Japanese Charts: Super Mario Maker 2 Still Top As Nintendo Takes Nine Of Top Ten

I love that the only other entry is ALSO on Switch

Mildly interesting (I won't be reading too much into it) that Oninaki sold slightly better on PS4 than Switch, but it looks like PS4 owners didn't have a lot else competing for their money

The calm before the storm for Switch sales.

I wonder why hardware sales are down, oh yeah maybe something to do with the Switch Lite coming out in under a month!

Wlel think it also has to do with the fact most people got mm2 and astral chains outthis week, dragon quest out next month oninaki sold well in switch but mm2 sold better so people wanted that more than oninaki. And the ps4 owners look like that's all they had to buy

That entire top 10 is awful sales.

Xbox One X: 33 (16,417)
Xbox One S: 12 (18,845)

These numbers can't be right? If so, lucky Microsoft are making money elsewhere...

@Spoony_Tech I hope so.

@Agramonte Japan is a smaller country, so comparing it to NA or EU it would be not be as large as those two.

@Anri02 When Japan get excited about games they move them well above these numbers.

This is just they have games most people who wanted already got or mediocre new ones most do not care about as choices.

@Anri02 Plus it's a dead time of year.

@gcunit This has been a trend for a while. PS4 versions generally debut better, but Switch versions have better legs and end up selling more. An example that comes to mind is Dragon Quest Builders 2.

Oninaki is actually number one selling game this week as it outsold mm2 by about what 4000 units...I'm bad at math. Not as bad as nintendo life tho.

@andjahiam I guess they’re counting the two SKU’s as different games for some reason.

Oninaki sold more on PS4 bc PS4 owners are like "Yes! New game! New game!"...meanwhile Switch owners are like...."meh, I'll try to find time to fit it in my backlog"

@frabbit yes these sales are generally true when dealing with console garbage

@frabbit Japan hates Microsoft. The Xbox has never sold well there.

I can't wait to see next month's sales. The Bank Apocalypse is upon us!!!

@Bizzyb I remember last year when I was saying the reverse. These things happen in cycles.

bet five months it will take super mario maker 2 in second third..

I'd say PS4 gamers are more about big budget games, and the end of the year is coming, meaning there's probably a bunch on the way (I haven't been looking nto that lately, my PS4 is now what all my previous PS's became: a movie player - with VR compatibility this time, and some massively enjoyable games because of that, that could never run on the current Switch VR capabilities).
Switch games are more relying on being "evergreen" first-party games, or being spread out more evenly with less big budget titles.

@ricklongo which chart did you see for dqb2 sales cause I saw it sell most on switch from the start.

And from what I've seen, which ever sold most 1st week, will almost always sell better from then on. Kill la kill, the Atelier games, and that doa game come to mind for PS4, while that olympics game and Attack on Titan 2 sold more on switch and remained that way the following weeks.

look at those appalling Xbox One sales lol Microsoft just be dreading the Xbox Scarlett inevitable release in Japan

I am quite surprised that Fire Emblem Three Houses is not doing better than it has been in Japan. It is definitely in my top three favorite Switch games along with Zelda Breath of the Wild and Super Smash Bros Ultimate.

@KBuckley27 I don't even know why they're bothering...

With the Switch Lite coming out soon and with school starting back up in Japan next week, it's no real surprise that sales are a little down.

On a side note, summer break in Japan isn't at all like the US, kids get a lot of mandatory homework and still are expected to attend school in the morning for club activities. They even had a day of standardized testing. The only break they really get is no regular classes. I teach here, and I think it sucks for them.

@Cameron_Talley Microsoft did do "okay" with 360 in Japan, selling about 1.6 million units. At one point MS had a deal with some idol anime games as exclusive titles on their system in Japan - idol anime and culture is niche but a really big niche in Japan. But when the studios couldn't agree on the deal anymore MS pulled out of the deal and those games went back the Sony (and largely the Vita apparently) and MS lost the one thing they had in Japan to make the Xbox more than "the American Playstation"

I think some are waiting for the Switch Lite. Mario Maker 2 is a megahit. Fire Emblem is still doing well. Astral Chain will be no1 next week. With about 50k in sales.

I just can't get over how Japan is no longer a handheld centered country anymore! I mean since Switch is only a home console that replaced the failed Wii U (a home console as well), not a handheld since it's not replacing 3DS, it means a home console is dominating Japan since the Famicom!

@gamefreak77 I would say the Switch has replaced both WiiU and 3DS. It's a hybrid. And the 3DS sales has gone down because of it. I bet the Switch Lite, which is a dedicated handheld, will sell a lot in Japan.

Also take into account the sadly (because of all the s****y microtransactions) growing mobile games market.

@USWITCH64,

No the Switch lite's imminent release has nothing to do with it,as it's a stripped down version of the Nintendo switch that will never sell,well at least that's what the internet forum posting minorities seem the think anyway.

@Quarth,

The 3DS's sales were declining before the Switch was released,the console is ancient and has received very little support from Nintendo for ages now,even though they do keep releasing statements saying it still has their full support while not actually supporting it with games.

There will however be a very big portion of the 3DS user base that will not have jumped to the Switch just yet,the Switch lite and New Pokemon titles will give them a much bigger incentive.

@johnvboy but then I read in here the new Pokemon is an absolute shambles? Combined with the confusion regarding the handheld Switch Lite, this could be Nintendo’s worst end of year yet. Plus as you see above the PS4 version of Oninaki absolutely destroyed the Switch version in sales which proves it’s all about power, it’s safe to say the bubble has burst.

@WiltonRoots,

The new Pokemon game will sell like hot cakes and will boost both normal and Switch lite sales,it's only the internet forum posting/YouTube minorities that are up in arms about the game,and at the same time claiming that everybody else agrees with them,just like they claimed nobody would buy the Pokemon let's go games before they were released,I would not pay too much attention to these moaners...errr i mean fans.

@WiltonRoots,

On the point of console power,Nintendo were very wise to go along the mobile chip route as the tech is advancing so fast that power will be not as much of an issue as time goes by.

We have already got to a stage of diminishing returns with graphics,and just look at the sales of the Ps4 pro compared to the normal version and you will see that even in that market people are not as obsessed with graphics and frame rates.

But of course our only benchmark for opinions on this matter are from internet forums who are very influenced by a consoles performance,so in their opinion the Nintendo Switch's sales will dip when the next generation consoles are released,in reality of course this will not happen as the wider mass console buying public will continue to buy the Switch for what it is,the same way they have been continuing to buy it despite the existence of the Ps4 pro and Xbox one X.

@johnvboy Yeah, that's true. Will be interesting to see the Switch Lite numbers later. I will probably get one myself, not at launch, but eventually.

Also I think the Pkmn game will be great!

@johnvboy We have a lot of people in here who think they speak for everybody, everyone has 3 consoles, a 55" minimum 4k HDR TV, VR, a gaming rig and buys the latest graphics card when it comes out. These people live in a bubble where they only talk to other people in similar bubbles.

@WiltonRoots,

Without a doubt fella,and how many times on multiple threads on various forums have they been proved wrong time and time again,the NeoGaf "Do you think the Nintendo Switch will be a success" is hilarious.

@johnvboy not to mention their legendary thread on Splatoon. A lot of people here didn’t give it a hope in hell either.

@WiltonRoots,

It's like you said they look at the whole console market and assume it's all the exact same demographic,people who spend a large portion of spare time playing and discussing video games,when in reality this portion of the overall market is very small,there are far more people within the market that like video games as well,but they also have other things to do with their lives too.

And as you pointed out because we only get mostly the core obsessives on internet forums and posting comments/watching video game content on YouTube etc,we only get a very narrow view on video game related topics.

@Judal27 Here: http://www.pushsquare.com/news/2018/12/japanese_sales_charts_dragon_quest_builders_2_sells_best_on_ps4_but_cant_beat_smash

Like I said, this has been somewhat common. There's a weekly Japanese Charts thread on Resetera where this phenomenon has been well documented.

@johnvboy Had a peek, Splatoon first impressions on here - https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2014/06/first_impressions_taking_aim_with_nintendos_new_online_shooter_ip_splatoon#comment2461428

Someone had an ALMIGHTY meltdown over it...lol

@WiltonRoots,

Always the same fella,people proved wrong time and time again,only to come back with the same complaints thread after thread.

@johnvboy Also good to see people on this site who I think are cool were still cool back then.

@johnvboy so the Switch lite isn't going to sell well? What have you been smoking to come up with this baseless theory? I predict it will sell sh@tloads and my name is not Nostradamus!

@USWITCH64,

My original post.

"No the Switch lite's imminent release has nothing to do with it,as it's a stripped down version of the Nintendo switch that will never sell,well at least that's what the internet forum posting minorities seem the think anyway."

I think it will sell loads fella,I pointed out certain people on these forums thought it would not sell well,just read my posts a little more carefully and you will see.

@ricklongo oh wow I didn't even see that post on push square. But nah, I still think it's whichever sells most 1st week, stays the best selling version. Another example for both platforms is super robot wars on PS4 and chocobos mystery dungeon on switch.