Halo 3 sells 45,000 copies in its first day in Japan

Japanese researching company Enterbrain reported today that Microsoft's Halo 3 debuted yesterday in Japan with around 45,000 copies sold. This only accounts for the first day the game went on sale. This is reasonably a lot, as Blue Dragon, the biggest selling Xbox 360 game thus far in Japan with around 200,000 copies sold, debuted with over 83,000 copies in its first week.

Hardware numbers are also expected to be up quite a bit, although still not the level of Nintendo Wii or even the Playstaion 3. Other titles worthy of noting that debuted yesterday was Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion for the Playstation 3, which sold about 15,000 copies in its first day.

[AznSniper]

That's not too bad. It could have been better though.

[Gizmo_Logix]

Yawn...trust me. If Blue Dragon can only sell 83K on fisrt day. And Halo 3 sells 45K. The 360 is dead in the land of the rising sun.

M$ do what they always do. Sell to their wacko base.

[Robeezy]

Your an idiot. Blue Dragon sold that in the first week, not the first day. Try reading the article first before you post.

[DwightOwen]

You know, there IS a reason why they put that statement on the front of a shirt...

[Gizmo_Logix]

Robeezy, The fact that it took a WEEK is even more proof that even Blue Dragon can't sell except to wacko xbots. It changes nothing. And Halo 3, which is supposed to be the greatest game "eva" sells most via pre-order? Yeah, and? My point still stands. XBox is hated in Japan. This is why Anerican cars don't sell well there. They suck.

And it's "You're" not "Your." Might want to check your grammar before you call someone an idiot. PWNED!

EDIT: Sorry BIgBear. But check the console link link...PS3 is 13th. The 360 is nowhere to be found. Not even top 100. Get the picture?

[nirwanda]

I really thought the japanese would snap up oblivion once it went to the PS3 it got great reviews on the 360 in famitsu

[WilliamRLBaker]

its an WRPG the japanese need a whiney lil blonde haired homosexual and an feminite whiney vilian in their rpgs for it to be a good expereince.

Something oblivion has neither of.

[CyberSentinel]

What Japan wants are Japanese games, developed by Japanese developers, published by Japanese publishers, to be played by Japanese people, to fuel their Japanese economy.

Notice a pattern here?

Name 1 foreign company that does "extremely" well in the "Japanese VIDEO GAME Market".

ipod equates to squat in the overall Japanese market in Japan. Do they buy foreign cars? The Japanese make conscious buying decisions, that will benefit their own governmental economy. I don't hate them for doing that, I just choose to do the same thing for My Country.

Don't get me wrong, there was a time when it was all about Nintendo, Sega, and PC engine (turbo GFX) and I was there for them. I didn't choose NOT to buy them because they WERE Japanese. I bought the systems because they had no equal. Today the market IS VERY DIFFERENT.

PS3 (maybe will get better, but right now -pass)
Wii (w/e - I think I have outgrown this glorified Vtech system)

360 really is the ONLY serious gaming solution at the moment to me, and if you can't see that for yourselves, then THAT is why I label you a blind lemming.

@2.4: The question is, how would those 2 games you mentioned sold if they were on the ps3 or wii?

I'm not suprised they didn't sell well on the xbox.

I have said it before, and I will say it again. America and Europe does not need Japan.

@2.5: Amen. Bubble for you sir.

[Devr]

The only western game that is somewhat popular in Japan is Ratchet and Clank, I think. That's pretty big there. The japanese even get their own special version of Ratchet.

[BloodySinner]

You raise some very GREAT points. I'll give you a bubble for that. I never thought of it that way.

Anyway, how do you explain Blue Dragon & Trusty Bell's (Enternal Sonata) piss poor sales? Those two titles were made by the Japanese...

[godofthunder10]

you are right.i've been saying this for years and the sony fanboys said i didn't know what i was talking about and i was just jealouse that the ps3 is out selling the 360 in japan,well i was watching the jgs on g4 and they asked some people why the 360 can't seem to sell units in japan with the games they have for it.their replys were the same,they said that the japanese people are very proud of their country and they refuse to support any systems or games that wasn't made by a company from japan because they help their own economy out and really don't care about anything made from the U.S,now they said it this time not me but like i've said before,i've been saying the same thing for years.
i like to know how people from america feels now after the japanese said they buy only from a japan company because they have pride in their country,well if i was a sony fanboy right now,i will be ashamed after hearing this and the whole time i've been supporting a company from japan and hopeing that a company fron the U.S fails.
boy i bet the japanese are laughing their a**es off at us because they think that americans don't have pride in their country like they do,well i have pride in the U.S,that's why i buy an american product when ever i can so i can support and help my country economy out instead of helping another country economy out and hope an american company fails.this is the reason the U.S isn't the richest country in the world now and japan is,and if people don't open their eyes up soon it will be to late.when the slogan buy american products came out decades ago when the U.S was the richest country in the world,they said that if people don't start buying more american products then the U.S wouldn't be the richest country in the worl,well people didn't listen and it happen and it will keep getting worse for the U.S as long as people keep buying foriegn products.

[Gizmo_Logix]

"America and Europe does not need Japan"

Tell that to General Motors.

EDIT: godofthunder10, yes. They have pride in their products because they last and are well built. Yet, you have pride in your RROD? That's why they think you are crazy.

[Antan]

That not too shabby.

[Antan]

.

[AllroundGamer]

so everyone, that has an xbox in japan bought the game...

[Darkiewonder]

Give or take a few thousands.

[Azurite]

Hope they enjoy it and spread the word.
Personally I do not care about Halo, but that doesn't mean I don't want Japanese gamers to enjoy western games.

[mikeslemonade]

Dissapointing numbers for the the most anticipated 360 game. Nothing bigger than Halo 3 is going to come for the 360. Halo 4 is going to be a side story and most likely not coming for the 360 anyway.

[BIadestarX]

no wonder developers love the xbox 360... small installbase but surely spend money buying the games.

[Shadow Flare]

score

[FirstknighT]

They should of added a lil pink walking ball that speaks only in "peekapeekapeeka" as a sidekick. That would of boosted sales by a million for sure.

[mighty_douche]

tell me who many foreigners there are living in Japan? namely, westerners?

[JosefTor]

I don't think there are many foreigners. There are two military bases (that aren't that big anyway) and they have their own navy exchange where they buy American versions of the games and consoles (I know... I've been there).

Japan is a great place to visit but what I got from visiting there is that they don't cater to foreigners. Almost NOONE knows English unless you go to Tokyo. Their signs are mostly all in Japanese unlike almost every place in the world. The one weird thing I also noticed is that video game/electronic stores are almost noexistent. After a week vacation I didn't find one electronic store. Granted... in Tokyo (which I did not visit) I would probably find them. I visited Osaka (I believe it is the second largest city in Japan) and Kyoto.
-Joe

[Frulond]

Hot Shots Golf 5 which had 300k pre-orders in japan. I was looking for the note about how many sold day one but couldn't find it :(

[BIGBAER]

It's currently ranked #3 on Amazon Japan's TOP 100 Video Game List: http://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/...

Even more telling is that the Halo 1&2 Combo Pack is selling well too. It's currently ranked at #16 on the list. It's been as high as #8. This proves that NEW Japanese gamers are getting into the Halo phenomenon; it's not just old hardcore Japanese gamers already familiar with Halo 1&2.

[Marty8370]

45k halo 3 sold yet it only shifted 400 360's over last weeks sales in Japan. It shows nothing can help 360 in japan, not even the over hyped/over rated Halo 3. lol

[Wingnut26]

Looks like every Japanese xBox360 owner bought it!

[xionpunk]

OMG!? are there even that many 360s in japan? JK lol :)
YAY Halo!!!1 <--------to make people happy

[ParaDise_LosT]

Lost Odyssey in Japan instead of a western Fps with a typical 'america rocks your ass!' protagonist and a simplistic story thats based on
humans trying to kill space invaders........no.....that doesn't work in Japan... haah......

Lost Odyssey might be the next game(after Eternal Sonata :P) to push
Xbox360 sales in Japan........but I still don't see it reaching
above 500,000.... but hey...They are fighting for a lost cause...
and in the end :P the more they try the more games I get
haaahaahaa xD

[BIGBAER]

"...a simplistic story thats(sic) based on humans trying to kill space invaders."

At least Halo allows you to actually play the game as a real participant! In fact, Halo does it better than any other "story that's based on humans trying to kill space invaders".

Now if Master Chief had purple spikey hair Halo 3 would be a lock in Japan!

[eagle21]

Halo is paving the way for shooters in japan. Resistance sold 143,000 in japan. Halo should keep shooters relevant.

[[email protected]]

Look to me that every American and European live on Japan brought Halo 3 and the results of the sales are those numbers. It's kinda funny thought my friend just said it just now.

[PS360PCROCKS]

43,000 in one day in Japan!? Lol that's an amazing feat. Not only is it a FPS, it's american and it's on Xbox.

[UltramanJ]

Halo 3 sales are either right on target with, or surpassed the first month sales of VF5 for PS3! That's insane!!

[jackdoe]

I was surprised that Oblivion was actually localized for Japan. Must have been a monster effort.