AfterDawn: News

Japanese console sales slump badly

After last month's almost record sales, it seems Japanese console sales have taken a nosedive and are now only selling about half the amount of units as compared to four weeks ago.

The figures, according to Media Create, say that last week's sales were the lowest in months, with the Nintendo DS failing to shift 80,000 units for the week. For the comparable week last month, the DS moved 153,000 units to lead all consoles.



All other hardware sales fell at the same rate with the Wii, PlayStation 3 and PSP all falling over 40 percent.

It is also interesting to note that there have been better selling games this month as compared to last month and so the figures are even more surprising.

Also of note is the fact that despite Microsoft's plans to increase marketing in Japan the Xbox 360 sold a measly 1,286 units for the week.

Source:
GI.biz

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 14 Sep 2007 13:54

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• 25 comments

• Hisop

  Anyone know why sales are so bad?

  14.9.2007 16:34 #1

• cee43ja1

  probably because the people who want the consoles already have them?

  14.9.2007 16:39 #2

• transl8r

  Originally posted by cee43ja1: probably because the people who want the consoles already have them?
  Market saturation... that's my guess too.
  I remember when the DS was completely sold-out everywhere in Japan. There were signs in the stores letting people know that they didn't have any DS in any colour.
  
  

  14.9.2007 17:05 #3

• DXR88

  yep. market saturation. everybodys got one. as for microsoft and there poor sales my guess is imports.

  14.9.2007 18:00 #4

• hughjars

  .....cos people are wising up to being sold the same game over and over?

  14.9.2007 18:07 #5

• DXR88

  Hugh i think the statment was about Consoles in General.
  
  Correct me if im wrong thou.

  14.9.2007 18:12 #6

• britz660

  maybe it has to do with school? I know that whenever I start school for a year .. consoles aren't much on my mind. I'd like to see some comparable sales trends for previous years. Might be an outliers for the month but maybe a negative downtrend for the month may be indicative of a seasonal pattern.

  14.9.2007 18:20 #7

• DXR88

  No. dont do it britz660 dont think its because you got school on the mind that you dont show your console the love.
  
  beleive me the only thing i go to school for is education and my friends.

  14.9.2007 18:36 #8

• webe123

  It is not just consoles, but if you look....a lot of new technology products are not doing as good in sales as previously expected. Why? there are many answers, but one reason I think is because a lot of people are starting to wise up to the fact that the newest is not always the best!
  
  Look at PS2 sales! The PS3 has been around for awhile, yet PS2 sales out did both it and Xbox3! Again, newer is not always better.
  
  Newer game titles have been slow in comming for consoles like the PS3 and that just adds to the loss of intrest for the consumer.
  
  I think what we are seeing is the consumer being much wiser in their purchases. Look at HD DVD and Blue Ray. People still prefer regular DVD. Just another example of how the sales pitch by new electronic manufacturers seem to be falling on deaf ears.

  14.9.2007 20:25 #9

• ooZEROoo

  Months ago people were already predicting this would happen. Sure the Wii is winning the console war, but the lack of blockbuster titles will make the system slump in sales.

  14.9.2007 22:07 #10

• theridges

  but all the other consoles are slumping aswell..
  so really nintendo is still winning..and with newer games comming out i think nintendo will be just fine :)
  
  also its not like the 360 or the PS3 are doing good anyways...the 360 dont sell in japan period. and the PS3 has the Wii and DS to Compete with....

  15.9.2007 04:00 #11

• transl8r

  Originally posted by webe123: Look at PS2 sales! The PS3 has been around for awhile, yet PS2 sales out did both it and Xbox3! Again, newer is not always better.This brings up another issue... price point. Think about how much better the PS2 sold compared to the PS3 and Xbox360, and consider the cost of each console. Technology is getting better, but it also seems to be growing exponentially more expensive!

  15.9.2007 05:21 #12

• mododaz

  maybe the japs are smart and understand that most xbox360 games are cheaper and have better online with the pc
  
  console=12 year olds and casulal

  15.9.2007 05:22 #13

• transl8r

  Originally posted by theridges:
  so really nintendo is still winning..and with newer games comming out i think nintendo will be just fine :)I think they will continue to lead if they keep their focus on making innovative games that are fun to play. Everybody else seems to be trying to throw in the kitchen sink, but they end up charging an arm and a leg. Nintendo keeps doing what nobody else is doing and they make it fun to play, at a price people can afford.

  15.9.2007 05:29 #14

• DVDBack23

  Originally posted by mododaz: maybe the japs are smart and understand that most xbox360 games are cheaper and have better online with the pc
  
  console=12 year olds and casulalDid you read the article? The Xbox 360 only outsold the Gamecube, LMAO, Microsoft needs to give up in Japan.

  15.9.2007 09:32 #15

• hughjars

  Originally posted by DXR88: Hugh i think the statment was about Consoles in General. - It was.....and so was mine.
  
  (Sorry for not playing the "love" & "hate" BS about game consoles.)

  15.9.2007 09:47 #16

• saltynuts

  even if M$ stayed away from japan they would still be ok not the winner of the war but ok.i think the 360 is a good console and with the flaws it has it is still selling.not as well as the others but ok.

  15.9.2007 09:48 #17

• ZippyDSM

  Market saturation and price, MS needs to drop the price of the unit by 100 tog et it to to sale slightly better,and the PS3 needs to be 200 cheaper in order to sale better.

  15.9.2007 11:08 #18

• borhan9

  Well eventually everything that goes up has to come down. It just has to come down after everyone else so that it would still be a head.

  15.9.2007 13:06 #19

• jetyi83

  ok.. market saturation doesnt drop 40% sales in one week. This can be because of a number of different things, but without studying the culture and demographics you wont know why.
  
  my guess is that it will bounce back up to normal

  15.9.2007 13:15 #20

• DXR88

  this artical is about the Jap. market not U.S. or E.U.
  
  who's to say that a Majority of the Japs dont already own those consoles there are 2 consoles that are cheaper there than here
  because. there's no Export Fee's. No Inspection fee's. and so on.
  
  Thats what i think

  15.9.2007 13:26 #21

• ZippyDSM

  Originally posted by DXR88: this artical is about the Jap. market not U.S. or E.U.
  
  who's to say that a Majority of the Japs dont already own those consoles there are 2 consoles that are cheaper there than here
  because. there's no Export Fee's. No Inspection fee's. and so on.
  
  Thats what i think
  Even so the 360 is only what 50 cheaper it needs to be lower ,even i it was it probably would not sale better because they simply do not like it.
  
  The PS3 being 80ish cheaper is not going to help it it needs to be much lower.
  
  the WII has the most balance in terms of power/price and they make a profit off it to boot.
  
  The console war is not going to kick into high gear until mid/late 08 or 09 its going to be instrestign to watch how the market shifts by then.

  15.9.2007 18:54 #22

• jetyi83

  market saturation is probably the most incorrect answer you could have, and everyone seems to jump to that.
  
  the ps3 has been out for a year maybe? japan is not saturated yet, not by a long shot.

  16.9.2007 12:16 #23

• ZippyDSM

  Originally posted by jetyi83: market saturation is probably the most incorrect answer you could have, and everyone seems to jump to that.
  
  the ps3 has been out for a year maybe? japan is not saturated yet, not by a long shot.
  Perhaps its a bad term but its gone in hibernation non the less.
  the 360 never sold well to begin with and regardless of how many wiis are sold today nintendo has already made a huge profit.

  16.9.2007 13:04 #24

• mwvirk

  Originally posted by Hisop: Anyone know why sales are so bad?Originally posted by cee43ja1: probably because the people who want the consoles already have them?and rest are waiting for price to go more down and mostly guys are also waiting for china to come up with some chips like PS1 & PS2 and they can play pirated games instead of buying original and expensive games.

  21.9.2007 21:42 #25