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Media Create Sales: December 6, 2010 - December 12, 2010

cvxfreak

Member
bernardobri said:
I wonder if Ninokuni will get a good sales boost during Xmas...

This is certainly not out of the question at all, especially for Level 5 properties.

It's the huge initial shipment, the Magic Master idea and the Studio Ghibli tie-in that makes these first week figures underwhelming. They can certainly bounce back.

For the record, Hino mentioned that he wanted Ni no Kuni to eventually sell 1 or 2 million copies.
 

kswiston

Member
M.I.S. said:
And 11 Million LTD incoming...

PS3 has no chance of catching Wii in Japan, but that doesn't mean that 11M sold in over 4 years on Japan's leading console is something to brag about. That's a horrible LTD. Wii will be the worst selling lead console in over 25 years.

Considering the second place PSP will finish ahead of any home console this generation, you can really see where the market is heading in Japan. Not that this is a bad thing. Especially since my major problem with the DS as the Japanese development industry's lead console (the use of crappy ps1/n64-level polygon models when 2D sprites would look much better) will be a non-issue when the 3DS comes out.
 

Acosta

Member
Chris1964 said:
Nothing really bad, just further confirmation that huge software releases at a system take the air from the rest software.

Ah, I see, but I think is hard to check in a system like PSP, is not like Monster Hunter has much competition at this moment (Kamen Raider from last week and little else, I think?)

I wonder if back at PS2 times we had this kind of situation where a game took the air of the rest and the sales gravitated around it.
 

klee123

Member
Third party wise, I think nothing can compare to the PSone. The system was simply a goldmine for third parties.
 

Frillen

Member
So I take it that the last week we track for 2010 is the week that ends on the 2nd of January?

It seems like the Wii will win against the PS3 quite easily in the end (YTD). Should dethrone it next week. DS Vs. PSP is interesting though. Should be close, but I think the DS will win in the end because of the usual Nintendo/holiday spike.
 

Grimmy

Banned
Acosta said:
Ah, I see, but I think is hard to check in a system like PSP, is not like Monster Hunter has much competition at this moment (Kamen Raider from last week and little else, I think?)

I wonder if back at PS2 times we had this kind of situation where a game took the air of the rest and the sales gravitated around it.

Sega moved the date of Shining Hearts after MHP3's date was announced. So pretty much everyone cleared the deck for MHP3.


Augemitbutter said:
Shiren numbers look sucky too, wtf :lol

The grand result of endless milking. Shiren 4 on the DS came out in Feb 25, 2010, while Shiren 3 PSP came out on Jan 28, 2010. Now less than a year later we get Shiren 5...
 
It's a bit sad to see Shiren doing such low numbers when the DS ports of 1&2 were so promising back then. It seems like there is just no more great demand for new Shiren games between all the DS, Wii and PSP releases. At least Chuns Pokeman games are still doing well. :(

And Ninokuni is interesting. Two months ago I was expecting it to have a 400k or even 500k opening, because everything about the game and the release window just seemed too perfect. And then two weeks ago I wasn't even sure if it would make 300k and now it did under 200k. :lol I absolutely don't want to write it off just yet, though. I hope it's showing very heatlhy legs over the holiday season.
 
Ninokuni will have legs because its not selling that 600k shipment any time soon. So the question is if its going to sell the remaining stock at a splendid pace dribbling price collapse or if it'll still have a sizable stock post-holidays to sell leading to such price collapse.

Nintendo just used this with Mario Sports Mix, it had a great debut coming from nowhere, barely a drop 2nd week, and it goes up 3rd week...and its sold half its 1st week shipment (420k!), but you know its going to sell fine, needing a second shipment (if there hasn't been one already) in two/three weeks. Its madness, and they get away with so easily it makes 3rd parties look like they are playing in 4th-division.

But if any 3rd party can try to resemble Nintendo a little bit, that has been Level-5 lately. So hey, go Ninokuni.
 
Grimmy said:
The grand result of endless milking. Shiren 4 on the DS came out in Feb 25, 2010, while Shiren 3 PSP came out on Jan 28, 2010. Now less than a year later we get Shiren 5...

serves them right. the shift to childish artwork was terrible too.
 

AAK

Member
Certainly didn't anticipate GT5 to drop as much as it did.

I honestly expected it to single handedly dominate throughout the rest of the year. (Well at least in top 10)
 
Nino Kuni and DKCR are a bit lower than I would've expected. Then again, the holidays aren't over just yet, they've still got one more big week to go.

Kirby's Epic Yarn has had some pretty good legs in the end, as has Mario VS DK 4 and Mario Sports Mix. Pokemon isn't doing too badly either, its made a nice comeback that should hopefully push it past 5 million, despite a frontloaded start.

Mario All Stars is simply incredible though, can't believe how well its doing for being a straight port (yes I know that the NES Classics SMB did over 1 million, but I didn't think that this level of success could be replicated on a console!)

GT5 is a disaster though.
 

Acosta

Member
I have a funny thought about Ninokuni, could be possible that the book makes harder for users to trade the game? I mean, you have seen the package and the book, it´s really nice, maybe people will actually want to keep it which would make it harder to find in the second hand market. Could that improve its legs?
 
Kurosaki Ichigo said:
Nintendo just used this with Mario Sports Mix, it had a great debut coming from nowhere, barely a drop 2nd week, and it goes up 3rd week...and its sold half its 1st week shipment (420k!), but you know its going to sell fine, needing a second shipment (if there hasn't been one already) in two/three weeks. Its madness, and they get away with so easily it makes 3rd parties look like they are playing in 4th-division.

How would you explain it? Is it just a really, really accurate read of their userbase? Or do you think there's something else going on?
 

swerve

Member
Could Ni no Kuni's performance be related on the 'Oh and it's coming to PS3 too' factor? Is it a significantly different version?
 
swerve said:
Could Ni no Kuni's performance be related on the 'Oh and it's coming to PS3 too' factor? Is it a significantly different version?

Ni No Kuni PS3 is a completely different game. It's not a remake/port.
 
swerve said:
Could Ni no Kuni's performance be related on the 'Oh and it's coming to PS3 too' factor? Is it a significantly different version?

It's supposed to have the same "story axle", but will otherwise have a different graphic style, story development etc. etc., so it appears as though it will be quite different.
 
duckroll said:
430k of Ninokuni still sitting on shelves. Hino better pray the word of mouth is good, or he's going to be facing his first major bomba.

Mind you game went on sale on Dec 9. We will need to wait for next week to see the totals for 1.5 debut week, and wait two more weeks to see how much % it will drop.

swerve said:
Could Ni no Kuni's performance be related on the 'Oh and it's coming to PS3 too' factor? Is it a significantly different version?

There are way more DSs than PS3s in Japan. Plus, Ni No Kuni is targeted to children, DS is more natural platform for them. I don't expect PS3 version to do more than 100k in its debut week.

Acosta said:
I have a funny thought about Ninokuni, could be possible that the book makes harder for users to trade the game? I mean, you have seen the package and the book, it´s really nice, maybe people will actually want to keep it which would make it harder to find in the second hand market. Could that improve its legs?

Why should it make it different? First of all, the book is a form of copy protection, different books carry different runes on different pages. You need the same book+game package. It's just Level-5 idea of a copy protection against R4s.
 

poppabk

Cheeks Spread for Digital Only Future
Acosta said:
Sorry Chris, but I don't understand that, what's wrong about that? It's one of the biggest games this year, is only normal it drives hardware.
Wouldn't the other issue be that it is third party, so it can't be relied on to be a big exclusive release for the PSP2. Looking at all the huge PS2 'exclusives' that the PS3 lost when it stumbled out the gate, makes relying on a third party title pretty dangerous.
 

Spiegel

Member
Cosmonaut X said:
How would you explain it? Is it just a really, really accurate read of their userbase? Or do you think there's something else going on?

I think bombarding consumers with Nintendo related ads every commercial break does help, at least here in Europe.

The amount of Wii Party, DKCR, Art Academy and NSMBW commercials I saw last weekend was almost obscene.

Nintendo might not spend that much money making games thanks to the lower development costs but they sure spend a lot promoting them.
 

Zoe

Member
Castor Krieg said:
Why should it make it different? First of all, the book is a form of copy protection, different books carry different runes on different pages. You need the same book+game package. It's just Level-5 idea of a copy protection against R4s.

Is this common knowledge or something someone would have to find out the hard way?
 
Zoe said:
Is this common knowledge or something someone would have to find out the hard way?

I don't know. I don't even know if that's 100% confirmed, just a lot of people speaking about it. If it's true I would imagine some big-ass notice on the box/inside.
 

Acosta

Member
poppabk said:
Wouldn't the other issue be that it is third party, so it can't be relied on to be a big exclusive release for the PSP2. Looking at all the huge PS2 'exclusives' that the PS3 lost when it stumbled out the gate, makes relying on a third party title pretty dangerous.

I think that, given PSP general situation, relying on Monter Hunter is a bless for Sony at this moment.

Could it fireback in the future? sure, but it´s not like they have other option now.
 
Cosmonaut X said:
How would you explain it? Is it just a really, really accurate read of their userbase? Or do you think there's something else going on?
They know their userbase but its more because of the game, its a Mario, its the holidays, it doesn't target day 1 buyers only like your average 3rd party title, its advertised for way more than the release week. They know they can pull this with this title, but pulling it off successfully is still impressive. Just change Mario Sports Mix for Xenoblade and it just wouldn't work. But from previous years they did it with Mario & Sonic and Pokepark.

Nintendo knows they can do this, a 3rd party doing this is maximum risk, and if you ask me, unneeded as well. Maybe when Nintendo is a bitch regarding cartridges production you want to have a good supply just in case but on any other case, why risk yourself with several times your 1st week sales in shipped units when can you ship accordingly and restock weekly according to the demand, specially when, well, a 3rd party title is of front-loaded nature.

So in the end you see MSM two weeks ago and its 'lol Nintendo doing it again' but seeing Ninokuni is 'daaamn will it be ok?'.
 

Bebpo

Banned
swerve said:
Could Ni no Kuni's performance be related on the 'Oh and it's coming to PS3 too' factor? Is it a significantly different version?

Ni no kuni's performance is related to the "Oh and you need to carry a huge book around which makes it unplayable on a train or at school or any of the places normally associated with for handhelds" factor.

I think the game will have legs because it's ghibli and the packaging is attractive and it's appropriate for kids as a gift as we go into the holidays. But for as many sales as they gained by making the first unpiratable DS game, I'm sure they lost sales due to the lack of portability. I mean I was sitting at home playing the game and I got to a part where I needed to get the book out and I didn't feel like getting up and opening the box and getting the book and flipping to the page so I just turned the game off for the night and did it the next morning.
 

Lonely1

Unconfirmed Member
Castor Krieg said:
Why should it make it different? First of all, the book is a form of copy protection, different books carry different runes on different pages. You need the same book+game package. It's just Level-5 idea of a copy protection against R4s.

really!? Flashback to Maniac Mansion: DotT. And that was the floppy era...
 

RurouniZel

Asks questions so Ezalc doesn't have to
Poor Ninokuni. It's probably 'cause of the big book that's required...

EDIT: Damnit Bebpo!
 

duckroll

Member
Zoe said:
Is this common knowledge or something someone would have to find out the hard way?

Level 5 has been saying you need the book to play the game since it was announced. There is a printed message on a piece of paper included in the game warning you not to throw the book away because you need it to play. The manual also has instructions on how you can get a 3500yen replacement for the book if you ever do lose it.
 

Zoe

Member
duckroll said:
Level 5 has been saying you need the book to play the game since it was announced. There is a printed message on a piece of paper included in the game warning you not to throw the book away because you need it to play. The manual also has instructions on how you can get a 3500yen replacement for the book if you ever do lose it.

What about the part where the book is unique to the cartridge? (or is that not actually the case?)
 

Bebpo

Banned
Zoe said:
What about the part where the book is unique to the cartridge? (or is that not actually the case?)

I'm sure that is not the case. I mean I can't really confirm since I only own one copy, but the cost associated with that would be insane and it's not realistic. Also if you lose your book how would they know exactly how to make your specific book to replace it unless you send them the cartridge (which you don't). This is a silly rumor that is not real.

Plus this was never said anywhere official. I think some guy on gamefaqs made it up in an effort to deter pirates from pdf-ing the book.

It also wouldn't do anything to help L5. The game says "turn to the fire spell on page 3. Well page 2-10 are spells. So even if it wasn't on page 3, the pirate could flip a few pages and find the fire spell". Would be pointless and incredibly costly. Common sense say it's fake.
 
Augemitbutter said:
poor Ni no Kuni. i hope this ends well, or at least the PS3 version will kick the sales off.

Shiren numbers look sucky too, wtf :lol

That's what I'm thinking. If I was in Japan looking to buy Ni no Kuni, I'd be waiting on the gorgeous PS3 version. Some things are worth enjoying on a console.
 

duckroll

Member
Printing 600k copies of different books and 600k carts with different code is pretty nonsensical too. I don't see how it prevents piracy or resale in any additional way that having a book does not already achieve. It certainly does not prevent a pdf of the book being handed out along with the rom, since it would be from the same source and it would match. It doesn't prevent people from selling the game with their book, and it being resold as a used pair either. So... why? Makes no sense, and Level 5 isn't moronic.
 

Chris1964

Sales-Age Genius
Frillen said:
So I take it that the last week we track for 2010 is the week that ends on the 2nd of January?
Media Create
{04/01/10 - 02/01/11} - 52 weeks

Famitsu
{28/12/09 - 26/12/10} - 52 weeks
 

flawfuls

Member
duckroll said:
Printing 600k copies of different books and 600k carts with different code is pretty nonsensical too. I don't see how it prevents piracy or resale in any additional way that having a book does not already achieve. It certainly does not prevent a pdf of the book being handed out along with the rom, since it would be from the same source and it would match. It doesn't prevent people from selling the game with their book, and it being resold as a used pair either. So... why? Makes no sense, and Level 5 isn't moronic.

Apparently the game makes you promise to sign the book so there is some resale prevention there. :lol
 

Chris1964

Sales-Age Genius
Next week's releases

[PSP] The 3rd Birthday (Square Enix) {22/12/10}
[PSP] Starry Sky: In Autumn Portable (Asgard) {22/12/10}
[PSP] 77: Beyond the Milky Way (GN Software) {22/12/10}
[PSP] Harukanaru Toki no Naka de 4: Aizouban (Koei Tecmo) {22/12/10}
[PSP] Bara no Ki Ni: Bara no Hansaku (Art Move) {22/12/10}
[PSP] AKB1/48: Idol to Koishitara… (Bandai Namco) {23/12/10}
[PSP] Lucky Star: Ryouou Gakuen Outousai Portable (Kadokawa Shoten) {23/12/10}
[PSP] Togainu no Chi: True Blood Portable (Kadokawa Shoten) {23/12/10}
[PSP] Uta no Prince-Sama: Amazing Aria (Broccoli) {23/12/10}
[PSP] Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee [PSP the Best Low Price] (SCE) {23/12/10}
[PSP] LocoRoco [PSP the Best Low Price] (SCE) {23/12/10}
[PSP] Patapon [PSP the Best Low Price] (SCE) {23/12/10}
[PSP] Ape Escape: Academy [PSP the Best Low Price] (SCE) {23/12/10}
[PSP] Yuusha no Kuse ni Namaikida [PSP the Best Low Price] (SCE) {23/12/10}

[WII] Need for Speed: Nitro [EA Best Hits] (Electronic Arts) {22/12/10}
[WII] Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09: All-Play [EA Best Hits] (Electronic Arts) {22/12/10}
[WII] Momu-chan Diet Wii: Figurobics by Chon Dayon (IE Institute) {23/12/10}

[PS3] Nobunaga's Ambition Online: Shinsei no Shou (Koei) {22/12/10}
[PS3] Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition (Take-Two Interactive) {22/12/10}
[PS3] Echochrome II (SCE) {23/12/10}

[360] Cyber Troopers Virtual-On Force (Sega) {22/12/10}

We have a new leader for top selling PSP title

{29/11/10 - 12/12/10} 0001. [PSP] Monster Hunter Freedom 3 (Capcom) {01/12/10} - 1.950.717 / 2.580.258
{24/03/08 - 28/12/08} 0002. [PSP] Monster Hunter Freedom Unite (Capcom) {27/03/08} - 880.468 / 2.425.320
{19/02/07 - 28/12/08} 0003. [PSP] Monster Hunter Freedom 2 (Capcom) {22/02/07} - 705.281 / 1.671.227
{27/10/08 - 03/01/10} 0004. [PSP] Monster Hunter Freedom Unite [PSP the Best] (Capcom) {30/10/08} - 25.416 / 1.092.604
{15/12/08 - 03/01/10} 0005. [PSP] Dissidia: Final Fantasy (Square Enix) {18/12/08} - 489.126 / 921.276
{10/09/07 - 03/01/10} 0006. [PSP] Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII (Square Enix) {13/09/07} - 486.659 / 799.149
{04/01/10 - 07/02/10} 0007. [PSP] Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep (Square Enix) {09/01/10} - 445.962 / 727.938
{26/04/10 - 06/06/10} 0008. [PSP] Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (Konami) {29/04/10} - 434.366 / 711.838
{28/11/05 - 31/12/06} 0009. [PSP] Monster Hunter Freedom (Capcom) {01/12/05} - 113.640 / 686.837
{28/07/08 - 03/01/10} 0010. [PSP] Phantasy Star Portable (Sega) {31/07/08} - 341.700 / 671.079
 

Chris1964

Sales-Age Genius
I'm in the camp that believes 2011 will determine if Level 5 will remain big or will become very big, but to be fair none of the previous 2 franchises were mega hits from the beginning. Especially Inazuma Eleven had a very low opening and the first impression was that it underperformed and retailers would have to slash prices in order to get rid of the stock.
 
duckroll said:
The only title I'm even interested in predicting next week is The 3rd Birthday. What a meh week. :/
And you just jinxed it, AKB1/48 will now outsell it :p

But yeah, just 3rd Birthday is interesting, AKB1/48 isn't but will do well enough to predict for. Given the lack of titles, we could pass or add hardware predictions (say DS, Wii, PS3, PSP).
 

Elios83

Member
Nooo Ni no Kuni......I really wanted this to be a success, the PS3 version is basically my most wanted JRPG and I hope these numbers don't change whatever localization plans they might have.
Gran Turismo 5 is definetly not the system seller that SCEJ was probably counting on to offset the lack on Final Fantasy this Xstmas. At least it passed the 500k units mark which means they're in their second shipment.
Hardware wise Nintendo can always count on their holyday bumps for free, both Nintendo systems should slighty edge their competition for the year. Not that it really matters, the market seems evenly divided between Sony and Nintendo at this point.
 

Chris1964

Sales-Age Genius
The time is coming.

GB shipments: 32,47M
DS sales: 31,71M (Media Create)

Nintendo had DS shipments at 31,55M through the end of September. It will have shipped more than GB before 2010 ends.
 
ShockingAlberto said:
3DS will no doubt get Monster Hunter games, but I am not so sure that means the death of Monster Hunter on PSP and PSP2.


I can really picture Iwata looking at these PSP numbers and mumbling "this shit needs to be on the 3DS"

interesting numbers indeed. Wasn't expecting Kong to perform so well. How did the old games sell in Japan?
 

test_account

XP-39C²
ShockingAlberto said:
3DS will no doubt get Monster Hunter games, but I am not so sure that means the death of Monster Hunter on PSP and PSP2.
I dont think that the 3DS will affect Monster Hunter on PSP since i guess that MHP3G will be the last Monster Hunter game for the PSP. If MHP4 goes to 3DS or PSP2 should be quite interesting to see. Seeing how good MH does on the PSP, i would be surprised if Sony isnt already talking to Capcom about MHP4 on the PSP2. But who knows :)
 
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