The PS3 version of Grand Theft Auto IV has debuted at the top of the Japanese software sales charts for the week ending Nov 2.
The PS3 version of Rockstar North’s critically-acclaimed title outsold three other new entries which all make up the top four games in the chart. LittleBigPlanet finished in third, while the 360 version of GTA debuted in fourth.
The PS3, which has in recent times been performing the weakest in terms of hardware sales in Japan, is expected to see a boost in sales due to the new software. Strong sales of Gran Turismo 5 Prologue Spec III, which is part of a PS3 bundle deal, suggests that this week’s Japanese Hardware charts will see Sony’s flagship console climb back into more familiar territory. Rumours are circulating that the PS3 will jump straight to the top of the hardware charts, though with the DSi having just been released it would come as a shock.
Strong sales in Japan may be the last hurrah for GTAIV, a game which has taken numerous sales records. The game sold over 3.6m copies in the first day of its worldwide launch, reaching 6 million sales by the end of its launch week. In the UK it sold over 600,000 copies on its first day of release.
Full top ten according to Famitsu: Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3)Valkyrie Profile: The Accused One (DS)LittleBigPlanet (PS3)Grand Theft Auto IV (360)Wagamama Fassion Girls Mode (DS)Pokemon Platinum (DS)Gran Turismo 5 Prologue: Spec III (PS3)Rhythm Tengoku Gold (DS)Chocobo's Dungeon DS+ (DS)Wii Music (Wii)