Japan has been home to the most successful game developers and manufacturers. Latest data recently revealed shows surprising results on the top-selling games and systems for 2016. While Pokémon Sun and Moon managed to claim the top spot in the gaming sphere, older platform Wii U has surpassed the next generation Sony console, Xbox One.
Wii U Overtakes Xbox One
Nintendo has earned a new feather on its cap recently after latest data revealed the most bankable gaming system in Japan from Dec. 28, 2015 to Dec. 25, 2016. According to a Famitsu report (via Google Translate), Nintendo 3DS (all models) is Japan's top-selling platform for 2016, retailing almost 1.9 million units across the country. Sony's PlayStation 4 variants came close with almost 1.8 million units sold, while PlayStation Vita variants is in third place.
Meanwhile, Microsoft fell too far away from Nintendo with its Xbox One selling only almost 9,000 units. Nintendo's Wii U, Sony's PlayStation 3 and Famicom Mini overtook Xbox One in sales. Overall, hardware sales in Japan reached 117 billion yen last year, down by 10 percent from 2015.
Pokémon Sun And Moon Is Big Winner
On the other hand, Pokémon Sun and Moon (3DS) claimed a slide victory among other games, selling over 3 million copies in Japan last year. This was respectively followed by Yo-kai Watch 3: Sushi/Tempura (3DS), Final Fantasy XV (PlayStation 4), Super Mario Maker (3DS), and Dragon Quest Monsters Joker (3DS). Rounding up the top 10 are Yo-kai Sangokushi (3DS), Yo-kai Watch 3: Sukiyaki, Kirby: Planet Robobot (3DS), Splatoon (Wii U), and Minecraft: PS Vita Edition (PlayStation Vita).
In software sales, a total of 182 billion yen was generated last year, down by 4.4 percent from 2015. Famitsu also revealed that the Nintendo Classic Mini: Famicom sold 248,000 in December 2016 alone.
