Virtua Fighter 5 gets top spot in Japan

[Pumpkin Head]

The Wii and the DS are still dominating the charts in Japan, but at least now, the PS3 is putting up a fight. We didn't mean anything mean by that, we're just trying to say that the PS3 now has some solid numbers up in its favor. What do we mean by solid? Well, how does number 1 sound?

If you look at the recent Media Create survey, you're going to see that Japan is going crazy over SEGA's latest version of their arcade classic, Virtua Fighter 5. Here's the list of the top ten games sold in Japan for the week of February 5 to 11, 2007.

Virtua Fighter 5 (PS3) - 48,346 / new
Wii Sports (Wii) - 45,897 / 1,004,555
Wii Play (Wii) - 36,090 / 879,432
More Brain Age (DS) - 32,800 / 3,963,712
New Super Mario Bros. (DS) - 29,026 / 4,118,078
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (PS2) - 27,519 / 304,113
Wario: Master of Disguise (DS) - 26,815 / 185,695
Harvest Moon: The Island I Grew Up On (DS) - 26,804 / 106,212
Luminous Arc (DS) - 25,676 / new
J-League Pro Soccer 5 (PS2) - 24,468 / 131,541
Would'ya look at that! A lone PS3 game in a sea (an ocean actually) of DS, Wii, and a few overachieving (deserving) PS2 titles..
http://eg.nttpub.co.jp/ranking.html

[Fats]

Just read this in the VF5 thread.

What's the source on this one Pumpkin, just so I know what website it's from.

[ollin]

Just read this in the VF5 thread.

What's the source on this one Pumpkin, just so I know what website it's from.
Most of the Japanese numbers come from Media Create. http://www.m-create.com/jpn/s_ranking.html The site hasn't been updated yet.

The numbers are solid but not the greatest. I still have a hard time understanding why the Japanese have yet to open up to the PS3. I know there's many reasons why but it's still feels wierd.

[Viano]

price.

[Slipphreake]

There aren't any AAA Jrpgs out yet. Plus, they're still in love with the DS and Wii.

[totobeni]

did they just count the free "Wii Sports" ( included with Wii ) in the list ? coz its the same as Wii numbers .

i think they should not put the free games on the list...like as "Talladega Nights" never been in any HD format ranking list coz it was free with PS3 .

[Viper]

did they just count the free "Wii Sports" ( included with Wii ) in the list ? coz its the same as Wii numbers .

i think they should not put the free games on the list...like as "Talladega Nights" never been in any HD format ranking list coz it was free with PS3 .

Wii Sports is sold Separately in Japan.

[Rip3001]

Wii Sports is sold Separately in Japan.

I hope not for the price of a standard game.

[LiquidEagle]

did they just count the free "Wii Sports" ( included with Wii ) in the list ? coz its the same as Wii numbers .

i think they should not put the free games on the list...like as "Talladega Nights" never been in any HD format ranking list coz it was free with PS3 .

:laugh: that would be ridiculous if they counted pack-in games.

Rip: Wii Sports was 4800 yen/$40 in Japan, but when you scale that relative to Japanese game prices it's probably would be the equivalent to a $30 game or $35 or so. Certainly acceptable for the best multiplayer game on the Wii. :)

[cliffbo]

it'll be interesting to see how many consoles it shifted...

[woundingchaney]

it'll be interesting to see how many consoles it shifted...

With only about 50k sold Im willing to bet not to many.

[OmniCloud]

Don't care what there playing across seas...This game is mine NEXT WEEK!!! The wait seems like it's taking forever!

VF5 won't move that many consoles though, I think it certainly will be a decent system seller, but not a huge deal...I'd give Heavenly Sword, Monster Kingdom, and Flow a bigger nod than VF5...The demand does seem quite high in the European market though, so the maybe OK for letting Nintendo have the Japanese market to themselves for a while...

[curryking1]

Monster Kingdom? Really? lol!

[Rai]

go ps3!

[gozirah]

...I'd give Heavenly Sword, Monster Kingdom, and Flow a bigger nod than VF5...

flOw? A system seller, really? Maybe a confirmation of value for owners, but a seller? If so, developers need not bother with multi-million dollar budgets anymore!:mickey:

[OmniCloud]

Maybe I should re-word it. VF5 has been out for like forever in Japanese arcades, I don't think the sales will really suck up that many NEW buyers of the system. I just give those games a stronger nod in terms of word-of-mouth...Flow isn't a game alone that will sell a PS3, but it is a very good word of mouth device that has potential to be hit on the PS store...I think it'll get a great number of downloads...

Oh and Monster Kingdom just seemed like a Japanese style game to me....it's actually a pretty random suggestion:)

[ollin]

I think you mean Monster Hunter 3. It's ranked in the top 20 most wanted list in the Famitsu magazine so the hype should get bigger when the release gets closer. Capcom and Sony needs to rush this for a 07 release or else.

At least the PSP game for Monster Hunter 2 is looking like it's going to be a hit. Been ranked #1 at Amazon Japan sales ranking for a few weeks now. http://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/bestsellers/videogames/

[Viper]

PS3 went from 18k last week to 23k this week. just for the sake of argument, here's the rest. A "U" means up from last week, a "D" means down.

DSL - 201,177 - U
Wii - 78,550 - U
PSP - 32,175 - U
PS3 - 23,431 - U
PS2 - 16,033 - D
X360 - 4,811 - D

[Diresu]

^Hmm not as big of an incease in sales from VF as I would have thought but we will see. There is a number of games hitting soon.

[OmniCloud]

Not as big because of DS and Wii...There isn't going to be anything Sony can do until they start churning out content that feels completely fresh and new like Ninty's games. This is speaking specifically for the Japanese market.

Who said motion control wasn't the future?

[Diresu]

^ I don't quite agree there. All they have to do is get more games ala DMC and MGS which there is a nice linup of. Not really counting DS. Anyone that attributes the Wii's succes to games moreso then price is way off. Its at the least 50/50.

[jaxmkii]

Who said motion control wasn't the future?
MS did

[Viper]

Well, Sony also called it a gimmick before showing off their own motion sensing controller so they both had the wrong notions until it became popular.

MS is now the one left behind.

[jaxmkii]

Well, Sony also called it a gimmick before showing off their own motion sensing controller so they both had the wrong notions until it became popular.

MS is now the one left behind.
if your using it as your only playing card than i could see that... but we all know SixaxiS has been in the works since 1999 so no need to rehash that eh?

[Viper]

It wasn't in the works for PS3 to start with or the Dual Bat Wing wouldn't have ever been displayed.

A gimmick is a false lure. A tacked on extra to hype something. Sony was incorrect to call it a gimmick. Then as motion sensing was welcomed by the masses, Sony went to Plan B and broke out the 1999 patent. That's just business.

[Fats]

It wasn't in the works for PS3 to start with or the Dual Bat Wing wouldn't have ever been displayed.

A gimmick is a false lure. A tacked on extra to hype something. Sony was incorrect to call it a gimmick. Then as motion sensing was welcomed by the masses, Sony went to Plan B and broke out the 1999 patent. That's just business.

Yup, that's pretty much how it happened.:toad:

[jaxmkii]

It wasn't in the works for PS3 to start with or the Dual Bat Wing wouldn't have ever been displayed.

A gimmick is a false lure. A something. Sony was incorrect to call it a gimmick. Then as motion sensing was welcomed by the masses, Sony went to Plan B and broke out the 1999 patent. That's just business.
but would you call SixaxiS a gimmic as you are suggesting that its tacked on extra for hype?

[Fats]

At this stage, I would. It certainly has potential, I just hope that devs spend a little time seriously thinking about what they can do with it rather than the tilt functionality added on just for the sake of it.

[Viper]

No, I don't. It's not for hype. It delivers the functions it's intends to when used well.

[jaxmkii]

At this stage, I would. It certainly has potential, I just hope that devs spend a little time seriously thinking about what they can do with it rather than the tilt functionality added on just for the sake of it.

i hope so too its honestly my most favorate part if PS3... makes me wonder how much would i like a Wii:uhh:

[Diresu]

1up reviewed it. 9.5. Excellent score especially from people at 1up....

[LiquidEagle]

It'll be a rental for me, just like VF4 was. VF is an amazing franchise, and the top fighter (kind of like Chuck Norris), but I'm not a fighting games guy. If I bought this game, or any other fighter, it would only lead to broken controllers, broken noses for my friends, and my pride being broken :(

[Red_Eyes]

Proof that the Japanese love their Virtual Fighter more than their Wii games, according to the numbers anyway.

[OmniCloud]

I really wished they would've made the evade a sixaxis function...This game doesn't utilize it at all:(

[Z]

It wasn't in the works for PS3 to start with or the Dual Bat Wing wouldn't have ever been displayed.
just curious, how do you figure that?

[VideoGame mania]

PS3 went from 18k last week to 23k this week. just for the sake of argument, here's the rest. A "U" means up from last week, a "D" means down.

DSL - 201,177 - U
Wii - 78,550 - U
PSP - 32,175 - U
PS3 - 23,431 - U
PS2 - 16,033 - D
X360 - 4,811 - D

Wow the DS outselling PSP almost 10x :wtf:
Sony cut the freaking price already.

[Pluto]

^
They're going to need more than a price-cut to go head to head with the DS.

[ As I'm sure you're aware. ]

But, anyway, this is just the tip of the iceberg as far as sales are concerned. Once those big titles hit, the PS3 will be at a very familiar spot in that chart.

[VideoGame mania]

^
They're going to need more than a price-cut to go head to head with the DS.

[ As I'm sure you're aware. ]

Yes i'm, at least they will slightly close the huge gap, and i heard Square is baking an original FF game for the PSP should give a tremendous boost for the PSP sales.
I think Sony is satisfied with the sales, Nintendo has been the king in handheld market for too long to be dethroned by Sony in the first round. Well, at least Sony has been far more successful with the PSP than MS with the Zune :look:

[LaLiLuLeLo]

hey woundingchaney, does this game have a hard drive dump (where it offloads system data to the hdd)?

[Applefiend]

Heard an opinion I have to agree with about VF5 in Japan. Why on earth would anyone in Japan in their right mind want to buy VF5?

1 - Not that new a game

2 - You can walk down the street and in any Club Sega there will be a VF5 expert to play against. Only way to get really good is play against real people. No $404 console + $60 game required.

That's why the sales are so bad.

By that token, the only thing worse than that would be a VF5 with terrible lag problems online like SF2 on XBLA when it came out.

Buggered both ways.

Now in the US and Europe, we have no arcades and very few VF5 experts, so I think it may sell better over here. That nearly make sense?

[Z]

I am curious as to how sales of VF will perform on a weekly basis. is it just a fluke and it will disappear from the charts the next week, or will it stick around for a few?

[Black Dragon37]

I hear buffering in VF5 isn't as easy as it was in VF4:E.

Can someone confirm this? :)

[VG Aficionado]

HD review (http://download.gametrailers.com/gt_vault/t_vf5_vr_gt_h264.wmv)

[woundingchaney]

I hear buffering in VF5 isn't as easy as it was in VF4:E.

Can someone confirm this? :)

Its about the same, as far as I can tell.

[LaLiLuLeLo]

Wounding, does VF5 have a large hard drive system file (for loading speeds) like some other games do?

[Applefiend]

Reviews are up at Gamespot:

http://www.gamespot.com/ps3/action/virtuafighter5/review.html

8.1/10. First Jeff Gerstmann marks down the sublime Twilight Princess now this. :)

"I make hamburgers out of your sacred cows!! Your sound is slightly muffled and you have no online, you will not be deemed worthy! muhahahah!"

DOA 4... 8.8/10. Hmmm....

[Applefiend]

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/765/765805p1.html

IGN Review, 8.8/10.

[LaLiLuLeLo]

Hey fuck them uppity ass game sites like they know what's what. They wouldn't know quality if it bit 'em in the face!

We're a gaming site and we have the power of decimals, meeehh!!!

[hyabusha]

Are there any character endings? Or any cool endings In general?

[woundingchaney]

Are there any character endings? Or any cool endings In general?

I have not seen any endings or character endings or anything that could be considered an ending. But as usual Doral is the cheapest/most dificult end boss I have ever seen with no continuing once one has lost to her.


I have beat all of 10th Dan's on the quest mode and cant even come close to waxing Doral.


--Just to note I think that VF is a good game but it getting all of these very high ratings is simply not indicative of the titles quality. I would strongly suggest renting the title prior to buying especially for those that arent VF loyalists.

[Nameless]

The lack of online support will continue to be a complaint with this title...
I believe the decision not to support any online functionality was a poor decision, but VF5 or fighting game loyalist can't pass up the title. The big question is will the 360 version support any online features like replay sharing & leaderboards. If Tekken sticks with their no online strategy we will see this happen all over again...

[Black Dragon37]

IGN made a better balanced review, although Gamespot had a few good points.

Gamespot mentioned that AM2 must have taken away the Tutorial, Tactics Advice etc. for VF5. That's bad news.

Both IGN and Gamespot mentioned that the AI is crap once you know how it works. Might be that VF4:E's better.

Both mention lack of online support. Hate to say this, but I agree with them. Sega hasn't bothered to supply VF5 arcade to the rest of the world. Despite latancy and lag issues, bringing this online would've gotten a stronger VF community in the NTSC and PAL regions. Had arcades been supplied to the rest of the world, I think it would have the potential to be bigger than Tekken's community right now.

Any wonder if there would be additions and patches via the firmware upgrades?

[satriales]

Wounding, does VF5 have a large hard drive system file (for loading speeds) like some other games do?

When you first play you are given the option to save data to the HDD for faster loading times, this data is around 2GB.


Any wonder if there would be additions and patches via the firmware upgrades?

I think it's more likely that there will be a VF5:Evo released after the 360 version.
I'm really loving the game and have only played one character so far (Shun Di), but VF5 is definately lacking features compared to previous versions (Kumite, Training).

[jaxmkii]

i still find it funny that enjoyment can be given a specific value...

[LaLiLuLeLo]

I'm saying though. 8.8? the fuck does that mean?

[FantasyGhost]

Virtua Fighter 5 shoots Sony to the top of the Japan game sales chart, marking the console's first number one

Things are looking up for the PlayStation 3 in Japan this week, as stellar Sega bruiser instalment Virtua Fighter 5 blasts up the charts to snatch the console's first ever number one.

The fighter beat off Nintendo titles Wii Sports, Wii Play, Brain Age and New Super Mario Brothers for the top slot, selling 48,000 copies since it was released in the country almost two weeks ago.

Despite blitzing the competition in the sales charts though, the Wii continues to dominate Sony's console on the hardware front with 78,550 units shifted this week, compared to the PS3's 32, 175 and the Xbox 360's paltry 4,811.

The fifth fighting instalment hit US shelves just yesterday, and is currently pencilled in for a European debut alongside the PS3 next month. If you're still wondering what all the fuss is about, click on over to our VF5 review for the low-down.http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=158515

[Cless]

Great, VF5 doing quite good in Japan.

[NickSCFC]

For a game so beautiful to get shit review scores like this, Sega had better take note, pull their fingers out of their arses and put a fuckin online mode on the 360 version!

[VideoGame mania]

For a game so beautiful to get shit review scores like this, Sega had better take note, pull their fingers out of their arses and put a fucking online mode on the 360 version!

it wouldn't be a fighting game anymore :pinky:

[Black Dragon37]

Nigga please!