FiveMinuteHero
Member
Just out of curiosity, has this game been picked up by an EU publisher yet?
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Persona 4: Arena Region-Locked on PS3 - Confirmed [PR statement in OP]
- Thread starter Squire
- Start date
Meh. It's 1 game. If all it takes is 1 game for fans to abandon ship, they weren't really big fans were they?
Also, I'm not sure why people who don't import should care about this?
AzureSkies
Member
Zen United.
Expect a large majority of delays and for the game to be released probably 6-8 months after the original US launch.
Flying Wonkey
Member
Cool, gives me plenty of time to watch the story mode on Youtube.
So unfortunate though.
So unfortunate though.
FiveMinuteHero
Member
Slightly out of topic... Anyone importing AquaPazza?
Sega said the same thing about the japanese version of Bayonetta and they were wrong.
I have absolutely no idea of what's going to happen, but I doubt it's going to be region locked. I guess the 360 version will be and that's why PRs are saying it will be on both systems. To my knowledge, there is not a single region locked game on ps3. It happened on a couple of demos, but not on full games.
I have absolutely no idea of what's going to happen, but I doubt it's going to be region locked. I guess the 360 version will be and that's why PRs are saying it will be on both systems. To my knowledge, there is not a single region locked game on ps3. It happened on a couple of demos, but not on full games.
XiaNaphryz
LATIN, MATRIPEDICABUS, DO YOU SPEAK IT
Don't they have Atlus staffers as mods on their boards though?
dark_prinny
Banned
Fuck this shit. We Euros are Third World of GAMING. Really Bad news.
Yeah. What's the point of getting it several months late? most of the community will be gone by then. And when you factor in how small the E.U. community is it becomes much worse.
Will the japanese version be region-locked as well?
I might consider importing that one instead. I used to import fighting games for Saturn and Dreamcast all the time, so I'm used to the possible language barrier there.
Also, I still own an old, fat american Launch-PS3, which I've replaced with a european Slim last fall.
I use the backwards-compatible US-PS3 just for playing old PS2 games right now, but I might play P4A on it as well.
But with all the account-stuff going on today, it would still be quite a hassle to only play one PS3-game out of my entire collection on that thing.
I might consider importing that one instead. I used to import fighting games for Saturn and Dreamcast all the time, so I'm used to the possible language barrier there.
Also, I still own an old, fat american Launch-PS3, which I've replaced with a european Slim last fall.
I use the backwards-compatible US-PS3 just for playing old PS2 games right now, but I might play P4A on it as well.
But with all the account-stuff going on today, it would still be quite a hassle to only play one PS3-game out of my entire collection on that thing.
The forum admin said he doesn't know about the japanese version, if I'm not mistaken.
Remember how Midway changed their mind after the whole "Stranglehold to be region-locked on PS3" backlash? Well, let's hope websites will relay this information just like they did then, so we could get the same kind of backlash...
Augemitbutter
Member
hopefully the mod just doesn't know what he's talking about. i'll contain my rage for now until there is more info available.
this could be devastating for their most loyal fans.
this could be devastating for their most loyal fans.
JustAnotherOtaku
Member
Yeah, it's definitely a worrying development. I know that most people are only affected by importing a couple of times a year at most, but for myself and many others who import over half of their games every year, it's another potential headache.
Not too much of an issue with this particular game, in that it comes out worldwide in the same month, but could be a problem if it spreads. For instance, having a Japanese Vita, if Persona 4 Golden were to be locked, I'd be forced to play the Japanese version, something I'd prefer not to have to do.
Not too much of an issue with this particular game, in that it comes out worldwide in the same month, but could be a problem if it spreads. For instance, having a Japanese Vita, if Persona 4 Golden were to be locked, I'd be forced to play the Japanese version, something I'd prefer not to have to do.
JustAnotherOtaku
Member
Last I heard it was on track for an August release. 31st of August is the date banded about online, although that could be a placeholder.
It does not.
Zen "official release date" for Europe is still a vague "2012".
Canis lupus
Member
Why. Would they do such thing?
JustAnotherOtaku
Member
See my post below the one you quoted. I thought one of the Atlus guys on twitter responded to someone saying it was on track for August, but if it's Zen releasing then I suppose they may not know.
The PAL Publisher doesn't release the game any time soon and there's absolutely no reason why PAL folks wouldn't import. I got my copy of Catherine a few days after the launch in the US and paid not even 40 for it. It came out in Europe months after the US release and launched at full price, I think.
Hope this comes back to Atlus in a bad way. They're one of the few Publishers that really depend on the 'hardcore' crowd.
Pie and Beans
Look for me on the local news, I'll be the guy arrested for trying to burn down a Nintendo exec's house.
Don't... don't start down this road, Atlus. You're one of few videogame publishers I actually respect. I can see this as Zen tying your hands on this one occasion, but really, just this once and never again or the shitstorm is not going to be good for you.
I wonder if it's part of a deal specifically to protect the EU publisher?
International publishing deals always struck me as a little awkward in a region-free world, given you're effectively competing - with an inherent time advantage - with the very people you're signing the deal with. Some titles are sufficiently niche that a significant subsection of the potential EU audience would be perfectly content to import it. As an EU publisher, what do you *do* in that situation?
JustAnotherOtaku
Member
There will be blood if Persona 4 Golden is locked. Although is it even technically possible to lock Vita carts?
BlazingDarkness
Member
Yeah, it's ridiculous
If the European publisher is forcing this on Atlus then they can fuck off. To ensure people aren't importing the US version (and thus having the EU publisher lose out) they should fucking release the game at or very close to the US release and maybe even offer some sort of pre-order incentive to make people go for that version, instead of opting to import
SolarPowered
Member
I pre ordered my PS3 copy months ago(US), but I don't like idea of supporting a game that could start a region locking trend. Someone always has to fuck with something good...
dammit
dammit
That's not *necessarily* a possibility, though. It's somewhat dependent on them recieving what they need to work with far enough ahead of time.
In other words, they have to offer a *better* deal on the *same* game. Again, they're dealing with competition with a significant advantage.
I'm playing devil's advocate here, somewhat; I'm not trying to claim that the EU publisher is a paragon of virtue and has done no wrong in this - I'm simply trying to point out that it's a very tricky ecosystem to navigate in this sort of situation.
It may have been 3 month+ wait or region-lock take your pick.
That said, this isn't really that big of a deal for Americans. 2 week difference. Only reason to be super mad is over the principle of it. That being said, given the wide variety of good alternative fighters out there these days, it's a lot easier to have principles then it was last year. If the game was delayed months and region-locked, yeah I could see rage being much higher.
I doubt this is going to bite Atlus at all.
BlazingDarkness
Member
Well they should be going out of their way to try and swing some sort of deal here, forcing a region lock on the game is losing the good will that Atlus have built up, thus hurting both publishers more
LiquidSolid
Member
Wow, the first region locked PS3 game. Well done Atlus, you fucking dicks.
Canis lupus
Member
I had done the same thing, where did you buy Catherine tho? I paid 55 euros for a Canadian import back in august. It only came out this year in EU lol.
I get what you're saying but – as gamers get told all the freaking time – this isn't charity. If you're unable to compete and have to set up arbitrary rules (that have absolutely zero benefit for any gamer out there) so that you don't actually have to compete, then that's bullshit.
No, I don't want to give the European Publisher any money. Why would I? They release the exact same product many months later and expect me to pay way more? Yeah, that's not going to happen.
Axelmusic (so sad this place closed recently). Looked it up just now; I paid 43€, though. Not less than 40.
I don't see it about Zen and Atlus or about waiting fot 2 weeks,absolutely no one has done this on PS3 in 6 fucking years, why now? and it might not "bite" Atlus but buying this will sent a massage to publishers and platform holders saying gamers are A-Ok with region locking, so it will "bite" the gamers (us, people like you and me) in the end.
Holy Order Sol
Member
Now watch as Atlus becomes fucking Satan in the eyes of everyone. It's like Capgod -> Cacpcom or whatever shit all over again.
:-|
:-|
Aren't some importers here already playing the japanese version of golden?
Antiwhippy
the holder of the trombone
For vita I think all you have to do is format the memory card to your region of choice.
This is a tremendously rotten thing to do in my opinion. I've had to cancel my preorder, but I'm not buying the EU release. I'll rent it and they can stuff.
It seems like a really dud move for them too though. This isn't EA or Activision. Atlus' success lies in a good reputation spread by word of mouth. And I think this will really hurt that reputation.
It seems like a really dud move for them too though. This isn't EA or Activision. Atlus' success lies in a good reputation spread by word of mouth. And I think this will really hurt that reputation.
That's to access the PS Store. We don't actually know what hardware locks they can put on Vita game card titles. Presumably, since P4G's Japanese release is region free, I expect the US game to be too.
I just wish Atlus would come out and clarify why P4A is region locked. Considering how unprecedented such a move is, they should be open and honest about why they're putting an arbitrary and outdated restriction on software.
I agree. This is gaining steam and if they don't do some damage control soon, it's going to make them look pretty bad.
It works on any Vita but now there is a possibility Atlus lock the US version so European don't import it or something like that.
But what if you're unable to compete due to issues outside of your control? What if you have to delay the release because the EU certification checks fail when the US ones pass, due to code that's the original publisher's? What if you can't *start* the localisation until the JP release date because the original publisher has so much stuff on their plate that they don't get the text data to you in time?
Or, to turn it on its head: If you're the original publisher, and due to *your* screwup the EU publisher has to fall behind, what compensation should you offer the EU publisher? Would you prefer them to delay the release so the EU publisher can 'catch up'?
Games development is full of unanticipated events that play havoc with schedules; there's an awful lot of parties involved in many cases and a delay at one point in the chain can affect several others - and those others can be independent companies who are still trying to eke out a profit on their own bat. It happened on a game I worked on - I wrote up commentary on it a few months ago. It happens, the question is what's the right thing to do *after* it happens. I'm not really sure that this *is* the right thing in such a situation, but it's certainly *something* to level the field.
(For all we know, this could have absolutely nothing to do with the real events behind the scenes, here. It just happens to be a scenario where I can see it being justifiable)
What compensation should they offer? They should screw the customers of course. That's the best compensation one could offer.
Well, it's free to do!
It's a tricky one. The customers they're screwing are the ones willing to import - possibly the most loyal ones. But on the other hand, those customers are also the ones who would be hugely beneficial to - and swayed by - an EU publisher who released a competitive version. The EU publisher's business model might *depend* on them having the opportunity to attempt to entice those customers. If the original publisher - by accident, in this hypothesis - takes away a big part of their ability to do so... where's the *out*? Who should do what to alleviate the situation?
I'm not going to claim that this is the best option, by any means. Heck, the *best* option would be to delay the release in other countries to an appropriate extent. Of course, people would hate that too, but it's inarguably fair!