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Big in Japan Nov. 22-28: Gran Turismo 5

Polyphony Digital's PS3-exclusive sim racer makes long-awaited debut in Japan atop charts with 430,000 units sold; PSP leads hardware.

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Considering its extended development time, Gran Turismo 5's merely "great" critical reception may have left some fans of the series chagrined. And while the game's US opening sales figures have yet to be announced, stat-tracking firm Media Create has delivered word on Gran Turismo 5's first-week performance in Japan, revealing a speedy start for the PlayStation 3-exclusive simulation racer.

Gran Turismo 5 leads its first lap in Japan.
Gran Turismo 5 leads its first lap in Japan.

Gran Turismo 5 led the week of November 22-28 on Media Create's Japanese software sales chart with a massive 430,707 units. The Polyphony Digital-developed racer was followed by two other debuts: Super Robot Taisen L and Mario Sports Mix. Namco Bandai's mech-based strategy game sold 129,054 units for the DS, holding a hefty lead over Nintendo's sports compilation for the Wii, which sold 84,983 units.

The final two debuts for the week came from Spike and Konami. Dangan-Ronpa is an anime-inspired action adventure for the PSP that sold 25,564 in its opening week, while Konami's arcade baseball title Power Pro Kun Pocket 13 sold 24,717 units.

Nintendo's 25th-anniversary tribute Super Mario All-Stars shifted 47,487 more units during the week, followed by fellow Japanese sales-chart staple Pokemon Black and White, which sold 43,227 on the week. The PS3 edition of Call of Duty: Black Ops, which is published by Square Enix in Japan, sold 31,354 units, edging out Nintendo's Super Kaseki Horida for sixth.

The PSP continued its strong run in Japan, leading the hardware chart for the week with 75,689 units sold. Gran Turismo 5 also appears to have provided Sony's PS3 with a boost, as the system sold 68,840 units during the week. Nintendo's DSi duo followed, combining to sell 54,918 units, while the Wii moved 41,267 systems. With no software titles in the top 10, Microsoft's Xbox 360 sold only 4,329 units during the week.

JAPAN GAME SALES WEEK OF NOVEMBER 22-28, 2010
Software:
Rank / Title / Publisher / Platform / Unit sales
1. Gran Turismo 5 / Sony / PS3 / 430,707
2. Super Robot Taisen L / Namco Bandai / DS / 129,054
3. Mario Sports Mix / Nintendo / Wii / 84,983
4. Super Mario All-Stars / Nintendo / Wii / 47,487
5. Pokemon Black and White / The Pokemon Company / DS / 43,227
6. Call of Duty: Black Ops / Square Enix / PS3 / 31,354
7. Super Kaseki Horida / Nintendo / DS / 26,195
8. Dangan-Ronpa / Spike / PSP / 25,564
9. Power Pro Kun Pocket 13 / Konami / DS / 24,717
10. Wii Party / Nintendo / Wii / 24,525

Hardware:
PSP - 75,689
PS3 - 68,840
Wii - 41,267
DSi LL - 28,370
DSi - 26,548
Xbox 360 - 4,329
PSP Go - 1,675
DS Lite - 1,539
PS2 - 1,332

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