Soul Hackers 2

[Dcubed]

 

Coming out 25/08/2022 in Japan on everything except for Switch (Sony moneyhats strike again!)

There's also a Playstation version specific Special Edition pack as well...

I'm surprised that Phil's cheque cleared in time for this one though... Will look forward to playing this one on Gamepass in 2023 when it comes out over here

Platform moneyhats aside though, it looks good.  The Tokyo Mirage Sessions (TMS) influence is strong with this one!

Edit:  Looks like I was right! It is indeed the TMS team working on this one!

Edited February 21, 2022 by Dcubed

[Julius]

8 minutes ago, Dcubed said:

Coming out 25/08/2022 in Japan on everything except for Switch (Sony moneyhats strike again!)

I mean, at this point, it's just an ATLUS thing. I'm sure it'll come, but considering it's on everything, there are some mental gymnastics to it being missing from Switch at launch coming down to PlayStation. 

Will be surprised if it's not on Switch within two years of launch. I don't think it's down to moneyhatting, I think they just want that sweet cash from people double-dipping to get a portable version down the road on Switch. That's what I'd do. And if, hypothetically, there is moneyhatting going on, I mean you're getting paid to make the smart move anyways. 

No confirmation for the West yet, but it's got to be coming if it's going to be on Xbox and Steam day and date, and ATLUS West retweeted the announcement. So it's just a matter of time...right? 

Edited February 21, 2022 by Julius

[Dcubed]

Nah, the only reason it's coming to Xbox is because they're paying for the port.  There is no way that it would be getting an Xbox release (especially not in Japan!!) if MS weren't footing the bill.

Sony definitely paid to block the Switch release, just like they did for Monster Hunter World.  I am willing to bet money on this being true.  The platform choice is absolute suicide in Japan.

It's even the same team behind TMS working on this one (probably even the same engine; which already runs on Switch); I cannot believe that this platform choice is not a political one.

Quote

No confirmation for the West yet, but it's got to be coming if it's going to be on Xbox, and ATLUS West retweeted the announcement. So it's just a matter of time...right? 

Definitely.  We'll probably get it early 2023, and it'll probably come to Xbox Gamepass on day 1.

Edited February 21, 2022 by Dcubed

[Julius]

All but confirmed for Western release seeing as a stream is dropping in a bit with the same title as the Japanese stream, imagine we'll get confirmation on a Western release date:

 

5 minutes ago, Dcubed said:

Sony definitely paid to block the Switch release, just like they did for Monster Hunter World.  I am willing to bet money on this being true.  The platform choice is absolute suicide in Japan.

I don't even know where you'd place that bet  and while the platform choice is suicide in Japan, it's not exactly the centre of the universe for the sales of niche Japanese games anymore. The West has become much more receptive to such games in the last 5 years or so. 

At the end of the day, say that there is moneyhatting going on as we had evidence for with MH, then these Japanese devs are getting their cake, and eating it too, and then some. Using Capcom and MH as an example, because that's the one where it's undeniable: they got a PlayStation marketing deal alongside probably some extra to keep it off Switch (where, let's be honest, it wouldn't have run great or would have been drastically pared down), then got crazy PC sales some 6+ months after launch, then got a console exclusivity deal with Nintendo for Rise, and then got crazy PC sales for that game again. Oh, and both games will have huge paid expansions when all is said and done, too. 

I doubt Capcom is complaining in that case, and in ATLUS's case, I don't doubt that we'll see it come to Switch in the future. They've done similar with 13 Sentinels: came out on PlayStation and Steam, great critical reception, now a year and a half or so after its release it's coming to Switch for what are probably going to be even stronger sales on a comparatively larger install base compared to where the Switch was in September 2020. 

It's up to these companies at the end of the day whether they want to take that money if that is part of the equation (so it's hard to blame a company for doing it if they're going to be receptive to deals like that), but with a game like this I think it makes sense to hold fire on a Switch release anyways to get double-dipping and new portable customers down the line. 

Now, I'm not saying this is a good thing if it is being moneyhatted. But I think it's a wise move on ATLUS's part with or without that being the case. 

[Dcubed]

26/08/2022 in the west? Nice! Much earlier than I expected!

The gameplay is literally just TMS 2 lol.  I don't know why they're pretending that this is a sequel to the original Soul Hackers, it doesn't even remotely resemble the original Soul Hackers whatsoever.  This is Tokyo Mirage Sessions 2 with a non-copyright infringing skin.

Edited February 21, 2022 by Dcubed

[Glen-i]

Can't say I expected a sequel to Tokyo Mirage Sessions to come out.

Definitely didn't expect it to be on everything except the Switch.

At least it's on XBox. So it should be on Game Pass. Because I want to play this.

[drahkon]

Is this a Persona/Shin whatever game?

What is this? Do I need to know about Soul Hackers 1? WHAT IS THIS?

[darksnowman]

17 minutes ago, drahkon said:

Is this a Persona/Shin whatever game?

What is this? Do I need to know about Soul Hackers 1? WHAT IS THIS?

Shin Megami Tensei®: Devil Summoner®: Soul Hackers™ () originally came out on Saturn then later 3DS, so you could grab it there before the eShop closes. It's well-priced at £8.99 and can be finished in about 30 hours at your leisure. I thought it was pretty cool!

[Dcubed]

3 minutes ago, darksnowman said:

Shin Megami Tensei®: Devil Summoner®: Soul Hackers™ () originally came out on Saturn then later 3DS, so you could grab it there before the eShop closes. It's well-priced at £8.99 and can be finished in about 30 hours at your leisure. I thought it was pretty cool!

It's also a fantastic example of the Colon Cancer trope!

Edited February 21, 2022 by Dcubed

[Hero-of-Time]

I wish Atlus would just release their games on all current platforms. You have Persona currently exclusive to PlayStation, SMTV currently exclusive to Switch and now this on everything but Switch. Makes things a bit of a mess.  

As for why it's skipping the Switch, who knows? It does seem like paid exclusivity is what has gone on here. There were rumours SMTV was heading to PC and PlayStation at some point and so that also may have been paid for to keep as a timed exclusive. Let's not pretend all of the big 3 don't play the moneyhatting game. Nintendo also paid Capcom to keep Monster Hunter Rise as an exclusive. Capcom making serious bank pitting these companies against each other.  

[Dcubed]

5 minutes ago, Hero-of-Time said:

I wish Atlus would just release their games on all current platforms. You have Persona currently exclusive to PlayStation, SMTV currently exclusive to Switch and now this on everything but Switch. Makes things a bit of a mess.  

As for why it's skipping the Switch, who knows? It does seem like paid exclusivity is what has gone on here. There were rumours SMTV was heading to PC and PlayStation at some point and so that also may have been paid for to keep as a timed exclusive. Let's not pretend all of the big 3 don't play the moneyhatting game. Nintendo also paid Capcom to keep Monster Hunter Rise as an exclusive. Capcom making serious bank pitting these companies against each other.  

Oh defo.  All of the big 3 play the moneyhatting game; it's just that Nintendo is typically less willing to pay than the rest.

I'm just surprised that Nintendo were willing to pay S-E for Live A Live of all things! But then again, that's from Team Asano; and they're basically a Nintendo studio by proxy at this point 

Edited February 21, 2022 by Dcubed

[Hero-of-Time]

5 minutes ago, Dcubed said:

Oh defo.  All of the big 3 play the moneyhatting game; it's just that Nintendo is typically less willing to pay than the rest.

I'm just surprised that Nintendo were willing to pay S-E for Live A Live of all things! But then again, that's from Team Asano; and they're basically a Nintendo studio by proxy at this point 

Probably because they don't really need them. Their own software supports and sustains them just fine. Any 3rd party success on their platforms is just icing on the cake for them. 

[Dcubed]

13 minutes ago, Hero-of-Time said:

Probably because they don't really need them. Their own software supports and sustains them just fine. Any 3rd party success on their platforms is just icing on the cake for them. 

Well, Nintendo have never really been huge proponents of the moneyhat strategy in general.  They generally try to avoid it unless they have no choice (like on 3DS, when they basically paid for all of S-E's localisations from 2013 onwards because they were desperate for 3DS 3rd party support outside Japan).

It's also a big reason why they lost Capcom's support with Switch.  Nintendo paid for the publishing and distribution of ALL of Capcom's releases on 3DS and Wii U up until Ultra Street Fighter 2.  As soon as they stopped paying, Capcom dumped Switch like a lead balloon... all the way up until Nintendo paid for MH Rise timed exclusivity.

The Moneyhat Strategy is a bit of poisoned chalice in the long-run.  As soon as you show that you're willing to pay and play the game? 3rd parties will expect you to keep on paying their racket to keep getting their support.  Microsoft for example get literally zero Japanese games now unless they pony up for each and every single one they get.

Edited February 21, 2022 by Dcubed