Weekly Japanese Hardware Sales Steady As Wii Tops Console Sales

Sales of video game hardware held steady in Japan for the week ended May 24, as the Nintendo Wii managed to edge out PlayStation 3 for the third week in a row, capturing the top home console slot. But it was the handhelds that once again ruled Media Create's weekly hardware chart, with the Nintendo DSi generating 34,152 in unit sales, topping second-place PSP, which sold 27,536 during the week. Media Create records DS Lite sales separately from its newer DSi sibling. The older DS Lite sold 5,631 units during the period, bringing total DS/DSi hardware sales to 39,783. Leading home console sales for the third week in a row was the Nintendo Wii, which sold 16,233 units. The Wii has been able to fend of Sony's PlayStation 3, which sold 10,932 units. PS3 outsold the Wii in Japan during March and April this year, thanks to high-profile releases and the Blu-ray release of the movie Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, which included a playable demo of Final Fantasy XIII. PS2 and Xbox 360 once again rounded out the list in the final two slots. Positioning on the chart remained the same from last week. (Week of May 18-24) DSi: 33,833 PSP: 27,536 Wii: 16,233 PS3: 10,932 DS Lite: 5,631 PS2: 4,075 Xbox 360: 3,854