Halo 3 tops Japanese charts

Halo 3 has taken top honours in the Japanese charts after selling 59,000 copies in its first week on sale, GamesIndustry.biz reports. A far cry from its UK total of 466,000, but pleasing for Microsoft nonetheless.

It follows on from success of Gears of War in the Japanese charts last year - another Western title as you may have spotted. Even big role-playing hope Blue Dragon only managed to enter the charts in fourth after its first week on sale.

Halo 3 joined a handful of other new entries in the Japanese top ten this week, according to Media Create data, helping all non-Nintendo platforms undergo a resurgence in sales.

Doing the honours were Bleach Blade Battlers 2nd for PS2, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters GX for PSP, and surprising entry The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion for PS3.

These joined newcomers Tamagotchi DS and English Test 2 on, er, DS.

Japan looks like this:

1. Halo 3 (Xbox 360)
2. Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Toki (DS)
3. Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core (PSP)
4. Tamagotchi DS (DS)
5. Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Yami (DS)
6. Bleach Blade Battlers 2nd (PS2)
7. English Test 2 (DS)
8. Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters GX (PSP)
9. Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (PS3)
10. Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops + (PSP)