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Famitsu Sales: Week 25 (06/14/21 – 06/20/21)

Derift

Member
There's also the theory that a lot of PS5s get scalped and shipped overseas. Nobody really knows why software sales are so bad though.
i personally think the scalping situation is overblown... dont they use a lottery system in japan? i highly doubt that the majority of ps5s are being scalped.... i remmember also hearing that PS+ has had alot of new subs with the release of PS5 so that would also go to show that these systems are actually going to people and not just being stored in peoples storage units....
 
I've seen it several times on Resetera. Here's an example.

https://www.resetera.com/threads/media-create-sales-week-17-2021-apr-26-may-02.423470/page-7

Speculation was big in that thread because Returnal only sold 6k copies in its release week (and only sold half of the stock that was available on the shelves).
So some random person on the Internet had a quick theory with absolutely zero evidence to support it, but we bump it up to a "serious rumor" status?
 
S

SpongebobSquaredance

Unconfirmed Member
Software sales are low because there aren't many games catering to the Japanese crowd. Cannibalizing Japan Studio and the whole X/O-button fiasco certainly didn't help either.
 
My first post about this literally starts with "there's also a theory".
It's a dumb theory. Why would people be paying to ship PS5s overseas when PS5 is sold out everywhere and in high demand already?

But, with that logic, you can say "there's a theory" with any argument you want.
 
It's a dumb theory. Why would people be paying to ship PS5s overseas when PS5 is sold out everywhere and in high demand already?

But, with that logic, you can say "there's a theory" with any argument you want.
Maybe they pay more overseas, who knows. People are just looking for reasons why software sales are bad.
 
Maybe they pay more overseas, who knows. People are just looking for reasons why software sales are bad.
How would there being MORE PS5s in Japan explain lower software sales there?

I get the feeling you just like looking for reasons for express "concern" for PS5 software sales.
 
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Derift

Member
The scalping theory might not be the correct one, but the disconnect between PS5 hardware and software in Japan is interesting and I don't think we have a firm understanding of why yet.
i think its pretty obvious there just aren't any games that interest the Japanese yet...i dont think they care much for spiderman or ratchet and clank maybe demon souls but even in japan thats a niche title... im pretty certain they are just playing there ps4 games on ps5 like most of us
 

reinking

Gold Member

MrA

Banned
The scalping theory might not be the correct one, but the disconnect between PS5 hardware and software in Japan is interesting and I don't think we have a firm understanding of why yet.
Certainly is perplexing to me, especially since Japan has always had hardware driven by software
i think its pretty obvious there just aren't any games that interest the Japanese yet...i dont think they care much for spiderman or ratchet and clank maybe demon souls but even in japan thats a niche title... im pretty certain they are just playing there ps4 games on ps5 like most of us
early ps4/ps3 multiplats favored ps3, but weren't the incredibly poor ratios the ps5 has been to the ps4. yakuza inshin opened like 60 to 40 ps3/ps4, re 8 by comparison was like 75 to 25 ps4 to ps5 despite the ps5 appearing stronger and ps4 weaker
 

Azelover

Titanic was called the Ship of Dreams, and it was. It really was.
i think its pretty obvious there just aren't any games that interest the Japanese yet...i dont think they care much for spiderman or ratchet and clank maybe demon souls but even in japan thats a niche title... im pretty certain they are just playing there ps4 games on ps5 like most of us
That makes no sense to me..
 

Woopah

Member
i think its pretty obvious there just aren't any games that interest the Japanese yet...i dont think they care much for spiderman or ratchet and clank maybe demon souls but even in japan thats a niche title... im pretty certain they are just playing there ps4 games on ps5 like most of us
That's what I thought too, but then even RE Village didn't do hot on PS5. Though maybe that's because the RE brand is on decline in Japan due to the first person camera.
 

smbu2000

Member
So, guys in japan or who know about japan, if I want a PS5 and a Series X from there, what are my best options "NOW"?

Yamada Denki only does lotteries and they don't even announce the dates when the sign-ups go live and suddenly do. Yodobashi don't do lotteries and they always are out of stock. How the hell are there 16K units being moved there, if it's available nowhere? WTF? This is only for the PS5.

For the Series X, is it even available there? 3.5K units a week, where to get one of these? Or at least try?

Someone there or someone who knows, please help!
Well I got my Xbox Series X direct from the MS JP store (online), but I pre-ordered right when they opened up pre-orders there and got mine on launch day.
My friend said he saw some for sale on Amazon jp awhile back and debated picking one up but they sold out fairly quickly. I guess they randomly get stock?

I got a PS5 via lottery from my local GEO. They usually announce when they will allow entries for pre-orders (1-2 weeks) and then they choose over the following few weeks. I think I entered at the end of Dec. and then they called me and let me know that I won near the end of Jan. I had chosen in store purchase and the store I chose (close to my place) had it available for me when I went in.
Not sure if that would qualify as now.

To get one Now Now you’d probably have to get it through a reseller and pay more.
 

Derift

Member
That makes no sense to me..
What doesn't make sense? We are all pretty much playing ps4 games on our ps5s and the games we are playing aren't really appealing to the Japanese Market... its not hard to comprehend that people could really just be playing ps5 games on there ps5s
 
What doesn't make sense? We are all pretty much playing ps4 games on our ps5s and the games we are playing aren't really appealing to the Japanese Market... its not hard to comprehend that people could really just be playing ps5 games on there ps5s
Why are there massive lines at stores and insane lotteries, and why is every single console sold immediately, if they are just playing PS4 games? Why are people going out of their minds to get a console to play games that the console that they already own can play?

I'm not saying that there are PS5 games that justify this demand either necessarily (which is what is so strange about PS5 console demand to be worldwide honestly), but I really don't think PS4 games only can explain the demand. This is also why I also don't buy the arguments that people are purchasing it as a UHD player or anything else - again, this demand makes no sense for those purposes.

I would love to read the internal Sony consumer research to understand who is buying PS5s, and why. I remember early on in the PS4 life they talked about the huge demand and revealed that a significant portion of PS4 owners owned either a Wii/360 only, and even a large number owned no console at all from that gen. I wonder if there are some similar unexpected trends going on that would help explain the sales.
 

Kerotan

Member
i personally think the scalping situation is overblown... dont they use a lottery system in japan? i highly doubt that the majority of ps5s are being scalped.... i remmember also hearing that PS+ has had alot of new subs with the release of PS5 so that would also go to show that these systems are actually going to people and not just being stored in peoples storage units....
Scalpers don't lock ps5's up in storage they sell them onto consumers who then buy and use them.
 

Amin_Parker

Member
Media Create Sales: Week 24, 2021 (Jun 14 - Jun 20)

Famitsu Sales: Week 25, 2021 (Jun 14 - Jun 20)


01./01. [NSW] Game Builder Garage <EDU> (Nintendo) {2021.06.11} (¥3.164) - 31.487 / 102.728 <60-80%> (-56%)
02./05. [NSW] Ring Fit Adventure # <HOB> (Nintendo) {2019.10.18} (¥7.980) - 13.005 / 2.640.913 <80-100%> (-4%)
03./09. [NSW] Minecraft # <ADV> (Microsoft Game Studios) {2018.06.21} (¥3.600) - 12.316 / 2.007.544 <80-100%> (+6%)
04./04. [NSW] Miitopia <SLG> (Nintendo) {2021.05.21} (¥4.980) - 12.184 / 159.586 <80-100%> (-16%)
05./10. [NSW] Momotaro Dentetsu: Showa, Heisei, Reiwa mo Teiban! <TBL> (Konami) {2020.11.19} (¥6.300) - 10.393 / 2.233.900 <80-100%> (+6%)
06./11. [NSW] Mario Kart 8 Deluxe <RCE> (Nintendo) {2017.04.28} (¥5.980) - 8.957 / 3.880.206 <80-100%> (+4%)
07./07. [NSW] Monster Hunter Rise # <ACT> (Capcom) {2021.03.26} (¥7.990) - 7.787 / 2.265.122 <80-100%> (-35%)
08./12. [NSW] Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury <ACT> (Nintendo) {2021.02.12} (¥5.980) - 7.732 / 784.047 <80-100%> (-10%)
09./13. [NSW] Super Smash Bros. Ultimate # <FTG> (Nintendo) {2018.12.07} (¥7.200) - 6.656 / 4.312.498 <80-100%> (+1%)
10./15. [NSW] Animal Crossing: New Horizons # <ETC> (Nintendo) {2020.03.20} (¥5.980) - 6.094 / 6.801.696 <80-100%> (+10%)
11./16. [NSW] Super Mario Party # <ETC> (Nintendo) {2018.10.05} (¥5.980) - 4.716 / 1.914.029 <80-100%> (-10%)
12./18. [NSW] Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics <ETC> (Nintendo) {2020.06.05} (¥3.980) - 4.703 / 729.706 <80-100%> (+0%)
13./19. [NSW] Splatoon 2 # <ACT> (Nintendo) {2017.07.21} (¥5.980) - 4.211 / 3.884.824 <80-100%> (+5%)
14./23. [NSW] Pokemon Sword / Shield # <RPG> (Pokemon Co.) {2019.11.15} (¥5.980) - 4.079 / 4.067.720 <80-100%> (+15%)
15./17. [NSW] New Pokemon Snap <ACT> (Pokemon Co.) {2021.04.30} (¥5.980) - 3.717 / 243.607 <60-80%> (-22%)
16./21. [PS4] Resident Evil Village # <ADV> (Capcom) {2021.05.08} (¥7.990) - 3.662 / 186.915 <80-100%> (-3%)
17./03. [PS5] Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart <ACT> (Sony Interactive Entertainment) {2021.06.11} (¥7.900) - 3.187 / 17.850 <60-80%> (-78%)
18./28. [NSW] The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild # <ADV> (Nintendo) {2017.03.03} (¥6.980) - 2.686 / 1.826.772 <80-100%> (+38%)
19./02. [PS5] Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade <RPG> (Square Enix) {2021.06.10} (¥8.980) - 2.602 / 23.491 <60-80%> (-88%)
20./27. [NSW] Fitness Boxing 2: Rhythm & Exercise <HOB> (Imagineer) {2020.12.03} (¥5.800) - 2.403 / 111.305 <80-100%> (+21%)
21./24. [NSW] Rune Factory 5 # <SLG> (Marvelous) {2021.05.20} (¥6.980) - 2.336 / 127.968 <80-100%> (-32%)
22./06. [PS4] Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection <Ninja Gaiden Σ \ Ninja Gaiden Σ 2 \ Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge> <ACT> (Koei Tecmo) {2021.06.10} (¥4.500) - 2.273 / 14.483 <60-80%> (-81%)
23./25. [NSW] Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definitive Edition [New Price Edition] <RPG> (Square Enix) {2020.12.04} (¥4.980) - 2.157 / 107.020 <80-100%> (+5%)
24./08. [PS4] Guilty Gear: Strive # <FTG> (Arc System Works) {2021.06.11} (¥7.800) - 1.852 / 13.574 <80-100%> (-84%)
25./30. [PS4] Judgment [2][New Price Edition] <ADV> (Sega) {2021.04.23} (¥1.800) - 1.745 / 24.271 <80-100%> (-1%)
26./14. [NSW] Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection <Ninja Gaiden Σ \ Ninja Gaiden Σ 2 \ Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge> <ACT> (Koei Tecmo) {2021.06.10} (¥4.500) - 1.691 / 8.265 <60-80%> (-74%)
27./00. [NSW] Super Mario Odyssey # <ACT> (Nintendo) {2017.10.27} (¥5.980) - 1.623 / 2.241.841 <80-100%> (+11%)
28./00. [NSW] Super Mario Maker 2 # <ACT> (Nintendo) {2019.06.28} (¥5.980) - 1.543 / 1.102.573 <80-100%> (-1%)
29./00. [NSW] Human: Fall Flat <PZL> (Teyon Japan) {2020.06.25} (¥3.500) - 1.486 / 155.973 <80-100%> (+1%)
30./26. [NSW] Famicom Detective Club: The Missing Heir & The Girl Who Stands Behind Collector's Edition <Famicom Detective Club: The Missing Heir \ Famicom Detective Club: The Girl Who Stands Behind> <ADV> (Nintendo) {2021.05.14} (¥9.980) - 1.445 / 20.949 <80-100%> (-28%)

Top 30

NSW - 24
PS4 - 4
PS5 - 2



Hardware
  1. Nintendo Switch – 61.467 / 16.365.857
  2. PlayStation 5 – 13.905 / 698.420
  3. Nintendo Switch Lite – 13.610 / 3.903.023
  4. Xbox Series X – 3.141 / 39.326
  5. PlayStation 5 Digital Edition – 1.441 / 136.725
  6. PlayStation 4 – 667 / 7.792.802
  7. Xbox Series S – 543 / 13.185
  8. New Nintendo 2DS XL – 481 / 1.166.100


Source: https://www.famitsu.com/news/202106/24224898.html



Congratulations Nintendo on your Flawless Victory in the software chart as well as the hardware positioning chart.
 

Mozza

Member
i personally think the scalping situation is overblown... dont they use a lottery system in japan? i highly doubt that the majority of ps5s are being scalped.... i remmember also hearing that PS+ has had alot of new subs with the release of PS5 so that would also go to show that these systems are actually going to people and not just being stored in peoples storage units....
The whole scalping situation is overblown everywhere.
 

Azelover

Titanic was called the Ship of Dreams, and it was. It really was.
What doesn't make sense? We are all pretty much playing ps4 games on our ps5s and the games we are playing aren't really appealing to the Japanese Market... its not hard to comprehend that people could really just be playing ps5 games on there ps5s
Really? Why would I buy a PS5 now, without any games? Just to tell everybody I have one??

Makes no sense to me, but if it does to you I totally respect that..
 

noshten

Member
With Scarlet Nexus debut below 30K we can revisit the expectations for their year and revise them further down.
Just revising my post from earlier in the year

Bandai Namco will be behind both Konami & Capcom, it's their decisions to not make Switch a central part of the plans and by providing late ports for many of their titles, they've allowed other smaller publishers to start eating into their market share:

Bandai Namco Top 10 2016:
  1. [PS4] Tales of Berseria - 215.254
  2. [3DS] Dragon Ball: Fusions - 194.375
  3. [3DS] Taiko no Tatsujin: Don Don! - 124.643
  4. [PSV] Gundam Breaker 3 - 117.158
  5. [PSV] Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization - 112.979
  6. [PSV] SD Gundam G Generation Genesis - 110.113
  7. [PS3] Tales of Berseria - 109.556
  8. [PS4] Dragon Ball: Xenoverse 2 - 101,780
  9. [PS4] Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization - 98.644
  10. [PS4] SD Gundam G Generation Genesis - 97.107
TOTAL: 1.281.609

Bandai Namco Top 10 2017:
  1. [3DS] Dragon Ball Heroes: Ultimate Mission X - 213.926
  2. [PS4] Gundam Versus - 169.766
  3. [PS4] Super Robot Wars V - 128.945
  4. [PSV] Super Robot Wars V - 111.975
  5. [3DS] Pro Baseball Famista Climax - 109.954
  6. [NSW] Dragon Ball: Xenoverse 2 - 90.839
  7. [PS4] Tekken 7 - 88.925
  8. [PS4] .hack//G.U. Last Recode - 60.847
  9. [PSV] Accel World Vs. Sword Art Online - 60.447
  10. [PS4] City Shrouded in Shadow - 59.789
TOTAL: 1.095.413

Bandai Namco Top 10 2018:
  1. [NSW] Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum 'N' Fun! - 270.415
  2. [PS4] God Eater 3 - 174.834
  3. [PS4] Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet - 133.108
  4. [PS4] Super Robot Wars X - 112.753
  5. [NSW] Pro Baseball Famista Evolution - 110.954
  6. [PS4] Dragon Ball FighterZ - 103.252
  7. [NSW] Dragon Ball: Xenoverse 2 - 90.251
  8. [PS4] New Gundam Breaker - 85.189
  9. [PSV] Super Robot Wars X - 73.419
  10. [NSW] Dragon Ball FighterZ - 64.999
TOTAL: 1.219.174

Bandai Namco Top 10 2019:
  1. [NSW] Fishing Spirits - 336.995
  2. [PS4] Ace Combat 7 - 220.195
  3. [NSW] Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum 'N' Fun! - 150.167
  4. [NSW] Super Dragon Ball Heroes: World Mission - 145.720
  5. [PS4] Jump Force - 130.293
  6. [NSW] Disney Tsum Tsum Festival - 125.498
  7. [NSW] Doraemon: Story of Seasons - 112.104
  8. [PS4] Super Robot Wars T - 105.703
  9. [PS4] Code Vein - 93.236
  10. [PS4] SD Gundam G Generation Cross Rays - 86.739
TOTAL: 1.506.650

Bandai Namco Top 10 2020:
  1. [NSW] Fishing Spirits - 207.472
  2. [PS4] Mobile Suit Gundam: Extreme Vs. MaxiBoost On - 168.710
  3. [PS4] Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot - 163.029
  4. [PS4] One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 - 142.670
  5. [NSW] One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 - 137.513
  6. [NSW] Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum 'N' Fun! - 133.978
  7. [PS4] Sword Art Online: Alicization Lycoris - 94.681
  8. [NSW] Disney Tsum Tsum Festival - 60.492
  9. [NSW] Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythmic Adventure Pack - 52.621
  10. [NSW] Jump Force: Deluxe Edition - 41.411
TOTAL: 1.202.577

PS4 - 23
NSW - 16
PSV - 6
3DS - 4
PS3 - 1

TOTAL: 6.305.423
PS4 TOTAL: 2.322.664 (36%)
NSW TOTAL: 2.131.429 (33%)
3DS TOTAL: 636.898 (10%)
PSV TOTAL: 586.091 (9%)

This year will be the first time we are likely to see Bandai end up below 1 million units, as I have many doubts about both Scarlet Nexus and Tails of Arise in Japan, while it's likely Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot to launch in September on the Switch as a very late port is maybe going to clear 100K but not much beyond that. So far their best selling game of 2021 is Little Nightmares 2 which across the Switch and PS4 is approaching 100K units.

Overall had they at least chased multiplat same day releases for DBZ franchise they would have been in a much better position right now. Dragon Ball: Xenoverse 2 on the Switch actually outsold all their Dragon Ball PS4 games. There is also a lot of other PSV franchises whose audience transitioned to Switch rather than PS4, so those have seen a steep decline from the PS3/PSV era to being exclusive to the PS4.

If Scarlet Nexus & Tails end up under performing, Harada's time in charge of their gaming division might not be that long, as there is one more project that's apparently their biggest investment and the higher ups will start to view it as a major risk in the current PlayStation ecosystem climate.

Bandai Namco Top Games 2021:
  1. [NSW] Little Nightmares II - 72.796
  2. [NSW] Fishing Spirits - 44.958
  3. [NSW] Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum 'n' Fun! - 42.507
  4. [NSW] Family Trainer - 35.273
  5. [PS4] Little Nightmares II - 24.968

Looking like Scarlet Nexus fails to surpass 50K for the year;
Tales of Arise
declines to 150K(optimistically) for the year
The late port of Kakarot manages to surpass 100K(optimistically)
Idolmaster ends up around 50K

We'd be looking at sales below 800K and that's being fairly optimistic that Little Nightmares II across the Switch and PS4 surpasses 150K, Taiko & Fishing Spirits both surpassing 100K for the year, Family Trainer also doing twice it's current total to reach 75K.

As mentioned in the earlier thread, Harada is very likely to be the person that the board blame for their currently decline in Japan, especially if Tales of Arise fails to meet internal expectations. Scarlet Nexus wasn't a small game with little investment it had several key figures within Bandai involved with the project, so it bombing in Japan and not doing much better in the West will definitely start the internal re-evaluation of the strategy they've undertaken in the past few years.

The problem for Bandai is even if they completely flip their current path, it will take at least two years before we start to see the results and late ports are no longer doing the numbers they were doing a few years back when most Publishers in Japan weren't fully on-board with the Switch.

The silver-lining for them is that they've at least made Steam part of their strategy, there are not that many AAA games launching in 2021 - so perhaps the West will offset the decline we are likely to see for Tales in Japan. Early signs for Scarlet Nexus on Steam aren't good and it also didn't have a strong launch in the UK where it debuted in 8th below the Switch version of Minecraft which likely means less than 5K physical sales.
 
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