Famitsu sales: Week 41, 2021 - (4th Oct - 10th Oct)

[The_Liquid_Laser]

curl-6 said:

Top 30: https://nintendoeverything.com/famitsu-software-sales-10-4-21-10-10-21-top-30/

1. [NSW] Metroid Dread – 86,798 / NEW
2. [PS4] Far Cry 6 – 34,219 / NEW
3. [PS5] Far Cry 6 – 16,686 / NEW
4. [NSW] Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – 12,257 / 4,085,509
5. [NSW] Super Smash Bros. Ultimate – 11,936 / 4,450,954
6. [NSW] Ring Fit Adventure – 11,257 / 2,862,651
7. [NSW] Minecraft – 10,699 / 2,225,165
8. [NSW] Doki Doki Literature Club Plus – 9,513 / NEW
9. [PS4] Lost Judgment – 8,589 / 140,834
10. [NSW] WarioWare: Get It Together! – 7,787 / 144,966

11. [NSW] Momotaro Dentetsu: Showa, Heisei, Reiwa mo Teiban! – 6,988 / 2,394,560
12. [NSW] Animal Crossing: New Horizons – 5,795 / 6,897,719
13. [PS4] The Legend of Heroes: Kuro no Kiseki – 5,733 / 55,847
14. [NSW] Pokemon Sword/Shield – 5,689 / 4,158,288
15. [NSW] Shuuen no Virche ErroR: salvation – 5,665 / NEW
16. [NSW] Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury – 5,427 / 900,430
17. [NSW] FIFA 22 Nintendo Switch Legacy Edition – 5,416 / 18,801
18. [NSW] Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot + A New Power Awakens Set – 5,358 / 57,329
19. [PS4] FIFA 22 – 5,074 / 31,010
20. [PS4] Tales of Arise – 4,042 / 211,047
21. [NSW] Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics – 3,837 / 811,577
22. [NSW] Super Mario Party – 3,625 / 2,002,136
23. [NSW] Zelda: Breath of the Wild + Expansion Pass – 3,266 / NEW
24. [NSW] Astria Ascending – 2,972 / NEW
25. [PS4] Judgment (New Price Version) – 2,843 / 53,086
26. [NSW] Splatoon 2 – 2,701 / 3,955,037
27. [NSW] Zelda: Breath of the Wild – 2,621 / 1,883,584
28. [NSW] Splatoon 2 + Octo Expansion – 2,456 / NEW
29. [NSW] Dragon Quest XI S (New Price Version) – 2,325 / 145,250
30. [NSW] Game Builder Garage – 2,221 / 243,566

NS - 23

PS4 - 6

PS5 - 1

Playstation has had quite a few new releases over the past several weeks.  We can see it in that PS4 has 6 titles in the top 30 which is a big improvement over those summer weeks where Switch took all 30 slots for a couple of weeks.

However, PS5 software sales are extremely pathetic.  Not only are first week sales always less than the PS4 version, but they are also heavily frontloaded.  Look at Lost Judgement.  The PS4 version is still in the top 10, while the PS5 version can't even stay in the top 30.  Frontloaded sales have been the norm for PS5 titles in Japan.  I will not be surprised if next week's chart shows Far Cry 6 in the top 10 for PS4 with the PS5 version not even making top 30.

This frontloading is the opposite of what you'd expect for a new console.  Normally, the software sales of the older system are more frontloaded.  The older system has a huge install base with few new people coming in.  The newer system has a small install base with more people coming in every week.  You expect the new people coming in to buy the notable games that are available and keep them from falling off of the sales charts.  This isn't happening on the PS5 though.

With the PS5 there seems to be an extremely small yet avid base.  They rush out to buy a title in it's first week and then that's it.  There is no one left to buy the title in the second week.  I can only guess that only the most hardcore of the hardcore are buying a PS5 in Japan.