Media Create Analyses

Media Create (Japan) Game Sales Analysis: Week 44 (10/31/2016 – 11/6/2016)


Welcome readers, to another week of Media Create sales! It’s been a crazy week all round, with politics dominating the news spheres, and Nintendo announcing that they’re ending Wii U production.

Crazy times.

Anyway, enough reflection on current events. It’s time to talk game sales! This week saw a few big debuts, mixed with a smattering of familiar titles.

nintendo-logo-001-20161104

Nintendo

Monster Hunter Stories
Monster Hunter Stories

Titles on Nintendo hardware claimed six spaces on the top-20 this period, with four 3DS games and two Wii U titles. Of those, zero made the top-10.

Monster Hunter Stories led the charge, selling through 11,698 units (260,425 LTD) to take 11th place. With this week’s sales, the title officially crossed the 250K mark, which is nothing short of fantastic for a spinoff title in a completely different genre from its base game. Kudos to Capcom for the achievement.

Meanwhile, it looks like the party at Mario’s house is filled with more than a few sad guests. Mario Party: Star Rush sold through another 10,595 units (51,246 LTD) to take the #12 space. For Mario Party, this is poor. Though the 25% week-over-week drop is fairly small, the game is still trending far below its predecessors. I will revise up, though, saying that we could see this hit 75K yet. This all depends on whether the game gets lost in the holiday rush – Pokémon and Final Fantasy XV are coming, which are marquee titles that are expected to consume the marketplace.

Speaking of house parties, blocky builder Minecraft (Wii U) managed to settle at 13th this period, selling through another 5,724 units (167,205 LTD). This is a jump of about 18%, and a testament to the overall longevity of Minecraft as a property.

As we move down the charts, we see that Yo-Kai are everywhere (except the top 10). Yo-Kai Watch 3 managed to hold its position at 15th, selling through 4,635 units (1,301,522 LTD). With the third SKU (Sukiyaki) due on December 15 and Pokémon Sun & Moon hitting next week, we’re seeing a bit of a down-tick in the numbers that should rebound with the new entry.

Speaking of rebounds, Paper Mario: Color Splash won’t be making one. The Shy Guy squad continues to drain the life out of this title, which sold through a scant 3,926 copies (37,093 LTD) to take 18th place. This is the poorest performing title in the franchise to date, and looks to be ready to exit the charts with a whimper in the next week or two.

Pink puff-ball Kirby rounded out the charts this period, peeking his head up at 20th place. Kirby: Planet Robobot moved 3,618 copies this period (463,747 LTD) which is nothing short of fantastic.

On the Hardware Front

The 3DS took second place this week, selling through 28,902 units. This is a rise of about 12.2% week-over-week. With no major releases this time around, this looks to be anticipatory purchases – folks buying or upgrading before Pokémon hits store shelves.

Meanwhile, the Wii U escapes the “Funny Story” zone because I can’t find any trivia. The system sold through 2,293 units this time around, up from last week’s 2,172.

playstation-logo-001-20161104

Sony

call-of-duty-infinite-warfare-jp-boxart-001-20161112The PlayStation family claimed 14 spaces on the big board this sales period, with nine PS4 games and five Vita titles making the cut.

Leading the way was Guns! In! Space! Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, the new sci-fi flavored entry into Activision’s shooter franchise, sold through 105,764 copies to take first place in its open week. While this is a strong opening overall, it’s also the lowest Japanese opening for a Call of Duty since 2009. The next lowest was 2014’s Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, which sold through 143,646 copies across two platforms (PS3 & PS4). Meanwhile, Famitsu’s sell-through rates peg the title at 40-60%. So while a good opener overall, it’s a super poor début for a Call of Duty.

Meanwhile, the Saiyans managed to muscle their way into second place. Dragon Ball: Xenoverse 2 (PS4) managed to blast its way to the #2 spot with 66,035 units sold. This is down from the first Dragon Ball: Xenoverse title, which sold through a combined 78,911 copies across two platforms (34,690 PS4, 44,221 PS3). While down, this isn’t an awful decline between the two titles, and it’ll be interesting to see what kind of legs Goku can bring this time.

At third place, the alchemists are hard at work! Atelier Firis: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Journey (PS4) secured the spot with 27,372 units sold in its first week. The Vita SKU managed to open at 5th place, with 16,153 units sold. Combined, the two SKUs moved 43,525 copies. Looking at the Famitsu charts, this looks to be a near-equilibrium point for the PS4 SKU, which moved 60-80% of its week-one allocation. The Vita version was a bit disappointing, as it only shifted about 40-60% of its first shipment. It’s a definite drop from Atrelier Sophie, which moved 56,564 copies when it debuted in November 2015. More than anything, we’re seeing the effects of franchise fatigue. Giving it a year or two to rest and really revitalize itself would do wonders for the Atelier brand.

Meanwhile, Battlefield’s returning to the trenches in its second week. Battlefield 1 sold through another 22,790 units (182,419 LTD) to take fourth place. This is about a 51% drop week-over-week, which isn’t bad. The title is showing strong legs, and we should see it holding into December.

As we move down the charts, we see that Kirito and company are continuing to hold tight, though they’ve had to fall back a bit. Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization (PS4) dropped down to 6th place this period with 15,825 units sold (86,696 LTD). The Vita version of the game was close behind, selling through 15,732 copies (85,381 LTD). Combined, the two SKUs sold through 172,077 copies. The game saw a typical 78%-ish drop in week-two, which was certainly expected, but on the lower end of the expected range. This could hold strong into December, especially as the hype machine for Sword Art Online The Movie: Ordinal Scale ramps up. I’ll be keeping an eye on this one.

World of Final Fantasy (PS4)
World of Final Fantasy (PS4)

The adorable World of Final Fantasy saw an expected tumble this period, as it travels into its second week. The Vita version of the game took 8th place this time around, selling through 14,757 copies (61,917 LTD). The PS4 edition dropped down to 10th, with 12,842 units sold (66,018 LTD). Combined, the two SKUs sold through 127,935 units. And, curiously, they both beat out the week-2 drop, for the most part. The PS4 version was a bit more susceptible, with a 76% decline week-over-week, but the Vita version is hanging tough with a mere 69% decline. We could see the Vita SKU become a bit of a scrapper, especially if it’s marketed strongly to coincide with FFXV’s launch on the 29th.

Sadly, Titanfall 2 continues to be a Titanfail in the market. The PS4 shooter sold through just 13,614 copies (35,057 LTD), dropping down to ninth place. While still higher than the original game’s sales, we’re talking about a game on PS4 squaring off on an XBox exclusive. It’s not saying too much.

Meanwhile, Minecraft continues to be the Vita’s rock. Mojang’s blocky builder shifted another 5,272 copies (911,215 LTD), earning 14th place. The title’s longevity is nothing short of astounding, and I am genuinely excited to see where this title goes next.

Sadly, Guts seems to have taken a mortal blow. Berserk and the Band of the Hawk (PS4) toppled down to 16th place this period, with a mere 4,582 units reaching customers. This is nothing short of disappointing, as Berserk is looking to be one of the lowest-selling “Warriors” spinoffs to date. The title was at the higher-end of the expected weekly drop-offs, shedding 84% this period. We’ll probably see the game leave the charts next time around.

Likewise, Mafia III saw a sharp decline in its second week, moving a mere 3,987 copies (19,824 LTD) to claim 17th.

Vita adventure Yahari Game Demo Ore no Seishun Love-Kome wa Machigatteiru. Zoku rounded out the charts this period, selling through 3,287 units (22,556 LTD) to take 20th.

On the Hardware Front

The PS4 took top honors this period, selling through 32,041 units. The Vita moved just under a third of its big brother’s totals, selling through 9,816 handhelds for the period.

The PS3, meanwhile, managed to hold steady for the period, with 735 units reaching customers.

xbox-logo-001-20161104

Microsoft

In the world of horse racing, Randy Romero is a Hall of Fame race horse, which enjoyed an astounding 4,285 wins through his career. Romero was most notable for winning 181 races at New Orleans’ Fair Grounds Race Course.

In the world of Japanese console sales, 181 XBox Ones sold shows that the price-cut bump is all but dead at this point.

Original Charts (via 4Gamer)

NeoGAF Link

About the author

Samantha Ferreira

Samantha Ferreira is Anime Herald’s founder and editor-in-chief. A Rhode Island native, Samantha has been an anime fan since 1992, and an active member of the anime press since 2002, when she began working as a reviewer for Anime Dream. She launched Anime Herald in 2010, and continues to oversee its operations to this day. Outside of journalism, Samantha actively studies the history of the North American anime fandom and industry, with a particular focus on the 2000s anime boom and bust. She’s a huge fan of all things Sakura Wars, and maintains series fansite Combat Revue Review when she has free time available. When not in the Anime Herald Discord, Samantha can typically be found on Bluesky.

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