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Forums - Sales Discussion - Famitsu: Japan's Top 100 Selling Games of the 21st Century

Taken from neogaf.

 

 

Title Platform Publisher Sales (Thousands) Month Year
New Super Mario Bros DS Nintendo 6424 May 2006
Pokemon Diamond/Pearl DS Pokemon 5827 September 2006
Pokemon Black/White DS Pokemon 5489 September 2010
Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire GBA Pokemon 5337 November 2002
Animal Crossing: Wild World DS Nintendo 5239 November 2005
Brain Age 2 DS Nintendo 5082 December 2005
New Super Mario Bros Wii Wii Nintendo 4568 December 2009
Monster Hunter Freedom 3 PSP Capcom 4503 December 2010
Dragon Quest 9 DS Square Enix 4156 July 2009
Mario Kart DS DS Nintendo 4003 December 2005
Pokemon HeartGold/SoulSilver DS Pokemon 3936 September 2009
Brain Age DS Nintendo 3847 May 2005
Animal Crossing: New Leaf 3DS Nintendo 3823 November 2012
Wii Sports Wii Nintendo 3724 December 2006
Tomodachi Collection DS Nintendo 3691 June 2009
Mario Kart Wii Wii Nintendo 3675 April 2008
Wii Fit Wii Nintendo 3562 December 2007
Dragon Quest 8 PS2 Square Enix 3555 November 2004
Wii Sports Resort Wii Nintendo 3143 June 2009
Pokemon FireRed/LeafGreen GBA Pokemon 3076 January 2004
Pokemon Black/White 2 DS Pokemon 2998 June 2012
Wii Play Wii Nintendo 2804 December 2006
Pokemon Platinum DS Pokemon 2605 September 2008
Monster Hunter 4 3DS Capcom 2542 September 2013
Monster Hunter Freedom Unite PSP Capcom 2453 March 2008
Wii Fit Plus Wii Nintendo 2410 October 2009
Wii Party Wii Nintendo 2382 July 2010
Final Fantasy X PS2 Square 2325 July 2001
Final Fantasy XII PS2 Square Enix 2323 March 2006
Super Smash Bros Brawl Wii Nintendo 2279 January 2008
English Training DS Nintendo 2229 January 2006
Pokemon Emerald GBA Pokemon 2197 September 2004
New Super Mario Bros 2 3DS Nintendo 2114 July 2008
Mario Party DS DS Nintendo 2112 November 2007
Mario Kart 7 3DS Nintendo 2087 December 2011
Nintendogs DS Nintendo 2081 April 2005
Final Fantasy X-2 PS2 Square Enix 1961 March 2003
Rhythm Heaven DS DS Nintendo 1917 July 2008
Final Fantasy XIII PS3 Square Enix 1906 December 2009
Super Mario 3D Land 3DS Nintendo 1882 November 2011
Monster Hunter Freedom 2 PSP Capcom 1723 February 2007
Dragon Quest 5 PS2 Square Enix 1615 March 2004
Big Brain Academy DS Nintendo 1590 June 2005
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate 3DS Capcom 1590 December 2011
Common Sense Training DS Nintendo 1570 October 2006
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness/Time DS Pokemon 1552 September 2007
Mario Party 8 Wii Nintendo 1470 July 2007
Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker DS Square Enix 1467 December 2006
Gran Turismo 3 PS2 Sony 1439 April 2001
Tomodachi Collection: New Life 3DS Nintendo 1434 April 2013
Super Smash Bros Melee GC Nintendo 1349 November 2001
Tetris DS DS Nintendo 1334 April 2006
Dragon Quest 6 DS Square Enix 1297 January 2010
Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 2 DS Square Enix 1285 April 2010
Super Mario Bros GBA Nintendo 1280 February 2004
Dragon Quest Monsters 2 GBC Enix 1253 March 2001
Super Mario 64 DS DS Nintendo 1232 December 2004
Dragon Quest 7 3DS Square Enix 1222 February 2013
Animal Crossing: City Folk Wii Nintendo 1221 November 2008
Dragon Quest 4 DS Square Enix 1215 November 2007
Kirby Super Star Ultra DS Nintendo 1204 November 2008
Dynasty Warriors 4 PS2 Koei 1197 February 2003
Dragon Quest 5 DS Square Enix 1190 July 2008
Dragon Quest 4 PS1 Enix 1174 November 2001
Inazuma Eleven 2 DS Level-5 1157 October 2009
WarioWare: Touched DS Nintendo 1136 December 2004
Kingdom Hearts 2 PS2 Square Enix 1129 December 2005
Kirby Squeak Squad DS Nintendo 1121 November 2006
World Soccer Winning Eleven 6: International PS2 Konami 1117 April 2002
Monster Hunter Freedom Unite (Best Version) PSP Capcom 1112 October 2008
Tamagotchi Connection: Corner Shop DS Bandai 1110 September 2005
World Soccer Winning Eleven 7 PS2 Konami 1100 August 2003
Hot Shots Golf 4 PS2 Sony 1083 November 2003
Monster Hunter Tri Wii Capcom 1077 August 2009
Gran Turismo 4 PS2 Sony 1067 December 2004
World Soccer Winning Eleven 8: International PS2 Konami 1060 August 2004
Oshare Majo Love & Berry DS Sega 1056 November 2006
Yoshi's Island DS DS Nintendo 1054 March 2007
Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2007 PS2 Konami 1050 April 2006
Dynasty Warriors 3 PS2 Koei 1043 September 2001
Super Mario Galaxy 2 Wii Nintendo 1043 May 2010
Super Mario Galaxy Wii Nintendo 1026 November 2007
Samurai Warriors PS2 Koei 1024 February 2004
Inazuma Eleven 3 DS Level-5 1018 July 2010
Final Fantasy 3 DS Square Enix 1008 August 2006
Onimushu 2: Samurai's Destiny PS2 Capcom 1004 March 2002
Professor Layton and the Curious Village DS Level-5 1003 February 2007
Donkey Kong Country Returns Wii Nintendo 977 December 2010
Jissen Pachislot Hisshouhou! Fist of the North Star PS2 Sammy 963 May 2004
Shaberu! DS Oryouri Navi DS Nintendo 958 July 2006
Flash Focus: Vision Training DS Nintendo 946 May 2007
Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box DS Level-5 946 November 2007
Mario Kart: Super Circuit GBA Nintendo 938 July 2001
World Soccer Winning Eleven 9 PS2 Konami 934 August 2005
Mega Man Battle Network 4 GBA Capcom 929 December 2003
Onimushu: Warlords PS2 Capcom 928 January 2001
Hot Shots Golf 3 PS2 Sony 922 July 2001
Super Mario Advance 2: Super Mario World GBA Nintendo 919 December 2001
Dynasty Warriors 5 PS2 Koei 918 February 2005
Super Mario All-Stars Wii Nintendo 917 October 2010

 

Expect an epic table soon!

 

 

 

 

Platforms

Platforms Count
GBC 1
GBA 7
DS 39
3DS 8
GC 1
Wii 16
PS1 1
PS2 22
PS3 1
PSP 4

 

 

 

Publishers

Platforms Count
Nintendo 44
Square Enix 14
Capcom 10
Pokemon 9
Konami 5
Koei 4
Level-5 4
Sony 4
Enix 2
Bandai 1
Sammy 1
Sega 1
Square 1

 

 

Notes

  • Nintendo obviously rules Japan with an iron fist since the PS2 has fallen. The Wii dominated over the PS3, the DS over the PSP, and the 3DS, unlike the Vita, makes an appearence or two! The bloody Game Boy Color has as many entries here as every HD console combined!
  • Several series rule Japan'e market with iron fists. Briefly looking things over, I'm counting 11 Dragon Quest games, 7 Monster Hunter games, 16 Mario games, 9 Pokemon games, and various other games that feature characters from said games, including a pair of Smash Bros, Donkey Kong Country Returns, and Yoshi's Island DS. These four series take up nearly half of the list. Throw in PES or FInal Fantasy, and you have five or six franchises with a majority of spots.
  • The latter half of the 2000's is actually arguably a time of growth for the Japanese market, based on the success of the DS alone compared to the PS2, GameCube, and GBA. Sure, there are less console games from after the PS2 era than during it, but the games on dedicated platforms seem to have only grown.
  • The year with the most entries on this list was 2006, aka the year of the DS Lite, New SUper Mario Bros, the Wii launch, Pokemon Generation 4, educational games, Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker, Tetris DS, Kirby, Final Fantasy 3 for DS, and the last big round of PS2 games. 2007 and 2004 tied for second, with 2007 having a bunch of Wii and DS games along with Monster Hunter Freedom 2 for the PSP and 2004 having Dragon Quest 5 and 8, 2 Pokemon entries, Mario platformers, and some PS2 games.
  • Things have been looking down for Japan from 2011 onwards, with not even ten games from this era making the cut. However, things should improve, as games like Luigi's Mansion 2, New Super Mario Bros U, and others continue to have legs. Note that this and other new releases will largely come at the expense of 2001, which has 4 of the bottom 8 games on the list.
  • About two thirds of games represented are released in November and December. However, July of all months is also a popular time to release hit games, with Dragon Quest 9 being the preeminent excample. Ironically, June is the worst time, with only four of these 100 titles being June releases.

 

Conclusion

The Japanese gaming market since 2000 has been one defined by roots in the past. Other than Monster Hunter and arguably Animal Crossing, all of the biggest franchises come from the 80's, such as 2D Mario, Dragon Quest, and Final Fantasy, and the 90's, such as Pokemon, 3D Mario, and Mario Kart. Although some other big franchises have developed in the 2000's, from Brain Age and Wii Sports to Winning Eleven and English Training, most have already faded into the abyss, leaving only the old guard behind.

That said, one can make the argument that there has been growth within these relatively few franchises. The early-to-mid likfe of the DS was notable in that it saw the growth of some franchises, like Mario Kart, the resurgence of others, like 2D Mario, and the creation of entirely new ones, like Brain Age. Although the 3DS has seen relatively little of the last component, mostly remaining stable by "stealing" franchises like Monster Hunter from other platforms, it looks like it at least will remain a powerful platform within Japan.

The main topic of worry for the Japanese gaming industry shouldd be the future of consoles as hardware. So far, only one HD game has made this top 100. Even other viable candidates, such as the recent New Super Mario Bros U, haven't made it yet. Even ignoring HD consoles, the Wii failed to produce as many hits as the PS2 did, if only due to its life being effectively cut short two years quicker.

 

There are two possible successful routes that can be taken with 8th generation consoles in Japan: we'll call them the PS2 and Wii routes.

The PS2 route relies heavily on exclusive entries in major RPG franchises. For the PS2, these were Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, and Dragon Quest, but could also theoretically include Pokemon and Monster Hunter. Besides that, sports and racing games from both 1st and 3rd parties are necessary; about a quarter of the PS2 games appearing are soccer titles alone. Simpler action games that take advantage of a console's raw power can also help.

The Wii route is similar in some ways. It too needs sports and racing titles, albeit not necessarily as relatistic. There should also be relatively simple  action-oriented titles to play. Besides that, games that take unique approaches to input and output of information, aka controls like motion controls, also can draw attention.

 

At this point, the PS4 can really only take the PS2 route. Unlike the Wii U and One, it has no unique control scheme to draw attention and make new experiences. This means that it needs to have big RPG franchises, plenty of sports/racing games, and simple action games that take advantage of its power. The first slot seems to be taken care of, with both FF15 and KH3 confirmed, as is the second, with DriveClub, the eventual release of Gran Turismo 7, and other sports titles. However, there appears to be a lack of new and exciting PS4 games that will take advantage of the system's power in interesting yet simple ways. The chief exception may be Knack.

The Wii U can, oddly enough, take either route. The Wii-based route is obvious; it already has or will soon have several major sports and racing games, from Mario Kart 8 to the various Nintendo Land activities. It has simple action-oriented games, like platformers both 2D and 3D, including Mario games. And its touchscreen controls can theoretically replicate part of the Wii's success. However, the Wii U can also win over enough JRPG's to take a PS2-like route. X is already confirmed, and Monster Hunter, Dragon Quest, and Pokemon titles are all likely. Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts are the only outstanding series, and they too might come to the Wii U if the PS4 has a poor start in Japan.



Love and tolerate.

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Nintendo is resting on its laurels for the past 20 years and doesn't come up with anything new. Just look at that top 30.

Haters gonna hate :)




ewww... You made me go to neogaf.

I'm seeing Nintendo a lot.



FrancisNobleman said:
Nintendo is resting on its laurels for the past 20 years and doesn't come up with anything new. Just look at that top 30.

Haters gonna hate :)



Let's see...  Wii Fit and Wii Sports are pretty new IPs.  Animal Crossing is a little over a decade old (Japanese release for N64 in 2001).  Big Brain Academy came out in 2005.  Tomodachi Collection released in 2009 on DS and 2013 on 3DS.



Ds domination!



Me gusta queso 

psn id: rychussnik

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sethnintendo said:
ewww... You made me go to neogaf.

I'm seeing Nintendo a lot.


Sorry, it was the original English source I could find!

Tell you what. When I finish making the table, you won't have to click on the link ever again.



Love and tolerate.

Every time I see Nintendo on that list, I imagine that this is what they are doing to the competition



Bloody hell at those Brain Age 2 sales.

A lot of series have fallen a long, long way this past generation.



Damn Nintendo games are just dominating in Japan!



Signature goes here!

96 928,000 PS2 Onimusha: Warlords Capcom 2001-01-25
86 1,004,000 PS2 Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny Capcom 2002-03-07


Capcom should try onimusha again :(.

99 918,000 PS2 Dynasty Warriors 5 Koei 2005-02-24


81 1,043,000 PS2 Dynasty Warriors 3 Koei 2001-09-20
62 1,197,000 PS2 Dynasty Warriors 4 Koei 2003-02-27

Koei should put more effort into their games again :(.