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3DS begins recovery in Japan, outsells PSP five to one in first week after price drop

Software sales picking up, too

3DS begins recovery in Japan, outsells PSP five to one in first week after price drop
One week after Nintendo slashed the price of its 3DS system by a massive 40 percent, the system looks to be rebounding after its initial disappointing sales, outselling Sony's PSP in Japan at a rate of five to one.

According to Media Create's chart for the week ending August 14th, Nintendo shifted 196,077 3DS units in its home territory over the seven-day period.

This tally is not only five times larger than the next highest-selling console in Japan, the PSP, but it also represents a gigantic upsurge for the embattled games company, given the 3DS sold only 4,132 units the previous week in Japan.

After posting a net loss of $324 million in the first fiscal quarter this year, Nintendo decided to take drastic action, slashing the price of its 3DS handheld across the globe barely six months after its launch.

This cut, which came into effect in Japan on August 11th and in the US on August 12th, is having a noticeable impact on software sales in Japan, too, with Super Pokemon Rumble, The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time 3D, and Nintendogs + Cats climbing a number of places in the weekly chart.

[source: EdgeAndriasang]

When Matt was 7 years old he didn't write to Santa like the other little boys and girls. He wrote to Mario. When the rotund plumber replied, Matt's dedication to a life of gaming was established. Like an otaku David Carradine, he wandered the planet until becoming a writer at Pocket Gamer.