Atlus caused quite a stir earlier this year when it announced that the Persona series would be coming to Xbox in October. But that’s not the only JRPG the publisher has in store for Xbox owners this year. Soul Hackers 2 was a huge win for Microsoft, bringing the Shin Megami Tensei style of gameplay to its systems with the new release. It launched in late August without nearly as much fanfare as Persona — Persona 5is Xbox release date announcement it seemed to overshadow Soul Hackers 2’s entire existence.
According to Famitsu, Soul Hackers 2 sold an estimated 51,861 physical copies in Japan during its launch week on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4. While this doesn’t include digital download numbers, it’s still well below Shin Megami Tensei VLaunch week totals 143,247 physical copies sold in Japan.
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There are no definitive numbers Soul Hackers 2sales in the West, but looking at the specific charts on the platforms it was released on, we can see how it performed. On Xbox, Soul Hackers 2 did not appear in the “Most Played” section of the Microsoft Store during launch weekand it was only on the 8th page of the “Most Paid” ranking.
Soul Hackers 2 could have been the perfect game to introduce Microsoft’s rekindled relationship with Atlus – and it could have used Xbox Game Pass to achieve that. The JRPG may have had a better chance of success had Atlus embraced the popular subscription service, as it’s the perfect type of game for the platform due to its length, DLC strategy, and critical reception.
More Japanese RPGs on Xbox
With the Xbox currently gaining popularity in Japan, the lock Soul Hackers 2 since the Xbox Game Pass release on day one could have been the perfect way to push that momentum. From Persona 5 was initially a PlayStation exclusive, it’s no surprise that Sony went out of their way to promote the hit RPG to hell and back. The same applies to last year’s Shin Megami Tensei Vwhich Nintendo advertised as the ultimate Switch exclusive.
From Soul Hackers 2 is a cross-platform game, and sales on Xbox would realistically not be as high as those on PlayStation (since Japanese games are generally more popular on Sony’s consoles), putting the title on Game Pass could have given Microsoft an advantage over its competitors, as it promoted the RPG as a main addition to the service. It could have been mutually beneficial for Atlus as well, as Microsoft also tends to make a big deal out of Day One Xbox Game Pass announcements such as Outriders and MLB Show 22.
Considering that advertising a video game costs a significant amount of money on top of developing the game itself, Microsoft could have helped Atlus’ marketing through its own social media channels and blog posts on Xbox Wire to compensate for the lack of appearances at showcases like Sony’s State of Play or Nintendo Direct . A strong Game Pass deal might have solved some of Atlus’ problems, had it been able to negotiate a deal that made financial sense for both parties.
Atlus DLC practices
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The Lost Numbers cost $10 and add an entire post-game dungeon to the game, with higher-level demons that couldn’t otherwise be found in the wild, and a new side character with their own story. Soul Hackers 2 it’s much shorter than most Atlus games, making Lost Numbers feel more like a missing chapter than a bonus.
That’s where being an Xbox Game Pass subscriber can help. DLC discounts on Game Pass titles typically offer up to 10% off. Sure, $1 doesn’t seem like much of a discount, but if you consider buying another one Soul Hackers 2 DLC, including bonus demons and costumes, the discount provided by Xbox Game Pass becomes more attractive. It goes without saying that paying for DLC is a lot easier to swallow if you don’t have to pay for the base game itself.
To attempt
Soul Hackers 2 currently has a respectable score of 74 on Metacritic at the time of writing, the exact same score as its 3DS predecessor. Even if the game didn’t receive the same level of critical acclaim as Atlus’ crown jewel, Personadid, adding it to Game Pass would open it up to players who might otherwise be hesitant to drop $60 on a game with a mixed reception just to try it out.
Have a game like Soul Hackers 2 on Game Pass would be beneficial for both players and Atlus itself. If you ended up enjoying a title you didn’t think you would and want to keep it, Xbox Game Pass offers up to 20% off games currently on the service. Many games eventually leave Xbox Game Pass, tempting players to shell out money to keep their collection. Considering the critical reception, a quick stint on Game Pass could have given curious players the little motivation they needed to buy the game in the long run, while still generating DLC sales.
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There’s always the possibility that Atlus made a deal with Microsoft for Xbox Game Pass Soul Hackers 2 and it didn’t connect (there is a Windows PC version Soul Hackers 2 in the Microsoft Store, which sometimes coincides with the launch of PC Game Pass). Taken into consideration that Persona 5 Royal, Persona 4 Goldand Persona 3 Portable are coming to a subscription service, with the former having its own dedicated version of Windows 10, which is discussed Soul Hackers 2 it doesn’t seem completely out of the picture, even if it comes to the service a bit later (similar to access Crimson Nexus took, came to the service well after the launch).
Atlus is currently open to multiple releases for multiple platforms, and that includes Xbox. If he’s serious about it, he might want to embrace Microsoft’s core business model, ensuring that future releases can reach as many players as possible on the platform.
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Categories: GAMING
Source: newstars.edu.vn