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PS4 fails to inspire Japanese market

Hardware and software sales flat despite the launch of Sony's console

The launch of the PlayStation 4 had a minimal impact on the Japanese console market, which remained flat in the first half of 2014.

According to data released by Enterbrain - sourced and translated by Dr Serkan Toto - revenue from console hardware reached ¥70.63 billion in the first half of 2014, a tiny increase over the ¥66.39 billion earned in the first half of 2013.

The PlayStation 4 was launched in Japan in February, several months behind Europe and North America, but early enough in 2014 to have made a significant impact on the market. Indeed, according to Media Create data, Sony's console hasn't sold more than 10,000 units in a single week in more than two months, putting it behind both the Wii U and the PlayStation Vita in terms of popularity.

Overall, the Japanese market showed no signs of growth, earning ¥172.26 billion ($1.685 billion) in the first half of 2014 - just $2 million more than the prior year.

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Matthew Handrahan avatar
Matthew Handrahan joined GamesIndustry in 2011, bringing long-form feature-writing experience to the team as well as a deep understanding of the video game development business. He previously spent more than five years at award-winning magazine gamesTM.
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