Support NeoGAF

[HK-47]

Less sales talk more countertrolling! This is fascinating.

 

[Rolf NB]

Demon's Souls still refuses to die, keeps hanging on at #46.

As a wise and remarkably well-clothed observer said a while ago, they should have shipped 100k copies of that right out of the gate.

 

[BrodiemanTTR]

Man Nintendo really needs to do something about the Wii in Japan. Squandering that kind of unbelievable head start would be uncharacteristically bone-headed of Iwata.

 

[Gaborn]

Man Nintendo really needs to do something about the Wii in Japan. Squandering that kind of unbelievable head start would be uncharacteristically bone-headed of Iwata.

I think squandering might be a little harsh. Nintendo probably do need to do something (new colors) but I don't see the PS3 making a huge amount of headway before, for example Wii Sports Resort hits.

 

[David H Wong]

I think squandering might be a little harsh. Nintendo probably do need to do something (new colors) but I don't see the PS3 making a huge amount of headway before, for example Wii Sports Resort hits.

Yeah, the numbers are really low across the board. It's not like you've got the PS3 doing astronomical numbers and really eating into the lead.

 

[HK-47]

Yeah, the numbers are really low across the board. It's not like you've got the PS3 doing astronomical numbers and really eating into the lead.

I dont think he is talking about the lead.

 

[BrodiemanTTR]

Yeah, the numbers are really low across the board. It's not like you've got the PS3 doing astronomical numbers and really eating into the lead.

The combination of:

a) Wii slipping from the position of dominance it once had over PS3 in hardware
b) once evergreen titles like Wii Sports, Play, Fit, and SSBB falling down the charts without replacement
c) and third-party games selling much, much better on PS3 than on Wii

makes for a situation that can hardly be encouraging to Nintendo considering how this gen started, with Wii tripling or quadrupling weekly PS3 sales and Nintendo titles filling the top 10. Even ignoring the PS3 and looking just at the Wii situation, it's obvious interest is flagging and that the system hasn't taken off like it has in the US or even Europe. Nintendo can rest on its laurels and not release anything in North America -- Wii Play, Fit, and Mario Kart are still selling like mad -- but the JP market is badly in need of something to spark consumer interest. MH3 can't come soon enough.

 

[Yes Boss!]

Man Nintendo really needs to do something about the Wii in Japan. Squandering that kind of unbelievable head start would be uncharacteristically bone-headed of Iwata.

Does Monster Hunter G count? Streeting 4/23 with a Tri demo.

 

[gantz85]

Demon's Souls still refuses to die, keeps hanging on at #46.

As a wise and remarkably well-clothed observer said a while ago, they should have shipped 100k copies of that right out of the gate.

To be fair, that means the Demon's Souls has FAR exceeded Sony Japan's sales expectations. I think it has definitely passed the 100K mark along with the release of the Asian and Korean versions. What I'm really interested in knowing is:

- Did it recoup development costs?
- Are they intending to use the engine FROM developed to make a sequel or something else exclusive to the PS3?

I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around how a 100K unit sales performance can recoup development costs. I DO think there's a market for it in the US and in Europe, but it has to be marketed properly and maybe a name change would be wise.

 

[Fafalada]

I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around how a 100K unit sales performance can recoup development costs.

IIRC their previous games usually didn't make it past 50k, and that was on a successful platform So you'd think they budgeted the title accordingly. And some of the corner-cutting (like the shadows "optimization" in last minute) kinda confirms they didn't have much to work with.

 

[gantz85]

IIRC their previous games usually didn't make it past 50k, and that was on a successful platform So you'd think they budgeted the title accordingly. And some of the corner-cutting (like the shadows "optimization" in last minute) kinda confirms they didn't have much to work with.

It still blows my mind that this could have been made on a 100K-sales budget.

 

[JoshuaJSlone]

I think squandering might be a little harsh. Nintendo probably do need to do something (new colors) but I don't see the PS3 making a huge amount of headway before, for example Wii Sports Resort hits.

Yeah, squandering a lead is a bit strong; they're just not expanding it at the same rate as before. Up to this week's Media Create numbers, PS3 has had 11 weeks of outselling Wii, for a total gain of 286,262--including the three weeks where Wii wasn't out yet.

 

[cvxfreak]

Dengeki:

06. [PS3] Resident Evil 5 (Capcom) - 31,806 / 458,969

 

[Loudninja]

Dengeki:

06. [PS3] Resident Evil 5 (Capcom) - 31,806 / 458,969

Hmm why are Media Create and Degeki numbers so different?

 

[klee123]

Hmm why are Media Create and Degeki numbers so different?

They are from the future?

 

[ShockingAlberto]

Man Nintendo really needs to do something about the Wii in Japan. Squandering that kind of unbelievable head start would be uncharacteristically bone-headed of Iwata.

The fact that it is so uncharacteristic of Iwata is what confuses me, really.

He abandoned the Gamecube, yeah, but that can be seen in retrospect as probably the right decision. I don't see the benefit in letting the Wii just kind of float along at the pace it's going in Japan.

 

[bttb]

.

 

[TheDrowningMan]

The fact that it is so uncharacteristic of Iwata is what confuses me, really.

He abandoned the Gamecube, yeah, but that can be seen in retrospect as probably the right decision. I don't see the benefit in letting the Wii just kind of float along at the pace it's going in Japan.

I wonder if, behind the scenes, he's full-steam ahead on the successor. I mean, major third parties are stubbonly refusing to give the Wii the support it would need to come close to PS2 (in Japan) and it's still selling fantastically in the West given the relative software drought.

I know a lot of people aren't expecting it, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if the next-gen Nintendo console arrives in 2011 and is roughly as powerful as the next-gen Sony / Microsoft consoles. Iwata isn't stupid, he knows sustained dominance won't be maintained across multiple generations without the right software so it'll be set straight towards the mass-market while saying to third parties that they now have no excuse not to align with the market leader.

 

[Spiegel]

Low % sold for Gundam and great sales for Disgaea 2

Konami overshipped Sunday vs Magazine. Well, to be fair it seems like they overshipped everything :lol

 

[Delio]

[NDS] Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's Stardust Accelerator: World Championship 2009 (Konami) - 24,000

Hah i love it. The DS Yugioh games have been really good so far so i wonder how long this one will go for.

 

[neojubei]

How long did Star Ocean 4 last in the top 50?

 

[Kurosaki Ichigo]

Really nice for Disgaea 2, put the ports on handhelds signal #2. I'm sure Nipponichi has listened. Lukewarm start for the Gundam arcade cabinet port. Konami should probably think about smaller shipments seeings their results this week, although DS Yugioh has done fine in raw numbers.

[PS3] James Bond: Quantum of Solace (Square Enix) - 4,000 (35%)
March 26th, 2009
First Square-Enix PS3 title for Japan! :lol

Wonder if there will be a second this year.

 

[Eteric Rice]

I wonder if, behind the scenes, he's full-steam ahead on the successor. I mean, major third parties are stubbonly refusing to give the Wii the support it would need to come close to PS2 (in Japan) and it's still selling fantastically in the West given the relative software drought.

I know a lot of people aren't expecting it, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if the next-gen Nintendo console arrives in 2011 and is roughly as powerful as the next-gen Sony / Microsoft consoles. Iwata isn't stupid, he knows sustained dominance won't be maintained across multiple generations without the right software so it'll be set straight towards the mass-market while saying to third parties that they now have no excuse not to align with the market leader.

I doubt it.

Iwata knows it's about the software, if he can pull a few more big games (besides Monster Hunter 3 and Dragon Quest X), the Wii will be alive and well.

I could see a new model of the Wii that upscales to HD and has features that let developers pretty up their games (add more shaders, polys, etc). A full on new console is a bit out of the question right now.

 

[Koren]

c) and third-party games selling much, much better on PS3 than on Wii

This is not exactly true... There's 21 games on PS3 over 100k, and 16 on Wii (and it was 18/16 two months ago). It's pretty on par (even if, with the larger userbase on Wii, this shouldn't).

But frankly, it's difficult to compare the two when you have Deca Sports, RE:UC and cie on one side, and Ryu ga Gotoku 3, Resident Evil 5, or Metal Gear Solid 4 on the other.

 

[Oldschool]

Awesome sales for Disgaea 2. I wonder if NIS is thinking about porting Disgaea 3.

And OUCH for Sunday x Magazine. What happened? The game bombed on both DS and PSP.

 

[botticus]

I think squandering might be a little harsh. Nintendo probably do need to do something (new colors) but I don't see the PS3 making a huge amount of headway before, for example Wii Sports Resort hits.

New colors would be useful for a little bump in the hardware, but as we've seen with every other platform, that's hardly enough to sustain any growth without compelling (and continuous) software to go along with it.

 

[Spiegel]

How long did Star Ocean 4 last in the top 50?

4 weeks

 

[Durante]

Wow Disgaea 2 PSP did quite a bit better than I expected. Does it have a similar amount of additional content compared to 1 PSP?

 

[Stumpokapow]

Iwata knows it's about the software, if he can pull a few more big games (besides Monster Hunter 3 and Dragon Quest X), the Wii will be alive and well.

but any "big games" that can be "pulled" right now won't kick in until end of 2010 or 2011 or so.

 

[Cosmonaut X]

but any "big games" that can be "pulled" right now won't kick in until end of 2010 or 2011 or so.

Pretty much. System sales have slumped badly over the past few months - I think this can safely be put down to Nintendo’s own misjudgement in making Animal Crossing and Wii Music their two key holiday titles - but the position isn’t hopeless by any means. However, I think it’s fair to say that the prospects of improvement rest on several things, perhaps in combination with each other:

1 - Nintendo having at least one or two major system-sellers almost set to launch, together with a reasonable spread of smaller titles to help bulk out the release list. Wii Sports Resort is likely to be a major draw, although Wii Music’s performance should be a warning to Nintendo here; they can’t rely on it being the next Wii Sports/Play/Fit, sustaining hardware sales for months on end. The other titles revealed last year, together with the continuing New Play Control releases may help keep things steady but I think they need more than that to reestablish the system.

2 - Monster Hunter 3 having the same kind of stimulating effect on the system as it did on the PSP. This is really up in the air at the moment, and if anyone is relying on it they’re taking a huge gamble. The series blossomed on a portable and while it has enjoyed decent sales on a home system it’s by no means certain that it will do for Wii what it did for the PSP. On the same note, I think an announcement of a PSP release of Tri anytime soon would kill the sales prospects of the Wii version. The MH audience may snap up a Wii (if they don’t already have one) for an exclusive, full-featured main entry in the series, but only the hardiest of fans will do that if a portable version (albeit cut-down) is available.

3 - Third parties having a lot of unannounced software for the system in full development. There’s no real point in having hugely successful tentpole releases if there isn’t anything else worth buying for the system. Unfortunately, there’s no indication that Japanese developers are willing to embrace the system, in spite of its global success, and I have a hard time believing there’s much more than some token support from most, and a few big titles that are nowhere near.

4 - A price cut, bundles or new colours to stimulate sales. These would perhaps give some short-term boosts, but I think they have to be used to support the above rather than as a replacement for them.

 

[bttb]

.

 

[Pureauthor]

Wow Disgaea 2 PSP did quite a bit better than I expected. Does it have a similar amount of additional content compared to 1 PSP?

It has a heck of a lot more, actually. Nice 1st day sales.

 

[LM4sure]

but any "big games" that can be "pulled" right now won't kick in until end of 2010 or 2011 or so.

but you don't know what is in the currents currently. nintendo has been holding a lot back as of late, so you might be quite surprised.

 

[Stumpokapow]

but you don't know what is in the currents currently. nintendo has been holding a lot back as of late, so you might be quite surprised.

have they been holding back?

they announced literally a dozen titles for the wii in october. so far we've had one bomb and 11 undated titles. i have no doubt that they have lynchpin titles in the works, but they won't be for the next few months at the minimum. i do not believe they have an onslaught of unannounced titles, though, specifically because what would they do with the titles they've already announced?

 

[cvxfreak]

Hmm why are Media Create and Degeki numbers so different?

It happens occasionally. We'll never really have a concrete answer.

Dengeki can sometimes be considerably lower than the other two as well.

 

[donny2112]

Dengeki:

06. [PS3] Resident Evil 5 (Capcom) - 31,806 / 458,969

Assuming 360 RE5 sold 0 copies this week, that takes the total over 560K. 600K in Dengeki combined is probably going to happen in two weeks.

 

[cvxfreak]

Assuming 360 RE5 sold 0 copies this week, that takes the total over 560K. 600K in Dengeki combined is probably going to happen in two weeks.

Which means I don't have to buy myself two copies of DMC2.

Thank God. That would have been torture.

 

[markatisu]

i do not believe they have an onslaught of unannounced titles, though, specifically because what would they do with the titles they've already announced?

I suppose release them?

 

[schuelma]

I suppose release them?

Good call

 

[Die Squirrel Die]

I could see a new model of the Wii that upscales to HD and has features that let developers pretty up their games (add more shaders, polys, etc). A full on new console is a bit out of the question right now.

I'll never understand why people still seem to persist with the idea that userbase splitting half-upgrades are a good thing, when have they ever worked? The Mega-CD? The 32X? The N64 Ram upgrade?

 

[Majmun]

Is Monster Hunter the most popular third party franchise in Japan nowadays, or what?
I think it's selling just as good as a DQ game.

I wonder how the Wii iterations will do. I expect DQX to sell two million copies in its first week.

 

[Arpharmd B]

Looks like everyone who thought RE5 wouldn't do 600k in Japan was dead wrong.

It's at 560k now, it will creep past 600k without a pricedrop or best of release.

And when those eventually come out, I think the total will be closer to 700k when it's all said and done.

 

[Stumpokapow]

I suppose release them?

well given that another code r was one of the higher profile releases, i'm not sure how that'll work out.

like, is kensax going to light the charts on fire?

 

[schuelma]

well given that another code r was one of the higher profile releases, i'm not sure how that'll work out.

like, is kensax going to light the charts on fire?

That' the problem..nothing announced in October is going to set the charts on fire.

 

[markatisu]

That' the problem..nothing announced in October is going to set the charts on fire.

Exactly, so they would probably release them leading up to any big game they intend to bring out so at least they get a 2nd look when people are going to buy the main game.

That way you at least lessen the bomba hit

 

[JoshuaJSlone]

like, is kensax going to light the charts on fire?

?

Is Monster Hunter the most popular third party franchise in Japan nowadays, or what?
I think it's selling just as good as a DQ game.

No MH has sold as well as a new numbered Dragon Quest of the last decade yet. But it's kind of hard to compare a totally front-heavy series with one that has legs of an indeterminate length.

Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy, and Monster Hunter are head and shoulders above everything else third party. But with that leg difference, the change in the console landscape over the last five years or so, and that major numbered DQ/FF come so infrequently, it's kind of hard to say how things would pan out if they were all competing with a new game tomorrow.

 

[PantherLotus]

Just wanted to appologize for not updating the OP with 30-50 and hardware yet. Big game last night and way too many beers, and now I'm at work (with a pounding headache). Update should be up when I get home this afternoon.

Thanks for your patience.

 

[donny2112]

I'll never understand why people still seem to persist with the idea that userbase splitting half-upgrades are a good thing, when have they ever worked? The Mega-CD? The 32X? The N64 Ram upgrade?

PS1 Dual-shock controller. GBC.

Of course, those relate to the idea of Motion+ becoming standard and DSi taking over for DS.

I expect DQX to sell two million copies in its first week.

Square-Enix was planning to ship 3 million of DQIX in its first week before the delay. I don't see why they'd expect to ship less for the follow-on game. Therefore, two million would be the very low end of the first week expectations. Of course, I'm not expecting DQX until 2012 or so.

Looks like everyone who thought RE5 wouldn't do 600k in Japan was dead wrong.

I expect it to get pretty close, but possibly not cross 600K in Famitsu.

best of release.

And when those eventually come out, I think the total will be closer to 700k when it's all said and done.

I'm not including any re-releases in my estimation.

No MH has sold as well as a new numbered Dragon Quest of the last decade yet. But it's kind of hard to compare a totally front-heavy series with one that has legs of an indeterminate length.

Dragon Quest is not really front-heavy compared to the average game. You're probably getting it confused with how Final Fantasy sells.

 

[Defuser]

[PSP] Sunday vs Magazine Shuuketsu! Choujou Daikessen (Konami) - 9,500 (20%)
[

D:

 

[BishopLamont]

Yeah DQ is so big because it sells insane numbers first week but then keeps on selling forever.