Weekly Japanese console chart: New TV accessory for PlayStation 3 boosts sales

The release of a digital TV accessory combined with a popular new video game for the PlayStation 3 led to a near doubling of the console's sales between March 15 and 21.

A peripheral going by the name of 'Torne' is the Japanese market's equivalent of Sony's PlayTV device, a digital video recorder on sale in Europe and Australia which works in conjunction with the PlayStation 3. It can also stream TV programs to the handheld PSP device via a wifi connection.

So with a reported 62,000 sales of the Torne, released on Thursday, March 18, demand has also picked up significantly for the PlayStation 3 console itself.

Usually, it would have joined most other consoles in a steady sales descent after the highs of late 2009, itself approaching a weekly tally of 25,000.

However, 50,000 PlayStation 3's made their way into consumers' arms over the seven-day period covered by these sales figures.

The spike could also be partially attributed to the release of hot new game Yakuza 4 ( Ryu ga Gotoku 4), as the previous game in the series sold a similar amount in its first week back in February 2009 and there was a corresponding increase in PlayStation 3 sales of 20,000.

PlayStation 3: 50,164
Sony PSP: 39,508
Nintendo DS: 38,974
Nintendo Wii: 31,101
Xbox 360: 2,419
PlayStation 2: 1,711

Sony PSP sales breakdown
PSP: 38,017
PSP go: 1,491

Nintendo DS sales breakdown
DSi LL (aka XL): 20,765
DSi: 14,256
DS Lite: 3,953

Source: Media Create