14th December 2005, 11:45 PM
Sony of Japan isn't as bad, Sony of Europe evidently is slightly better... but Sony of America...
Working Designs closed (American company that translates and releases Japanese games in the US market). Why? Because of Sony's extremely restrictive American publishing limitations.
http://www.workingdesigns.com/forum/show...p?t=118916
Games that they don't like don't get approved. So, even though Working Designs put years into them, Growlancer 2 and Growlancer 3 were not allowed to be sold as individual games. They only could be sold as a collection, Growlancer Generations -- which sold, but not as well as the games seperately would have.
Goemon PS2 was also being translated (and improved) by Working Designs. Sony of America denied the game certification permanantly, even though the game is close enough to being finished that it still might come out in Europe even though Working Designs is gone.
So? Those were their two main projects, and Sony sabotaged both of them, so by Working Designs... the founder (who made that post) said that he might work with Microsoft to translate some of the X360's Japanese RPGs (you know, the ones Microsoft is making sure get developed this time by probably funding them themselves...)... we'll see.
WD aren't the only ones hurt because of this, of course. SNK also has... ever wonder why Metal Slug 3 isn't out on PS2, while Metal Slug 4&5 is? Why PS2 got King of Fighters 2000/2001 and KOF2002/2003 but not SNK vs Capcom... why Samurai Shodown 5 is only coming out for Xbox (it's being released in a week or two)... yet the US Xbox got all of those games except KOF00/01? Yup, because Sony didn't allow single Neo Geo games to be released in the US, only twin packs. At least SNK is big enough that it doesn't hurt them too badly, though... it just annoys gamers.
I didn't even know that they were making PS2 Goemon... probably a good thing, because the Goemon games are fantastic, and I really, REALLY wish that more of them would come out in English... the two N64 games are so great. I really want the DS game to be released in English... but it's probably a lost hope... :(
Working Designs closed (American company that translates and releases Japanese games in the US market). Why? Because of Sony's extremely restrictive American publishing limitations.
http://www.workingdesigns.com/forum/show...p?t=118916
Games that they don't like don't get approved. So, even though Working Designs put years into them, Growlancer 2 and Growlancer 3 were not allowed to be sold as individual games. They only could be sold as a collection, Growlancer Generations -- which sold, but not as well as the games seperately would have.
Goemon PS2 was also being translated (and improved) by Working Designs. Sony of America denied the game certification permanantly, even though the game is close enough to being finished that it still might come out in Europe even though Working Designs is gone.
So? Those were their two main projects, and Sony sabotaged both of them, so by Working Designs... the founder (who made that post) said that he might work with Microsoft to translate some of the X360's Japanese RPGs (you know, the ones Microsoft is making sure get developed this time by probably funding them themselves...)... we'll see.
WD aren't the only ones hurt because of this, of course. SNK also has... ever wonder why Metal Slug 3 isn't out on PS2, while Metal Slug 4&5 is? Why PS2 got King of Fighters 2000/2001 and KOF2002/2003 but not SNK vs Capcom... why Samurai Shodown 5 is only coming out for Xbox (it's being released in a week or two)... yet the US Xbox got all of those games except KOF00/01? Yup, because Sony didn't allow single Neo Geo games to be released in the US, only twin packs. At least SNK is big enough that it doesn't hurt them too badly, though... it just annoys gamers.
I didn't even know that they were making PS2 Goemon... probably a good thing, because the Goemon games are fantastic, and I really, REALLY wish that more of them would come out in English... the two N64 games are so great. I really want the DS game to be released in English... but it's probably a lost hope... :(