JAPAN: Xbox sales jump 800%

With the launch of the Xbox 360 S still two weeks away in the UK, the redesigned version of Xbox 360 has done wonders for the machine’s performance in Japan.

Andriasang reports that on its first week of availability sales of the machine hit 17,370 – 15k of which were of the new machine. The number is all the more notable considering its sales in the previous week, which totalled just 2,060 units.

The launch of the new hardware coincides with the release of a very high-profile title for the machine in Japan, Capcom’s console Monster Hunter Frontier, which shot straight to the top of the software charts thanks to unit sales of 93k.

However, it is important to put the numbers is perspective. Even with sales north of 17k the Xbox 360 was still unable to outsell the PS3 (19,578), PSP (23,257) and even the struggling Wii (19,115).

The LL version of the DSi (41,676) was the best selling machine last week.