Video Game Market Analysis Thread

COD did not open with big numbers though. Once again it proves that PS5 sales in Japan are basically resellers to China and other countries.

1 Like

I wonder if the increased PS5 shipment is related to GoW? Did anyone see that Japanese GoW ad :smile:?

There was a rumor that Sony made additional 3.3m consoles but did not sell them last month specifically waiting for GoW. Shame that Microsoft cannot send more consoles to Japan but oh well.

I wish Microsoft did such commercials for their launched games but well…

There was this ad for Game Pass in Japan at least. Doesn’t seem like JP commercials for individual games is on the table though.

https://twitter.com/Xbox_JP/status/1541632566012289027

1 Like

Think I might try this one out. Just got my son some switch accessories for his birthday and one of them was a fishing rod controller.

1 Like
1 Like

See, they don’t need CoD. They got their own shooter.

4 Likes
1 Like

This here should be proof that Switch’s portability aspect is not the sole or even leading reason it dominates Japan. It’s a game that is played at home online on Wifi/LAN, on the TV.

It’s a factor, but the biggest factor is software library. There’s just not much games on PS5 or Xbox that interest the JP market, and even the ones that would, are usually on Switch in the first place.

It should also dispel narratives that Japan is a dying market that all switched to “mobile” (And yes it irks me when people label the Switch as “mobile” as if it’s in the same market as phone gaming). A dying market does not keep smashing new player records and sales multiple times a year.

This isn’t directed at anyone here, just laying out tired arguments I’ve seen online before and how they just don’t hold up

1 Like

The reason mobile/portable dominate Japan isn’t because of the actual portability necessarily, I mean it is a factor but I believe a lot of has to do with the excuse of them being portable. As in “I’m just buying this to have something to do on the train/I need the phone to make calls, I’m not wasting time at home honest…” A dedicated home console has more of a stigma of being a waste of time because you should be studying or doing more productive things at home not playing games.

The Switch is a device that lets you hardcore play games without appearing like you hardcore play games.

Well the point of my post was that Splatoon 3 is an essentially entirely played at home game, with the online focus. I can’t imagine all 5M players are majorly playing it on the train/public wifi.

Plus how PC gaming is really accelerating in the region, and that’s like, as stationary and at home as it gets

https://twitter.com/serkantoto/status/1589228644135997440

And this is not because of Steam Deck, it’s not even sold in Japan as of yet.

Mainly the arguments I’m “shooting at” are “Japan’s love for portability is why Playstation died there/Xbox can’t catch on there!” as if that’s the definitive reasons for these

Xbox will not catch on in Japan ever, but with the rising PC market there it seems like that is definitely a ticket for MS if they can get PC Game Pass to catch on in the region.

1 Like

Well yeah, it gives the appearance of a mobile device but people are really using it at home. The PC is similar, it’s a device for “work” but you just really use it to play games on. The idea being you aren’t wasting time playing games, basically the old “I need an excuse so my mom or wife will let me have this” cliche. Japan overall isn’t really the gamer’s paradise people think it is, there is a lot more pressure to be doing productive things (not gaming) there than say the US.

Ah, I get what you’re saying now. Yeah, I get it. The work/“productivity”/“look busy” culture there. That slightly ties into a problem Xbox specifically always had there, that it’s basically always had the image of only “hardcore gaming geeks (meant in a negative way lol)/otakus” own one there.

But as I said hopefully MS can do pushes to make PC Game Pass succeed there. Lots of players there getting into PC gaming now.

1 Like

And now that I’ve made Switch a hot topic here:

Ages 20-25 is the biggest audience… That’s exactly where I am :yum:. Look at that teenager dip hahaha.

There’s over 36m Switch Online accounts. I miss the days when it was free :neutral_face:

Their current stance on acquisition stuff

1 Like

I was told Japan don’t do numbers for games anymore according to Square.

Right. The Xbox has a hardcore “Otaku” (negative) stigma, and to be fair the Playstation has some of that too, but not as bad as Xbox. Changing that image to being the value console brand seems to be working.

1 Like
  • Switch OLED – 74,895
  • Switch – 13,869
  • Switch Lite – 1,714
  • PS5 – 12,014
  • PS5 Digital Edition – 1,260
  • Xbox Series S – 2,663
  • Xbox Series X – 450
  • PS4 – 257
  • New 2DS LL – 31
3 Likes

Ah the time change threw me off haha, I was wondering why it was “early”.

Would you believe that last week when PS5 slightly outsold Switch in Japan there were dozens of clickbait videos and tweets saying PS5 is finally killing Switch and is dominating Japan? I wonder where those people all went now :joy:

At least Xbox is holding a steady number.

2 Likes

Well, we can always show that chart saying that PS5 is following PS Vita trajectory :joy:

Xbox will 100% surpass Xbox OG soon and potentially Xbox 360 sooner or later

4 Likes

Good God, that Switch rebound.