The Japanese launch of Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call allowed the Nintendo 3DS XL to double its weekly sales total, but on the whole the Japanese games market remains stuck in something of a rut, with hardware sales at a five year low in the period between April 14th to 20th.
Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call sold 80,523 copies, earning second place in the all-format chart behind Bandai Namco's PS Vita RPG Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment, which shifted an impressive 145,029 units.
However, the launch of the game gave its host console a boost, with the 3DS XL (or LL as it is known in Japan) retailing 27,914 consoles — a jump from the 14,023 units sold the previous week. The original 3DS model sold 6,073 units in the same period, while the struggling Wii U could only manage 5,710 consoles.
Elsewhere in the software chart, Level-5's Yokai Watch and Mario Party: Island Tour continued to post decent figures, selling 43,136 and 15,654 copies respectively.
Here's the all-formats top ten, with lifetime sales in brackets:
- 1. [PSV] Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment (Bandai Namco, 04/24/14) - 145,029 (New)
- 2. [3DS] Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call (Square Enix, 04/24/14) - 80,523 (New)
- 3. [3DS] Yokai Watch (Level-5, 07/11/13) - 43,136 (798,046)
- 4. [3DS] Mario Party: Island Tour (Nintendo, 03/20/14) - 15,654 (320,489)
- 5. [PS3] 3rd Super Robot Wars Z: Jigoku Hen (Bandai Namco, 04/10/14) - 12,240 (186,396)
- 6. [Wii U] Famicom Remix 1+2 (04/24/14) - 11,079 (New)
- 7. [PSV] BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma (04/24/14) - 10,709 (New)
- 8. [PSV] 3rd Super Robot Wars Z: Jigoku Hen (Bandai Namco, 04/10/14) - 8,678 (154,669)
- 9. [3DS] Ace Attorney 123: Wright Selection (04/17/14, Capcom) - 6,473 (33,398)
- 10. [PS3] Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes (Konami, 03/20/14) - 6,444 (204,498)
And here's the hardware chart, with last week's sales in brackets:
- 1. 3DS LL - 27,914 (14,023)
- 2. PlayStation Vita - 22,394 (17,905)
- 3. PlayStation 4 - 12,712 (14,396)
- 4. PlayStation 3 - 6,726 (6,468)
- 5. 3DS - 6,073 (5,920)
- 6. Wii U - 5,710 (5,204)
- 7. PSP - 1,957 (2,094)
- 8. PlayStation Vita TV - 1,548 (1,133)
- 9. Xbox 360 - 242 (240)
[source gamesindustry.biz]
Comments 20
The Wii U is surrounded by outdated hardware, being so low in the charts. Mario Kart 8 cant come soon enough.
Sword Art Online game, you say?
Excuse me as I purchase another system.
Nice to see the NES Remix 1 and 2 disc edition in the top ten, though.
I didn't know NES Remix 1&2 came to retail in Japan, and nice numbers for Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call.
This market is dead and has moved onto mobile. Both consumers and publishers. The PS4 will obviously rise over time, but its hard for me to see anything else having real momentum in this market. Hopefully Nintendo takes this into consideration when making their next gen hardware.
@MAN1AC ? In about the past 4 weeks or so just like that ? - There is no good releases and before the tax hike the existing stuff people probably bought.
(Japan still has the lions share of all 3DS games sold).
Ever since that tax increase, sales have been down.
@MAN1AC "The PS4 will obviously rise over time"
...You mean outside of Japan, right?
Right?
RIGHT?!
I'm not sure if you know, but you seem to know Japan's market so well so I'm sure you do, but they don't give a crap about home consoles any more.
Has Japan announced an MK8 Wii U bundle? They seem to announce Wii U bundles for everything else. I think we'll notice when that game releases regardless. Until then zzzzzzzzzzzzzz
@rjejr Good question.
@MAN1AC I respectfully disagree. I think the Japanese just generally dislike "pew pew pew, dadadadadadad, boom!!! Boom!! katatatatatatata" games. All the PS4 is offering right now are those games, hence low sales. As for the Wii U, the amount of negative press is enough to keep customers away. Lets hope MK8 and Smash can turn the negativity around.
When they launch something else (good ones of course), the sales just soars. Look at sword art online and TFF, in mere 6 days they reach such numbers. Considering their population, that is quite a feat.
I also remember vaguely that Gundam Extreme VS sold close to 400k units 1 month after release. Considering the niche market Gundam is, that is a impressing number!
Maybe time to bring the 2DS over there...or even a all new 3DS Model.
@Hy8ogen the...japs?
@Tsuchinoko Erm...yea..?
@Hy8ogen That's viewed as a deragatory term to people of Japanese heritage. I know it was an accident, but you should refrain from using that word. It could mean trouble in places other than Nintendo Life.
@NavySpheal Yikes, Thanks for the heads up!
...Why is SAO that popular? It's so... cheesy. XD
@Fireninjastar Lol I thought the same thing, if it gets localised I'll be rebuying a Vita to play it, providing its good of course. Still waiting for Attack on Titan to be localised...
@TwilightV Cuz Kirito OP.
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