According to data from , combined sales of the PSP in Japan this week reached 58,075, an increase of about 7,000 from last week. The 3DS, conversely, sold 42,979 units, a drop of about 8,000 from the previous seven days. This makes the PSP the best-selling hardware in Japan for the week by a considerable margin.
The jump in PSP sales was attributed to the release of a new dating sim named Amagami. The new game sold 69,221 units and looks like it may have shifted more than a few systems, too. But this wasn't the only PSP game to do well; BlazBlue: Continuum Shift II sold a healthy 23,808. The only 3DS title in the top 10 software sales this week was baseball game Pro Yakyu Famista 2011, which charted at number 9 with 12,851 sales. The PSP had several more entries in the top 10, however, including Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection, Monster Hunter Freedom 3, Dissidia 012[duodecim] Final Fantasy and Phantasy Star Portable 2 Infinity.
While it may sound surprising for Sony's ageing portable to outsell Nintendo's brand new hardware, it's worth bearing in mind that the PSP has traditionally seen greater success in the East than it has in North America. Titles such as Monster Hunter also enjoy considerable success in Japan -- ad hoc handheld multiplayer is much more of a cultural phenomenon than it is in the West.
The 3DS is also still regarded as unproven technology to some. While early adopters have been enjoying playing the launch titles, messing with the 3D camera and going walkabout in an attempt to score some StreetPass hits, there aren't many killer apps as yet. They'll come, sure, but it may well end up being a slow but gradual burn for the new handheld.
STAT CHECK -- 1:20PM PST, Apr. 7, 2011
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