Microsoft Dominates PS3 Sales in Japan

Microsoft’s Xbox 360 has outsold both the PS3 and Nintendo’s Wii in Japan for the week ending Feb 22.

Xbox Sales rocketed to 25,334 units following the release of Square Enix’s Star Ocean 4: The Last Hope, which itself sold 162,232 units in its first week.

The sales surge marks the first time in weeks that the chart positions have changed.

Nintendo’s Wii sold 16,973 units; the console’s lowest figure yet, and a mere tenth of the sales volume the console had achieved nine weeks ago. Sales of the Wii have been on a consistent decline, initially masked by the widespread sales downturn in January, but continuing its downturn while other consoles showed signs of recovering from the new-year slowdown.

Full understanding of the Wii’s market position will be determined over the next few months, where flagging sales will either be revealed as a blip or a continuing downward trend.
Full list for the week ending Feb‭ ‬22‭ ‬according to Media Create:

The Playstation 3 also saw sales drop, falling by 2,500 units from the previous week. Sony’s home system had sold 16,149 units in total; just a few hundred behind the Wii, yet now around 9,000 units behind Microsoft’s system.

Both handhelds remain at the top of the charts, though both are more vulnerable in slipping down the ranks as sales continue to slide. Nintendo’s DSi was stung by the biggest drop in sales, down some 11,500 units from the previous week. The PSP, meanwhile, took another heavy drop in sales, moving just under 30,000 units for the week.
It means that a sales gap of around 4,000 units now separates the handhelds from the home consoles.