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[FreedomFighter]

- Killer is Dead on PS3 is a much bigger flop than Yakuza 1 & 2 on Wii U. You guys really need to stop pretending the latter was going to do anything on Wii U - a port of two games from 2005 and 2006. Please.

- Luigi's Mansion 2 will definitely hit a million sold in Japan now. Just watch the MH4 and Pokemon tide lift that +#% even higher starting next month.

- Mario & Luigi 4 might turn out to have a decent LTD as well. Just give it 'til the holiday season for the same reason I mentioned above with Luigi's Mansion.

 

[michaelius]

Is there a reason why this wasn't just dumped on only the eShop? What dubious experiment was Nintendo and Sega doing??

If it didn't sell 5k copies in retail then digital only would be at 500-1000 copies level probably or less.

 

[Coolwhip]

3DS hit 12 million after 129 weeks.

How long did that take for the DS?

 

[Fisico]

Not even in top 30... did Yakuza HD even sell 2k, 1k?

I mean that really is it for WiiU third party beyond massive money hats.

1,2k because it's Yakuza 1,2 HD

 

[Yoshi]

My point was exactly what I said. I find it weird that by far the biggest platform in Japan is in decline at this stage of its life, despite a constant stream of software. It just doesn't seem like it should be half a million units down.

Maybe the crowd who would buy a 3DS for Mario & Luigi 4 or Luigis Mansion 2 is mostly contained within the own buying NSMB2, SM3DL and MK7? 3DS' sales are still high, but I can see why some stream of potential new players might already be in possession of a 3DS. Monster Hunter 4 and Pokémon however will attract new audiences (MH fans, Pokémon fans, who only had smaller reasons to own a 3DS so far).

 

[cw_sasuke]

My eyes are definitely on the PS4. If that one flops out of the gate, you have to wonder what's going on over in Japan.

We have no clue what they`ll have for software at launch - doubt that many japanese gamers will spend major cash upfront just play the wait-game again or just play western games when they are happy with their Ps3.

But its been down all year. But the trinity really pushed the 3ds for months last year and nothing was able to top it. I would be more worried about next year rather than this year though as it will obviously decline, but to what extent is unknown

If the software sales keep up i doubt Nintendo will went into panic mode if 15 of the Top 20 titles are on 3DS - hardware sale are just one measurement of success and if they can keep the uerbase interested in the upcoming games they`ll be happy. Next year is probably the moment to introduce a new and cheaper to produce basic 3DS model to maximize their margins on every unit sold. This might not be neccesary for Japan - but the western markets especially the US might need a 129 USD or even cheaper current 3DS.

 

[DrWong]

My eyes are definitely on the PS4. If that one flops out of the gate, you have to wonder what's going on over in Japan.


My point was exactly what I said. I find it weird that by far the biggest platform in Japan is in decline at this stage of its life, despite a constant stream of software. It just doesn't seem like it should be half a million units down.

It's on decline today, rising the other day... all depending on what is released at the time. We'll see at the end of the year - fiscal and calendar - but I have the feeling 3DS 2013 will beat 3DS 2012.

 

[wrowa]

Another week with Vita at 17k despite a lack of new software. This is starting to look decent.

My point was exactly what I said. I find it weird that by far the biggest platform in Japan is in decline at this stage of its life, despite a constant stream of software. It just doesn't seem like it should be half a million units down.

There actually haven't been a lot of huge 3DS games this year so far, though.

 

[Magicpaint]

My point was exactly what I said. I find it weird that by far the biggest platform in Japan is in decline at this stage of its life, despite a constant stream of software. It just doesn't seem like it should be half a million units down.

I'd agree if all things were equal, but with MH4 being delayed and the 3DS having a better stream of software earlier on last year (+ the launch of a new model), it's not hard to see. There are still cards to play yet so your talk seems premature imo.

Nintendo is aiming for another 5+ million year like last year and regardless of where it ends up versus 2012, as long as they reach that, that would constitute another big year for hardware sales.

 

[metalslimer]

Yeah, I agree. I don't think continuously describing the 3DS as "beasting" is quite accurate since it's down pretty big year over year both YTD and weekly. It'll likely crush all other platforms this holiday, but overall it's not looking quite as healthy as I'd expect. What these charts look like a year from now will be interesting.



Ah. It'll outsell Vita late this year week by week (well, at least it had better, unless the doom is even worse than the pessimists could have possibly imagined), but not by enough to catch up LTD. YTD? I think it still has a shot, but it'll be tough with that gap currently continuing to grow slowly.

YTD is what i was talking about and the weekly sales wiiu would need to beat vita ytd are just not happening

 

[Immaculate]

3DS hit 12 million after 129 weeks.

How is this compared to other handhelds?

 

[Vintage_Creep]

Lol at Yakuza.
They should have made a Yakuza saga which included all 5 of the games.
Only the first two seems so random and cheap. Bomba deserved.

Mario & Luigi is selling more than it deserves imho...

 

[Sammy Samusu]

So it probably would've fallen even further behind were it not for the big one-two punch coming up?

I dunno man, doesn't seem healthy to me. Not for (by far) the biggest dedicated platform in Japan.

And why exactly should we ignore Pokemon and Monster Hunter?

 

[Brainiac 8]

Yow, I didn't think Yakuza HD would do well, and it still did worse than I expected.

 

[Scum]

If it didn't sell 5k copies in retail then digital only would be at 500-1000 copies level probably or less.

I only ask because it just seemed so random. Heh.

 

[Go_Ly_Dow]

Any chance Yakuza HD sold enough to cover the expenses that it cost SEGA to ship Nagaoshi to the Nintendo direct? Remember this also includes accomodation and food expenses.

 

[allan-bh]

How is this compared to other handhelds?

In the same period NDS was at 17.2m and PSP at 5.5m

 

[FreedomFighter]

Still won't come anywhere close to DS numbers though.

Everyone knows that and has accepted it. But in the context of this gen alone, 3DS is doing great.

 

[NateDrake]

3DS will pass Wii LTD by the time MH4 hits.

 

[metalslimer]

It's also good to look at the 3ds software situation in around march through june and realize it was not that great. Nothing is going to sell as well as the DS but in today's market the 3DS is doing great.

 

[Father_Brain]

Vita is definitely doing a lot better (relatively speaking) than I'd have expected a few months ago. Not what I'd consider good or healthy numbers, but still.

 

[SmokyDave]

Maybe the crowd who would buy a 3DS for Mario & Luigi 4 or Luigis Mansion 2 is mostly contained within the own buying NSMB2, SM3DL and MK7? 3DS' sales are still high, but I can see why some stream of potential new players might already be in possession of a 3DS. Monster Hunter 4 and Pokémon however will attract new audiences (MH fans, Pokémon fans, who only had smaller reasons to own a 3DS so far).

You're probably right. Animal Crossing strikes me as a game that should've bought a good chunk of new players in, but then I don't know how much overlap that game has with the existing crowd.

It's on decline today, rising the other day... all depending on what is released at the time. We'll see at the end of the year - fiscal and calendar - but I have the feeling 3DS 2013 will beat 3DS 2012.

That's pretty much a certainty, isn't it? MH & Pokemon are expected to blow the doors off everything.

There actually haven't been a lot of huge 3DS games this year so far, though.

Maybe not huge (except AC), but there's definitely been a steady stream of 'fairly big' titles. The sort of titles the Vita would kill for.

I'd agree if all things were equal, but with MH4 being delayed and the 3DS having a better stream of software earlier on last year, it's not hard to see. There are still cards to play yet so your talk seems premature imo.

Well it's not really premature as I've been musing on the decline for a while. FWIW, I'm not under the impression that it will finish the year down on last year.

And why exactly should we ignore Pokemon and Monster Hunter?

I didn't say you should.

 

[FreedomFighter]

But its been down all year. But the trinity really pushed the 3ds for months last year and nothing was able to top it. I would be more worried about next year rather than this year though as it will obviously decline, but to what extent is unknown

I think the new trinity will help it next year. MH4, Pokemon, and perhaps, maybe, Zelda when it's released in 2014. I don't know.

 

[IncandescentPrecept]

Everyone knows that and has accepted it. But in the context of this gen alone, 3DS is doing great.

Well, this gen has only seen the Vita and the WiiU being released.

 

[zroid]

I think the new trinity will help it next year. MH4, Pokemon, and perhaps, maybe, Zelda when it's released in 2014. I don't know.

The trinity will be Pokémon X, Pokémon Y, and MH4, lol

Spoiler

definitely not Zelda in Japan

 

[Raist]

Any chance Yakuza HD sold enough to cover the expenses that it cost SEGA to ship Nagaoshi to the Nintendo direct? Remember this also includes accomodation and food expenses.

It probably didn't even cover the cameraman's wage.

 

[metalslimer]

Maybe not huge (except AC), but there's definitely been a steady stream of 'fairly big' titles. The sort of titles the Vita would kill for.

Yes, and those titles are what keeps it up there above 50k. We can look at the wii as an example of what happens to a platform without those titles and only nintendo titles. Basically it seems like your argument is that 3ds is getting a lot of big titles and should be selling more, but i think of it as it is extremely difficult to sell as well as the 3DS is in the current market.

 

[Bruno MB]

How is this compared to other handhelds?

Weeks to reach 12 million units.

(Famitsu)

NDS - 101
3DS - 129
GBA - 156
PSP - 230

 

[Currygan]

Mario & Luigi is selling more than it deserves imho...

now we're just exaggerating

 

[prag16]

@those talking about the PS4... do we know what the Japanese slate of launch games is looking like? I could see PS4 struggling out of the gate, moreso than in the west.

YTD is what i was talking about and the weekly sales wiiu would need to beat vita ytd are just not happening

Probably not. Does Vita have any big "system seller" type games on the docket? Wii U baseline SHOULD be reasonably higher than Vita baseline once there's more than just Pikmin and NSMBU DLC to carry it.

 

[metalslimer]

@those talking about the PS4... do we know what the Japanese slate of launch games is looking like? I could see PS4 struggling out of the gate, moreso than in the west.



Probably not. Does Vita have any big "system seller" type games on the docket? Wii U baseline SHOULD be reasonably higher than Vita baseline once there's more than just Pikmin and NSMBU DLC to carry it.

No, except maybe god eater after how toukiden did. But nothing is really going to get wiiu's baseline much higher until december.

 

[Go_Ly_Dow]

It probably didn't even cover the cameraman's wage.

Thing is, if it failed to recoup porting costs then it wouldn't even cover the cost of Nagoshi's styling gel used in that presentation.

 

[Lexxism]

Weeks to reach 12 million units.

(Famitsu)

NDS - 101
3DS - 129
GBA - 156
PSP - 230

Do we have any numbers for the consoles?

 

[Yoshi]

You're probably right. Animal Crossing strikes me as a game that should've bought a good chunk of new players in, but then I don't know how much overlap that game has with the existing crowd.

I think not a lot, but it's not like the 3DS dropped like a rock, it still dominates and for it to dominate, it still needs new fuel. Look at the DS or the Wii (also now the PSP): When the games stopped coming, they died off. So AC is probably one big reason the 3DS didn't drop more than it did.

 

[SmokyDave]

Yes, and those titles are what keeps it up there above 50k. We can look at the wii as an example of what happens to a platform without those titles and only nintendo titles. Basically it seems like your argument is that 3ds is getting a lot of big titles and should be selling more, but i think of it as it is extremely difficult to sell as well as the 3DS is in the current market.

That's fair enough, I can see that angle. There's also the fact that the year on year drop of 500k is larger than the YTD of most of the other systems, yet it's still out in front by a huge margin.

I'm not trying to suggest that 3DS is doomed or anything daft like that, just that it doesn't paint a rosy picture of health for the Japanese market as a whole.

 

[zroid]

Mario & Luigi is selling more than it deserves imho...

I don't think it's possible to have a "humble" opinion about how much games "deserve" to sell.

 

[Celine]

Spoiler

definitely not Zelda in Japan

Maybe the New Legend of Zelda formula will entice more the japanese consumers.

Of course it's unlikely it will ever sell more than 1M.

 

[GreenMakoEyes]

I expected bad numbers for Wii U RGG 1&2 HD.. but this is crazy.

 

[Coolwhip]

Weeks to reach 12 million units.

(Famitsu)

NDS - 101
3DS - 129
GBA - 156
PSP - 230

So in Japan 3DS is doing slightly worse than the DS. Pretty impressive I think considering the smartphone boom there.

 

[Bruno MB]

Do we have any numbers for the consoles?

PS2 - 184
Wii - 263

 

[Magicpaint]

That's fair enough, I can see that angle. There's also the fact that the year on year drop of 500k is larger than the YTD of most of the other systems, yet it's still out in front by a huge margin.

I'm not trying to suggest that 3DS is doomed or anything daft like that, just that it doesn't paint a rosy picture of health for the Japanese market as a whole.

But your entire argument would fall apart if the 3DS ends up up YoY, wouldn't it? I agree that the health of the Japanese market aside from the 3DS is cause for concern, but as to why the 3DS is down YoY, I think that has more to do with system selling software.

 

[Raist]

Do we have any numbers for the consoles?

PS2 - 184
Wii - 263

edit: meh.

 

[FreedomFighter]

It's on decline today, rising the other day... all depending on what is released at the time. We'll see at the end of the year - fiscal and calendar - but I have the feeling 3DS 2013 will beat 3DS 2012

Oh it most certainly should and will. Remember, last holiday, all Nintendo had was Paper Mario: Sticker Star in Japan. YOY sales are going to be heavily skewed in 3DS' favor come September.

There actually haven't been a lot of huge 3DS games this year so far, though.

I was gonna say this... Very much agreed. The 3DS has had low to mid-tier hits all year, the biggest ones being Luigi's Mansion and Friend Collection. There have been no AAA heavy hitters yet this year. That's why it's down YoY. And the 'spill over' from Animal Crossing: New Leaf was the main thing keeping it at really healthy numbers earlier this year, but even it was no match for 2011's trinity which had enormous spill over into 2012.

Once the heavy hitters drop, 3DS will shoot past last year's numbers in no time.

 

[test_account]

It's going to be interesting to see how Conception II will fare on Vita and 3DS.

I agree. I wish there were more multiplatform games on handheld, it makes it interesting to see the sales splits.

- Killer is Dead on PS3 is a much bigger flop than Yakuza 1 & 2 on Wii U. You guys really need to stop pretending the latter was going to do anything on Wii U - a port of two games from 2005 and 2006. Please.

Did anyone really pretend that Yakuza 1 & 2 on Wii U was going to sell much? Honest question. Personally, i think i've only seen jokes about how little is was going to sell.

 

[Magicpaint]

I was gonna say this... Very much agreed. The 3DS has had low to mid-tier hits all year, the biggest ones being Luigi's Mansion and Friend Collection. There have been no AAA heavy hitters yet this year. That's why it's down YoY. And the 'spill over' from Animal Crossing: New Leaf was the main thing keeping it at really healthy numbers earlier this year, but even it was no match for 2011's trinity which had enormous spill over into 2012.

Once the heavy hitters drop, 3DS will shoot past last year's numbers in no time.

Dragon Quest VII was also released this year.

 

[Lexxism]

PS2 - 184
Wii - 263

PS2 - 184
Wii - 263

edit: meh.

Ah, thank you.

 

[Thorgal]

@those talking about the PS4... do we know what the Japanese slate of launch games is looking like? I could see PS4 struggling out of the gate, moreso than in the west.

i am probably gonna sound like a broken record here but i still maintain that no accurate assessment can be made regarding PS4 sales in Japan until we know of its full launch line up ( which is unknown at this point ) Until TGS has passed and we know when they are releasing it over there (either this year or early next year would be my guess and depending on what stock Sony can deliver)

Until then most attempts at trying to do so are shooting blindly in the dark in my eyes.

 

[Immaculate]

Weeks to reach 12 million units.

(Famitsu)

NDS - 101
3DS - 129
GBA - 156
PSP - 230

In the same period NDS was at 17.2m and PSP at 5.5m

Not as bad as I thought. Falls in line with the others

 

[The Horror the horror]

Yikes at Yakuza.

Well, at least it adds to the Wii U library, I suppose.

 

[Kid Ying]

Theres a possibilty that the port payed the cost, if sega shipped copies enough. Doesnt look like the game was expensive, since its a port of a port ...

Doesnt make it less of a huge failure, though. And for people wondering if the dowload sales were good, they werent.