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Japan 2014 Console/Handheld Market: Lowest in 24 Years + Top Games

Road

Member
famitsu-market-20141osea.png


source: famitsu.com/news/201501/06069057.html

Also, best selling games and hardware translated by hiska-kun:

Famitsu Top 10 2014

01. [3DS] Yo-kai Watch 2: Ganso / Honke <RPG> (Level 5) {2014.07.10} (¥4.937) - 3,050,178
02. [3DS] Pokemon Omega Ruby / Alpha Sapphire <RPG> (Pokemon Co.) {2014.11.21} (¥4.937) - 2,464,850
03. [3DS] Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate # <ACT> (Capcom) {2014.10.11} (¥6.264) - 2,381,177
04. [3DS] Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS <FTG> (Nintendo) {2014.09.13} (¥5.616) - 2,066,022
05. [3DS] Yo-kai Watch 2: Shin Uchi <RPG> (Level 5) {2014.12.13} (¥4.968) - 2,007,327
06. [3DS] Yo-kai Watch <RPG> (Level 5) {2013.07.11} (¥4.800) - 994,346 / 1,280,799
07. [WIU] Mario Kart 8 # <RCE> (Nintendo) {2014.05.29} (¥6.156) - 842,053
08. [3DS] Dragon Quest Monsters 2: Iru to Ruka no Fushigi na Fushigi na Kagi # <RPG> (Square Enix) {2014.02.06} (¥5.490) - 748,139
09. [3DS] Kirby Triple Deluxe <ACT> (Nintendo) {2014.01.11} (¥4.800) - 687,957
10. [WIU] Super Smash Bros. for Wii U # <FTG> (Nintendo) {2014.12.06} (¥7.776) - 478,366

Hardware 2014:

3DS - 3,153,045 / 17,847,056
PSV - 1,147,936 / 3,423,075
PS4 - 925,570
Wii U - 604,856 / 2,123,283
PS3 - 450,034 / 10,018,534
One - 45,958

Posted from my smartphone.
 

Spineker

Banned
Those are some terrifying numbers for people who love Japanese games. Maybe Square will have the last laugh after all
 

Nirolak

Mrgrgr
The rate of decline in the face of mobile - and mobile's stratospheric rise in comparison - has been very stark.
 

Foffy

Banned
It's been argued that in Japan, the console market is going the way of the dodo.

It really looks like it is. ):
 

Sir TapTap

Member
Urg, still kinda hope PS4 can kick it in the ass a bit, needs those japanese games first though. Some good stuff this year though.
 

dugdug

Banned
Is there a TL/DR version of why console gaming over there has plummeted so hard?

Like, are they getting unbelievable mobile games over there that we, in the west, aren't?
 

Xater

Member
This is probably also why colabs like SF5 are the future if you want to see any big Japanese titles on consoles.

Is there a TL/DR version of why console gaming over there has plummeted so hard?

Like, are they getting unbelievable mobile games over there that we, in the west, aren't?

No.
 

Spineker

Banned
Is there a TL/DR version of why console gaming over there has plummeted so hard?

Like, are they getting unbelievable mobile games over there that we, in the west, aren't?

I guess Japanese people are just so on the go constantly that mobile games are just more convenient for them. Plus, their aging population probably doesn't help
 

Spineker

Banned
So long japanese home console games ?

Probably in another 5 to 10 years, so pretty much this generation might be the last, which makes Nintendo's position that much more interesting. Will they shut up shop in Japan completely and take their operations to the west?
 

Griss

Member
They were riding so high in 2007, the very same year that the iPhone released. God dammit smartphones.
 

DrWong

Member
Probably in another 5 to 10 years, so pretty much this generation might be the last, which makes Nintendo's position that much more interesting. Will they shut up shop in Japan completely and take their operations to the west?

Guys...
 

Nirolak

Mrgrgr
Is there a TL/DR version of why console gaming over there has plummeted so hard?

Like, are they getting unbelievable mobile games over there that we, in the west, aren't?

Most of the big earners are out here too.

The top drivers are titles like Puzzle & Dragons, Monster Strike, and Quiz RPG.

You can go download them even on the US store if you're interested in seeing what they're like.
 

Neifirst

Member
Isn't this primarily demographic driven? The DS and Wii expanded the market for a time, but the 3DS is primarily focused on the core audience, which just isn't as big as the 80s and 90s.
 

Nirolak

Mrgrgr
~19% drop since 2011? I honestly thought it would have been even worse than that.
Hardware costs went up with the newer systems being released even if they're doing less units, while the games revenue consistently kept going down.

There's potential to look more grim as these systems are all past launch and on the price decline road now.
 

MLH

Member
I'd be interested to see a breakdown of handheld and home console markets rather than combined figures.
Seeing weekly sales figures for the past several years I can comfortably say the home console market has shrunk in Japan. Whereas I'm willing to bet the Handheld market (while reduced from DS & PSP levels) has fared much better.
 

CronoShot

Member
Is there a TL/DR version of why console gaming over there has plummeted so hard?

Like, are they getting unbelievable mobile games over there that we, in the west, aren't?

Japanese people are frequently on the go. With mobile gaming (whether handheld or smartphone) getting more advanced and accessible, it's no wonder people are playing less at home.
 
At this point dedicated gaming consoles are just preventing games from coming to smartphones (read: get the exposure they need/deserve), rather than being the last bastion for "serious" portable gaming.

Should developers just abandon consoles altogether? Or at least - as long as consoles are available - make the games completely multiplatform.

It can't be that hard or expensive porting a game to iOS/Android, or is it?

Move to PC, Japanese devs. We have cookies.

Also this.
 

Philippo

Member
Let's hope the smartphone craze it's just a (huge) bubble that will soon explode and make everyone going back to consoles.
 
Isn't this primarily demographic driven? The DS and Wii expanded the market for a time, but the 3DS is primarily focused on the core audience, which just isn't as big as the 80s and 90s.

That's probably part of it. A big part of the DS's appeal in Japan was Touch! Generations and non-gamesoft. That stuff has wholesale moved over to phones.

It's low but honestly I saw 3DS everywhere last time I was in Tokyo so I don't think games are in any danger of dying over there. It's just going to be different. The market is pretty plainly 99% handheld at this point, and unless some mega popular (MH level) game comes out the Vita is basically doomed to be an also-ran. And since 3DS is the only viable system hardware sales will be low since basically everyone already has a 3DS.
 

Zalman

Member
These are dark times, where the Japanese market has been reduced to rubble, and it's up to us to restore it to its former glory.
 

Spineker

Banned
Let's hope the smartphone craze it's just a (huge) bubble that will soon explode and make everyone going back to consoles.

Not likely. I sold 10 iPad Mini's at work yesterday. Apple has the whole fucking world wrapped around their finger
 

BumRush

Member
Is there a TL/DR version of why console gaming over there has plummeted so hard?

Like, are they getting unbelievable mobile games over there that we, in the west, aren't?

Someone clarify this but Japanese job market is EXTREMELY cutthroat right now so people aren't sitting around playing consoles as much. That, coupled with the long commutes via public transportation, has consumers in Japan shifting towards mobile.
 

Squishy3

Member
Japanese console devs need to shift their focus to those markets too. Or shift to mobile.
Only as long as it means they focus on releasing in the West first and not adopting Western design philosophies. I don't want my Japanese games to go away.

At this point dedicated gaming consoles are just preventing games from coming to smartphones (read: get the exposure they need/deserve), rather than being the last bastion for "serious" portable gaming.
The problem is porting stuff that would normally go on a console/handheld 9/10 times is awful because they just port the game slap some virtual thumbsticks on it and call it a day. Design from the ground up for it, not port stuff like that. Plus they're limited in what they can actually be developign on mobile. You wouldn't see MH4U with all the verticality, on mobile, for example, because you can't cover the entire screen with all those virtual buttons.

The TWEWY port is a good example of a mobile port done right, because they changed the control scheme to one more suitable for touch only devices.
 
This gets rarely mentioned but aside from mobile taking bigger part of the cake Japan has also huge demographics problems and it's probably already starting to affect gaming market. They have shrinking population and especially the amount of people between 0-25 is shrinking a lot every year.
 
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