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NWR Interactive => TalkBack => Topic started by: WindyMan on December 05, 2006, 05:10:52 AM

Title: Wii Sells Big in Japan
Post by: WindyMan on December 05, 2006, 05:10:52 AM
It should come as no surprise that the Japanese love the Wii...but damn.

Everyone expected the Wii to take Japan by storm as much as the Nintendo DS has, and if the first sales figures are any indication, Nintendo is well on their way to installing their white boxes of fun in every Japanese household.    


Japanese magazine Famitsu calculates that in the first two days the Wii was on sale, 371,936 units were sold.  All reports pointed to Nintendo having 400,000 consoles available at launch, so that means at least 93% of the first wave of hardware was sucked up by consumers.  There's no doubt stores are sold out across the country, and the few systems that are left will probably disappear before Nintendo can get retailers a fresh shipment.    


Famitsu also revealed the ten best-selling games during the Wii's opening two days.  Nintendo's four launch games top the list, but you may be surprised to hear that Zelda: Twilight Princess wasn't the region's number one.  With 145,068 buyers, was actually third in line behind Hajimete no Wii (Wii Play) and the non-packed-in Wii Sports.  Both sold more than 170,000 units.  Odoru! Made in Wario (WarioWare: Smooth Moves) was a distant fourth with about 63,000 copies sold.    


The list of third party games resembles the also-ran contingent on a presidential ballot.  The next six games on the list combined didn't come close to matching WarioWare's total.  The whole top ten list is below.  Remember that these are only the first two days' worth of sales in Japan.    


  Wii Hardware: 371,936    


Wii Software:    


1. Wii Sports - Nintendo: 176,880
 2. Hajimete no Wii (Wii Play) - Nintendo: 171,888
 3. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess - Nintendo: 145,068
 4. Odoru! Made in Wario (WarioWare: Smooth Moves) - Nintendo: 63,086
 5. Swing Golf Pangya - Tecmo: 12,673
 6. Ennichi no Tatsujin - Bandai Namco: 10,192
 7. SD Gundam SCAD Hammers - Bandai Namco: 9,801
 8. Red Steel - Ubisoft: 8,823
 9. Tamagotchi no Pikapika Daitouryou! - Bandai Namco: 6,994
 10. Elebits - Konami: 6,505

Title: RE: Wii Sells Big in Japan
Post by: NinGurl69 *huggles on December 05, 2006, 05:57:56 AM
It's official, Japan doesn't want traditional games, AND 3rd party games.

3rd parties will jump ship in NO TIME.
Title: RE: Wii Sells Big in Japan
Post by: Pale on December 05, 2006, 06:07:16 AM
I'm not sure how much we should attribute Wii Play's success to the actual game itself.  Anyone who wanted an extra remote would be dumb to buy one alone instead of with Wii Play.
Title: RE:Wii Sells Big in Japan
Post by: Galford on December 05, 2006, 06:09:33 AM
I will admit I am surprised about Zelda.  
In Japan isn't the Wii version the only version you can buy in a store?

Kinda weird that Wii Sports and Wii Play are selling the most...
Title: RE: Wii Sells Big in Japan
Post by: TrueNerd on December 05, 2006, 06:28:10 AM
Did the Japanese ever like Zelda as much as the rest of the world? I know they hate Metroid. Are they only lukewarm to Zelda?  
Title: RE: Wii Sells Big in Japan
Post by: Ian Sane on December 05, 2006, 06:43:17 AM
I think the Japanese like Zelda just fine.  I think what's happened is that Nintendo has actually changed gaming in Japan with the DS.  Non-games are in.
Title: RE: Wii Sells Big in Japan
Post by: KDR_11k on December 05, 2006, 07:27:18 AM
I'm not sure how much we should attribute Wii Play's success to the actual game itself. Anyone who wanted an extra remote would be dumb to buy one alone instead of with Wii Play.

A remote is cheaper without Wii Play (10€ here). Of course I'll be getting Wii Play because it means some more stuff to do with a recently launched system (which usually doesn't have a whole lot to offer).

The sales for the third parties will probably pick up later. At launch you grab the system and a game and you'll want a game that's good. Though I think Wii Sports is more popular than Zelda because, well, you just spent a lot of money on a new console, you'll want to make use of its features instead of having them sit there unused with the possibility that a later game makes use of them. I know I felt kinda silly playing Super Mario 64 on my DS because it meant my DS wasn't really being a DS, just a glorified Gameboy. If I had a Wii and only Zelda for it I'd feel like I'm playing a glorified Gamecube instead of a completely new system.
Title: RE: Wii Sells Big in Japan
Post by: IceCold on December 05, 2006, 08:24:51 AM
Quote
A remote is cheaper without Wii Play (10€ here).
Well, for just $10 extra, who wouldn't buy WiiPlay if it came with the controller?
Title: RE: Wii Sells Big in Japan
Post by: Smash_Brother on December 05, 2006, 08:33:02 AM
I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'm still stunned to see Red Steel in the top 10, let alone beating out Tamagochi and other Japanese games.

I say that because not only do the Japanese typically dislike FPSs, but it's a game where you play as a white guy whose primary job is to shoot every Japanese person he sees in the face.

Sure, it's better than MoH: Pacific Rim, but still...
Title: RE:Wii Sells Big in Japan
Post by: Kairon on December 05, 2006, 08:41:40 AM
I'm not sad to see third party rush titles and minigame collections like Shin-Chan sell few copies, but I am hoping that traditional games like Gundam Scad hammers and Trauma Center have legs that earn them respectable sales (respectable in the Japanese market is about 100,000 units, right?)

Quote
Originally posted by: Smash_Brother
I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'm still stunned to see Red Steel in the top 10, let alone beating out Tamagochi and other Japanese games.

I say that because not only do the Japanese typically dislike FPSs, but it's a game where you play as a white guy whose primary job is to shoot every Japanese person he sees in the face.

Sure, it's better than MoH: Pacific Rim, but still...


Since RS starts off in Los Angeles and your character is a security guard, my brother and I have a pet theory that the main character in Red Steel is latino.

Oh, but the art style of the characters in the cutscenes is really starting to get on my nerves the more I think about it. They don't look like Japanese AT ALL! They look like some horrible mish mash of every single horribly drawn stereotype from Mongolia down to New Zealand.

~Carmine M. Red
Kairon@aol.com  
Title: RE:Wii Sells Big in Japan
Post by: Crimm on December 05, 2006, 08:55:00 AM
Dude, I want Metal Wolf Chaos and it displays the US as crazy, gun toting, people who elect devil may care Presidents.



Wait...


OKAY LET'S PARTIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!  Welcome to the White House!

RICHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARD!
Title: RE: Wii Sells Big in Japan
Post by: WuTangTurtle on December 05, 2006, 09:02:10 AM
I'm surprised I thought some of the 3rd party stuff would have had some better numbers.  For example Elebits and Tamagotchi are very Japanese like games, I would have bet they each would have sold atleast 30,000 up to 80,000.

And my prediction of atleast 3 games selling over 50,000 was pretty spot on.

I have to say though I don't like how bad the 3rd parties sold, hopefully the numbers go up as people start craving for something else besides WiiSports.
Title: RE:Wii Sells Big in Japan
Post by: Smash_Brother on December 05, 2006, 09:32:26 AM
Quote
Originally posted by: Kairon Since RS starts off in Los Angeles and your character is a security guard, my brother and I have a pet theory that the main character in Red Steel is latino.


His name is Scott Monroe. What nationality is Monroe? French, perhaps?
Title: RE: Wii Sells Big in Japan
Post by: Ian Sane on December 05, 2006, 09:38:04 AM
"I say that because not only do the Japanese typically dislike FPSs, but it's a game where you play as a white guy whose primary job is to shoot every Japanese person he sees in the face."

Well Capcom, a Japanese company, did make the 1942 series.

Honestly I think in North America a game where the main hero is Japanese and all the bad guys are American could do well.  The scenario wouldn't turn people off.  So the reverse seems likely.  It's not like a racial cleansing game or anything.

Hell here in Vancouver I see an incredible amount of white people who are incredibly into pretty much anything Asian.  The fact that it's foreign is cool to them.  So I figure in Japan the same sort of thing exists with Japanese guys who think anything American is cool.  In high school it seemed like every second Japanese exchange student I met wore cowboy boots... sometimes with SPURS!
Title: RE: Wii Sells Big in Japan
Post by: Ceric on December 05, 2006, 10:10:22 AM
I'm actually disappointed with those numbers.  In the states we sold out of Wiis almost from the get go.  Within the day.  Your going to tell me there is actual Wiis in Japan just floating around?  With there larger game selection and better VC.  Something just ain't right.  It looks like North America just wanted it more even with how NoA is treating us.
Title: RE:Wii Sells Big in Japan
Post by: Klapaucius on December 05, 2006, 11:28:51 AM
OMEDETOU to Nintendo.  ^_^

Shops usually keep a number back, so that they can still sell consoles to latecomers a few days after launch - and so they aren't totally itemless until , the next shipment arrives. I guess that's why not all 400,000 sold out straight away, but all available Wiis did.

Remember the hoohah over Wind Waker? Officially the most pre-ordered game of all time... I guess TP going multi-platform means that can't happen.
I read that the Gamecube TP is very popular in Japan. They know what's right.

How well did the Nazi-shooting MoH games go down in Germany? ...I don't imagine a game where you play as an American and shoot up Japanese guys would go down especially well in Japan, not one set in WW2 at least as it can still be a sore spot.

Title: RE: Wii Sells Big in Japan
Post by: Ceric on December 05, 2006, 01:00:42 PM
It's illegal in Germany to have Nazi references.
Title: RE: Wii Sells Big in Japan
Post by: IceCold on December 05, 2006, 02:22:11 PM
Quote
I'm actually disappointed with those numbers. In the states we sold out of Wiis almost from the get go. Within the day. Your going to tell me there is actual Wiis in Japan just floating around?
The 400,000 was just an estimate - I have no doubt the consoles sold out as fast as they did here..
Title: RE:Wii Sells Big in Japan
Post by: Crimm on December 05, 2006, 07:41:06 PM
Quote
Originally posted by: Smash_Brother
His name is Scott Monroe. What nationality is Monroe? French, perhaps?


Scottish, but applied to some of the Scots that moved to region in Ireland.


THANKS GOOGLE!

Title: RE: Wii Sells Big in Japan
Post by: Smash_Brother on December 05, 2006, 07:44:06 PM
So basically, our best guess is "American", right?

Actually, I'm an idiot (srsly): I clearly remember one of the enemies in Red Steel yelling "Amerikajin" at me. "Gaijin" is foreigner, but "Amerikajin" is, obviously, American.
Title: RE:Wii Sells Big in Japan
Post by: Klapaucius on December 05, 2006, 08:21:53 PM
actually "Gaikokujin" is foreigner, and "Gaijin" is outside-person...  :P   but yeah both are used as foreigner. ^_^

I'm impressed they used real Japanese in the game. Is there a lot of Japanese used, and is it real Japanese? Is it subtitled?
Title: RE: Wii Sells Big in Japan
Post by: KDR_11k on December 06, 2006, 01:53:40 AM
Honestly I think in North America a game where the main hero is Japanese and all the bad guys are American could do well.

Oh come on, no game that doesn't have an American hero and has him fighting enemies that defy America sells in America!

It's illegal in Germany to have Nazi references.

No, it's illegal to promote ideals of National Socialism or include its symbols on a toy. You can have Nazis in a game just fine but you can't use the swastika or the double sun rune (SS symbol). I think you also have to avoid the Hitlergruß. For some strange reason games count as toys for that law while counting as media for other laws (media are allowed to depict Nazi symbols but not put them in a positive context).