Quirky, cuddly and utterly compelling - you’d think Japanese gamers would go mad for LittleBigPlanet. Instead the newly launched Grand Theft Auto IV has beaten it to the top of the software charts and is outselling it by quite a margin.

So much for cultural stereotyping, eh? And we shouldn’t really be surprised that GTAIV, which has been a superstar performer in other global territories, has found such chart-topping favour in the Japanese market. Guess they’re just as partial to a bit of horrorshow ultraviolence and abject moral bankruptcy in their gaming as the rest of us…

What is surprising, though, is the rate at which GTAIV has been outpacing LittleBigPlanet - more than 3:1 across both next-gen platforms (or around 2.5:1 on PS3 only), and LBP only debuts at number three on the Japanese countdown, as the Media Create figures for the week ending November 2nd reveal. Speaking of which, here’s how it all breaks down - lifetime sales after the slash:

01. (PS3) Grand Theft Auto IV - 133,000/NEW
02. (NDS) Valkyrie Profile: Toga o Seoumono - 80,000/NEW
03. (PS3) LittleBigPlanet - 52,000/NEW
04. (NDS) Pokémon Platinum - 47,000/1,853,400
05. (NDS) Wagamama Fashion Girls Mode - 40,000/117,000
06. (NDS) Rhythm Tengoku Gold - 39,000/1,089,000
07. (360) Grand Theft Auto IV - 34,000/NEW
08. (NDS) Personal Trainer: Walking - 26,000/NEW
09. (NDS) Cid to Chocobo no Fushigi na Dungeon: Toki Wasure no Meikyuu - 26,000/NEW
10. (PSP) Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G (PSP the Best) - 26,000/NEW