Persona 5 hits sales of 450,000 units in North America

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Last month Atlus’s Persona 5 broke records in the franchise’s history becoming the best selling entry. Now a trusted GAF source has confirmed that sales for Persona 5 in April for North America was around 450,000 between both digital and retail figures. Not only does this make it the best debut Atlus have had in their history, it also means this is one of the best debut a SEGA owned franchise has had in the American market. It’s hard to track down solid numbers for SEGA games, we already know that it’s outsold Sonic Heroes debut month (The best selling SKU being the Gamecube version was just shy of 200,000 units.) which was also SEGA’s best selling console title in the sixth generation era. With data we know about the 4th generation, I think the only title that could realistically have a chance at being a bigger seller would have been Sonic the Hedgehog 2 but as that market was smaller in the past, it’s fair to assume Persona 5 has even overtaken that title too.

In fact, the only title that had a better debut in SEGA’s long and varied history isn’t even a mainline Sonic game but 2007’s landmark title Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games which managed a staggering 613,000! It’s interesting to note that Persona 5 will also end up selling far better in America than it did in Japan. So there you have it, Persona 5 has not only made records for Atlus but for SEGA too and perhaps an indication that the Persona brand has now over taken the Sonic the Hedgehog series as SEGA’s best selling console series, can the blue blur pull one back with Sonic Mania or Sonic Forces? We’ll find out soon enough but for now as Morgana would say “Looking good Joker!”

[Source: NeoGAF]

Mike Hayes: Sonic 4 Episode 1 Sold Over 1 Million, Episode 2 Info Coming Soon

From vg247.com comes information from SEGA CEO Mike Hayes concerning Sonic the Hedgehog 4. Remember that game? Regarding information on Episode 2:

Information on Sonic The Hedgehog 4: Episode 2 will arrive “very soon,” Sega West CEO Mike Hayes has told VG247. Hayes couldn’t comment further when asked how far out “soon” was, adding that we should “look out for that one.”

My guess is once Sonic Generations arrives, after November 1st, or perhaps on September 9th? Remember, that was when the first Sonic 4 episode was announced as “Project Needlemouse”. Speaking of the first episode, Hayes shares a great bit of news for SEGA fans who like it when the company makes big money:

“It did very well and it continues to do well,” Hayes told us in a phone interview this afternoon.

“Particularly when it gets a little shot in the arm with some promotion or some price activity, sales are quite phenomenal. Its downloaded clearly over a million units, so its sold particularly well and continues to sell.”

Over a million is pretty impressive, though I have to wonder how many “copies” the game sold when it initially launched before the first sales began. Regardless, Sonic 4 Episode 1 looks like quite a financial success. Here’s hoping Episode 2 fixes the problems found in the first episode and sells another million and more!

[Source: vg247]

Yakuza 4: “First day sales are number one for the series.”


Series producer and all time tan person, Toshihiro Nagoshi has hinted on his blog that Yakuza 4 has broken sales records for the series.

“Yakuza 4 was released on 3/18. It’s selling well. First day sales are number one for the series.” – Toshihiro Nagoshi

Yakuza 3 was the 3rd title to have the fastest selling first week in Japan with 350,000 units. Yakuza 4 has obviously beat that, but can it beat Old Snake, who sold managed 476,000 the first week? I would say maybe Final Fantasy XIII, but selling 1.52 million units the first week seems impossible.

[Source AndriaSang]