I spent the holidays in the United States so I wasn’t able to do any Japanese sales reports. But now I am back and here is my first report for the New Year.

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.

Remember, you can skip the numbers, the best stuff is at the bottom.

This week I was asked to look for Wii, WiiFit, QDIV, FFIV and I was to look at the local advertising for Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Devil May Cry 4. I visited the stores on Thursday, January 10th, 2008.

Jusco
Wii: 3
WiiFit: Sold Out
DQIV: 5
FFIV: 4

Youme Town
Wii: 5
WiiFit: Sold Out
DQIV: 3
FFIV: 5

Mr. Max
Wii: 1
WiiFit: Sold out
DQIV: 2
FFIV: 1

Book-Net
Wii: 2
WiiFit: Sold Out
DQIV: Sold Out
FFIV: 1

Goody
Wii: Sold out
WiiFit: Sold Out
DQIV: 3
FFIV: 1

Best Denki
Wii: 6
WiiFit: Sold Out
DQIV: 6
FFIV: 8

Wanpaku
Wii: 3
WiiFit: Sold Out
DQIV: 11
FFIV: 6

Famicom Dojo
Wii: Sold out
WiiFit: Sold Out
DQIV: 2
FFIV: Sold Out

Yamada Denki
Wii: 4
WiiFit: Sold Out
DQIV: 7
FFIV: 3

TOTALS:
Wii: 23
Wii Fit: Sold Out
DQIV: 39
FFIV: 29

NOTES:

1. I wasn’t here for Christmas or New Years day but according to my game store friends the Wii never sold out in my town. 2 stores told me they also received larger shipment of Wii hardware before the big sales weeks.

2. The PS3 is still moving it’s 40GB SKU but I can see why Sony is discontinuing the 20 and 60 gig ones. There are still tons of brand new 20 and 60 gig Minna No Golf bundles waiting to be sold.

3. DS and PSP are everywhere. Both used and new in every color of the rainbow. Very low number of used PSP slim systems but TONS of the original model. For DS it’s about 50/50 with lite and phat models.

4. Used 360s once again in abundance. Seems people beat Lost Odyssey. Also Lost Odyssey had a price collapse. Can be found for 3000yen.

5. WiiFit is once again sold out. Most stores have taken down their advertisements for it. Seems that they know the thing is going to sell regardless and they don’t want to waste any space for it.

6. Dragon Quest is still getting priority placement at game stores. Usually right next to FFIV. And I have indeed seen people pick up both games at the same time.

7. I think I figured out why WarioWare is selling so well. At Yamada Denki its going price (for a brand new copy) is 1683 yen and at Best Denki the price is 2500 yen. Both of these are chain stores so they might reflect prices Japan-wide (sorry, I can’t confirm) I didn’t check the prices from other stores but I will try to next week.

8. Biohazard: Umbrella Chronicles is back in stock, but still no gun bundles. Ghost Squad (w/ Gun) is also sold out. So in my town at least, if you want a Zapper, you are out of luck.

9. Around New Years a lot of games price collapsed. New years is traditionally a time when Japanese people do their yearly cleaning (like “spring cleaning” in the West). Stores also try to get rid of unsold products at this time. Some prices I observed: Dewey’s Adventure 1500yen, Super Mario Strikers 2200 yen, Eye of Judgment 2000 yen, Uncharted 2400 yen, Lost Odyssey 3000 yen, Tales of Tempest (yup brand new copies not sold since it came out) 500 yen. I’m sure there were more but I didn’t check every game.

10. The 2nd Layton game still has a dedicated kiosk for it at Wanpaku and both it and the first game are nicely positioned in the stores. Neither game is sold out but seem to be selling well. No used copies of the second game at any store. A few used copies of the first.

11. DMC4 has a huge HD kiosk at Wanpaku and posters up all around. It looks amazing. Lots of people were staring at it. Then again they did the same thing last month when that TV was being used for the GT4P kiosk. It will be interesting to see how many of them actually buy the game. As for the 360, from an advertising point of view, there was nothing in the store to even indicate that the game was even being released for the 360.

12. Super Smash Bros. Brawl. It’s a good thing I read internet forums and game magazines, because it I didn’t I would have no idea SSBB was even coming out. Not one kiosk. Not one flyer. Not one poster. A few months back I seem to remember a mini-poster at one of the stores, but it seems even that is gone. It’s weird. NiGHTS got far more in-store advertising and that started appearing 2 months before the game came out. I know Nintendo made some great TV ads for SSBB but I have been too busy to watch TV so I don’t know how frequent they are aired. What I do know is that in my town SSBB has zero in-store presence. And I can’t think of how to explain that. I’m dumbstruck.

13. The Otaku in my town however, know a lot about Smash Bros. When the Panzer Dragoon ship got added in the updates this one girl talked to me for like 20 minutes about it. Even I am not that geeky. All the otaku who have a Wii (about half) are buying the game day one. It might even inspire a few to re-buy the Wii (several sold it after Zelda and Fire Emblem).

15. Tales of Innocence is sold out at 2 of the shops in my town. But these stores might just have never ordered another shipment so it is hard to say for sure if it is a good thing. I wasn’t here for Christmas and they might have lowered their prices.

Previous Reports on 4cr:

December 6th, 2007
November 29th, 2007
November 22nd, 2007
November 15th, 2007
October 25th, 2007
September 6th, 2007
August 30th, 2007