14 DAY TRIAL // As customary in the last few weeks, Nintendo's handheld gaming console is the leader of the pack when it comes to sales on the Japanese market even as other gaming devices also see a rise in numbers as the holiday shopping season begins in full swing.
The Nintendo DS sold more than 104,000 units in one week, out of which more than 88,000 were of the new improved DSi model for now only available in Japan. The DS Lite is also selling there but in much smaller numbers and stocks are expected to be emptied as 2009 arrives.
The PlayStation Portable from Sony saw its sales figures almost double as it reached 61,226 units. The main reason was the release of a much awaited videogame, Gundam vs. Gundam, which was offered as part of a bundle with the console. The Nintendo Wii rounded up the top three with sales of a little over 35,000 units, with the launch of Animal Crossing: City Folk failing to make a significant impact.
The PlayStation 3 managed to just top the Xbox 360 in sales by 17,436 units to 15,474 units. Numbers for the Microsoft made console increased as The Last Remnant was launched in Japan but the effects of the price drop seem to be wearing off as customers turn to the PlayStation 3 and its Blu-ray player because they are more valuable during this time of economic uncertainty.
All the videogames in the Japanese top ten sold more than 100,000 units and the numbers are expected to rise during the next few weeks. The Nintendo Wii version of Animal Crossing: City Folk managed to sell 305,000 copies in its debut week, while the Chrono Trigger remake from Square Enix for the Nintendo DS racked up 271,000 in sales. The already mentioned Gundam vs Gundam fron Namco Bandai was at number three with sales of 267,000 units.