Tag: Japan - Page 15
News Soul Sacrifice Introduces a True Fantasy on Vita
Once upon a monster
For a game we know next to nothing about, Soul Sacrifice is beginning to seem like a big deal. The PlayStation Vita exclusive – revealed in Famitsu magazine earlier in the week – has now been granted a fairly high-budget teaser website, showing off some concept art from the game. Set to a thumping drum-beat and images of...
News Japanese Sales Charts: Vita Continues Its Decline
How low can you go?
Whatever Soul Sacrifice is, it can’t come soon enough. With no new releases to speak of, the Vita continued its decline in Japan this week, selling a paltry 8,250 units. To its credit, it wasn’t the only system to decline. Only the DSi LL managed to post an improved figure, beating its previous tally by a measly seven units...
News Super Monkey Ball Vita Demo Rolls into Japan Tomorrow
Do the splitz
In news that should have fans of encased primates doing the monkey for the remainder of the day, SEGA has confirmed that a demo for Super Monkey Ball: Banana Splitz will release on the Japanese PlayStation Store tomorrow. The full game will be a mixture of the familiar and the new, allowing players to roll their way through a fresh...
News Sony Announces Nasne for Japan
Compatible with PS3 and Vita
Sony’s PS3-based DVR technology Torne proved a massive hit in Japan when it launched in 2010. Now the platform holder is aiming to level-up its domestic entertainment support with Nasne, a network recorder and media storage device that features a built-in tuner and 500GB hard-drive disc. The biggest difference between...
News Japanese Sales Charts: Vita Dips Below 10k Units
The end is nigh
A lot of industry conscious gamers hold a significant amount of faith in Japan’s weekly sales figures. It’s those same commentators that invented the so-called "10k units rule". The fabricated philosophy states that if a system’s sales are above 10k units a week, it’s “alive”. But should the unthinkable happen...
News Sonic 4: Episode II Japan-Bound on 16th May
Spinteresting
SEGA's Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 2 just got its first official release date: 16th May in Japan. The second episode of the retro reboot will cost ¥1,500 — that's about £11.49 or $18, but expect Western prices to be much lower: the original was $14.99 before dropping to $9.99 after a few months. There's also a special bonus for...
News Japanese Sales Charts: Baseball Spirits Hits a Home Run
Minor boost for Vita
There was a Mickey Mouse-shaped cloud raining over the Japanese sales charts this week, as Square Enix’s Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance cooed its way to the top spot. It was joined by numerous iterations of Konami’s Pro Baseball Spirits series, as the PS3, PSP and PS Vita versions of the latest bat-and-ball entry all...
News Sony Tempts Japanese Gamers With Free 4GB Vita Memory Card
Sweetening the deal
While positive noises have been made about the Vita's early sales in North America and Europe, there's been little hiding the fact that it's enduring a tough spell in Japan. It seems that gamers in Sony's homeland are happier to buy a PSP or, in even greater numbers, a 3DS. Despite this, it can't be said that Sony isn't trying...
News Japanese Sales Charts: Vita Sturdy, Yakuza Spin-Off Strong
What's hot in the land of the rising sun?
The PS Vita managed to keep its head above water again this week, with its sales numbers boosting well above the dreaded 10k units mark in Japan. Sony’s new handheld was unable to outsell its predecessor, the PSP, though, which was boosted by the release of the anticipated Yakuza spin-off, Black Panther 2...
News New Little King's Story Footage Sets Our Minds at Ease
Fit for a king?
The first stills and details of New Little King's Story had us worried it would be a radical departure from its predecessor, the classic Little King's Story on Wii. Judging by this new trailer below we needn't have worried, as the upcoming Vita game has all the bizarre enemies and soldier flinging of its Nintendo counterpart...
News Mysterious Namco Teaser Points Towards PlayStation
Famous face buttons
Earlier in the week, Namco Bandai released a mysterious Japanese teaser website hinting at a brand new “action adventure” title. That website has now updated with images of the PlayStation’s face buttons, hinting at some form of exclusivity. It’s unclear what the game is or which PlayStation platform it is for, but...
News SCEJ Announces New Corporate Structure
All change
It sounds as though Sony’s really keen to reinvent its Japanese arm. It wasn’t long ago that the company announced it had placed former Sony Santa Monica founder Allan Becker in charge of its domestic studios, and it has now followed up with a corporate restructure. Beginning 1st April, SCEJ will operate under new “First Party...
News Japanese Sales Charts: One Piece Still on Top
Vita sales up... Just
Namco Bandai’s rip-roaring PlayStation 3 exclusive One Piece: Pirate Musou has enjoyed a second week at the top of the Japanese sales charts after blowing the doors off the week prior. Despite selling way over 500k units last week, the PS3 release still managed to rustle up another 90,133 sales, bringing its overall tally...
News Yakuza: Black Panther 2 Demo Drops in Japan
Like a dragon
SEGA’s released a demo for Yakuza’s second PlayStation Portable spin-off, Yakuza: Black Panther 2, in Japan. The demo, which is exclusive to Famitsu for the time being, features four components, including a sample of the game’s story mode, a chunk of hub-world Osaka to explore, a battle tutorial and a taste of the game’s...
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...
