Index, owners of Atlus, file for bankruptcy

[Serebii]

That's precisely why it won't happen. Nintendo doesn't know what logic or reason is

I laughed :p

 

Seriously though, this is something I can truly see Nintendo do. They wouldn't risk Sony doing it

[Hero-of-Time]

If either Sony or Nintendo step up, one set of fans are going to lose out. Personally I would prefer a 3rd party to step in, that way everybody wins. Saying that the games still probably wouldn't get released on the Wii U. :p

 

Cheap shot, I know.

 

Is there a date for when the sale is happening?

[Serebii]

If either Sony or Nintendo step up, one set of fans are going to lose out. Personally I would prefer a 3rd party to step in, that way everybody wins. Saying that the games still probably wouldn't get released on the Wii U. :p

 

Cheap shot, I know.

 

Is there a date for when the sale is happening?

I dunno, Nintendo buying it would mean that people will actually play Persona :p

 

I kid, I kid.

 

Nintendo is the most likely really, though as you say, the best case scenario is a third party to buy (one which isn't EA) or for Atlus to secede from Index and be completely its own company

[Hero-of-Time]

I dunno, Nintendo buying it would mean that people will actually play Persona :p

 

I kid, I kid.

 

Nintendo is the most likely really, though as you say, the best case scenario is a third party to buy (one which isn't EA) or for Atlus to secede from Index and be completely its own company

 

I wouldn't want Activision buying them either. A Japanese company is the most likely scenario. Then again, most of them suck these days as well.

[Andyliini]

Namco might be interested, but I don't know about their financial situation. Besides, Namco isn't the first company to come to mind who would bring their games to Europe.

 

As long as a company who has a good track record on releasing games in Europe, I'll be happy. Of course, the compnay should be good too, and be interested in Atlus's properties. I wouldn't want EA or Capcom on the helm. Even Konami is just a mere shadow of what it was in 90's.

[Hero-of-Time]

Namco might be interested, but I don't know about their financial situation. Besides, Namco isn't the first company to come to mind who would bring their games to Europe.

 

As long as a company who has a good track record on releasing games in Europe, I'll be happy. Of course, the compnay should be good too, and be interested in Atlus's properties. I wouldn't want EA or Capcom on the helm. Even Konami is just a mere shadow of what it was in 90's.

 

Crazy isn't it? When you sit down and think about it they aren't really that many reliable big publishers/developers left. It's probably why Sony and Nintendo are the ones most people are thinking of.

[Dcubed]

Namco might be interested, but I don't know about their financial situation. Besides, Namco isn't the first company to come to mind who would bring their games to Europe.

 

As long as a company who has a good track record on releasing games in Europe, I'll be happy. Of course, the compnay should be good too, and be interested in Atlus's properties. I wouldn't want EA or Capcom on the helm. Even Konami is just a mere shadow of what it was in 90's.

 

I wouldn't say that... Namco's localisation record in the last couple of years or so has been excellent and even includes a few EU exclusives! (like the 2 One Piece Unlimited Cruise games)

 

TBH, they're actually probably the best choice of 3rd party to snap up Atlus and also the one most likely to do so other than Gungho.

Edited July 22, 2013 by Dcubed

[Jonnas]

I would just like to add that Microsoft still let Rare work on GBA games, as their contract allowed it. It is possible that, even if Atlus is bought by Sony or Nintendo, they may still retain some rights to release games in other consoles. Not very likely, I know, but still.

[Andyliini]

About 20 Companies made a bid on Atlus, including Sega-Sammy.

 

Looks like things are starting to get heated on the war for the acquisition of Atlus. According to a report by Bloomberg Japan about twenty companies including Sega Sammy Holdings made a bid on the studio behind Persona and Catherine.

 

Executives familiar with the situation reported that some of the bids reached about 20 billion yen (a little south of 201 million dollars) in the primary auction held earlier this week, and that Atlus’ mother company Index Corporation will choose the candidates as early as next week and determine the company that will purchase Atlus by the end of the month.

 

In July Index hired the GCA Savvian firm to serve as advisors during the transfer of business ownership. Kazumasa Otsuka-san of the Nijubashi law firm declined to comment or to share details about the actual procedure implemented for the auction. A representative of Sega Sammy Holdings did not offer any comment as well.

 

Atlus is on sale because Index Corporation filed for Civil Rehabilitation (the Japanese equivalent of a soft Bankruptcy) after finding itself in debt by 24.5 billion yen (almost 246 million dollars). In the meanwhile the studio reassured customers that business will continue as usual and future releases won’t be affected.

 

There is still no word on the results of the auction, so all we can do for now is wait and see, while hoping that Atlus will be acquired by a third party that will guarantee its quality, creativity and independence.

 

The article is from DualShockers, who claim that the info is from Bloomberg Japan. If this is true, I wouldn't mind Sega at all. They just posted a jump in their pfofits, so they are doing quite well. They also are not afraid to try something new (or at least they weren't a few years back). And also, they are in good terms with Nintendo.

 

I wonder who else made bids on that. Might take a while until we find out.

[Dcubed]

Not sure if I want SEGA getting hold of them. On one hand they've given full creative control to all of their partner/affiliate studios they've worked with, but at the same time they also gutted their US localisation department and cut down on retail releases and localizations of games like Yakuza (mind you though, they're really giving Miku a good solid push in the west, so... maybe they wouldn't gut Atlus USA... at least not immediately...)

[Grazza]

One reason I like Atlus is because they're like Old Sega (the music in the Etrian Odyssey games reminds me of the Mega Drive era so much). Whether they'd be as good under New Sega... I don't know!