by Vinnk - 11.23.07
Christmas is ramping up in the Japanese shops and it seems the storeowners know what people want. Video games. Here is what I discovered this week.
The current Media Create sales numbers (to compare) can be found here. If you are new to these reports please click here for a short overview.
I was asked to look for Wii, PS3, Biohazard Umbrella Chronicles and Mario&Sonic at the Olympic Games. I visited the stores on Thursday, November 22nd, 2007.
Jusco
Wii: 2
PS3: 12
B:UC: 1
Mario&Sonic: 6
Youme Town
Wii: 2
PS3: 9
B:UC: Sold Out
Mario&Sonic: 11
Mr. Max
Wii: 1
PS3: Sold out
B:UC: Sold out
Mario&Sonic: 3
Book-Net
Wii: 1
PS3: 7
B:UC: Sold out
Mario&Sonic: 4
Goody
Wii: 1
PS3: 8
B:UC: Sold out (or never had it)
Mario&Sonic: 2
Best Denki
Wii: 6
PS3: 15
B:UC: 2
Mario&Sonic: 7
Wanpaku
Wii: 2
PS3: 6
B:UC: 2
Mario&Sonic: 14
Famicom Dojo
Wii: 1
PS3: 2
B:UC: Sold Out
Mario&Sonic: 1
Yamada Denki
Wii: 2
PS3: 16
B:UC: Sold Out
Mario&Sonic: 8
TOTALS:
Wii: 18 (last week 21)
PS3: 75 (last week 62)
B:UC: 5 (last week 24)
Mario&Sonic: 56
NOTES:
1. Since about mid-August the Wii has not been supply constrained. You won’t see tall stacks of them here like you will in Osaka or Tokyo, but if you want one you can get one. Interestingly enough, a few stores HAVE sold out of the new Wii (the one that includes the “grip covers” for the Wiimotes)
2. DS is not supply constrained. You still might have to go to a few stores to find your perfect color, but in general anyone can get a DS who wants one. I don’t count individual units anymore because there is no longer a point in doing so. I will count them again around the holidays. Or earlier if something changes that would make those numbers worthwhile or interesting. The same goes for the PSP, which is just as plentiful if not more.
3. In my city Super Mario Galaxy hasn’t had a “price collapse” yet, but I am starting to see several used copies. The stores still have so many new copies on the shelves, so if sales don’t pick up, it seems a price drop will be inevitable.
4. PS3 is being positioned as the system to buy for Christmas. In Yamada Denki they set up a big Christmas tree with PS3 systems underneath it. The staff was also really talking up the system. This one guy came in to buy the PS2 version of Winning 11, but was talked into buying a PS3 by the salesperson. This is very different from the atmosphere a few months ago.
5. There might be more Wii and PS3 systems than I am reporting. I count what is on the floor, in the display cases and on the back shelves that I can see, but stores might have more systems in backrooms out of view.
6. I can find Opoona at every store. Just sitting there totally ignored. Koei totally over shipped this one.
7. I have been hearing about massive in-store pushes for WiiFit but there is nothing like that in my neck of the woods. Just a few posters up in the department stores. However, the TV ads have apparently been making an impression. My Fiancée had no idea that SMG was coming out, but she and even her Mom know about WiiFit. It seems the ads are being showing during a lot of the programs that have high female viewing figures.
8. As for DQIV there were ample copies of the game at every store. But just during my short time checking out the stores, I saw a lot being bought.
9. Mario&Sonic didn’t seem to generate a lot of interest. No one was watching the video playing in the kiosk; no one was picking up the game case. According to the staff at Wanpaku, no one was buying it either.
10. This week the local Otaku are talking once again about Nights. One guy is also pretty stoked about No More Heroes. He bought a Wii this week in preparation for it. These guys aren’t really into Winning 11. None of them bought it. One guy is trying to decide if he wants to re-buy a 360. He bought it for Blue Dragon and sold it back after he finished the game. He wants to play Ace Combat but is low on cash.
11. Biohazard: Umbrella Chronicles is very hard to find these days. The Zapper bundle is impossible to find. Several stores have also sold out of the Ghost Squad Zapper bundle and my guess is that this was influenced by Biohazard.
Previous Reports on 4cr:
November 15th, 2007
October 25th, 2007
September 6th, 2007
August 30th, 2007
is sony paying stores to push ps3 so hard?
do they make that much more of a profit from ps3 and its games?
in the US many stores i go to, playstation is still prominant, that includes ps3, over wii stuff, and of course ps3 is talked up, as well as 360.
retailers have alot of power to kill a system since they are the middle man between the hardware makers and the public. i hope all the great games coming out next year help the wii, but considering all the good games out now, i have my worries.
though nintendo should spend some more money on advertising traditional gaming, they are partly to blame for not going far enough there.
koei should learn thee lesson as should konami. not even kids want ultra cute now. i have no problem with the graphics of dewy, opoona, or elebits, but that doesnt sell, and uts never been proven that it sells. so why do they keep doing it. its as if they want to kill those games, or are burying themselves in their belief that the majority of wii owners will always, and can only be kids and families who only can handle cute.
even nintendos games arent all that cute. if they are going by nintendos example, look at fire emblem, new advance wars, metroid, zelda, etc… none of which are cute in any way.
waltermh - 11.23.07 12:13 pm
vinnk, i love the comments you make about the local otakus.
N Rumas - 11.23.07 12:31 pm
Although not Nintendo, I’d love to know how Dynasty Warriors 6 is going.
Bainick - 11.23.07 6:43 pm
I agree Walter. As far as cutesy looking games go the only thing I’ve been interested in is King Story and perhaps Zack and Wiki. There just seems to be more depth in the concept than playing Dewy’s Monkeyball-ish tilt-based gameplay (something I never found that interesting) or Elebit’s basic “find ‘em all” concept (I don’t even like having to go through every crate or box, or talk to every NPC in many RPGs as is). Opoona on the other hand has such a lackluster art design it made me wonder if even Wii RPGs are going to suffer the same third-party “me too” approach to emulate Wii Sports’ Mii-ness. I mean for crying out loud.
questworld - 11.23.07 10:28 pm