Sega Completes Acquisition of Atlus....

[Jtbrig7390]

http://www.gamespot.com/articles/seg...GSS-05-10aaa0b

Both Sega and Atlus will continue to identify as individual brands, while Sega will take over publishing in North America.

Sega acquired Atlus's bankrupt parent company in 2013 and then secured the developer's future the next year. Now, Sega has completed the acquisition of Atlus and will publish all of the developer's games in North America from this point forward.

Sega announced the news in a press release. Despite Sega publishing Atlus's games, both entities will continue to identify as individual brands for future video games. Sega says the change is "to simplify business accounts" and unify the publishing arms of each; it also claims that no video games or other products will be affected by this.

Sega adds that since integrating Atlus USA into its business, Sega's been able to localize games such as Yakuza 5 and Hatsune Miku: Project Diva F. Atlus CEO Naoto Hiraoka says working under Sega has been beneficial for both companies.

"After nearly a year working under the Sega Games division, both Sega of America and Atlus USA have thrived and released a combined total of 23 game products," said Hiraoka. "Between Atlus's ability to localize and release Japanese video game products efficiently and the strength of Sega of America's reputation as a leading publisher in the industry, the situation could not be more symbiotic for both companies

Persona 5 is slated for a 2016 release on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3.

It was also announced in the press release that Ivo Gerscovich will now be the chief head brand officer of Sonic and senior vice president of Sega of America. Gerscovich will oversee and give direction on the future of Sonic the Hedgehog in future games, TV shows, retail products, and a feature-length movie.

Another executive move finds vice president of product development Takashi Iizuka moving from Sega HQ in Japan to the Sonic business unit in Los Angeles, where Gerscovich is stationed. Iizuka has history with developing the Sonic franchise and will help streamline production on all things blue and fast.

So what is your guys opinion on this, To me it could be a good thing to have someone as big as Sega helping out and all. It will just suck if lesser profitable titles don't get released due to Sega.

[Mechazod]

The fact that Sega was cheap/lazy enough to not even do a limited run, retailer exclusive, physical release of Yakuza 5 outside of Japan, causes me worry about the future of the type of niche titles Atlus has always been known to release. (seriously if fucking SURGEON SIMULATOR can get a disc release, there is no reason a series as beloved as Yakuza cant)

[Tech614]

The fact that Sega was cheap/lazy enough to not even do a limited run, retailer exclusive, physical release of Yakuza 5 outside of Japan, causes me worry about the future of the type of niche titles Atlus has always been known to release. (seriously if fucking SURGEON SIMULATOR can get a disc release, there is no reason a series as beloved as Yakuza cant)

I hate to break it to you but it's much worse then that. Sega did not even localize Yakuza 5, let alone release a physical copy. Sony had to localize the damn game for them.

Sega is still letting Atlus run by themselves as they always have. Nothing is changing in the short term at all, and no need to worry about them until Sega changes that stance.

[Mechazod]

Sony had to localize the damn game for them.

Ugh. Well at least it looks like they are putting in some effort on Yakuza 0's world-wide release since its on PS4 and not 3 (or Sony paying the bill again).

Its a shame when Sega has become the equivalent of an insult or swear word for a lot of things, kind of like Capcom.

[Deleted]

would have prefered someone like nintendo buying them but aslong as they do the same as theyre now but with slightly better financial support i dont mind.

[Keile]

The fact that Sega was cheap/lazy enough to not even do a limited run, retailer exclusive, physical release of Yakuza 5 outside of Japan, causes me worry about the future of the type of niche titles Atlus has always been known to release. (seriously if fucking SURGEON SIMULATOR can get a disc release, there is no reason a series as beloved as Yakuza cant)

Wait...

Surgeon Sim actually got a physical disc release? o.O

I'm shocked they had the money to actually publish the thing, considering it was an indie.....then again so was Shovel Knight and that one got a multi-console physical release and a freakin Amiibo....(which I may or may not own and may or may not be sitting on my desk next to me).

[Aori]

Unf... This worries me.

[Tech614]

would have prefered someone like nintendo buying them but aslong as they do the same as theyre now but with slightly better financial support i dont mind.

You want freaking Nintendo owning Atlus? Are you serious? As long as Sega continues to let Atlus operate as their own entity(which they are) this is the best thing for Atlus. If you seriously want Nintendo owning Atlus, which would mean they now only make games on Nintendo consoles, questionable games would take a long time to get localized and come out with no marketing, religious references would be censored out the ass(really bad for SMT series) and Atlus would likely go from having great voice acting in most games to down right shit voice acting in most games.

Yea, I'll pass on a Nintendo owned Atlus. Hell, I would rather freaking MS buy them over that. People on this forum know I love Nintendo but I love Nintendo for being Nintendo. Miyamoto and his good ole boys have no place at all trying to green light and produce Atlus games. It would be a fucking disaster.

[Dartz1979]

As long as they don't PG the adult games it's all good for me.

[Verdugo]

Do you think sega will close DeS servers?

[Mechazod]

Wait...

Surgeon Sim actually got a physical disc release? o.O

Yeah, Toys R Us got a bunch of cheap-o indie games and what not as exclusive disc releases as budget titles. I think other stores got some of them later on, but I believe Great Giana Sisters on Wii U and Surgeon Simulator on PS4 are still exclusive to them.

[Tech614]

Do you think sega will close DeS servers?

Sega won't close them any faster then Atlus would. The reason they extended the servers is that the game is still making them far more money then the servers cost to run. Game is on sale almost every month. When it stops selling the servers will go down.