Weekly sales of the PS3 in Japan performed even better than its strong showing the week prior. Sales of the unit climbed from 36,500 units to 39,835 for the week ending March 8.
Much of Sony’s success for the week can be attributed to the remarkable success of Resident Evil 5. Capcom’s latest survival/action-horror title managed to shift some 320,000 PS3 editions, while also moving around 80,000 Xbox 360 copies.
The sales figures throw into debate how much of a barrier the PS3’s high pricepoint provides, as Japan has consistently responded well when famed, compelling software has landed on the system. Back in November, Sony managed a similar feat with the PS3 when both GTA IV and LittleBigPlanet was released in the region.
But much has changed since that week in November. As the DSi was moving 170,000 units at the time, today it is turning out weekly sales of 32,000; its lowest sales rate yet.
Sony’s PSP sits far above, selling 59,568 units for the week (about 23,000 units more than the week prior.) Again, this was in line with the success of compelling software, this time in the shape of Shin Sangoku Musou Multi Raid.
The Wii manages to fall even further, today hitting a new low of 16,560 units. Not far behind is its recent close rival, Microsoft’s Xbox 360, which managed to move about 15,000 units for the week.
After the post-Christmas sales slump Japan has been going through, the PS3 is gaining unexpected momentum and emerging as a strong contender for the Japanese market share. Nintendo’s Wii, meanwhile, was just a thousand sales away from being the weakest-performing next-gen console, a distinction the system has come close to achieving for several weeks.
All eyes are on the weeks ahead to see how much of a sales spike Capcom’s recent software has provided, and if the tide is indeed turning for Sony’s troubled console.
Full list for the week ending March 8? ?according to Media Create:
PSP/ 59,568
PS3/ 39,835
DSi/ 32,102
Wii/ 16,560
Xbox 360/ 14,994
DS Lite/ 11,240
PS2/ 4,954
Last week.
2009? ?Japanese sales history.