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PlayStation 3 wins monthly sales race for the first time in Japan

The Wii is universally loved, especially in its home country Japan. Month after month since launch, the Wii managed to outsell fellow Japanese rival PlayStation 3, but that all changed this month, as the final tally favors Sony’s console for November.

Citing information from Enterbrain, Reuters reports the PlayStation 3 outsold the Wii in the four weeks to November 25. Sony sold 183,217 PlayStation 3 and Nintendo sold 159,193 Wii in the period.

The PlayStation 3’s climb to the top of the Japanese sales charts has been one building up for months. The Wii was outselling the PlayStation 3 by six-to-one during summer, but by fall, the gap narrowed to three-to-one.

Despite the PS3’s success in November, some analysts feel that the console’s stay at the top may only be temporary.

"It's nice to see the system selling much better than six months ago. But is it a sustainable trend? Is it going to really escalate from here? I'm not so sure," KBC Securities analyst Hiroshi Kamide said. "Overseas, I don't really see the PS3 doing that much at Christmas time primarily because it's still more expensive than the other machines and has less software."

Sony told the media that sales of PlayStation 3 have tripled in the U.S. thanks to Black Friday sales, though early reports from Microsoft and Nintendo have placed sales of the two other consoles above that of the PS3.

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Supply.
By jadeskye on 11/30/2007 12:33:04 PM , Rating: 1
Me thinks this has quite a lot to do with the fact you can't get a wii for love nor money anywhere in the world at the moment (and for most of this year).




RE: Supply.
By VashHT on 11/30/2007 12:37:44 PM , Rating: 5
Sorry but that makes no sense. They are still making Wii's you know they haven't stopped, so if they were selling out they would still be outselling the ps3. The reason Wii's are hard to find is because they're selling so well, but you're trying to pin lower sales on the fact that its selling well.


RE: Supply.
By jadeskye on 11/30/2007 12:57:15 PM , Rating: 2
yeah now you say it like that it doesn't make much sense. my mistake. i'm a manager in a gamestore in london, uk. i guess i shouldn't base the fact i can't get one in my store in europe as a worldwide situation.


RE: Supply.
By omnicronx on 12/1/2007 12:25:08 AM , Rating: 1
Don't back down so quickly, it makes perfect sense. The Wii has been at max production, selling pretty much any console to hit the shelf. There is currently no going forwards for Nintendo until they increase production. Where as Sony has no shortage and up until now, was just not selling.

Peoples inability to buy Wii, will greatly effect these numbers, thats for sure. To think that this scenario has no effect on the numbers is pretty far fetched. You can not buy what you can not find.


RE: Supply.
By afkrotch on 12/3/2007 1:42:25 PM , Rating: 2
All I can see is Nintendo purposely holding back console production numbers. You seriously can't tell me that for over a year, Nintendo could not ramp up production of the Wii.

Foxconn are the one's producing the Wii, Xbox 360, PS2, and PS3. Not to mention a buttload more products (iMac, iPod, iPhone, Dell comps, HP comps, etc). IBM is producing the cpus and we know they can keep up with demand. ATI has no problems with production.

It's total BS that Nintendo can't have production increased. Best way to maintain a hold on retards. Make it seem like your product is hot. Like paying ppl to stand in a line in front of your own club. It works.

By no means am I saying that the Wii isn't a good product. It's got some interesting games, funky new control scheme for a console, and so on. I just don't see what the hype is all about. Got bored, sold mine off. Kept my 360 and PS3.


RE: Supply.
By chick0n on 11/30/07, Rating: -1
RE: Supply.
By Moishe on 11/30/2007 12:49:01 PM , Rating: 2
I'll buy it for $250 with every game and accessory you've got. If you're serious about getting rid of it let me know... otherwise you're just another fanboy talking trash.


RE: Supply.
By omnicronx on 12/1/2007 12:58:51 AM , Rating: 2
My Wii sits and collects dust, dust that make me a fanboy talking trash? I just happen to like sports and shooting games, which I find more fun for the 360/PS3. It has been no secret the wii has a terrible attach rate, so I don't know why it's so hard to believe that some people bought it, played it exclusively for a while, then got very bored.

Many Many people love their wii's, but I along with others out there prefer certain genres that the wii just can not provide.


RE: Supply.
By walk2k on 11/30/2007 12:58:10 PM , Rating: 2
Well the good news for you is they are still commanding a premuim on Ebay (at least new ones are, just say it's "like NEW!!" and some sucker will bite).

But while your critism is overly harsh, it is true, and it's always the same story with Nintendo. They have a small set of compelling games (Mario, Zelda, some good party games etc) but little else. Slow support from 3rd parties, and they really shot themselves in the foot this generation by not having a console that's at least within reach technically of the others...


RE: Supply.
By walk2k on 11/30/2007 1:02:58 PM , Rating: 2
This one with the Nunchuck went for $470 incl. shipping...

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-Nintendo-Wii-Game-System-5...

Roofle!


RE: Supply.
By omnicronx on 12/1/2007 1:01:05 AM , Rating: 2
Its Christmas.. nough said.. I bought mine 7 months ago for 300


RE: Supply.
By BansheeX on 11/30/2007 7:40:50 PM , Rating: 1
This is what annoys me about Nintendo continuing to make hardware instead of just focusing on developing games. I love their games and all, but their third party support is so bad that I'm essentially buying their hardware JUST to play their games. I can't justify doing that anymore, especially when the system costs as much or more as a PS3 or 360. Maybe at $100 I would bite, but it would still be better to not have so many hookups in my entertainment center and play Nintendo games on truly modern hardware (best of both worlds).


RE: Supply.
By keiclone on 11/30/2007 7:46:45 PM , Rating: 3
quote:
especially when the system costs as much or more as a PS3 or 360.


wait what did i just read that correctly?


RE: Supply.
By afkrotch on 12/3/2007 1:59:17 PM , Rating: 2
Find a Wii that's available that doesn't cost as much as a PS3 or 360. Everyone is overcharging for them, especially on ebay.

That or get stuck with a $800 bundle.


RE: Supply.
By Parhel on 11/30/2007 1:23:31 PM , Rating: 2
I saw 3 sitting on the shelf at the local game store last week. It was a few days after Black Friday, and my wife and I were in the mall. It's the first time I've seen one, and I thought it was strange that there would be any available. My guess is that they just received their shipment late. Otherwise they surely would have sold out on Black Friday.


RE: Supply.
By scavio on 11/30/2007 1:49:06 PM , Rating: 2
Black Friday was last week... a few days after Black Friday would have been this week. Anyhow, these things have to be on the shelf sometime so someone can actually by them. Just because you see a couple of the shelf doesn't mean they aren't selling.


RE: Supply.
By Parhel on 11/30/2007 2:33:43 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
a few days after Black Friday would have been this week


This has been a really looooooong week for me.

quote:
Just because you see a couple of the shelf doesn't mean they aren't selling.


I know . . . they've been selling amazingly well. That's why I was shocked to see those 3 on the shelf. For a minute, I actually thought that maybe Nintendo flooded the market just for Black Friday or something.


RE: Supply.
By deeznuts on 11/30/2007 12:50:29 PM , Rating: 2
While it was supply constrained esp in the US because of black friday/thanksgiving, it was not sold out in Japan. Release of DW6, price drop, white model is what spurred the sales increase.

Just FYI, but Wii outsold PS3 the first week of November, PS3 took the middle two weeks, Wii overtook the PS3 the last week by like 4 grand. It was close all month. Which is really good for the PS3 because after all it is still 60% more expensive or whatever it is.


RE: Supply.
By Murst on 11/30/2007 12:53:05 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
Me thinks this has quite a lot to do with the fact you can't get a wii


The Wii supply exceeds demand in Japan.

This spike in PS3 sales is due mostly to some games that were released I think... not to mention that the New Year is approaching (although this should affect Wii sales as well).

What will be really interesting is to see if the Wii can regain its spot as #1 in Japan. It shouldn't be too difficult with Wii Fit coming out.


RE: Supply.
By SanLC504 on 11/30/2007 1:01:24 PM , Rating: 2
Well, I don't think the Wii will ever be #1 in console sales, mainly because the Nintendo DS Lite has blown nearly every console sale record out of the water.

I know you meant home consoles, but the DS Lite is definitely a force to be reckoned with, as is the PSP.


RE: Supply.
By Clauzii on 11/30/2007 10:26:32 PM , Rating: 2
RE: Supply.
By MrTeal on 12/1/2007 12:43:21 AM , Rating: 2
I think you completely missed his point.
http://www.vgchartz.com/hwcomps.php?cons1=Wii®1...


RE: Supply.
By omnicronx on 12/1/2007 12:51:06 AM , Rating: 1
how far can these pointless comment go? Wii still leads home console sales, and the DS being the 'real' console leader adds nothing to the original posters comment. Kind of like this post ;)


RE: Supply.
By Clauzii on 12/2/2007 12:21:16 PM , Rating: 2
Maybe I did if he meant the Nintendos only. But since we are talking about consoles in general the PS2 is STILL alone on top:

http://www.vgchartz.com/hwcomps.php?cons1=Wii®1...


RE: Supply.
By Coca Cola on 11/30/2007 7:02:29 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
What will be really interesting is to see if the Wii can regain its spot as #1 in Japan. It shouldn't be too difficult with Wii Fit coming out.


are there that many chunky monkeys in Japan as there are here?
if they make glow stick dl content for ddr, they could use the wii controllers for the glow sticks,then you'll have crazy hands, arms, and leg exercises at the same time for the not so fit, then chunky techno lovers worldwide could rejoice :)


RE: Supply.
By afkrotch on 12/3/2007 2:06:20 PM , Rating: 2
Lived in Fussa, Tokyo for 2 years (2005 - 2007). Ya, 1% are fat and that's a fairly generous assumption.

I could spend 24 hours walking around Tokyo, taking the train to it's many cities in the region, and so on. Might see 10 ppl who are thick. Might see 1 person who is "USA" fat. That's in a region of 12 million ppl. Ya, Japanese don't need Wii Fit. US sure does. Course those in the US who need it, spent their $250+ dollars on cheeseburgers.


RE: Supply.
By auhim on 11/30/2007 7:29:08 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
This spike in PS3 sales is due mostly to some games that were released I think...


I think it's more accurate to say that the new 40GB ceramic white PS3 is what has spurred sales in Japan, much in the same manner the cheaper 40GB hardware has improved PS3 sales in all other markets.

I may not like the loss of BC, but it finally brought the PS3 down to a price level that more consumers are willing to pay.


RE: Supply.
By amanojaku on 11/30/2007 1:45:50 PM , Rating: 2
I agree, I think there are three reasons the PS3 is temporarily outselling the Wii.

1) There are more PS3's available to ship than there are Wii's
2) The PS3 finally dropped in price
2) People who waited for the PS3 price drop probably already have a Wii

Of course, time will tell which one wins. I wonder how well Nintendo's supposed Wii upgrade will do if it really comes out.


RE: Supply.
By onereddog on 11/30/2007 4:33:05 PM , Rating: 2
I would say that I could have something to do with the fact that the Wii could be reaching its effective saturation point in Japan.
I don't know the exact sales figures, but at its relatively low price point it would not be a suprise to me if they are just running out of people to sell them to. I mean they arent like cellphones where you will see a much higher saturation point and the possibility of owning more than one. e.g the market saturation of cellphones in New Zealand is like over 80% and the average household with a cellphone has more than one per person.

While for the PS3, there are still countless people who have not bought one due to price. Personally I would not be surprised again if the PS3 equaled or even beat the Wii this Christmas season in Japan.


Shipping mismatch?
By SanLC504 on 11/30/2007 12:46:33 PM , Rating: 3
Apparently, Sony and Nintendo were ramping up for increased sales in the U.S., because if what Nintendo said is true about selling over 300,000 Wiis during the week of Black Friday in the U.S. alone, then Nintendo probably sold nearly 500,000 Wiis in the U.S. during November.

If they're constantly selling out, that means Nintendo only shipped less than 200,000 units to its home country? Something's not right here.




RE: Shipping mismatch?
By KernD on 11/30/2007 12:59:27 PM , Rating: 2
Maybe Japan gets 1/10th of the total production of that month, that would be about 180 000, that makes sense to me.
They make 1.8 million a month, if like you say, they sold 500 000 just in the states alone, then that leaves 1.1 million for the rest of America and Asia and Europe.


RE: Shipping mismatch?
By Murst on 11/30/2007 1:00:38 PM , Rating: 2
The Wii sold almost 420k consoles last week in the USA. For the month of November, they may surpass 1 million in the USA.


RE: Shipping mismatch?
By CheesePoofs on 11/30/2007 1:25:57 PM , Rating: 2
I think you might be forgetting that there are a lot more people (potential buyers) in the US than in Japan.


RE: Shipping mismatch?
By afkrotch on 12/3/2007 2:10:05 PM , Rating: 2
So Nintendo can't ramp up production during the whole year since the release of the Wii, but can easily do it for the holiday season.

What's that tell you?


Wiis
By Chaser on 11/30/2007 2:40:46 PM , Rating: 3
Everoyne in Japan that wanted a Wii had already bought one :)




RE: Wiis
By INeedCache on 11/30/2007 6:28:04 PM , Rating: 2
Exactly. Probably everyone that wants one already has one, or perhaps two, so that gave the PS3 a chance.


Demise of consoles
By ZipSpeed on 11/30/2007 12:50:08 PM , Rating: 2
Glad to see the PS3 doing well. I rather not see what happened during the PS2 days where it was such a running success that the others weren't able to catch up. Competition breeds better products.

What the article doesn't mention is how terrible console games are selling. The numbers continue to dwindle year over year. Mario Galaxy, one of the best games to grace gamers this year has sold quite pitiful in Japan. And that holds true to a lot of other titles outside Nintendo. Japanese gamers are shifting to handhelds that will become the new precedence in that country. No wonder more gaming companies are focusing their console efforts outside the Japanese market.




RE: Demise of consoles
By Moishe on 11/30/2007 12:55:00 PM , Rating: 2
yeah.. I was just thinking, good for Sony. It's been a rough start for them and they've got a good system. Now that the price is a little more reasonable they are finally making headway.


I was one!
By Tilmitt on 11/30/2007 11:15:29 PM , Rating: 2
I was one of those who bought a PS3 in Japan in November. I got one for the equvilant of 260 euros, which is only ten more than they charge for a Wii back in Europe.

The rationalisations that have been posted here about the Wii being out of stock in Japan and whatever is complete rubbish, they`re always in stock here?as are PS3s. The only time I`ve seen a supply issue here is when Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core came out for the PSP, then it was really hard to get a PSP.




RE: I was one!
By afkrotch on 12/3/2007 2:48:28 PM , Rating: 2
Only time I've seen either out of stock was during the couple months during release. Xbox 360 was always in stock, regardless of date. Even on release it was in stock.


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