PSO2 in USA??

[landman]

Licensed content is not core stuff... and it is not a majority of the AC stuff either, maybe the answer is they don't think they have content to attract people to spend their money (I think they don't expect even to have enough fremium players to begin with), but removing or locking content is not a problem at all. And server cost? PSO2 is running in the same machines PSOBB and PSU did...

At this point I think they either wait for a possible future PS4 port (remember, 10 years span!) since consoles are more successful in the west (fine example was PSU), or they will at most license it to someone like they did with playpark and gemania.

[[Ayumi]]

Licensed content is not core stuff... and it is not a majority of the AC stuff either, maybe the answer is they don't think they have content to attract people to spend their money (I think they don't expect even to have enough fremium players to begin with), but removing or locking content is not a problem at all. And server cost? PSO2 is running in the same machines PSOBB and PSU did...

At this point I think they either wait for a possible future PS4 port (remember, 10 years span!) since consoles are more successful in the west (fine example was PSU), or they will at most license it to someone like they did with playpark and gemania.

The majority that want to play already playing.

Very small minority refuse to play unless 100% English.

The majority already playing, the majority of those already planned to not touch the servers outside of Japan.

The majority already playing, bit by bit already got the game translated themselves.

The majority already playing, give money to the company.

The majority already playing, likes/don't care about collaboration and those that don't care already made up a lot by those that the content was made for to begin with.



In the end of the day, if I was Sega, I would do the same thing as I would see no point to release it outside of Japan.

Also, bad example to use Playpark as I rather not play a Wizard/Samurai

[Kondibon]

The majority that want to play already playing.

Very small minority refuse to play unless 100% English.

People keep saying this, but I find it really hard to believe.

Pretty much anyone I've talked to who would be interested in the game but isn't already playing didn't even know it exists.

[landman]

Only hardcore fans are playing the JP server, and... those are a minority. A game needs to attract the core player to be successful, that's the reason why most sega franchises are in limbo... because sega fans are a minority.

[Rickjaemz]

because sega fans are a minority.

I have two responses to this. With a game like Sonic Boom, what fans?

The biggest, or smallest in this case, minority would have to be Sega-NA's Advertising department.

[[Ayumi]]

People keep saying this, but I find it really hard to believe.

Pretty much anyone I've talked to who would be interested in the game but isn't already playing didn't even know it exists.

Kind of weird seeing as when PSO2 was 1st announced, everyone and their great grantmother heard about it and was interested in it without know what Phantasy Star was.
Those that wanted to play tried out the JP server and stayed (whether closed/open alpha/beta or actual release).
The others either forgot about it waiting for the non JPN copy or still waiting for a non JPN copy that they rushed to try and play the SEA version...
...only to be blocked from it.


Even funnier with the SEA version is that it was by a fluke but people noticed for the week or so that SEA had the block off that many rushed to it... just to be blocked again.
I would not have known it was unblocked for that week if it wasn't for those people.

[TaigaUC]

I dunno about being hardcore, but If I want to play a game, I will play it regardless of country.
Being able to understand JP is a plus, though.

[[Ayumi]]

I dunno about being hardcore, but If I want to play a game, I will play it regardless of country.
Being able to understand JP is a plus, though.

Yeah, me and a couple of friends rushed and got PSP2 on Dec 3rd when it 1st popped up on PSN in JPN and played it while going afk in PSU on floor 4.

Some of us didn't understand a single word, but I can safely say that everyone enjoyed it and played together on it...
...until the connection died when PSP2i came out.
Then I was the only one that got that as they were thinking it would get an English release like PSP2.

[TaigaUC]

Makes me sad that localization is still an issue with games.
Some things never change.

[HeartBreak301]

Pretty sure I pointed out the whole content issue a long time ago.
Seen it in other games, they end up making super boring American-ish stuff like Army/Military crap.

Because giving a million different yukatas and kimonos is so exciting. Honestly I'd like to see some more military outfits considering the Arks are very much a military organization. Not everyone who plays this game is a total weeb and just happily lets them spoonfeed this crap to us every other scratch. Some of us actually like the fact we're soldiers.

As for the actual topic at hand, as it was mentioned earlier they'd have to cut a lot of collab content from the game due to licensing issues and whatnot, but that's perfectly fine, I wouldn't expect to get everything. One of the other problems is that somewhere along the line SEGA decided that nobody in this country liked anything other than Sonic and just axed support for a lot of their franchises. Seriously, we've had PSO (released in five different iterations across four platforms) which only got mention in a couple magazines and game catalogs. PSOep3, which flew under the radar due to lack of advertisement, also was a major departure from PSO being a card battle game, cult following. Phantasy Star Zero, which flew under the radar due to lack of advertisement. PSU which was moderately successful but overall was too broad in it's distribution (tying the PS2 to the PC servers killed any proper updating for that server). PSPo, which flew under the radar due to lack of advertisement. PSPo2, which flew under the radar due to lack of advertisement and was pirated to shit due to it actually being a good game that there wasn't enough copies of (not to mention there was no online play restrictions for pirated copies) on a platform that sold less than well over here. PSPo2i, they just said screw it.

When I ask someone if they've heard of Phantasy Star, I'll usually get replies of them playing PSO way back in the day or playing PSU on 360 or something, but I never hear any mention of other titles. Probably because nobody outside of the fanbase knows they even exist because SEGA makes no effort to advertise them aside from a half page magazine article buried way in the back of the issue or a banner ad on some unrelated site. While we're at it we can add any other franchise they were ever known for to the list, while they're just starting to bring Vocaloid over here.

Then as for PSO2 itself, there's the issue of us already playing over there. The fanbase they already know is the only demographic they know because they refuse to reach out to try to bring more people in, and we're already playing happily (more or less) on the Japanese servers. It'd be a waste of time and money for them to pursue localization when they already have a bonus amount of players that happily pay them that they don't need to officially support in any way, shape or form. They know we're here and they haven't gotten rid of us so they're happily enjoying our patronage. Not to mention we have a volunteer team doing translation for them, free workers, free players, free money.