Tag: Japan - Page 15
News Japanese Sales Charts: One Piece Does the Business for PS3
Massive numbers for PS3 exclusive
One Piece: Pirate Musou – also known as One Piece: Pirate Warriors – gave the PlayStation 3 one of its strongest ever Japanese software debuts this past week, as it topped the charts with a whopping 655,774 units sold. Just to put things into perspective, it outsold the combined total of the remaining 19 titles...
News Sony Bringing New PSP Colour to Japan
Life in the old dog, yet
The PlayStation Portable is still hot in Japan (regularly outselling Sony’s beefy new hardware, the PS Vita, on a weekly basis). And so Sony has decided to capitalise on its former handheld’s continued longevity by announcing a new colour for its home region. Dubbed Sky Blue/Marine Blue, the two-tone PSP certainly looks...
News SEGA Teases Major Shining Series Announcement
Coming next week
SEGA has a big surprise up its sleeve for Shining fans next week. The official Shining Blade Twitter — via Andriasang — tweeted that the "biggest thing in series history" will happen next week. Previously the account has hinted that information about the next game will be included in the packaging for Shining Blade,...
News Gravity Rush to Score DLC in Japan
Kataclysmic
Japanese gamers have had a couple of weeks to mess around with Gravity Rush, but the fun doesn’t end there. Sony’s announced that it is planning to release three downloadable packs for the hotly anticipated title, each bundling a costume, two side missions and three challenge missions. They’ll cost ¥400 each. The first pack’s...
News 3G PS Vita Outsold Wi-Fi at Japanese Launch
Staying connected
The Wi-Fi version of the PlayStation Vita comfortably outsold its 3G alternative during the system’s UK launch last week, but it was a very different story in Japan. Figures released by Media Create (via Andriasang) overnight show that the more expensive 3G device was significantly more popular during the PlayStation Vita’s...
News PS Vita Masters Are Sony's Answer to Apple Genius
And they're coming to Japan
Sony's putting so-called PS Vita Masters in Japanese retailers to answer consumer questions about the new console. From 25th February to 1st April, the staff will explain the system's built-in features, its 3G functionality and generally push you towards picking up one of the shiny handhelds. They also get to wear special...
News Tokyo Jungle Stomping onto PSN in June
A right old din
Sony’s finally attached a date to its bonkers downloadable indie project, Tokyo Jungle, in Japan. For those that aren’t familiar with the title, the game takes place in a deserted, futuristic Japan which has transformed into a brutal safari. Taking control of various animal species, you must both survive and uncover the truth of...
News Sony Responds to Reports of Vita Losing Developers
Troubles in Japan
You may have read some news of dwindling Vita sales in Japan, which has been the case since its opening week and a source of worry for Sony gaming supporters. It seems that the pressure is starting to tell on Japanese developers, with reports of trouble ahead for the young handheld. According to a report from Japan's Nikkei...
News Japanese Sales Charts: Gravity Rush Unable to Stop Dwindling Vita Sales
Newton's law
Like the falling apples that formulated Sir Isaac Newton’s theory of gravity, the release of Gravity Rush – known as Gravity Daze domestically – could not thwart the dwindling numbers for Sony’s new handheld in Japan. The snazzy handheld – which releases worldwide next week – managed to sell just 13,939 units, its lowest...
News New Little King's Story Dated for Japan
Get out the red carpet
For those very few that enjoyed the delights of Little King's Story on Wii, the confirmation of New Little King's Story on Vita came as wonderful news. As confirmed by Andriasang, there isn't long to wait for Japanese Vita owners to enjoy some royal authority. It's been confirmed that New Little King's Story will be released...
Japanese Charts Tales Of Innocence R Pushes Vita Past PSP
Who's innocent now?
The PlayStation Vita enjoyed something of a minor resurgence in Japan this week — aided by the release of Namco Bandai's Tales of Innocence R. The remake propelled PlayStation Vita sales up to just under 19k, pushing it past its predecessor for the first time since launch. From Software's mech battler, Armored Core V, took the...
News You Can't Deny The Brilliance Of This Live-Action Gravity Rush Trailer
Apples are renowned for their sweet taste and gravitational properties
They're also the star of Sony's brand new live-action Gravity Rush commercial. Uncharted: Golden Abyss and WipEout 2048 may be the PlayStation Vita's headline releases — but we really think Gravity Rush is the star of the system's line-up. Gorgeous, original and totally unique:...
News Japanese Sales Charts: PlayStation Vita Dips To 15k As Hardware Sales Plunge
The PlayStation Vita hit its lowest point yet in this week's Japanese sales update -- though hardware was down all around
The newly released Sony portable sold just 15k units, while the Nintendo 3DS managed a whopping 80k. It was a disappointing week for all non-3DS hardware though, with the PSP and PS3 both managing just 21k and 17k respectively...
News Super Stardust Delta Demo Explodes Onto Japanese PlayStation Network
It's about time the PlayStation Vita got some new content in Japan
Despite a stacked launch line-up, the system's been something of a barren wasteland for almost a month. That's all starting to change now, though. The release of WipEout 2048 this week has kick-started the system into life — with a demo for Super Stardust Delta the latest content...
News Japanese Retailer Outs Chunky Resident Evil Bundle
Resident Evil is certainly in the spotlight right now
A Japanese retailer has supposedly outed a bundle featuring Resident Evil 5 and the Resident Evil: Revival Selection. For those that don't know, the Revival Selection bundles the recent HD releases of Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil: Code Veronica. According to the retailer, the bundle is due...
News Japanese Sales Charts: New Year Lull Brings PlayStation Vita Sales Below 20,000
Before we start rushing for the doomed boat, it's worth pointing out that, while PlayStation Vita's Japanese sales are disappointing once again this week, they are not entirely out of whack with the other trends in the market
Still, the recently released system suffered an almighty dip, selling approximately 50% of last week's tally, a number which...
News Japanese Sales Charts: PlayStation Vita Holds Steady As 3DS Dominates
At this point in time, there's no chance of any system catching up to the Nintendo 3DS in Japan, so there's no point in even discussing it
Nintendo might have seemed "doomed" after a disappointing 3DS launch last year, but it's now conjured up a triple threat of unstoppable software releases. There's nothing anyone can do. As a result, a...
News Andrew House Reflects On PlayStation's Tough 2011
Andrew House, Sony Computer Entertainment's new gaffer, has admitted that 2011 was a rough year for the electronics manufacturer
In an interview with The Guardian, House admitted that the hacking incident and Japanese earthquake took its toll on the company — but also resulted in a strong sense of unity between employees. "Yes, it has been a...
News Japanese Games Market Declines In 2011 Despite New Hardware
The Japanese games market declined in 2011, according to reports published by Enterbrain via Famitsu
That was despite a 2.4 percent increase in hardware sales — up to ¥179,740 million ($2.3 billion) — spurred by the releases of the Nintendo 3DS and PlayStation Vita. Indeed, while the hardware bump was significant, it wasn't enough to stave off...
News Japanese Sales Charts: PS Vita Sells 42K, 3DS Unstoppable
Considering all the doom and gloom around the Internet regarding the PlayStation Vita's unspectacular second week sales, the system actually held relatively well in its third week
Given some armchair analysts were expecting the sytem to drop as low as 10k units, its actual sell through of 42k units looks mightily impressive in comparison. Of course,...
News Sumioni Demo Hits Japanese PlayStation Vitas On January 25th
Acquire's quirky ink-based PS Vita platformer, Sumioni, is to get a demo in Japan on January 25th
The contents of the demo are unknown at this point, but expect enough content to get a taste for the game's mix of touch and platforming mechanics ahead of its domestic release on February 9th. The game was confirmed for Western release late last year,...
News Wave The White Flag: Japanese Retailer Cuts The Price Of 3G PlayStation Vita
When we saw headlines popping up around the web this afternoon regarding the price of the 3G PlayStation Vita, we wondered for a split-second if Sony had done the unthinkable -- prematurely slashed the price of the PlayStation Vita
After all, there's a lot of headlines filling our Twitter feed right now that run with the words, "Japanese...
News Hideo Kojima Unsure If Japan Can Compete In Current Gaming Market
One of the saddest thing to emerge this generation has been the decline in diversity
With development budgets spiralling, pushed publishers are stuck to working with what they know in order to avoid facing commercial disaster. That's meant that outside of the emerging download platforms, there's been very little experimentation in the retail space...
News Sonic The Hedgehog 4: Episode II Officially Announced For Japan
SEGA's kicked off the new year with a bang, officially announcing Sonic The Hedgehog 4: Episode II for Japan
The sequel to the two-dimensional noscon will arrive on PlayStation 3 in 2012. SEGA promised that the title would boast improved physics and visuals in an interview with GameSpot last week. The game's also set to host the return of Metal...
News Don't Worry: There Were PlayStation Vita Titles In The Media Create Top 50
The PlayStation Vita didn't enjoy the best second week at retail
The system only managed to sell 70,000 units, and had no software releases in the top 20. Nor did it have any software releases in the top 30. But the top 50 — worry not, valued reader, because the PlayStation Vita was out in force. According to Andriasang, launch titles Hot Shots...
News Japan Sales Charts: PlayStation Vita's Second Week Sales Disappoint
The PlayStation Vita got off to a reasonable, if unspectacular, debut in Japan -- but its second week sales paint a troubling picture for the platform in the near future
The well equipped handheld was outsold by the 3DS, PSP, Wii and PS3 during its first full week on the market, recording sales of just over 70,000 units. For comparison, Nintendo's...
News PlayStation Vita Goes Fishing In March
It's no secret that Japan has an unhealthy obsession with fishing games
While we're partial to the odd round of SEGA Bass Fishing, we don't fully understand the appeal of the genre. But that's not stopped Japanese gamers from getting a little hot under the collar over Kadokawa Games' wonderfully named Let's Try Bass Fishing: Fish On Next for...
News Vita Downloads Exceeding Sony's Expectations
CEO pleased
Sales of boxed Vita software so far may not be stunning, but according to Sony Computer Entertainment Japan CEO Hiroshi Kawano the download service is going better than expected. The sales figures released by Media Create don't include download sales, but Kawano said: Games and peripherals are selling extremely well. Sales of the...
News PlayStation Vita Sold 300,000 Games In Just Two Days
Sales tracking firm Media Create has revealed that the PlayStation Vita pushed 300,000 units of software during its first couple of days on sale in Japan
As previously reported, Sony's sassy new piece of hardware shifted just under 325k units during the same period, giving the system a software attach rate of 0.92 titles per PS Vita. Despite the PS...
News Vita Software Attach Rate Below 1:1 at Japanese Launch
Why buy a console but no games?
The PlayStation Vita Japanese launch sales figures analysis continues with word from Media Create that not everyone who bought a Vita actually bought a game to go with it. Media Create's data states the Vita's launch games combined for a total of 300,000 units sold during the launch weekend. Considering Sony sold...
Rumour PlayStation Vita Glitch Leads To... Dolphins?
So much for Sony denying any awareness of widespread PlayStation Vita glitches
A new video spotted by Andriasang shows a brand new PlayStation Vita running a bizarre underwater debug mode. The screen shows four swimming dolphins, a floating oyster and a pearl, all from different perspectives. The debug mode would be cool if it could be exited, but...
News Sony Bewildered By PlayStation Vita Glitch Reports
Sony has downplayed any suggestions that the PlayStation Vita is suffering from crashing or freezing problems following the device's launch in Japan over the weekend
Speaking with The Guardian, SCE UK's head of public relations David Wilson said, "We're annoyed with these stories, because we can't find any evidence of widespread glitches."...
Sometimes we deliberate whether to even bother typing up the Japanese sales charts
There's often not much to commentate on, but this week is huge. Final Fantasy XIII-2 topped the Media Create sourced charts, selling over 500k units on the PlayStation 3. While the numbers look impressive on their own, it's worth noting that the game's predecessor...
News Media Create Reports 325,000 PlayStation Vitas Sold In First Week
Following up Enterbrain's figures yesterday, Japanese sales tracking firm Media Create has released an alternative preliminary report on the PlayStation Vita's opening sales figures
Andriasang reports that the company puts the PS Vita's opening sales at about 325,000 units — slightly higher than Enterbrain. The firm also noted that the the initial...
Report Sony Shipped 500,000 PlayStation Vitas For Japanese Launch
If you were a little disappointed by yesterday's PlayStation Vita sales numbers, it's probably because you believed an earlier rumour that put the system's initial shipment at about 700,000 units
But that number's been clarified overnight. In a column posted on Nikkei, IGDA Japan vice coordinator Kyoshi Shin said that the shipment was closer to...
News PlayStation Vita's First Japanese Sales Figures Are Good
Lots of happy customers
After the PlayStation Vita launch in Japan the first sales figures are in, and they're pretty healthy. As reported by Andriasang, Vita sold a very impressive 321,407 units in its first two days on sale (17th and 18th December). By comparison, back in February Nintendo sold 371,326 3DS consoles in two days, so it could be a...
News Corpse Party 2U Confirmed For PlayStation Portable
The Corpse Party franchise is only just finding its feet in the West
XSEED translated and released the quirky handheld horror title in the West earlier this month. But Japan's already gearing up for the franchise's third entry, with word of a new game — tentatively titled Corpse Party 2U — appearing in the latest issue of Dengeki PlayStation...
News Japanese PlayStation Vita Sells 321,000 Units In First Two Days On Sale
The newly released PlayStation Vita enjoyed a strong start in Japan, but failed to outpace the Nintendo 3DS in its first two days on sale
Famitsu reports that Enterbrain recorded 321,407 PS Vita consoles were sold within the system's first 48 hours on the market. In the same period the Nintendo 3DS scooped up 371,326, but Sony will be not be...
News The World's First Vita Owner Doesn't Look Thrilled
First photos in
PlayStation Vita launched in Japan on Saturday, and Sony bigwigs Andrew House and Kaz Hirai attended the official launch event to meet the very first PlayStation Vita owners. There's no official sales for the first weekend yet but we'll bring you when we get them. The following photo story is one of our moments of the gaming year so...
News 8-4 Play Podcast Releases Four Hour PlayStation Vita Launch Special
The PlayStation Vita is now out in Japan
That means there are impressions, videos and information already all over the Internet. But if you want some definitive discussion all in one place, the 8-4 Play podcast has got your back. For those unfamiliar: 8-4 Play is fronted by a couple of former US games journalists who now work in Japan on video game...
News Sony Launches PlayStation Vita In Japan
There's officially a new member to the PlayStation family
Almost 12 months after Sony unveiled its "Next Generation Portable" to the world, the platform holder has released the PlayStation Vita to much fanfare in Japan. Despite the inclement weather, gamers in their hundreds gathered outside Japanese retailers to get their hands on the new...
News In Case You Wondered, Here's A Helpful PlayStation Vita Box Comparison
With the PlayStation Vita due out in less than 24 hours in Japan, we're starting to get a slow and steady trickle of news and information
The littlest details are always the most fascinating. Take for example the PlayStation Vita's boxes — just how big are they? ShopTo News has got your back, with a selection of images comparing the PS Vita...
News What The Heck Is The PlayStation Game Music Service?
Have you ever been walking to work wishing you could listen to the Uncharted soundtrack along the way? It happens to the best of us
But it's mighty frustrating when you realise you haven't got the MP3 on your portable music player of choice. Sony's PlayStation Game Music service in Japan attempts to alleviate that problem. The service allows...
Nintendo's 3DS dominated the hardware and software charts in Japan this week, with Mario Kart 7 getting off to a stormer
But while the system-seller pushed over 400k units, the PlayStation 3 port of popular arcade title Gundam Extreme VS wasn't far behind — selling a very respectable 349k units. Newcomer Assassin's Creed: Revelations managed to...
News Final Fantasy XIII-2 Scores Full Marks From Famitsu Magazine
Either the quality of games is improving or Famitsu's getting soft
The Japanese bible has dished out a perfect score to Square Enix's upcoming Final Fantasy XIII-2, just a week after it awarded a similarly "rare" 40/40 to The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Perhaps importantly, the magazine notes that Square Enix has managed to straighten out any...
News The Last Guardian Producer Leaves SCEJ For London Based Social Games Company
Things aren't going smoothly at Team ICO it seems
Just days after creative lead Fumito Ueda reassured fans regarding the development of The Last Guardian, news of another departure has surfaced. This time it's the game's executive producer, who's left Sony for London based casual games studio, Bossa. Yoshifusa Hayama worked as the executive producer...
News Monster Hunter Wins Big At The PlayStation Awards
Sony Computer Entertainment Japan held its annual PlayStation Awards overnight, celebrating the best-selling PlayStation games of the year
As with recent years, Sony also used the event to give out some special awards that were voted for by fans of the platform. The awards covered games released between November 1, 2010 and October 31, 2011. Six...
News Uncharted: Golden Abyss Is Japan's Most Anticipated PlayStation Vita Title
Following a successful launch for Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, Japan seems pumped to get its hands on upcoming portable outing Uncharted: Golden Abyss
The Sony Bend developed exclusive won a poll conducted by Japanese gaming bible Famitsu magazine, which also noted that more than 50% of readers intend to buy the system at launch. Just 8.2% of...
News First Freemium Title Announced For PlayStation Vita
Who said PlayStation Vita can't compete with the glut of $1 iPhone applications? Konami's confirmed that it will release a free game to coincide with the new handheld's Japanese launch
The wordy AR Combat Digi Q: Friend Tank Battalion, will release for free on the PlayStation Store, providing players with five stages of the augmented reality battle...
News Sony Negotiating Flash Support For PlayStation Vita, Comments On Proprietary Memory Cards
Despite what Sony says, the PlayStation Vita is as much a multimedia power-house as it is a gaming machine
But while games such as Uncharted: Golden Abyss are stealing all the headlines, some of the PS Vita's lesser known features are getting brushed under the carpet. In an interview with Impress Watch, a selection of Sony's hardware developers...