PSP World

Why is the PSP Such a Massive Success in Japan?

Sony may be struggling to wrest market share away from Nintendo in the handheld gaming space, but in at least one territory they have already achieved what some thought was impossible. The PSP has sold more than 10 million units in Japan alone, and the success of the console seems to be accelerating. During much of 2008, the PSP sold more on a weekly basis than even the mighty Nintendo DS, proving that Sony had well and truly sliced off a pie of the Japanese handheld gaming market.

The economic recession and the relatively slow penetration of HD television displays in the Japanese market means that many households cannot afford the expensive PS3 home console. Gamers looking for a successor to the PS2 have found that the handheld system meets their requirements nicely. It sports sequels and spinoffs to many of the same franchises they have grown to love on their trusty PS2 systems, but it fits into their mobile lifestyle better than a console would. Many people in Japan commute to work and school by train, and the PSP is a common sight among commuters of all ages. In Japan, there is no stigma attached to handheld gaming as a pursuit only for children. After all, when you are not driving a car, what else are you supposed to do with your hands?

For much of 2008, the PSP rivalled the Nintendo DS for sales in Japan. Source: ChartGet.com

It is hard to imagine the PSP achieving the success that it has in Japan without the Monster Hunter franchise. While the games have appealed to niche audiences around the world, in Japan they have spawned something bordering on a national obsession. In a bizarre twist, some of the sales success has to be attributed to the lack of online multiplayer in the game. Players who wanted to go into battle with teammates had to seek out others in real space for ad-hoc questing parties. Thanks to these real-world meetings, news about the game spread through word-of-mouth, and attracted new converts to the series. Four of the top-ten best selling games in Japan bear the “Monster Hunter” name. For the curious, these are Monster Hunter Freedom (670,000), Monster Hunter Freedom 2 (1.7 million), Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G (2.4 million), and the 2nd G “Best of” reprint (317,000). A number of team-based multiplayer games have appeared in an attempt by publishers to cash in on this lucrative market.

Can the PSP reproduce its Japanese success in other territories? Sony’s handheld has already proven itself capable of selling well, and it could perform even better with the right games and developer support. However, in North America and Europe it is unlikely to ever achieve the massive success it has in Japan. Cultural differences mean that children and young teens are still the largest consumers of handheld games in the West. Due to its higher price and mature lineup of games, the PSP is simply not marketed toward that demographic the way that the Nintendo DS is. Older teens and adults in America have many more systems to choose from, and will probably choose the latest Xbox 360 or PS3 game over a PSP release. Since most of us drive to work in America, the popularity of the PSP for commuters is limited. The relative success of the PSP over the PS3 inside of Japan is likely to remain inverted outside of that territory. However, the good news is that the massive following garnered by the PSP in Japan almost assures a follow-up PSP successor in the future.