Sega’s Yakuza 3 (known as Ryū ga Gotoku 3 in Japan) for the PS3 debuts at number one on the Japanese software chart this week, the first of five new entries in the Top 10.

Yakuza 3 sells a whopping 372 000 copies in its opening week, making tomorrow’s hardware chart all the more exciting.

Last week the Xbox 360 sold 25 334 units, beating the Wii and the PS3 thanks to Star Ocean 4: The Last Hope topping the software chart with 162 000 copies. The gap between the Wii and PS3 was marginal, with just 824 units separating the two and this week it seems very likely that the PS3 will push ahead of the Wii thanks to the impressive sales of Yakuza 3 while the Xbox 360 will most likely fall back to its usual spot on the chart.

Koei’s Shin Sangoku Musou Multi Raid is this week’s second new entry, entering at number 2 with 219 000 copies. These sales will no doubt boost PSP sales this week, closing the gap between Sony’s handheld and the run-away success of Nintendo’s DSi.

Nintendo’s Mario & Luigi RPG 3 moves down one spot to number 3. Now in its third week, the popular DS title sells 52 000 copies while Namco Bandai’s One Piece Episode 2 for the Wii is new at number 4 with 45 000 copies. This is the first of three Wii titles making an appearance into the Top 10 this week – last week the Wii was conspicuously absent from the Top 10.

Game Center CX: Arino no Chousenjou 2 for the DS enters the charts at number 5 with 44 000 copies, the second new entry from Namco Bandai this week, while another DS title, Konami’s Shounen Sunday x Shounen Magazine Nettou! Dream Nine, debuts at number 6 with 23 000 copies.

SNK Playmore’s King of Fighters 2002: Unlimited Match for the PS2 is new at number 7 with 19 000 copies while last week’s number 1 the popular Xbox 360 title Star Ocean 4: The Last Hope from Square Enix drops to number 8, selling just 17 000 copies in its second week on the charts.

Two Wii titles round off the Top 10, Namco Bandai’s Taiko no Tatsujin Wii re-enters the Top 10 at number 9 with 16 000 copies while Wii Fit re-enters at number 10 with 16 000 copies.

Last week the Idolmaster SP series from Namco Bandai dominated numbers 3 to 5, this week Perfect Sun is the only title to keep a spot in the Top 30 at number 26 while Missing Moon and Wandering Star are nowhere to be seen. Speaking of dropping out of the Top 30, last week Sacred Blaze was in the Top 10, this week it plummets off the chart.

Here’s how the remainder of last week’s Top 10 performed this week: Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G drops to number 13, Demon’s Souls at number 18, Shining Force Feather to number 20 and the PS3 version of Street Fighter IV to number 28.

Halo Wars for the Xbox 360 fails to secure a Top 10 spot in its debut week, instead entering the chart at number 14.

Top 10 Software Chart

• Yakuza 3 (Sega) – PS3 – 372 000 (New)
• Shin Sangoku Musou Multi Raid (Koei) – PSP – 219 000 (New)
• Mario & Luigi RPG 3 (Nintendo) – DS – 52 000
• One Piece Episode 2 (Namco Bandai) – Wii – 45 000 (New)
• Game Center CX: Arino no Chousenjou 2 (Namco Bandai) – DS - 44 000 (New)
• Shounen Sunday x Shounen Magazine Nettou! Dream Nine (Konami) – DS – 23 000 (New)
• King of Fighters 2002: Unlimited Match (SNK Playmore) – PS2 – 19 000 (New)
• Star Ocean 4: The Last Hope (Square Enix) – Xbox 360 – 17 000
• Taiko no Tatsujin Wii (Namco Bandai) – Wii – 16 000
• Wii Fit (Nintendo) – Wii – 16 000

Source: Media Create