PS3 breaks the one million mark in Japan
by Nick Doerr 
{ Jul 18th 2007 at 3:00PM }
Enterbrain recently announced that the PlayStation 3 has hit the one million console sold point in Japan, a point that the US and Europe both hit much sooner. We're not complaining! The announcement came from tracking over 3,500 stores in Japan, totaling 1.01 million consoles sold as of July 15th. If they counted every store in Japan, it's probably more like 1.02 or 1.03 million. Numbers are fun!For those keeping tabs like middle-aged men at the horse races, this more than doubles sales of the 360 in Japan, which still hovers around 421,000 units sold (we rounded up). However, this announcement goes to show that the Nintendo Wii still outsells the PS3 by a ratio of about 3:1 in Japan. Yes, the Wii is near the 3 million mark in Japan already. In any case, kudos for Sony to hitting one million. Does anyone think they can cross 2 million by the end of the year?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
HektikLyfe @ Jul 18th 2007 3:10PM
With GTA IV and some of the other titles coming out they just might. If there any delays with the titles they have scheduled they might not. The MGS delay isn't going to help at all.
jack @ Jul 18th 2007 3:11PM
yes
YouFaceTheTick @ Jul 18th 2007 3:32PM
That's sad. The first 1 million units for the PS2 took a weekend!
mshimer5 @ Jul 18th 2007 3:43PM
@1: GTAIV isn't going to have any effect in Japan, also the incredible delay on FFXIII isn't helping either. However, with the number of games that are coming this year, they should be able to reach 2 million; however, this all depends on what Nintendo does over there. They are an absolute powerhouse in Japan, who would have guessed that?
Stellarpimp @ Jul 18th 2007 4:05PM
@3 Its not terrible really. PS2 came out gates at $400 instead of $600. PS2 only "real" competition at the time was Dreamcast.
I believe a lot of the negative media and such really hurt the PS3. But with the strong game line starting this summer and beyond (don't think Buzz Lightyear(sp*)) and with the rumored 40gig @$399, machines will fly off the shelf.
shase @ Jul 18th 2007 3:48PM
The bad news is Wii is outselling PS3 3 to 1 in japan.. the good news is I think the Wii "frenzy" is declining. In my neighborhood walmart , they have about 15 wiis piled high in the glass screen for a couple of weeks now and no one bought them. They did sell 2 ps3s in the 2 weeks or so (guess due to pricedrop). 360 consoles were either sold out or in storage since i dont see any in glass screen. A stock of silver PS2s are there though.
OrganicShadow @ Jul 18th 2007 4:11PM
As the Japanese market continues to, surprisingly, play nicer with western games, I think the PS3 might have a good chance of even hitting 2.5 to 3 million in Japan, seeing as so many western, and a handful of eastern, games are coming out from now till the end of the calendar year.
Still don't understand why they are being turned onto western games, albeit slowly. Maybe something in the water?
Jetles @ Jul 18th 2007 10:02PM
wow thats cool
MYPS3KilledMy360 @ Jul 18th 2007 4:09PM
@4 the console is 600 dollars cosidering the price i dont call the PS3 a flop as for America its the shortage that really hurt sony if they had 1 million units in november they would of sold 1million by the end of the year and we wouldnt have to worry about ebay. So the holiday season passed and thats the time you see major sales. but just think at that time the actual thought of having better graphics even better than the ps1 i believe at that time was even bigger than it was now compared to the ps2 price and the ps3 price the graphics were a quantom leap for your money. but sony's need to push there new format kind of hinders them since the blu ray hardware is reason why its so expensive. but i dont know why people continue to say the PS3 is a flop its just the plane truth that you need more reasons to buy it. next year first quarter we will see a boom in sales in japan because of grand tourismo, singstar, some jrpgs that will never release in america metal gear solid 4 and final fantasy. the fps's arent helping sales over there either since japanese gamers arent into it yet but in america you will see a satisfing growth in sales do to the amount of fps and other games plus new updates similar the to 360's like playing your music in game access to the xmb bar so you can invite friends to the game your playing while your playing and possibly go into a chat with them while your playing, and the ps3 eye is coming out so now you got a camera and last but not least home i hope it comes with a translater when texting so you can speak to other people around the world without a language barrier that would be sweet. so there you go the PS3 is not a flop its work in progress.
shase @ Jul 18th 2007 4:28PM
@9
I think it's $$$ more than anything else. I personally don't like many "western" games. I am not really fascinated by FPS, Sports, or western rpgs. I love RPGs but can't stand most of western ones. I think it is the graphical representation and the whole "non-linear" in the western rpgs - like fable, kotor and most likely mass effect. Sure I like some nonlinearity like side quests whatnot but not to the extreme like some western rpgs. Also, I don't like the models in those games - they try to make them look realistic but they look much more fake and ugly - I was a fan of NWN 1 and sequels but when I bought NWN2 it was a huge dissapointment especially in the models category and i was praying to be done with the game while playing through it. Mass effect looks boring as well.
I liked NWN1 and also Septerra core- it was pretty cool. I guess I am just used to the more "animeish" like models or just unrealistic ones....
derrickgott007 @ Jul 18th 2007 4:29PM
Once people tire of the Wii and its shoddy gamecube graphics, and lame ports of good games, they'll jump back to the SONY side.
never$$hort @ Jul 18th 2007 4:32PM
And the PS3 will continue to gain momentum and continue to sell units hoooray!!! When all the games finally release, the sales will be even greater... Keep it up Sony, its working!!
Brambler @ Jul 18th 2007 4:33PM
What is wrong with those crazy Japanese? The PS3 is freakin cool. Just too expensive for most people to swallow I guess. Im sure if the Wii was $400 or more it would not be outselling PS3
shase @ Jul 18th 2007 4:35PM
@10
Maybe in my area it is declining, plus the town i live at is not that big either so maybe that's why. Anyway, i really don't see why people betting on like 3 nintendo games and nothing else - there's nothing that was great announced at E3 by nintendo besides more peripherals that does what the wiimote does and basically a whole sales pitch. I guess people are really fixated on the price that they would go for the inferior product , that or they really believe the hype...
shase @ Jul 18th 2007 4:40PM
@14
Yeah, if wii were to be 400$ then it would probably be dead last. I really hope wii fails, not because I am anti nintendo or pro sony/ms but i dont want wii to set a standard that gimmicky controls and cheap price is the future of gaming. If that becomes the case then Sony and MS will undoubtly "copy/adapt" next gen with inferior performance products for cheaper price and we would be swamped with games that we wished could've been much more better.
Of course we "gamers" are the minority here and the casual gamers are the majority so we will be screwed more than anyone else. It is sad that nintendo's business model will most likely ruin it for gamers like us... then again at the pace I am going I dont think i will have time to play much games in the future anyway....
Mak @ Jul 18th 2007 5:25PM
Hot Shots Golf 5 has 300,000 preorders already.
Of course they will reach 2 million this year...
Gareth Burleigh @ Jul 18th 2007 6:18PM
Shase what the hell are you talking about? I think your confusing gimmick with innovation, every major leap in game control has come from Nintendo (pre arcade stick). The Wii is great fun to play with friends and family plus games like Zelda and RE make it great fun for the solo gamer.
I own the Wii and PS3 and I see good and bad in both systems, I find it funny that in one breath people say the Wii is for the casual gamer and in the same breath people dont see why the person who wouldnt spend the dough on a PS3 isnt aware it can do everything else as well as play games, thus selling it as casual games platform by default.
If Nintendo come up tops this time around dont be sad. Sony will survive and they have done the games industry the greatest service, convinced the 20+ crowd that games arent only for geeks. That alone is the greatest legacy of the Playstation brand.
Plus I hate to burst your bubble but neither Sony, Nintendo or Microsoft want the tag of Hardcore gamers platform of choice. They want to sell as many system and as many games as possible to anybody with the money in their pocket, its called business
Gareth
Tim @ Jul 18th 2007 8:55PM
I think considering all the factors (Price, Late release, not many games atm, etc) the PS3 has done quite well (elsewhere, as well as Japan). I think the real time for the PS3 to shine is nigh upon us ;)
Consolcwby @ Jul 18th 2007 9:31PM
@shase: Amen to that, brother! =) You hit the nail on the head. If Nintendo gets their way, they'd dumb down the whole of gaming with nothing but weak mini party games. The Wii has been sucessful because of that, but as time goes on gamers will start to crave more. It's like eating potato chips or rice crackers for meals - after a while, you get the craving for something more substantial! (You can tell I used to be a very cash-poor college student from this statement, can't you? =D ) To put it quite mildly, the Wii is great for quick fun. If the consoles were women, the 360 would be a sexy cheap date who could die of a heart attack at any given moment; the PS3 would be a high class sex machine but doesn't have too much to say to you at the moment; and the Wii is that cute little 16 year old jail bait who's looking to have a good time with everyone - but is a complete ditz and dummy... but she IS fun for a while. ;)
This time next year, things will be different... MGS and FF will be a deciding factor in Japan - you will see!
qwerter @ Jul 18th 2007 9:54PM
remember the ps3 is suppose to last 10 years so they will w/ out a doubt sell more
Rory Hurren @ Jul 19th 2007 4:46AM
The wii is definately getting less sales in the uk because for the last few weeks you can easily walk into a shop a buy one because no one is buying them anyone nearly every highstreet store and online store have them in stock to buy. Or the other option is that nintendo have finally sorted out production levels.
Jak @ Jul 19th 2007 12:55PM
Well there are a few of those RPG's coming out that the japanese love. White knight Story, Bladestorm and Dynasty Warriors what eva the hell that is. You need RPG's there. That why Xbox 360 dose crap and spiked in sales when Eternal Sonata came out. Maybe this Playstation premiere event will help sales.
vizunary @ Jul 19th 2007 4:30PM
@everyone quoting the price
The current price of a PS3 in Japan is $406USD. A complete waste of a good price point, Sony should've had that price here in the US and in EU, NOT Japan. Stupid move. To hell with Japan, let em have their Wiis. Lower the price in the western markets to match and watch the PS3s fly off the shelves.
Andy @ Jul 19th 2007 6:02PM
I wish they had a solid $500(US dollars) pricepoint worldwide for a 60GB model.
But instead they choose to delay it in certain areas, change models and fluctuate prices worldwide.
Too late for simple as I heard there is a 80 GB and maybe a 40 GB coming out soon.