Japanese Wii sales, demand increase
Monday, July 23rd, 2007 at 12:47pm by Jack
Those industry savants and message board messiahs predicting the end of the Wii any day now will have to wait at least another month. Numbers out of Japan this week show that the number of Wii units sold was actually UP about 35,000 last week.
According to Enterbrain, the Wii has a Japanese lifetime sales total of over 3 million units, and the DS total exceeds 18 million units. Xbox 360, PSP and PS2 sales were up, but PS3 sales were down marginally, and the console still trails its predecessor’s weekly numbers.
Hardware sales for the week ending July 15: DS Lite - 141,967, Wii – 109,854, PSP – 37,578, PS2 – 15,777, PS3 - 13,493, Xbox 360 – 2,942.
And remember kids, while the Wii bubble is set to burst any day now, the PS3 is a slow starter that will rise meteorically in popularity any day now. See how that works? That’s Internet Logic 101.
July 23rd, 2007 at 12:57 pm
“And remember kids, while the Wii bubble is set to burst any day now, the PS3 is a slow starter that will rise meteorically in popularity any day now. See how that works? That’s Internet Logic 101.”
You know, some of us own more than one console and could do without sarcastic, fanboyish remarks.
July 23rd, 2007 at 1:32 pm
Yeah, I agree that comment should have been left out. Everyone knows the PS3 isn’t doing so well. No need to kick it while it’s down.
July 23rd, 2007 at 1:47 pm
Its probably hard not to kick the PS3 while its down. There was plenty of hate dished out towards the ‘cube during its days, I can see why someone would make such remarks.
July 23rd, 2007 at 2:24 pm
The one that really puzzles me and makes me kind of sad is the Xbox 360… Honestly, that console deserves better! It makes me think that Japan is married to a brand more than to gameplay…
July 23rd, 2007 at 2:27 pm
Someone once claimed that Nintendo fans have a chip on their collective shoulder the size of Wario’s ***.
The decline from dominance over the past 10 years, the calls for Nintendo to go third-party, hardcore gaming media’s elitism/snobbery towards the Wii, third-parties not taking Nintendo seriously, etc.. Given all of these things, I can sorta see where the bitterness would come from.
That having been said.. keep on kickin’, Jack. Go for the renals!
July 23rd, 2007 at 2:54 pm
The ironic thing is my ire comes from Sony being a belligerent, arrogant and anti-consumer company (it’s gaming division anyway), and not from any long held bitterness because of the GameCube era, or whatever. While I played a fair amount of GameCube in college and afterwards with my apartment roommates, I never technically *owned* one (possess one today, yes, but never bought and paid for). My PS2 got much more play, regardless (and it never broke, amazingly enough).
Additionally, I fail to see how my pointing out what is established Internet rhetoric (not made by me, but by hundreds of others) is sarcastic or fanboyish in any way shape or form. It’s actually more factual than anything else.
This statement of course ultimately ignores the fact that I am a fanman, not boy, but that’s neither here nor there.
July 23rd, 2007 at 3:30 pm
If the tables were reversed in terms ps3 over wii, ps3 fanboys would be saying worse.
July 23rd, 2007 at 3:50 pm
I interpreted it as making fun of the analysts and execs that have been making those claims, which of course are ridiculous.
July 23rd, 2007 at 3:55 pm
*ignores fanboy-hating remarks*
I’m rather impressed that the demand for Wii is still going up. I didn’t think it could go any higher =P
July 23rd, 2007 at 4:47 pm
The funny thing about the situation is how closely the current Fanboy rants resemble the exact reverse to N64 Vs PSX.
I mean, it’s not just how vitriolic the Playstation nuts were in their hatred of me as the lone Nintendo stalwart in my school, and that, being so confident in their position, had to gang up on me 7 to 1, no. It’s also how the current PS fanboys defend their system by rattling off a list of never-never games, the exact same way I did in 1996. The difference of course was how I defended my corner with Zelda, while they now defend theirs with Lair. It doesn’t really compare.
Personally, I feel the behemoth that was Playstation, deserves everything it gets, for failing to learn every last lesson it painfully taught Nintendo.
July 23rd, 2007 at 5:04 pm
I interpreted it the same way Pete did. Some people still think this generation is wide open it is very clear to many that Nintendo has this one in the bag. The other two can have varying degrees of success, but Nintendo will sell the most consoles.
July 23rd, 2007 at 6:10 pm
The increase is probably due to the release of Dragon Quest Swords that was released last night. Japanese absolutely love their Dragon Quests.
July 23rd, 2007 at 7:30 pm
“And remember kids, while the Wii bubble is set to burst any day now, the PS3 is a slow starter that will rise meteorically in popularity any day now. See how that works? That’s Internet Logic 101.” BOOM!!! That should be the comment of the week at the very least!
Fanboyish would be blindly saying stuff that is not truth unlike the case we have here. I’m happy to see someone not following that shitty idea that it is just a fad, whatever dude. If you bought all the consoles, that’s your thing. Everyone takes sides, why not Nintendo users? and hear this, we are laughing WITH THEM, not at them.
July 23rd, 2007 at 9:13 pm
Fanboyish? No, as Jack said, he was kicking the fanboys who refuse to accept reality. (But next months number probably will show an increase in PS3 sales.)
But there is no evidence of increased demand for the Wii in Japan. The Wii is selling out. This is a case of increased supply in Japan. We can’t tell what the demand is until supply is bigger than demand.
July 23rd, 2007 at 9:36 pm
yes, its not that demand is up, it is that supply went up, still way under the level of demand, of course. DQ: swords did come out and nintendo pushed more units to helpit.
but also, with the talk of yet higher shipment levels being saught by nintendo as we speak, its expected that they may get another 10-20k above there usual soon anyways, maybe this is the start. i doubt it will get to a steady 100k til later this year or next year, but i hope it gets to a steady 80k weekly at least, the more nintendo sells the better future games will do since most software sales are made in the first 2 weeks.
July 23rd, 2007 at 10:24 pm
@ waltermh- i was guessing more supply helping too, but killerheroes raises a good point- even 360 sales rose significantly when blue dragon was released. i suspect it may be both, if this other game is as popular as suggested.
in japan, i bet the wii sells plenty of software. but, due to cultural tastes, i am worried about its US tie ratio, which i consider an indicator of the console’s future success.
July 23rd, 2007 at 10:50 pm
I’m with Pete, the comment wasn’t against the PS3, it was mocking those commenters on other sites who make such baseless claims in the face of similar sales numbers, that someone the Wii numbers will magically decrease while the PS3 numbers will magically increase. No reason is ever given, thus the “logic 101″ quip at the end. As jack surely knows, genius is most often misunderstood.
July 23rd, 2007 at 11:28 pm
Thank you used cisco, someone who realized that it wasn’t such a fanboyish comment at all. It’s just the truth, I’m sure if Wii was where Ps3 is now, people wouldn’t be saying it’ll magically get better.
July 24th, 2007 at 12:50 am
I think the Wii’s bubble should have burst by now if it ever was going to. If you look at new releases on Wii for the rest of the month, we’ve nowhere to go but up.
July 24th, 2007 at 12:51 am
Whoops, I meant for the rest of the YEAR, not month. We’ve got a TON of great games coming our way!
July 24th, 2007 at 3:02 am
@deepthought
“…in japan, i bet the wii sells plenty of software. but, due to cultural tastes, i am worried about its US tie ratio, which i consider an indicator of the console’s future success.”
That may be the case with Sony and Nintendo from now and in the near future, once the PS3 price drops much more and Nintendo already tops out at around 150 mil consoles sold! Although this would not be the case with the 360 since it is doing all of its ‘damage’ in the US. Europe is going alright, although they will NOT see even 1 mil by the looks of it, here in Japan. You need full coverage of all regions. I am starting to see M$ as a Sega, back in the day.
July 24th, 2007 at 4:41 am
And you want to know what the funny thing is? The Wii explosion has not yet really begun.
We are still on the cusp of the ‘revolution’. The real sales fireworks has yet to come.
Typically, a disruptive product will have a higher than usual early adoption rate. Then, the product will coast for a while until truly taking off (this is when analysts proclaim the fad is over). The higher the early adoption rate, the greater the degree of future disruption.
Everyone is mistaking the Wii has already taken off. It hasn’t. We are witnessing insane early adoption rates. The Wii, aside from Wii Sports, still doesn’t have the correct software for it (but it will get it). The ‘Super Gamecube’ games like Metroid Prime 3, Mario Galaxy, and Mario Kart Wii won’t be the ‘correct’ software either. Nintendo needs something else, and it will probably emerge in September to “surprise the market”.
Remember that at this time period, the DS (after a high early adoption rate) was coasting. Nintendo released multiple colors. But only after a year it was out did the DS truly take off in Japan. Months later, it would take off in Europe and America. Why did it take off? The correct software was coming out for it such as Nintendogs, Brain Age, Animal Crossing DS, and New Super Mario Brothers.
The DS is MUCH harder to sell than the Wii is. People look at the DS and go, “Why are there two screens?” and the touch pad doesn’t wow. But the Wii-mote wows and everyone instantly understands it.
If you thought the DS was big, you’ve seen nothing yet. The Wii will continue to snowball and gain increasing momentum. The avalanche is falling and it is too late for the hardcore pebbles to vote. I have no doubt in my mind that the Wii will not only outsell the PS2, it will be on the market longer than the PS3.
July 24th, 2007 at 2:21 pm
@Malstrom
interesting prediction, but i can’t tell if you’re building a case for the wii being the next ipod or tickle me elmo. that is, if we’re on the cusp, it could take a dive too.
July 24th, 2007 at 2:48 pm
I don’t care if Nintendo ends in first or last place this gen. As long as they continue to support the Wii, I’m happy. I was very happy with the way the Gamecube ended up, If we get at least game cube level quality stuff. The only one tha should care about about sales is Nintendo and when sales go down, it means more quality stuff coming to keep the attention of everyone. Nintendo seems like it loved being in the spotlight after watching the E3 keynote, and I’m sure they wanna keep it that way.
July 24th, 2007 at 4:49 pm
@deepthought
Wii will not take a dive. Even if demand tapers off (it won’t, it will only increase), Nintendo has more options than Sony or Microsoft.
1) Nintendo has not yet put out different colored Wii systems yet. The white ones are still selling out.
2) Nintendo is in a better position to price reduce their hardware than Sony or Microsoft. Nintendo can sacrifice some of that profit if needed. Sony and Microsoft are still losing money so they have no options except to lose MORE money.
3) Nintendo originally planned to sell the Wii at untraditional locations such as bookstores. Due to the success of the Wii, Iwata told investors those plans were infinetely put on hold. The point is that PS3 and Xbox 360 could never be sold at untraditional locations as the Wii could.
4) Nintendo can put out another Wii Sports type game and start the phenomenon all over again. Sony and Microsoft do not have that option (although everyone thinks they do).
And there are many more options Nintendo has to accelerate sales if they needed to (they don’t) that Microsoft and Sony do not have. I know analysts are trying to make this generation seem more like a “fight” (or else why would we need their analysis?) but this generation is basically over. We don’t need journalists and analysts trying to be the smartest people in the room discovering ‘new things’ to make the horserace more exciting (ex: “Oh noes! Wii sales were down 10% this month! Are customers losing interest in the Wii? Click here and read all the details on our ad soaked page!”). We just need to call a spade a spade.
The fact that the Wii is the fastest selling system ever, coming straight out of nowhere, should be reason enough for observers to say, “We were wrong. We should study Nintendo and their strategy more closely since they are the future.” No. Instead, we get more moronic analysis of how 360/PS3 will suddenly be a ‘tsunami’. But more likely it is journalists/analysts trying to create conflict so they can sell us a new horserace story.
If consoles were horses, it is like hearing, “Will the lead horse, who has already lapped everyone, FLOP OVER AND DIE!? Oh, click on our link and read our ad saturated article! Will the rear horses shoot rockets from their butts and defy the history of races by magically lapping the lead horse? Read all about it in our new ‘Console Race Digest’ Volume 4532!”
July 24th, 2007 at 5:02 pm
I read that digest. Nothing but ads and rocket-shooting horses. I did not want to subscribe to their newsletter.