PS5 has been doing fine in Japan, but it’s obviously common knowledge that Nintendo Switch is dominating the market in Sony’s homeland.
In truth, there’s probably not a lot the PlayStation maker can do to reverse this situation, but the months ahead will be important for the PS5 domestically, as evidenced by this montage trailer.
It all starts with Monster Hunter Wilds, which is going to be an imperative release for PlayStation in the region. It’s got the marketing rights for the Capcom sequel and has prepared various hardware promotions, so let’s see how well it performs.
Of course, one game alone is not really enough, but PS5 is actually assembling a reasonably strong lineup for Japan this year. This trailer spotlights a series of key titles, including Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Elden Ring: Nightreign, Atelier Yumia, and more.
It’s a compelling offering which is sure to motivate Japanese and Western consumers alike, but with the Switch 2 looming, Sony’s going to have to work for every sale – especially in its home territory.
[source youtube.com]
Comments 17
Ain't that Nintendo's homeland too?
Fantastic.
Almost wish PS was struggling more in western territories so we'd get more iconic PS commercials aimed for the west
"Michael" and "Perfect Day" come to mind, among many others that prove that Sony's ad game is world class.
They can always cut the price. That will bring a large boost to sales in Japan (and the rest of the world).
With Monster Hunter Wilds releasing so soon I predict the PS5 sales are about to skyrocket in Japan, atleast for a week or two 😅.
@Avalanchee That "Michael" advert was maybe the best gaming ad I've ever seen. I compare everything since then to it, and nothing quite lands the same.
A cool add but I must give my salute to Sony 🫡
They knew this generation Nintendo completely kicked their ass in Japan. But they're not giving up on promoting PS5.
@PuppetMaster In all fairness, I remember when Microsoft would put out amazing ads in Japan, even xb360 and xb1 was dead there.
@Oram77
Even if you think Japan is nintendo-land, the playstation 5 is also (relatively) strong there apparently:
1. United States: Approximately 15 million units sold.
2. Japan: Around 6 million units sold.
3. United Kingdom: Approximately 4 million units sold.
4. Germany: Estimated 3 million units sold.
5. France: Estimated 2.5 million units sold.
I liked it, great advert and hopefully Sony Japan will do more like this
@oc1d Think you got lost in the sauce, I was just pointing out that they're both Japanese companies, but thank you for those figures, actually quite interesting.
Problem is, all the Japanese devs insisted that the Western market was the one they needed to crack, and started making games purely to attract that scope of audience. (Im looking at you square enix!) Now they're surprised that their software isn't shifting in the home country, because... you guys pretty much decided you didn't want it to!
Nintendo have never really changed their approach, or style. Plus marketing a console as also being a handheld makes it easier for the commuters to enjoy. But they certainly never said "we need to appeal to audience X more, so we'll start doing things differently".
@Shepherd_Tallon The Micheal and really was amazing although my favourites will always be the classic wholesome Japanese Crash and Parappa ads for the PS1
I love PlayStation's Japanese ads. That actually did a better job at getting me hyped than the recent State of Play. What wonders a soundtrack can achieve.
@Oram77 I'm sorry, I read that too quickly apparently
I will never quite understand Japan.
Everything I hear that is targeted Japanese people sounds like a squeaky 10-year old anime girly voice singing. I get that it is great for children, but what is the appeal for teenagers and adults?
You guys should reach out to 10 Japanese gamers and have them explain why they love their switch so much and why PlayStation cannot thrive alongside. It'd be enlightening for the rest of us.
@EfYI I can tell you why, it’s no mystery. Switch is small and portable. Nintendos handhelds were always more popular than their consoles since the 90s ( Wii aside but even then). This goes double for Japan.
Nintendo making their home console also their handheld console was the smartest decision they ever made. It reduces development resource waste because all their teams make one game for one platform rather than having to split their resources between two platforms which sometimes meant different versions of the same software.
Developers are attracted to the biggest platform(s) and Switch is a priority for many of them because of its install base.
Ps5 is bulky, can’t be played portably (Portal doesn’t really count) and is more expensive so Switch obviously takes up that slack.
Why is everything always cooler in Japan?
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