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[Yamauchi]

So Nintendo is expecting to ship 550k Wiis in the next 3 weeks?

 

[jimbo]

Yeah, there will be monster sales later this month. But I think the low Wii software #s are mostly related to low hardware availability. There just isnt enough on shelves to sell past other titles on other platforms. You wouldnt expect 100,000 Zeldas sold for 80,000 Wii systems, for example.

Yes but the fact remains that there are two other Wii games trouncing Zelda on that chart, and they too have to abide by the same hardware limitations.

Japan ruining gaming confirmed

But are the Japanese really wrong though? Or are they simply saying, we want games made specifically for the Wii? After all Wii Sports shows off what the Wii is capable of doing much more than Zelda.

 

[Testicular Sound Express]

There's only like 500,000 units of the system out there!

I know, but only 1st party titles are in the top 30. Its a little disheartening.

 

[Dr. Kitty Muffins]

Yes but the fact remains that there are two other Wii games trouncing Zelda on that chart, and they too have to abide by the same hardware limitations.



But are the Japanese really wrong though? Or are they simply saying, we want games made specifically for the Wii? After all Wii Sports shows off what the Wii is capable of doing much more than Zelda.

Maybe they want to buy the Gamecube edition instead?

 

[davepoobond]

maybe they're actually waiting for the GameCube version

 

[gamergirly]

Yes but the fact remains that there are two other Wii games trouncing Zelda on that chart, and they too have to abide by the same hardware limitations.

True. Zelda doesnt have the same appeal in Japan as it does in the USA tho. 30,000 compared to 50,000ish for the other Wii titles is great in comparison. I consider it healthy since Nintendo "franchised" games selling higher than new Nintendo IPs and 3rd parties the majority of the time is NOT what the Wii needs. If Wii is to thrive like DS, it needs some diversity, non-Nintendo big name companies or not

 

[Tobor]

I know, but only 1st party titles are in the top 30. Its a little disheartening.

*looks at PS3's numbers* Could be worse.

 

[jimbo]

Maybe they want to buy the Gamecube edition instead?

That was kind of my read-between-the-lines second half of my point. We'll see.

BTW, when ARE we going to get hardware numbers exactly? Tomorrow night?

 

[jwj442]

Guys...Zelda isn't THAT popular in Japan. The sky is not falling. TP is already very close to surpassing Minish Cap, and a quarter toward Wind Waker's LTD, with a much smaller installed base.

 

[cvxfreak]

I can't believe Nintendo didn't release the GC version to stores for Japan. I'd say they even screwed with the distribution of the Zelda Collection. Hopefully they reconsider just like Homeland.

 

[Terrell]

Another trend on GAF I've never seen any proof of. And being in sales a good part of my life it's ass backwards anyway. The only time I have ever seen proof of any kind of a holdback, hardware or software, was when a console or game got shipped early and stores were holding them for launch dates. But in sales you don't simply hold out possible sales just to have a big week a month from now. You sell what you can if you can NOW. If sales are going to ramp up in that period, great. That means I sell a bunch now and even more then. I don't risk that gamer spending his $50 budget on some other game or console until I make them available.

Seriously, this holding back talk needs to stop. It's proof-less.

Ummm... two things.

If Media Create threads have taught me anything, it's that the retail environment is significantly different in Japan than it is in the Western world. But even in North America, we saw major retailers hold back Wii shipments for Black Friday, if I recall correctly... so yeah.

Also, I was implying NINTENDO was holding back on shipment availability, not retailers themselves.

 

[RedLightning]

That's a solid and encouraging (although not really up to the level of spectacular) showing by Ryu ga Gotoku 2 / Yakuza 2 here. I pray for legs.

How did Yakuza do in the States? I hear "shitty" being thrown around, but how shitty exactly?

 

[cvxfreak]

Well, judging by Amazon there was another DSL shipment a few hours ago.

 

[Terrell]

That's a solid and encouraging (although not really up to the level of spectacular) showing by Ryu ga Gotoku 2 / Yakuza 2 here. I pray for legs.

How did Yakuza do in the States? I hear "shitty" being thrown around, but how shitty exactly?

Y'know how shitty Shadow the Hedgehog SHOULD have sold? Those are the numbers Yakuza sold.

 

[rod]

i always thought zelda was huge in japan, why is it not? has it fallen in popularity or was it never popular?

 

[Doom_Bringer]

So what's going to be the first PS3 killer app in Jpn? Any chances of the system picking up sales anytime before FFXIII is relased?

 

[Arsenal]

60k is wayyyy too high.

i'm thinking 40k will be the max for 360 this week, and realistically i think it'll be more like 30k with a very high proportion being BD packin sets.

Agreed - anyone who bought a 360 this week and didn't get the BD box is pretty stupid.

 

[Y2Kev]

So what's going to be the first PS3 killer app in Jpn? Any chances of the system picking up sales anytime before FFXIII is relased?

VF5.

edit: oh shit its doom bringer

 

[jimbo]

Agreed - anyone who bought a 360 this week and didn't get the BD box is pretty stupid.

Or they may not like JRPG's. Sounds crazy I know, but keep in mind the original Japanese Xbox user base had to have been pretty Western-like in their tastes.

 

[gconsole]

i always thought zelda was huge in japan, why is it not? has it fallen in popularity or was it never popular?

Ocarina of Time sold more than 2 million in japan , so consider this game as the medium popular is not quite correct. Anyway, we can see the declining in sell for this game year by year as a part of nintendo fall down in console part. Since wii is aim to non-gamers at most, i don't expect the wii buyers to play zelda tp. Nintendo should release more of GC version to japan right now.

 

[Y2Kev]

Or they may not like JRPG's. Sounds crazy I know, but keep in mind the original Japanese Xbox user base had to have been pretty Western-like in their tastes.

But isn't the bundle actually cheaper?

 

[jimbo]

But isn't the bundle actually cheaper?

No idea. Is it? If so then you have a great point. But I doubt it would be cheaper than just a core 360 by itself. But it probably is cheaper than a core+ any other 360 game.

 

[kisakiproject]

But isn't the bundle actually cheaper?

Yeah but they may buy the Core w/N3 and PG3 or a Premium cause they want the HD.

 

[xaosslug]

that gundam game on psp sold like 200k copies in one go iirc. its not very likely he's revived anything but a chance to make ms pay him more money.

due to the massive phenomena that is DS, peeps seem to be under the impression PSP has a userbase on xbox/360 levels, which just isn't true. X360 is all but dead and buried in Japan, and if Blue Dragon manages to push upwards of 20k hardware this week... that's alive, imo, considering the context of "xbox hardware sales in Japan, HURRHURR".

but yeah, I guess we can call this Sakaguchi pulling out the crash cart. ;p

 

[gconsole]

Yeah but they may buy the Core w/N3 and PG3 or a Premium cause they want the HD.

What does that mean ?

 

[Dahbomb]

So what's going to be the first PS3 killer app in Jpn? Any chances of the system picking up sales anytime before FFXIII is relased?

Oh snapz guys he is back. :lol

Armored Core 4 and VF5 are the 2 to be keeping your eyes on. VF5 more than AC4 of course.

 

[Dalauz]

HOLY ****ING CRAP (ZIC) at WE #29

WE 7 or 8 was like 1.5 millons first week@2004 in Japan

 

[pol's voice]

Zelda is more of an NA franchise now anyway. It's selling phenomenally over here, so even if it ends up not doing great in Japan, it's still a success.

Also, I still think it will begin to do better in Japan as the userbase grows.

 

[Nick_]

Again people don't seem to realize that Zelda is NOT big in Japan like it is here...the Zelda numbers are still a little disappointing, but more in line with what a lot of us thought.

It's not a little, it's really dissapointing.
Zelda is not THAt big, but Oot sold 1.46 millions only in japan, and WW sold more than 800.000 copies. At this rate, TP won't even come to 500.000, and I think that's something to be worried about.

 

[kisakiproject]

What does that mean ?

Thye bundle is cheaper but potential 360 owners that don't want BD still have an equally cheap bundle w/2 games to get. Or they might get Premium. Either way i'de expect at;east 2-4k more 360 sold besides the supposed 30,000 for BD bundles.

 

[AndoCalrissian]

It's not a little, it's really dissapointing.
Zelda is not THAt big, but Oot sold 1.46 millions only in japan, and WW sold more than 800.000 copies. At this rate, TP won't even come to 500.000, and I think that's something to be worried about.

Does that include GameCube sales? And what was the Japanese install base when WW was released?

 

[Mirimar]

Does that include GameCube sales? And what was the Japanese install base when WW was released?

How is it going to sell on the GC in Japan if they're not even allowing it to be sold at retailers?

 

[cvxfreak]

So what's going to be the first PS3 killer app in Jpn? Any chances of the system picking up sales anytime before FFXIII is relased?

VF5.

But as we've learned twice in the last decade, VF does not save systems from destruction.

 

[soundwave05]

Nintendo made a mistake of not bundling Wii Sports with the Wii in Japan. That would've opened up the field a little more for other titles like Zelda to get some more shine.

But it's one of the few mistakes they've made this year.

Anyone who seriously thinks PS3 sales won't overtake XBox 360 sales in short order even without a killer app is off their rocker.

 

[jimbo]

Nintendo made a mistake of not bundling Wii Sports with the Wii in Japan. That would've opened up the field a little more for other titles like Zelda to get some more shine.

But it's one of the few mistakes they've made this year.

Anyone who seriously thinks PS3 sales won't overtake XBox 360 sales in short order even without a killer app is off their rocker.

It already has. I just think most people are shocked at the fact that this is even being discussed.

 

[tHoMNZ]

retard training was #1 last week

 

[Alex]

What kind of sick bastard buys a Wii and doesn't buy Zelda.

 

[mutsu]

What kind of sick bastard buys a Wii and doesn't buy Zelda.

Me

 

[jimbo]

So uhm hardware numbers? When? I can't keep waiting around here forever. I actually want to go play some games, but I don't want to miss out on this.

 

[castle007]

retard training was #1 last week

you mean last week's MC numbers???

I thought the tales game was number 1??

 

[AniHawk]

So uhm hardware numbers? When? I can't keep waiting around here forever. I actually want to go play some games, but I don't want to miss out on this.

Hardware numbers usually arrive on Thursday.

 

[PantherLotus]

I'm not convinced that WiiSports should have been bundled in Japan.

The assumption is that they did it for the US because it would not have sold as well and the intent is to get people to pick up and play the game. Japan is already into that sort of thing (so-called non-games) so sales are pretty much guaranteed. Rather, it was its inclusion in the US that is truly telling. They probably assumed that it would be a harder sell, and since their strategy is based around that type of software, they took the lesser profit and decided to bundle it.

In Japan, they can sell just as many copies of WiiPlay and WiiSports as in the states, but actually charge full price while doing so. Megabucks.

 

[jimbo]

Hardware numbers usually arrive on Thursday.

Ah thanks so I can get some sleep in too. Sweet!

 

[soundwave05]

Weren't the estimates something like

Wii - 100k
360 - 65k
PS3- 40k

Zelda -35k

Those seem to be pretty much spot on.

 

[Earthstrike]

Nintendo made a mistake of not bundling Wii Sports with the Wii in Japan. That would've opened up the field a little more for other titles like Zelda to get some more shine.

But it's one of the extremely profitable decisions they've made this year.

Anyone who seriously thinks PS3 sales won't overtake XBox 360 sales in short order even without a killer app is off their rocker.

Remember folks Nintendo is a business. A god bottom line is better than being number 1.

 

[AniHawk]

Weren't the estimates something like

Wii - 100k
360 - 65k
PS3- 40k

Zelda -35k

Those seem to be pretty much spot on.

If those are true, it puts the PS3 in third in terms of overall sales.

 

[ZFS]

WOw, the Japanese have such shitty taste.

It's so true.

 

[soundwave05]

I'm not sayin bundle Wii Sports in for free ... include it but raise the price. Remember the Wii is being sold for less in Japan (about $220) than it is in North America. So it's not really that much of a profit difference.

 

[duckroll]

It's so true.

At least they didn't buy 100k of Red Steel!

 

[JoshuaJSlone]

Another trend on GAF I've never seen any proof of. And being in sales a good part of my life it's ass backwards anyway. The only time I have ever seen proof of any kind of a holdback, hardware or software, was when a console or game got shipped early and stores were holding them for launch dates. But in sales you don't simply hold out possible sales just to have a big week a month from now. You sell what you can if you can NOW. If sales are going to ramp up in that period, great. That means I sell a bunch now and even more then. I don't risk that gamer spending his $50 budget on some other game or console until I make them available.

Seriously, this holding back talk needs to stop. It's proof-less.

Here is a line graph of DSL for 11 weeks starting July 24. Considering every DSL shipped has sold quickly since the thing released, it sure appears that systems were held back at times to allow for large numbers of systems for the releases of Final Fantasy III (week 6 on the graph) and Pokémon (week 10). Or it could be that production was fluctuating and they happened to get extremely lucky.

Yes but the fact remains that there are two other Wii games trouncing Zelda on that chart, and they too have to abide by the same hardware limitations.

Sure, but "Game X is doing really well." doesn't mean "Game Z selling 2/3 of game X is doing poorly."

Ocarina of Time sold more than 2 million in japan

Perhaps you are adding two Zelda-esque parallel realities, but going by Magic Box's numbers OOT didn't quite reach 1.5 million. That makes for a lower attach rate than Twilight Princess, too.

At this rate, TP won't even come to 500.000, and I think that's something to be worried about.

Jeez, come on. It's selling to more than a third of system owners. Unless Pokémon Battle Revolution steals all its thunder and zaps it to 10K/week, I expect it should pass 500K early next year.