Top 15 Games of 2009 First Half: Nintendo Faces Crisis?

monster-hunter-kirin.jpg

The sales figures for the Japanese video game market in the first half of 2009 hold few immediate surprises, being completely dominated by Nintendo and Sony, with strong sales from portable systems, but closer inspection reveals a potential disaster in the making for Nintendo…

The ranking:

1. Mario & Luigi RPG3!!! DS 631,165
2. Monster Hunter Portable PSP 556,650
3. Ryu ga Gotoku 3 PS3 485,630
4. Biohazard 5 PS3 467,819
5. Wii Fit Wii 432,191
6. Kingdom Hearts 358/2Days DS 385,799
7. Rhythm Tengoku Gold DS 384,191
8. Shin Sangoku Musou Multi Raid PSP 382,191
9. Pokémon Fushigi no Dungeon DS 338,568
10. Tales of the World 2 PSP 316,797
11. Taiko no Tatsujin Wii Wii 313,668
12. Wagamama Fashion Girls Mode DS 285,944
13. Machi-e Youkoso Doubutsu no Mori Wii 256,057
14. Mario Kart Wii Wii 254,631
15. Hoshi no Kirby DS 250,437

Certainly a superficially strong performance from Nintendo, but some cannot help but notice that most of the releases come from 2008, with Wii Fit actually a 2007 release, which does not inspire much confidence in Nintendo’s 2009 prospects; how long can they go on selling 2008’s lineup?

Even Nintendo admits there is a severe problem here…

2009-sales-ranking.jpg

Via Hachimaki.


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    109 Comments
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    Comment by plmko
    14:30 06/07/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    Well it is a fact that the Wii has the lowest games to console attachment rate. This chart is just another piece of evidence to support such.

    Comment by anony mouse
    14:52 06/07/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    That's nice, but irrelevant to Nintendo as a whole. Their handhelds have been their flagships for over a decade and that won't stop. The Gamecube and Wii are just playing around as far as their bottom line and development goes.

    Every other console also loses money, as much as several hundred dollars. Wii + 5 games is still more profit than another console + 10. The market favors Nintendo, and the people playing the games favor Nintendo. Every other attempt at measuring brands is irrelevant.

    Comment by Anonymous
    14:12 06/07/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    Sony is going to be the final winner anyway. All hail PS3!

    Comment by Anonymous
    21:06 06/07/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    Another misleading article on the videogames industry. There is nothing wrong with "evergreen" games tat continue to sell months after release, heck in the UK Brain Training lasted a few years on the chart and Wii Fit and Mario Kart Wii are still selling.

    Avatar of Artefact
    Comment by Artefact

    Around here a title has to involve hitting things, making levels go up, or shooting at things to be considered a "game." Hardly anything on the Wii fits the bill.

    Comment by Anonymous
    02:59 08/07/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    Ha ha ha!

    Troll.

    Avatar of koto-chan
    Comment by Koto-Chan
    19:07 06/07/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    Eroge is failing since the time when the ban was implemented :3 I bet they will bring their fans back by the means of putting slight ero elements. DS and Wii sure will benefit these :3

    Comment by an0n
    13:27 06/07/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    The fact that 2008 releases from Nintendo are outselling 2009 releases of other brands is a problem for OTHER BRANDS, not Nintendo.

    Your brain is not just something to keep your neck occupied.

    Comment by an0n
    13:30 06/07/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    Oh yea, not to mention that Nintendo turns a profit on their hardware. Every other company needs massive software sales just to break even. Nintendo still trumps. They make more profit just selling games than all of Sony does.

    I like games from all sources, so I'm no fanboy, but Nintendo makes great stuff. They also happen to be an incredibly tightly run company. Every attempt so far at the prediction of their downfall has been hilarious, and this one is a stretch even by those standards.

    Avatar of Artefact
    Comment by Artefact

    Who said anything about their downfall. They just have a weak lineup.

    Comment by an0n
    03:01 07/07/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    You could just as easily say that about everyone else, right? Which means it's not about Nintendo, but gaming at large. Making it about Nintendo is either a lapse in judgment or an attempt to disparage Nintendo.

    Comment by Anonymous
    13:22 06/07/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    Dynasty Whorier ruuuuulllzz!!!

    Hmm, but I'm getting tired of the same hack n slash gameplay. I feel sorry for those PSP players, their 'X' button will fall off after only 3 hours of playing. Just like my PS3 when playing Dynasty Warriors 6.

    Comment by Anonymous
    09:48 06/07/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    Artefact, check out the game lineup for next year. Nintendo's still going strong.

    Avatar of Artefact
    Comment by Artefact

    Next year. What about this year?

    Avatar of viewtifu1
    Comment by viewtiful
    12:33 06/07/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    hurrah for monster hunter kirin cosplay!

    Avatar of Ukonkivi
    Comment by Ukonkivi
    12:27 06/07/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    What a terrible list.

    Comment by Anonymous
    21:25 06/07/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    Dammit. Nintendo is making everyone think that wagging a plastic dick(Wii controller,DS stylus for the little ones) is gaming. It's stupid how slaughtering a whole army(Dynasty Warriors) or giant beasts (Monster Hunter) fall in the same category as jumping around (Wii Fit). What is the true meaning of "gaming"?

    Comment by Metalbunny
    22:37 06/07/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    Heyy don't insult monster hunter like that..YOu do know that it came from the psp , don't you?

    Comment by anony mouse
    03:03 07/07/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    There is no secret, special, true meaning of gaming. If you play a game, you are gaming. It doesn't matter the type of game, the brand on the console, the age of the game, or what the controller looks like. A game is a game is a game.

    Comment by Anonymous
    16:48 22/09/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    PC - lolwut? good luck playing mgs4 on pc fgt, not to mention all other exclusives on ps2,360,psp,ds etc.
    ps3 - mgs4... that's it
    360 - FREE GAMES OMFG WIN!!! console is shit tho
    wii - graphics suck, free games as well

    wii overall if you like shit graphics. 360 if you can take the shitty console and exchanging/buying a new one every year

    Avatar of Abel Liegod
    Comment by Abel Liegod
    12:53 23/12/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    Mario Luigi RPG 3 rocks
    even though i dindt played it all yet

    Comment by Anonymous
    15:35 23/07/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    any one here watch E3 (eletronic entertainment expo)
    Nintend has a awosme line of games comeing up such as

    super mario galxy 2
    new super mario brothers 2
    no more heroes 2
    metroid : the other M

    and alot of others that i cant remember
    link to list: http://e3.nintendo.com/

    Comment by hALOTOO
    14:32 11/07/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    Monster hunter,I love that game but get bored rather quickly,I've been playing Phantasy star portable for 3 months non stop.

    Comment by AngelsThesis
    09:47 06/07/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    wow out selling Monster Hunter O_O

    Comment by Anonymous
    04:45 06/07/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    Nice article image. Has nothing to do with anything. Real professional for a "news" site.

    Avatar of Kazaki
    Comment by Jira
    11:20 06/07/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    You goddamn worthless noob. It's Monster Hunter. It's Capcom's number 1 selling game in Japan.

    Avatar of Artefact
    Comment by Artefact

    It's from Monster Hunter, the second best selling game of 2009 in Japan, you worthless "troll".

    Avatar of Robocop
    Comment by Robocop
    18:01 18/07/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    ya ha! suck on that... sorry, i just hate trolls...

    Avatar of kevinlmw
    Comment by kevinlmw
    04:58 06/07/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    that is female kirin armor in monster hunter games that ranked top2 in that list

    Comment by Yangth
    06:48 06/07/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    Monster Hunter FTW

    Comment by RanmaSyaoran|TheExDebtCollector
    04:58 06/07/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    Hmm, it'll be interesting to see how this plays out.
    It's true Nintendo and Sony are both strong but you can skyrocket a single platforms sales on ONE strong game.... (Take Halo for example)

    Avatar of kevinlmw
    Comment by kevinlmw
    05:00 06/07/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    you will see the project diva in that list very soon

    Comment by NintendoWorshipper
    05:03 06/07/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    I really haven't been playing Nintendo games this year at all. I think Nintendo needs to take a good hard look at my little sister for an example: she likes to play her DS in my bed in the evenings, usually just wearing one of my T-shirts. She says "Oh, it's hot in here" a lot while she plays Animal Crossing.

    Anyway, I'm hoping New SMB Wii is good.

    Comment by Anonymous
    16:33 06/07/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    is your sister hot? may i have her?

    Comment by Chris
    00:53 07/07/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    NintendoWorshipper = NintendoFan

    His trolling this time is a lot more subtle though. Nice going with the "my little sister" bit. Well played good sir.

    Comment by Anonymous
    Comment by bolt
    05:36 06/07/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    sis con... :)

    Avatar of Exia
    Comment by Exia
    04:43 06/07/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    Blazblue ftw.

    Comment by Anonymous
    04:06 06/07/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    Shows Nintendo has a strong base.

    Comment by Lvrhina
    Comment by Joe Somebody
    Comment by Chen
    05:14 06/07/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    lol internet

    Comment by Anonymous
    16:29 06/07/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    loli

    Avatar of sanimej2
    Comment by sanimej2
    09:49 06/07/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    lol you

    Comment by Anonymous
    02:21 11/07/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    C-C-C-C-C-Combo Breaker!

    Comment by Master
    16:27 07/07/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    Lol Anon

    Comment by Jive
    02:23 11/07/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    C-C-C-C-C-Combo Breaker

    Comment by Anonymous
    02:24 11/07/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    Combo Breaker COMBO BREAKER

    Avatar of CJLopez
    Comment by CJLopez
    09:16 06/07/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    lol me

    Comment by WondrousWizard
    05:53 06/07/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    lol life

    Comment by quijibo
    06:37 06/07/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    lol cat





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