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Big in Japan Feb. 23-Mar. 2: Yakuza 3 bloodies PS3 rivals

Sega's gangster drama lifts Sony console sales past Wii on Japan charts; 360 sinks wtih Star Ocean.

Riding high on the release of Square Enix's Star Ocean: The Last Hope, Microsoft's Xbox 360 made a rare appearance atop the Japanese console sales charts, according to sales figures released last week by Media Create. For the week of February 23-March 2, it was Sony's turn to bask in the light of a popular exclusive. Sega's PlayStation 3-only Yakuza 3 secured opening-week sales of 372,000, which helped vault Sony's console past the competition with 36,513 systems sold.

Sony's PSP also saw a healthy sales bounce, thanks to the debut of Koei's Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce. With the beat-'em-up taking the second slot in Media Create's weekly accounting with 219,000 units, the PSP shifted 35,588 machines. Nintendo's DSi outpaced that figure by a scant few hundred units, selling 35,827 on the week, while the DS Lite sold an additional 11,774 units. The Wii sold 17,876 units during the period, while just 11,795 Xbox 360s were moved.

Continuing its strong sales run, Mario & Luigi RPG 3!! for the DS sold 52,000 units, slightly more than the 45,000 units for Namco Bandai's Wii newcomer One Piece Unlimited Cruise: Episode 2. Also new from Namco Bandai, Game Center CX: Arino no Chousenjou 2 sold 44,000 units, while Konami's Sunday x Magazine Nettou! Dream Nine debuted in the sixth slot with 23,000 copies. The final new entrant for the week, SNK Playmore's The King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match sold 19,000 units.

Rounding out the chart, the aforementioned Star Ocean: The Last Hope saw a significant sales drop-off, slipping to the eighth position with 17,000 copies sold. Namco Bandai's Taiko no Tatsujin followed with 16,000 units, slightly edging out Wii Fit.

Week of February 23 - March 2, 2009
Software:
1) Yakuza 3 (PS3) - 372,000
2) Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce (PSP) - 219,000
3) Mario & Luigi RPG 3!! (NDS) - 52,000
4) One Piece Unlimited Cruise: Episode 2 (Wii) - 45,000
5) Game Center CX: Arino no Chousenjou 2 (NDS) - 44,000
6) Sunday x Magazine Nettou! Dream Nine (NDS) - 23,000
7) The King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match (PS2) - 19,000
8) Star Ocean: The Last Hope (X360) - 17,000
9) Taiko no Tatsujin (Wii) - 16,000
10) Wii Fit (Wii) - 16,000

Hardware:
PS3 36,513
DSi 35,827
PSP 35,588
Wii 17,876
Xbox 360 11,795
DS Lite 11,774
PS2 5,099

118 Comments

  • ansef1x

    Posted Aug 27, 2009 7:52 am GMT

    i have a major question like i am the biggest 1 piece fan that i know of so far and i was into the game unlimited adventure for wii so i was wondering how come u guys do not have unlimited cruise 1 and 2 for nintendo wii out yet everyone i know is waiting for it wants it and expects that these 2 games come out in the USA and Canada

  • ansef1x

    Posted Aug 13, 2009 5:30 am GMT

    how come americans do not have One Piece Unlimited Cruise: Episode 1 and One Piece Unlimited Cruise: Episode 2 i wanna be able 2 play those games

  • allen_mnemonic

    Posted Jun 29, 2009 10:24 am GMT

    come on... we need yakuza 3. i'm getting bored with GTA4 now. tired of driving.

  • guyvue

    Posted Apr 5, 2009 5:43 am GMT

    **** i want Yakuza 3, i love beat em up games, currently playing God Hand, i have PS3 and Xbox 360 both, but damn it, i want Yakuza 3.
    i can't import cause i don't read Japanese.

  • Derekgilreath93

    Posted Mar 14, 2009 5:55 am GMT

    Man that still sucks that it only comes out on the X-Box 360. I fig it would have came out on the PS3. (Dang i should have got a 360) Or they could have made it for ps3 & 360

  • Samox

    Posted Mar 11, 2009 2:23 pm GMT

    I'm big in Japan.

  • beluga79

    Posted Mar 11, 2009 6:03 am GMT

    i think it would be quicker to learn japanese and then import yakuza 3 then wait for an australian release (it took me a year to find yakuza 1)ichi, ni, san ,chi ,go

  • Fed__X

    Posted Mar 11, 2009 4:26 am GMT

    @thekey cause Americans are cheap. I'm American and I like Bargains too but when it comes to gaming, I feel you get what you pay for. The wii does have shovel-ware.

  • zombey1333

    Posted Mar 11, 2009 4:23 am GMT

    While I am a HUGE Nintendo fan, I do so hope that more things like this happen to smack them in the face. I'd like to have the ability to play TONS of great games rather than a handful of good ones and a crap load of shovelware. I've yet to play anything on my wii that would have me totally emersed for a week straight.

  • TXMostWanted

    Posted Mar 10, 2009 10:46 pm GMT

    I need a Yakuza 3 fix...I'm already bored w/ GTAIV and I'm not even 4 hrs into it...

  • phil-_-meh

    Posted Mar 10, 2009 6:43 pm GMT

    nice, finally the PS3 give some retribution, hope Yakuza comes 2 NA XD

  • PrinceofSarcasm

    Posted Mar 10, 2009 5:31 pm GMT

    ps3 and psp beat wii. WOW time to go laugh at pple who think PlayStation brand products are over

  • FinalDuo1886

    Posted Mar 10, 2009 3:36 pm GMT

    Another Yakuza game? Someone in Japan loves me . I hope this game does come to American, but if it doesn't? I'll just get it imported. And games sells consoles, not the other way around. PS3 still holds strong.

  • thekey

    Posted Mar 10, 2009 10:23 am GMT

    This just clearly shows that all it takes is great games to sell a system.Thats why the Wii did poorly for that week. The Wii has weak games, Japan sees it, why can't America see it? Anyways...

    I hope this game(Yakuza 3) comes stateside. I would like to play it.

  • bloodomen9

    Posted Mar 10, 2009 12:38 am GMT

    Sega need to release eng subs version of Kenzen and yakuza 3 ! theres no need for horrible eng dub version that will take them a year to make

  • lew_0911

    Posted Mar 9, 2009 9:44 am GMT

    Man, I'd like to know how it feels to be a Japanese gamer amidst a truckload of games.

  • AngelCage-2

    Posted Mar 9, 2009 8:20 am GMT

    @mariokart64fan
    whats this sony wins hardware but nint wins software thats bAD FOR MS
    .-.-.-.-.-.-..-.-.-.-.-.-..-.-.-.-.-

    Eh? i don't know how dou you make your numbers, but i see here sony selling more hardware and a LOT more software than nintedo...

    Good week for sony, let's hope to see this more and more.

  • jtthegame316 posted Mar 9, 2009 7:20 am GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    jtthegame316

    Posted Mar 9, 2009 7:20 am GMT (hide)

    yakuza is awesome wish yakuza 3 would come on xbox 360 to save me buying a ps 3 i have just about every console except for ps 3.

  • Todaishi

    Posted Mar 9, 2009 6:39 am GMT

    I wonder when my pre-ordered Yakuza 3 will arrive! It'll be hot!

  • Xenon-

    Posted Mar 9, 2009 4:35 am GMT

    mariofart64fan, be a clueless nintendo fanboy somewhere else, ok?

  • mariokart64fan posted Mar 9, 2009 1:19 am GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    mariokart64fan

    Posted Mar 9, 2009 1:19 am GMT (hide)

    WOW ONLY WEEK WORTH I DIDNT KNOW THIS IN THAT CASE I SAY NINT STILL ON The roll its been on for years since wii/ds /gba

  • mariokart64fan posted Mar 9, 2009 1:15 am GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    mariokart64fan

    Posted Mar 9, 2009 1:15 am GMT (hide)

    whats this sony wins hardware but nint wins software thats bAD FOR MS

  • mariokart64fan posted Mar 9, 2009 1:07 am GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    mariokart64fan

    Posted Mar 9, 2009 1:07 am GMT (hide)

    wii doing good lol ps3 wont catch up

  • CorruptGamerGX

    Posted Mar 9, 2009 12:18 am GMT

    @Jettero-Heller
    You thought wrong. But you can always download the demo from the Japanese PS Store

  • Jettero-Heller

    Posted Mar 8, 2009 11:59 pm GMT

    What the Heck!! I must be clueless here. I thought Yakuza 3 was already set for North America. Did I get that wrong??? Dang!!

  • CorruptGamerGX

    Posted Mar 8, 2009 11:56 pm GMT

    @lordrave
    English please

  • lordrave

    Posted Mar 8, 2009 11:44 pm GMT

    @ CorruptGamerGX

    You do Know by spamming here with all those Crappy stuff,
    GTH noobz.. people like you just ruined all the fun

  • Ryan-06

    Posted Mar 8, 2009 11:40 pm GMT

    Definitely! I have both Yakuza 1 and 2. Gotta see what happens in the 3rd one. Does anyone know if that's the last game? Is it a trilogy?

  • living_wmd_888

    Posted Mar 8, 2009 10:05 pm GMT

    America to Sega: Give us Yakuza 3!

  • finalstar2007

    Posted Mar 8, 2009 5:59 pm GMT

    thats awesome, hope those sales keeps on going up, and i just wish if start ocean 4 was for ps3 i mean ps3 owners want it more than the xbox owners *sigh*

  • majere613

    Posted Mar 8, 2009 5:57 pm GMT

    @X-RS- You do know PS3 games are region-free, don't you? The problem with Yakuza3 is that it's in Japanese, not that western PS3s won't play it, afaik.

  • Kashiwaba

    Posted Mar 8, 2009 5:19 pm GMT

    Go go go go sega bring this overseas we want it

  • Armed92

    Posted Mar 8, 2009 5:01 pm GMT

    I want to post a link to a petition for bringing Yakuza 3 to the west:
    http://www.petitiononline.com/yakuza/petition.html
    Everyone who want to try to convince SEGA to localize it, please sign (and/or buy Yakuza 2). Thanks

  • CodyTG

    Posted Mar 8, 2009 3:20 pm GMT

    I could only hope Sega would return to the console market. Maybe make the NEXT generation console first before the next Xbox and PS. I would SO buy another Sega console. I loved the Dreamcast.

  • X-RS

    Posted Mar 8, 2009 2:41 pm GMT

    They need to remove region lock to make better profits on games as well as greater consumer satisfaction.

    SCEA also has to not be a douche about having games getting ported (kof's,growlanser,2d games in gerneal,etc.)

  • TookieMix

    Posted Mar 8, 2009 2:05 pm GMT

    They need to Bring Yakuza 3 to America

  • X-RS

    Posted Mar 8, 2009 1:54 pm GMT

    wow, kof sold more in a week tham star ocean!?!?
    O.o

  • brendanhunt1

    Posted Mar 8, 2009 1:47 pm GMT

    no surprise here

  • arcelonious

    Posted Mar 8, 2009 11:37 am GMT

    @glitchgeeman

    "Wow, the Japanese sure love their local crimelords and Japanified renditions of ancient warriors from Chinese historical lore."

    It's not like Japanese are the only people who enjoy stuff like that. The popularity of Grand Theft Auto alone shows how much the western countries are interested in our own criminal underworld, not to mention the many popular movies based on the mafia, such as the Godfather, Good Fellas, Casino, and so on.

    And don't forget about 300, a popular movie that is basically a retelling of an ancient Greek battle that was written by an American author. Or movies like Troy, that depict another Greek poem (Homer's Illiad), yet everyone in the movie is speaking English.

    In short, it's not a nationality thing. People of all cultures are interested in things such as crime syndicates, historical tales, and so on.

  • EnaVRi

    Posted Mar 8, 2009 11:33 am GMT

    CorruptgamerGX... Nice Job Buddy!

  • glitchgeeman

    Posted Mar 8, 2009 10:54 am GMT

    Wow, the Japanese sure love their local crimelords and Japanified renditions of ancient warriors from Chinese historical lore. I suppose it's like their love of Ace Combat and Monster Hunter.

    Lucky them though, they already have Mario & Luigi 3, I've been looking forward to that for months.

  • tudyniuz

    Posted Mar 8, 2009 10:01 am GMT

    Yakuza 3 is awesome

  • ecko1o1

    Posted Mar 8, 2009 9:43 am GMT

    That cover art for Yakuza 3 is epic.

  • billyjunxix

    Posted Mar 8, 2009 9:17 am GMT

    Wow..here comes PS3. The real king is here.

  • Mason-McGlasson

    Posted Mar 8, 2009 8:25 am GMT

    SalarianChemist, I don't agree with you either

    "But the one thing you should never do is make games exclusively for the worst-selling system this generation--"

    360 has been out a whole year before PS3 launched and PS3 is only behind by less than 7million units and your calling it the worst selling system? Just wait until they drop the price of ps3 and stop making ps2's. Watch what happens to Sony's ps3 sales vs 360 in all regions. PS3 will be just like the ps2.

  • Mason-McGlasson

    Posted Mar 8, 2009 8:22 am GMT

    @ricardo-sene 360 will never be a failure. However once ps3 passes the 360 in world wide sales this year or next year it will mean PS3 out sold 360 (at a higher unit price) with 360 having a year head start. Proving the 360 is in last place in next gen console wars. PS3 will go on to sell like the PS2 the worlds best selling console ever, but probably wont pass ps2 if they keep selling ps2's.

  • ricardo-sene

    Posted Mar 8, 2009 7:55 am GMT

    I'd like to post one more think here..

    What is success and what is a failure when we talk about the sales of a game? In Japan, Wii and DS is a success, I guess everyone agrees with this... And we know that the 360 is the worst-selling system in this market... But only this fact make a system a failure? The fact is that the PS3 is selling more in Japan ( in this week, for exemple, it's selling more than 3x, in comparasion with 360). No doubt that Sony's sucess is more that 360.. But only this makes the 360 a failure? What should be considered as a failure?
    Make your comments..

  • hannify

    Posted Mar 8, 2009 7:44 am GMT

    FORGET YAKUZA AND DO SHENMUE III - IM DIEING HERE SEGA!!!!

  • ricardo-sene

    Posted Mar 8, 2009 7:40 am GMT

    SalarianChemist, I don't agree with you when you say

    "But the one thing you should never do is make games exclusively for the worst-selling system this generation--"

    Exclusives are a good thing for us, the gamers, and for the industry in general.

    For example, the 360 is the worst-selling system in Japan, ok?

    What should microsoft do to try to make the 360 sell more in Japan? They're doing right in releasing exclusives for they console, it's the only thing they can do to try to make the 360 to sell more.. (I'm in no doubt that MS gave to Enix lots of $$$ for that exclusives games, thats why I told MS releases theses games). Because if they haven't did this, the 360 would be selling less... If you're a Microsft director, what should you do to change that situation?

    And Sony don't think different. They lost some exclusives that helped the 360 sell more worldwide (FF XIII is just one exemple). I if you're a Sony company, what should you do? One of the things is to to hold your exclusives.

    Now for CorruptGamerGX.. You told that is unfair to compare the graphics of Lost Ocean (a finished game) with FFXIII (an unfinished game). You're right in this point..

    But.... is unfair too to compare the sales of a BIG game like MSG4 of RE with ace combat, for exemple. It's like comparing HALO 3 or GOW with dinasty warriors in america...

    I can't think in a fair comparasion right now, but even Yakuza or Killlzone 2 can't be compared in the japanese market - japanese loves Yakuza series and they don't care for Killzone.

  • AzelKosMos

    Posted Mar 8, 2009 7:03 am GMT

    *prays for UK release of Yakuza*

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