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Persona 4 Arena digital rights in Europe back with Atlus
P-qube, partner company of Zen United, confirmed to Joystiq it's returned the European digital rights for Persona 4 Arena back to Atlus. Head of Marketing Geriant Evans explained that's why the game and its DLC disappeared from PSN two weeks ago, though curiously it remains available on Xbox Live. Persona 4 Arena was infamously the first retail game to be region-locked on PS3, a decision that came under scrutiny following the fighter's long delay in reaching Europe. We've reached out to Atlus for more information on the decision, as the company's yet to comment on the move. The transfer could be minor housekeeping, or it could speak to a change in Atlus' approach to publishing in Europe. Traditionally Atlus goes through third parties like Zen United, NIS America and Rising Star to distribute its games in Europe, with release dates often lagging behind North America. It's also possible the decision is tied to bringing follow-up Persona 4 Arena Ultimax to the continent. As things stand, there remain no European release details for Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth, Persona 4: Dancing All Night, Persona 4 Arena Ultimax and Persona 5. [Image: Atlus]
Persona 4 Arena removed from Europe's PlayStation Store
Persona 4 Arena and all its DLC are no longer on the PlayStation Store in Europe, all of a sudden. When asked about the disappearance, Sony Europe's Jawad Ashraf could only note the fighter was removed by request of "the publisher." "I haven't been given any information as to why, just that we obliged with the request," Ashraf said in the PlayStation Blog comments. "Sorry I can't be more transparent."
Persona 4 Arena Ultimax priced at $59.99, pre-orders now live
The stars of the Persona series are winding up for another bout in Persona 4 Arena Ultimax, which will host its brand of 2D fighting on the Xbox 360 and PS3. Ultimax won't be out until the fall, but you can plan really far in advance right now by pre-ordering the $59.99 fighter at GameStop, EB Games, Amazon, Newegg or Video Games Plus. The associated press release notes that there will be pre-order incentives, but it doesn't offer hints to what those will be, nor does it specify whether any will be exclusive to a particular retailer. Ultimax is an expansion on 2012's Persona 4 Arena and follows the cast's participation in the P-1 Climax, a round of battles that must be conquered before the world ends. Several new characters will tag in as playable fighters, including Persona 3's Junpei Iori and Yukari Takeba, as well as Persona 4's Rise Kujikawa. There's also a debut from the crimson-haired Sho Minazuki, who will assuredly be pleasant to deal with. Utlimax is one of four Persona games heading to the West this year, including the Vita's left-field rhythm game Persona 4: Dancing All Night and the PS3-bound Persona 5. [Image: Atlus]
Another Xbox Live sale: Ryse, Persona 4 Arena and more for cheap
We think Microsoft may have an addiction. On top of the Ultimate discounts on offer this week, Microsoft has announced an entirely different crop of cheap games, available through February 24. Two sales at the same time? Madness! If you want to take advantage of Microsoft's lapse in judgment, you can grab Ryse: Son of Rome for $40. We may even see more of this in the future, as Microsoft toys around with discount digital pricing on Xbox One. Ridge Racer Unbounded is on sale for $5 and all of its DLC can be acquired for pennies on the dollar. Persona 4 Arena, Angry Birds: Star Wars and more on Xbox 360 are cheap too so, if you're interested, pop on over to Major Nelson's website for the full list of markdowns. [Image: Microsoft Studios]
P4U: Persona 4 The Ultimax Ultra Suplex Hold announced for PS3
P4U: Persona 4 The Ultimax Ultra Suplex Hold is coming to Japanese PS3s in 2014, Atlus revealed during its NicoNico presentation. The game is a followup to Persona 4 Arena, the fighting game that combined Persona rosters for brawls last year.
Atlus details Persona 4 Arena arcade update, teases next Persona team project
Atlus announced new details regarding Arc System Works' upcoming Persona 4 Arena sequel, revealing a new character and teasing the Persona team's next project. P4U: Persona 4 The Ultimax Ultra Suplex Hold, as it's known in Japan, is currently slated for release exclusively in arcades. Though Persona 4 Arena saw release for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, a console port for Ultra Suplex Hold has not yet been announced. Announced back in August, Ultimate Suplex Hold expands Persona 4 Arena's roster with three new characters. Persona 3 stars Yukari Takeba and Junpei Iori join Arena's playable cast alongside Sho Minazuki, a mysterious addition who does not hail from a previous Persona series game. Ultimate Suplex Hold also introduces a number of gameplay tweaks, including the special move-enhancing "S Hold System." Atlus additionally hints at a new Persona-related project at p-ch.jp, a teaser site featuring Persona series developer P Studio's logo alongside a date in November and a list of cities in Japan. Further details will be revealed on November 24.
Persona 4 Arena arcade-only update adds new fighters, moves, system changes
The Japan-only arcade version of Persona 4 Arena (known as Persona 4: The Ultimate in Mayonaka Arena) is being updated with two new characters, significantly updated gameplay mechanics and new abilities for the existing fighters. Currently, there is no plan for any of these changes to come to the console versions, either here or in Japan: "It's an arcade-only update," Atlus' John Hardin told us. "No plans to bring it to the U.S. at this time." Yukari Takeba and Junpei Iori of Persona 3 fame return as new combatants, bringing the game's overall roster up to 15 selectable Persona users. The update also adds a new "Shadow Type" system, according to Shoryuken's translation of Famitsu's hands-on report. This gives players the option of replacing the game's "One More Burst" mechanic with an alternate Shadow form, which grants temporarily unlimited special meter and augmented/enhanced attack properties. Additionally, Shadow Type characters bring their special meters with them to the next round, whereas historically special meter resets at the beginning of each fight. An "S Hold System" is also being added, which allows players to charge up certain special attacks to achieve augmented effects, such as invulnerability. It will also now be possible to cancel normal moves into hops, which will add more utility for combo crafting. Furthermore, the game's existing cast is being outfitted with new moves and abilities, an ongoing list of which can be found here. Location testing is underway at Taito Hey in Akihabara and Taito Station Nipponbashi in Osaka, from now through this Sunday. We're keeping our ear to the ground for further information about when this update will be released, and whether it'll garner it's own name, ala Super Street Fighter 4: Arcade Edition, or Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus R.
Dead Island Riptide tops the UK charts for third week running
Dead Island Riptide is the second game this year to keep the competition at bay for three weeks in a row. Despite a 55 percent drop in sales, the semi-sequel repeats the run of BioShock Infinite earlier in the year. That's no surprise given the new releases shelves are just tumbleweeds rolling past each other. The charts do include two (sort of) new releases, and both did well. Coming in at ninth is the physical box set of The Walking Dead, which released in North America late last year. Another latecomer to Europe is Persona 4 Arena, and distributor Zen United must be pleased with the fighter punching in at 11th. As we said last week, you know it's quiet season when Call of Duty's re-gunning for the top; Black Ops 2 is now up to second place, a full six months after being released. Oh, and on the day Square Enix releases its financial results for the fiscal year, Tomb Raider makes it 10/10 - that's ten weeks in the UK top ten. Just. Saying.
Persona 4 Arena limited edition strikes victory pose in Europe
Persona 4 Arena will finally launch in Europe on May 10, and today a limited edition has been revealed, available exclusively through the Zen Store. £59.99 will reserve a limited edition bundle, which includes a tote bag, jigsaw puzzle, soundtrack, badge set, digital artwork, key ring and a copy of the game.It's been a difficult trek to Europe for Persona 4 Arena, which was originally slated to launch on the continent last August, only to be pushed back out of 2012 entirely. Importing was out of the question for some Europeans, thanks to the decision to region-lock the PS3 version. All Persona 4 Arena pre-orders will net the same soundtrack and "digital fan" artwork included in the limited edition set.
Persona 4 Arena bashes Europe May 10
Persona 4 Arena finally has a European release date of May 10. After last week saw the silhouette of a May window fizzling onto the Midnight Channel - or distributor Zen United's Facebook page - today's much clearer announcement means the brawling follow-up to Persona 4 reaches the continent just under a year after its release in Japan.Arena's much-delayed arrival on the continent is compounded by Atlus' decision to region-lock the game, including the recent PSN version in North America. Europe originally expected the PS3 and Xbox 360 game on August 31, and then before the end of 2012.Zen United says it doesn't expect to have to announce any further delays, the distributor instead cheerily revealing a pre-order bonus from all retailers, which includes the original P4A Arrange soundtrack, some exclusive artwork, and a "Digital Fan Pack."
Persona 4 Arena posts tentative European launch window of May
Persona 4 Arena is fighting its way to Europe, now expected to launch in May. Persona 4 Arena is in submission for Xbox 360, publisher Zen United writes on the game's European Facebook page."Though dependent on when it passes, of course – I think it's realistic for me to say we're looking at a May release," Zen says.Persona 4 Arena was originally scheduled to launch in Europe on August 31, 2012, but publisher Zen United delayed it past the year. Though it launched in North America and Japan last summer, Persona 4 Arena is region locked, meaning importing it is out of the question.
PSN Tuesday: Dragonborn, Ecolibrium, Persona 4 Arena
Skyrim's Dragonborn DLC pack has landed its clawed, winged self on the PlayStation Network, two months after the Xbox 360 release and one week after the content's PC debut. The $9.99 adventure sends you back to the scene of Morrowind's Bloodmoon expansion, the Island of Solstheim.Also dropping on PSN today is the entirety of Persona 4 Arena for PS3, as well as Rocketbirds: Hardboiled Chicken and Ecolibrium for Vita, the latter of which is completely free. This month, PlayStation Plus subscribers can add Closure to their Instant Game Collection, which is kind of cheating, if you ask us -- we've been paying our therapist to bring closure for years.Hit the source link below for the full list of what's new.
Persona 4 Arena on sale for $20 at Gamestop
Looking to get in a fight with someone who just happens to be equipped with a demonic avatar representing his or her personality? You could either fly to Japan and get yourself thrown into a TV, or you can just buy Persona 4 Arena, which is currently on sale for $19.99 at GameStop.It's a lot cheaper than the trip, and you don't have to worry about potentially being killed by the personification of all the hidden feelings you don't want to admit to.
Persona 4 Arena inches toward EU release
Persona 4 Arena may finally be forthcoming in Europe after Zen United, its distributor across the continent, revealed today that it's taken delivery of the PS3 version, with the Xbox 360 version expected to arrive shortly.Posting on Facebook, Zen said once both versions of the fighter are in its possession, it can provide a "likely release window." Zen will then announce a release date once the game's been submitted to and approved by Sony and Microsoft.What today's news hopefully represents is the beginning to the end of a long saga for P4A in Europe. Originally scheduled for August 31 last year, the game was delayed before Zen announced it wasn't going to arrive in 2012. Those delays shone the spotlight further on publisher Atlus' decision to region-lock P4A, a decision preventing European fans from importing a game which has now been out in Japan and North America for around half a year.
First seven EVO 2013 games announced, eighth game determined by charity drive
When it's time for the year's Evolution Championship Series fighting game selections to be announced, normally the process shakes out like this: A post goes up on Shoryuken, the fighting game community cheers and/or jeers for a while, and then everyone gets back to practicing. This year, however, things are a bit different.Seven games have been announced as official selections, as per usual: Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Super Street Fighter 4: Arcade Edition, Tekken Tag Tournament 2, Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter X Tekken (ver. 2013), King of Fighters XIII and Persona 4 Arena. The eighth game shakes up some paradigms, being selected through an ongoing charity fundraiser for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.Basically, players donate money to the BCRF in the name of whichever game they want to see in the final slot, be it Dead or Alive 5, Darkstalkers 3, Capcom vs. SNK 2, or any of the 13 other eligible titles. Whichever game's community raises the most money for charity before the end of this month will be selected as the final, official EVO 2013 selection.Donation links can be found here, so if you want to forcefully subject people to a global MLP: Fighting Is Magic tournament, you can do so for a good cause.
Persona 4 Arena now beating up Xbox Live Games on Demand
Atlus and Arc System Works' Persona 4 Arena is now available on Xbox Live Games on Demand for a whole $60, which is $20 more than the physical version costs on Amazon.So, if you're wanting to get hella immersed in the intricacies of inter-personal television doppelganger relationship fighting, you need to ask yourself whether you'd rather have said experience immediately, or if you'd rather spend that $20 difference on DLC costume colors and adorable glasses. The choice is yours alone to make; just know that Chie looks pretty fly in her bookish frames.
Persona 4 Arena isn't taking the stage in Europe this year
Persona 4 Arena isn't coming to Europe this year, now leaving it without a release window. Zen United, the company distributing the fighter, announced the delay via the Persona 4 Europe Facebook page. Zen says it will announce a projected release date once it receives the EU build, but currently the distributor doesn't even know when that build will be ready.Europeans originally expected the game on August 31, in the same month as the North American launch. Following that delay and today's news, fans are now left uncertain when the game will actually be released. This further delay only adds to scrutiny over the decision to enforce the game's region lock, a decision Atlus claims it took to prevent the North American version 'cannibalizing' its Japanese counterpart. Maybe Atlus should've consulted Murphy's law before making Arena the first PS3 game to have such a constraint.The Persona 4 tie-in fighter may be beaten to European retail shelves by Vita re-release Golden. Publisher NIS America is projecting a tentative February 22 for the latter's release.
Persona 4 Arena patched, bugged Achievement now achievable
Persona 4 Arena has been touched up with a new patch on both PS3 and Xbox 360. "The patch fixes an assortment of general, game balance, and network issues," Atlus reports. It also addresses a bug that prevented some players from getting the "Serious Gamer" achievement, normally obtained by reaching level 30 in online matches.The "not being good enough at Persona 4 Arena to reach level 30" issue is not one that can be solved through software patches, we're afraid.
Stiq Flicks: Persona 4 Arena and The Raid: Redemption
Stiq Flicks – from film and video game industry freelance writer Kevin Kelly – examines video games and attempts to pair them with matching films. It's like wine and cheese, but with more aliens. The newly patched release of Persona 4 Arena has emerged from the tunnel of video games to steam past us with whistles and bells, heralding the fact that the holiday game onslaught is nearly upon us. In Persona 4 Arena – an RPG series transformed into a fighter – you have different characters battling it out in a televised tournament. There's a story in there somewhere that fans will appreciate, but the Persona games have a history that needs a Ken Burns documentary series to explain. Suffice it to say: despite the genre shift, there's still a lot of fighting going on. But Persona 4 Arena is about chaotic battles with avatars doing your dirty work for you, so we're pairing this with the dirty and gritty fistfights from the excellent The Raid: Redemption. If this movie doesn't inspire you to work out, or at least punch someone, then you might need to check your pulse. (Please don't punch each other – Ed.)
Persona 4 Arena patched on 360, XBL problems eradicated
Good news, everyone! The exceedingly laggy network play pervasive in the Xbox 360 version of Persona 4 Arena has been corrected in record time. The corrective patch is currently live and players will be prompted to update the game as soon as they load P4A up on a Live-enabled Xbox.Joystiq's preliminary testing indicates that the issue has indeed been solved, as all matches played synchronized quickly and were virtually indistinguishable from the game's offline framerate and performance. Unfortunately, this also means that we can no longer blame our devastating losses on performance issues.
