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Post by Sketcz-1000 on Jul 6, 2012 8:14:54 GMT -5
The first ever region-locked PS3 BD release? I think it might be! There's quite a few online sources, on forums and from Atlus direct, but here's an easy direct link that isn't a forum post: www.egmnow.com/articles/news/persona-4-arena-to-be-first-ever-region-locked-ps3-release/Source on Atlus forums: www.atlus.com/forum/showpost.php?p=288772&postcount=2483NeoGAF are having fun with it: www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=481227My view: The worst news possible. I don't care for the game, but it sets a dangerous precedent. I know of not one single blueray game release for PS3 that's been region locked so far. Not even the ESPN sports games, despite the publisher lying about it (contrary to their official statement, they are region free). If this is true, which I'm sceptical of, we could see future releases region locked, and maybe even our back catalogue of imports locked out through system updates. Right now, my PS3 library is 30% USA, 30% Japanese/Korean, and 40% European. If Atlus are so short-sighted and greedy to do this, I can only hope they lose sales big time, and perhaps go bankrupt. Utterly, utterly shitty behaviour. It makes Capcom look saintly by comparison - they just want your money and they don't care how they get it. Atlus is actively saying "fuck you" to consumers. |
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Post by megatronbison on Jul 6, 2012 8:21:21 GMT -5
I don't honestly get region locking. They are getting your money either way FFS ¬_¬
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Post by Sketcz-1000 on Jul 6, 2012 8:23:49 GMT -5
I don't honestly get region locking. They are getting your money either way FFS ¬_¬ Yeah, but it's all about control when they take your money. Possibly it's a sexual thing for the business people that make these decisions. ¬_¬ |
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Post by vetus on Jul 6, 2012 8:36:24 GMT -5
Atlus USA was always a bitch about imports to the point to ask directly from their costumers to stop importing Demon¢s Souls. Therefore for them the region-lock was their next step. That's why I can't say I'm surprised but it's still very bad news. First 3DS, now PS3? Not that I care personally about PS3 since I don't own a PS3 and I never intend to get one in the future but there are lots of PS3 owners who obviously cares.
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Post by megatronbison on Jul 6, 2012 8:39:10 GMT -5
You know- asides from the fact it didn't live up to the hype I'd heard about it I am half convinced the reason I've not went back to Demon's Souls is due to the fact it took them so damn long to release it in the UK.
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Post by Super Orbus on Jul 6, 2012 8:44:35 GMT -5
But maybe the first one anyone cares about.
Personally, I think the solution is to do a better job of doing simultaneous multi-region releases, thus removing the incentive to import. But I understand that can be difficult, particularly when there are different licensees involved. A sale's a sale, but which division / company it goes to makes a difference on the balance sheet. Region locks are definitely not very consumer-friendly though.
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Post by Allie on Jul 6, 2012 9:33:40 GMT -5
Sounds like it was at the behest of the game's Euro publisher, since they wouldn't make jack shit off of the game if European consumers bought the US release.
Why bother paying Atlus the license fee to publish it in Europe if nobody's going to wait the extra time it'll take the Euro publisher to translate it into the rest of the M5 languages?
Atlus won't lose as much as you think, JS. Zen already paid them the license fee.
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Post by Ike on Jul 6, 2012 9:37:00 GMT -5
It's not like fighting games are big bucks anyway, and they have to make it worth the while of the publisher to actually, y'know, publish it. If everybody imports the game, what's the point?
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Post by Discoalucard on Jul 6, 2012 9:47:36 GMT -5
Sounds like it was at the behest of the game's Euro publisher, since they wouldn't make jack shit off of the game if European consumers bought the US release. Why bother paying Atlus the license fee to publish it in Europe if nobody's going to wait the extra time it'll take the Euro publisher to translate it into the rest of the M5 languages? This sounds like the case to me, in which case it's more Zen's fault that Atlus. From a business standpoint it makes sense, but they could also, you know, get the game out within a reasonable time frame so this wouldn't be an issue. Unless I'm mistaken and it's launching close to the US/JP release. |
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Post by Allie on Jul 6, 2012 9:49:43 GMT -5
Sounds like it was at the behest of the game's Euro publisher, since they wouldn't make jack shit off of the game if European consumers bought the US release. Why bother paying Atlus the license fee to publish it in Europe if nobody's going to wait the extra time it'll take the Euro publisher to translate it into the rest of the M5 languages? This sounds like the case to me, in which case it's more Zen's fault that Atlus. From a business standpoint it makes sense, but they could also, you know, get the game out within a reasonable time frame so this wouldn't be an issue. Unless I'm mistaken and it's launching close to the US/JP release. According to GameFAQs : July 26 for JP August 7 for US August 31 for EU. |
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Post by Sketcz-1000 on Jul 6, 2012 9:53:52 GMT -5
Even if it's on the same day, the precedent it sets is worrying.
Man, I am tired of having to put up with group translations for Euro releases. I have to import a lot of games into France from the UK anyway, because the cads lock the language tracks for each regional release, because games are cheaper in the UK than elsewhere. Well, console games. Handheld titles allow you to select your language.
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Post by Ike on Jul 6, 2012 9:55:41 GMT -5
If they came out on the same day, there wouldn't be any need for a region lock, though.
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Post by ves on Jul 6, 2012 9:59:26 GMT -5
Sounds like it was at the behest of the game's Euro publisher, since they wouldn't make jack shit off of the game if European consumers bought the US release. Why bother paying Atlus the license fee to publish it in Europe if nobody's going to wait the extra time it'll take the Euro publisher to translate it into the rest of the M5 languages? Pretty much this. The JP and US release are very close to each other but the EU release will have to wait a few months. It happened before with the very same publisher when it took nearly a year for Calamity Trigger to be published here. Can't blame them for you know...wanting to make money, 'tis business. It'd be really bad if a PS3 game was region locked with no intention of a release outside Japan, but there's one in the pipeline for this, so it's not entirely bad. I guess I'm letting it slide because Zen United published a boxed EU release for Arcana Heart 3 (it's a pretty decent game despite the whole...you know.) I'd imagine the story mode who take a fair bit of time to translate into the main European languages as it's quite sizeable for a fighting game. BlazeBlue had quite a lot of text to its story mode as well. Maybe I'd indulge in more nerd rage if I was more interested in the game (I'm kind of tired of the modern Persona games, really). |
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Post by acidonia on Jul 6, 2012 10:05:57 GMT -5
But maybe the first one anyone cares about. Personally, I think the solution is to do a better job of doing simultaneous multi-region releases, thus removing the incentive to import. But I understand that can be difficult, particularly when there are different licensees involved. A sale's a sale, but which division / company it goes to makes a difference on the balance sheet. Region locks are definitely not very consumer-friendly though. This Sony could learn from they do this Crap on PSN all the time if you live in Europe a game/DLC gets announced for a certain date yet does not show on that date for Europe 90% of the time. Due to the fact Sony think its a good idea to have different quality testers for Europe to pass stuff than US or Japan this makes games and DLC come out days or even months after everywhere else. This is not the case with Microsoft if it passes it is out everywhere on the same date world wide 99.9% of the time yet Sony need three divisions to do the exact same thing  . Most games are brought out in Us and Europe days apart now except for everything on Nintendo Consoles for some reason. Do not expect this to reach Europe days after US though because all Zen United games are out in US months before they reach Europe. Blazblue published by them was so delayed the sequel continuum Shift came out in the exact same year for Europe even the PSP and 3DS ports was delayed months for no reason at all. The only game US would want to import from them would be Arcana Heart 3 due to the fact Sony of America was Idiots and Forced it to be PSN only because of their stupid it has to be PSN only if it has no English Dub rule. But if you owned a 360 and no Ps3 they is no way if your American you could play this game at because both Japanese and European versions are Region locked it's the same for all the Blazblue games as well. |
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Post by zellsf on Jul 6, 2012 10:13:18 GMT -5
While I do hate Atlus for doing this, I think some blame should be put on Sony too. They have stated the PS3 is region free in the past so they should enforce that. I would have something against Zen, but I avoid buying titles from publishers who delay European releases by months already, so I can't do more  Definitely waiting for cheap used copies of any future Atlus games I want if they go through with this though. |
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