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Square-Enix gouging JP PC players of Tomb Raider : 30$ for JP language pack

Jubern

Member
Something pretty incredible is happening with the Japanese PC version of Tomb Raider. The game is "officially" coming out on the April 25th here in Japan, after being released earlier last month in the US and EU... and in Japan for Steam (only, I think).

Thing is, the Steam PC version of the game disposed, at launch, of Japanese voices and subtitles, despite being priced at a lower price point than the physical release: 50$ against what amounts to 76$, according to today's exchange rate (which is exceptionally bad for the yen). It was a pretty nice, and a weird move...

So what did Square-Enix do? They patched the Steam version some time ago to take out the Japanese language support and just announced that this Japanese option would be offered as DLC for 30 dollars.

How fucked up is this? I know how terrible Japan is with games prices and how PC doesn't matter much here outside of MMOs, but still, that's plain robbery. How can they get away with removing freaking language support some time after release to sell it as a 30$ DLC?

Source for the pack info:
http://www.sqex-ee.jp/2013/04/-japanese-language-pack.html

edit > More details/better explanation from duckroll:
Okay, let me explain how this fuck up probably happened. Please bear with me, because it's going to sound really stupid, and I'm not defending Square Enix here, only explaining the nature of the fuck up.

- Tomb Raider comes out in Japan on April 25 2013, at the price of 8000yen (80 USD).

- The Japanese release includes voices in English or Japanese, and Japanese text. This differs it from the version sold in US and Europe where the voice options are only in English.

- Somehow it appears the PC Tomb Raider release on Steam was available for purchase in Japan at the US/Europe release price of 50 USD when it was released last month.

- Additionally it appears that someone fucked up massively and included all the language content meant for the Japanese release along with the package.

- So for a period of time Japanese fans were able to buy Tomb Raider on Steam for 50 bucks, and enjoy Japanese language support, a whole month before the release in Japan.

- Someone found out, panicked, and removed the language content support so Japanese consumers would no longer be able to buy a fully functional Japanese version of Tomb Raider at almost half the price and a month before it is released in Japan.

- Now that the Japanese launch is finally arriving, they are offering the option for anyone who used the previous "exploit" to top up the 30 dollars of difference to regain access to the Japanese language options.

From Square Enix's perspective, what they were doing was closing a reverse import regional loophole, and now they are offering an olive branch to fans who used that exploit so they don't have to sit on a useless 50 buck English-only Tomb Raider. From the perspective of everyone else, Square Enix is scamming everyone.

ROFLMAO. :p
 

antitrop

Member
If you're entirely accurate, I feel like this deserves to blow up.

Google Translation of the link:

""Tomb Raider (TOMB RAIDER)" (compatible models: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 ®, Windows ®) to sell (Thursday) was decided on April 25 at Steam the "Japanese Language Pack" of.

Tomb Raider "Japanese Language Pack" is a downloadable content that can be enjoyed audio / subtitle Japanese the "Tomb Raider" was purchased in Europe and the United States version of Steam.

Tomb Raider "Japanese Language Pack"
$ 30 Price: delivery

※ will not work by itself this downloadable content. Body "Tomb Raider" Western version is required to get played on audio / subtitle Japanese.

In addition, those who purchased the "Japanese Language Pack" for one week (Thursday), and the map "Shanty Town" Tomb Raider multiplayer add-on May 2 (Thu) - 25th April to celebrate the launch will receive a set of "HITMAN ABSOLUTION Weapon Pack2" weapon for multiplayer (three arms package appeared to HITMAN ABSOLUTION of "JAGD P22G" "M590 12ga" "STG 58 Elite" is now set). Please take this opportunity to ask.

In addition, the Windows version of the package SQUARE ENIX E-Store can be purchased at."
 
This whole situation is pretty hilarious in how fucking awful it is.

I read about it on Hachima and I just kind of closed my browser, sighed, and made some tea. Hahaha.
 

Seda

Member
DLC for language is dumb. DLC for their native language is really dumb, and at that price, just ridiculous.
 

ULTROS!

People seem to like me because I am polite and I am rarely late. I like to eat ice cream and I really enjoy a nice pair of slacks.
Remnants of Wada I tell ya.
 
nKuLsdi.gif
.
 

ULTROS!

People seem to like me because I am polite and I am rarely late. I like to eat ice cream and I really enjoy a nice pair of slacks.
I think the FFX DLC is starting to look more plausible now. :p
 
It's DLC for JP players who bought a western version of the game. This way they can play in Japanese after spending an extra 30 dollars! Ridiculous.
 

sakipon

Member
Maybe they just want to do the good thing and encourage Japanese gamers to use foreign languages.

Seriously though, sounds upsetting.
 

Stuart444

Member
I think I already want Yoichi Wada back.

I read that he is still CEO until... I think the end of April or May? Someone else can clarify but I'm sure I read that.

Also, if true then yes this is inexcusable and I hope the JP Players let SE know that in a big way.
 

ULTROS!

People seem to like me because I am polite and I am rarely late. I like to eat ice cream and I really enjoy a nice pair of slacks.
It's DLC for JP players who bought a western version of the game. This way they can play in Japanese after spending an extra 30 dollars! Ridiculous.

So if they bought the JP version, then there would be no problem at all? I'm kinda confused about this. I guess it's for Steam players only right?
 

Kunan

Member
lol language DLC? As if. And for $30?! AS IF.

Removing existing content and re-adding it as DLC? That's scandalous and deserves to blow up in their face.
 
So if they bought the JP version, then there would be no problem at all? I'm kinda confused about this. I guess it's for Steam players only right?

Yeah. The bigger problem, correct me if I'm wrong, is that the original western Steam version had Japanese language and subtitle options, but SE patched them out, leading to this DLC.

So yeah, if you bought the JP version on Steam, there'd be no problem. This is for Japanese people who own a western copy of the game.
 

antitrop

Member
Yeah. The bigger problem, correct me if I'm wrong, is that the original western Steam version had Japanese language and subtitle options, but SE patched them out, leading to this DLC.

So yeah, if you bought the JP version on Steam, there'd be no problem. This is for Japanese people who own a western copy of the game.

This is how I'm understanding it.
 

Midou

Member
So if they bought the JP version, then there would be no problem at all? I'm kinda confused about this. I guess it's for Steam players only right?

I'm curious about this. Though even if they bought a western version, a language pack feels like it should only be $2.50-5 at most, if not, you know, free.
 

MMaRsu

Banned
Let's fire this off to multiple sources and see what happens

SE:"Oh it was a mistake on our part! We have now made it free"
 

patapuf

Member
If they did this because of pressure from retailers or because they felt the game was too cheap couldn't they have just charged more for the game?
 

antitrop

Member
I'm curious about this. Though even if they bought a western version, a language pack feels like it should only be $2.50-5 at most, if not, you know, free.

Ya, I think $5 would suck, but still not be "scandal" territory.

This ventures into something you expect to read on a video game parody site, but it's real, apparently.

Let's fire this off to multiple sources and see what happens

SE:"Oh it was a mistake on our part! We have now made it free"

I'm expecting this by the end of the day.
 

mclem

Member
So what happens if a user already owns the game on Steam? Has that had Japanese support retroactively removed, or was it effectively that the first orders supported the language?

Either way, though, I'm very interested to hear their justification for this, because right now I can't see one. Beyond 'not wanting to punish early adopters', which is seriously pushing it!
 

Stuart444

Member
I'm curious about this. Though even if they bought a western version, a language pack feels like it should only be $2.50-5 at most, if not, you know, free.

I assume it's to try and get the price to around the same price as the Japanese version? (since prices in the west are cheaper than in Japan).

Just speculation but it's the only thing I can think of.
 
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