Famitsu Sales: Week 11, 2025 (Mar 10 - Mar 16)

Luminoth-4545

Luminoth-4545

Member
www.famitsu.com

【ソフト＆ハード週間販売数】『モンハンワイルズ』が3週連続で首位に！ 『ダンまち』アクションRPGもトップ10入り【3/10～3/16】 | ゲーム・エンタメ最新情報のファミ通.com​

[Weekly software and hardware sales figures] "Monster Hunter Wilds" tops the charts for the third consecutive week! "DanMachi" action RPG also makes it into the top 10 [3/10-3/16]​

Sales ranking announced by Famitsu. This time, we bring you a summary of the estimated weekly sales figures for game software and hardware from March 10 to March 16, 2025 in Japan.

The latest title in the hunting action series, Monster Hunter Wilds continues to do well selling 40,632 units this week. It has now topped the charts for three consecutive weeks.

The first free title update is scheduled for release in early April 2025. This will add monsters that surpass "Foam Fox Dragon Tamamitsune" and "Veteran Individuals". In addition features that will enhance communication with other hunters are also planned, so we can expect continued sales in the future.

Next up on the list are a number of titles that are regulars in the top 10 such as Super Mario Party Jamboree, Donkey Kong Returns HD and Suikoden I & II HD Remaster: War of the Gates/War of the Unification of Dunan, which was in second place last week and now has dropped in rank to third place.

Also among the new releases, the action RPG based on the popular anime Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? made it into 10th place.

Famitsu Sales: Week 10, 2025 (Mar 10 - Mar 16)​

Software​

1st [PS5] Monster Hunter Wilds
40,632 (-60%) total 742,869 / Capcom / February 28, 2025

2nd [Switch] Super Mario Party Jamboree
8,772 (-12%) total 1,228,548 / Nintendo / October 17, 2024

3rd [Switch] Suikoden I & II HD Remaster Gate Emblem War / Dunan Unification War
7,330 (81%) total 46,214 / Konami / March 6, 2025

4th [Switch] Donkey Kong Returns HD
6,938 (-19%) total 232,050 / Nintendo / January 16, 2025

5th [Switch] Minecraft
5,851 (-8%) total 3,832,963 / Microsoft Japan / June 21, 2018

6th [Switch] Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
5,590 (-32%) total 6,283,003 / Nintendo / April 28, 2017

7th [Switch] Pokemon Scarlet and Violet
4,351 (+2%) total 5,538,030 / Pokemon / November 18, 2022

8th [Switch] Animal Crossing: New Horizons
3,794 (-11%) total 8,089,216 / Nintendo / March 20, 2020

9th [Switch] Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
3,048 (-6%) total 5,732,749 / Nintendo / December 7, 2018

10th [Switch] Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?
2,524 (New) total 2,524 / Bushiroad / March 13, 2025

Hardware​

  • Switch: 3,718 (total 20,074,728)
  • Switch Lite: 6,741 (total 6,489,348)
  • Switch Oled: 17,439 (total 8,872,460)
  • PS5: 19,262 (total 5,606,750)
  • PS5 DE: 4,352 (total 957,872)
  • PS5 Pro: 4,249 (total 182,218)
  • Xbox Series X: 39 (total 319,601)
  • Xbox Series X DE: 58 (total 19,992)
  • Xbox Series S: 236 (total 333,333)
  • PS4: 19 (total 7,929,336)

zc8ibaO.png
 
Last edited:
H

Hookshot

Member
The MH bubble burst way quicker than I expected. Any games real or speculated that can raise PS5 sales in the future? Or is that it for the Gen?
 
Woopah

Woopah

Member
Switch and PS5 neck and neck! Switch is the lowest its been for a very long time so the successor can't come soon enough.

Hookshot said:
The MH bubble burst way quicker than I expected. Any games real or speculated that can raise PS5 sales in the future? Or is that it for the Gen?
Click to expand...
RetroGamingUK said:
Kingdom Hearts IV and Dragon Quest XII.
Click to expand...
GTA VI and Ghost of Yotei will be the big ones this year in terms of hardware. DQ 1+2 HD might sell decently software wise.
 
Warspite

Warspite

Member
Hookshot said:
Anyone think the Switch will get a price cut in April or will Nintendo be Nintendo and just leave it as is while the Switch 2 sells out?
Click to expand...

I would have thought the best time for a price cut was when they announced the replacement but nothing so far, unless they have a lot of stock to shift they might just keep it at this price till the Switch 2 is out.
 
Kerotan

Kerotan

Member
I always knew famitsu were a bunch of fanboys and couldn't handle the king reigning supreme any longer. My local store said they didn't bother counting the 40 PS5 they sold last week.
 
Horseganador

Horseganador

Member
PS5 will sell 10-20k weekly in Japan and will end up with 9-10 million at the end of its cycle. As a home console, it will have a tough time in that country. It will have sales peaks like with MHWilds, but it will never sell as well as in the West.
 
LordOcidax

LordOcidax

Member
Woopah said:
Switch and PS5 neck and neck! Switch is the lowest its been for a very long time so the successor can't come soon enough.



GTA VI and Ghost of Yotei will be the big ones this year in terms of hardware. DQ 1+2 HD might sell decently software wise.
Click to expand...
GTAVI maybe, GoY no so much, MHW is the biggest of the three in terms of impact in Japan and by the next week the PS5 sales could be back to regular sales numbers. If the Ps5 doesn’t receive a price cut soon, i can see it falling behind to the PS3 by next year.
 
Last edited:
thicc_girls_are_teh_best

thicc_girls_are_teh_best

Member
Hookshot said:
The MH bubble burst way quicker than I expected. Any games real or speculated that can raise PS5 sales in the future? Or is that it for the Gen?
Click to expand...

As far as games alone go, this is probably it. But it's not even so much the games as it is the console itself. PS5's just been priced very high in Japan the past few years, lacks a ton of exclusives that would appeal to the Japanese gamer base, and it not having a dedicated portable option (not just something like PS Portal, which is a streaming solution still requiring a PS5 to function) are what have probably contributed to the physical software sales drop-off.

And that's the bigger issue when it comes to Japan: software sales for PS5 just haven't been good, although we don't get digital data so it's hard to say how definitive that is. Hardware pacing a bit behind PS4 wouldn't be an issue if the software sales were still up, unless Japan is contributing to a large share of PS+ subscription rates, which I don't think they are. The good news for SIE in Asia is, South Korea & China are picking up big-time for PS5 growth, making up for the drop in Japan hardware-wise no issue. Software-wise, I'd assume they're also making up for the drop, but we can only kinda go off Black Myth Wukong for now in saying that, which could turn out to be a very specific situation not applicable elsewhere.

Basically if SIE want to regain lost ground in Japan, they need a dedicated portable option, need to have more exclusives which appeal to Japanese gamer tastes, and (if this is a weak spot) have more effective advertising for the Japanese market. And they need to get all that done within the next three years, ideally. Meanwhile for rest of Asia, they'll eventually have to realize the same thing I'm sure they realize with Japan: that PC is a competing platform with a lot of exclusives in addition to almost all the same games the consoles are getting these days. So, they have to compete more effectively against the platform.

Which means that continually funding Day 1 PS & PC releases isn't going to work longer-term, nor is their (at least until a while ago) current PC porting strategy for 1P games. You just cannot grow on PC without your own storefront/launcher to control, doing short porting windows between console & PC, without diluting value of your own console. And I've been seeing 'normie' gamers online with console & PC basically echoing those sentiments in how they view the platforms these days, saying there's no reason to get a PlayStation since all their games are coming to PC. Some of these people are also streamers, and have really big audiences who take up after them. That could be a byproduct or direct result of Microsoft's astroturfing campaign, but doesn't change the fact those sentiments are prevalent and have been growing.

Xbox is a has-been; PlayStation's main competitors now are PC (Steam, Windows to lesser extent) and Nintendo when it comes to gaming.

RetroGamingUK said:
Kingdom Hearts IV and Dragon Quest XII.
Click to expand...

DQXII will also be on Switch 2 Day 1 and maybe even Steam Day 1 as well, so I don't think it'll have as pronounced a bounce for PS5 as you're thinking.

Kingdom Hearts IV might have a chance of being a PS5 timed exclusive and even if it were also on Xbox Day 1 in Japan, by virtue of Xbox being a deadweight there it'd effectively be a PS5 exclusive to vast majority inn the region. But that changes if it's also a Steam Day 1 release; could be another Monster Hunter situation in terms of splits in that case (at least when factoring out physical). I'm sure it'll also end up on Switch 2, just not sure if it'd be a Day 1 there.

But IMO, KHIV's bigger issue is probably the brand damage Disney itself has incurred over the years. They've diluted various IP with bad live-action remakes and milked sequels, or just straight-up trash shows & films in the case of Star Wars and a lot of post Phase III MCU. How much of that sentiment is shared with the gaming audience for titles like Kingdom Hearts, I don't quite know.
 
Last edited:
Y

yogaflame

Gold Member
thicc_girls_are_teh_best said:
As far as games alone go, this is probably it. But it's not even so much the games as it is the console itself. PS5's just been priced very high in Japan the past few years, lacks a ton of exclusives that would appeal to the Japanese gamer base, and it not having a dedicated portable option (not just something like PS Portal, which is a streaming solution still requiring a PS5 to function) are what have probably contributed to the physical software sales drop-off.

And that's the bigger issue when it comes to Japan: software sales for PS5 just haven't been good, although we don't get digital data so it's hard to say how definitive that is. Hardware pacing a bit behind PS4 wouldn't be an issue if the software sales were still up, unless Japan is contributing to a large share of PS+ subscription rates, which I don't think they are. The good news for SIE in Asia is, South Korea & China are picking up big-time for PS5 growth, making up for the drop in Japan hardware-wise no issue. Software-wise, I'd assume they're also making up for the drop, but we can only kinda go off Black Myth Wukong for now in saying that, which could turn out to be a very specific situation not applicable elsewhere.

Basically if SIE want to regain lost ground in Japan, they need a dedicated portable option, need to have more exclusives which appeal to Japanese gamer tastes, and (if this is a weak spot) have more effective advertising for the Japanese market. And they need to get all that done within the next three years, ideally. Meanwhile for rest of Asia, they'll eventually have to realize the same thing I'm sure they realize with Japan: that PC is a competing platform with a lot of exclusives in addition to almost all the same games the consoles are getting these days. So, they have to compete more effectively against the platform.

Which means that continually funding Day 1 PS & PC releases isn't going to work longer-term, nor is their (at least until a while ago) current PC porting strategy for 1P games. You just cannot grow on PC without your own storefront/launcher to control, doing short porting windows between console & PC, without diluting value of your own console. And I've been seeing 'normie' gamers online with console & PC basically echoing those sentiments in how they view the platforms these days, saying there's no reason to get a PlayStation since all their games are coming to PC. Some of these people are also streamers, and have really big audiences who take up after them. That could be a byproduct or direct result of Microsoft's astroturfing campaign, but doesn't change the fact those sentiments are prevalent and have been growing.

Xbox is a has-been; PlayStation's main competitors now are PC (Steam, Windows to lesser extent) and Nintendo when it comes to gaming.
Click to expand...
Japan gamers wants PS5 but it is just way to expensive even the base ps5 in Japan. Japan Ps5 needs a price cut and I'm sure that is what Japanese gamers are waiting for just a price cut for ps5.
 
E

Ebrietas

Member
thicc_girls_are_teh_best said:
As far as games alone go, this is probably it. But it's not even so much the games as it is the console itself. PS5's just been priced very high in Japan the past few years, lacks a ton of exclusives that would appeal to the Japanese gamer base, and it not having a dedicated portable option (not just something like PS Portal, which is a streaming solution still requiring a PS5 to function) are what have probably contributed to the physical software sales drop-off.

And that's the bigger issue when it comes to Japan: software sales for PS5 just haven't been good, although we don't get digital data so it's hard to say how definitive that is. Hardware pacing a bit behind PS4 wouldn't be an issue if the software sales were still up, unless Japan is contributing to a large share of PS+ subscription rates, which I don't think they are. The good news for SIE in Asia is, South Korea & China are picking up big-time for PS5 growth, making up for the drop in Japan hardware-wise no issue. Software-wise, I'd assume they're also making up for the drop, but we can only kinda go off Black Myth Wukong for now in saying that, which could turn out to be a very specific situation not applicable elsewhere.

Basically if SIE want to regain lost ground in Japan, they need a dedicated portable option, need to have more exclusives which appeal to Japanese gamer tastes, and (if this is a weak spot) have more effective advertising for the Japanese market. And they need to get all that done within the next three years, ideally. Meanwhile for rest of Asia, they'll eventually have to realize the same thing I'm sure they realize with Japan: that PC is a competing platform with a lot of exclusives in addition to almost all the same games the consoles are getting these days. So, they have to compete more effectively against the platform.

Which means that continually funding Day 1 PS & PC releases isn't going to work longer-term, nor is their (at least until a while ago) current PC porting strategy for 1P games. You just cannot grow on PC without your own storefront/launcher to control, doing short porting windows between console & PC, without diluting value of your own console. And I've been seeing 'normie' gamers online with console & PC basically echoing those sentiments in how they view the platforms these days, saying there's no reason to get a PlayStation since all their games are coming to PC. Some of these people are also streamers, and have really big audiences who take up after them. That could be a byproduct or direct result of Microsoft's astroturfing campaign, but doesn't change the fact those sentiments are prevalent and have been growing.

Xbox is a has-been; PlayStation's main competitors now are PC (Steam, Windows to lesser extent) and Nintendo when it comes to gaming.
Click to expand...
100%

The solution is actually simple, and will give them a boost everywhere, not just Japan:

1. Make a PS5 portable. Doesn't matter if it isn't 100% compatible with the library out of the gate, it just needs to exist.
2. Make the base PS5 cheaper AND smaller. The current slim unit is basically the size of previous generation launch units and is still too big. People like small things.
3. First party development (both internal and external) should go back to how it was in prior gens. Focus on unique games and have a balance between western and eastern projects. End the focus on bleeding edge visuals. Diminishing returns has already hit. The graphics race is done and everything looks good enough now. Just make fun games that run well.
4. Ditch PC. There are no two ways about it, it's eating into console sales in the same way PS5 ate into Xbox sales. Too much overlap for both to have prime real estate in the market, especially when PC has its own exclusives and unique advantages (in addition to the disadvantages) over consoles. Users will gradually move over to one. Multiplatform is justifiable for certain GaaS that rely on monetizing users, that's it. But I don't think Sony should be investing GaaS to begin with. Let the third parties fight in that mud pit while they take the free 30% cut from all of them. I would not be surprised if Sony makes more profit from Genshin Impact than Helldivers 2. Chasing GaaS is also a fundamental shift in their first party strategy from being trailblazers to just chasing popular trends. That is a losing strategy. They need to get back to the point where everyone else was trying to copy them (remember the "everything was uncharted" meme?).
 
Last edited:
Fabieter

Fabieter

Member
thicc_girls_are_teh_best said:
Which means that continually funding Day 1 PS & PC releases isn't going to work longer-term, nor is their (at least until a while ago) current PC porting strategy for 1P games. You just cannot grow on PC without your own storefront/launcher to control, doing short porting windows between console & PC, without diluting value of your own console. And I've been seeing 'normie' gamers online with console & PC basically echoing those sentiments in how they view the platforms these days, saying there's no reason to get a PlayStation since all their games are coming to PC. Some of these people are also streamers, and have really big audiences who take up after them. That could be a byproduct or direct result of Microsoft's astroturfing campaign, but doesn't change the fact those sentiments are prevalent and have been growing.
Click to expand...

It's a slow process but sony will understand it one day.

They had their shot for their store before they released so many games on Steam. Alot of Steam people would have accepted it when they would have done it right away "at least they bring it to be PC now" but they had the most short term thinking for both platforms its insane.
 
LordOcidax

LordOcidax

Member
thicc_girls_are_teh_best said:
As far as games alone go, this is probably it. But it's not even so much the games as it is the console itself. PS5's just been priced very high in Japan the past few years, lacks a ton of exclusives that would appeal to the Japanese gamer base, and it not having a dedicated portable option (not just something like PS Portal, which is a streaming solution still requiring a PS5 to function) are what have probably contributed to the physical software sales drop-off.

And that's the bigger issue when it comes to Japan: software sales for PS5 just haven't been good, although we don't get digital data so it's hard to say how definitive that is. Hardware pacing a bit behind PS4 wouldn't be an issue if the software sales were still up, unless Japan is contributing to a large share of PS+ subscription rates, which I don't think they are. The good news for SIE in Asia is, South Korea & China are picking up big-time for PS5 growth, making up for the drop in Japan hardware-wise no issue. Software-wise, I'd assume they're also making up for the drop, but we can only kinda go off Black Myth Wukong for now in saying that, which could turn out to be a very specific situation not applicable elsewhere.

Basically if SIE want to regain lost ground in Japan, they need a dedicated portable option, need to have more exclusives which appeal to Japanese gamer tastes, and (if this is a weak spot) have more effective advertising for the Japanese market. And they need to get all that done within the next three years, ideally. Meanwhile for rest of Asia, they'll eventually have to realize the same thing I'm sure they realize with Japan: that PC is a competing platform with a lot of exclusives in addition to almost all the same games the consoles are getting these days. So, they have to compete more effectively against the platform.

Which means that continually funding Day 1 PS & PC releases isn't going to work longer-term, nor is their (at least until a while ago) current PC porting strategy for 1P games. You just cannot grow on PC without your own storefront/launcher to control, doing short porting windows between console & PC, without diluting value of your own console. And I've been seeing 'normie' gamers online with console & PC basically echoing those sentiments in how they view the platforms these days, saying there's no reason to get a PlayStation since all their games are coming to PC. Some of these people are also streamers, and have really big audiences who take up after them. That could be a byproduct or direct result of Microsoft's astroturfing campaign, but doesn't change the fact those sentiments are prevalent and have been growing.

Xbox is a has-been; PlayStation's main competitors now are PC (Steam, Windows to lesser extent) and Nintendo when it comes to gaming.
Click to expand...
Agree with you, but the biggest threat or the last nail in the coffin for the PS5 in Japan is going to be the Switch 2 when both receive the same third party games at the same date… Heck, i think that FF7R Switch 2 version could sell more than the PS5 version despite the lower user base when launch. I know that Sony is going to cut the price of the PS5 as soon the Switch 2 get launched, but is going to be late… And a hybrid console from Sony is not going to be ready at least until 2028-29. Nintendo made everything perfect with the Switch 1 in Japan and the Switch 2 looks like is not going to be different.
 
BennyBlanco

BennyBlanco

aka IMurRIVAL69
thicc_girls_are_teh_best said:
As far as games alone go, this is probably it. But it's not even so much the games as it is the console itself. PS5's just been priced very high in Japan the past few years, lacks a ton of exclusives that would appeal to the Japanese gamer base, and it not having a dedicated portable option (not just something like PS Portal, which is a streaming solution still requiring a PS5 to function) are what have probably contributed to the physical software sales drop-off.

And that's the bigger issue when it comes to Japan: software sales for PS5 just haven't been good, although we don't get digital data so it's hard to say how definitive that is. Hardware pacing a bit behind PS4 wouldn't be an issue if the software sales were still up, unless Japan is contributing to a large share of PS+ subscription rates, which I don't think they are. The good news for SIE in Asia is, South Korea & China are picking up big-time for PS5 growth, making up for the drop in Japan hardware-wise no issue. Software-wise, I'd assume they're also making up for the drop, but we can only kinda go off Black Myth Wukong for now in saying that, which could turn out to be a very specific situation not applicable elsewhere.

Basically if SIE want to regain lost ground in Japan, they need a dedicated portable option, need to have more exclusives which appeal to Japanese gamer tastes, and (if this is a weak spot) have more effective advertising for the Japanese market. And they need to get all that done within the next three years, ideally. Meanwhile for rest of Asia, they'll eventually have to realize the same thing I'm sure they realize with Japan: that PC is a competing platform with a lot of exclusives in addition to almost all the same games the consoles are getting these days. So, they have to compete more effectively against the platform.

Which means that continually funding Day 1 PS & PC releases isn't going to work longer-term, nor is their (at least until a while ago) current PC porting strategy for 1P games. You just cannot grow on PC without your own storefront/launcher to control, doing short porting windows between console & PC, without diluting value of your own console. And I've been seeing 'normie' gamers online with console & PC basically echoing those sentiments in how they view the platforms these days, saying there's no reason to get a PlayStation since all their games are coming to PC. Some of these people are also streamers, and have really big audiences who take up after them. That could be a byproduct or direct result of Microsoft's astroturfing campaign, but doesn't change the fact those sentiments are prevalent and have been growing.

Xbox is a has-been; PlayStation's main competitors now are PC (Steam, Windows to lesser extent) and Nintendo when it comes to gaming.



DQXII will also be on Switch 2 Day 1 and maybe even Steam Day 1 as well, so I don't think it'll have as pronounced a bounce for PS5 as you're thinking.

Kingdom Hearts IV might have a chance of being a PS5 timed exclusive and even if it were also on Xbox Day 1 in Japan, by virtue of Xbox being a deadweight there it'd effectively be a PS5 exclusive to vast majority inn the region. But that changes if it's also a Steam Day 1 release; could be another Monster Hunter situation in terms of splits in that case (at least when factoring out physical). I'm sure it'll also end up on Switch 2, just not sure if it'd be a Day 1 there.

But IMO, KHIV's bigger issue is probably the brand damage Disney itself has incurred over the years. They've diluted various IP with bad live-action remakes and milked sequels, or just straight-up trash shows & films in the case of Star Wars and a lot of post Phase III MCU. How much of that sentiment is shared with the gaming audience for titles like Kingdom Hearts, I don't quite know.
Click to expand...

You think Japanese gamers care about Sony porting Spiderman and Uncharted to Steam?

Things that used to be exclusive and actually cater to Japanese gamers like Monster Hunter, Fatlus games, Street Fighter, Yakuza, and various niche weeb games are all day 1 on Steam at this point and that is out of Sony’s control now. Toothpaste is out of the tube and they are all seeing success on Steam. Sony has already ceded the territory to Nintendo to chase the bigger Western markets.
 
Y

yogaflame

Gold Member
The silver lining for Sony is the Ps5 console sales is higher then Switch OLED even if its more expensive. Even the Ps5 pro sales is decent. Japan just needs Ps5 price cuts and ps5 exclusives that caters to Japan gamers taste. I hope Sony will bring back OG RPG franchis exclusives like Wild Arms, Alundra, Legend and Legaia, and Legend of Dragoon. And get marketing for DQ12 and have the best version of the game.
 
thicc_girls_are_teh_best

thicc_girls_are_teh_best

Member
yogaflame said:
Japan gamers wants PS5 but it is just way to expensive even the base ps5 in Japan. Japan Ps5 needs a price cut and I'm sure that is what Japanese gamers are waiting for just a price cut for ps5.
Click to expand...

I agree that a price cut is probably something they're waiting for, but I don't think that's the biggest issue in Japan. Honestly I think it comes down to lack of exclusive games that appeal to their tastes by a majority. I'm quite shocked how Astro Bot, which by all intents and purposes is a shoe-in for a place like Japan, doesn't chart the Top 40 as consistently as it should. SIE screwed up with initial physical distribution there, for sure. But maybe it's making up for physical with digital in Japan, hopefully.

Kind of feels like Monster Hunter Wilds is a proving case, of where an ever-increasing portion of the gamer base that'd normally show up on PlayStation for those titles, are shifting over to PC because of several converging factors. Convenience, major studios prioritizing Day 1 launches & support, generally easy back-access to older games (i.e don't have to worry if your PSC PS Store copy of Grandia II is available on PS5 digital store), mod support, easy integration of social platforms (Twitch, Discord etc.), upgradability options, native KB&M support etc. are probably all reasons for that shift. PS5s being in scarce supply during 2021 and half of 2022 was unfortunate & also might've contributed.

Has the PS5 library of exclusives changed so drastically since before the price increases (started in late 2023 IIRC) to now, where a price cut would really change the situation? See, that's where I feel SIE's PC porting strategy screwed up, and also now games that may've been exclusive at one point are now on PC, i.e FF XVI, FF VII Rebirth, Rise of the Ronin, Stellar Blade (well, soon). Those are games that would've helped greatly to bolster a PS5 sale to a Japanese gamer who was holding out and maybe just rocking PS4 & PC (& Switch) for the time being.

But now all of those games and others are either on PC or will be before PS5 gets a price cut in Japan, so why would that Japanese gamer consider a PS5 at this point when the games that'd of propelled them to get one (if they were still exclusive), are now on PC?

BennyBlanco said:
You think Japanese gamers care about Sony porting Spiderman and Uncharted to Steam?
Click to expand...

Why do you keep defaulting to those games? Did you miss the part where I said "exclusives catering to Japanese gamer tastes"? 😂

BennyBlanco said:
Things that used to be exclusive and actually cater to Japanese gamers like Monster Hunter, Fatlus games, Street Fighter, Yakuza, and various niche weeb games are all day 1 on Steam at this point and that is out of Sony’s control now. Toothpaste is out of the tube and they are all seeing success on Steam. Sony has already ceded the territory to Nintendo to chase the bigger Western markets.
Click to expand...

Well, this is basically what I was just saying, and you're right that those IP you mentioned going to Steam Day 1 is out of SIE's control. I didn't imply SIE had control of those IP. What I've been getting at, is that SIE would do well to make PlayStation a more appealing brand to Japanese gamers, and there are several ways to do so, many of which would also bolster its value globally.

What I don't subscribe to is the defeatist mentality you seem to think they should stick with, or that SIE may or may not have gone about with. Them regaining some market share in Japan doesn't necessarily have to come at the expense of Nintendo or PC, either, though I'd admit chances are the latter would be more affected simply because library crossover is significantly greater these days.

Generally speaking, giving up on Japan to chase the West is not going to be sustainable for SIE or PlayStation in the long-term, because it might be Japan today...then some other market tomorrow. Then another afterwards, etc. etc. Part of the reason Xbox as a console brand is practically dead globally, is due to them hyper-focusing on two specific markets (USA & UK) at the expense of most others, and then when they tried expanding focus, it was half-hearted and too late. If you want to be a mainstream, global platform brand, you need to put serious effort in maintaining as many global territories as possible, and in gaming Japan is always going to be one of those major, important regions.

Like I said, SIE restoring some lost ground in Japan is pretty simple at the top level. Provide a dedicated portable option (that can also double for cloud gaming), prioritize more exclusives (preferably 1P, including co-developed exclusives w/ 3P), integrate more features into the OS & UI competitive with Steam, PC and so forth. Those things alone would be major improvements and also rekindle B2P market sales, while also having immediate benefits in virtually all global markets, not just Japan.
 
Last edited:
Y

yogaflame

Gold Member
thicc_girls_are_teh_best said:
I agree that a price cut is probably something they're waiting for, but I don't think that's the biggest issue in Japan. Honestly I think it comes down to lack of exclusive games that appeal to their tastes by a majority. I'm quite shocked how Astro Bot, which by all intents and purposes is a shoe-in for a place like Japan, doesn't chart the Top 40 as consistently as it should. SIE screwed up with initial physical distribution there, for sure. But maybe it's making up for physical with digital in Japan, hopefully.

Kind of feels like Monster Hunter Wilds is a proving case, of where an ever-increasing portion of the gamer base that'd normally show up on PlayStation for those titles, are shifting over to PC because of several converging factors. Convenience, major studios prioritizing Day 1 launches & support, generally easy back-access to older games (i.e don't have to worry if your PSC PS Store copy of Grandia II is available on PS5 digital store), mod support, easy integration of social platforms (Twitch, Discord etc.), upgradability options, native KB&M support etc. are probably all reasons for that shift. PS5s being in scarce supply during 2021 and half of 2022 was unfortunate & also might've contributed.

Has the PS5 library of exclusives changed so drastically since before the price increases (started in late 2023 IIRC) to now, where a price cut would really change the situation? See, that's where I feel SIE's PC porting strategy screwed up, and also now games that may've been exclusive at one point are now on PC, i.e FF XVI, FF VII Rebirth, Rise of the Ronin, Stellar Blade (well, soon). Those are games that would've helped greatly to bolster a PS5 sale to a Japanese gamer who was holding out and maybe just rocking PS4 & PC (& Switch) for the time being.

But now all of those games and others are either on PC or will be before PS5 gets a price cut in Japan, so why would that Japanese gamer consider a PS5 at this point when the games that'd of propelled them to get one (if they were still exclusive), are now on PC?
Click to expand...
Ps5 needs exclusives and. for me, the porting of PS exclusives to PC does not help ps5 console sales especially in Japan. I think moving the head quarters to woke infested California and shutting down Japan studios hurt the PS brand in Japan.

But we shall see. I think its more of a price cut needed. For example I saw some comments in YouTube of Kojima Japan asking if there is a Ps4 version of Death stranding 2. Again, Ps5 is really expensive in Japan. It might be the most expensive PS console in Japan history, correct me if I'm wrong. And they need big exclusives for Japan audience.
 
Last edited:
D

daxgame

Member
Well, damn.
I guess in the end most of the people who wanted to play Wilds on PS5 already owned it anyway, since Rise existed and I guess most of the time people buy all series' entries... still a tad disappointing.
 
Synastry

Synastry

Member
Kings Field said:
  • Xbox Series X: 39 (total 319,601)
  • Xbox Series X DE: 58 (total 19,992)
  • Xbox Series S: 236 (total 333,333)

Episode 4 Lol GIF by UFC
Click to expand...
Other than the X360 Xbox has always sold like shit in Japan but you have to give it to Microsoft even with shit sales like this there still fighting that good fight I mean at least it sales more than the PS4. :messenger_grinning_sweat:
 
Orbital2060

Orbital2060

Member
mckmas8808 said:
10 Million PS5s sold in Japan would be INCREDIBLE!!!
Click to expand...
Somewhat of a pyrrhic victory at this point, if you take into consideration that 1) a great deal of those consoles went out of Japan and 2) they are losing exclusivity of titles to the more popular Switch platform, and finally 3) how F2P games + microtransactions have supplanted single player games from traditional Japanese third parties.
 
leo-j

leo-j

Member
tbh they raised the price of the console again, the ps5 is almost triple the price of a switch in Japan. Should be $449 like in the states.
 
thicc_girls_are_teh_best

thicc_girls_are_teh_best

Member
Ebrietas said:
100%

The solution is actually simple, and will give them a boost everywhere, not just Japan:

1. Make a PS5 portable. Doesn't matter if it isn't 100% compatible with the library out of the gate, it just needs to exist.
2. Make the base PS5 cheaper AND smaller. The current slim unit is basically the size of previous generation launch units and is still too big. People like small things.
3. First party development (both internal and external) should go back to how it was in prior gens. Focus on unique games and have a balance between western and eastern projects. End the focus on bleeding edge visuals. Diminishing returns has already hit. The graphics race is done and everything looks good enough now. Just make fun games that run well.
4. Ditch PC. There are no two ways about it, it's eating into console sales in the same way PS5 ate into Xbox sales. Too much overlap for both to have prime real estate in the market, especially when PC has its own exclusives and unique advantages (in addition to the disadvantages) over consoles. Users will gradually move over to one. Multiplatform is justifiable for certain GaaS that rely on monetizing users, that's it. But I don't think Sony should be investing GaaS to begin with. Let the third parties fight in that mud pit while they take the free 30% cut from all of them. I would not be surprised if Sony makes more profit from Genshin Impact than Helldivers 2. Chasing GaaS is also a fundamental shift in their first party strategy from being trailblazers to just chasing popular trends. That is a losing strategy. They need to get back to the point where everyone else was trying to copy them (remember the "everything was uncharted" meme?).
Click to expand...

I agree with everything except point #4...BUT only WRT some GAAS titles. Truth is, while I do think SIE need to scale back on the GAAS (i.e Horizon doesn't need TWO GAAS titles FFS), I don't think it's inherently bad if some of those are on PC or other platforms. They can get the brand easily out to other places, and the core PS fanbase is much more liberal about GAAS titles being multiplatform (on average) vs non-GAAS.

Even in that instance, some GAAS should be console exclusive, just to further add value there. Valve's GAAS are exclusive to Steam and nowhere else, and do perfectly fine. There's little reason why SIE can't do a similar strategy.

Fabieter said:
It's a slow process but sony will understand it one day.

They had their shot for their store before they released so many games on Steam. Alot of Steam people would have accepted it when they would have done it right away "at least they bring it to be PC now" but they had the most short term thinking for both platforms its insane.
Click to expand...

Yep, the expectation for their PC games defaulting to Steam is already ingrained. Not only that, even if they were to stop that (like putting out their own storefront and keeping PC ports exclusive to it), it'd seemingly take forever for the PC gaming community to accept that, because a LOT of pro-Steam users & content creators, influencers etc. (not to mention the Xbox ones piggybacking off being "PC gamers" these days) will just keep pushing anti-PS rhetoric towards that store, curbing lots of potential adoption.

I know people keep saying "well Shawn Layden started the strategy"...yes he did but his implementation was clearly different vs. what it morphed into under Jim Ryan and Herman Hulst. Layden's strategy seemed limited to b-tier titles not even strongly affiliated with the console brand i.e Predator: Hunting Grounds getting Day 1 treatment, and the rare single-player AAA port many years after console i.e Horizon Zero Dawn.

Highly doubt his strategy would've evolved into porting almost all of the 1P titles to Steam halfway through the new console gen and with shorter windows between platform releases for non-GAAS titles. And if his strategy would have eventually turned into that, then he'd be just as mistaken as Jim Ryan & Herman Hulst have turned out to be in that regard, IMHO.

LordOcidax said:
Agree with you, but the biggest threat or the last nail in the coffin for the PS5 in Japan is going to be the Switch 2 when both receive the same third party games at the same date… Heck, i think that FF7R Switch 2 version could sell more than the PS5 version despite the lower user base when launch. I know that Sony is going to cut the price of the PS5 as soon the Switch 2 get launched, but is going to be late… And a hybrid console from Sony is not going to be ready at least until 2028-29. Nintendo made everything perfect with the Switch 1 in Japan and the Switch 2 looks like is not going to be different.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I've been seeing some people try saying Switch 2 won't be as successful as Switch 1, but they can never quantify how. Personally, I think it's very possible they end up selling less units, but even if they only do 2/3rds of Switch's total sales..that's still over 100 million units, and with more profit per unit than Switch 1 I'm sure.

Also, software sales don't scale linearly with install base, but that goes both ways, especially with most of Nintendo's titles. Basically, their 1P tend to sell very well even with systems that heavily underperform, and we saw that with Wii U. There's 0% chance Switch 2 does anywhere near as badly as Wii U, Gamecube, N64 or SNES* (keeping mind, games market was much smaller back then so 50 million for SNES is basically like the 100 million Wii ended up doing), so the ceiling of 1P software sales on the system would never be that much lower compared to Switch. And that's ignoring consideration that they'll find other ways to monetize their games, like through more bonus content & DLC, to make up for that.

It's also funny seeing some people think Nintendo's game budgets will suddenly bloat to $100+ million per AAA with Switch 2, just to justify absolutely stupid takes like Nintendo's going to go multiplat or whatnot. If those people are going to push an agenda, they should try having it based in at least some aspect of reality.
 
Woopah

Woopah

Member
LordOcidax said:
GTAVI maybe, GoY no so much, MHW is the biggest of the three in terms of impact in Japan and by the next week the PS5 sales could be back to regular sales numbers. If the Ps5 doesn’t receive a price cut soon, i can see it falling behind to the PS3 by next year.
Click to expand...
Ghost of Tsushima sold over a million units in Japan so GoY should still be a big deal.
yogaflame said:
Ps5 needs exclusives and. for me, the porting of PS exclusives to PC does not help ps5 console sales especially in Japan. I think moving the head quarters to woke infested California and shutting down Japan studios hurt the PS brand in Japan.

But we shall see. I think its more of a price cut needed. For example I saw some comments in YouTube of Kojima Japan asking if there is a Ps4 version of Death stranding 2. Again, Ps5 is really expensive in Japan. It might be the most expensive PS console in Japan history, correct me if I'm wrong. And they need big exclusives for Japan audience.
Click to expand...
I don't think Japan Studio had put out anything that sold well since Knack in 2013. A number of Sony games from California had sold decently in Japan though.
 
kazuyamishima

kazuyamishima

Member
The biggest factor to increase PS5 sales in Japan is to do a really noticeable price cut, the entry level PS5 is 73k yen.

But they might have turned their focus into China.
 
LordOcidax

LordOcidax

Member
Woopah said:
The result was that Monster Hunter did raise PS5 hardware.
Click to expand...
I think that the temporary price drop was more important than the game… If the PS5 doesn’t receive a price drop, GoY is not going to have a significant impact on hardware sales.
 
Last edited:
Woopah

Woopah

Member
LordOcidax said:
I think that the temporary price drop was more important than the game… If the PS5 doesn’t receive a price drop, GOT is not going to have a significant impact on hardware sales.
Click to expand...
Not a big impact but GoY is still going to be one of the biggest PS5 games this year. If there's a bundle or price cut that will also help.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Famitsu Sales: Week 10, 2025 (Mar 03 - Mar 09)
Sales-Age 2 3
106
4K
Thick Thighs Save Lives replied
Famitsu Sales: Week 7, 2025 (Feb 10 - Feb 16)
Sales-Age
31
2K
onQ123 replied
Famitsu Sales: Week 9, 2025 (Feb 24 - Mar 02), Highest PS5 weekly sales since it's 2020 launch week.
Sales-Age 2 3
149
7K
Woopah replied
Famitsu Sales: Week 6, 2025 (Feb 03 - Feb 09)
Sales-Age
17
1K
Mibu no ookami replied
Famitsu Sales: Week 4, 2025 (Jan 20 - Jan 26)
Sales-Age 2
73
3K
Hardensoul replied
Top Bottom