It’s Friday, so that means a quick look at what our gaming counterparts have been buying in other parts of the world. Usually Japan, where console and software sales are generally good for a raised eyebrow or two, but today we’ve a special bonus in the shape of the US October NPD figures. Ooh, can’t wait!

Japanese hardware first, and the newly launched DSi is still owning the market. Sales are significantly down on launch week‘s, as you’ll see, but the camera-equipped unit is still massively ahead of the nearest competitor (the PSP) and we're still miffed that it won’t be arriving in Europe until next year.

Then there’s the usual bunfight between the big next-gen consoles. The PS3 had been enjoying a small resurgence after several weeks in the toilet, all thanks to GTAIV. It looks like a return to situation normal this week, though - sales are less than half what they were, while the 360’s have slightly more than doubled. And the Wii, of course, is as rock-solid as ever. Anyway, here are the figures for the week ending November 9th, last week’s in brackets:

DSi - 104,897 (171,925)
PSP - 43,726 (50,358)
Wii - 24,726 (23,123)
PS3 - 18,354 (39,587)
Xbox 360 - 12,759 (6,119)
DS Lite - 8,381 (16,369)
PS2 - 5,743 (6,714)

Here’s what’s been shifting game-wise during the same period, lifetime sales after the slash:

1. (NDS) Hoshi no Kirby: Ultra Super Deluxe - 266,000 / NEW
2. (NDS) Rhythm Tengoku Gold - 40,000 / 1,129,000
3. (NDS) Wagamama Fashion Girls Mode - 37,000 / 154,000
4. (NDS) Pokémon Platinum - 37,000 / 1,890,000
5. (PS3) Grand Theft Auto IV - 36,000 / 169,000
6. (NDS) Valkyrie Profile: Toga o Seoumono - 32,000 / 112,000
7. (PSP) Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G - 19,000 / 44,000
8. (NDS) Personal Trainer: Walking - 18,000 / 45,000
9. (PS3) Gran Turismo 5 Prologue Spec III - 17,000 / 52,000
10. (PS3 LittleBigPlanet - 17,000 / 69,000

Still with us? Ok, things are rather different across the pond, where to say that the Wii rules would be a shameful understatement and the Xbox 360 has sold nearly twice as many as the Playstation 3 on the back of the recent hefty discounts. Here are the NPD figures for October:

Wii - 803,000
DS Lite - 491,000
Xbox 360 - 360,000
PSP - 193,000
PS3 - 190,000
PS2 - 136,000

And here’s how software stacks up during the same time-frame. Interesting to note that there isn’t a DS game in the entire top ten, in spite of the handheld shifting nearly half a million in October - what are these guys using them for? Then there’s the less than stellar debut of LittleBigPlanet. Isn’t it supposed to be the biggest PS3 game, like, ever? Hmmm...

1. (360) Fable II - 790,000
2. (Wii) Wii Fit - 487,000
3. (360) Fallout 3 - 375,000
4. (Wii) Mario Kart Wii - 290,000
5. (Wii) Wii Play - 282,000
6. (360) Saints Row 2 - 270,000
7. (PS3) SOCOM: Confrontation - 231,000
8. (PS3) LittleBigPlanet - 215,000
9. (360) NBA 2K9 - 202,000
10. (360) Dead Space - 193,000