It looks like after some tumultuous times at retail in Japan, the Nintendo 3DS is making a comeback. According to retail sales data from Media Create, the 3DS managed to move 58,837 units last week, while the PlayStation 3 sold 36,061 units - half of what it did the week prior. If anything the price cut is helping, despite the grumblings from the investor class. The PSP remained mostly flat for the week, while the Wii sold 5,000 more than it did a week earlier.
On the software side of things, Dragon Quest 25th Anniversary helped move Wii sales, while Tales of Xillia was a big hit with PS3 owners. The only 3DS title to chart during the week was The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, which came in eigth with 10,504 units sold.
Hardware:
1. 3DS: 58,837 units
2. PS3: 36,061 units
3. PSP: 25,122 units
4. Wii: 15,406 units
5. DSi LL: 2,869 units
6. DSi: 2,234 units
7. PS2: 1,317 units
8. X360: 1,295 units
9. DS Lite: 78 units
10. PSP go: 7 units
Software:
1. Dragon Quest 25th Anniversary (Square Enix, Wii) 263,398 units
2. Tales of Xillia (Bandai Namco, PS3) - 47,297 units
3. Resident Evil: Revival Selection (Capcom, PS3) - 17,614 units
4. Wii Sports Resort (Nintendo, Wii) - 15,109 units
5. Rhythm Heaven (Nintendo, Wii) - 14,647 units
6. Monster Hunter Freedom 3 HD Ver. (Capcom, PS3) - 13,230 units
7. Kirby Mass Attack (Nintendo, DS) - 10,888 units
8. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D (Nintendo, 3DS) - 10,504 units
9. Grand Knights History (Marvelous Entertainment, PSP) - 10,078 units
10. Monster Hunter Diary: Pokapoka Felyne G (Capcom, PSP) - 9,378 units
11. Hot Shots Golf 5 (PlayStation 3 the Best Reprint) (Sony, PS3) - 8,454 units
12. Pokemon Rumble Blast (Pokemon Co., 3DS) - 7,698 units
13. Gekka Ryouran Romance (Idea Factory, PSP) - 6,948 units
14. Dunamis 15 (5pb., PS3) - 5,970 units
15. Super Sentai Battle: Ranger Cross (Bandai Namco, Wii) - 5,739 units
16. Uta no Prince-Sama: Repeat (Broccoli, PSP) - 5,659 units
17. Pokemon Black / White (Pokemon Co., DS) - 5,202 units
18. Resistance 3 (Sony, PS3) - 5,136 units
19. Call of Duty: Black Ops - Dubbed Edition (Reprint) (Square Enix, PS3) - 5,077 units
20. Winnie the Pooh: 100 Acre no Mori no Cooking Book (Disney Interactive, DS) - 5,064
Source: GI.biz
Comments
Re: 3DS Tops Japanese Sales Charts
"despite the grumblings from the investor class"
These are the same investors who thought it'd be a good idea for Nintendo to release their games on iOS, I presume? Let it be said that investors like that are a danger to the health of any company.
It's unfortunate that Nintendo couldn't do with the 3DS that it did with the Wii, and turn a profit on the machine at launch. The console has been endlessly ragged on since launch; Price, 3D 'not good enough', Short Battery Life, Slide Pad Expansion, blah, blah blah. I was pretty shocked; I figured people would at least gloss it over as 'just another DS', but the response has been outright feral. It's especially shocking after the fairly unanimously positive press the device had pre-release.
This has me especially interested in the Vita; it's being talked about like it's made of gold and will pleasure you in ways a woman never could. But we already know it'll be pricey; at least as pricey as the 3DS originally, plus the cost of propriatary storage. It also has a short battery life -- possibly shorter than the 3DS. It's got high res a high res screen, but who knows how that'll stand up; it's less real estate than the 3DS's screens, and the open-faced design is prone to scratching. And yes, it has two analog sticks, but will that really make such a difference?
I don't doubt that people will enjoy the Vita, but I wonder if it'll still be liked as much, popularly, after release, or if it's collective flaws will collect the ire of the gaming media too.
Re: 3DS Tops Japanese Sales Charts
Meh, I wouldn't put too much weight into the haters. I've had my 3DS since launch and I love it. The way I see it, people who are hating on the 3DS either never got to play one, or are Sony fanboys.
Not that I'm doubting the abilities of the Vita, mind you. I'll probably get one, myself. But Just like the 3DS, it's going to have flaws that nobody's going to find out about until after launch. I'm betting that unless they have a miniature nuclear reactor for a power source, the battery life won't be any better than the 3DS, all features considered.
Atlanta Video Games Examiner for examiner.com