Namco Teasing a Tales of Vesperia PS3 Release Outside of Japan?
February 1, 2011
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Namco: Microsoft Paid for Western Tales of Vesperia Exclusivity
Posted on June 18, 2011 by Erren Van Duine
It's been almost two years since the Japanese release of Tales of Vesperia for PlayStation 3 with no Western release in sight. Since then, Namco hasn't slipped a word as to why... until now.
Namco Bandai Europe Junior Community Manager Charlotte Toci made some interesting comments on her public Facebook page about the PS3 version which have only just come to our attention. After promoting the release of the Xbox Live download for Tales of Vesperia, a commenter asked about the PS3 version. She responded by telling the fan that "A lot of people have told us that, but it won't happen."
When pressed further by fans hungry for the port she revealed this information which to our understanding has never officially been mentioned by Namco themselves: "Microsoft paid for the [western] exclusivity, the same way as Sony paid for having Heavy Rain only on PS3. It's just one way the business works, sadly."
Obviously that can't be the entire truth, as the game was released with far more content in Japan on the PlayStation 3, and Microsoft never published the game in any region. Questioned even further by fans she replied "Those decisions are made really high up y'know" and that it was "out of our hands."
Nintendo previously paid for the localization of Tales of Symphonia, so a possibility is that Microsoft helped to foot the bill for the localization of the 360 version of the game originally, locking it out from a Western release.
We've messaged Namco Bandai for official comment in the meantime. We'll update if we get word.
Namco Bandai Europe Junior Community Manager Charlotte Toci made some interesting comments on her public Facebook page about the PS3 version which have only just come to our attention. After promoting the release of the Xbox Live download for Tales of Vesperia, a commenter asked about the PS3 version. She responded by telling the fan that "A lot of people have told us that, but it won't happen."
When pressed further by fans hungry for the port she revealed this information which to our understanding has never officially been mentioned by Namco themselves: "Microsoft paid for the [western] exclusivity, the same way as Sony paid for having Heavy Rain only on PS3. It's just one way the business works, sadly."
Obviously that can't be the entire truth, as the game was released with far more content in Japan on the PlayStation 3, and Microsoft never published the game in any region. Questioned even further by fans she replied "Those decisions are made really high up y'know" and that it was "out of our hands."
Nintendo previously paid for the localization of Tales of Symphonia, so a possibility is that Microsoft helped to foot the bill for the localization of the 360 version of the game originally, locking it out from a Western release.
We've messaged Namco Bandai for official comment in the meantime. We'll update if we get word.
Tales of Vesperia
Platforms:
Publisher: Namco Bandai Games
Developer: Namco Tales Studio
Players: 1
Release Dates:
Developer: Namco Tales Studio
Players: 1
Release Dates:
7 Aug 2008
26 Aug 2008
26 June 2009
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November 8, 2009
Tales of Vesperia PS3 gets Premium DLC
September 9, 2009
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ReplyFucking Xbox man!! they know we want this on the Ps3!! but they had to pay for it exclusively!!.......I wonder why Xbox got less Tales Of buyers?
ReplyTHOSE BANDAI NAMCOBANDAI BASTARD MUST PAY! Let's buy their games USED! join me at http: //www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=...1 1739235528767
ReplyHeavy Rain was different as Sony was the original publisher so there was no way for it to come out on xbox like Mass Effect 1. Tales of Symphonia is a better analogy as Nintendo did the same for that that Microsoft did for Vesperia.
Replywell lets see more tales fan r likely to own the ps3 so y'd namco bandai decied that when they could have gotten better sells on the ps3 version
ReplyAnd whats up with Tales of Graces for Wii? PS3 has the exclusive in Europe and America, but the game was released first in Japan for Wii.
Replythe PS3 version is the 'comeplete' version. so i guess they're trying to avoid another tales of vesperia issue with having a 2 different versions of the same game.
ReplyAnyone fancying a job as Namco Bandai Europe Junior Community Manager? Got the feeling that someone is getting sacked...
ReplyReally sad :(
ReplyThanks for posting old nwes.
ReplyThis was news back from 2007 or so when it was announced for the west on the 360 the 360 exclusiveness has ended like a year ago as well.
ReplyAnd thus westerners are stuck with the beta version of the game, while they enjoy the full game in Japan on PS3.
ReplyWell... This just cemented my resolve to by the Japanese version! Thank you Bandai!
ReplyMS is ruining gaming? Yeah...I guess they were the first ones to come up with the idea of exclusives.
ReplyYou're wrong, buddy. FF13 wasn't downgraded. You're naive if you believe that. DLC is not due to disc limitation, it's due to money hungry publishers wanting more from you. And no one is depriving you. If you just MUST have this game, you could pick up an Xbox pretty cheap these days, and since online play seems to bother you since paying 40 bucks a year (from Amazon) is such a hard thing to do for a superior service, you wouldn't have to worry about any of that. Just the console and Tales. Or you could stop whining like a 13 year old who knows nothing.
Microsoft Xbox 360, making gaming worse for all of us since 2005. Downgraded FFXIII, DLC due to disc space limitation, pay to play online and now it even deprives us of third party games because they pay. MS is the worst thing that happened to gaming. Period.
ReplyI don't see how Microsoft is ''ruining gaming''. It even says that Sony too pays for third-party exclusivity if what that employee said about Heavy Rain is true. Besides, I believe that competition is a good thing, so Microsoft is benefitial. Without Halo, there wouldn't have been all those ''Halo-killers'' like Killzone, Resistance. Microsoft forced Sony and to a lesser extent Nintendo to step their game up. Without the Xbox, I believe the PS3 would still be high-priced, as customers would have no choice to buy a PS3 if they want hardcore gaiming. Period.
ReplyLOL if it wasn't for MS we wouldn't have half the things we have now, go back under your bridge.
ReplyActually Sony published Heavy Rain in the same Sony publishes Resistance and Ratchet and Clank for Insomniac and one of the conditions of that publishing deal is Sony now owns the IP. Sony didn't buy exclusivity. Sony just managed to get a good publishing deal. I'm not saying Sony doesn't buy exclusives because Sony has but this isn't the case here. Quantic Dream chose Sony(probably because no one else wanted to take the risk) as their publisher and had to keep it exclusive as a condition.
ReplyAs for Microsoft all the company done is buy things this generation, but that's what they have to do because Microsoft has such a small first party. Sony was in the same situation when Playstation first launched but has developed their own teams while buying others. Naughty Dog, Guerrilla Games, Media Molecule, Zipper Interactive, and a few others used to be independent before they were bought. Team Ico, Polyphony Digital, and several other great studios with some great however were built in house. Microsoft hasn't developed their own studios to the point Sony and Nintendo have which is why they have to buy stuff to stay competitive.
Go back to your kiddy halos, league of legend and kiddy fps in Major League Gaming.
ReplyCome back when you fags have something to say on true hardcore games that takes skill.
Fucking MS.
ReplySimply change the name of it call it Tales Of Vesperia Sigma like Tecmo did Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2.
ReplyIt was never coming anyway, that was clear, but it's nice to get a straight answer.
ReplyAgreed. I think we all pretty much accepted that this was the case, but it is still rather hard to not feel a bit melancholy after reading it.
ReplyA clear answer, finally.
Replybetter to know than just be wondering and hoping forever i say. :(
Reply