Nintendo doing well across seas....

[blackdragon6]

-According to MCV, Sony's PS3 has already overtaken total Xbox 360 sales in Japan, this despite the former's extreme launch shortages and being on sale for only one month. The Xbox 360 has sold fewer than 180,000 units over the last year, 10,000 less than the PS3. Both, however, have sold less than half of total Nintendo Wii units to date, 400,000 to be exact.

To put that into perspective, the Xbox 360 has sold less than 5% of its US total amounting to 3.8 million as of December 7, 2006. Granted, the Japanese public have never been keen on brand Xbox -- for whatever reason -- but it's looking like the 360 doesn't stand a chance (and maybe never did) in the world's second largest video game market.



-Now that the Wii has hit the UK, the numbers are rolling in. As it stands, Nintendo had an outstanding launch. However, those numbers may not mean anything.

Nintendo has reported sales of 105,000 Wiis over the weekend, smashing the record of 70,000 set by the Xbox 360. Nintendo is off to a great start, but one question remains ... can they keep up the momentum?

If the DS is any indicator, the Wii should enjoy its life (the DS sold 110,000 the week the Wii launched). However, trumpeting a record launch is meaningless. Simply put, marking a record launch is almost entirely dependent on how many units you launch with. Sony can do well to beat that with the PS3 if they delay until 200,000 PS3s are available to sell in the UK. What matters is if Nintendo can keep the Wiis flying off the shelf and the record launch will only offer short-term publicity ... Nintendo needs to make sure they offer a reason to keep the units flowing.


-The strange and somewhat pathetic sobbing you hear in the background originates from the offices of Microsoft and Sony, where once diligent executives have now completely broken down and given up on much of their lives. Square Enix just handed Nintendo the keys to the Death Star. As if the DS wasn't already an unrelenting steamroller in terms of sales and popularity, it was announced today that Dragon Quest IX would be released exclusively on the most touchy-feely of portable systems.

In the unlikely event that you've been stuck in some sort of spatial anomaly (like Disneyland) for the last few years, it's important to remind you that the Dragon Quest franchise is one of the most popular properties ever in the minds of Japanese gamers. It was widely expected that the next instalment in the franchise would move to the PS3, an expectation that has now been crushed beneath Satoru Iwata's diamond-encrusted boot. Expect more news on the title as the week continues -- for now, all we know is: it's being developed by Level 5, it supports multiplayer battles and the subtitle is something along the lines of "Protector of the Starry Sky."

[Sanagi]

To put it in perspective, in Japan, Dragon Quest VIII was the best selling game on the PS2. It's the game franchise over there.

[The Fury]

The Xbox 360 has sold fewer than 180,000 units over the last year, 10,000 less than the PS3.

First, i have to say. WOW, that's s***.

US total amounting to 3.8 million as of December 7, 2006.

Considering the total World sales of the 360 was something like 5-6 mil in October. They obviously have a bigger proportion in the European market too.

In the time the 360 came out though, PS2 sold 11 million world wide.

Now that the Wii has hit the UK, the numbers are rolling in. As it stands, Nintendo had an outstanding launch. However, those numbers may not mean anything.

Nintendo has reported sales of 105,000 Wiis over the weekend, smashing the record of 70,000 set by the Xbox 360. Nintendo is off to a great start, but one question remains ... can they keep up the momentum?

Are we talking just UK? becuase that sounds very high.

Becuase it was a European launch.

If the DS is any indicator, the Wii should enjoy its life (the DS sold 110,000 the week the Wii launched). However, trumpeting a record launch is meaningless. Simply put, marking a record launch is almost entirely dependent on how many units you launch with.

I wouldn't compare DS and Wii, totally different market. One in which the DS only has one competitor and Nintendo have ruled the hadnheld market for years, since the downfall of the GameGear practically.

PSP is doing well compared to that dominance.

Sony can do well to beat that with the PS3 if they delay until 200,000 PS3s are available to sell in the UK. What matters is if Nintendo can keep the Wiis flying off the shelf and the record launch will only offer short-term publicity ... Nintendo needs to make sure they offer a reason to keep the units flowing.

If the UK's and Europes PS2 to X-box to GC numbers are to go by. 200,000 will sell out. As long as it's not too expensive.

$600 = £340 at the moment. If it's any more then £450 it's too much. What it might pay to do is buy it online from mainland Europe. It's the same machine, plays the same games, but probably a heck of a lot cheaper.

[Agent Helix]

No one expected the 360 to do well in Japan. They just don't like the system over there.

[Xero Kaiser]

Supposedly, foreign electronics just don't take off over there. I can't imagine why anyone would give 3 drops of rat-crap about where their games, TVs or toasters come from but...whatever

[Agent Helix]

Japan is a very insular country, far moreso than the United States.

[Xero Kaiser]

So I've heard.

I guess I just can't relate to that. Hell, I literally couldn't even tell you the name of the company that made the clothes I'm wearing right now, much less where they're located.

[Agent Helix]

So.. the next Dragon Quest game is a DS exclusive.

It's pretty telling that Square is doing that at this point.

[Jmacq1]

Not really surprising, considering the DS is (if I recall correctly) currently the best selling video game system of them all. (In terms of units being sold currently, not necessarily in units already sold world-wide, though I don't really know what those numbers shake out to...could it be ahead in both arenas?)

Victory might be declarable if they announce the next Final Fantasy is going to be multi-platform at launch (which will alter a significant number of American gamers' dependence on the PS3), but until then, I highly doubt many video game companies are putting all their eggs in one basket.

Seriously, anyone trying to claim that any of the three systems has already "lost" at this point is just silly. Though that can certainly be said of X-Box 360 in Japan...but it was never expected to do well there in the first place.

That's the big difference for Microsoft: Microsoft is almost completely dependent on the North American market for X-Box, whereas Nintendo and Sony could potentially support themselves with international sales even if they're not "number one" in the US.

[Agent Helix]

I'm not saying that any system has "lost", but it's very telling that Square (who for the last generation has been possibly Sony's biggest franchise supporter) is sending their number one franchise (in Japan, anyhoo) to a rival developer's system. I wouldn't have expected this last year, and I certainly didn't expect it now.

[The Fury]

I'm not saying that any system has "lost", but it's very telling that Square is sending their number one franchise to a rival developer's system.

True, but then they want money. :p

If they wanted more money they'd make it multiplatform...as it's on the DS, why not make it PSP as well?

[Agent Helix]

It's a DS exclusive. Meaning it's only going to be on the DS.

[The Fury]

It's a DS exclusive. Meaning it's only going to be on the DS.

I know that.

But why didn't they release it on as many consoles as possible. If they know it's going to sell well, they why restrict sales.

I guess your saying their stupid mind is made up... nevermind then. But then they have been releasing FF revamp games on the DS for a while now. Yet the PSP gets the new FF7 game.

[Agent Helix]

I'm not exactly sure what you're saying, to be honest.

[Jmacq1]

Ah, I didn't mean to imply that you personally were declaring any "winners" or "losers" Helix. More of an "in general" thing to various other folks that like to start tossing out numbers and statistics and twist them around to explain why their preferred system (whichever it may be) is clearly going to dominate all others from now until the end of time. ;)