Kotaku: media create

Mario, Zelda Strike Down Final Fantasy XIII In Japan

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 12:30:00 MST

After a debut week as impressive as an Odin summon, Final Fantasy XIII's second week on the market in Japan shows that Lightning's sales legs that aren't quite as impressive as Mario's.

Nintendo's New Super Mario Bros. Wii returns to software sales chart dominance after a week off, moving another half-million copies in Japan. The Wii game beats out Link's newest adventure, giving The Legend of Zelda: Spirits Tracks a second place debut appearance on the charts with 291,000 copies sold. Nintendo also took third, with the astoundingly popular Tomodachi Collection.

That leaves Final Fantasy XIII in fourth place, moving another 189,000 copies this week, according to Media Create.

The rest of the top ten is all Nintendo—and Namco Bandai—with DS and Wii games outselling everything else in Japan. The numbers, after this.

01. New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Wii) - 506,000 / 2,440,000
02. The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks (DS) - 291,000 / NEW
03. Tomodachi Collection (DS) - 227,000 / 2,317,000
04. Final Fantasy XIII (PS3) - 189,000 / 1,690,000
05. Pokemon HeartGold / SoulSilver (DS) - 125,000 / 3,465,000
06. Wii Fit Plus (Wii) - 114,000 / 1,315,000
07. Inazuma Eleven 2: Fire / Blizzard (DS) - 99,000 / 908,000
08. Wii Sports Resort (DS) - 72,000 / 1,568,000
09. Taiko no Tatsujin Wii Dodoon to 2 Yome! (Wii) - 64,000 / 200,000
10. Layton Kyouju to Majin no Fue (DS) - 64,000 / 559,000

11. PokePark Wii: Pikachu no Daibouken (Wii)
12. Phantasy Star Portable 2 (PSP)
13. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (DS)
14. New Super Mario Bros. (DS)
15. Pen 1 Grand Prix: Penguin no Mondai Special (DS)
16. World Soccer Winning Eleven 2010 (PSP)
17. Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
18. Momotarou Dentetsu 2010 Senkoku Ishin no Hero Daisyuugou ! No Ken (Wii)
19. Sengoku Musou 3 (Wii)
20. Mobile Suit Gundam: Gundam vs. Gundam Next Plus (PSP)
21. Naruto Shippuuden: Narutimate Accel 3 (PSP)
22. Power Pro Kun Pocket 12 (DS)
23. Tamagotchi no Narikiri Channel (DS)
24. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (PS3)
25. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (Wii)
26. Dorabase 2: Nettou Urutorasu Tajiamu (DS)
27. Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G (the Best) (PSP)
28. Dragon Quest IX (DS)
29. Little Busters! Converted Edition (PS2)
30. Metal Fight Beyblade: Bakutan Cyber Pegasus (DS)

Big Final Fantasy XIII Sales Mean Big PS3 Sales In Japan

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 19:00:00 MST

When you're selling over 1.5 million copies of Final Fantasy XIII to the Japanese game buying public, you're gonna sell some PlayStation 3s to go along with it. How many? More than triple what Sony sold the week before.

That big red slice in the Japanese hardware pie represents the 237,000-plus PS3s snapped up by gamers hungry for some Final Fantasy. And that similarly impressive slice of blue? That's the Wii, which managed to move over 190,000 units last week, according to Media Create.

Those big Wii sales—combined with similarly solid DS sales—gives Nintendo the dominant share of the pie this week, somewhat unexpected given Sony's install base spike with the PS3. Full numbers for all nine systems are after this.

PlayStation 3 - 237,086
Wii - 191,915
Nintendo DSi - 95,227
PSP - 79,194
Nintendo DSi LL - 75,241
Nintendo DS Lite - 12,879
Xbox 360 - 8,965
PSPgo - 3,260
PlayStation 2 - 2,982

Final Fantasy XIII Versus The Competition, By The Numbers

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 12:30:00 MST

Square Enix released Final Fantasy XIII last week, a release that, in its first four days, sold more than 1.5 million copies. But how did the competition fare with the Final Fantasy sales juggernaut vying for Japanese gamer's yen?

Quite well, especially if you consider the competition to be New Super Mario Bros. Wii, which has sold another 568,000 copies, just a hop, skip and jump away from crossing the two million mark in Japan. And speaking of selling two million copies of something to Japanese consumers, it appears Nintendo's other hit, Tomodachi Collection, has done just that. The Nintendo DS game once again shows off its long legs, securing third place behind Final Fantasy XIII and New Super Mario Bros. Wii.

And what games would dare go up against Square Enix? Well, clothes-ripping, breast-teasing PSP game Queen's Blade: Spiral Chaos, which moved 50,000 copies to horny Japanese gamers in its debut week.

A handful of other competitors also made first appearances on this week's Media Create software sales chart, highlighted below. Can you find them all?! Probably, since they've been bolded.

01. Final Fantasy XIII (PS3) - 1,502,000 / NEW
02. New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Wii) - 568,000 / 1,934,000
03. Tomodachi Collection (DS) - 166,000 / 2,090,000
04. Pokemon SoulSilver / HeartGold (DS) - 111,000 / 3,340,000
05. Wii Fit Plus (Wii) - 93,000 / 1,201,000
06. Inazuma Eleven 2: Fire / Blizzard (DS) - 71,000 / 808,000
07. PokePark Wii: Pikachu no Daibouken (Wii) - 71,000 / 192,000
08. Layton Kyouju to Majin no Fue (DS) - 54,000 / 496,000
09. Phantasy Star Portable 2 (PSP) - 50,000 / 412,000
10. Queen's Blade: Spiral Chaos (PSP) - 50,000 / NEW

11. Wii Sports Resort (Wii)
12. Taiko no Tatsujin Wii Dodoon to 2 Yome! (Wii)
13. Pen 1 Grand Prix: Penguin no Mondai Special (DS)
14. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (DS)
15. Mobile Suit Gundam: Gundam vs. Gundam Next Plus (PSP)
16. New Super Mario Bros. (DS)
17. Naruto Shippuuden: Narutimate Accel 3 (PSP)
18. World Soccer Winning Eleven 2010 (PSP)
19. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (PS3)
20. Sengoku Musou 3 (Wii)
21. Tales of Graces (Wii)
22. Power Pro Kun Pocket 12 (DS)
23. Stitch! Ohana to Rhythm de Daibouken (DS)
24. Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
25. Tamagotchi no Narikiri Channel (DS)
26. Katekyoo Hitman Reborn! DS Ore Ga Bosu! Saikyou Famiri Taisen (DS)
27. Momotarou Dentetsu 2010 Senkoku Ishin no Hero Daisyuugou ! No Ken (Wii)
28. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (Wii)
29. World Soccer Winning Eleven 2010 (PS2)
30. Metal Fight Beyblade: Bakutan Cyber Pegasus (DS)

Wii Dominance Continues In Japan, PS3 Dominance Due Shortly

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 13:40:10 MST

Continued strong sales of New Super Mario Bros. Wii means continued strong sales of the Wii. In fact, this week's sales are much better than the week prior, putting the Wii atop the Media Create chart with 135,000-plus sales.

Anticipation for Final Fantasy XIII also means a big boost for the PlayStation 3, which moved an impressive 75,000 units in Japan this past week, a number we expect to see dwarfed next week when hardware numbers arrive.

Sales were up across the board with one exception, the PSPgo. And while the DSi shows strong, the Nintendo DSi LL isn't quite matching sales of its DS siblings. Sales were up over the week prior, but not in line with other variations on Nintendo's dual screen platform.

I mean, look at these numbers and tell me what you see.

Wii - 135,898
PlayStation 3 - 75,086
PSP - 71,885
Nintendo DSi - 68,184
Nintendo DSi LL - 58,006
Nintendo DS Lite - 11,376
Xbox 360 - 10,646
PSPgo - 3,077
PlayStation 2 - 2,463

That's a total of 436,621 hardware units sold in Japan, according to Media Create, compared to 357,013 consoles and handhelds sold the week prior.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii Holds Onto #1 In Japan

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 17:20:00 MST

New Super Mario Bros. Wii continues its strong sales performance in Japan, moving the Wii game well past the million mark with another 431,000 copies sold. You know, maybe Nintendo should make *more* Mario games!

Sure, New Super Mario Bros. Wii's rock solid performance comes as little surprise and we expect to see the game at or near the top of the charts for weeks to come. Obviously we expect Square Enix's Final Fantasy XIII to be right up there with it, but those figures won't be in until next week.

Other games that charted well this week, according to Japanese sales monitor Media Create, include Namco Bandai's Tales of Graces for the Wii, the Japanese version(s) of Modern Warfare 2, and the latest Naruto title for PSP.

For the rest of the top thirty games in Japan for the week of December 7 to 13, read on, list reader.

01. New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Wii) - 431,000 / 1,366,000
02. Tales of Graces (Wii) - 143,000 / NEW
03. Tomodachi Collection (DS) - 102,000 / 1,924,000
04. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (PS3) - 93,000 / NEW
05. Naruto Shippuuden: Narutimate Accel 3 (PSP) - 77,000 / NEW
06. Pokemon HeartGold / SoulSilver (DS) - 75,000 / 3,228,000
07. Phantasy Star Portable 2 (PSP) - 74,000 / 361,000
08. Wii Fit Plus (Wii) - 64,000 / 1,109,000
09. PokePark Wii: Pikachu no Daibouken (Wii) - 57,000 / 121,000
10. Mobile Suit Gundam: Gundam vs. Gundam Next Plus (PSP) - 57,000 / 280,000

11. Layton Kyouju to Majin no Fue (DS)
12. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Xbox 360)
13. Inazuma Eleven 2: Fire / Blizzard (DS)
14. World Soccer Winning Eleven 2010 (PSP)
15. World Soccer Winning Eleven 2010 (PS2)
16. Sengoku Musou 3 (Wii)
17. Wii Sports Resort (Wii)
18. Taiko no Tatsujin Wii Dodoon to 2 Yome! (Wii)
19. Luminous Arc 3: Eyes (DS)
20. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (DS)
21. New Super Mario Bros. (DS)
22. Power Pro Kun Pocket 12 (DS)
23. Kyoukugen Dasshutsu 9 Jikan 9 nin 9 no Tobira (DS)
24. Momotarou Dentetsu 2010 Senkoku Ishin no Hero Daisyuugou ! No Ken (Wii)
25. Assassin's Creed II (PS3)
26. World Soccer Winning Eleven 2010 (PS3)
27. Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
28. Metal Fight Beyblade: Bakutan Cyber Pegasus (DS)
29. Stitch! Ohana to Rhythm de Daibouken (DS)
30. Tokimeki Memorial 4 (PSP)

Media Create Weekly Software Sales [Gpara]

New Super Mario Bros. Helps Wii Reclaim Top Spot In Japan

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 13:40:00 MST

After months of so-so weekly sales in Japan, the Wii returns to the top of the country's hardware sales charts, its best weekly tally since the release of Monster Hunter 3. Thank New Super Mario Bros. Wii for that!

Japanese Wii sales more than doubled on the release—and massive sales—of the new four-player Mario game, putting Nintendo's console well ahead of its closest competitor, the PSP. Sony's portable platform saw a solid boost from the release of Phantasy Star Portable 2 and Mobile Suit Gundam: Gundam vs. Gundam Next Plus.

Sony's other lead platform, the PlayStation 3, saw a nice uptick in sales too. Perhaps for Assassin's Creed II, perhaps just due to seasonal spending, but enough to give it a third place showing.

With those three consoles at the top, that means previous hardware chart topper, the Nintendo DSi LL, had to settle for fourth, just ahead of the regular-sized DSi.

Here's how sales tracker Media Create saw the Japanese hardware contest shake down last week.

Wii - 106,555
PSP - 67,880
PlayStation 3 - 57,782
Nintendo DSi LL - 53,791
Nintendo DSi - 51,635
Nintendo DS Lite - 8,367
Xbox 360 - 5,314
PSPgo - 3,412
PS2 - 2,277

New Super Mario Bros. Wii Leads The New Of The New

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 13:40:00 MST

Nintendo released New Super Mario Bros. Wii in Japan last week, giving the console its biggest first-week software sales in the country to date, more than 950,000 copies sold, according to Media Create.

That puts it ahead of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, ahead of Mario Kart Wii, and ahead of everything else released in Japan this week. While two new PSP games—Phantasy Star Portable 2 and Mobile Suit Gundam: Gundam vs. Gundam Next Plus—scored second and third place with impressive numbers, their sales couldn't come close to the newest of New Super Mario Bros.

And speaking of New Super Mario Bros., the Nintendo DS original is still represented well on this week's chart, managing to score 24th place this week, many years after its initial debut.

As for the new games, Assassin's Creed II managed a top ten showing, as did PokePark for the Wii. In danger of slipping from Media Create's top thirty is poor old Dragon Quest IX. Hang in there, DQ!

01. New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Wii) - 953,000 / NEW
02. Phantasy Star Portable 2 (PSP) - 287,000 / NEW
03. Mobile Suit Gundam: Gundam vs. Gundam Next Plus (PSP) - 223,000 / NEW
04. Sengoku Musou 3 (Wii) - 121,000 / NEW
05. Layton Kyouju to Majin no Fue (DS) - 85,000 / 392,000
06. Tomodachi Collection (DS) - 75,000 / 1,822,000
07. PokePark Wii: Pikachu no Daibouken (Wii) - 64,000 / NEW
08. Pokemon Heart Gold / Soul Silver (DS) - 63,000 / 3,153,000
09. Wii Fit Plus (Wii) - 52,000 / 1,044,000
10. Assassin's Creed II (PS3) - 49,000 / NEW

11. Tokimeki Memorial 4 (PSP)
12. Power Pro-Kun Pocket 12 (DS)
13. Inazuma Eleven 2: Fire / Blizzard (DS)
14. Metal Fight Beyblade: Bakutan Cyber Pegasus (DS)
15. Kamen Rider: Climax Heroes W (Wii)
16. Assassin's Creed II (Xbox 360)
17. Momotarou Dentetsu 2010 Senkoku Ishin no Hero Daisyuugou ! No Ken (Wii)
18. Wii Sports Resort (Wii)
19. Stitch! Ohana to Rhythm de Daibouken (DS)
20. Taiko no Tatsujin Wii Dodoon to 2 Yome! (Wii)
21. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (DS)
22. World Soccer Winning Eleven 2010 (PS3)
23. Kaiju Busters (DS)
24. New Super Mario Bros. (DS)
25. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (Wii)
26. J-League Pro Soccer Club o Tsukurou! 6: Pride of J (PSP)
27. Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
28. Tamagotchi no Narikiri Channeru (DS)
29. Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G (The Best) (PSP)
30. Dragon Quest IX (DS)

Media Create Weekly Software Sales [Gpara]

Nintendo DSi LL Has Strong Second Week, Wii Squeaks By PS3 In Japan

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 14:40:00 MST

The bigger, larger and more enormous Nintendo DSi LL continued to outsell the competition in its second week on the market in Japan, another 67,000-plus hardware units sold. It's a stark contrast to competitor Sony's most recent PSP revision.

While the PSP continues to sell well in Japan—another 38,000 handhelds sold—the PSPgo managed to move less than 4,000 units in the past week, according to sales tracker Media Create. That puts it in Xbox 360 territory, perhaps an indicator of Japanese consumer hardware acceptance for the download-only device.

Sony's PlayStation 3, on the other hand, continues to move at a good clip, with hardware sales way up from the week prior. It managed to be outsold by the Wii this week, but by a mere 115 units. Media Create's numbers are after this.

Nintendo DSi LL - 67,243
Wii - 46,673
PlayStation 3 - 46,558
PSP - 38,839
Nintendo DSi - 37,021
Nintendo DS Lite - 7,268
PSPgo - 3,809
Xbox 360 - 3,685
PlayStation 2 - 2,057

Professor Layton Schools Competitors On Sales, Nintendo Conquers Chart

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:20:00 MST

Level 5's latest Professor Layton puzzle-adventure, Layton Kyouju to Majin no Fue, debuts at the top of Japan's video game software sales charts, another 300,000 Nintendo DS games added to the series' impressive sales.

Professor Layton and his apprentice Luke didn't have much in the way of competition this week, with cute railroad sim Momotaro Dentetsu 2010: Sengoku Ishin no Hero Daishuugou! no Maki and Cave shoot 'em up Mushihimesama Futari Ver. 1.5 debuting closest to Layton Kyouju to Majin no Fue at spots 5 and 11, respectively.

The top ten is mostly Nintendo platform content, with bestsellers Tomodachi Collection and Pokemons Heart Gold and Soul Silver holding strong in the sales department, Wii Fit Plus backing them up.

For near total Nintendo-mination, check out the full top thirty.

01. Layton Kyouju to Majin no Fue (DS) - 306,000 / NEW
02. Tomodachi Collection (DS) - 59,000 / 1,748,000
03. Pokemon Heart Gold / Soul Silver (DS) - 55,000 / 3,090,000
04. Wii Fit Plus (Wii) - 47,000 / 993,000
05. Momotaro Dentetsu 2010: Sengoku Ishin no Hero Daishuugou! no Maki (Wii) - 44,000 / NEW
06. Inazuma Eleven 2: Fire / Blizzard (DS) - 28,000 / 664,000
07. World Soccer Winning Eleven 2010 (PS3) - 30,000 / 312,000
08. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (DS) - 19,000 / 42,000
09. Wii Sports Resort (Wii) - 17,000 / 1,396,000
10. Taiko no Tatsujin Wii Dodoon to 2 Yome! (Wii) - 16,000 / 45,000

11. Mushihimesama Futari Ver. 1.5 (Xbox 360)
12. J-League Pro Soccer Club o Tsukurou! 6: Pride of J (PSP)
13. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (Wii)
14. Naruto: Shippuden Ryujinki (Wii)
15. Dragon Ball Raging Blast (PS3)
16. La Pucell: Ragnarok (PSP)
17. New Super Mario Bros. (DS)
18. Hikari no 4 Senshi: Final Fantasy Gaiden (DS)
19. Higurashi Daybreak Portable: Mega Edition (PSP)
20. Tamagotchi no Narikiri Channeru (DS)
21. Dorabase 2: Nettou Urutorasu Tajiamu (DS)
22. Dragon Quest IX (DS)
23. Persona 3 Portable (PSP)
24. Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G (the Best) (PSP)
25. Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
26. Armored Core Portable: Silent Line (PSP)
27. Left 4 Dead 2 (Xbox 360)
28. Strike Witches: Aoi no Dengekisen - Shin Taichou Funtousuru! (DS)
29. Mega Man Battle Network: Operating Shooting Star (DS)
30. Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time (PS3)

Media Create Weekly Software Sales [Gpara]

Nintendo DSi LL Grabs XL Hardware Sales In Japan

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 18:00:00 MST

The Nintendo DSi LL, having officially launched in Japan this past week, has outsold everything else to the tune of 100,000-plus units, adding a "wine red" slice to the weekly Japanese hardware chart. Welcome, wine red.

After giving up pie chart real estate to Sony for the past few weeks, the ninth hardware platform on the Media Create weekly sales chart pushes Nintendo back into the leadership position in a major way. The DSi LL's closest competitor was the PlayStation 3, which commands a second place spot this week, outselling—but not by a whole lot—the Wii, PSP and regular sized Nintendo DSi. It's a fairly close race for second these days, with four platforms running neck and neck on the hardware sales front.

Not much of a competitor this week is the PSPgo, which settles for a spot between the DS Lite and Xbox 360.

The full list of hardware numbers is after this, along with a less colorful chart that may paint a better picture of how the general platform content is working out.

Nintendo DSi LL - 100,553
PlayStation 3 - 34,752
Wii - 32,844
PSP - 32,752
Nintendo DSi - 32,070
Nintendo DS Lite - 5,051
PSP go - 4,574
Xbox 360 - 4,085
PlayStation 2 - 2,024

Pokemon Sales Super Effective Against Zombies In Japan

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 16:00:00 MST

After being kicked around by Bayonetta and a pair of soccer sims from Sega and Konami, Nintendo's Pokemon double team of Pokemon Heart Gold and Soul Silver return to the top of Japan's video game charts.

This week's tally from sales tracker Media Create pushes the newest Pokemon games past the 3 million mark. Its Nintendo DS compatriot, Tomodachi Collection, continues to sell almost as well. It grabs the number two spot with another 49,000 copies sold. Don't be surprised to see the Mii collecting game push 2 million by spring of next year.

A trio of games scored top ten debuts this week, including Valve's Left 4 Dead 2, which sold just a little poorer than Namco Bandai's newest Wii drumming game Taiko no Tatsujin Wii Dodoon to 2 Yome! but better than Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games for the Nintendo DS.

For the rest of Japan's bestselling games in handy list format, read on.

01. Pokemon Heart Gold/Soul Silver (DS) - 55,000 / 3,036,000
02. Tomodachi Collection (DS) - 49,000 / 1,689,000
03. Wii Fit Plus (Wii) - 43,000 / 946,000
04. Inazuma Eleven 2: Fire/Blizzard (DS) - 29,000 / 635,000
05. Taiko no Tatsujin Wii Dodoon to 2 Yome! (Wii) - 28,000 / NEW
06. Left 4 Dead 2 (Xbox 360) - 28,000 / NEW
07. World Soccer Winning Eleven 2010 (PS3) - 24,000 / 291,000
08. J-League Pro Soccer Club o Tsukurou! 6: Pride of J (PSP) - 24,000 / 109,000
09. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (DS) - 23,000 / NEW
10. Dragon Ball Raging Blast (PS3) - 17,000 / 75,000

11. Dorabase 2: Nettou Urutorasu Tajiamu (DS)
12. Armored Core Portable: Silent Line (PSP)
13. Wii Sports Resort (Wii)
14. Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack In Time (PS3)
15. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (Wii)
16. Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers (Wii)
17. Persona 3 Portable (PSP)
18. Metal Fight Beyblade: Gachinko Stadium (Wii)
19. Hikari no 4 Senshi: Final Fantasy Gaiden (DS)
20. Tamagotchi no Narikiri Channeru (DS)
21. Bayonetta (PS3)
22. Dragon Quest IX (DS)
23. Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G (the Best) (PSP)
24. Mega Man Battle Network: Operating Shooting Star (DS)
25. Tekken 6 (PS3)
26. New Super Mario Bros. (DS)
27. Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
28. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Bargain Edition) (PS3)
29. Infamous (PS3)
30. Hexyz Force (PSP)

PlayStation Hardware Continues Pie Dominance In Japan

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:20:00 MST

Avid readers of The Japanese Hardware Chart weekly updates won't be surprised—especially after reading about the PlayStation family's software dominance—that Sony hardware is selling better than the competition in Japan. No change this week.

Scratch that. There was a slight change. PSP sales jumped up, PlayStation 3 sales dropped down and the two platforms switched positions from the week prior.

With PSP games and PS3 games selling well, sometimes better than their Nintendo DS and Wii rivals, it's not much of a surprise to see Sony's current generation platforms reaping the benefits of a larger install base. With Final Fantasy XIII due to hit the PS3 in Japan in less than a month, expect those increases to continue.

This is Japan's bestselling hardware for the week of November 9 to 15, courtesy of Media Create.

PSP - 38,770
PlayStation 3 - 38,498
Nintendo DSi - 33,749
Wii - 26,764
PSP go - 6,427
Nintendo DS Lite - 5,036
Xbox 360 - 4,124
PlayStation 2 - 2,031

Japan Still Loves Soccer, Favors PlayStation Games

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:40:00 MST

Last week, Japan's video gaming populace snatched up enough copies of Konami soccer sim World Soccer Winning Eleven 2010 to put it in first place. This week, Sega's J-League Pro Soccer Club o Tsukurou! 6: Pride of J scores.

The PSP game kicked its way to the top of the Media Create sales charts, pushing past Nintendo's still strong Pokemon Heart Gold and Soul Silver, which are destined to cross the 3 million sold mark any day now. The PlayStation Portable's software dominance gives the PlayStation brand more than just a first place showing. It helped games on Sony's trio of platforms score 17 of the top 30 spots this week. (One PlayStation 2 title managed to chart.)

New PlayStation 3 debuts like Dragon Ball: Raging Blast and Need for Speed: Shift helped Sony's ratio, but it was the PSP that scored the most spots, with 10 games for the portable platform showing this week. Not all of them showing well, mind you, but enough to secure a top 30 spot.

And look, there's Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Crystal Bearers, getting the usual Crystal Chronicles response...

01. J-League Pro Soccer Club o Tsukurou! 6: Pride of J (PSP) - 85,000 / NEW
02. Pokemon Heart Gold/Soul Silver (DS) - 63,000 / 2,980,000
03. Dragon Ball: Raging Blast (PS3) - 58,000 / NEW
04. Tomodachi Collection (DS) - 56,000 / 1,639,000
05. Wii Fit Plus (Wii) - 53,000 / 903,000
06. World Soccer Winning Eleven 2010 (PS3) - 49,000 / 267,000
07. Inazuma Eleven 2: Fire/Blizzard (DS) - 37,000 / 607,000
08. Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Crystal Bearers (Wii) - 35,000 / NEW
09. Mega Man Battle Network: Operating Shooting Star (DS) - 23,000 / NEW
10. Persona 3 Portable (PSP) - 17,000 / 158,0000

11. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (Wii)
12. Bayonetta (PS3)
13. Wii Sports Resort (Wii)
14. Lunar: Harmony of Silver Star (PSP)
15. Hexyz Force (PSP)
16. Hikari no 4 Senshi: Final Fantasy Gaiden (DS)
17. Higarushi no Naku Koro ni: Jan (PSP)
18. Tekken 6 (PS3)
19. Tamagotchi no Narikiri Channeru (DS)
20. Need for Speed: Shift (PS3)
21. Battle Spirits: Kiseki no Hasha (PSP)
22. Infamous (PS3)
23. Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G (the Best) (PSP)
24. Sengoku Hime: Senran ni Mau Otometachi (PSP)
25. Dragon Quest IX (DS)
26. Dissidia Final Fantasy - Universal Tuning (PSP)
27. Summon Night X: Tears Crown (DS)
28. Dragon Ball: Raging Blast (Xbox 360)
29. Sengoku Hime: Senran ni Mau Otometachi (PS2)
30. Warship Gunner 2 Portable (PSP)

PlayStation 3 Is Japan's Bestselling Platform

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:40:00 MST

Once again, Sony controls the majority of this week's Japanese hardware chart, thanks to the company's four platforms representing. Oh, and the fact that the PlayStation 3 is outselling everything else in Japan.

And doing so by a relatively wide margin, as the PS3 outsold the Nintendo DSi by more than 10,000 units, the console's closest competitor. Less exciting for Sony executives is the PSPgo's second week sales, mustering up just shy of 14,000.

The full Japanese hardware sales rundown, courtesy of Media Create is after this.

PlayStation 3 - 48,925
Nintendo DSi - 37,421
PSP - 33,784
Wii - 31,810
PSP go - 13,992
Nintendo DS Lite - 5,515
Xbox 360 - 4,679
PlayStation 2 - 2,066

Konami Kicks Bayonetta Off Top Of Japan's Game Charts

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:40:00 MST

Last week's queen of Japan's video game sales charts Bayonetta didn't have the legs to stay on top for very long. Konami's latest soccer game, World Soccer Winning Eleven 2010, is this week's new software champ.

Sega's Bayonetta was reduced to an eighth place showing, falling behind perennial bestsellers like Pokemon, Wii Fit Plus and Tomodachi Collection, Nintendo titles that continue to sell incredibly well week after week. Unfortunately, one Nintendo title that didn't see to garner much interest from Japanese consumers was Treasure's Sin & Punishment 2, which debuted last week at #21 and has fallen off the charts this week.

Speaking of unimpressive debuts, two new PS3 games, 3D Dot Game Heroes and Infamous, failed to capture a wide audience in their first week on the chart. At least Uncharted 2: Among Thieves and Tekken 6 appear to be hangin' in there.

For the rest of the top 30 games in Japan, according to Media Create, read on.

01. World Soccer Winning Eleven 2010 (PS3) - 218,000 / NEW
02. Pokemon Heart Gold/Soul Silver (DS) - 74,000 / 2,918,000
03. Wii Fit Plus (Wii) - 70,000 / 850,000
04. Tomodachi Collection (DS) - 64,000 / 1,583,000
05. Persona 3 Portable (PSP) - 46,000 / 141,000
06. Inazuma Eleven 2 Fire / Blizzard (DS) - 42,000 / 570,000
07. Hikari no 4 Senshi: Final Fantasy Gaiden (DS) - 35,000 / 150,000
08. Bayonetta (PS3) - 29,000 / 165,000
09. Summon Night X: Tears Crown (DS) - 24,000 / NEW
10. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (Wii) - 22,000 / NEW

11. Tekken 6 (PS3)
12. Wii Sports Resort (Wii)
13. Dissidia Final Fantasy Universal Tuning (PSP)
14. Infamous (PS3)
15. Bayonetta (Xbox 360)
16. 3D Dot Game Heroes (PS3)
17. Tamagotchi no Narikiri Channeru (DS)
18. Dragon Quest IX (DS)
19. Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G (the Best) (PSP)
20. Flash Precure! Asobi Collection (DS)
21. Gran Turismo (PSP)
22. World Soccer Winning Eleven 2010 (Xbox 360)
23. Rune Factory 2 (DS)
24. Shin Sangoku Musou 5 Special (PSP)
25. Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu Portable 4 (PSP)
26. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PS3)
27. Stein's Gate (Xbox 360)
28. Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (PSP)
29. Love Plus (DS)
30. Mario Kart Wii (Wii)

Media Create Weekly Software Sales [Gpara]

PSPgo Gives PlayStation A Big Slice Of Japanese Hardware Pie

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:30:00 MST

The Japanese release of Sony's PSPgo may have been low-key in terms of numbers, but we're only getting a look at one day of sales of the platform. It was enough to give Sony the upper hardware hand this week.

Media Create's tally of PSPgo sales in Japan was 29,109—about what we were expecting—good enough for a fourth place showing. Enough to just barely outsell the Wii this past week but a contribution that puts the PlayStation family in charge of more than half of the week's total hardware sales. And look! It's brought a little purple to the pie chart. Welcome, purple.

PlayStation 3 sales were up considerably from the week prior, probably thanks to the release of Bayonetta in Japan, with the Wii and Xbox 360 seeing smaller percentage gains. Numbers in list form, right after this.

The bestselling console hardware in Japan for the week of October 26 to November 1 is....

Nintendo DSi - 37,517
PlayStation 3 - 36,061
PSP - 34,911
PSP go - 29,109
Wii - 28,888
Nintendo DS Lite - 6,902
Xbox 360 - 6,047
PlayStation 2 - 1,966

Numbers courtesy of Media Create.

Bayonetta Brushes Back Pokemon, Tops Japan's Game Charts

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:40:19 MST

PlatinumGames and Sega's Bayonetta kicked her way to the top of the Japanese game charts, moving nearly 200,000 copies during week one, making it the country's bestselling game. So long Pokemons!

It was the PlayStation 3 version of Bayonetta, responsible for 135,000 of those copies sold in Japan, that secured the top spot on Media Create's list. It beat new DS release Hikari no 4 Senshi: Final Fantasy Gaiden by more than a hair, forcing Square Enix's latest outing to settle for second. The Xbox 360 version of Bayonetta sold a little less than half of its PS3 counterpart, giving it a second top ten spot.

PlatinumGames saw chart-topping success its previous DS release Infinite Space, which debuted at number one in June.

The week was strong with new releases, including Tekken 6 for the PS3 and 360—again, the PS3 won that contest—Persona 3 Portable and the "Universal Tuning" re-release of Dissidia Final Fantasy. Starting off slowly were two other new releases, Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars for the DS and Sin & Punishment 2 for the Wii. Those games charted at spots 16 and 21, respectively.

01. Bayonetta (PS3) - 135,000 / NEW
02. Hikari no 4 Senshi: Final Fantasy Gaiden (DS) - 115,000 / NEW
03. Tekken 6 (PS3) - 103,000 / NEW
04. Persona 3 Portable (PSP) - 94,000 / NEW
05. Pokemon Heart Gold/Soul Silver (DS) - 88,000 / 2,844,000
06. Wii Fit Plus (Wii) - 81,000 / 780,000
07. Bayonetta (Xbox 360) - 64,000 / NEW
08. Tomodachi Collection (DS) - 53,000 / 1,519,000
09. Inazuma Eleven 2 (DS) - 41,000 / 527,000
10. Super Robot Taisen NEO (Wii) - 27,000 / NEW

11. Tekken 6 (Xbox 360)
12. Dissidia Final Fantasy Universal Tuning (PSP)
13. Wii Sports Resort (Wii)
14. Flash Precure! Asobi Collection (DS)
15. Rune Factory 2 (DS)
16. Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (DS)
17. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PS3)
18. Shin Sangoku Musou 5 Special (PSP)
19. Gran Turismo (PSP)
20. Elminage II: Sousei no Megami to Unmei no Daichi (PSP)
21. Sin & Punishment 2 (Wii)
22. Dragon Quest IX (DS)
23. Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G (the Best) (PSP)
24. Love Plus (DS)
25. Steins Gate (Xbox 360)
26. Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu Portable 4 (PSP)
27. Umihara Kawase Jun Second Edition kanzenban (DS)
28. Sekirei: Mirai Kara no Okurimono (PS2)
29. Way of the Samurai 3 Plus (the Best) (PS3)
30. Ultimate Macross Frontier (PSP)

DS Lite, Xbox 360 Only Positives In This Week's Japanese Hardware Chart

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:40:00 MDT

Hardware buying was down ever so slightly in Japan this week, with Media Create's sales figures showing the Wii bearing the brunt of that slowdown. Two consoles were up, however — the Nintendo DS Lite and Xbox 360.

The latter likely has Forza Motorsport 3 to thank for its jump in sales. And though the Wii may have been harder in sales than its nearest competitor, the still strong PlayStation 3—which pulls further away from the Wii this week—a little bit more than half of the chart belongs to Nintendo platforms.

Will the announcement of the Nintendo DSi LL have an effect on DS/DSi sales on next week's chart? And what color will we use to represent the third DS platform in the pie when it ships?!

Nintendo DSi - 42,199
PSP - 32,865
PlayStation 3 - 29,977
Wii - 25,917
Nintendo DS Lite - 6,550
Xbox 360 - 4,470
PlayStation 2 - 1,951

Forza 3 Makes Inroads Into Japanese Game Chart

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:20:06 MDT

Forza Motorsport 3 gives the Xbox 360 a rare top ten placement on Media Create's weekly list of the bestselling games in Japan. It's one of a handful of new debuts that came nowhere near unseating Pokemon as software champ.

Yes, Pokemons Heart Gold and Soul Silver once again top the Media Create software chart, followed by chart toppers Wii Fit Plus and Tomodachi Collection. Another good week for Nintendo. It was also a pretty good week for games like Rune Factory 3, FIFA 10 and Shin Sangoku Musou 5 Special.

Last week's top ten debut from Nathan Drake and the Uncharted 2: Among Thieves cast is followed by another top ten appearance. Not too shabby!

01. Pokemon Heart Gold/Soul Silver (S) - 118,000 / 2,756,000
02. Wii Fit Plus (Wii) - 88,000 / 699,000
03. Tomodachi Collection (DS) - 52,000 / 1,466,000
04. Inazuma Eleven 2: Fire/Blizzard (DS) - 49,000 / 486,000
05. Rune Factory 3 (DS) - 41,000 / NEW
06. Forza Motorsport 3 (Xbox 360) - 32,000 / NEW
07. FIFA 10 (PS3) - 21,000 / NEW
08. Wii Sports Resort (Wii) - 19,000 / 1,319,000
09. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PS3) - 19,000 / 72,000
10. Shin Sangoku Musou 5 Special (PSP) - 18,000 / NEW

11. Gran Turismo (PSP)
12. Harukanaru Toki no Naka de 3: Unmei no Meikyuu Aizouban (PSP)
13. Dragon Quest IX (DS)
14. Undead Knights (PSP)
15. Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G (the Best) (PSP)
16. Love Plus (DS)
17. Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey (DS)
18. Macross Ultimate Frontier (PSP)
19. Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu Portable 4 (PSP)
20. Antiphona no Seikahime: Tenshi no Gakufu Op.A (PSP)
21. Tales of Vesperia (PS3)
22. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Bargain Edition) (PS3)
23. FIFA 10 (Xbox 360)
24. Fullmetal Alchemist: Senka wo Takuseshi Mono (PSP)
25. Minna no Sukkiri (PSP)
26. Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
27. Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (the Best) (PS3)
28. Okami (Wii)
29. Shin Sangoku Musou: Multi Raid Special (PS3)
30. Steins Gate (Xbox 360)

Nintendo DSi Leads Japan's Hardware Pack; PSP, PS3, Wii Tie

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 19:30:01 MDT

Technically, the PSP beat the PlayStation 3 which in turn beat the Wii (by a slimmer margin) in Japan this week, but sales of the three platforms were close enough, averaging around 30,000 units each.

But, as is the norm, the Nintendo DSi was the hardware champ in terms of Japanese hardware sales according to Media Create, moving nearly 50,000 units in a week. Likely on the continued strength of Pokemon and Tomodachi Collection.

The good news, for Sony at least, is that the price cut on the PS3 seems to be helping, putting it ahead of the Wii in Japan once again, perhaps with a little bit of help from treasure hunter Nathan Drake. We'll see if Drake's sales fortune helps the PS3 stay on top next week...

Nintendo DSi - 49,145
PSP - 33,508
PlayStation 3 - 30,231
Wii - 29,965
Xbox 360 - 3,662
Nintendo DS Lite - 2,590
PlayStation 2 - 2,109