Official Japanese Hardware Sales: Dec 5 -12

[Paco]

Link

System - Weekly sales (2005 sales)

NDS - 299,328 (2,754,494)

PSP - 86,403 (1,831,958)
PS2 - 45,893 (1,737,380)
Xbox360 - 43,970 (NEW)
NGC - 12,212 (206,206)
GBASP - 10,456 (625,394)
GBM - 8,326 (370,161)
GBA - 396 - (23,638)
Xbox - 164 (11,571)

Total sales: 507,148

Last week's sales: 322,858

Well, Nintendo has proven that it's not just about graphics. The DS spanked everything else combined. Perhaps Nintendo can reclaim Japan with the Revolution and DS combined...and don't forget they still have a new Gameboy in development.:)

[Great Rumbler]

Yeah, the DS is a monster in Japan.

[A Black Falcon]

Mariokart?

[Great Rumbler]

Yeah, it sold 219,000 that week and Animal Crossing sold about 112,000.

[Smoke]

Nintendo needs to have a MarioKart game ready for Rev launch. :D

[A Black Falcon]

In Japan this year... Nintendo has 3.975 million hardware sales, Sony 3.5 million, and Microsoft 54,000. Um, ouch? :)

Nintendo needs to have a MarioKart game ready for Rev launch.

For sales, that would be good... but it'd be better if it didn't come so close after the DS game, probably. And really, what is most important is a new Mario platformer... at launch...

[Paco]

Mario platformer + Smash Bros. + Metroid Prime 3 = success

If I'm not mistaken, Mario Kart has always been a second generation game, usually coming out about a year after the console launch.

[Great Rumbler]

but it'd be better if it didn't come so close after the DS game

Late 2006 isn't exactly just right around the corner...

[A Black Falcon]

If I'm not mistaken, Mario Kart has always been a second generation game, usually coming out about a year after the console launch.

True. But Nintendo doesn't need to stick to the same schedule every time, and doesn't... like how SSB was a late N64 game versus almost-launch on GC... (Or Mario Sunshine not being launch). That said, they probably won't have Mario Kart at launch... and don't really need it then. If they've got a Mario platformer (that people like more than Sunshine), all will go well. :)

Late 2006 isn't exactly just right around the corner...

Well technically Nintendo has said 'anytime in the last eight or nine months of '06', but yes, the current rumor is Thanksgiving-time in the US.

[Paco]

True. But Nintendo doesn't need to stick to the same schedule every time, and doesn't... like how SSB was a late N64 game versus almost-launch on GC... (Or Mario Sunshine not being launch). That said, they probably won't have Mario Kart at launch... and don't really need it then. If they've got a Mario platformer (that people like more than Sunshine), all will go well. :)

I think the Mario platformer at launch could have a much greater effect as far as system sellers go. Mario Kart is a really great title to lead the second batch of titles, imo.

Oh, and not having Mario Sunshine at the Gamecube launch was a big mistake, imho.

[Great Rumbler]

Early reports are putting DS's weekly sales at 420,000. Official numbers should be in soon.

[Smoke]

Great Googly Moogly!

[Great Rumbler]

We got software!!

01. ps2 Tales of Abyss 405,000 405,000
02. NDS Animal Forest 184,000 761,000
03. NDS Mario Kart 146,000 365,000
04. GBA Final Fantasy 4 97,000 97,000
05. NDS Tamagotchi 92,000 565,000
06. GBA Pokemon Dungeon Red 85,000 356,000
07. NDS Pokemon Dungeon Blue 80,000 354,000
08. NDS Brain Training 57,000 911,000
09. ps2 Rogue Galaxy 51,000 288,000
10. NDS Gentle Brain Training 48,000 773,000

Bow to your hand-held masters!!!

[EdenMaster]

I thought Melee was a launch title for GC. If Nintendo launched an online Smash Bros, online Mario Kart (with VOICE CHAT!), and a few other quality first-party (that's kinda redundant) title, Revolution could have a very strong launch. Stretching that to include a new Mario and Zelda might be my own greediness, but it would make the system fly off the shelves long after launch.

[A Black Falcon]

Melee was like a month after launch... not a launch title unless you buy into this "launch window" idiocy.

As for games, Mario and SSB are probably the most likely... Zelda? Um, absolutely not. Mario Kart? Better second-gen... it's a major franchise, but a launch one? Online... in a dream world, it'd be like X360's Live, but free: always on, voice chat, you can go and check and see which of the people on your friends list are playing X360 at any time and message them with a voice message (yes, even if you're playing a single player game, as long as you're plugged in you're online -- just like in a PC. Awesome! As I've seen said, the days aren't far off when it'll be as weird and wrong (and boring!) to have a console not be connected to the internet as it has been for PCs for some years now... :)