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[RoboFu]

As I recall, Atlus started doing this with Xbox when P5 Royal was released. Out here in LA, I saw a good amount of advertising for it on the street just driving around. So this isn't too surprising to me.

Sure maybe it's a bit misguided as most fans of Atlus games are on PS and Nintendo but I just sort of see this as Xbox trying to garner the attention of people into Anime and such since it has grown into a pretty damn big market now and would be stupid to ignore. Sony usually has like Final Fantasy tied up with marketing deals, Nintendo has Pokemon and so this is like their effort to have a JRPG associated with their brand. I doubt it has the same amount of success as the other 2 but there it is. I don't see this as a negative.

It 100 % make perfect sense to target the weaker platform with the advertising when you know it's going to sell on the other platforms. It's not like it's saying only in Xbox. It's a pretty ridiculous thing to cry about.

 

[thicc_girls_are_teh_best]

Not sure what you're asking here, but it sounds like

People who would've bought a PS5 for the game (and its other RPGs) ending up not buying one because it's had zero PS5 advertising in the West.

And the kicker is, those people probably aren't buying an Xbox to play the game, at this point. They'll just wait until they think the game's coming to PS5 or PC....only to find out way later it was on both Day 1.

So maybe that person scrambles to buy the game at launch, or now they can't because that money's been set aside for another game they knew was coming out for their system way beforehand. In that example the publisher just lost a sale. Or maybe the person decides to wait to buy a PS5 thinking the game comes later, then finds out it was there Day 1, but now they can't buy a PS5, they don't have a PC to play the game and they don't want to buy an Xbox.

Well now that's just Microsoft enforcing a marketing deal that actively harms the gaming market because they aren't getting that customer anyway, but neither is Sony and neither is Valve. A net loss for everyone just to make-pretend Xbox has an exclusive JRPG.

Marketing rights and platform exclusivity are totally the same thing

Marketing rights that forcefully exclude all mentions of other platforms a game is on in all marketing material is certainly stupid on behalf of the publisher.

I mean... That's what they are supposed to do?
Though define heavily. Actually, define marketing, Xbox is allergic to that.

There've actually been a decent number of TV ads surprisingly (at least on Cartoon Network/Adult Swim and the like) for the game, and they only mention Xbox & Game Pass.

Which makes me think Microsoft themselves are 100% footing the marketing for the game in the West; if SEGA/Atlus were producing any of these ads they'd at least probably list PlayStation & Steam as well as Xbox & Game Pass.

Anyone who's interested in JRPG's and/or Atlus games knows it's coming to PS5.

I guess Atlus only care to sell their JRPGs to the same people who were already buying them on PS & Steam, and not new gamers or newer JRPG players who are more casual, and would benefit from seeing the game advertised for their platform of choice.

Believe it or not, the market for games like this could grow on PS and Steam, but not if a publisher just "assumes" everyone already knows it's coming out there. That itself assumes everyone interested (or would be interested) is a genre diehard or hardcore enthusiast following all the gaming news. Which we know isn't true, because they're doing TV ads for the game at this very moment, suggesting they know at least on Xbox there are new customers to reach.

It'd be the same for PlayStation and Steam, yet those platforms are getting blacklisted by Microsoft in the Western marketing

How do you figure?

Because they're doing TV ads in America for the game. That's one of the most mainstream forms of marketing to casual & mainstream audiences, and newcomers.

There are plenty of JRPG newbies and casuals on PS5 and Steam who don't keep up with all the new releases. So, they likely wouldn't know about this game due to the way it's being marketed.

Tales from his ass.

Anyway, the marketing rights seem to be limited anyway, the game shows all platforms in its latest TV spots.

Plus like others have said, anyone who knew anything about the game would know what platforms its on. If someone doesn't even know what Metaphor is in the first place, it's not because it was only marketed for xyz platform.

Western. Ads.

It's the Western ads where they don't mention PlayStation and Steam, as graywolf323 said. The Japanese marketing has always listed all the platforms (Xbox, PS, Steam).

There was a rumor a while back that Microsoft stipulated some condition with SEGA/Atlus that if they made a game for PlayStation, they must also make an Xbox version, and Microsoft would get marketing rights for all SEGA/Atlus games outside of Asian markets like Japan. The Western marketing for Metaphor just reinforces that rumor, not to mention the Western marketing they already had for other SEGA/Atlus releases (Like A Dragon, P5R, Infinite Wealth etc.).

If it ain't on Game Pass then I really don't see much point in marketing it for Xbox.

Phil Spencer does (or did): counter SIE's marketing/exclusivity of games like FF7 Remake/Rebirth, Granblue etc., and push back on idea that Xbox doesn't have any Japanese support.

Also probably to push back against the real data that B2P sales for JRPGs are weak on Xbox, hence no Game Pass for Metaphor. Everything Phil's been doing for Xbox this gen, up until higher-ups forced changes after ABK was completed, has been for optics rather than results.

 

[Reizo Ryuu]

People who would've bought a PS5 for the game (and its other RPGs) ending up not buying one because it's had zero PS5 advertising in the West.

And the kicker is, those people probably aren't buying an Xbox to play the game, at this point. They'll just wait until they think the game's coming to PS5 or PC....only to find out way later it was on both Day 1.

...yeah so basically

 

[nnytk]

I tried the demo on PC and I'm actually more worried it will get bad reviews due to performance issues and looking quite rough in places, graphically.

I love the art direction but I think many people won't gel with it.

The demo starts out rather slow too with a ton of handholding so... If this game doesn't do well, worth of mouth and review wise, I think it might grow into a flop.

I truly hope it doesn't though, because I love Atlus for what they do, even if its not always for me...

 

[samstrajack]

We gotta define some of these terms - It's not going to sell as well as a Persona game, duh.

It's also not going to sell very well on Xbox, which is why Atlus took the marketing / GamePass bag.

 

[Astray]

I tried the demo on PC and I'm actually more worried it will get bad reviews due to performance issues and looking quite rough in places, graphically.

Performance issues got fixed in the latest patch. Hope that patch makes it into the final build from day 1.

 

[MMaRsu]

How fast do you think it'll drop to around $40 USD? I'll buy it after the demo, but not for fucking $70. those in-game textures reminded me of the N64

You can find a key for Steam for around 40 euro's