TTT2: Sales Performance in Japan from Media Create

The Beastnote Blog recently published a report detailing several fighting game's sales performance in Japan for their first week of release. Figures pulled from Media Create; a Japanese company specializing in the collection of digital entertainment and console hardware figures, show that maybe things might not be looking so up for the recently released title. You can review the data yourself below.

First week sales of fighting games between 2008-2012 in Japan by Media Create

1. [PSP] Dissidia Final Fantasy (Square Enix) {2009.12.18} - 489,100 | NEW
2. [PSP] Dissidia: 012 (Duodecim) Final Fantasy (Square Enix) {2011.03.03} - 286,117 / NEW
3. [PS3] Persona 4: Arena (Atlus) {2012.07.26} - 128,485 / NEW 
4. [PS3] Tekken 6 (Namco Bandai) {2009.10.29} - 103,105 / NEW
5. [PS3] Street Fighter IV (Capcom) {2009.02.12} - 86,000 / NEW
6. [PS2] Fate/Unlimited Codes (Capcom) {2008.12.18} - 82,900 | NEW
7. [PS3] Super Street Fighter IV (Capcom) {2010.04.28} - 80,882 / NEW
8. [PSP] Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha A's Portable: The Battle of Aces (Namco Bandai) {2010.01.21} - 76,088 / NEW
9. [PS3] Soul Calibur IV (Namco Bandai Games) {2008.07.31} - 74,607 / NEW
10. [PS3] Marvel Vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds (Capcom) {2011.02.17} - 67,187 / NEW
11. [PS3] Dead or Alive 5 (Koei Tecmo) {2012.09.27} - 66,586 / NEW
12. [PS3] Naruto Shippuden: Narutimate Storm Generation (Bandai Namco Games) {2012.02.23} - 65,758 / NEW
13. [PS3] Tekken Tag Tournament 2 (Bandai Namco Games) {2012.09.13} - 62,630 / NEW - Source
    
14. [PS3] Street Fighter X Tekken (Capcom) {2012.03.08} - 58,471 / NEW
15. [PS3] Dragon Ball: Raging Blast (Namco Bandai) {2009.11.09} - 57,972 / NEW
16. [PSP] Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha A's Portable: The Gears of Destiny (Bandai Namco) {2011.12.22} - 57,320 / NEW
17. [PS3] Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition (Capcom) {2011.06.30} - 54,924 / NEW
18. [PS3] BlazBlue: Continuum Shift (Arc System Works) {2010.07.01} - 49,871 / NEW
19. [PS3] Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2 (Bandai Namco) {2010.11.11} - 47.610 / NEW
20. [3DS] Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition (Capcom) {2011.02.26} - 44,649 / NEW

Make sure to check out the Beastnote's Blog post to see the whole list. Following this predicament, we also currently have furthur sales figures from TTT2 in the following 2 weeks:

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Week 2 of Media Create Sales Figure for TTT2:

06./01. [PS3] Tekken Tag Tournament 2 <FTG> (Bandai Namco Games) {2012.09.13} (¥7.980) - 17.240 / 79.870 (-72%) - Source 

Week 3 of Media Create Sales Figure for TTT2:

17./06. [PS3] Tekken Tag Tournament 2 <FTG> (Bandai Namco Games) {2012.09.13} (¥7.980) - 7.468 / 87.338 (-57%) - Source 

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As of Week 3, TTT2 have sold 87,338 copies for the PS3 version while X360 version have sold at least an additional 5,000 copies. Quite interesting to note that TTT2 in 3 weeks still has not breached over 100,000 copies sold in Japan while Tekken 6 did it in its first week back in 2009. - Source

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Lastly, the YSO Monster Hunter group have also recently made a comparison chart regarding the Tekken series' sales performance. It's in Japanese but it's still worth mentioning:

From top to bottom you can see Tekken 2, Tekken 3, Tekken Tag Tournament 1, Tekken 4, Tekken 5, Tekken 6 and lastly highlighted in red Tekken Tag Tournament 2. The dark blue portion represents first week of sales in Japan for the title while the light blue portion represents sales in Japan from the second week to lifetime. Do note that the chart was created in TTT2's first week.

Sources:

• Media Create
• Neogaf.com - for collecting and organising the Media Create figures.
• BeastNote Blog - for compiling all the figures for Fighting Games in their first week.
• YSO Monster Hunter Group - for crafting the chart and tallying the figures.

Comments

[bearshaman]

I think someone had it right that the FG market is saturated right now. There is a game for everyone and little incentive to learn a new game. It's pretty obvious by watching fans of other games make half-hearted attempts to play Tekken to then simply quit and then complain about the game. They are looking for any little thing to go back to their main game.

Just my personal thoughts on the game. I think it's really good and enjoy the depth of the game systems. I only have time to play ~5 hours a week but still enjoy playing and the game is not too advanced to get a grasp on. There are not too many characters either. I think the one thing that is frustrating is how many tools some of the characters have at a low level. Progressing through mashing Baeks, Hwoarangs, Lees, Capoieras, Juns, Lilis, or even random 10-stringers is a huge early roadblock and just isn't fun. Mashers are too overpowered at lower level play. At intermediate to high level it seems the game is really balanced, but until you get there it's probably one of the least balanced fighting games there is and I can see where it can easily discourage or give someone the wrong idea of the game. I think they could remove stuff like 10 strings and brain-dead easy strings because they don't seem to be used at high level play anyways. That or give us more defensive options to deal with it. No need to dumb down the game because it's really solid, just cut out some of the easy to perform/spammable nonsense and more people will probably get into/stick with the game.

[Unseen wombat]

I agree with idle. The entry barrier to this game is just too high. Korean backlash is completely retarded, Counter intuitive, and it needs to go.

The days when the majority of gamers were willing to put the kind of time into a game that Tekken demands have gone. I'm sorry to say it but tekken needs to be dumbed down, starting with its ridiculous movement system.

[Devil Kazuya]

Dumbing the game down is not going to increase sales.... for fuck's sake.

It could just be Tekken is reaching the end of it's Market span. and when it goes. I will leave the genre as well. Personally I think it's just an over-saturation of fighting game's at this point. Game's which in general take a huge time investment to become good at.

Seriously TTT2 is the best fighting game in year's and perhaps ever!... it's a fucking travesty if it flop's and as fighting game player's we are doomed.

[faceneck]

This topic depresses me. Hate to see such a great game be so undervalued. Namco, regardless of sales, you did an amazing job with this game.

[Watafag]

Unseen wombat, you are retard, movement in Tekken is last thing that should be simplified.

[Unseen wombat]

You're absolutely right. Namco should continue to alienate new players with a system that is absurdly difficult and counterintuitive. Because in real life we all know it's impossible to walk backwards without ducking for a split second in between steps.

[Fulcrum]

They never intentionally added Korean back dash. They allow dash to be cancelled with a duck, and good players discovered you can back dash quickly by utilizing it. Its not required for new players to use, but separates skilled players from unskilled at higher levels. Basically it became a perfect mechanic for a competitive game.

[Watafag]

Let's remove everything unrealistic just because it's impossible in real life. Good lord, stop posting.

[Devil Kazuya]

Korean backdash is necessary. The reason it exists is because restriction's for backdash movement to stop it being a broken mess like DOA5. Backdash cancelling is a way to improve your defense and somewhat circumvent this restriction (which is also needed), meaning backdash cancelling is a crucial skill to learn for ADVANCED players!. Removing KBD will not fix anything it will make the game broken and frustrating due to backdash delay's and more difficult to whiiff punish and block random low's, Even more people would be frustrated. The entire system would need to change Which I definitely do not believe is needed or wanted by the people that actually matter for this franchise because in many way's they basic mechanics of tekken are perfect... (the hardcore who will stick with the game rather than casual's who move on to the next new shiny thing anyway so no point catering to them).

The only thing I would say is damage is perhap's a little excessive in some circumstances but definitely not juggle damage. I hit someone the other day with a Kazuya agony spear kick from half way across the screen as a counter which took off about 60% and killed them.

Rage and hopkick's are the problem imo and both should be nerfed. Rage is just an artificial comeback mechanic which takes away from true comeback's and hopkick's reward desperate play when on the backfoot.

Ultimately I think Namco should have really held of the release of this entry until the next gen as a launch title, this would have given us a better port as well as increased sales. The genre is too saturated at this stage in these console lifespan's and it's a shame because it's the superior fighter in all aspect's this gen

[Unseen wombat]

Soul Calibur manages to have an intuitive movement system and not be a "broken mess." it can be done. But hardcore tekken players would rather cling to this ridiculous system because they've managed to spend the countless hours required to perfect it and it puts them above the vast majority of newer players and they like that seat at the top.

You're not doing yourselves any favors though. Have fun with your dwindling player base while games like DOA, with a low entry barrier soar in sales. Don't get me wrong, I prefer Tekken myself for its depth. But we're shooting ourselves in the foot by alienating new players.

I also don't think that it's simply because the systems are nearing the end of their lifespans. Look at the chart. The shrinking sales are a long term trend. If it continues, expect T7 to sell about 20000 units and Namco to kill the series. And then where will you be with your leet BDC skills?

[Miga-Oh]

Why the focus on Korean backdash? It's a way to move slightly faster FORWARD and BACKWARD. APPROACH and RETREAT. Tactics must be deeper than that.

Tekken is a 3D game. The 3rd-dimension. That means foreground and background. Side steps. If the key maneuver is a way to move quickly in the 2nd dimension, why don't we all play Street Fighter instead? Because, in those games, you can only move FORWARD and BACKWARD.

[Devil Kazuya]

Yes people are focusing on the KBD too much. and lol's at the guy who says tekken's movement is not intuitive.

You are not forced to use KDB you know. You definitely should to improve your defense but I know plenty of great player's who have a lot of success in tekken and do not use it, at all. Same goes with learning frame data....

The hilarious thing is I know a lot of casual player's who say tekken is easier to play than capcom game's. It's actually easier for a total beginner at fighting game's to get into tekken and mash out a few victories. You will never see this happen in SFIV at this point in it's life.

Tekken's player base and in particular new player's is likely diminishing. But the ridiculous changes called for in this thread will not change this. (By the way soul calibur 5 with it's totally "intuitive movement system" did not do very well commercially. So there goes that logic.

If anything a reboot after tekken 7 (which should close off the storyline) should be considered. take it back tekken 2 sized roster and change shit up alot. While leaving the tag franchise full featured for the advanced player's who don't want it to change.

[Kei]

Tag system was never a hit in Japan and novice players don't like it.

[Unseen wombat]

tSoul Calibur's failures were due to shortcomings completely unrelated to the actual fighting engine (which is probably the best in the series), such as an incomplete, crappy story mode, lack of single player content, removal of popular characters, etc. I've never heard a single person complain about SC's movement system though. Tekken would do well to incorporate SC's 8 way run. And I agree with the guy who said that 3d should play more of a role. Sidesteps do practically nothing in terms of evasion with the ridiculous tracking on most moves and you're better off not bothering with them. I personally think they should get a buff, but that's just me.

And suggesting that Tekken should go back to a T2 sized roster is the fastest way to kill the franchise and undeniably the WORST suggestion in this entire thread. See what happened to SCV from just removing Talim's, Zasalamel's, and Yunsung's styles. (Though as I said, that wasn't SC's only shortcoming.) If you want to "reboot the series" and not include characters that people have become intimately attached to, you're better off just making a brand new game and NOT calling it Tekken.