Atlus Asks Which Platforms Fans Want Its Games For in Annual Survey; Adds Xbox Option

Today Atlus unleashed its traditional annual survey asking a bunch of interesting questions to its fans, including platforms and more.

[ZeekQuattro]

I feel like Atlus keeps doing these and not following up. People have been asking for ports on multiple platforms for years and Atlus doesn't seem to want to spend the money to make it happen. Theres enough companies out there to outsource ports to since Atlus can't be bothered to so it themselves.

[Vits]

Big issue is that this is focuse on their local market. So there is a big chance that their public is happy with the current status quo. Though I expect to see at least a lot of demand for Switch ports.

[zawepa]

they have brought some games to more platforms but it's at a slow rate.
it would be great if they started releasing whole collections instead i think.

[LOGICWINS]

I'm confused. Can't Sega pressure Atlus to put their games on Xbox even if Atlus themselves doesn't want to?

Does Atlus have some sort of independence that I'm not aware of where they can pick and choose which platforms they want their games..regardless of Sega's wishes?

[ZeekQuattro]

You would think but Sega isn't the most business savy company either. It's how they got where they are today. Sega themselves also like to do surveys that generally go no where.

Like for instance they asked people what platforms they wanted to be a part of Sega Ages. Naturally people asked for Saturn and Dreamcast systems and Sega being Sega decided to lean heavily on the Genesis with some arcade games thrown in for good measure before ending the Sega Ages promotion.

[DarXyde]

Atlus itself? No. They have no way to refuse.

The TALENT at Atlus? Absolutely. Japan Studio had a recent exodus, most likely because they didn't like the way things were going. All it means is they'll take their talent elsewhere and create a spiritual successor to the franchises they've worked on, if not something entirely new. As Konami has made clear, owning the IP doesn't mean a thing if your talent evaporates. You can't force people to do anything they don't want to.

That said, I don't really buy the rumors about Sega and Microsoft. Just doesn't seem to be in their best interest at all. I think they would much rather remain independent and throw Microsoft a bone on Game Pass when they want to extend the life of a product.

[Teflon02]

When SEGA bought Atlus, they specifically said they'd allow ATLUS to operate independently. Also why would SEGA force ATLUS to release games on Xbox when they're a Japanese Company? You do realize SEGA has had games and a decent bit of em actually skip Xbox because they're made by Japanese devs that didn't decide to make a Xbox version?

[DOMination-]

They are owned by SEGA - it's only a matter of time that they are owned by Microsoft anyway, this is just another in a very long line of hints that the future for the blue hedgehog is green.

[Silly gameAr]

Microsoft is just buying up everyone huh? Why make your own studios, when you can just buy well established studios that have been multiplatform for years? It's the fastest way to say "hey! look at all these studios that we have! Aren't we the greatest"?

[DOMination-]

Look at it this way; Amazon and Google. They tried to put together a "superteam" of all the best talent and it simply doesn't work. Microsoft themselves have been burnt by that when they first created 343i. It's the reason why 2 trillion dollar Apple won't get involved in the gaming industry.

Creating a new team organically from scratch is expensive and time consuming. Purchasing a studio not only gets you the talent, but also the relationships already built within that team and the IP that comes with it.

SEGA is a strategically sound investment. Their stock is fairly low, but they own a wealth of valuable IP. Their Japanese heritage still holds weight. They have been partnering with Microsoft for a while, and there have been many hints over the last 12 months from both companies. But if MS doesn't buy them, EA or Embracer will.

[Silly gameAr]

Dom, they haven't partnered with MS until Phil went to Japan and dropped off a bag of money. When Phil went to Japan, all of a sudden, they started getting the royal treatment from sega. They were more synonymous with Sony because of the Yakuza series and Atlus.

The producer even said if it wasn't for Sony, yakuza wouldn't even be a thing. Microsoft didn't want Yakuza. Nintendo didn't want Yakuza. Now all of a sudden, MS is in love with Yakuza, and using it as a selling point for Gamepass. It's so scummy, that I actually have no words for it.

And, not to start anything, but MS is worth waaaay more than Sony. Sony has built successful compaines from scratch for years. They buy studios too, but it seems like they only buy the ones that are synonymous to playstation. No one is going to be mad that a company that started out making exclusives for a company was bought out by that company. Sega and Zenimax are a different story.

MS didn't build them from the ground up. They didn't make exclusives for MS. It seems like MS is trying to create a monopoly in gaming like they did with windows,

[notachance]

*ptsd flashback to rare and bungie*

[ScootaKuH]

Well that's pretty much the nature of the likes of Microsoft and Sony.

Trouble is, Microsoft, like EA, have a poor track record of nurturing their acquisitions. To me they're not interested in the studios themselves, they simply want the IPs.

I'm not confident right now that the Zenimax/Bethesda acquisition will bear much fruit

[Bruh]

Yeah that's called business lmfao...welcome to capitalism bro. If Microsoft does indeed buy Atlas, which doesn't make a whole lot of sense unless its an over buy, it would do nothing if not boost their portfolio of titles they can ship on GamePass win win for them

[King_Noctis]

In other word, just like Naughty Dogs, Insomniac, Sucker Punch, Media Molecule, and Guerrilla Game?

[NeoGamer232]

Yes, Sony is synonymous with Yakuza and Atlus. But that doesn't mean that porting the games over with a big bag of money is a bad strategy. GTA was a PS franchise until GTA IV when MS bought DLC timed exclusivity. Yakuza Like a Dragon was the same move and it was smart. Now GTA ships on XB pretty much equally with PS. Going forward, Yakuza will probably always be on XB too.

Tomb Raider was a franchise left for dead until MS saved it, so Sony isn't the only ones ensuring gamers get good games. Interview after interview the developers said, that if it wasn't for MS, Shadow of the Tomb Raider would not still be here today. Psychonauts 2 was also saved by MS, and if some news articles are to be believed, Zenimax was saved by MS as well. I like that both MS and Sony are putting money bags into games, that is only good for all gamers.

As for buying studios that are synonymous with PS, yes, Sony does that. But, Zenimax is known more as a PC game developer then a console developer and guess who owns the PC gaming platform called Windows? Fallout, Wolfenstein, Doom, Elder Scrolls, etc. all are synonymous with PC. So, MS is buying a set of studios that are more known for PC development which is aligned to MS. Not that much different then Sony buying Insomniac. Yes, it is not console, but a lot of people don't understand that MS gaming ambitions are not centered around console. They are centered around gaming anywhere and on any form factor. Console is just another place to play games if you choose XB as your primary gaming platform. You also can play games on tablet/phone through xCloud, most games on PC as well, and Sony as well in certain cases. So it doesn't matter what form factor you are on you can play your games. This is different from Sony in that Sony wants you to play only on Playstation and only supports other platforms grudgingly (mostly without cross save, cross trophies, cross play, and porting rather then supporting PC as an equal platform with day one releases).

The strategies are different and that is a good thing. It gives gamers choice, and allows gamers to decide what is most important to them. About 60% of my gaming time is on console, 30% on PC, and 10% on tablets/phones. MS supports all those form factors solidly, so that is why I like the XB gaming platform. If it wasn't for MS I would game 40% less. Gaming is my hobby and I want to do my hobby more not less. Because 40% of my potential gaming time I don't have access to my console or console is not the right platform for certain games like RTS. or many simulations as an example.

[Abriael]

Someone actually believed those absurd rumors from 4chan of a Microsoft buyout of Sega.

Literally everything Sega is doing financially shows they aren't selling to anyone, so you may want to set your heart at peace. If they had the slightest intention to sell, they'd be getting rid of their pachislot business, but they started very clearly that it isn't happening.

Contrary to (apparently) popular belief, not everyone wants to be bought. Thank goodness. There's plenty of room for companies to stay independent in this industry.

The gaming industry isn't a store where console manufacturers can pick up whatever they want and just go pay at the cashier. For something to be purchased, there has to be a will to sell on the other side, and from everything that can be seen of what Sega is doing, there is none.

If you think them considering Xbox as a platform (and giving it the very last spot in the survey, just using the generic brand and not even using specific models like all other platforms) is a hint of a purchase, boy I have some news for you.

[DOMination-]

Definitely mate.

Except it's not "just a 4chan rumour" if Microsoft had to post on their actual Twitter account that there's no news "at this time" of an acquisition whilst at the same time releasing hardware that is the same RGB colour as Sonic with the the headline "SimplyicONIC" and SEGA coming out bigging up GamePass in the last two weeks.

PS. Sega/MS have a richer and longer history than Sega/Sony.

But definitely Phil Spencer went to Japan with a bag of money. Because obviously in N4G land that's how Microsoft operate :D:D:D

It's happening folks. P6 GamePass day1 baby.

[Abriael]

@DOMination-: you're reaching so hard that your arm may snap at any time.

It doesn't matter who has a richer and longer history with who. Sega isn't selling to anyone.

But hey, I should check someone's comment history before engaging, I guess. 😂

[gold_drake]

yeeh i doubt that.
Atlus games have always beem on playstation platforms, then some of its gems were on Nintendo and p5, was a massive hit on Playstation.
their games just dont work with the MS fanbase amd they know it. and i dont think Sega would let them buy them out. especially since they have a close relationship with Nintendo and Sony. thats were their fanbase is.
Microsoft is not Platformer and JRPG land.

[MadLad]

But MS has major ties to the PC market, and the larger shift of Eastern JRPGs to the platform has shown that they most definitely sell there.

[Teflon02]

MS barely has ties on their own Windows platform lol. Valve and now Epic run Windows lmao. They ain't worried about MS

[throne]

selling to MS makes no sense since they're biggest franchises fanbase are in PS and Nintendo,plus it wont be in their best interest to ignore when ms fans dont necessarily play their games alot,even the yakuza games aren't been played by them alot

[JesusBuiltmyHotrod]

lol at being a pathetic fanboy like you.

[frostypants]

Oof...

[TheColbertinator]

Steam time!

[RPGer]

I said this several times before and I will always do. Xboxers doesn't care about other than FPS, Action and sport games. RPG, platform, puzzles, anime, unique etc... sales are so weak in Xbox not even Final Fantasy have that good sales. That is why we witnessed games like Yakuza, Kingdom Heart collection did went straight-up to gamepass, companies sesking for fast cash from Xbox, not fans nor base.

[MadLad]

Xbox most definitely caters to fans of RPGs. Western RPGs.
Not too much different than the Eastern market not being too enthused on many Western influenced titles.

[TheOptimist]

But they don't have a single big or even mid-sized RPG exclusive to their platform.

[CrimsonWing69]

I just want Shin Megami Tensei V, already. Let’s get that out before asking what platforms we want your games on.

[Unknown_Gamer5794]

Well...clearly my Japanese really sucks. I fudged like 90-95% of that just so I could answer the questions I wanted to, and I'm probably going to get emails now that I don't understand. Thankfully those questions had enough katakana for me to know what I was answering. Heck yes to a Persona 6!

Actually, the bulk of the stuff I more or less understood seemed to be about which platforms certain existing games should be ported to (maybe remakes were mentioned there too, but again, I clearly suck at Japanese). Do they ask that series of questions every year? If so, it seems they disregard most of it. P4G did come to Steam, and Nocturne is coming to PS4/Switch, so I guess not all of it is...but the questionnaire includes basically their whole catalog of Persona and SMT titles, as well as Odin Sphere, Dragon's Crown, and a whole bunch of stuff in Kanji that I can't read. I bet 13 Sentinels was on there and I missed it.

Does this survey ever go out in English? I'd totally redo it if I could actually understand the other 90-95% of it.

Edit: Ah, ok there is an Atlus West survey that comes out later in the year. Noted.

[aaronaton]

They were right to include Xbox in their survey as not many people at all will click it. Essentially qualifying their decision to not use the platform all these years.

Sometimes as a company, you need to know that you are still doing the right thing.

[neomahi]

Normally I would take a shot at platforms I totally disagree with and how theyre cheating consumers but, not this time. Im gonna tell Atlus, who isnt reading this anyway so why do I bother?

WHERE DID YOU LEARN BUSINESS ATLUS? THIS IS IN VERY POOR TASTE AND IS VERY, VERY, VERY, UNPROFESSIONAL! YOU HAVE NO CLASS!

[ScootaKuH]

PlayStation and Switch.

[MADGameR]

Leave it on PlayStation and Switch.

[RoseSapphire]

Why ask and not just port them to all the current systems? There's a realistic chance the systems, like Xbox, that don't usually receive Atlus titles have a bunch of potential fans that would support them given the chance.

[Chevalier]

There were a bunch of Atlus games on the 360. No one really bought them so those releases shifted towards the Wii and PS3 and since then Altus hasn't really released on Xbox

[RoseSapphire]

We're in vastly different times now.

[Chevalier]

Vastly different times? How so?

https://nintendoeverything....

Just look how much more games sell on Nintendo and Playstation compared to Xbox. There's a reason Atlus skipped a whole generation on Xbox. Sales are absolutely trash on Xbox as usual.

Just look at Phoenix Wright almost a half million on the Switch. Playstation traditionally has had no connection to the franchise and sold over 100,000 whereas Xbox can't even move 5000 on the system with over 40 million Xbox users. Just think about that for a second. Has it really changed? That's within the last year or 2 fyi. So its quite recent

[JesusBuiltmyHotrod]

LOL at this being a news story, sums up why Xbox is second fiddle as always.

[CyberSentinel]

Nintendo Switch, uncensored, and with oversized boxes with added swag, please.

Ty, Atlus.

(I love all your rpgs)

[lio_convoy]

As long as they keep publishing to PlayStation, I could care less if they publish to other platforms. Nothing wrong with multiplat titles if they're done right.

[SimpleSlave]

On all of them. Especially the Atati Jaguar...CD.

👍

[Yui_Suzumiya]

I owned the Jaguar when it came out. Don't knock it until you try it 😁

[SimpleSlave]

I see your Jaguar and raise you a Neo Geo CD. Gave me plenty of time to make a sandwich between loading screens.

Maybe ATLUS can let us play Shin Megami Tensei games between bouts of King of Fighters 94.

[DVAcme]

I need them to stop making the mainline Shin Megami Tensei games Nintendo-exclusive. I love Persona as much as the next guy, but not having any mainline SMT games on a Sony system since the PS2? That shit hurts, man. Or if you're not gonna make the mainline games, at least make a new Devil Summoner or Digital Devil Saga.

[Chevalier]

Exactly this. 100% agree. New Devil Summoner or SMT would be appreciated

[waverider]

Its business. Their games will sell bad on Microsoft consoles. You Dont need to be very smart to understand . In japan their are dead.

[Wrex369]

Persona 4 Golden deserves to be played by as many people as possible. Get it done Atlus.