IGN: PS4 JPN Software Sales Worrisome

Sony is doomed in it's own country!

Knack sold over 300k and it demolished any mario or donkey kong title

Why would thy say they're worrisome?

Don't release any Japanese-styled games (that is, games that appeal to their tastes) and people won't buy games. It's not rocket science.

Plenty of people buying the digital games, probably. I don't know what the Japanese offers are like, but in the US I got Resogun, Warframe, Don't Starve, Contrast, Blacklight Mercenaries and the Arabian Nights tables on pinball arcade for free.

Ah so you are one of those awkward guys that laugh at their own jokes.

Of course software sales are poor. The software thus far available for the PS4 is lacklustre at best.

They should have released with a NEW IP FPS. A solid racer and a crash bandicoot/spyro game. Maybe even a NEW tomb raider. One of those games that boosted the Playstation brand in the first place.

No....we get killzone and Knack. Genius.

This is why Sony will not see my money until they provide the games they provided me with on the PS and PS2.

I don't get why you people expect consoles to launch with the caliber of games you mentioned. bandicoot/spryro are both dead and need to stay that way. We just had a new Tomb Raider, give it a year or two.

considering the amount of consoles that were sold it makes no sense... So, the Japanese bought 322k PS4's in 2 days for what? To watch blurays and netflix on it? Or maybe they are buying lots of digital games? Because those numbers aren't normally released to the public.

thats some shitty journalism right there,

the console sales itself are actually kind of impressive given the fact that it wasn't during a holiday period like other hardware launches and launch software is pretty sparse regardless.

Gee, a load of mediocre games didn't sell well. What a cruel world we live in.

What is going on lately at IGN? First the BS resolution talk & now this.

Any sales in Japan is just icing on the cake for Sony. It doesn't make a huge difference.

Really? 5 days have passed and IGN is already pressing the panic button?

Talk about being a tabloid...

It wasnt a NEW tomb raider at all and Its a perfectly realistic expectation to expect a console to release with a selection of games that made the platform what it is today OR a new set of IP's to redefine the platform. Instead we got a lacklustre shooter in killzone....no driving game to speak of...and Knack.

Thats not redefining a platform. Thats not creating a buzz. Thats not bringing back the sony all stars. Its JUST BAD.

I dont know why "you people" defend it.

Long as it beats Xbone, that's all that matters. And it easily will. SDC.

Unsurprising. As mentioned, the digital store means gamers can purchase titles from home after reading more about them/trying a demo instead of plunging money into a title based on box art.

And frankly, launch lineups suck. I grabbed my PS4 without anything else, went to Amazon for accessories, and it'll likely remain without any non PS+ titles til I grab FFXIV in April and/or The Show in May. Buying a platform is a long term investment, and my PC and PS+ backlogs (oh, and Stick of Truth) will keep me busy until the games I want are out.

@kuu2: Well I think of you as an attention seeking brat...

Actually, Mario has sold more than Knack in Japan, but i expect that to change very soon :P

Considering all of those games are available digitally on PSN, I highly doubt those sales numbers reflect the number of games actually sold. If I had to guess the Japanese are going to go with digital distribution a bit more than western audiences are.

It is really nice being able to buy stuff from home.

"B-b-b-b-b-b-but wait till the IndieStation 4 gets released on its home market, so much profitz awaits!!!11."

I guess Japanese are the only ones smart enough to not buy trash exclusives (flopzone, knack, lol).

And once again, the Japanese are traditionally averse to digital distribution, so this is likely not the case; in general, digital sales for a title represent just 10% of its overall LTD.

Isn't much out yet this gen in terms of software. Wait until the games come out....

For which platforms are we talking here?

If that is based on the PS3 I would not be surprised if digital sales only make up 10%: PS3 games are not as widely available online as their retail counterparts and many PS3 HDD's are (relatively speaking) small.

Across platforms- 3DS, Vita, Wii U, you name it.

I am looking at back and forth conversations that are pasted from another site practically.

Nintendo's slightly awkward eco-system and the small WIi U HDD would put a significant dent in those figures for sure.

I would be interested to see what the Vita's digital sales attach rate is like though. My impression (just from hanging around the Japanese web space) is that around 1/3 of purchases are digital even though memory is expensive. For whatever reason owners of Sony platforms (or at least the Vita) seem to be very inclined to digital purchases.

Now that is entirely anecdotal, but I think if you were to look at the digital sales make-up of the Wii U/3DS/Vita in English speaking territories you'd see a similarly big gap between Sony and Nintendo platforms.

For reference, I got the 50(ish)% figure from here. Sadly it doesn't specify which territories are included in that figure.

Although now I think about it, it doesn't really make sense for a large number of sales on PS4 release to be digital if the majority of units sold were through brick-and-mortar stores; if you are in the store already why wouldn't you pick up your copy of Yakuza while you are there?

Japanese gamers are very picky when it comes to the games there, and also that they are mostly into handhelds now. I'm not surprised that the games there are selling so low.

Still too early but it's gonna be another gen in Japan mainly dominated by handhelds.

Anyone know why the PS4 wasn't launched last November in Japan?

Oh and lol at 9GN.

It isn't worrisome because Japan has moved on to the mobile scene. Dedicated home consoles don't do all that well in Japan anymore. Japan might as well be irrelevant in regards to console gaming. The NA and European markets are who matters most in terms of profit.

Its possible that Japanese devs didn't want to develop for a console with no marketshare when mobile gaming is the big thing there. Japanese devs are probably taking a wait and see approach.

LOL

So first the gaming media was saying,

"PS4 is selling horrible in Japan. Its been a day and theres been no fist fights. Anonymous trolls on the Internet claim there are PS4s sitting on shelfes and of course we believe them"

Concrete numbers are released, and its revealed that the PS4 had the 3rd best launch in Japanese gaming history

Yet instead of the gamimg media eating their crow and admitting they were full of shit to begin with...it then becomes...

"Bu bu bu software sales are bad, therefore that proves the PS4 hasnt been a success in Japan"

**** the anti-Sony gamimg media already. No one takes them serious. If people actually did take the gaming media serious, or take xbot shills on forums serious, then the xbone wouldve out sold the PS4. The PS4 is out selling the xbone 2-1 and counting. NOTHING is stopping this PS4 freight train baby!

For some perspective on the PS4's launch in Japan.

Only the PS2 and the Wii had a better launch in Japan then the PS4 just had in Japan

Furthermore, the Wii released on a holiday

The PS4 released durring a dry time of the year and at a higher price point and it STILL almost beat Wii launch numbers

Sony shipped 350,000 PS4s to Japan, and in 2 days 330,000 of that sold out to consumers

Thats amazing!

The PS4 broke all time sales launch records in the USA and all over Europe....and it still holds 3rd best launch in Japan to boot

Ive never seen any console as popular as the PS4. The PS4 is a legit cultural phenomenon. The PS4 is the PS2 of our time. The King has retaken its rightful throne baby! Long live Sony Playstation !

The ride has just began. Those awesome playstation exclusives are coming to PS4. They wont stop. Sony cant stop being awesome !

As for Japan, as soon as the PS4 gets more great Japanese games, the PS4 will really start picking up full steam ahead in Japan

Things started out awesome on the PS4, and things will only get better and better