Ben-DutkaThere was a time when distinctly Western-styled games (such as open-world action adventures like Grand Theft Auto ) didn't perform well in Japan.
But times have changed. According to the Media Create sales charts (via Gematsu ), Ubisoft's blockbuster Watch Dogs sold 94,623 copies in its first week. Granted, the rest of the list is dominated by Japanese titles, but isn't it interesting that a game like Watch Dogs has done exceedingly well?
The game has also sold like mad here in the US; per the NPD Group's stats, it was the best selling game at retail for the month of May (and it didn't release until May 27), and Ubisoft has since confirmed that Watch Dogs has sold 4 million copies. This made it the "best-selling new IP at launch across the video game industry." Perhaps the reason it sold so well in Japan is because it's very tech-oriented…?
Just a theory.
Related Game(s): Watch Dogs
I wouldn't say stormed the charts by any real means. It sold half as much as a new Vita IP and comparably to Red Dead Redemption, Assassin's Creed, and other new Western AAA IPs in their first week in Japan. It was basically par for course for a major new AAA IP.
For further comparison with Western game sales in Japan: it didn't preform nearly as well compared to established Western AAA's in their first week, selling quite a bit less than all CoDs since Modern Warfare (sans World at War, since it wasn't sold there for obvious reasons), with Ghost selling over twice as much as Watch_Dogs. GTA IV sold a little less than twice as much and GTA V sold four time as much.
Now, I'm not saying all AAA Western games sell well as well as Watch_Dogs (Uncharted and Gears of Wars both did rather poorly in Japan), but Watch_Dogs didn't do exceedingly well either.
Well the big difference between Watch_Dogs and any other western game, is that Ubisoft's game actually connects with a lot of Japanese gamers.
And the reason Japanese gamers identify with Watch_Dogs, is because of the voyeuristic type gameplay. I mean, they simply love that type of stuff. Especially Otakus.
So I don't find it strange at all that Watch_Dogs sold decently over there in Japan.
Last edited by Bonampak on 7/7/2014 12:24:10 PM
Yeah if they are into it maybe it's cuz of the tech stuff, it's hard to say though. I know Japanese entertainment, not how Western stuff is received. That's a mystery.
Actually the game tackles society's voyeuristic tendencies. So much so, that through the game, you become the ultimate voyeur.
If you know anything about Japan, then you'll know that they love that sort of thing.
Apparently Americans do too.
My impression from the Japan sales charts I've come across is that most titles hitting hard in the west is doing accordingly good in the east.
This is why I a while ago launched the theory that in fact Japanese developers don't "westernize" solely in order to please markets in the west, but in fact just as much to appeal to the home markets.
Nice to see two Vita titles in the top 5 with the Vita even snagging the #1 spot.
Also I still haven't picked up Watch Dogs just seems like a game that I should wait for a price drop.
I havent played this game yet i brought it day 1 for my Ps4 & i have yet to open it. oh the wonders of the backlog always keeping u busy and never a gaming drought.
This is another game on my to buy list.
While on the subject of Watch Dogs has anyone else seen the 'real world' video Ubisoft made to promote it (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hpU_Neg1KA)?