things always change depending on the software releases at the time. But I have to say I had written off X360 as dead in the water in Japan. I had read recent article in Edge or was it Game? Re Japanese tendency to buy home grown products, Apple ipod is the exception rather than the norm. Korea's Samsung given up on trying to compete with Japanese good on their terriority.

    Japanese is not generally racist but they are more protective of their products it seem, so congrats to MS for having X360 doing well for a few weeks.

    We ll see how it turn out eventually, could be that Japanese is more savvy than European re Sony's PS3?!!

  • mcwildcard #34 3 years ago

    The gloat to defence ratio on this post has hit new highs, good work 360 owners.

  • Eighthours #35 3 years ago

    PS3 must bounce next week. New hardware configuration's out then.

  • lambtron #36 3 years ago

    Were it not for Europe it would be dark, dark times for Sony.

  • Collymilad #37 3 years ago

    "360 has the JRPGs also new PS3 bundles next week as well.

    360 still hasnt hit 1m units and no one is really into HD gaming as a whole yet in japan and the PS2 sale prove that. Also its a matter of opinion which console is the most hardcore. "

    No it's not. It's the 360.

    I'm just glad some sanity has shone through this gen and Sony didn't run away with it again undeservedly.
    Edited by 1 at 31/10/08 @ 13:12

  • Cappy #38 3 years ago

    "There was a Limited and Standard edition of the game this week. Naturally, someone said we had to count both separately..."

    Pity they couldn't roll the numbers up together, they seem to do it for games over here. You won't see multiple chart entries for the different editions of Fallout 3 for instance. Once you total Devil Summoner's sales it was actually the number one selling game this week and proof that there's still life in the PS2.

  • rumrum4444 #39 3 years ago




    PS3 = FLOP !



    .

  • muscleblade #40 3 years ago

    "Also its a matter of opinion which console is the most hardcore"

    Thats right and the Japanese gamers think the most hardcore console is the 360. Thats their opinion.

  • Xerx3s #41 3 years ago

    "Waahhh! How DAR Eur06am3r Saye dis LIEZ!
    PSfree is BESTEST EVAR!

    TEH BIASSES! "

    Oh fuck off, even as a satire it's extremely annoying.

  • muscleblade #42 3 years ago

    "PS3 = FLOP ! "

    Its not a Flop at all. Considering the competition from the vastly superior 360 the PS3 sells remarkably well all over imo.

  • Widge #43 3 years ago

    Well, the Monster Hunter craze began to subside on the PSP, then the Phantasy Star craze kicked in. With the amount of units kicking around there now, you've got to really expect games to be kicking around for them. Ok you've got the old catalogue, but there are a few RPGs coming out from Level5, Square have FFXIII (which looks immense) and remembering Crisis Core did some decent unit shifting. Things will start trundling on.

  • Widge #44 3 years ago

    ah, I have some missing posts from this thread... the retard magnet must have been activated

  • septimus #45 3 years ago

    Both MS and Sony need to put some real shit like Wagamama out and their consoles will sell a ton. I really don't get the Japanese taste in games some times. Most times.

    Barbie Horse Adventures saves Xbox 360 in Japan! (It will happen).

    Edit - "The 360 is getting games that appeal to the market" - where in that entire chart is your explanation shown?
    Edited by 1 at 31/10/08 @ 13:38

  • michaelius #46 3 years ago

    No suprise why would anyone buy PS3 in this week when few days later they gotten 80 gig version release and LBP bundle ?

    Only reason to buy ps3 in that was if you
    a) found great bargain
    b) were uninformed customer
    c) can't wait even few more days for your shiny stuff

  • michaelius #47 3 years ago

    It's not exactly rocket science figuring out why the PS3 is doing worse than the 360. The 360 is getting games that appeal to the market, the PS3 is getting barely any. Without a heavy money hatting campaign to ensure the PS3 didn't get titles like Tales of Vesperia it would be the 360 selling less than 5000 units a week.

    It's too early to say PS3 is doomed in Japan at least not before release of exclusive White Knight Chronicle and FF XIII.

  • Widge #48 3 years ago

    and FXIII Versus too.

  • ronuds #49 3 years ago

    I never expected the 360 to beat the PS3 for even 1 week, let alone 7.

  • Gnort #50 3 years ago

    I find it astonishing that in a country where technology is relatively cheap, the two HD consoles on the market combined only managed to get 1 title in the top 40, and it was a basketball game. No entries in the top 10 I could easily understand, but 1 in the top 40 is almost unbelievable.

  • woodnotes #51 3 years ago

    "It's not exactly rocket science figuring out why the PS3 is doing worse than the 360. The 360 is getting games that appeal to the market, the PS3 is getting barely any. Without a heavy money hatting campaign to ensure the PS3 didn't get titles like Tales of Vesperia it would be the 360 selling less than 5000 units a week."

    And if the 360 was the Wii, it would be selling more than 25,000 units a week. And if I was Brad Pitt, I'd be rich and famous.

  • ZeroAX #52 3 years ago

    Why do you need one?

    because what's the point of having an hd tv without hd content? and the channels here don't send hd signal yet. but even if they did I don't like tv channels. only use it for dvd and wii

  • chris_ace #53 3 years ago

    Post deleted at 11:55:13 13-12-2011

  • Triggerhappytel #54 3 years ago

    @ Widge - "ah, I have some missing posts from this thread... the retard magnet must have been activated"

    Yeah, apparently I'm missing four posts so my mechanism has kicked in, too. Sometimes I am almost curious to turn it off, just to see the stupidity, but more often than not I know I'll regret it.

    I like muscleblade's subtle digs at the PS3 though.


    Actually, forget that; they're not subtle. I may have found the next candidate for my ignore list.

  • Pac-man-ate-my-wife #55 3 years ago

    @ chris_arse

    time to withdraw the 360 in japan and rebox it as a sega dreamcast 2 or neo geo 360 might actually make a million sales in japan then

    Yeah, because the Japanese don't buy Western stuff do they? Only Japanese stuff.

    Oh, except for Nike. And Coke. And Starbucks. And Apple iPods. And Disney stuff. etc etc

  • drumbaby #56 3 years ago

    Drop the price of the PS3, Sony. People simply cannot afford to impulse buy it, especially with zero JRPGs to sway them.

  • Dizzy #57 3 years ago

    "Oh, except for Nike. And Coke. And Starbucks. And Apple iPods. And Disney stuff. etc etc "

    Have you been in Japan?

  • Pac-man-ate-my-wife #58 3 years ago

    @ Dizzy

    Nope.

  • Remy85 #59 3 years ago

    Isn't the headline that the PSP just about outsold everything combined?

  • Pulsar_t #60 3 years ago

    Perhaps because this generation is lacking in quality software (to differentiate it from the one before)?

  • lambtron #61 3 years ago

    "@ Dizzy

    Nope. "

    lol.

  • chris_ace #62 3 years ago

    Post deleted at 11:55:13 13-12-2011

  • Garulon #63 3 years ago

    "Without a heavy money hatting campaign to ensure the PS3 didn't get titles like Tales of Vesperia it would be the 360 selling less than 5000 units a week."

    Do you really think developers need paying to not produce titles on Sony's hard to program poorly-received console? Er, OK then.

  • Xerx3s #64 3 years ago

    "Oh, except for Nike. And Coke. And Starbucks. And Apple iPods. And Disney stuff. etc etc "'

    I bet that if they had their own version, it would greatly outsell those products. Oh wait, it already does.

  • eepic #65 3 years ago

    hah seems like the japs are wisening up

    ps3 is for fags anayway

  • holydrone #66 3 years ago

    "PS3 = FLOP ! "

    "Its not a Flop at all. Considering the competition from the vastly superior 360 the PS3 sells remarkably well all over imo. "

    However, despite what look like fairly solid sales and despite what Sony might say, it looks like their plans for monopolising the "digital household" market (this was probably the reason they first came into the games market - a trojan-horse with the long-term goal of controlling the domestic digital media and network) have floundered at the crucial third stroke.

    It has already been suggested that this generations losses will outweigh the gains made in the previous two and, if this is the case, then it is feasible that a PS4 might not look like a viable business proposition unless there is a massive revision of Sony's digital strategy.

    or...

    XBOTS SPAKKAZ AND WIITARD FAGGUTS LOLZ!!!!!1111 CORSAS CHEAPA THAN FERRARRISS!! CHAZS ARE r 2 FICK 4 REEEEEEALLL HI-DEF GAMING + BLURAY!!1!!1! NOT SONYS FAWLT PEOPLE ARE 2 PIKEY 4 PS£!!!~!!!

  • GRM08 #67 3 years ago

    PS3 sales have probably dropped because dedicated Blue Ray players have now dropped in price below the PS3. No need to buy the PS3 as a 'cheap' Blue ray player anymore. It happened withthe original Xbox, lots of people bought it because it was a cheap DVD player, so games sales suffered. Now Sony have to sell the PS3 on the power of the console itself, and as it is no better or worse than a 360, people will buy the cheaper 360. Especially parents buying for their kids over Xmas.

  • #68 3 years ago

    Stop the press, "Japanese buy cheaper console shocker". Seriously at the price point its at, did anyone expect any less?

  • migasUK #69 3 years ago

    "XBOTS SPAKKAZ AND WIITARD FAGGUTS LOLZ!!!!!1111 CORSAS CHEAPA THAN FERRARRISS!! CHAZS ARE r 2 FICK 4 REEEEEEALLL HI-DEF GAMING + BLURAY!!1!!1! NOT SONYS FAWLT PEOPLE ARE 2 PIKEY 4 PS£!!!~!!!"


    r u frustrated ahahahhahahaah...your puss3 won't even have a place in a museum perhaps in the Guinness Books for the...well you know!

    :D

  • SilentScream #70 3 years ago

    @holydrone

    XBOTS SPAKKAZ AND WIITARD FAGGUTS LOLZ!!!!!1111 CORSAS CHEAPA THAN FERRARRISS!! CHAZS ARE r 2 FICK 4 REEEEEEALLL HI-DEF GAMING + BLURAY!!1!!1! NOT SONYS FAWLT PEOPLE ARE 2 PIKEY 4 PS£!!!~!!! that was so funny.

    I understand what you were originally talking about though.
    I wouldn't think that they would stop at the PS3 though, as they obviously still have a market with the PS3 (even if small) and the PSP doing amazingly well.

    So they must have done something right, but yes, I'd agree with the re-thinking strategy in what and where they're going.

  • DjFlex52 #71 3 years ago

    PS3 = FLOP !

    @rumrum4444

    Grow up soon, please!
    If that's not possible, I feel sorry for you.

  • Epherham #72 3 years ago

    *Sigh* I wish people would stop banging on about how the japanese won`t buy an american console because of their deep seated xenophobic/racist ways.. please.. it`s just bullshit, plain and simple.

    The japanese are the biggest consumers in the world of imported brand goods. They buy, and have a massive preference for foreign goods, because most foreign goods that are successful here are sold on the premise that they are of good quality, the finest, or at least finer than japan, that the world has to offer. They love America, and similarly Europe.

    What they don`t love is products of poor quality, for the japanese are in general a practical bunch, they would like things to last longer than a year, and have them suit their needs. American consumer electronics, automobiles etc. have a reputation the world over as being a tad less reliable than some might wish, and the expectations as to their functionality vary greatly from that of people in America.

    Japanese goods do, still, in general have a good reputation as being reliable and pretty easy to use. That is something the Japanese take pride in. Their pride can come off a bit as arrogance, it really isn`t, but when most of the best things as they see it, are `not japanese the few things japan is held in good regard for the world over, well, you can forgive them their pride.

  • davisorle #73 3 years ago

    lawl for Sony. Guess even Japs prefer to play than watch BR movies huh..? How weird. - Sarcasm

  • aphexstwin #74 3 years ago

    could it be something daft like the japs dont play at home anymore? with the huge difference in handheld vs console sales, something's going on. and maybe its not the type of games because for all the jrpg's on the 360, the sales are still not great. better than they were but nowt spesh. could it be more of a 'handheld wlan fest' of gaming going on in workplaces or somesuch? (at break times?)

  • AnonymousUser #75 3 years ago

    I reckon the reason for low ps3 sales in Japan could be due to the idea the Japanese prefer playing 'simple' games - both in terms of graphics and gameplay - handhelds are pretty good at offering this. As advanced as Japan is, I think gamers over there definitely prefer games that dont attempt to go for outright realism and instead stick to a more unrealistic stylized graphical look.

    This is why underpowered consoles (like the ds,psp and wii) are so popular. Of course both pricing and the availability of certain software franchises on each platform plays a big part in determining the popularity of a console. But I still feel Japanese gamers have strong ties to more old skool games - seen in the snes and ps1 eras. Take for instance Monster Hunter - simple hack and slash and Pokemon - simple 2d rpg.

    Both franchises are extremely popular and most importantly pretty easy to get into. Handhelds offer these types of games in a small low priced portable unit. No wonder the high powered home consoles are taking a beating. Just my opinion
    Edited by 1 at 01/11/08 @ 02:37

  • MUSASHI-X #76 3 years ago

    funny... people dont know japanese market...

    xbox360 is completely failed in Japan.
    total sales in japan only 0.7 milion whichi is 3 times less than PS3.

    and if you go store in japan, xbox section is so small...
    also I see wii and ps3 on stores sales ad paper( like bestbuy) every weekend, but not xbox360.

    sorry ... this is the fact in Japan.

  • zedzee #77 3 years ago

    I think it's time Sony got off its high horse and dropped the damn price of their wonderful console, who's life so far as been so unfortunately and badly handled by the very company that makes it.

    It's time for a reboot of the whole PS3 strategy.

  • konniehuqfan #78 3 years ago

    outsold by xbox... how humiliating! :o

    sort it out sony!

  • Dizzy #79 3 years ago

    "and if you go store in japan, xbox section is so small...
    also I see wii and ps3 on stores sales ad paper( like bestbuy) every weekend, but not xbox360.

    sorry ... this is the fact in Japan. "

    I think you are probably living in an imaginary Japan.

    The places I go to barely have PS3 and 360 sections, it is all about Wii and DS. Yea the PSP is selling like crazy but it is not taken seriously by many stores. It still is all DS.

  • bad09 #80 3 years ago

    "you have to be a bit naive to buy a PS3 at it's current price."

    How so? £289 is "reasonable" for a machine that does what the PS does IMO (sure media wise the 360 does a lot of the same stuff, but not as good or flashy if you ask me), if it was that price at launch more would have snapped one up. Sony's HUGE mistake was believing many people would pay more than that at launch (also stopping people playing their PS2 was a mind boggling cock up).

    I'm not saying it shouldn't get a cut, we all know the sweet spot of under £200, but for what you get it's still a good investment (especially now with the bigger HDD and DS3 in the box)

    / realises he has too many good words for Sony lately, looks in the mirror "Oh my god....I'm changing...ARGHH!!!....into....GRRR....a....OW!....member of the SDF....ARGH I LOVE YOU SONY!!!

    / smashes his 360 and falls to the ground screaming "NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!"

  • falstaff #81 3 years ago

    Of course the PS3 is not selling there's a new bundle coming out in a few days.

  • Spong #82 3 years ago

    "Of course the PS3 is not selling, it's shit."

    Fixed.