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Big in Japan Jan. 4-10: Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep

Square Enix's latest keyblade quest sells nearly 450,000, pushing PSP to top of hardware chart.

Even before its release, Square Enix's Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep for the PSP was already receiving accolades in Japan, taking home the Future Award as part of the 2009 Tokyo Game Show. Now, the game has proven to be a commercial success as well, ousting New Super Mario Bros. Wii from the top spot in Media Create's weekly sales chart for January 4-10 by selling 445,962 units upon its debut.

Cinderella's stylist is of the old-timey persuasion.

Cinderella's stylist is of the old-timey persuasion.

Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep proved to be the only newcomer to break into the top 10 of Media Create's software sales chart during the period. Beyond New Super Mario Bros. Wii's continued strong sales of 158,994, Nintendo's other perennial chart toppers Tomodachi Collection and Wii Fit Plus sold respective 93,912 and 53,569 units during the first full week of the decade. The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks on the DS rounded out the top five with 48,518 units sold.

Following its million-unit debut, Final Fantasy XIII for the PlayStation 3 posted an additional 41,663 units sold, while Pokemon HeartGold/SoulSilver tag-teamed for 37,283 units. Rounding out the chart were Inazuma Eleven 2 - Fire/Blizzard, Wii Sports Resort, and Phantasy Star Portable 2.

Kingdom Hearts gave the PSP a substantial bump, as Sony's portable shifted 145,682 units on the week. The Wii posted 76,772 units, edging out the PlayStation 3's 61,591 unit performance. The DSi, DSI XL (known as LL in Japan), and DS Lite fell in line, selling 50,178 units, 45,221 units, and 10,067 units, respectively. The Xbox 360 took up its customary position low on the chart with 5,461 units, slipping past the PlayStation 2's 3,092 tally. The PSP Go, which continues to struggle in Japan, sold 2,841 units.

JAPAN GAME SALES WEEK OF JANUARY 4-10, 2010
Software:
Rank / Title / Publisher / Platform / Unit sales
1) Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep / Square Enix / PSP / 445,962
2) New Super Mario Bros. Wii / Nintendo / Wii / 158,994
3) Tomodachi Collection / Nintendo / DS / 93,912
4) Wii Fit Plus / Nintendo / Wii / 53,569
5) The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks / Nintendo / DS / 48,518
6) Final Fantasy XIII / Square Enix / PS3 / 41,663
7) Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver / Nintendo / DS / 37,283
8) Inazuma Eleven 2: Kyoui no Shinryokusha - Fire and Blizzard / Level 5 / DS / 36,634
9) Wii Sports Resort / Nintendo / Wii / 32,738
10) Phantasy Star Portable 2 / Sega / PSP / 26,775

Hardware:
PSP - 145,682
Wii - 76,772
PS3 - 61,591
DSi - 50,178
DSi LL - 45,221
DS Lite - 10,067
Xbox 360 - 5,461
PS2 - 3,092
PSP Go - 2,841

91 Comments

  • PS3_MidwestKing

    Posted Jan 24, 2010 1:10 pm GMT

    PSP Go, Go bye bye

  • Orihime89

    Posted Jan 21, 2010 1:04 pm GMT

    @ cillerboy
    Sony is making a ps2 emulater u'll be able to download it this summer

  • Orihime89

    Posted Jan 21, 2010 1:04 pm GMT

    Kingdom Hearts for the win I can't wait for 3 to get announced @ E3

  • SonicEXE

    Posted Jan 19, 2010 3:28 pm GMT

    i'd like to point out this is actually the 5th kingdom hearts game, 6th if you count the remake of Chain of Memories (this isn't including cellphone games). There's Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories (GBA) Kingdom Hearts 2, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days (DS), and now Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep (PSP)

    Just to point out to those who say this is the 4th one, not sure if you're missin 358/2 or chain of memories =D (Both actually really good too)

  • Cillerboy

    Posted Jan 19, 2010 1:43 pm GMT

    oops i meant they shud have spent money developin PSPGo on gettin ps2 games to work on ps3's

  • roge666

    Posted Jan 19, 2010 12:12 pm GMT

    i wonder which kind of game that "tomodachi" is

  • denicola_a_god

    Posted Jan 19, 2010 10:07 am GMT

    we need birth by sleep in the us

  • Megavideogamer

    Posted Jan 19, 2010 9:47 am GMT

    Kingdom Hearts BBS is a must buy for me. Sora Donald Goofy... I just eat that stuff up. The only thing I can see "wrong" with this Kingdom Hearts game is with the PSP having only one analog stick/nub would make playing this a tad more difficult than the three KH games on PS2. Hopefully KH BBS will be released here soon.

  • maxsteel86

    Posted Jan 19, 2010 6:37 am GMT

    Good to see PSP Go sales doing so poorly. I was worried they were gonna phase out the PSP altogether in favour of the PSP Go.

  • CapedCod

    Posted Jan 19, 2010 6:31 am GMT

    Yeah...I guess I'll have to bite the bullet and buy a PSP if I'm going to see this story play out. Besides that, though, the thing's pretty well useless.

  • krelmmaster

    Posted Jan 19, 2010 1:11 am GMT

    So there are now 4 KH titles on 3 different consoles, with the story of each apparently tying into each other. That is the pinnacle of retardation right there.

  • NOscope42

    Posted Jan 18, 2010 12:20 pm GMT

    and a KH 1 and 2 blue ray for people who did not play it...like god of war collection!!!!!!!

  • NOscope42

    Posted Jan 18, 2010 12:18 pm GMT

    when is my PS3 kingdom hearts coming.........hmmmmmm?

  • flyingteddy

    Posted Jan 18, 2010 12:01 pm GMT

    @Dualmask,
    Yeah but look at the PSP numbers, I think the Birth By Sleep bundle was on the 3000 not the Go.

  • Dualmask

    Posted Jan 18, 2010 10:49 am GMT

    Wow, more Japanese folks are buying Xbox 360s than PSP Gos. Just wow.

  • shamarke

    Posted Jan 18, 2010 5:19 am GMT

    PSP Go LMAO!

  • mr_winklebottom

    Posted Jan 17, 2010 5:31 pm GMT

    for all the people saying, lets get kh3 already, their a little busy with that little game, o wat was it call again, final fantasy versus 13, they are people, not miracle workers, givem a break

  • KaizerJinn

    Posted Jan 17, 2010 4:00 pm GMT

    definite must buy. =)

  • simplypowerfull

    Posted Jan 17, 2010 2:41 pm GMT

    Kingdom Hearts is simply powerfull!!!!!!
    So, when exactly is Birth by Sleep being released in the Europa?

  • Young_Charter

    Posted Jan 17, 2010 1:43 am GMT

    In the long run SE is making it's hit list

  • keyblade42

    Posted Jan 16, 2010 7:58 pm GMT

    Yeah this is oldish news(to me anyway, I've been following this game very closely). But it's good to see the actual number of sales. I will most definitely be pre-ordering Birth by Sleep. If only if they would announce the NA release date already.

  • nintendo-naut

    Posted Jan 16, 2010 7:47 pm GMT

    Oh man, please let BBS get an NA release date soon.

  • Cillerboy

    Posted Jan 16, 2010 2:46 pm GMT

    they sudda spent the money developing PSPGo on gettin ps2 games to play on ps2's durrrrr

  • shadowysea07

    Posted Jan 16, 2010 2:38 pm GMT

    not surprised considering how many people were waiting for this game. hopefully it'll be released in the us and uk this summer. it'd be pretty disapointing if they didn't localize it.

  • Sirbobislost

    Posted Jan 16, 2010 1:34 pm GMT

    good old square enix giving the psp some great titles and getting those hardware sales up just like with dissidia and crisis core (easily my favourite psp games)

    now lets hope they see some sense and release it here soon and KH3 would be lovely

  • MareInfinitus

    Posted Jan 16, 2010 1:15 pm GMT

    So, when exactly is Birth by Sleep being released in the U.S.?

  • KrunkMastaX

    Posted Jan 16, 2010 12:14 pm GMT

    Bah! Give me Kingdom Hearts 3 dammit! To hell with all these expansions and ports!

  • CoreoVII

    Posted Jan 16, 2010 11:25 am GMT

    Finally...a quality PSP game....

  • VXLbeast

    Posted Jan 16, 2010 11:10 am GMT

    Of course the Go is struggling. They try to shove all digital media down our throats, but we don't want it.

  • guichan

    Posted Jan 16, 2010 10:54 am GMT

    and devoid27 yes they do cut stuff from KH to like those two for ps 2 are only released in japanese ( plus )

  • guichan

    Posted Jan 16, 2010 10:52 am GMT

    Square Enix really makes the difference I dont wanna another KH soon , because I want to play it on a Nintendo console

  • Macdaddy0

    Posted Jan 16, 2010 10:42 am GMT

    lmfao. Wow... Xbox does abysmal in Japan for real. KH3 needs to atleast be announced cuz when I destroy BBS in 2 days cuz I have no life, I'ma be beggin for more ASAP

  • devoid27

    Posted Jan 16, 2010 10:18 am GMT

    @kamizuka If you want only FF characters, then buy FF Dissidia for ur PSP. It's real good

  • devoid27

    Posted Jan 16, 2010 10:15 am GMT

    @ Darth_Nater307 Why all the good games come out in Japan first? Well because all the game you stated are Japanese? Square Enix is Japanese you know that right? 1st they release the game in Japan, then the sell it straight away. Before they sell it in Europe, they have to translate the game in 20 different languages before selling. And also the Japanese FF's are never the same as the EURO versions. Japanese delete some characters, levels and bonuses from Euro versions and keep them for themselves. They don't do that with Kingdom Hearts though.

  • UnitedGamerz

    Posted Jan 16, 2010 10:13 am GMT

    @Kenrocc Dude square gots to say something about kh3 after birth by sleep comes out for us this summer Oh yeah that game was freakin awesome.

  • coldsauce09

    Posted Jan 16, 2010 10:06 am GMT

    why squareenix games sell so well? cuz its not a game that can be beaten in 6 hours or 10 hours.. its game that needs effort and time!

  • Jak_Napier

    Posted Jan 16, 2010 9:55 am GMT

    Id like it to be released elsewhere, and also id like to hear any news regarding the current state of a possible Kingdom Hearts 3.

  • shorty0785

    Posted Jan 16, 2010 9:36 am GMT

    hope fully it comes to the US

  • lhscouchmonster

    Posted Jan 16, 2010 9:28 am GMT

    psp go sales were awful lol. Xbox does poorly in japan, i didnt know that xbox did THAT bad though...

  • Darth_Nater307

    Posted Jan 16, 2010 8:47 am GMT

    Why must all the good games come out in Japan first? I mean, think about it, "Super Smash Bros. Brawl", "Street Fighter IV", "Bayonetta", "Final Fantasy XIII", I can go on forever! I just wish all games would share the same release date, wether they are sold overseas or not.

  • StJimmy15

    Posted Jan 16, 2010 8:45 am GMT

    Dude... I'd almost forgotten about Kingdom Hearts its been so long. Sweet that they finally released it on the PSP. It was weird that they would release the major games on the Playstation but the sub-story games on Nintedo's handhelds. Heres hoping its awesome when it hits the US.

  • RitterXplode

    Posted Jan 16, 2010 7:25 am GMT

    Force PSP!!! Hehehe.
    I find it interesting. It outsold all the DS's!
    And LOL @ X360 and PSP Go.

  • TevoxZi

    Posted Jan 16, 2010 4:21 am GMT

    @kamizuka
    I agree that there's a little too much Disney in the game compared to how much there is of Square, but it's still an awesome game that I'm anticipating for. I really hope Kingdom Hearts 3 is already in work.

  • kamizuka

    Posted Jan 16, 2010 4:12 am GMT

    Holy crap i want kingdom hearts!! the game play is really good and the storyline is awesome yet i hate it being a game for children (damn you disney!) it would be awesome if it was only FF characters

  • linksmario

    Posted Jan 16, 2010 3:51 am GMT

    They should abbondon PSP go and shift more attention towards psp, it seems to be selling very well

  • IC3pod

    Posted Jan 16, 2010 3:30 am GMT

    @ all the people whining that it hasn't come out in the US

    well now you know what the EU feels like

  • pakrulz

    Posted Jan 16, 2010 2:35 am GMT

    Good numbers the PSP desperately needs!

  • soulless4now

    Posted Jan 16, 2010 1:11 am GMT

    Go Kingdom Hearts! I knew it would sell well, but I'm actually surprised it beat out Mario. That's a shocker.

  • DaGamingDude

    Posted Jan 16, 2010 12:51 am GMT

    psp go is failing indeed...if it failed in japan, i'm afraid of its failure in US and EU...

  • Zerosumgame

    Posted Jan 16, 2010 12:47 am GMT

    PSPgo is for the affluent, it is not for everyone.

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