Capcom VP explains why Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies is eShop only, Japanese demo now available

Capcom VP Christian "Sven" Svensson has shed some light on why Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies is destined solely for the 3DS eShop in the west. Responding to users on the Capcom-Unity forums, Svensson stated that while he understands "the value" of owning a physical copy of a game, "it is a sign of the times that increasingly our business is going digital and not everything is going to be in both formats."

"Not every game is appropriate for both formats given the economics involved," he wrote, pointing to games like Darkstalkers Resurrection, Resident Evil 4 HD and Okami HD, which were released physically in Japan but digitally in the west. "Their COGS (costs of goods sold) and retail margins and reserve issues are entirely different there given the market differences," wrote Svensson. "It's a sad fact, but it's still a fact."

He added Capcom's US operation "worked very hard" to see Dual Destinies released in the west. "If we'd said 'no, it's not coming', it would have triggered the inevitable 'please bring it to eShop, at least' cries. Instead we shortcutted that and brought it straight to eShop."

In other gavel-banging news, a playable browser demo of Dual Destinies is now available on the game's Japanese website. Just make sure your Kanji is up to snuff if you hope to make heads or tails of it. Finally, Gematsu reports that the latest Famitsu confirms that both Miles Edgeworth and Trucy Wright will make a return appearance in the game.