Latest figures show Wii dominating PS3 in Japanese sales

Shortly after hearing that Sony's PSP overtook Nintendo's DS in Japanese sales, along comes word that -- surprise, surprise -- the Big N is still king in the Wii / PS3 / Xbox 360 sales war. According to reports that looked at movement from April through September, the Wii outsold the PlayStation 3 "by more than four to one in Japan," which is admittedly better than the "six to one" differential it's faced before. Reportedly, Nintendo moved nearly 1.6 million units in the homeland while Sony garnered just over 385,000 new PS3 customers in the same period, but this really shouldn't be shocking to anyone at this point.

[Simon @ Oct 2nd 2007 8:50AM]

In other news... the Honda Civic is outselling the BMW 7 series in Japan.

[Alan Partridge @ Oct 2nd 2007 8:51AM]

The Wii is cheaper but it's not four times cheaper

[gfar @ Oct 2nd 2007 9:36AM]

Simon wins. Awesome juxtaposition.

[ukickmydog (NDF - Earth) @ Oct 2nd 2007 10:17AM]

ummm, no sh*t

[decoy @ Oct 2nd 2007 1:37PM]

BMW 7-series... $75k-112k
Honda Civic... $14k-24k

Sony Playstation 3 (60gb)... $499
Nintendo Wii... $249

Simon loses for failed attempt in trying to be clever and obvious.

[Simon @ Oct 2nd 2007 3:02PM]

I think I got my sentiment across. I apologize if I didn't first research the current car prices in Japan and then perform the necessary math. BTW I own the Wii, PS3 and XBOX 360 so I am not a 'fanboy' of any system.

[Xavier Gill @ Oct 2nd 2007 8:50AM]

Impressive. And aren't Nintendo diverting Wii's from Japan to the USA and Europe aswell?

[Balzac2m @ Oct 2nd 2007 8:53AM]

Is anyone surprised that the PSP outsold the DS?
There are already 20 million DS sold in Japan with about 130 million inhabitants. I guess nearly everybody who wants a DS has one by now.

[John M @ Oct 2nd 2007 8:58AM]

I have all thre of the big consoles and I think the wii is really just a novelty. I think the games for the wii are just as bad as the ps3 lineup. There are only 3 good games for it in my mind (Metroid,Zelda and Paper Mario). And oh yeah you have to ay for the web browser WTF is that?

[Chris @ Oct 2nd 2007 9:06AM]

I didn't have to pay... is Nintendo charging now?

I hope Sony drops the price again after the new year. I will be glad to get one. $400 plus cost of accessories is still too much (for me).

[WII MAN @ Oct 4th 2007 10:52AM]

No, if you got your wii after or downloaded the internet after June of 2007, the internet was for money but people like me who got it before june the internet final edition channel was for free.

[Mario's Chocolate Star @ Oct 2nd 2007 4:23PM]

You only have to pay for the Wii browser if you didn't download it for free during the several months it was in beta (before July - I think).

And hey, at least for a novelty console it has a standards-based browser (which happens to be very usable with the 'novelty' wiimote rather than a generic controller).

[FrankTheCrank @ Oct 2nd 2007 9:07AM]

This is so FLAMEBAIT. Let me get my dig in...

Technically, which one is more advanced? The PS3.

How long before people catch up to the fact that Wii games are shallow? And what happens when Final Fantasy comes out in Japan? As well as MGS4?

As advanced as the PS3 is, I'm really surprised Engadget readers hate it so much. It technically blows the doors off the Wii.

[timatl @ Oct 2nd 2007 9:26AM]

with the PS3 being so advance, this may also be the downfall for the console. not only the cost are high for the hardware but the cost for developing is very high. Higher cost/longer lead times for the developers is not a good thing at all. At $400, I am sure sony will be losing $300+ per unit. We all know if Sony drops the price of the PS3 then Microsoft will drop the price of 360 soon after. Even after the price drop last month the 360 still outsold the PS3.

[Phillip @ Oct 2nd 2007 9:31AM]

Who cares how technically superior the PS3 is to the Wii. PS3 still has a shitty library of titles. It's like having a Ferarri with no tires. Sure does look hot and has a lot of horsepower, but you really aren't going anywhere. I'm sick of people talking about how much power a system has. If you think that knowing every crevice of a systems technical prowess makes you hardcore, think again. Hardcore gamers aren't biased and don't make stupid comments such as this.

[FrankTheCrank @ Oct 2nd 2007 9:38AM]

Philip,

I do not want to speak for hardcore gamers, but the Wii is not hardcore. The games available for the Wii are OK at best. There are a few titles like Paper Mario, Zelda and Wii Sports that make that system shine, but besides that the experience becomes very shallow. I should know, I have one.

And I also have the PS3....they are starting to build a very good library of games, despite what people think. Resistance, Motorstorm, VF5, DiRT and WARHAWK are great games. And guess what, more games are on the way...Ratchet, Killzone2, MGS and FF.

PS3's lineup seems a bit more HARDCORE don't you think.

[Andir3.0 @ Oct 2nd 2007 9:40AM]

Not to mention... I didn't know Ferarri made tires. I thought there were other companies that did that....

[Andir3.0 @ Oct 2nd 2007 9:42AM]

Not to mention... I didn't know Ferrari made tires. I thought there were other companies that did that....

[LiQuiD_FuSioN @ Oct 2nd 2007 9:54AM]

^ It was a metaphor. Sheesh.

[TooExperienced @ Oct 2nd 2007 10:12AM]

I'm with Frank, I could care less about how many systems are sold or how many games there are. I judge the quality of a console by the depth of its games. I bought a PS3 and a Wii the day they came out. I'll admit it, the Wii was fun as hell... for about 2 days. I promptly sold it on eBay for a nice little profit. However, my PS3 never gets old. I have only 4 games in my library and they are more than enough to keep me entertained because they are not based on some stupid gimmick. I could care less if there are 10 or 100 games available for a system. I don't buy 100 games. Give me 2 or 3 quality games a year and I'm satisfied. Let's look at the Wii for a moment. Do you know how they sell so many? Because people who never play video games are buying them. If a 40 year old woman who has never played video games can buy a game system and be good at it, it's not that deep. You never hear real experienced gamers talking about the Wii (unless they're referring about that time they played drunk with their buddies, which IS quite fun...). You only hear about those middle aged people and small children who aren't co-ordinated anough to play Resistance or Halo. Props to Nintendo for finding a way to satisfy this market and make hella money from it, I've always been a fan of Nintendo. But I'm too experienced for that crap.

[Phillip @ Oct 2nd 2007 10:20AM]

@ FRANK - when you learn how to read things within it's proper context, then you will be able to understand what people are saying. Never did you see me once state that the Wii was any more "hardcore" than the PS3. You didn't even see me say the Wii was hardcore at all. What I SAID was that people need to stop equating System Power to being hardcore. The library that a console has makes the system hardcore, not the system itself.

That goes for you too Andir3.0... I was speaking metaphorically.

[FrankTheCrank @ Oct 2nd 2007 11:05AM]

@ Philip-
"people need to stop equating System Power to being hardcore"

So I suppose a Ferrari Enzo with a screaming V12 is not hardcore?

I also suppose an Intel Core2 Extreme processor with 4GB of RAM and 2 Nvidia 8800 in SLI is not hardcore?

Hey everyone, get a load of this...hardcore isn't hardcore anymore according to Philip.

Also,
"The library that a console has makes the system hardcore, not the system itself."

Dude...the library a system has makes the system, period. No library and you have a shiny paperweight. We can both agree with that. If the PS3 had no wheels, ahem, software, they wouldn't have sold 4.28 million units in 7 months.

[Kinburn @ Oct 2nd 2007 11:41AM]

Frank the Wii is also starting to build a nice library. Metroid Prime 3 is out now also Mario Galaxy and Super Smash Bros. Brawl will be out before Christmas. I've also really enjoyed Resident Evil 4 Wii edition. I never played the GC or PS2 version. I'm not having a shallow experience with Wii games.

I've played Sin and Punishment from the VC yesterday along with with Super Metroid and some TurboGrafx games I use to play as a kid. I'm having no problem finding enjoyable games to play on the Wii.

[dagamer34 @ Oct 2nd 2007 12:34PM]

Never has the most advanced console won the "console wars" since the SNES in 1994. The most powerful console has either been a) released a year later or b) been more expensive than the competition.

Both seem to cause destruction sooner or later.

[Christopher Klinglesmith @ Oct 2nd 2007 12:40PM]

@dagamer

Your logic is faulty, the Wii WAS released a year later. Remember the XBox 360????

[MRBlue @ Oct 2nd 2007 2:03PM]

Right on brotha!!!

Why is it so surprising that a system that's half the price of another is outselling it. What would be surprising is if the Wii cost as much as the PS3 and outsold the it 4-to-1. That would be an achievement. Not a system that's half the price and marketed as -- basically -- a toy.

Also, the PS3 has barely been given a chance to breath. No one probably remembers but the 360 was a piece of high priced crap when it first came out and didn't even have any worthwhile games until Gears of War and Lost Planet. Name ONE game that was a true system seller before Gears of War. Exactly.

The PS3 is starting to hit its stride right now and with games like Killzone2, Uncharted, MGS4, LittleBigPlanet, Final Fantasy and others the console is finally starting to get games that will make it a system seller.

[pigfister @ Oct 2nd 2007 9:10AM]

not surprising as ppl want fun games on a console, and are sick of sony trying to offer some half backed attempt at a pc fps and calling it next gen. cs source is more next gen than any ps3 games!

then you get the money grabbing courporate scumbags who think its ok to charge £3.99 for 1 map for motorstorm, i'm sure that add-ons have always been free in the pc gaming community, i cant remember UT or CS charging for content but sony feel that their half finished game that the devs apologised for now needs more content but its freaking chargeable, what's wrong with these ppl.

once upon a time devs made content for the loyal customers for purchasing the game and to keep interest in it, now sony are destroying the community for profit!

[Andir3.0 @ Oct 2nd 2007 9:34AM]

Yeah, because Sony made ALL those games. It's totally Sony's fault. /sarcasm

[John M @ Oct 2nd 2007 1:35PM]

right...thats why gran turismo prologue will be a free download on ps network.....you cant let a statement about 1 map on 1 game ruin sonys image....also, how about how microsoft and epic said all levels added in gears of war would be free only to be charging for content now?? its everybody dude not just sony....hell nintendon is even charging for the web browser now

[pspboy @ Oct 2nd 2007 9:22AM]

I own both PS3 and Wii. The fact is that everyone in my family loves the Wii because it is not as complex in gameplay and very entertaining. I, myself, put the PS3 in my bedroom playing it myself. :(

The range of target ages that like Wii are way larger than PS3. Same as DS, everyone you see on the street have a DS and not a PSP.

[Cameron @ Oct 2nd 2007 9:25AM]

How many people have been opened up to gaming thanks to the Wii?

Its not about how powerfull the PS3 is or the fact it can play "blue ray" *lets face facts thats one of the biggest flops off the decade* your average person does not care how powerfull the PS3 is, they want FUN, something they can pick up and play and still get a challange, they dont want to be fussed with silly buttons.

the PS3 has power, but its NOT next gen, thats what the push always is, whats going to change the face of gaming and who is going to cash in on it? and the winner is, Nintendo. Sony got sloppy and now they are paying for it, and Microsoft hope to make up losses with Halo 3, while a good game, it can not undo the poor sails of Xbox + Xbox360. PS3 and Xbox appeal to gamers, not people. The Wii appeals to people, and is making them Nintendo gamers.

C

[timatl @ Oct 2nd 2007 10:09AM]

well said cameron. it is literally people playing the wii @ 90 years old. i don't know any 90 year olds playing the PS3, 360 OR PS2.

[Andir3.0 @ Oct 2nd 2007 9:36AM]

Your calling something the biggest flop of the decade without it being on the market for a year AND selling about 5 million units? Man, I wish I could make a flop.

[Wes @ Oct 2nd 2007 10:27AM]

Sell $1000 bills for 500 bucks, and you'll be on your way to matching Sony's big hit... for about the same loss ;)

[Matt B @ Oct 2nd 2007 10:44AM]

It's great that the wii is gettin 90 year olds to play. Too bad they won't buy anything beyond what they got in wii sports. The proof is in the poor sales of Metroid Prime 3. Less than 500,000 of sales of a AAA title is cause for concern considering the size of the install base.

[ilh @ Oct 2nd 2007 2:47PM]

MP3 has been out for how long and only in which territories? Still plenty left in MP3.

[jodamiller @ Oct 2nd 2007 9:27AM]

Sure, of couse the PS3 costs more than the Wii, so it's almost natural that the Wii will sell more. However, Nintendo is looking pretty from all accounts. First of all, unless I'm mistaken, the Big N is actually turning a profit from each Wii console sale while the PS3 is a drain on Sony. Secondly, the games are roughly the same in price (in the $50 range with PS3 maybe going to $60-ish). This is where the installed base if very important because where is the biggest opportunity for sales for a game maker; in the platform that's hard to write for and has X number of units in homes or the system that is, from what I've read, easier to write for and has 4X number of units already sold?

[MacBookOwner @ Oct 2nd 2007 9:27AM]

Shouldn't the headline be "Latest figures show Wii dominating PS3 and Xbox360 in Japanese Sales" ? :p

[Andir3.0 @ Oct 2nd 2007 9:38AM]

That would place too much anti-Microsoft in the title and attract the usual "pro-Microsoft" commentors that seem to only show up when something bad is said about MS.

[daddycool @ Oct 2nd 2007 9:52AM]

It's not even worth mentioning. Used Sega Saturns are probably dominating Xbox 360 Japanese Sales. Freaking used Sega Game Gears are probably dominating the 360.
(*The Japanese are haters)

[daddycool @ Oct 2nd 2007 9:49AM]

Nobody with a Wii has more than 3 games including the pack-in. If they do, they are probably a normal\hardcore gamer. All these casual people will pull it out once in a while or at parties to play Wii Sports and that's it. Maybe they'll buy one game a year. Do you really expect these people to be playing Metroid or Call of Duty?

The Wii is such a gimmick it's unbelievable. But Nintendo is still good because the profit directly off the machine, not just the game licenses.

Every 360 owner probably has 10 or more games by now. PS3 owners would too if they were out. Real gamers still own gaming. Don't believe the hype.

[Matt B @ Oct 2nd 2007 10:50AM]

I'm a PS3 owner and I own 7 games on disk and 3 more on the PSN. So, they are out.

[mr nimblewick (SegaDF - Jogurt Ring) @ Oct 2nd 2007 1:34PM]

It's likely that most casual Wii owners only own a few games... but who do you think made the PS2 sell over 100 million? It was the people who only bought DDR or Singstar or GTA3.

The most popular console ALWAYS attracts people who only want a game or two.

[Jason @ Dec 31st 2007 2:10PM]

Hahaha, you're absolutely wrong. I've bought my Wii for barely 2 months, and I've already got like 8 games. If I'm not hardcore, I've proven you wrong. If I am, I've proven most people wrong that the Wii is not for hardcores. So which is it?

[LiQuiD_FuSioN @ Oct 2nd 2007 10:02AM]

Yeah, "5 million" is a nice number, but factor in all the manufacturing costs, marketing and all that, and you won't be in the business for very long.. unless you're a billionaire or something.

[Dan @ Oct 2nd 2007 10:17AM]

Sony seems to have a hidden resource for future PS3 sales in all those PS2 users. PS2 is STILL selling.
IIRC some months the PS2 outsells the 360 by a good margin.

If and when the PS3 has enough (good) titles, AND the PS3 supports most existing PS2 titles, then you'll see a tidal shift of users adopting the newer platform.

[Matthew @ Oct 2nd 2007 12:10PM]

Thank you Dan. People fail to realize that PS2 is still selling. Better then the 360 as of a few months ago is 2007. The Sony fanbase is there. They're just waiting to make the transition to the PS3 when the games are there if they haven't already gone to the 360.

They're waiting for two things:
- Price drop
- Better games.

Both of which seem to be coming by this time next year.

[The dative Agent @ Oct 2nd 2007 10:09AM]

True. I'm a casual gamer and own a Wii mainly for my seven year old son. We got the machine at launch, and to date, we have purchased one game for it. The rest have been Blockbuster rentals.

[Kanos @ Oct 2nd 2007 10:35AM]

We have all three systems and the Wii gets the least amount of play I would say by a scaled of 15:1. I think the last time I played Wii was over a month ago and that was to play Wave Racer, which in my mind is the best game on the system... go figure. The Wii is just a fad, in a year or two the PS3 will have taken over. Once Gran Turismo 5 comes out and the next FF, expect all those Japanese fan boys to rush to pick up a PS3 and sales of the Wii to drop.

[Dan @ Oct 2nd 2007 11:20PM]

You forgot Metal Gear. If anyone wants to see superior graphics, look at video's for that. It is simply untouchable, Hideo Kojima is putting everything he has into it and pushing PS3 to it's limits. Unfortunately, he's considering releasing it for 360 as well, simply because of PS3's poor sales. He would prefer not to, but the man's gotta make money too. It sounds like he's going to wait through Christmas and see if sales boost because MG isn't set for release until March '08. I absolutely cannot wait.