Dreamcast Game Sales in Japan (Almost) Full List

[TheBigO²]

The Database used for this list is from the Sega Dreamcast Magazine as well as its successor Magazine Dorimaga published by Softbank Publishing in Japan.
The Start Point is Issue 8/2001 published on the 16 of March 2001. Starting from Page 61 there is a full List of all Games published for Dreamcast in Japan at that point in time with units sold. From there on I started to go trough the weekly top 10 game sales ranking the magazine had each issue to add games released afterwards. Starting with the issue from the 25 of May 2001 the magazine was renamed from Sega Dreamcast Magazine to Dorimaga
However this list isn't perfect since we don't have a full archive for all issues of both magazines.

A list of the magazine issues not archived after the start Issue 08/2001 until Issue 02/2002:

- Issue 11/2001 from 2001-04-06 (of Sega Dreamcast Magazine)
- Issue 14/2001 from 2001-12-07 (of Dorimaga, all missing Issues afterwards are also Dorimaga)
- Issue 03/2002 from 2002-02-22
- Issue 03 extra/2002 from 2002-03-01
- Issue 05/2002 from 2002-03-22
- Issue 06/2002 from 2002-04-05

Afterwards there are only a couple more Issues archived so I will mention those instead of the missing:
- Issue 06/2002 from 2002-04-05
- Issue 06 extra/2002 from 2002-04-12
- Issue 11/2002 from 2002-06-28 (This one has has a list of Dreamcast Games and their sales released between 06.2001 and 02.06.2002 on page 30)
- Issue 16/2002 from 2002-09-06 (This one has has a top 10 best selling Dreamcast Games released between 01.2001 and 08.2002 on page 46)
- Issue 18/2002 from 2002-10-11
- Issue 21/2002 from 2002-11-22 (This one has has a list of a bunch of recently released Dreamcast Games and their sales on page 48)
- Issue 02/2003 from 2003-01-31 (This one has has a list of top 10 best selling Dreamcast Games released between 01.2001 and 12.2002 page 94)

You can find scannes the magazine issues used here:
Sega Dreamcast Magazine
Dorimaga
Dorimaga Internet Archive

Dreamcast Games were the Japanese name is significantly different from the US name have both names in the list from example: ''Virtua Tennis\Power Smash''
Some Dreamcast Games were rereleased for example Sakura Wars 3 had its original on March 22, 2001 and a Memorial Pack rerelease on March 07, 2002. Those Games are listed as: ''GameName [... Release]''

I have the list saved as a libre office file but I cant upload that here, so I will add it as a text file instead.

As for console sales. According to Issue 21/2002, page 48, from 2002-11-22 the Dreamcast had sold 2.8 million consoles in Japan. How does it compare to Saturn sales in Japan and worldwide Dreamcast sales? Sega of Japan's Website's history section says the Sega Saturn shipped, NOT sold, over 6 million consoles in Japan, it doesn't mention how much it shipped/sold worldwide, and the Dreamcast sold over 10 million consoles worldwide. Considering that Dreamcast console sales in Japan weren't even half of what the Saturn did there its safe to say the Dreamcast bombed in Japan. Sega's exit from the console market was a direct result of the Dreamcast's abysmal performance in Japan.

 

[Techno_Carb]

Wow! This is amazing!! I have been looking for information on the game sales of all of Sega’s consoles in Japan for years! This must have been an incredible amount of work. Thank you so much!!!

 

[TheBigO²]

Wow! This is amazing!! I have been looking for information on the game sales of all of Sega’s consoles in Japan for years! This must have been an incredible amount of work. Thank you so much!!!

Found some more stuff. Naomi + Naomi 2 Domestic(aka Japan) and Worldwide Sales as of November 2002, Source is Dorimaga Issue 21/2002 from 2002-11-22 Page 50.

This is self-explanatory. I have the list saved as a libre office file but I cant upload that here, so I will add it as a text file instead.

Here are Sales updates for Panzer Dragoon (408.246), Nights into Dreams (504.882) and Burning Rangers (62.896) as of April 2002.
Source is Dorimaga Issue 06 extra/2002 from 2002-04-12 Page 181.

Here is a List of all Games that Ranked Number 1 in the Sega Saturn Magazine Readers Ranking with sales as of July 2000. Source is Sega Dreamcast Magazine from 2000-07-07 Page 30

Here's the List translated, however the sales are without Rereleases for example the Sakura Wars Satakore Release sold about 70000 units but those aren't included in the Sakura Wars Unit sales here.

 

[Danthrax]

Here's the List translated, however the sales are without Rereleases for example the Sakura Wars Satakore Release sold about 70000 units but those aren't included in the Sakura Wars Unit sales here.
View attachment 11019

You mistakenly wrote and color-coded Panzer Dragoon Saga as a 1997 game instead of 1998 here.

Anyway, this is a really interesting snapshot of how much sales fell off for the Saturn after 1996. Look at how few 1997 games cracked the top 25.

I think it’s also interesting that seven of the top 15 games are fighting games, all of them released before 1997. After that? The only fighting games in 1997 that cracked the top 100 were Last Bronx and Street Fighter Collection, and they came in 64th and 95th. I think you could craft the narrative that the Saturn was built on fighting game fans and then they either left for the PlayStation or the genre died off in a hurry.

And it’s not like fighting games stopped being made for the Saturn in 1997. It got 21 fighters that year in Japan (counting the two Funky Heads Boxers games).

Although I suppose this isn’t a complete picture of 1997, with it being “as of November.” Three fighting games hadn’t come out yet (Zero Divide: The Final Conflict, X-Men vs. Street Fighter and Real Bout Garou Densetsu Special) and it’s pretty clear that Dead or Alive hadn’t had enough time to sell enough to make the top 100 list despite eventually doing so, judging by the “Games that Ranked Number 1 as of July 2000” list.

Still, it looks like the fighting game genre died out on the Saturn after 1996, perhaps reflecting the console’s overall decline.

 

[TheBigO²]

You mistakenly wrote and color-coded Panzer Dragoon Saga as a 1997 game instead of 1998 here.

Thanks for pointing that out I corrected it now.

I think it’s also interesting that seven of the top 15 games are fighting games, all of them released before 1997. After that? The only fighting games in 1997 that cracked the top 100 were Last Bronx and Street Fighter Collection, and they came in 64th and 95th. I think you could craft the narrative that the Saturn was built on fighting game fans and then they either left for the PlayStation or the genre died off in a hurry.

And it’s not like fighting games stopped being made for the Saturn in 1997. It got 21 fighters that year in Japan (counting the two Funky Heads Boxers games).

Although I suppose this isn’t a complete picture of 1997, with it being “as of November.” Three fighting games hadn’t come out yet (Zero Divide: The Final Conflict, X-Men vs. Street Fighter and Real Bout Garou Densetsu Special) and it’s pretty clear that Dead or Alive hadn’t had enough time to sell enough to make the top 100 list despite eventually doing so, judging by the “Games that Ranked Number 1 as of July 2000” list.

Still, it looks like the fighting game genre died out on the Saturn after 1996, perhaps reflecting the console’s overall decline.

I really wouldn't say the genre died out. What did stop were Ports of 3D Fighting games but that was because Sega stopped releasing new ones even in the arcade. After VF3, which Sega did try to port to Saturn, in September 1996 there wouldn't be a new 3D Fighting game by Sega until Fighting Vipers 2 in March 1998 at which point the Dreamcast was already on the Horizon.
As for 2D Fighting games, sure their overall unit sales were down from the peak in 1996 with Capcom's Street Fighter Alpha 2, Night Warriors: Darkstalkers' Revenge selling 400.000+ units and SNK's King of Fighter's '95 selling 300.000+ units but both SNK and Capcom continued porting most of their games to Saturn both in 1997 and 1998 and most of them sold at least 100.000+ units.

 

[Danthrax]

Thanks for pointing that out I corrected it now.

I really wouldn't say the genre died out. What did stop were Ports of 3D Fighting games but that was because Sega stopped releasing new ones even in the arcade. After VF3, which Sega did try to port to Saturn, in September 1996 there wouldn't be a new 3D Fighting game by Sega until Fighting Vipers 2 in March 1998 at which point the Dreamcast was already on the Horizon.
As for 2D Fighting games, sure their overall unit sales were down from the peak in 1996 with Capcom's Street Fighter Alpha 2, Night Warriors: Darkstalkers' Revenge selling 400.000+ units and SNK's King of Fighter's '95 selling 300.000+ units but both SNK and Capcom continued porting most of their games to Saturn both in 1997 and 1998 and most of them sold at least 100.000+ units.

Are you saying the Saturn's Japanese fans only cared about 3D fighters, or specifically 3D fighters from Sega? And except for the 2D games from Capcom and SNK?...

Sega did release two 3D fighters of sorts in early 1997, Funky Heads Boxers and Funky Heads Boxers Plus, which clearly didn't chart. Other companies released 3D fighters that year, too, which didn't chart by November: K-1 Fighting Illusion, D-Xhird, Anarchy in the Nippon and Dead or Alive.

Prior to November, Capcom put out Cyberbots, Marvel Super Heroes and Street Fighter Collection, while SNK sold Shinouken and Samurai Shodown 4, and the only one that charted was Street Fighter Collection.

Things clearly took a turn for the genre on the Saturn that year.

 

[TheBigO²]

Things clearly took a turn for the genre on the Saturn that year.

I wanne start of by saying yes, Post 1996 Fighting Games sold a good chunk less well then before but that is true for about everything on Saturn because Saturn's Console Sales in Japan stagnated in late 1996. Doesn't mean the Fighting game genre ''died out'' as you said post 1996 neither in releases nor sales.

Are you saying the Saturn's Japanese fans only cared about 3D fighters

No.

or specifically 3D fighters from Sega?

Yes, insofar that the people who owned a Saturn and played 3D Fighting Games nearly only bought 3D Fighting Games from Sega in large numbers. Its not like in 1995 or 1996 when Virtua Fighter 2, Fighting Vipers and Fighters Megamix were selling gangbusters no third party 3D Fighting Games were released for the Saturn. Just as an example Battle Arena Toshinden 1 was ported in 1995 and Battle Arena Toshinden 2 was ported in 1996. Neither of them sold well enough to get into the Top 100.

And except for the 2D games from Capcom and SNK?...

2D Fighting Games sold well on Saturn and continued selling well both in 1997 and 1998 even if they sold less then during their sales peak in 1996. I seperated it specifically into 2D Fighting Games and 3D Fighting Games because they are largley two different markets with different fanbases and different developers.

Sega did release two 3D fighters of sorts in early 1997, Funky Heads Boxers and Funky Heads Boxers Plus, which clearly didn't chart.

Funky Heads Boxers and Funky Heads Boxers Plus were more or less the same game, Plus just has some qualitiy of life improvements. The fact that it didn't sell great doesn't somehow prove that the market for 3D Fighting Games on Saturn had waned since the game was only ever a small experimental sideproject that didn't even play like a traditional 3D Fighting Game anyway and thus had little appeal to fans of actual 3D Fighting Games.

Other companies released 3D fighters that year, too, which didn't chart by November: K-1 Fighting Illusion, D-Xhird, Anarchy in the Nippon and Dead or Alive.

Dear or Alive, which was only released a month prior, had already sold 100.000+ units by that point, I too have no idea why they didn't just include it in the Top 100 Ranking. The other 3 games were developed by much smaller, far less popular developers so it's no surprise they didn't sell much, that's what usually happens with such projects.

Prior to November, Capcom put out Cyberbots, Marvel Super Heroes and Street Fighter Collection, while SNK sold Shinouken and Samurai Shodown 4, and the only one that charted was Street Fighter Collection.

All of those games sold in the range of 50.000 to 70.000 units but the sequels: Marvel Super Heroes and Samurai Shodown 4 didn't sell much less than their pre 1997 Prequels, nor did their later ports to Playstation sell better either. The max sales potential of those games just wasn't comparable to lets say Street Fighter Alpha 2.
And again both SNK as well as Capcom would continue releasing 2D Fighting Games for Saturn well into 1998 and at least 4 of them sold more than a 100.000+ units as well.
Those being:
- X-Men vs. Street Fighter with about 260.000 units sold
- King of Fighters '97 with about 110.000 units sold
- Vampire Savior/Darkstalkers 3 with about 180.000 units sold
- Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter with about 110.000 units sold