Xbox Outsells the Wii...IN JAPAN!!

[Albion Knight]

OK one week does not a console war make but an increase of 3400% is something to shout about if your a fan

Buoyed by a new Square Enix roleplaying game and flagging Wii sales, the Xbox 360 outsold both the PlayStation 3 and Wii in Japan last week, according to data provided by publisher and market tracker Enterbain via Famitsu, as translated by games site Andriasang.com.

Japan Hardware Sales, September 8 - 14
28,681 - Xbox 360
27,057 - Wii
8,050 - PS3

(Interestingly, the Xbox 360 sold just 843 units the week prior.)
September's surge was due to three key factors:

1. Microsoft debuted its new 60GB Xbox 360 on September 11th, dropping the price 5,000 yen ($48) to 29,800 yen ($285). The Arcade and Elite models also dropped to 19,800 ($189) and 39,800 ($380) yen respectively. Price drops are always easy dealmakers.

2. Final Fantasy publisher Square Enix's Infinite Undiscovery, which debuted on September 11th, sold a healthy 86,708 units during its first week, dovetailing with the 60GB 360's introduction. (The Japanese love RPGs about as much as we love first-person shooters.)

3. Sales of the 360 rose sharply in August when Namco Bandai released its critically acclaimed 360-exclusive roleplaying game Tales of Vesperia. Microsoft allowed supplies of the 360 to dry up in its wake, probably to clear the channel in anticipation of its new 60GB model.

The Xbox 360 has been virtually ignored by the Japanese to date, selling just under 700,000 units since debuting in the Land of the Rising Sun on December 10, 2005. By comparison, the PlayStation 3, which debuted worldwide on November 11, 2006, has sold around 2.36 million in Japan, while Nintendo's Wii, which debuted on November 19, 2006 worldwide, has sold around 6.76 million in Japan.

So a round of applause for Microsoft-Japan, but don't call it a comeback just yet. The 360 now sits at domestic sales of 717,275 -- about 7 percent of the current-gen Japanese market. It'll take sustained, wide-margin, first place sales of both Microsoft hardware and software for the beleaguered company to make inroads on Nintendo and Sony's turf.

In the meantime, look no further for proof that (a) price, and (b) software exclusivity are still bottom line toward winning hearts and wallets.

Source

[KaveX]

Japan loves RPGs is true.. But they only like theirs.

Glad to see the X360 is finally doing some justice in Japan

[Dark Drakan]

Good to see the sales pick up over there.

[Arseface]

Thats some crazy **** right there

[jaconcox]

i wonder if everyone in japan is as hyped up for fable 2 as we are

[ali1238]

Well this is to be expected from the price drop..and the fact there there are quite a few new square enix games

[Ruuku The Kid]

I cant see why people would choose the wii over the xbox, i mean the wii graphics suck ass -.-

but the order is restored so

[Rubnwonout]

Wii in general sucks, no flame I own one.

[Dark Drakan]

UPDATE

Originally Posted by CVG

According to hardware sales data from Media Create, the Xbox 360 didn't manage to outsell Nintendo's Wii during the week ended September 14, as earlier reported by Famitsu.

While Famitsu pegged Xbox 360 sales at 28,681 units, 1,600 ahead of the Wii for the week, Media Create reckons it was the other way round, although still a close run race.

Media Create data sees the Wii leading the battle of the home consoles with 29,686 units sold, followed by Xbox 360 with 28,188, PS3 with 8,053 and PS2 with 7,669.

According to the firm, handhelds continued to lead overall hardware sales, the DS way out in front having shifted 63,859 units, no doubt boosted by the release of the chart-topping Pokemon Platinum, while the PSP narrowly managed to outsell the leading home consoles.

DS - 63,859
PSP - 30,156
Wii - 29,686
360 - 28,188
PS3 - 8,053
PS2 - 7,669