Talk about a role reversal: For the first time ever, the Xbox 360 is selling more consoles in Japan than the PlayStation 3. That said, the PS3 has extended its monthly winning streak against the 360 in the U.S.

Japan's been a tough nut for the Xbox 360 to crack; indeed, for months on end, both the PS3 and the Wii have consistently trumped the 360 in terms of Japanese sales.

But AFP reports that for the week ending August 10, the 360 outsold the PS3 almost three-to-one in Japan—and according to Kotaku, the 360 is now sold out across the country. Microsoft even went as far as to issue an apology, promising more consoles for September (check out Kotaku to read the letter).

So what happened? Chalk it up to a new, 360-exclusive RPG called "Tales of Vesperia," which is taking Japan by storm. Never heard of "Vesperia"? You will—it's due in the U.S. on August 26.

Back in the U.S., however, the PS3 managed to edge the Xbox 360 yet again in monthly sales, albeit by a relatively slim 45,000-console margin. The NPD group (via Ars Technica) says that the PS3 sold about 225,000 consoles in July, versus about 205,000 for the 360.

Of course, the red-hot Nintendo Wii smoked 'em both, with monthly sales of 555,000. Also, keep in mind that the Xbox 360 still beats the PlayStation 3 handily in terms of overall sales (about 10 million for the 360, compared to about 5 million for the PS3).

Related:
Japan Is TOTALLY Sold Out of Xbox 360s (New Shipment Next Month!) [Kotaku]
Sony rising: PS3 opens up lead on Xbox 360 in July [Ars Technica]