Topic: Japanese Weekly Charts for Nov. 26-Dec. 2

[famicomplicated]

Wii Fit exercises its domination over Super Mario Galaxy.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=14946

 The latest Media Create Japanese software charts proved what everyone expected: Wii Fit sold big in Japan. However, despite it selling 261,000 units, it wasn’t enough to reach the top position.    

That honour was taken by Professor Layton and the Devil’s Box for the Nintendo DS, which managed a staggering 293,000 in its first week.  It should be noted however, that Wii Fit sells at 8,800 yen ($80), compared to DS software at 4,800 yen ($43).  Also, Wii Fit was released at the end of the week, whereas Professor Layton came out nearer the beginning of the week.    

Other noteworthy contenders were Dragon Quest IV on DS managing another 134,000 units to reach the No. 4 spot.  Mario Party DS at No. 6 also notched up a respectable 79,000 units, almost double that of Mario and Sonic at the Olympics on Wii, which placed at No. 9.    

Super Mario Galaxy was again just beaten out of the top ten, but this time by Duel Monsters World Championship 2008 on the DS, which sold 34,000 units.

[Kairon]

Hurrah for James Charleton, our Japan correspondent! Hurrah for not having to rely on my two years of almost-forgotten high school Japanese and google translator and babelfish!

[Ian Sane]

Super Mario Galaxy out of the top ten?  More proof that Japan's taste in videogames has gone completely to sh!t.

I'm very interested in how Wii Fit will sell in North America.  It doesn't come with a free remote and it doesn't come for free with the console itself.  It has to sell on it's own merits.

My favourite games are almost always from Japan.  If Japan doesn't like, you know, good games anymore what is the future of Japanese game design?  Do the publishers feel the North American market is important enough to continue to make games like Super Mario Galaxy even if they'll underperform in their country of origin?  Meanwhile a North American market dominated by Western publishers would be a disaster from a quality point of view.

[vudu]

Quote
Originally posted by: Ian Sane
Super Mario Galaxy out of the top ten?  More proof that Japan's taste in videogames has gone completely to sh!t.

To be fair, Galaxy has sold about 35K every week for the past several weeks.  Its sales aren't dropping, the game just got bumped from the top ten because of all the games that come out this time of the year.

[Kairon]

Quote
Originally posted by: Ian Sane
If Japan doesn't like, you know, good games anymore what is the future of Japanese game design?

Japan still likes good games. You just don't like good games.

... j/k ...

[KDR_11k]

Do the publishers feel the North American market is important enough to continue to make games like Super Mario Galaxy even if they'll underperform in their country of origin?

I'd say that's fairly evident from the support the 360 is getting from japanese devs.

[Michael8983]

Mario Galaxy sold more in its first weeks than MOST games will EVER sell. It far from bombed.
3D platformers just aren't a favored genre in Japan. Perhaps Mario's next console adventure should feature more 2D gameplay. Galaxy had a little of it, and maybe the sequel will see much more.

[BlackNMild2k1]

Quote
Originally posted by: Kairon
Hurrah for James Charleton, our Japan correspondent! Hurrah for not having to rely on my two years of almost-forgotten high school Japanese and google translator and babelfish!

You guys are a chart short and a day late.... Media Create Top 50 w/ Hardware

[NWR_pap64]

Quote
Originally posted by: Ian Sane
I'm very interested in how Wii Fit will sell in North America.  It doesn't come with a free remote and it doesn't come for free with the console itself.  It has to sell on it's own merits.

Me too. I want to see if the casuals are willing to spend more than 60 bucks on a game. Peripheral games don't always gain a loyal following due to price (Guitar Hero and DDR are the exception but it took them a while before they gained an audience).