Uncharted 2 helps PS3 cause in Japan

By Robert Purchese Published 23 October, 2009

But nothing can budge DS Pokemon.

The PS3 Slim continues to sell well in Japan, bolstered this week by the arrival of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves.

The Sony console sold 30,231 units, according to Media Create data, while Naughty Dog's new game finished fifth, selling 53,827 copies.

But, like last week, the hardware champion was DS (51,735 units) and the software champion was Pokemon Heart Gold/Soul Silver (164,721 units). There was little change in the top five either, as Wii Fit Plus, Tomodachi Collection and Inazuma Eleven 2: Threat of the Invader followed the leader.

Okami Wii, a fellow newcomer, finished sixth with 23,810 sales.

The PSP sold second best (33,508 units), incidentally, while the Wii tucked in in fourth (29,965 units). Meanwhile, Xbox 360 and PS2 were well off the pace, selling 3662 and 2109 sales respectively.

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 (46) Latest comment 2 years ago

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

  • j-bo #1 2 years ago

    I dont think it's about being a 'world conquerer', it's about bringing the install base up significantly and bringing the PS3 back into the game, which it's clearly doing.

  • skillian #2 2 years ago

    Get a room you two.

  • Les #3 2 years ago

    donnie#, your're crazy

    "I'm sure Microsoft don't care to much though"

    Of course they do but by now they'll have realized there's not much they can do about it. Getting pretty much every JRPG (timed) exclusive for their platform hasn't helped so far.

  • Beano #4 2 years ago

    Donnie, you're a twat. Please stop.

  • markymark22 #5 2 years ago

    Hi i'm new!
    I'm sure microsoft are happy with there sales in other territories.
    Ps3 is doing very well i think. Should be a huge increase over there with the release of final fantasy! Cant wait for that game myself.

  • MeBrains #6 2 years ago

    donnie: ...

    you are absolutely right every time. You should hold a strategic role in Microsoft's entertainment division. really... ;)

  • Brianstorm #7 2 years ago

    For an overtly western game, the uncharted 2 sales are incredibly high. Naughty Dog deserve all the success they get with their new game.

  • Goodfella #8 2 years ago

    @ Brainstorm

    Precisely, it's well documented that the Japanese don't really going for shooters (first or third person) so Uncharted 2 has done really well.

    As for donnie, why are you so insistant on talking bollocks?

  • davisorle #9 2 years ago

    29,965 sales of the Wii and 30,231 PS3s. wow this is a tight race if last week the difference was bigger than 0,5K units then the bet is that next week Wii has already chances to sell more than the PS3. but really im not interested in the Jap charts due to the so dif market. Nothing amazes me anymore from there.

    @Les

    I'll agree with u and ur point to Donnie but when you think about it its sad and thats why i dont care for the jap charts. You see the same games that come out months-year later sell so much more on the PS3 even if its worst version and how unaccepted the 360 is there for no apparent "real" reason other than its not Sony. I dont care, dont get me wrong but its just messed up a bit if you think about it. Thanks to the market there Sony got so easily away with it this gen around. :)

    As of uncharted it does look like a great game and im glad that their effort is being paid for in sales. I know I'd buy it too for sure. It seriously is the only game that im craving from the console and I have no reason to not admit it. I dont like its mp but i also love too much their work on the coop. Coops are highly appreciated for beer drinking nights with company :p

  • davisorle #10 2 years ago

    @Goodfella

    I might have to say you are wrong cause they dont only play RPGs... If im correct a combo of PSone and Metal Gear should ring a bell or two :)

  • El-Dev #11 2 years ago

    @davisorle, what are Sony getting away with this gen?

  • GreyBeard #12 2 years ago

    If Sony can sustain ~30k sales p/w in Japan I think they'll be extremely pleased. Admittedly its not a huge number in itself, but its a lot better than how they were doing before the launch of the slim.

    As for Uncharted2, it depends on how large the initial shipment was to say how well or not its performing. Its a very Western type of title, so I doubt Sony would have made that many units available. Hopefully word of mouth may help it sell more long-term, but realistically it was never going to be a huge hit.

  • Rangerwave #13 2 years ago

    I'm actually surprised Uncharted 2 is doing that well in Japan, as I would have thought that not only is the gameplay style not the most popular in Japan, but the story and the humour would seem more suited to a Western audience who grew up on Indiana Jones and Romancing the Stone.

  • Goodfella #14 2 years ago

    @ davisorle

    Apart from well established 'crazy' MGS series then, is that better?

    Not much of a shooter though is it, you spend more time watching cut scenes and sneaking around.

  • jaywalker3010 Verified Mastering Manager, Square Enix #15 2 years ago

    OOh theres a 1.01 patch for uncharted 2.. Any idea what it fixes?

  • muscleblade #16 2 years ago

    "donnie#, your're crazy "

    Agreed! No way Uncharted 2 deserves the number 1 spot. Way to get lots of negative feedback Donnie.

  • makeamazing #17 2 years ago

    So let me get this straight, the PS3 is selling many more consoles than it did before the price cut/slim, is keeping up with the wii which has had a price cut only the other week, has increased the gap between iteself and the Xbox, and according to some its still doing crap. Funny.

    Yes i know its only the Japanese market and the Wii is way ahead in sales (which might mean its topped out anyway)... but I am not sure what some people want to happen before they stop posting "Sony is doomed in Japan" crap.

    Overall Sony is doing ok, its not being last in all markets anymore... that surely is something of a positive step forward...lol

  • Collymilad #18 2 years ago

    "i love donnies sarcastic comments, always gets every one going, i bet hes a really popular guy, you know, the alpha male sort... "

    I didn't detect any sarcasm?

  • freakzilla #19 2 years ago

    Good for you Sony and good for you Nintendo, but damn Microsoft!!! I bet they spend more money just on marketing than they actually make selling 360 and its games in Japan.

  • Beano #20 2 years ago

    "I didn't detect any sarcasm?"

    Me neither. I detected blind Sony-hate and overall sillyness.

  • ShinMegami08 #21 2 years ago

    @donnie: "...but coming up to xmas i expect nintendo will dominate once again"

    hmmm.... you really are crazy. You probably never heard of a game called Final Fantasy XIII coming out before christmas. I heard a couple of japanese people do like it a little...

  • samaran #22 2 years ago

    i bought uncharted 2 in japan and the boxart alone deserves to make it number 1.

    plus the title translates as something like UNCHARTED: THE GOLDEN DAGGER AND THE VANISHED FLEET, which just goes to show how much more class we have up over here! they play off the indiana jones stuff way more than the western marketing, which tries to make it look like die hard.

  • GreyBeard #23 2 years ago

    I wonder if MS will try so hard to crack the Japanese market next time? I know a key corporate principle of theirs is to always keep on pushing, but truthfully their balance sheets in the region can't be a pretty sight at this stage.

  • freakzilla #24 2 years ago

    @donnie

    Hey! I like lynch mobs. -1 for you... cos it really matters.

  • Les #25 2 years ago

    "MSOFT are doning ten times better than they did last gen"

    Not even twice as well in Japan...

    "msoft think decades ahead remember"

    It's hard to respond to such a display of naivety with anything but lol

    /edit: wording
    Edited by 1 at 23/10/09 @ 18:26

  • Les #26 2 years ago

    "jesus christ"

    Only in the stories...

  • Moonprince #27 2 years ago

    "All great men who... *bs and other crap*

    God damn man, just go kill yourself. I fear its too late for you :/

  • ShinMegami08 #28 2 years ago

    MS has said before lauching the 360 that it was crucial for them to penetrate the japanese market. Aside from a couple of sales-pikes because of big games coming out, the average sales have been abysmal. Someone saying otherwise is just crazy.
    Positive for MS is probably the much better support from japanese third party developers, but tbh most japanese games (IU, Star Ocean, etc.) just sell very bad in the US and Europe. Yes there are exceptions (DQ, FF, Tales), but these are only exceptions.

    If I were MS I would:
    1. Not pay one penny more for "exclusive" japanese 360 games.
    2. With that money buy more developers!!!!!

    Only having two big franchises (Halo, Gears of War) on the 360 is by far not enough. Tastes change very fast. A hyped game can be a couple of years later - after the franchise has been milked in every possible way - a flop.
    I think that Sony is in this way much cleverer. They have tons of developers working for them. Very interesting is that Sony is not pushing very much old franchises (where's Syphon Filter???) but creating a lot of new ones (Uncharted, LBP, Infamous, Heavy Rain, MAG, White Knight Chronicle, EyePet, Fat Princess, Flower...)

  • El-Dev #29 2 years ago

    "All great men who tell the truth and seek justice have to put up with these sorts of things, jesus christ,nelson manddela,factimus maximus etc"

    That is shocking.

  • EvilBob_leeds #30 2 years ago

    jesus christ,nelson manddela,factimus maximus etc..

    I think is probably the most tragically amusing thing I've seen on the internet in a while. And bearing in mind Nick Griffin's performance on Newsnight is plastered all over the internet that's no mean feat.

    I've gone from considering Donnie to be a pain in the arse to wondering if he's some kind of evil satirical genius.

  • Les #31 2 years ago

    "I've gone from considering Donnie to be a pain in the arse to wondering if he's some kind of evil satirical genius."

    Was thinking the same thing

  • El-Dev #32 2 years ago

    Son of God, anti-apartheid hero, troll.

    I can see how they all link.

  • des #33 2 years ago

    lol

  • man.the.king #34 2 years ago

    @MeBrains

    "you are absolutely right every time. You should hold a strategic role in Microsoft's entertainment division. really... ;) "

    Donnie..xxx should surrogate for Don Mattrick. After all, donnie seems to be much more passionate about Microsoft's well-being and profitability than him.

  • man.the.king #35 2 years ago

    @EVERYONE

    Look what Donnie thinks of himself.

    "All great men who tell the truth and seek justice have to put up with these sorts of things, jesus christ,nelson manddela,factimus maximus etc"

    Oh my God! Did he really just compare this MS-loving orgy of his and farticus's previous ramblings (not current - as he seems to have mellowed) to Christ's teachings to humanity?

    That just made my day. Excuse me guys, I'm taking the rest of the day off to laugh :))
    Edited by 1 at 23/10/09 @ 20:33

  • septimus #36 2 years ago

    Bloody hell donnie are you now comparing yourself to jesus etc?

    It's not a lynching, your really are an utter twat.

  • VandelayIndustries #37 2 years ago

    Donnie080208: "@beano "Donnie, you're a twat. Please stop. " we have an uncalled for abuser who likes joining in with the petty EG lynchings. All great men who tell the truth and seek justice have to put up with these sorts of things, jesus christ,nelson manddela,factimus maximus etc..I will not be detered by your idiotic comments beano and the other stupid trolls"

    :D

    Makes me glad I didn't ignore you.

  • GreyBeard #38 2 years ago

    I'm starting to think that maybe donnie *is* some kind of genius satirist, noone could be so delusional as to equate Mandela's struggle against apartheid with this xbox vs ps3 silliness, could they? Could they ... ?

  • waddlemagic #39 2 years ago

    Donnie is obviously the work of a Sellers-esque comic genius, whose subtle rants lure in unsuspecting visitors to the EG comments section.

    Or a total nut-job, y'know whatever works for you.
    Edited by 1 at 24/10/09 @ 22:49

  • man.the.king #40 2 years ago

    @donnie080208

    "if you dont want to read my "dribble" as you put it ignore me"

    Ignore you? NEVER!!!

    Your posts have unlimited amusement value!

  • Ha10B1a573r #41 2 years ago

    I don't think console sales mean half as much now as they used to, but when it comes to games, I'm just happy that Okami managed to get into the top ten SOMEWHERE.

  • Law07 #42 2 years ago

    To be fair donnie does praise Uncharted 2 quite a lot, maybe he's just giving his opinion?

  • zedzee #43 2 years ago

    @ donnie080208:

    I don't appreciate Jesus Christ being thrown into that same mix as ordinary men. Please leave such comparisons out next time. It's simply not needed for such a thread and certainly unnecessary.

    Besides, Sony have done a bad enough job all by themselves this time around, without the need for any competitors to even bother trying hard to compete. Nintendo saved themselves by putting themselves out of the traditional market, while Microsoft have been well happy that Sony's unfortunate marketing decisions have taken the heat away from their "BSoD" disasters.

    This generation can definitely be looked at as being Sony's own fault for where they are in the 'console race' - third place. I don't think it can be attributed to successful campaigns by either Nintendo or Microsoft.
    Edited by 2 at 25/10/09 @ 17:15

  • Les #44 2 years ago

    "i have to disagree, sonys "disasters" are only really perceived as that in the internet community"

    I don't think Sony's investors have been too happy with it so far either...

  • Les #45 2 years ago

    "I don't appreciate Jesus Christ being thrown into that same mix as ordinary men."

    True. Fictive characters and real persons shouldn't be mixed together...

  • duckncover #46 2 years ago

    Donnie080208 - "if you dont want to read my "dribble" as you put it ignore me"

    Good advice. Thanks!