End of XSeed retail releases?

[JiggiUp]

This isn't a "screw you XSeed for not releasing everything at retail" thread. I was very happy that Corpse Party got released at all, and I still bought it. But I always prefer the ownership, extra goodies, and collectible value of boxes, carts and discs. I want to know whether the company has completely given up retail releases for good.

Now, until very recently all of XSeed's digital-only releases had been low-budget, very niche games usually on handhelds (Corpse Party, Wizardry, Sumioni, Unchain Blades) or Steam releases of old PC games, one of which already got a box for the PSP.

But now Way of the Samurai 4 is going to be digital only. This is a full-fledged PS3 action-adventure part of a well established series, and Acquire's major release of the past year. It is NOT a cobbled-together Etrian Odyssey ripoff that looks like someone's Deviantart, or a dull Okami imitator. It's a relatively big deal.

This does not set a good precedent for any future releases. If Ys IV: Celceta fails to get a retail release (assuming you are the ones localizing it), then I guess that's really it.

Be honest with me, XSeed. If you can't say anything because of company secrets and licensing crap, just say so. Otherwise, give it to me straight. Will Last Story be the company's final retail release? It definitely seems like you're already lowering your lifeboats for when the market for retail games inevitably collapses and Gabe Newell's empire of fatness conquers all.

[JiggiUp]

Also, I probably should have mentioned this ages ago, but my sealed copy of Solatorobo came with a cracked soundtrack disc. I don't care about getting it exchanged, because the music isn't very good, but man.

[Ventara]

Well, Wyrdwad has posted that there are other physical game releases on the horizon. Whether that proves to be true or not is another matter. I myself am a little concerned about the format of Ys Celcata. I previously would've said that it'd definitely be physical and digital, but now I'm not so sure (though I'll definitely be getting the game even if it's digital only).

On a side note, I think Unchained Blade's art looks really good, and from what I've read, it's has more to it than just being an "Etrian Odyssey ripoff that looks like someone's Devianart", and other than artstyle, Sumioni is pretty different from Okami, so I wouldn't call it an imitator.

And you should've just asked for a replacement for the broken Solatorobo music disk if you're gonna complain about it. And I thought the music was pretty good, especially the CODA one.

[Chaosblade]

It definitely seems like you're already lowering your lifeboats for when the market for retail games inevitably collapses and Gabe Newell's empire of fatness conquers all.

If this makes the entire game industry as awesome as PC gaming/Steam, this is something we should support!

I think you pretty much have to take the comments XSEED folks have made at face value, because there isn't really a lot left to say beyond that. Physical games have significantly more exposure than digital releases, and that can be a benefit for something where they're confident it can sell reasonably well. But on the other hand there is significantly more risk involved because boxes, manuals, and discs/carts don't make or ship themselves, and overhead for digital is tiny in comparison. So even if it sells less than they would expect a physical copy to (even if that means a loss at retail), it could still be enough to profit digitally.

I don't know exactly how well the Ys games did for XSEED, but just from what I've seen I'd imagine it would still be a candidate for a physical release. It will probably depend more on retailers than XSEED.

[Ventara]

lol, what? Is the bacon censor broken? Let me test it. BACONBACONBACONBACONBACONBACONBACON

Edit: Nope, working. So BACONBACONBACONBACON is ok, but c racker isn't?

Edit 2: I'm confused.

Edit 3: Slur's post (which this post was directed at) was deleted.

[Shizuka]

I don't care with DD-only releases as long as we get at least the same amount of retail titles as well.

[Desu]

I saw a post on 'gaf that it may just be to rationalize putting Trails 2 on retail.

[JiggiUp]

Piss off if you're just going to spam in here, thanks.

I'd be content if XSeed's physical releases became super-limited online exclusives like DJ Max Portable 3 and Class of Heroes 2. If you don't have to distribute to Gamestop, it can't be that costly.

I do not share Chaosblade's optimism for a DD-only future. You know how you can stick Asteroids in an Atari 2600 in the year 2012 and it'll still play? Now do you know that it would be impossible to play Hammerin' Hero or R-Type Tactics II now if the games hadn't had UMD releases (they were de-listed from PSN)? You know how most of the original Xbox's DLC and Arcade games are now 100% inaccessible with the shutdown of the old XBL? Dependence on a DRM-enforced, closed online distribution model is AWFUL for preserving anything. It's only a matter of time before PSN is discontinued for good, taking down countless games with it. It might be fifteen years from now, but it'll happen.

[Ryos]

lol, what? Is the bacon censor broken? Let me test it. BACONBACONBACONBACONBACONBACONBACON

Edit: Nope, working. So BACONBACONBACONBACON is ok, but c racker isn't?

Edit 2: I'm confused.

There are known workarounds to the censoring system (which you can see by quoting the post) but bypassing the censor is also breaking the rules. But then when you're a troll with an ax to grind, rule flaunting's your one and only purpose in life.

XSEED has said on numerous occasions that physical isn't gone but if you've got a niche release that's worth releasing, you're not going to lose money to release a great that's worth localizing but not a worthwhile risk for a physical release. I'd imagine Ys, for example, would certainly get a physical release (PC aside). It doesn't do anyone any good to release physical on every release if that means going bankrupt doing so.

Dependence on a DRM-enforced, closed online distribution model is AWFUL for preserving anything. It's only a matter of time before PSN is discontinued for good, taking down countless games with it. It might be fifteen years from now, but it'll happen.

While PSN won't last forever, there's nothing stopping you from the same old backup methods that have been used for physical games. You just have one less point of failure by removing the physical medium so only a hardware failure could potentially cause a loss. Unless you're talking about Steam anyway. Since I don't have that I'm not sure what would be a good way of trying to cope in a post-Steam world.

[JiggiUp]

I say we ban this worthless bathtub.

Anyway, physical games are available forever. This is the main reason that I favor them. Even if they become rare and expensive, they're still attainable. DD games will be wiped off the map whenever Gabe Newell goes into cardiac arrest from one too many triple bacon cheeseburgers and collapses on the Steam self-destruct button. Or more realistically, when Sony no longer deems the Playstation brand profitable.