It's clear that Japan is Nintendo territory. The Japanese company consistently dominates the hardware and software sales charts week after week. However, in the latest week (Week 3 of 2024, spanning January 15 to 21), the top-selling physical software in Japan wasn't a Nintendo exclusive or even a game available on a Nintendo console. Instead, it was the PlayStation 5 exclusive Marvel's Spider-Man 2.
Why is Marvel's Spider-Man 2 outselling Super Mario Bros. Wonder in Japan?
Interestingly, both titles are not recent releases, having launched in 2023. While both debuted on the same day, Super Mario Bros. Wonder had consistently dominated the list of best-selling games, while Marvel's Spider-Man 2 had fallen down the ranks and even dropped out of the top 30 best-selling titles. So, how did it manage to surpass Super Mario Bros. Wonder now?
A couple of weeks ago, the PlayStation exclusive experienced a revival and made such a leap in sales that it managed to break into the top 5. The week before last, it reached the 2nd position, and last week, it ascended to the number 1 spot, selling just over 30,000 units and dethroning Super Mario Bros. Wonder (16,654 units) for the first time.
The magazine responsible for these estimates, Famitsu (via Gematsu), does not explain the reason for the revitalization of Marvel's Spider-Man 2 sales. Still, it is clear that the phenomenon is related to the release of a bundle that includes 1 PlayStation 5 with a disc drive and 1 copy of the game. This bundle hit the market during the 2023 holiday season and apparently gained enough traction in the market to continue with strong sales.
Here is the list of the best-selling games in Japan:
Software Sales
- Marvel's Spider-Man 2 — 30,220
- Momotaro Dentetsu World: Chikyuu wa Kibou de Mawatteru! — 16,733
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder — 16,654
- Another Code: Recollection — 15,741
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe — 8267
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons — 5590
- Minecraft — 5788
- Pokémon Scarlet & Violet — 5670
- Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince — 5581
- Pikmin 4 — 5438
What are your thoughts on Marvel's Spider-Man 2 rising in Japan? Share your opinions in the comments.
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