14 DAY TRIAL // Curious about what's going on in Japan? Look for the answer to that no further! We have fresh data coming from market research firm Media Create, regarding both hardware and software sales on the Far Eastern market. The numbers have not changed much since last time we talked, but there are signs that certain big upheavals might be happening soon.
The PlayStation Portable is still Sony's pride and joy, as it clings to the top spot in hardware sales, well ahead of its nearest rival. The handheld gaming console managed to sell more than 58,000 new units, which is almost the same as in the previous week.
Meanwhile, the Nintendo DS, also a handheld, managed to register a 12,000-unit jump in overall numbers, most likely due to the release of a game called Derby Stallion DS. The Nintendo Wii came in third place, with both of the Nintendo manufactured consoles selling over 48,000 units, and only a couple hundred items separating them.
After the boom recorded on the release date of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, sales of the PlayStation 3 are now slowly going back to normal levels, with a further 2,000-unit drop. The PlayStation 2 still manages to sell more than the Xbox 360, which surprisingly registered double the usual sales for the Microsoft product.
It might seem pretty incredible to us in the West, but the best sold videogame title in Japan is a horse riding simulator called Derby Stallion DS, which managed to move more than 148,000 copies in a week. Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World came in second place, with some 137,000 copies sold on debut. The latter is part of a long running series that is now making its Nintendo Wii debut after conquering the Game Cube and the PlayStation 2. Third spot in videogame sales went to Daigasso! Band Brothers DX.
With PSP sales going down and Nintendo Wii and DS titles in the pipeline for launch, we should expect to see a change at the top of the hardware chart in the coming weeks.