Nintendo Wii cools in Japan

Nintendo Wii drops 20% in home country.

Sounds like a big drop, but firstly we're in a recession, and secondly, 2007's 3.7 million Wiis was insane. Nintendo's console sold seven-hundred thousand less this year, contrary to its increasing popularity in the U.S. and Europe.

The PlayStation 3 almost matched its 2007 results, selling 1.04 million consoles in the year, 12% down on the previous year. White Knight Chronicles did well for Sony's console, pushing 48,000 PS3s in its debut week, and 70,000 in its second.

The Xbox 360 actually experienced growth, selling one-hundred-thousand more units, no doubt prompted by exclusive RPGs like The Last Remnant. This represents a massive 40% increase, illustrating the console's miniature market position in the country.

Talking of the market, there's been relatively no change in console positions. The Wii held onto a 68% market share, the PS3 at 24% and the Xbox 360 at 8%. The drop in both the Wii and PlayStation 3's sales were enough to prove that Japan's video games market had experienced shrinkage in the year, unlike the growth in both the U.S. and over here in the U.K.

Source: Chartget.com