Japan’s overall gaming market during 2008 shrunk by 15.3 percent (to YEN 582.61bn), reflecting a 23.5 percent decline in hardware sales (to YEN 250.50bn), coupled with a 7.9 percent decrease in software sales (to YEN 332.12bn), compared to a year earlier. In 2007, the late 2006 launched Wii and PS3 continuously helped invigorate the market and it is considered that this brought about a tougher comparison for 2008.
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