In the attempt to help Atlus USA with its business operations, Sega has become the acting publisher for Atlus USA titles including Persona 5.
Now before pressing those panic buttons, we have it on good authority that this is going to be a beneficial team up. According to Game Informer, fans have no reason to worry about Atlus USA being changed as the two companies are going to act independently of each other.
This whole process all began back in 2013 when Sega SAMMY brought Atlus’ parent company, Index Corporation for $141 million (¥ 14 billion). This purchase should be good news to fans because with both companies working together towards a common goal, SEGA can localize and launch popular Japanese titles to the western regions in a much easier fashion. Coming straight from the horse’s mouth, a SEGA representative commented on how acquiring Atlus benefited their own operations:
“Since Atlus U.S.A.—renowned for the award-winning Shin Megami Tensei, Persona, and Etrian Odyssey franchises—integrated with SEGA of America, the ATLUS expertise has allowed SEGA to localize and publish popular Japanese titles in the west, including the Yakuza series, Project DIVA series, and more,”
Each of the titles named in this official statement are ones growing in popularity here in the states. For example, Yakuza 5 scored brilliantly when reviewed by critics with a current metascore of 83 and 8.8 total for the user score. And with two more Yakuza titles already set to head for western regions, the fanbase may see yet another growth spurt.
The highly anticipated title, Persona 5, is supposed to launch sometime this summer. When Persona 5’s delay announcement was made during Tokyo Game Show 2015, fans were deeply disappointed about having to wait another year.
If what SEGA says about the acquisition is true, this merger should result in an influx of popular Japanese titles to be distributed towards the western fans. We shall wait patiently to see what sort of localization projects will be made known in the coming days.
(Source: Game Informer)
