Two Kirby games in the Top 30.

Loooove to see it

AC Shadows has fallen somewhat flat in spite of its Japanese setting; Odyssey and Valhalla both sold 45k week one and Mirage sold 28k.

my guess is that the Ubisoft subscription service (Ubisoft Plus?) might be the reason for this.

I can't see that many Japanese folks paying for a Ubisoft subscription when their games generally aren't popular there.

if we’re talking about the audience who purchase Assassin’s Creed games day one, my guess is that they’d be the ones with a subscription.

Assassin's Creed Mirage was on Ubisoft+ too though, yet Shadows sold 40% less than Mirage despite the Japanese setting.

(this is the response i was looking for initially.) ah i see! Yeah not sure what’s up w/ JP. Maybe the controversy was enough to scare consumers away? Not sure.

I just think PS5 has a smaller user base than PS4 had in Japan, due to both PS5 officially selling a bit less in Japan than PS4 did, but i also think the numbers of Japanese PS5 exported to China has increased a lot compared to the PS4 era. Which is why a lot of series has seen a decline in sales from PS4 to PS5 in Japan.

I suspect no PS4 version more or less explains that 40% reduction in *physical* sales compared to Mirage, and then I suspect Monster Hunter is the reason we're not seeing bigger numbers overall. It's the western equivalent of Launching a new AC game a few weeks after GTA6...

Maybe it will perform better in the long run

The Japanese are sensitive if foreigners tinkering with their old history and traditions. Yasuke was a historical person but he was never a samurai. He remained a low-key servant. Is it ok to make a game based on an outcast and upgrade his story? Yes, that's how great stories are told in books, comics/mangas, films/animes and games. However, at the same time, you shouldn't be suprised if you are ignored in a country which is sensitive to its own history and traditions.

Adding to the negative vibe is the fact that it's from Ubisoft, a french company. France is wellknown to be at the forefront of wokeness, especially in the artist and creative circles to whom game makers belong.