14 DAY TRIAL // The Japanese videogame market saw sales stay pretty much level during the previous week, although overall sales were significantly lower than during the same period of the last month. The PlayStation Portable from Sony managed to sell 21,662 units and remain the best selling individual gaming console while the DS line leads when sales of multiple versions are considered.
Sony failed to create the one-two we had come to expect during the last few weeks with the Nintendo Wii home console coming in second place in the Land of the Rising Sun, with sales o 20,588 units. The PlayStation 3 went down to third place, moving 17,676 units to gamers, a slowdown that does not bode well for the Sony home console. Meanwhile, the DSi XL succeeded in selling 11,138 handhelds in one week, while the older DSi sits right behind it with 10,172.
The Xbox 360 from Microsoft is at 3,225, ahead of the DS Lite, the PlayStation 2 and the much maligned PSP Go. Part of the slowdown in sales might be linked with the summer season but the big announcements made at the E3 trade show might have persuaded some buyers to wait a few more months before picking a new console.
On the videogame front, Super Mario Galaxy 2 from Nintendo is no longer the best selling title in Japan, with that honor going to Xenoblade, a spiritual sequel to the Zenosaga series, which was put together by Monolith Soft and managed to sell 83,000 on its first week on sale. Super Mario Galaxy 2 is at number two with sales of 73,000 while the PlayStation 3 version of Episodes from Liberty City for Grand Theft Auto IV debuted at number three in the chart with sales of 64,000. Mega Man Zero Collection for the Nintendo DS is at number four and Dragon Quest Monster: Joker 2 for the same platform is in fifth place.