Japanese Gamers Love Soccer, Hate New Square Enix IP

The Japanese love Winning Eleven brand soccer. Specifically, they love J-League Winning Eleven 2008 this week, as the PlayStation 2 game nabs the top spot on the Media Create software sales charts. Less impressive were new debuts from Level 5 (Inazuma Eleven) and Square Enix (Sigma Harmonics). The pathetic first week sales for the Nintendo DS RPG led by Chrono Trigger vets Yoshinori Kitase and Hiroki Chiba will likely have Square Enix execs pondering "Why should we bother with new IP again?" The company's Dragon Quest V remake, by comparison, sits comfortably above its new sibling in its sixth week on the chart. 01. J-League Winning Eleven 2008 (PS2) - 79,000 / NEW 02. Rhythm Tengoku Gold (DS) - 57,000 / 536,000 03. Inazuma Eleven (DS) - 41,000 / NEW 04. Dragon Quest V (DS) - 32,000 / 1,125,000 05. Phantasy Star Portable (PSP) - 31,000 / 595,000 06. Wii Fit (Wii) - 30,000 / 2,546,000 07. Harukanaru Toki no Naka de: Yumenoukihashi (DS) - 26,000 / NEW 08. Sigma Harmonics (DS) - 23,000 / NEW 09. Mario Kart Wii (Wii) - 19,000 / 1,711,000 10. Daigasso! Band Brothers DX (DS) - 16,000 / 296,00011. Tokyo Majin Gakuen: Kenfuuchou (DS) 12. Meccha! Taiko Drum Master DS: 7-tsu no Shima no Daibouken (DS) 13. Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu 15 (PS2) 14. Monster Hunder 2nd G (PSP) 15. Wii Sports (Wii) 16. Memories Off 6: Trial Wave (PS2) 17. Wario Land: Shake It! (Wii) 18. DS Bimoji Training (DS) 19. Powerful Pro Baseball Portable 3 (PSP) 20. Bokura wa Kaseki Holder (DS) 21. Tales of Vesperia (X360) 22. Mario Kart DS (DS) 23. Gundam Battle Universe (PSP) 24. Soulcalibur IV (PS3) 25. New Super Mario Bros. (DS) 26. Family Trainer: Atheletic World (Wii) 27. Wii Play (Wii) 28. Fire Emblem: Shin Ankoku Ryuu to Hikari no Ken (DS) 29. Densetsu no Stafi: Taiketsu! Dire Kaizokudan (DS) 30. Mario Super Sluggers (Wii) Media Create Weekly Software Sales [Gpara]