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[Dark Age Iron Savior]

Can anyone name a single Atlus title where the developer making the game was saying, "oh! I'm making this for Atlus to publish!" at the time of development?

The Shin Megami Tensei series comes to mind.

 

[TurtleSnatcher]

Okay.. atlus may pick it up.. and its great cause everyone loves atlus.. but thats the underground nerds like us.. and when u add us all together.. we give atlus shitty sales still =[


I wish they would have 1 game that just explodes in everyones face

 

[polg]

:lol
this thread is generating as many posts as the PDZ one...

Bowl Cat vs Jo... FIGHT

 

[Greenpanda]

Well, I'm not getting involved in the rest of this mess , but it sounds like it would be cool if this game came out here.

 

[DCharlie]

If they do pick new tracks, i'd love them to go off the beaten track (although i'd suspect that is unlikely as if i was wanting to make sales, i'd go for something familiar)

Would love to see either : Your Easy Part or Break for Me (both by Art of Fighting) used for the "dead boyfriend" level.

And Motherf**ka by Way out West for the last level

 

[Taichu]

This is good to hear. I'd definately buy the game again with a new soundtrack

 

[Madame M]

Not a chance

 

[mattiewheels]

honestly, i don't care what they do since i imported.

i'm starting to think that it's much, MUCH better that i don't know what the hell those people are saying in the cartoons. i'm sure a translation would just make it less funny. i'd be interested in seeing what songs they use if they change things, but they'd better leave everything else alone.

 

[Joeholley]

Being that music that is less popular costs less to license and the expected US market for this game would be minimal, I'd suggest that they get a bunch of 80's music. Some new wave, some hair rock, some punk.

Hrms, I think we should make an official 'Ouendan US Stage Music Suggestions' thread. :lol

 

[Tempy]

I also doubt it'll come over intact due to licensing issues and non-familiarity with the songs in the first place, but that's fine by me. The game is very playable without knowing any Japanese and the artwork explains the story very well anyway. So just import. I concur with wanting a western "sequel", but with say music from the 80s Heck, more Ouendan would be awesome, but it didn't sell very well even in Japan, so what are the chances anyway?

 

[Juice]

Someone certainly seems to dislike Atlus.

Not at all! Atlus is great. They provide me with niche games I want that have absolutely no business being released in America to anyone beyond the GAF crowd. Which is part of why they necessitate such small prints. It's just not sharp business.

That combined with the fact that they don't have any developers working underneath them, they're just grabbing unpopular finished titles to localize and release in the states based on their own analysis of quality and potential makes them a ridiculous nominee for "best publisher ever." Their only purpose is to quench the inefficiency of the demand of US gamers who want niche JPN games. Hence, bottom feeders. They do nothing for the industry at large, and certainly nothing for the games themselves. Now if they were to bring over some super innovative title and it become a smash hit stateside and inadvertently started a revolution of gaming, that'd be another story--but it'd also be impossible, since Atlus always commits to really short runs.

 

[Xellotah]

I'm interested in this game...

Is this game playable to an English speaking person?

 

[DDayton]

Not at all! Atlus is great. They provide me with niche games I want that have absolutely no business being released in America to anyone beyond the GAF crowd. Which is part of why they necessitate such small prints. It's just not sharp business.

That combined with the fact that they don't have any developers working underneath them, they're just grabbing unpopular finished titles to localize and release in the states based on their own analysis of quality and potential makes them a ridiculous nominee for "best publisher ever." Their only purpose is to quench the inefficiency of the demand of US gamers who want niche JPN games. Hence, bottom feeders. They do nothing for the industry at large, and certainly nothing for the games themselves. Now if they were to bring over some super innovative title and it become a smash hit stateside and inadvertently started a revolution of gaming, that'd be another story--but it'd also be impossible, since Atlus always commits to really short runs.

Now wait a second... in as much as Atlus is importing niche and bizarre titles and translating them, they are doing something for the industry at large. Atlus is helping, albiet in very small steps, to expose SOME people to some of the more "odd" titles. Atlus serves a more niche community, but they do serve a fanbase and a purpose.

If Atlus sells most of their titles and generally profits, aren't they examples of "sharp business"? As they work only as a publisher and have no developers, their costs should be lower when it comes to game publishing. They try to print only as many copies as they expect to sell, thus minimizing potential losses. I'm really having a hard time seeing how they have poor business sense.

Atlus imports games that certain niche gamers want to play, and to those gamers Atlus is "the best publisher ever." Sure, EA sells more and develops their own games, but Atlus brings over the much more bizarre titles.

Side note: Any chance of getting Mastiff to release this in the USA? They also seem to focus on weird little titles...

 

[jarrod]

Can anyone name a single Atlus title where the developer making the game was saying, "oh! I'm making this for Atlus to publish!" at the time of development?

Hoshigami, Double Dragon Advance, River City Ransom EX, Go! Go! Hypergrind, Shining Force GBA, SMT3 Nocturne Maniax. All 6 were only greenlighted after deals were made for Atlus USA to bring 'em over.

Atlus is fantastic at picking up choice localizations, their track record for 3rd party stuff is unmatched imo...

The Crusader of Centy (Gen) SEGA/Nextech
Virtual Hydlide (SS) SEGA/T&E Soft
Space Griffon VF-9 (PS) Panther Software
Ogre Battle: March of the Black Queen (PS) ArtDink
Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together (PS) ArtDink
Bomberman World (PS) Hudson
Guilty Gear (PS) Sammy/Arc System Works
Bomberman Fantasy Race (PS) Hudson
Tail Concerto (PS) Bandai/Cyber-Connect-2
Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure (PS) NIS
Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Caliber (N64) Quest
Robopon Sun (GBC) Hudson/Red Entertainment
Hard Hitter Tennis (PS2) Mahou
Tsugunai: Atonement (PS2) SCEI/Cattle Call
Hoshigami: Ruining Blue Earth (PS) Max-Five
Tactics Ogre: The Knight of Lodis (GBA) Quest
SkyGunner (PS2) SCEI/Pixel Arts
Dual Hearts (PS2) SCEI/Matrix Software
Robopon 2: Ring Version (GBA) Hudson/Red Entertainment
Robopon 2: Cross Version (GBA) Hudson/Red Entertainment
Cubivore: Survival of the Fittest (GC) Nintendo/Intelligent Systems
Lufia: The Ruins of Lore (GBA) Taito/Alterior Double
Disgaea: Hour of Darkness (PS2) NIS
Shining Soul (GBA) SEGA/Nextech
The King of Fighters EX2: Howling Blood (GBA) Marvelous Interactive/Sun-Tec
Shining Soul II (GBA) SEGA/Nextech
Shining Force: Resurrection of the Dark Dragon (GBA) SEGA/Amusement Vision
Pro Fishing Challenge (Xbox) Opus
Puyo Pop Fever (NDS) SEGA/Sonic Team
Samurai Western (PS2) Spike/Aquire
Riviera: The Promised Land (GBA) Sting
Magna Carta: Tears of Blood (PS2) Banpresto/Softmax

 

[ratcliffja]

They'd probably have to castrate the game, Donkey Konga style, to get anybody to buy it over here. Oh well, I've heard so many good things about the game that I'd definitely buy it. I bet they'd switch to female cheerleaders, though, for cultural reasons. With that the case, I'd expect it to be catered heavily to females.

 

[jarrod]

That combined with the fact that they don't have any developers working underneath them

Er, what? You do know that Atlus Japan has 3 internal R&D teams, Takara's old R&D staff plus a ton of tiny other associated teams who they've invested in (Million, Racjin, Pinegrow, Career Soft, etc) right? Plus that soon they're merging with TOMY and they also handle American distribution for NIS?

 

[Rayven]

My copy of Ouendan is somewhere between China and here, so I haven't played it yet.
Doesn't the onscreen "cheering" and circle tapping happen in sync with the music? If they dropped new tracks in, wouldn't they have to fuck with the animations and timing to make it playable?

 

[DDayton]

Yah, new songs would require new "cheer" routines... but those shouldn't be that hard to do. The engine is in place, after all.

The biggest problem would be the cultural one... if you could find ANYTHING to parallel guys screaming and cheering to music, you'd have a chance. I really have no idea how you COULD localize this... you'd have to present it as it is.

 

[DCharlie]

replace them with long haired head bangers / bighaired rockers and do the game as an homage to the 70s and 80s...

Problem solved.

 

[Rayven]

right, but the question is: would a publisher want to spend the $ to pretty much rework the entire game (and probably de-fun it in the process)?

 

[GDJustin]

Not at all! Atlus is great. They provide me with niche games I want that have absolutely no business being released in America to anyone beyond the GAF crowd. Which is part of why they necessitate such small prints. It's just not sharp business.

That combined with the fact that they don't have any developers working underneath them, they're just grabbing unpopular finished titles to localize and release in the states based on their own analysis of quality and potential makes them a ridiculous nominee for "best publisher ever." Their only purpose is to quench the inefficiency of the demand of US gamers who want niche JPN games. Hence, bottom feeders. They do nothing for the industry at large, and certainly nothing for the games themselves. Now if they were to bring over some super innovative title and it become a smash hit stateside and inadvertently started a revolution of gaming, that'd be another story--but it'd also be impossible, since Atlus always commits to really short runs.

I consider Atlus localizing Disgaea a huge part of the reason SRPGS took off in a major way in the latter half of this gen, to the point that they went from niche and very hard to find, to the new "played out" gaming experience.

 

[Spazbiohaz]

Atlus did Gitaroo Man which also made ouendan. All they changed was the Text and it was great. Do it atlus.

 

[radios shipping overview]

Atlus did Gitaroo Man which also made ouendan. All they changed was the Text and it was great. Do it atlus.

Er, what? Koei published Gitaroo Man in Japan and the US.

 

[jgkspsx]

because admit it, we gamers look for ANYTHING to complain about

:lol

 

[..pakbeka..]

nm

 

[Geek]

iNis did Gitaroo Man which also made ouendan. All they changed was the Text and it was great. Do it SOME US PUBLISHER.

But Gitaroo Man had largely instrumental tracks.

 

[..pakbeka..]

Currently we're racing to see who can get his current project done first, so I guess whoever wins gets his grubby keyboard on (ATLUS RELEASE SPOILER)!

DAMN IT

 

[levious]

They'd probably have to castrate the game, Donkey Konga style, to get anybody to buy it over here. Oh well, I've heard so many good things about the game that I'd definitely buy it. I bet they'd switch to female cheerleaders, though, for cultural reasons. With that the case, I'd expect it to be catered heavily to females.

male cheerleaders or yell leaders are not that uncommon in the US.

 

[Tempy]

If they ever made a westernized Ouendan, it better feature YMCA by The Village People!

 

[polg]

Er, what? Koei published Gitaroo Man in Japan and the US.

I have pal version of Gitaroo Man. AWFUL voice acting... (I can choose English, French or... Dutch i think... but no jap!)

Don't do that to Ouendan please...

 

[Kroole]

If they ever made a westernized Ouendan, it better feature YMCA by The Village People!

Better yet. Replace the cheerleaders with the YMCA crew