Why PS4 is struggling in Japan

Eurogamer: "The PlayStation 4 is struggling in Japan. But why?

The PS4 launched in Japan in February 2014 (four months after the UK and US) and has now sold 620,000 units there. In Japan, over the last couple of weeks, the Wii U outsold the PS4. Last week the PS4 outsold its predecessor the PlayStation 3 by only 500 units."

[Neonridr]

appeal is directly linked to games that are appealing.

You take away appealing games, and you are left with little desire from the Japanese gaming public. When games like Kingdom Hearts 3 or Final Fantasy XV release, people will go nuts for the console. But in the meantime, sales will be slow..

[Hellsvacancy]

I'm in the same boat but I live in the UK, there's no games i'm bothered about playing, if the Witcher 3 or Bloodborne were available at launch I would of been one of those crazy mofos that stand in line for 5 days to get a launch system

So I wait, I KNOW i'm not the only one

[The_Hero]

In the past 4 months it sold over 600k.
The Wii U sold 300k in the past 4 months.
I don't get these "struggling" article since it's one of the best selling system in Japan.
The best selling home console followed by the PS3.
http://www.playstationlifes...
When the PS3 is selling as much as the Wii U.

[gaffyh]

Sony needs more games on the platform everywhere. Destiny will help the western sales, but Japan needs some good RPGs or MGSV

[The 10th Rider]

@The_Hero,

That's not entirely fair. The PS4 benefited from having it's launch in the past six months. For the past month or month and a half the Wii U has been outselling the PS4 and the PS3. With a new Monster Hunter out in Japan this month, Hyrule Warriors next month, Bayonetta 2 the month after, and Smash Bros, Fatal Frame, and Devil's Third coming the end of the year it doesn't look like that's going to change anytime this year.

Sony should to get some Japanese focused games out the door so they don't risk losing some Japanese third party support.

Right now we're seeing a lot of games coming to PS3 in Japan rather than PS4 (or Wii U for that matter) simply because the PS3 has such a huge install base and it's still selling.

[kreate]

@kalkano

West has plenty of jrpgs though

[CocoWolfie]

exactly! ^-^ when i see a game like monster hunter being released, the japanese sales for 3ds and the game are crazyy. rn theres not much to go on for most ps4 gamers but yeah as soon as bloodborne and kingdom hearts come to light, im sure theyll pick up :p

[MightyNoX]

Your examples are good but I'd like to add another to the roster. Dragon Quest. That would have shifted tons of consoles.

Minna no Golf/hotshot golf would have been good as well.

[Neonridr]

oh there are tons of games I have not listed. I was just using a couple of really BIG examples. :)

[MightyNoX]

No worries, mon ami. ;)

[Dark11]

Well sony can look at the bright side , the japanese market isn't really that important and it won't effect the Ps4 success .. just look at the X360.

[3-4-5]

This is why I waited for PS4, so when I get one eventually, I'll get it at a point when there is more games than I can catch up on, this way there will never be a gaming drought, as I'll always have games to catch up on.

[Tsar4ever01]

No, not just appealing titles are the problem, japanese gamers just prefer hand portable gaming devices than home consoles. In Japan, students school more days & hours out of the week than us here and adults work more days & hours too, and last, japanese living spaces are generally smaller. So hand portables are just more convenient to Japanese. That's my take on the reason.

[Neonridr]

portables definitely factor into the reason as handhelds have led in sales for the longest time now. But if Sony expects the PS4 to sell in Japan it needs to at least have games for it. The Vita was in a similar boat in Japan for the longest time. Sales were atrocious because there were no games for it.

[OtakuDJK1NG-Rory]

no must have Japanese exclusives
that why and most of the Japanese games end up being on PS3 and Vita or already is. Akiba's Trip 2.

[andibandit]

You forgot about Knack

[Inzo]

"over the last couple of weeks, the Wii U outsold the PS4."

So its struggling now?

[Eonjay]

Exactly lol. It was all well until the Wii U won a week lol. I don't know if its a swipe at the PS4, the Wii U, or both.

[Neonridr]

well in all fairness the Wii U has been outselling the PS4 since late May when MK8 dropped.

[Eonjay]

"...the Wii U outsold the PS4."

Doesn't meant the PS4 is doing bad, it means the Wii U is doing good. Why can't the Wii U win a week without doom setting in?

[tiffac008]

One of them (the Wii U or PS4) needs to be doomed until the X1 comes out in Japan. lol!

Of course, I expect the X1 to have a solid launch in Japan, after that well...

[Death]

Good luck with that. The PS4 is outselling the Xbox One and it is selling horribly according to many hardcore fans.

[endzeitkind]

yea right, struggling. lol

[pwnsause_returns]

It was a smart move for sony to aim for the western market at launch. NA is the biggest market for gaming and there is money to be hustlin for. that said, its obvious that Japan is not that interested in PS4 right now since the games are not there that appeal to that market. look at the PS3's first 2 years in japan, it pretty much was the same story. eventually when those big rpg titles hit over there, the gamers while come.

which comes to this opinion i want to say, i know i will get flak for it, but... I beleive microsoft has an advantage right now in launching in Japan as sony are currently not delivering on these Japanese titles. In fact, im sure they are looking at the situation with sony in japan and are approaching it with caution, they should be talking with Japanese devs and throwing money on them to get their titles to launch with the X1... i think doing this would help them in the short term overthere.

[Death]

Wasn't the delay in Japan due to Sony waiting for games that appeal to Japanese gamers?

[pwnsause_returns]

I beleive that was the case, but the thing is, once they launched, the momentum slowed down, if anything, they would have to get to at least come out with one good Japanese centric game a month at least

[DEATHxTHExKIDx]

Simply games KH3, FFXV, Metal gear, all these are coming down the line....eventually. Like the article says a lot of devs are comfortable on PS3 Persona5 ,Tales of Zestiria, KH2.5 PS3 only. Also of course Japan loves mobile/handheld.

[Ripsta7th]

Remembering the 1 million Ps4 sales in one week that I kept hearing on this site cracks me up lol

[Clarence]

It needs jrpg. Once games like KH3, FF15, The Last Guadian, drop I think sales will pick up. If Sony could score DQ game that would be great. Top that off with MG the PS4 will start to fly off the shelves.

[OtakuDJK1NG-Rory]

Let be honest.
KHIII ain't coming next year nor 2016.

FFXV may slip into early 2016.

So tough luck for PS4 with the big titles known now.

Only way it can redeem itself is through TGS.

But I feel the PS Vita will be getting more support for TGS from Japanese Third Party Developers.

[D3ATH_DRIV3R_777]

All right sony! get ya rear end in gear and get these japanese games out....and get them localized here in the west.

[KinjoTakemura]

No console is selling well in Japan because Japanese gaming is dominated by mobile gaming. That's not really news.

[ALLWRONG]

Funny how this news is big everywhere but here