PS2 Sales Still Going Strong in Japan

A recent report reveals that the aging Playstation 2 gaming system is outselling the newer Playstation 3. The low price tag and depth of games seem to be the determining factor.

According to Japanese research firm Media Create, the Playstation 3 demand has dropped substantially, with the Playstation 2 once again retaking the crown of sales king.

For the week of January 22nd through the 28th, Sony sold 20,995 units of the PS2 while the PS3 sold 19,996 units. This report however is a little skewed since it covers Japan and not the U.S. So why is the PS2 so popular with gamers? When you factor in a large library of titles to choose from coupled with a low price tag, it all seems to add up. Nintendo has been using this strategy to sell their new Wii gaming console. While there is no comparison between the PS3 and the Wii when it comes to graphics and processing power, the Wii is using a strategy of price and library depth – and is coming out ahead.

Media Create found that Wii Sports was the nation’s number one game title for the week, selling over 61,000 units. (Wii Sports isn’t bundled with the Wii console in Japan, unlike the United States.) Wii Play came in third with about 54,500 units, but the rest of the top ten game titles were for the Nintendo DS, with the exception of Metal Gear Solid Ops for PSP, moving about 28,100 copies. No PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 games cracked the top 30, although Resistance: Fall of Man for PS3 claimed the #40 position.

The sales figures would seem to indicate that the Nintendo Wii, with its relatively low price tag and innovative controller, is the strongest contender in the Japanese market amongst the next-generation console systems, and that Sony’s PlayStation 3, despite the massive popularity of previous PlayStation consoles, is off to a very slow start. Industry watchers speculate consumer reluctance may come from a convergence of factors, including "sitting out" next-generation consoles until the next-gen DVD format war is resolved, and a lack of blockbuster titles for the PS3. Of course, now that the end-of-year holiday season is over, consumers may be more worried about paying for holiday spending than purchasing new game consoles.