Anilrgowda

January 9, 2007 - Despite promises of a million systems at Japanese retail by the end of 2006, Japanese publisher Enterbrain reports today that Sony has managed to sell just 466,716 PS3 units to Japan. This figure covers the period from the Japanese launch on 11/11 to the end of the year.

In comparison, Enterbrain reports that Nintendo managed to sell 989,118 Wii units from the 12/2 launch to the end of the year, with the number quickly jumping over the million mark for a total of 1,135,671 units by 1/7.

The firm didn't provide 2006 results for the Xbox 360, but did list the system as having sold a total of 290,467 units from its 12/10/2005 launch to the end of 2006. In particular, spurred by the release of Blue Dragon, Microsoft managed to sell 99,798 360 units in December 2006 alone -- the highest month ever for the system (yes, that includes the launch).

Portable gaming has been Japan's big star over the past couple of years. Enterbrain reports total Japanese DS and DS Lite sales from 2004 until the end of 2006 as 13,950,000 units. The PSP, while nowhere near the DS, has managed a respectible 4,510,000 units since its launch.

In the case of the Wii, IGN has had trouble finding a system since launch, making today's reports of a million plus Wiis sold to Japanese consumers all the more impressive.

The PS3, on the other hand, has been readily available since the New Year began. We were able to find a used 60 gig unit today at a major retail for $50 less than the new selling price. This would suggest that the lack of sales is due to more than just supply constraints