Every week, Media Create releases sales numbers for Japan’s console market, showing the hottest games and hardware available within the country. Earlier, they gave readers a starting estimate for the amount of PlayStation VR units sold in Japan. Now, the chart reveals EA, Nintendo and Take-Two have all had a strong showing within the past week.
According to NeoGAF, Battlefield 1 currently tops the chart with over 113,081 units sold on PlayStation 4. Mario Party: Star Rush on 3DS trails with over 26,473 units sold, whereas NBA 2K17 clocked in with approximately 9,777 units. Monster Hunter Stories, meanwhile, saw a 62% drop from its standing last week, with only 25,550 sales in the past week. Last week, the game topped first place with 67,133 sales.
Battlefield 1 had a strong first week in Japan. But Battlefield titles have seen stronger showings in the past. As user hiska-kun pointed out, Battlefield 4 saw 121,699 sales on its first week, whereas Battlefield 3 saw 123,379. So Battlefield 1‘s 113,081 is a drop from the series’ past first week sales. Why this is the case is up for debate. Battlefield 4 did lose approximately 2,000 sales from Battlefield 3, so the Japanese market may be gradually turning away from the series’ hype. Or fans might just be waiting for more content down the road, rejecting Day 1 sales. It’s hard to say, and the market is complicated. An additional two, three or four weeks can give better context as to how a specific title is being received.
For instance, in Monster Hunter Stories‘s case, the game’s 62% drop showcases a serious drop in interest and sales for the game. And while Capcom’s release still tops the charts, it suggests the game won’t be holding onto its top five listing for long. So we’ll know for certain how Battlefield 1 performs once next week’s Media Create sales come in. Stay tuned for more Media Create sales reports over the next few weeks.