Hot software isn’t moving hardware in Japan
Mario Kart 8 sold more than 325,000 boxed copies during its opening week in Japan, according to sales tracking group Media Create. The figure was more than enough to top the nation’s weekly software charts, with the runner-up,Mobile Suit Gundam Side Stories, moving 82,000 units.
It wasn’t enough to significantly spur sluggish Japanese hardware sales, though. While the Wii U was the top selling console in the country last week, the machine only found its way into 19,000 new homes. Sure, that’s more than the 9,000 sold the previous week, but it’s still far from encouraging. The kart racer has been far from a system seller thus far, as the overwhelming majority of folks purchasing the game seem to already own a Wii U.
Earlier this week, Nintendo announced Mario Kart 8 shifted1.2 million units worldwide over its first weekend. Hopefully folks in Europe and North America were more inclined to run out and buy Nintendo’s struggling console than Japanese consumers.
「マリオカート8」が32万5000本。「ガンダム サイドストーリーズ」「超女神信仰 ノワール 激神ブラックハート」なども登場の「週間販売ランキング＋」[4Gamer]