Japanese 3DS sales plummet before price cut
PSP back on top of hardware and software charts with 9 titles in top 20
The effects of Nintendo's heavy price cuts to the 3DS have continued to affect sales in Japan, with the console selling just over 4000 units in the territory for the week ending August 7, 2011. The PSP remains in top position this week, selling close to ten times as many units.
Price cuts for the system came into place worldwide today.
The PSP has also taken the number one spot in the software tables with J-League Pro Soccer Club! 7, pushing previous incumbent Rhythm Heaven to fourth.
Whilst retail sales of the 3DS fell sharply again this week, second hand sales reportedly boomed, as customers tried to take advantage of the offer of 20 free download games if the Nintendo e-shop was accessed via 3DS before today.
Japanese software chart, week ending August 7, 2011.
- 1 J-League Pro Soccer Club! 7: Euro + (PSP) - 101,022 (new)
- 2 Kirby Mass Attack(DS) - 74,915 (new)
- 3 Toriko: Gourmet Survival (PSP) - 62,882 (new)
- 4 Rhythm Heaven (Wii) - 62,597
- 5 All Kamen Rider: Rider Generation (DS) - 52,575
- 6 Epic Mickey (Wii) - 27,257 (new)
- 7 Family Fishing (Wii) - 22,365 (new)
- 8 Wii Sports Resort with Remote Plus (Wii) - 18,945 (new)
- 9 Taiko Drum Master Portable DX (PSP) - 14,872
- 10 Devil Survivor 2 (DS) 12,904
- 11 StormLover Karen!! (PSP) - 12,477 (new)
- 12 Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball (PS3) - 12,467
- 13 Queen’s Gate: Spiral Chaos (PSP) - 12,445
- 14 Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball 2011 (PSP) - 12,369
- 15 Inazuma Eleven Strikers (Wii) - 12,369
- 16 Elminage III: Ankoku no Shito to Yaiyou no Kyuuden (PSP) - 11,954 (new)
- 17 Half-Minute Hero Second (PSP) - 10,991 (new)
- 18 Sengoku Basara: Chronicle Heroes (PSP) - 10,374
- 19 Wii Play: Motion (Wii) 8,925
- 20 Puyo Puyo! 20th Anniversary (DS) - 8,748
Japanese hardware chart, week ending August 7, 2011.
- PSP - 35,619
- PS3 - 18,338
- Wii - 17,004
- DSi LL - 4,176
- 3DS - 4,132
- DSi - 3,900
- PS2 - 1,529
- Xbox 360 - 1,406
- DSL - 102
It is funny how the PSP has succeeded so well in Japan, while in many western countries the PSP has never made any good sales besides from the Otaku audience and import gamers who want to play the games that are not available in their regions.
I personally think that Region Locking has hurt Nintendo with the 3DS and even with the DSi being regionlocked, it has not been an issue because of the DS Lite being successful in the past.
Posted:A year ago