Media Create: Nintendo products make up 70% of Japanese game market

Nintendo has a strong grip on the Japanese sales market. A new report from Media Create claims that the Big N currently maintains a 70% share on all software and hardware sales in the country. The sales tracker says this is Nintendo’s highest percentage in the pat five years.

The 3DS XL, Wii, and DSi sales have collectively maintained a 75% share of all hardware sales in Japan over the past year. Sony is the next closest leader at 23%.

Last week, 69.74% of Japanese software sales accounted for Nintendo platforms. Dragon Quest X and New Super Mario Bros. 2 are two big titles that contributed to the figure. To compare, Sony’s share came in at 29.18%.

Gamescom '12: Sony CEO believes Nintendo 'is always a competitor'

Sony has been addressing the new position that it and its wily old rival Nintendo find themselves in.

The portable gaming market has moved on dramatically over the past five years, to the point where the likes of the Nintendo 3DS and the PS Vita are playing second fiddle to smartphone platforms - at least in terms of popularity.

So, does Sony still consider Nintendo a direct rival? According to Sony Europe CEO Jim Ryan, Nintendo "is always a competitor".

Referring specifically to Ninty's 3DS and his own company's Vita, though, Ryan claimed that the two are "very different propositions," adding that they were "so different right now that I think there's plenty of space for both systems to live side by side quite happily".

Collision course

That's all likely to change in the future, however. "I think over time that the PlayStation Vita will - like all consoles [tend] to - skew to a younger demographic, so there will be some collision there," Ryan said.

Which can probably be read as: 'once we finally drop the PS Vita's price so that the general public can afford it, then we'll start sniping at Nintendo again.'

Or maybe that's just our reading too much into it.

Source