More sales data from Japan, with the latest reports from Media Create, Dengeki, and Famitsu!

Media Create (Week 33, Obon)

Today, Media Create shared their weekly report on video games sales in Japan. It reveals that Software sales topped 403 000 units during Week 33, which is 87.46% of Week 32 sales.

It also reveals that during the Obon period (August 6th to August 19th), sales are down compared to the same period last year (August 7th to August 20th). Sales this year only account for 80.94% of last year’s sales, which is the lowest performance recorded in the past 3 years.

The interesting thing is that more games were released this year compared to previous years:*

2018: 13 games

2017: 9 games

2016: 5

And yet, Software sales were down:

2018: 107 000 units

2017: 144 000 units

2016: 287 000 units

Basically, what happened this year is that even though there were many releases this year, most of them had rather limited sales. As pointed out several times by Dengeki in the past few weeks, the lack of big hits the likes of Splatoon 2 or Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age really hurt sales compared to last year.

One thing that did increase this year is Nintendo’s market share during Obon period:

2018 – Nintendo: 75% / Sony: 24%

2017 – Nintendo: 62% / Sony: 37%

What’s more, 18 of the 20 titles in the Top 20 are on Nintendo platforms, which is an even stronger performance than usual.

Source: Media Create

Media Create – Day 1 sell-through

This week, we have Day 1 sell-through data for one game:

[NSW] [PS4] My Hero: One’s Justice (Bandai Namco Games) – 70%. Both version have the same sell-through, but the Nintendo Switch shipment was apparently “much bigger” (in other words, it sold better). It looks like we can expect some shortages in the next few days, unless Bandai-Namco was sufficiently prepared.

Source: Media Create

Via: hiska-kun (ResetERA)

Dengeki (Week 33, Minecraft)

Dengeki points out that due to the lack of new releases during Obon week, Minecraft on Nintendo Switch managed to end up the best-selling game in Japan for one, sweet week with 27 000 units sold. It’s been enjoying rather steady sales since launch, but it’s the first time it’s ever topped the sales charts. It’s now sold over 232 000 units LTD.

In comparison, here’s how the previous versions of Minecraft sold in Japan:

PlayStation Vita: 1 212 000 units LTD, 41 000 units at launch

PlayStaton 4: 330 000 units LTD, 6 000 units at launch

Wii U: 352 000 units (24 000 units at launch

Combined, all versions of the game have sold over 2 million units, and there’s no doubt that number will grow significantly with the Nintendo Switch version.

But it’s not just Minecraft that sold well this week: Splatoon 2 also did, with 24 000 units sold (2 592 000 units LTD). As for WarioWare Gold, it did pretty well with 23 000 units sold. This week, Nintendo platforms grabbed 9 of the 10 spots of the Top 10 Software.

This week, Dengeki reiterates that the market as a whole has been down so far, this Summer season: Hardware is down by 49.7%, and Software is down by 55.6%. The market shares for the various platforms have changed a fair bit, with the Nintendo Switch dominating the market more and more.

This Summer, the market share (Hardware) of the Nintendo Switch is 60.6%, overwhelming the other two relevant platforms. The PlayStation 4 accounts for 24.2% of sales. Combined, the two platforms account for nearly 85% of the market (84.6% to be precise). The Nintendo 3DS saw its market share drop even further, from 35% in 2017 to 11.8% this year… that’s nearly 25 points down year on year!

Software-wise, the domination of Nintendo Switch games is also clear as day: 54.8% of total Software sales are from them. The PlayStation 4 account for 24% of sales, and combined, the two platforms account for nearly 80% of total sales (78.8% to be precise).

Naturally, those two are only going to see their respective market shares increase in the upcoming months, with major titles like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! / Let’s Go, Eevee! on Nintendo Switch. All eyes will be on the Nintendo Switch, to see how long the Nintendo Switch momentum will keep going, and whether the PlayStation 4 will be able to turn things around.

Next, here’s Software sales for each platform:

Platforms This week This week (%) Fiscal Year Fiscal Year (%) PS4 92,337 22.1％ 2,403,041 32.9％ Vita 15,167 3.6％ 492,329 6.7％ Switch 227,705 54.4％ 3,450,704 47.2％ 3DS 81,497 19.5％ 922,795 12.6％ ETC 1,777 0.4％ 40,185 0.5％ Total 418,483 100.0％ 7,309,054 100.0％

And here’s Hardware sales:

Platforms This week This week (%) Fiscal Year Fiscal Year (%) PS4 29,012 28.5％ 389,253 26.0％ Vita 3,023 3.0％ 54,600 3.6％ Switch 57,468 56.5％ 875,672 58.4％ 3DS 12,175 12.0％ 175,397 11.7％ ETC 98 0.1％ 3,244 0.2％ Total 101,776 100.0％ 1,498,166 100.0％

Finally, here’s the Top 50 Software:

01./06. [NSW] Minecraft (Microsoft Game Studios) {2018.06.21} – 26,817 / 232,196

02./04. [NSW] Splatoon 2 (Nintendo) {2017.07.21} – 24,065 / 2,591,748

03./02. [3DS] WarioWare Gold (Nintendo) {2018.08.02} – 23,158 / 81,289

04./01. [NSW] Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum ‘n’ Fun! (Bandai Namco Games) {2018.07.19} – 22,567 / 173,417

05./09. [NSW] Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Nintendo) {2017.04.28} – 20,629 / 1,708,405

06./08. [NSW] Mario Tennis Aces (Nintendo) {2018.06.22} – 18,494 / 318,799

07./07. [NSW] Pro Baseball Famista Evolution (Bandai Namco Games) {2018.08.02} – 12,867 / 75,141

08./12. [NSW] Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (Nintendo) {2018.07.13} – 11,400 / 111,362

09./16. [NSW] Kirby Star Allies (Nintendo) {2018.03.16} – 8,856 / 614,705

10./13. [NSW] Octopath Traveler (Square Enix) {2018.07.13} – 7,578 / 178,790

11./03. [PS4] Yakuza 3 (Sega) {2018.08.09} – 7,294 / 30,417

12./19. [NSW] The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo) {2017.03.03} – 6,828 / 822,490

13./14. [NSW] Layton’s Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaire’s Conspiracy DX (Level 5) {2018.08.09} – 6,639 / 17,883

14./21. [NSW] Super Mario Odyssey (Nintendo) {2017.10.27} – 6,156 / 1,701,463

15./18. [3DS] Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (Nintendo) {2018.07.13} – 6,111 / 50,440

16./11. [NSW] Okami HD (Capcom) {2018.08.09} – 4,933 / 17,078

17./05. [PS4] Fire Pro Wrestling: World (Spike Chunsoft) {2018.08.09} – 4,063 / 23,269

18./27. [3DS] Pokemon Ultra Sun (Pokemon Co.) {2017.11.17} – 3,828 / 849,944

19./29. [3DS] Pokemon Ultra Moon (Pokemon Co.) {2017.11.17} – 3,756 / 824,206

20./10. [PS4] Bullet Girls: Phantasia (D3Publisher) {2018.08.09} – 3,547 / 17,660

21./25. [NSW] Nintendo Labo Toy-Con 01: Variety Kit (Nintendo) {2018.04.20} – 3,511 / 205,270

22./28. [NSW] Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (Nintendo) {2018.05.03} – 3,467 / 213,393

23./34. [PS4] Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball 2018 (Konami) {2018.04.26} – 3,141 / 231,049

24./15. [3DS] Etrian Odyssey X (Atlus) {2018.08.02} – 3,113 / 82,159

25./36. [NSW] Pokken Tournament DX (Pokemon Co.) {2017.09.22} – 2,850 / 286,800

26./24. [PS4] Mega Man X Legacy Collection 1+2 (Capcom) {2018.07.26} – 2,688 / 41,198

27./22. [PS4] SaGa: Scarlet Grace (Square Enix) {2018.08.02} – 2,681 / 21,428

28./31. [PS4] The Last of Us Remastered [PlayStation Hits] (Sony Interactive Entertainment) {2018.07.26} – 2,640 / 13,471

29./23. [PS4] Friday the 13th: The Game (Natsume Atari) {2018.08.02} – 2,550 / 14,844

30./39. [NSW] ARMS (Nintendo) {2017.06.16} – 2,400 / 448,103

31./38. [3DS] Animal Crossing: New Leaf – Welcome amiibo (Nintendo) {2016.11.23} – 2,156 / 373,039

32./35. [PS4] Kingdom Hearts HD I.5 + II.5 ReMIX (Square Enix) {2017.03.09} – 1,935 / 194,363

33./50. [PS4] Minecraft: Playstation 4 Edition (Sony Interactive Entertainment) {2015.12.03} – 1,888 / 331,733

34./40. [NSW] 1-2-Switch (Nintendo) {2017.03.03} – 1,878 / 476,691

35./55. [PS4] Monster Hunter: World [Best Price] (Capcom) {2018.08.02} – 1,856 / 3,556

36./48. [NSW] LEGO The Incredibles (Warner Entertainment Japan) {2018.08.02} – 1,828 / 4,289

37./43. [3DS] Mario Party: The Top 100 (Nintendo) {2017.12.28} – 1,811 / 218,057

38./17. [PSV] Bullet Girls: Phantasia (D3Publisher) {2018.08.09} – 1,706 / 8,412

39./44. [PSV] Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball 2018 (Konami) {2018.04.26} – 1,633 / 110,870

40./45. [NSW] Mega Man X Legacy Collection 1+2 (Capcom) {2018.07.26} – 1,488 / 24,179

41./53. [3DS] Attack on Titan 2: Future Coordinates (Spike Chunsoft) {2017.11.30} – 1,480 / 56,575

42./37. [PS4] Border Break: Starter Pack (Sega) {2018.08.02} – 1,444 / 13,510

43./60. [PS4] Grand Theft Auto V (Take-Two Interactive Japan) {2015.10.08} – 1,339 / 385,885

44./32. [NSW] SaGa: Scarlet Grace (Square Enix) {2018.08.02} – 1,333 / 12,117

45./56. [NSW] The Snack World: TreJarers (Level 5) {2018.04.12} – 1,311 / 105,830

46./42. [PS4] Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege – Advanced Edition (Ubisoft) {2018.03.01} – 1,306 / 71,738

47./20. [PSV] CharadeManiacs (Idea Factory) {2018.08.09} – 1,300 / 6,714

48./41. [NSW] FIFA 18 (Electronic Arts) {2017.09.29} – 1,283 / 148,522

49./57. [NSW] Attack on Titan 2 (Koei Tecmo) {2018.03.15} – 1,256 / 66,791

50./46. [NSW] Dragon Quest X: All in One Package (Square Enix) {2018.07.26} – 1,250 / 7,357

Source: Dengeki

Top 50 data compiled by ZSaberLink (ResetEra)

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