* At least since Nintendo first entered the home console market.

Put this in the "It's been a funny old generation" category.

Wii has more or less finished selling in Japan, so it's topped out at 12.76 million units. The next lowest #1 selling console in Japan for a generation, at least since Nintendo came on the scene, is SNES at 17.17 million.

Also interesting, and to some extent part of the reason Wii is the lowest selling winner, is that PS3 is the highest selling #2 console ever in Japan, and that's of all time ever since home video gaming became a thing, at least according to the LTD sales on VGC.

BUT last generation has actually been a bit of a disappointment in Japan and it shows that the home console rot actually set in last generation.

Total gen 7 sales for home consoles: 24.32 Million (includes Xb360)

Total gen 6 sales for home consoles: ~30 million (27.75 if you take out dreamcast)

Total Gen 5 sales for home consoles: ~30 Million

Total Gen 4 sales for home consoles: 20.75 (with only 2 consoles on the market)

And actually when you look at it, the home console rot really started in gen 6, because there was no growth from gen 5 to 6, only a redistribution of the market.

But Wii won't hold that lowest selling #1 console for long, because whichever console wins gen 8 in Japan won't reach Wii, and probably won't even crack 10 million units.

Going to somewhat disagree with you here. As you can see Japan's market has been fairly similar always. Its the rest of the world where sales has picked up that makes it look bad. Although I will agree that Gen7 wasnt great considering the time it had. Japan now in the 8th gen will see their worst sales ever while the smartphone industry over there booms.

Sales combined this gen will probably be smaller, but wouldn't you agree a drop in Nintendo sales gives XBOX and PlayStation room for improvement?

Maybe for the PS4 to do better then the PS3, but MS needs to release the Xbox1 first for it to do better lol.

Ps4 will improve over Ps3 in Japan. That's a given.

It doesn't have a high price tag and the first must have game fore the Japanese wont have to wait 3 years for Final Fantasy (or KH which ever comes first), 3 years for RE7, 4 years for GT7 or 2 years for MGS5.

Wow, it makes me wonder if there is something magically better about cell phones in Japan. I don't really game on them, but don't really want to either.

More of a spare time killer.

Well I find it interesting that the wii has stopped selling whereas the ps3 is still selling a reasonable amount. The amount of ps3s sold will keep on growing bigger so the gap will continue to lessen. I am not sure though if the ps3 will be able to overtake the wii.

PS4 might be selling kind of bad but it will pass 10m easily. Also I think it will outsell the Wii by a decent margin. Console market may decrease this gen, but not necessarily will be THAT bad.

It might be early days in Japan, but I don't know how people are imagining PS4 will outsell Wii. It's possible I suppose, but seeing how the Japanese market seems to be developing (i.e. going to phones and tablets even over handhelds) I find it very unlikely.

Implying all the people who buys handhelds buys consoles too. The audience of home consoles is way more loyal and PS4 is selling ahead of PS3 with a multiplatform Yakuza's spin-off as its only base. Even wii u should sell on pair with N64 or GC, is just the casual mass moving on.