3 DS Retail Japan

The results for last week's sales in Japan are here thanks to Media Create, and they bring pleasing news of hardware sales increasing for both 3DS and Wii U. It may be a peak before a notable dip, however, as Sales Tax in Japan increased from 5% to 8% in 1st April; many likely rushed ahead with expensive purchases, such as games systems, before the increase took effect.

To start with the software top 20, Mario Party: Island Tour has shown decent momentum and has now passed 200,000 physical retail sales in its first two weeks — it's been pushed off top spot by new Vita arrival Hatsune Miku: Project Diva F 2nd. Yo-kai Watch continues its impressive run while New Love Plus+ is a newcomer in 7th place; 3DS software has lost some of its dominance in recent weeks, however, with a high number of arrivals on Sony systems. The top 20 is below with lifetime sales (physical retail only) in brackets.

1. [PSV] Hatsune Miku Project Diva F 2nd – 98,628 (New)
2. [3DS] Mario Party: Island Tour – 78,098 (210,767)
3. [PS3] Hatsune Miku Project Diva F 2nd – 59,965 (New)
4. [3DS] Yokai Watch – 48,345 (662,724)
5. [PS3] Samurai Warriors 4 – 46,490 (166,942)
6. [PS3] Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes – 38,617 (158,232)
7. [3DS] New Love Plus+ – 31,258 (New)
8. [PS3] J-Stars Victory VS – 25,300 (143,540)
9. [PSV] J-Stars Victory VS – 24,825 (122,646)
10. [PSV] Hakuoki SSL: Sweet School Life – 21,640 (New)
11. [PSV] Samurai Warriors 4 – 19,596 (59,193)
12. [PS3] Winning Post 8 – 19,156 (New)
13. [PS3] Dark Souls II – 17,771 (310,253)
14. [PS3] Pro Yakyuu Spirits 2014 – 16,897 (80,795)
15. [PSP] Pro Yakyuu Spirits 2014 – 14,877 (42,700)
16. [3DS] Kirby: Triple Deluxe – 12,966 (120,379)
17. [3DS] Kaseki Horider: Mugen Gear – 12,966 (120,379)
18. [PS4] Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes – 12,374 (104,277)
19. [PSV] Winning Post 8 – 12,120 (New)
20. [PSV] Atelier Ayesha Plus: The Alchemist of Dusk – 11,663 (New)

The hardware results show that aforementioned sales bump across the board, with eager shoppers getting in ahead of the rise in tax. The 3DS LL (XL) was the biggest beneficiary with a substantial increase to over 50,000 units to reclaim the number one spot, while the Wii U enjoyed a jump back into five figures. In worrying signs for Sony the PS4 was the only system to suffer a drop; the results are below with last week's sales in brackets.

3DS LL – 52,124 (28,291)
PlayStation Vita – 39,752 (35,374)
PlayStation 4 – 23,327 (30,201)
PlayStation 3 – 17,154 (15,455)
Wii U – 13,026 (9,982)
3DS – 12,508 (11,985)
PSP – 4,206 (3,563)
PlayStation Vita TV – 2,115 (1,754)
Xbox 360 – 304 (288)

A strong week for Nintendo in terms of hardware sales, with the 3DS prospering ahead of a potential all-round drop in the coming weeks due to increased taxation; it's pleasing to see the Wii U climb for the second consecutive week, too.

[source gematsu.com]