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Square Enix explains why Setsuna isn't getting a Western release on Vita

N

Nirolak

Mrgrgr
There's another half of the interview where they talk about what might get added for the West and additional topics.

Polygon said:
Tokyo RPG Factory announced yesterday that its upcoming role-playing game, I Am Setsuna, would launch this summer on PlayStation 4 and PC via Steam. Notably absent was news of a Vita version, which accompanied the game's launch on PS4 in Japan. According to director Atsushi Hashimoto, the team chose to instead focus on a gameplay experience built for a larger screen when bringing the game stateside.

"I think the focus was leaning more toward that sense of immersion, being able to jump into the world on a larger screen," Hashimoto told Polygon via translator. "That's one of the bigger elements that sort of drove that decision for the no Vita plan.

"Of course, there is the technical market aspect as well. Unfortunately the Vita market isn't as large as the console and the PC-based [market] ... that's the sort of direction the team decided that they wanted to take for the U.S. release, was to rely on the players that are on the Steam platform as well."
Click to expand...

When asked if the company still sees the Vita as a viable platform, Hashimoto laughed.

"We definitely see the Vita fans, and we acknowledge that there are very passionate fans out there, and we think it's great," he said. "We do feel it's a viable sort of platform. Of course, it's just a matter of scale. We don't mean to give you the impression that we feel that the Vita market is weak or anything; by no means do we want to make it seem like it's any sort of inferior platform. It is a platform where there are very passionate fans that love the games that are on that platform."

He added that the console is perhaps more popular in Japan because of a large commuter culture.
Click to expand...
Source: http://www.polygon.com/2016/3/15/11238124/i-am-setsuna-vita-western-release
 
R

RK128

Member
Laughing when talking about if the system is viable, giving BS excuses......just say you don't want the Vita version to come over and then shut up :l.

You don't have SEGA commenting on not localizing PSO2 or Nova on Vita; they don't want to do it and that's it. Same with them not putting Sonic games on it; they have records of the PSP Sonic's selling badly.

Square can just shut up for all I care. If people don't want to support the Vita, cool I understand. Just don't make a big fuss over it and move on.

They just wont get my money for the game then; will give it to people that want to support the Vita like XSEED (Trials of Cold Steel 2) and Bamco (Digimon, SAO, God Eater).
 
V

Ventara

Member
I don't understand their first reasoning. The game was already made for Vita. They were just localizing it. How is leaving the Vita out gonna create a better sense of immersion? Unless they're trying to tell us to buy it on the PS4, in which case it's still a poor excuse. Not everyone has a PS4 and people like choices.

When asked if the company still sees the Vita as a viable platform, Hashimoto laughed.
Click to expand...

Just taking this part without reading the rest is hilarious, if a bit sad.
 
G

GhostTrick

Banned
Anyway, I guess that the Mana remake for Vita was also too big scaled for that Western release ?
Things are freaking worrying for SaGa Scarlet Graces :/
 
R

RK128

Member
YianGaruga said:
Seriously, it's a total non answer. They should have said nothing

Immersion becuase you play it on a big screen? please
Click to expand...

That is what bothers me the most; it feels like the following: "We don't want to do this.......do we have to explain any more?"

Will have a nice laugh when they announce World of FF is scrapped on Vita, that will be a great Typo to remember.
 
A

Aters

Member
Let's face it. Vita sucks. NPD doesn't even count Vita sales anymore. Sony itself has abandoned Vita by making Gravity Rush 2 a PS4 game.

YianGaruga said:
you suck
Click to expand...

You can say whatever you want, but it won't change the fact that it is the weakest handheld made by Sony or Nintendo game wise. Sony won't spend one more dime to push it anymore, and the third parties get the message. Do you see a Vita in your local Target or Walmart? I haven't seen it for a long time.
 
G

GhostTrick

Banned
Kagari said:
They could have ported the PSP version I guess idk.
Click to expand...



Sure, but what I meant is that they'd still have to work on something. The Vita version didnt exist in the first place. The game also may have needed a physical release.

Setsuna though ? It's dd only and the Vita version is ready.
 
Y

Ydelnae

Member
"When asked if the company still sees the Vita as a viable platform, Hashimoto laughed."

laughing-hyur.gif
 
M

MHWilliams

Member
Shizuka said:
The game is so small in scope and yet the team wants the grand approach of release? Weird.
Click to expand...

Like DOAX3, he's trying to pivot away from saying what he really means: Square Enix doesn't think I Am Setsuna will sell enough on Vita to justify the Western release.

He told us over at USgamer the same, though they said they'd consider it if there was enough demand.

"Of course, there is a large Vita market in Japan. If there is a swell of demand in North America [for the Vita version], though, we will consider it."
Click to expand...
 
T

Tohsaka

Member
Sounds like bullshit. What's their excuse for not localizing the Vita version of Adventures of Mana, then? There's no PS4 or Steam "big screen" version of that, they only brought over the mobile versions.
 
S

Shizuka

Member
MHWilliams said:
Like DOAX3, he's trying to pivot away from saying what he really means: Square Enix doesn't think I Am Setsuna will sell enough on Vita to justify the Western release.

He told us over at USgamer the same, though they said they'd consider it if there was enough demand.
Click to expand...

I like how they use the "enough demand" gig as free marketing, it gets people talking about the game.
 
A

Arzehn

Member
At the end of the day I probably would have bought the Steam or PS4 version just because of the Vita's load times. If they were similar i'd get the Vita version, but it's too much of a difference.

Sumio Mondo said:
Doesn't sound good for SaGa for Vita then...yikes.
Click to expand...

This is my biggest worry, but I'm starting to wonder if Japan is even getting it at this point.
 
R

Rymuth

Member
"We definitely see the Vita fans, and we acknowledge that there are very passionate fans out there, and we think it's great," he said. "We do feel it's a viable sort of platform. Of course, it's just a matter of scale. We don't mean to give you the impression that we feel that the Vita market is weak or anything; by no means do we want to make it seem like it's any sort of inferior platform. It is a platform where there are very passionate fans that love the games that are on that platform."
Click to expand...
Methinks the lady doth protest too much.

The actual transcript must contain *snicker* *chortle* and *giggle* places after every sentence.
 
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