Media Create Sales: Nintendo Still On Top

Just for the record, all hardware sales increased from last week.

Just for the record, all hardware sales increased from last week.

wow way to go Nintendo! And here people think that its all Nintendoom. They about tripled up on the PS4.

Are people really expecting the WiiU to stay ahead or are you guys just temporaly celebrating?

I cant see the WiiU to stay above the PS4 for very long. Maybe next year or at the latest when FFXV releases the situation will be complettly different.

Sony needs to announce a new Tales of... title or something exclusive to PS4 because the Wii-U is killing the PS4 lately.

Glad to see every system received a bump though (even 360 huh).

Are people really expecting the WiiU to stay ahead or are you guys just temporaly celebrating?

I cant see the WiiU to stay above the PS4 for very long. Maybe next year or at the latest when FFXV releases the situation will be complettly different.

Enjoy this small lead, Wii U. But the PS4 is coming to overtake you soon.

I can't say for sure, but these big AAA online games like Destiny and The Division could actually be somewhat successful in Japan. They are not FPS or third-person shooters that are excessively dudebros, or feature brawny leads like Marcus from Gears of War. These games will have customizable characters, minor RPG elements and ongoing team events they can have with their friends. I see more possible ways for them to be engaged with these types of games than, say, an annual COD title (and could be seen as a better $60 value in the long run).

I mean, it's not crazy to hold out hope that these games can have hidden potential for popularity, when people keep looking at Hyrule Warriors, the ultimate in repetitive, shallow gameplay, and hoping that will give the Wii U a boost. Wii U has their hopefuls, and so does the PS4 (and in my opinion it has more of them in the long run that could get Japan gamers excited again).

Enjoy this small lead, Wii U. But the PS4 is coming to overtake you soon.

I can't say for sure, but these big AAA online games like Destiny and The Division could actually be somewhat successful in Japan. They are not FPS or third-person shooters that are excessively dudebros, or feature brawny leads like Marcus from Gears of War. These games will have customizable characters, minor RPG elements and ongoing team events they can have with their friends. I see more possible ways for them to be engaged with these types of games than, say, an annual COD title (and could be seen as a better $60 value in the long run).

I mean, it's not crazy to hold out hope that these games can have hidden potential for popularity, when people keep looking at Hyrule Warriors, the ultimate in repetitive, shallow gameplay, and hoping that will give the Wii U a boost. Wii U has their hopefuls, and so does the PS4 (and in my opinion it has more of them in the long run that could get Japan gamers excited again).

That's possible, but I think the PS4 overtaking the Wii U will happen much sooner than three to four years. PS4 will accelerate upwards, faster than most expected, and the Wii U will decelerate downward at an alarming rate. The gap, to me, won't be some fixed solid thing like it is in NA. I think the PS4<->Wii U gap will evaporate and close up fast, and they will switch positions as soon as late next year.

I don't think the Wii U will sell at a steady clip next year (a few months after SSBU has come out). I think it will crash hard in 2015. IMO it's going to be absolutely brutal to look at the 2015 Media Create numbers for the Wii U. After SSBU, there just aren't enough games and the numbers will be so low again, that people will bring back the "Welp, home consoles in Japan are dead" statements again (but why are they gloating now that the Wii U is ahead and had a bump? So are home consoles dead or not dead in Japan? Can they make up their minds, since the very first thing they look at are the home console numbers on Media Create every week).

Like I said, I can't say for sure if these games will be successful, but PS4 will be getting more of those expansive, online-rich games as soon as this year and next year. That could help a lot (if they hype Hyrule Warriors and Bayo 2, let us hype Destiny at least). Sony's 2015 E3 could have lots of announcements that could reinvigorate Japanese interest (I see Nintendo's 2015 E3 possibly being their smallest yet this gen as they are preparing for their successor soon), and third-party games as varied as Watch_Dogs, Wolfenstein New Order, GTA V, Ultra SF4 and TLOU chart in the Top Ten in Japan (and GTA V is still on the charts). They may not all break Japan records but they help give that perceived "reliable console support" that new potential consumers love to see.

Throw in the familiar successes like MGS, Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy and other important franchise names, and all of this combined is already 50 more franchises the Wii U won't have, more online games (to extend the life of these $60 games), and a more vibrant stream of third-party support (to fill the droughts), and possibly more Japan-centric titles announced at E3. PS4 is weak now in sales because these things haven't occurred or come out yet.

Nintendo owners keep looking at whether certain games will help give a boost. That to me shows they are admitting the Wii U online and third-party is lacking (and not going to change much) compared to the competition, and need to rely on those big, staggered releases to "save" the console. My argument is that Sony's success comes from a better strategy - a slower, continued build up and constancy of support and (one day) deeper and more varied library is what will add immense value to the PS4 console in the eyes of Japanese gamers (who are still buying a PS3 - so interest isn't completely dead yet in the Sony brand and home consoles).

I'm not saying it's better (actually, it is), but Sony's longevity approach and slow buildup is different to the way Nintendo is randomly handling things in Japan with the Wii U, where they rely on hotspots of sales, all spaced far apart - some of which never come. The results are far more erratic, unpredictable and not a good way to stay afloat in the long term. That's why I always believe Nintendo's consoles are stronger at the start, and weak at the end.

And this isn't my form of Sony damage control. I'm trying to use, what I'd like to think, some reasoned judgments on why the PS4 can't be counted out yet, and why it could pass the Wii U numbers sooner than expected in Japan.

That's possible, but I think the PS4 overtaking the Wii U will happen much sooner than three to four years. PS4 will accelerate upwards, faster than most expected, and the Wii U will decelerate downward at an alarming rate. The gap, to me, won't be some fixed solid thing like it is in NA. I think the PS4<->Wii U gap will evaporate and close up fast, and they will switch positions as soon as late next year.

I don't think the Wii U will sell at a steady clip next year (a few months after SSBU has come out). I think it will crash hard in 2015. IMO it's going to be absolutely brutal to look at the 2015 Media Create numbers for the Wii U. After SSBU, there just aren't enough games and the numbers will be so low again, that people will bring back the "Welp, home consoles in Japan are dead" statements again (but why are they gloating now that the Wii U is ahead and had a bump? So are home consoles dead or not dead in Japan? Can they make up their minds, since the very first thing they look at are the home console numbers on Media Create every week).

Like I said, I can't say for sure if these games will be successful, but PS4 will be getting more of those expansive, online-rich games as soon as this year and next year. That could help a lot (if they hype Hyrule Warriors and Bayo 2, let us hype Destiny at least). Sony's 2015 E3 could have lots of announcements that could reinvigorate Japanese interest (I see Nintendo's 2015 E3 possibly being their smallest yet this gen as they are preparing for their successor soon), and third-party games as varied as Watch_Dogs, Wolfenstein New Order, GTA V, Ultra SF4 and TLOU chart in the Top Ten in Japan (and GTA V is still on the charts). They may not all break Japan records but they help give that perceived "reliable console support" that new potential consumers love to see.

Throw in the familiar successes like MGS, Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy and other important franchise names, and all of this combined is already 50 more franchises the Wii U won't have, more online games (to extend the life of these $60 games), and a more vibrant stream of third-party support (to fill the droughts), and possibly more Japan-centric titles announced at E3. PS4 is weak now in sales because these things haven't occurred or come out yet.

Nintendo owners keep looking at whether certain games will help give a boost. That to me shows they are admitting the Wii U online and third-party is lacking (and not going to change much) compared to the competition, and need to rely on those big, staggered releases to "save" the console. My argument is that Sony's success comes from a better strategy - a slower, continued build up and constancy of support and (one day) deeper and more varied library is what will add immense value to the PS4 console in the eyes of Japanese gamers (who are still buying a PS3 - so interest isn't completely dead yet in the Sony brand and home consoles).

I'm not saying it's better (actually, it is), but Sony's longevity approach and slow buildup is different to the way Nintendo is randomly handling things in Japan with the Wii U, where they rely on hotspots of sales, all spaced far apart - some of which never come. The results are far more erratic, unpredictable and not a good way to stay afloat in the long term. That's why I always believe Nintendo's consoles are stronger at the start, and weak at the end.

And this isn't my form of Sony damage control. I'm trying to use, what I'd like to think, some reasoned judgments on why the PS4 can't be counted out yet, and why it could pass the Wii U numbers sooner than expected in Japan.

Japan clearly recognizes the good in both the Vita and the Wii U; two of the industry's most underrated machines to date.

The Japanese consumers don't necessarily embrace the same genres we do in the States or in European territories. Western games do not appeal to most of them (which is why the Wii U, the 3DS and the Vita are big there). And with the kind of audience/demographic Sony is targeting with the PS4, I honestly don't see them over-taking any of those machines for a while in Japan (if at all). At least not with what they have in the pipeline thus far.

I'll say this though:

Cheering the Vita on in Japan is a lot of fun considering that Sony is no longer fully behind the device anymore, but yet it STILL SELLS BIG in Japan! I guarantee you that a big chunk of Sony's Vita team is banging their heads against a wall wondering why they cannot connect the dots and make it a success story everywhere else. GO VITA! :)

yup...nintendo still has japan first in mind for everything.

sonys plan was clear from the start when they made japan wait half a year.

PS3 beats Wii60 once again.