Enterbrain puts Final Fantasy XIII sales at over 1.5 million over the course of the game's first four days on Japanese store shelves, selling through a major portion of the reported 1.8 million copies shipped. About 1.1 million of those are apparently from day one sales.

The boon to the PlayStation 3? Some 240,000 plus consoles sold in one week, including that fancy Lightning Edition PS3 released alongside the exclusive-in-Japan role-playing game. That's a considerable spike, as the previous week's figures, according to sales tracker Media Create, shows some 75,000 PlayStation 3s sold in Japan the week before FF13 hit.

ファイナルファンタジー13、発売初週で実売150万本　PS3本体も週間24万台販売＝PS3歴代1位 [Yahoo! JP]

That sales data doesn't tell us too much about the PSPgo's reception in Japan, considering Enterbrain only tracked one day, November 1—the platform's launch day—as part of its weekly sales monitoring window. As for how that compares to weekly figures, the most recent data we have is from sales tracker Media Create, which put non-go PSP sales at 32,865 for the week of October 19 to 25.

We'll have to see how the rest of the week shakes down, but won't have that info for a while, since Media Create's window tracks the same period

Enterbrain did note that the PSP had sold 12,797,180 units in Japan since the console's launch in December of 2004.

速報！ PSP go発売初日は28275台のセールス−−エンターブレイン調べ [Famitsu]

Look, that's what Enterbrain prez Hirokazu Hamamura said at today's Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan, according to Bloomberg Japan and by way of Andriasang. And it doesn't seem unreasonable, considering the PlayStation 3 just sold 150,000-plus units in a week on the strength of a price drop and the release of yet another Gundam game.

Square Enix and Sony's plans for a PS3 bundle with Final Fantasy XIII packed in is sure to help that number, which, for the record, would represent about 15% of the PS3's sales to date in Japan.

Final Fantasy XIII will ship on December 17th in Japan, a date just recently confirmed by PlayStation overlord Kaz Hirai. Whether Hamamura believes that will all happen in the calendar year 2009, we're not sure, but that might be pushing it.

Enterbrain Prez Expects PS3 Surge From Final Fantasy XIII [Andriasang]

Figures from Famitsu publisher Enterbrain show the April margin between the two to be considerable. Enterbrain's figures, via Reuters, put the PS3 at 108,530 consoles sold compared to the Wii's 67,116. It's been purely about software the past quarter, as Sony has benefited from titles like Resident Evil 5, Musou Orochi Z and the Final Fantasy XIII demo.

Sales tracker Media Create sees the numbers a bit differently from Enterbrain, with data from weekly calculations from the former showing Sony also winning February.

Enterbrain pegs Xbox 360 sales at 27,381 for the month of April, as the console continues to struggle in Japan.

The two-month period of PlayStation 3 outperforming the Wii breaks a 16 month long streak that saw Nintendo dominating hardware sales charts. Can Sony keep it up?

Sony PS3 outsells Wii for second month in Japan [Reuters]

The Nintendo Wii launched in Japan on December 2, 2006 and was not packaged with Wii Sports like in The West.

Enterbain also released new top five Wii software sales totals. They are:

1. Wii Sports
Launch: 12/2/06
Life-to-date: 3,481,469 copies

2. Wii Fit
Launch: 12/1/07
Life-to-date: 3,301,373 copies

3. Wii Play
Launch: 12/2/06
Life-to-date: 2,672,811 copies

4. Mario Kart Wii
Launch: 4/10/08
Life-to-date: 2,218,756 copies

5. Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Launch: 1/31/08
Life-to-date: 1,789,924 copies

Wiiの国内累計販売台数が800万台を突破 [Famitsu]

Nintendo seems rather nonplussed by the monthly change in console domination on its home turf, which by Enterbrain's figures meant 146,948 PlayStation 3s sold in the five weeks to March 29 versus 99,335 Wii units sold.

Enterbrain's figures are a little different from the Media Create hardware sales data we regularly follow. We have PS3 sales at 116,000 for March, with Wii sales just under 70,000, looking at a four-week period.

"It is still the first few months of the year when sales are slow for the industry, so we are not particularly concerned," Nintendo said.

Nintendo says that the current software slump affecting Wii sales overseas isn't cause for worry, as it hopes "to line up strong software to support hardware sales in the second half of the year". With Wii Sports Resort coming at some unknown point this year, we'd imagine that'd do the trick!

PS3 outstrips Wii in Japanese sales [Financial Times]

And there are few surprises, as the Wii speaks a universal language. Three of the top five titles for the year were published by Nintendo, on the Wii, with the other two spots taken by GTA IV and Call of Duty. Indeed, the only surprise comes from the order of Nintendo's titles, Mario Kart's massive European sales helping get it over the top ahead of Wii Fit.

1. Mario Kart Wii - 8.94 million
2. Wii Fit - 8.31 million
3. GTA IV - 7.29 million
4. Smash Bros. Brawl - 6.32 million
5. Call of Duty: World At War - 5.89 million

Goes to show the advantage of having a game be successful across all three major regions - ie the Nintendo games - as opposed to those only popular in the US & Europe.

Mario Kart world’s biggest seller in ‘08 [MCV]

But what comes after it? Well, it makes for some depressing reading.

Here are the top 5, including lifetimes sales as of November 16.

1. Metal Gear Solid 4 - 671,706
2. Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds - 408,175
3. Dynasty Warriors 6 - 371,443
4. Dynasty Warriors: Gundam - 317,580
5. Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 - 316,533

People wonder why the PS3 is under-performing in Japan, that list is why the PS3 is under-performing in Japan.

Enterbrain: Best Selling PS3 Games In Japan So Far [PS3Hyper, via PS3F]

Make no mistake. Seven Million Wiis sold in Japan is impressive. However, humor us as we put things in perspective:

Back in January, we reported that the Wii sold 5 million units in Japan. Then a couple months later in May, Nintendo sold 6 million Wiis in The Land of the Rising Sun. And now in November, the company has sold 7 million Wiis in the same region.

January to May? Not so long. May to November? Long. In internet time, that's several lifetimes, eons.

Still, 7 million Wiis sold in Japan is nothing to sneeze at, so don't. Slowing sales isn't a bad thing either, because it means we're that much closer to getting different colored Wiis.

Wiiの国内累計販売台数が700万台を突破 [Famitsu]

JAPAN: Big market drops in October [MCV]

1. Madden 09 - 2.994 million
2. Wii Fit - 2.089 million
3. Force Unleashed - 1.738 million
4. Pokemon Platinum - 1.482 million
5. Mario Kart Wii - 1.468 million

What's even more interesting than the raw numbers is the percentage of those final tallies US sales comprise. For Madden, of the 2.994 million, 2.958 were in the US. Proving, in case Americans were unaware, how few people outside North America give a rat's arse about American Football. Yet for Wii Fit and Mario Kart, US numbers accounted for barely half of total sales: 1.283 million of 2.089 million for Wii Fit, and 856,000 of 1.468 million for Mario Kart Wii.

Madden Tops Q3 Global Report as West Shows Growth but Japan Declines [GameDaily]

The total figures are:

PS2: 21,454,325
DS Lite: 17,080,747
PSP: 10,181,888
Wii: 6,826,612
DS: 6,449,206
PS3: 2,369,484
Xbox 360: 748,992

Xbox 360 Growth in Japan Has Topped All Platforms from March to September [GameDaily]

• Xbox 360: 28,681 units
• Wii: 27,057 units
• PLAYSTATON 3: 8,050 units

The week before, Enterbrain data states that only 843 units were sold. This comes as a surprise as traditionally Microsoft has found it difficult to make in-roads with Japanese video game consumers.

値下げ効果でXbox 360が据え置き型ゲーム機で週間販売台数トップに [Famitsu]

The NPD Group, GfK Chart-Track Limited and Enterbrain have joined forces to release the Top Global Markets Report, the first report to combine point-of-sales data for video game sales in the world's largest games markets, aka the U.S., U.K. and Japan.

The soon to be monthly report will give a break down of the top titles by country and worldwide.

“The video games business has become increasingly global, with the majority of the publishers releasing games in multiple markets,” said Anita Frazier, industry analyst, The NPD Group. “The U.S, as the world’s largest market will be able to view and compare sales for the first time outside of their own market.”

It's kind cool to check this stuff out. For instance Grand Theft Auto IV is the top selling game in the world despite not being on sale in Japan. Of course Super Smash Bros. Brawl is in a close second without having to bother selling on two consoles. And Wii Fit? That depresses me.

LEADING MARKET RESEARCH FIRMS JOIN FORCES TO PROVIDE FIRST MULTI-CONTINENT VIEW OF VIDEO GAME SOFTWARE SALES

New Report Provides Comprehensive View of Global Video Games Sales in World’s Largest Games Markets

NEW YORK, TOKYO, LONDON, August 21, 2008 – Leading providers of consumer and retail information in the video games industry, The NPD Group, GfK Chart-Track Limited and Enterbrain, Inc., today announced the release of Top Global Markets Report, the first report to integrate point-of-sale (POS) data for video game software sales in the world’s largest games markets.

The leading games information sources in the U.S, U.K. and Japan – the largest games markets in the world – have joined forces to provide the gaming industry with a single source for sales data providing detailed insight into what’s happening in these important markets.

Top Global Markets Report gives the video game industry the ability to equip itself with a monthly report that provides jointly-contributed, title-level video games software sales by country. Data can be viewed as an integrated total market view or as side-by-side country comparisons.

“The video games business has become increasingly global, with the majority of the publishers releasing games in multiple markets,” said Anita Frazier, industry analyst, The NPD Group. “The U.S, as the world’s largest market will be able to view and compare sales for the first time outside of their own market.”

The report allows users to track titles, unit sales and share, as well as dollar sales and revenue share in order to quickly respond to shifts in the marketplace. It gives users the ability to know the market and competitors across countries in order to analyze and respond to global gaming market trends.

"We are excited to be working more closely with NPD and Enterbrain,” said John Pinder, Managing Director, GfK Chart-Track Limited. “This partnership represents a great opportunity to benefit not only our clients but the industry as a whole by providing a comprehensive, industry-supported view of sales across the three largest video game markets,

“We are very grateful to start such a valuable service and alliance with NPD and GfK Chart-Track Limited,” said Hirokazu Hamamura, President, Enterbrain, Inc. “This service gives us the ability to better help game publishers and developers by providing them with a more global view of market performance.”

Year-to-Date* Top 5 Video Game Titles
Top Global Markets Report
Ranked By Units**

Rank Title Total US UK Japan
1 GRAND THEFT AUTO IV 6,293,000 4,711,000 1,582,000 —
2 SUPER SMASH BROS: BRAWL 5,433,000 3,539,000 213,000 1,681,000
3 MARIO KART WII 4,697,000 2,409,000 687,000 1,601,000
4 WII FIT 3,604,000 1,433,000 624,000 1,547,000
5 GUITAR HERO III: LEGENDS OF ROCK 3,475,000 3,037,000 412,000 26,000

Source: Top Global Markets Report / Retail Tracking Service
*Jan.-July 2008
**Unit sales figures rounded

Methodology
Information in this report is based on POS data that comes directly from the leading games sales data providers in each country covered by this report.

About The NPD Group, Inc.
The NPD Group is the leading provider of reliable and comprehensive consumer and retail information for a wide range of industries. Today, more than 1,600 manufacturers, retailers, and service companies rely on NPD to help them drive critical business decisions at the global, national, and local market levels. NPD helps our clients to identify new business opportunities and guide product development, marketing, sales, merchandising, and other functions. Information is available for the following industry sectors: automotive, beauty, commercial technology, consumer technology, entertainment, fashion, food and beverage, foodservice, home, office supplies, software, sports, toys, and wireless. For more information, contact us or visit http://www.npd.com/

About GfK Chart-Track Limited
GfK Chart-Track Limited, a research company based in West London, monitors sales of music, videos and software through retail in the UK, Ireland and Denmark. GfK Chart-Track Limited has established an unparalleled reputation for fast and accurate retail research in the home entertainment market. The methodology used across all GfK Chart-Track Limited's services is continuous quantitative retail research, giving clients a broad range of statistical information from GfK Chart-Track Limited’s standard and customized services, enabling them to track market size, market trends and product sales through retail. For more information, visit http://www.chart-track.co.uk/

About Enterbrain, Inc.
ENTERBRAIN, INC. is a publisher of top-selling magazines, with each representing a field within the video game industry, including its flagship series of Famitsu magazines – its most popular being Weekly Famitsu. Additionally, Enterbrain, Inc., a publisher of various entertainment books and magazines in genres such as PC game, horse racing, cartoons, game strategy books, and fighting, has also developed numerous hit video games, such as the Derby Stallion series, and put its efforts into network services with sites such as Famitsu.com, as well as mobile phone sites. Enterbrain, Inc. also provides the most comprehensive up-to-date information on Japan's game hardware/software industry and publishes the 'Famitsu White Paper'. For more information, visit http://www.enterbrain.co.jp/

# # #

Tokyo, July 15, 2008 – Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) today announced that the cumulative sell-in units of PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) handheld entertainment system (PSP-1000 and 2000 series) reached a total of 10 million units(*1) in Japan as of July 15, 2008.

Since the launch on December 12th 2004 in Japan, PSP has evolved as an innovative handheld entertainment system, having a wide array of exciting software titles and by introducing peripherals as well as upgrading system software through continuous firmware updates. Inheriting the basic functions and the design philosophy of PSP-1000, slim and light PSP (PSP-2000) made its debut on September 20th 2007 and in the first half of 2008(*2), it has become the best selling system in the game console market in Japan. Many color variations have also been introduced, now having PSP available in a total of seven different colors. Features such as “1 Seg” viewing(*3), “Skype”, Kotaku press releases and many other fun accessories that expands the joy of entertainment on PSP, including “Microphone” and a multi-functional “Cradle” in addition to a strong line-up of attractive software titles are also accelerating the expansion of the platform.

On the games front, there are over 580 (*4) titles now available in Japan alone. More and more exciting new software titles of different genres are scheduled for release towards the end of year from third party licensees as well as from SCE Worldwide Studios (WWS) Japan Studio, including GUNDAM BATTLE UNIVERSE by NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc., The Legend of Heroes: SORA NO KISEKI the 3rd by Nihon Falcom Corporation and PHANTASY STAR PORTABLE by SEGA CORPORATION as well as SCE WWS Japan Studio titles including BLEACH Soul Carnival, LocoRoco2, PATAPON2(Working Title), SECRET AGENT CLANK and Yusyanokuseni Namaikidaor2.(*5) In conjunction with the powerful line-up of upcoming software titles, two new bundle packs, “PSP Metallic Blue Value Pack” and “PSP Metallic Blue 1 Seg Pack”, featuring a new “Metallic Blue” PSP bundled with popular accessories and peripherals, will become available on July 17th in Japan as a limited offer.

SCE will vigorously promote PSP as a new handheld entertainment system to enjoy a variety of digital entertainment content by enhancing network capabilities and interoperability with PLAYSTATION®3.

According to a recent Kadokawa Group Holdings financial statement, Kutaragi will be taking on the role of an outside director, making him on the board of directors. This will be approved at the June 22nd shareholder meeting. Kadokawa Shoten publishes many manga (Lucky Star, Cowboy Bebop) as well as magazines (Newtype). Apparently Kadokawa is hoping to tap into Kutaragi's international business savvy. M'kay.

As IGN points out, here's where it gets interesting: Enterbrain is under the Kodokawa Group Holdings umbrella. Enterbrain publishes Famitsu, Japan's most influential game magazine. Let the conspiracy theories begin!
Ken Kutaragi's New Digs [Famitsu]

He did not...make a comment about the possibility of an announcement by Nintendo concerning a new model or successor to the Nintendo DS due to its current scarce product availability caused by its worldwide popularity.

The market is likely to contract as brisk demand for games consoles, such as the Wii from Nintendo Co and the PlayStation 3 from Sony Computer Entertainment Inc, will run its course, Enterbrain Inc said.

Since it took about two years for the DS to become the DS Lite, the timeline for the DS Lite to become the DS Liter seems right on track. What would you like to see in the updated handheld if Hamamura's prediction comes to fruition?

Nintendo DS possibility of a new version [Bloomberg via NeoGAF]