Persona 4 Arena - The first region locked PS3 game?

http://www.atlus.com/forum/showthread.php?p=288494

"Sorry for the delayed confirmation, but yes, the PS3 version game will be region-locked. I certainly can't offer details as to why, but there might be an official response at some point.

To reiterate, our version of the game works for the North and South America regions. Also keep in mind that both the NA and JP versions have both English and Japanese text/voice options, making them nearly identical. I'm unsure of what the case will be for the EU version."

Remember back when Sony added region locking capabilities to SDK 3.50? Well, someone finally used it. Isn't this the first region locked PS3 game?

 

And here's Sony again showing how they don't know what they want... or what their customers want.

PS1: "Let's make a console with a Parallel and serial port for future expansion"
PSOne removed both ports...

PS2: "Let's include a port for an HDD so games can load faster, and give the option of installing/running Linux"
PSTwo had no HDD support...

PS3: "Let's include PS2 backwards compatibility, allow installing/running Linux as we first did with the PS2 and let's make the console region free"
They removed BC pretty quickly, then firmware 3.20 removed the ability to install(/run?) Linux, and finally they released an SDK with the option of making region-locked games.

Dafuq Sony?!?!

 

Seconded. You can only tick off customers if you introduce a feature only to take it back later.

 

^


The only possible reason WHY there could be Region lock out on this is if it's coming out at the sametime and they want to put a damper on Reverse Importation. Because as we all know, the Japanese get reamed out the ass in prices for games.


It doesn't make sense otherwise because Japan and North America are part of the same PS3/Blu-Ray Region.

 

If this ends up being true, it's Atlus fault. No other dev has ever made any region locked game on the PS3. And then someones decide to start it, 6 years after the console has been on sale? WTF?

A quote i found on Neogaf:
As pointed out above, Sony gave publishers the ability to region lock if they wanted to. No one chose to do it. Midway was the only company that ever floated the idea, and that was only because of the BR combo for Stranglehold/Hard Boiled. In the end they decided against region locking the game.

Atlus only "excuse" is to stop people from importing, but this will backfire on them very badly as everybody knows the PS3 is region-fee.

 

PS3 is like PSP or Master System. Common opinion paints it as region-free based primarily on the fact few give a **** about any exceptions. Not whether there were technical measures in place to implement lockout.

 

Atlus choosing to implement the region lock option is Sony's fault how?

 

Because Sony decided to add region locking capabilities to their supposedly region-free device. Sure, Atlus is the only company so far that decided to use it, but if Sony didn't go back on their word, then this wouldn't be a problem. Sony has a knack for lying through their teeth about an upcoming feature for their console, then either removing it later, or just not adding it at all.

Remember how the Vita was supposed to be able to stream PS3 games?

Remember how the Vita was supposed to have a program to transfer UMDs and make them playable? (Unless you live in Japan, you're SOL.)

Why does my launch 60GB PS3 do LESS than it did when I bought it? Simple, it was made by Sony.

 

Sony is the equivalent of trash tv. What trash tv see how when that woman doesn't get what she wants so ,she picks the worst option and runs around punching people pissing people off and someone decides to fight back. ( the people who decide to fight back are the hacker ,coder, cfw maker ect.

 

It's still SONY's fault, they allowed the publisher to choose. If SONY bit the bullet and completely removed region locking and the choice to region lock, we wouldn't have this problem in the first place!

 

Any means by which software can sufficiently identify the hardware is potential region lock. Even if sony didn't program something specific to PS3 games, it might've been possible for creative developers to use the hooks in place for PS1/PS2/DVD.

 

I'm all for holding Sony to the fire when they screw up but blaming them for this just reeks of irrational hate.

Seriously!?!? That is like blaming a car company when a speeder kills someone because they sold a car that could go over the speed limit. Do you also blame Mattel for coming up with the idea for a lock out? What about Nintendo Sega and NEC for legitimizing it?

Sony (like Microsoft) offered an option to developers. They didn't shove it down their throat and force them to use it. Blame the people that chose to use it.

 

I'm afraid that's Apple and Oranges...

If SONY allow the choice, or leave it in developer's choice to use that option, that's still SONY's doing now isn't it? Same works on the XBOX 360, developers have the choice but it's the big company giving them that option, if the option wasn't there it wouldn't happen in the first place...

 

Jesus Christ people. =|

A miss interpretation of what they meant. They did how ever extend remote play to allow better video & audio quality when on vita. They're also going back and adding in support to some of their previous games ( God of War HD & SOTC/ICo HD are getting support added via patch). They've also extended the input to allow access to more PS3 buttons when on a vita.

Again sony never said they were doing it, only looking into it. They actually did release the program in japan and still support it.

You lost linux support but gained a bunch of other things. OMG sell your PS3 then.

 

The parallel port was never officially used by consumers (cheat devices don't count) and the serial port was for linking and was barely used. On top of that the parallel port was removed in the 900x revision. Why shouldn't they if both were barely used?

As for the HDD the bigger problem was that so many games that supported the HDD in Japan had the feature removed from NTSC-U and PAL versions of the same games. Beyond FFXI nothing required it and why should anyone buy an expensive addon if they don't need it?

Your PS3 point is the only completely valid one as it was something that virtually any PS1/2 fan could actually use consistently. OtherOS was removed for bullshit reasons but you have to keep in mind only a minority of users used it.

Which is us. We are the minority. I'm sure every kid in town imports Japanese PS3 titles and will be upset over region locking.

 

Wasn't 'OtherOS' removed cause there was a Linux program to run BR Images? My memory is foggy about that.

 

If I recall correctly, this'll be the second region locked PS3 game. John Woo's Stranglehold was region locked due to the unlockable movie "Hardboiled" on the disc back in 2007.

http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/31/stranglehold-on-ps3-to-be-region-locked/

 

This is what I meant.

In fact it's both Sony and Atlus fault:

Sony for adding the possibility of region lockout.
Atlus for using it.

So I'd say blame both...

I, for instance, will blame it on the root cause: Sony adding the option of region lockout to a console that was supposed to be region free.

The parallel port was never officially used by consumers; however it was there for future expansion, or so I heard.

The HDD for PS2 was the fault of developers/publishers. If they decided to remove the installation to HDD from their US/EU releases, they're to blame...
However it is Sony who stopped manufacturing the fat PS2 when they released the Slim (so, no option for new consumers to get an HDD compatible console), and the Slim had no HDD in its Japan releases... so it affected the (supposedly) biggest market where it was used.

As for the OtherOS: even if it was a minority of users, it was still a very appealing reason to buy the console, and it's not like it was not being used (even if it was not the main purpose of the console).

 

Yeh it was the fault of the publishers but knowing full well the most use the HDD saw in the US was FFXI (Square is still pissed over the slim FWIW) and the Resident Evil Outbreaks it makes total sense to get rid of HDD support from Sony's stand point. The slim sold well enough so I can't imagine the outrage was really there in the first place.

 

IIRC, the PS2 HDD was removed on the Slim because of the HDLoader. In fact, Sony wanted to sell PS2 games directly to the console via internet.