Is this game even....

[myskaros]

Being a PSP game, it doesn't matter if it's physical or DD-only, there's very little chance of it *not* being available illegally, so I don't think that's any reason to market one or the other.

In the end, it just comes down to what is financially feasible. NISA has to do what is necessary to keep their company going, and consumers have to be fiscally prudent as well. If projected physical game sales do not eclipse the overhead costs that come with a physical release, then DD-only makes the most sense. I believe a PSN release is a given, with the tossup being whether or not there will also be a physical release.

I am also a collector, so I would certainly love to have a physical object to add to my shelf, but I am more than willing to buy the game regardless of what format is chosen in the end.

[Sheleigha]

In the end, it just comes down to what is financially feasible. NISA has to do what is necessary to keep their company going, and consumers have to be fiscally prudent as well. If projected physical game sales do not eclipse the overhead costs that come with a physical release, then DD-only makes the most sense. I believe a PSN release is a given, with the tossup being whether or not there will also be a physical release.

Using Aksys as an example though, Fate/Extra and Hakuoki seemed to have done well for them! I believe they considered Fate did "quite well", although they haven't said anything about Hakuoki yet, it seems that a good number of people picked them up, and that they have a hard time finding it in Gamestops (which did get a small amount of non-preorder extras, I'm sure).

So, if Aksys can still find some success in PSP, I REALLY hope that this would be the one game that gets released physically. The art MAKES the franchise, so a physical copy would be perfect for it! I sure hope they are still considering the Japanese LE. I'm willing to pay a good amount for a soundtrack, artbook, and WRS figma! If they made the LE be the ONLY version to come with physical copies, so a SUPER limited run at a higher price, I think this would be a great option. To produce a small amount of copies is a high cost, but pricing it higher to profit evens it out. For BRS, especially an LE, and especially an LE WITH a physical copy, I would be a VERY happy camper, as would many others I'm sure...

If only Nisa made one, SUPER limited, at a higher cost, Nisa Store-only even, I think would be a great choice, and I would gurantee that even having another one of those "preorder to see how many people do" things happen again, that there would be ALOT more numbers than What Did I Do to Deserve This? did. GURANTEED. In fact, for as "dead" as PSP is, I do believe that this would do VERY well. Collectors would flock to an LE with physical copy (where this would be the ONLY place to get a physical copy of it). I think BRS is popular enough to make big sales!

I hope there will be more news on this soon, but I'm sure it's currently in limbo working out a bunch of stuff with Japan, especially because of the LE brought up.

[Poison Frost]

If only Nisa made one, SUPER limited, at a higher cost, Nisa Store-only even, I think would be a great choice, and I would gurantee that even having another one of those "preorder to see how many people do" things happen again, that there would be ALOT more numbers than What Did I Do to Deserve This? did. GURANTEED. In fact, for as "dead" as PSP is, I do believe that this would do VERY well. Collectors would flock to an LE with physical copy (where this would be the ONLY place to get a physical copy of it). I think BRS is popular enough to make big sales!

YES! YES! YES! If that came to pass I would definitely throw whatever money I have in NISA's direction, even if it was decided the day before RoAW2's release date (which I've been waiting for for about a year or 2) no matter the price. As you said Fate/Extra did do good supposedly as I can RARELY find a copy of the game in my local GS (I thankfully picked up the last LE when I went in for my copy) if it all so I would agree that the game did well. Hakuoki though I can't really say much; Americans have surprised me many a times on how they've accepted new twists on their "View of the Gaming industry" so how they'll take this new genre of "Otome Games" or "Games that are more oriented towards Females" is definitely beyond my comprehension but I can definitely already hear the trolls laughing at the amount of "airtime" females are getting in a game they won't even play. Anyway getting back onto the topic, BRS the game is definitely something I will mark my calendar for (I will have to buy one first, though) the instant I hear of a release date; whether or not I will be getting a box with a slip of paper in it will decide what language it'll be in. I am much more confident in spending $120+ on importing a copy of the Japanese LE and feeling content than buying a American LE that I'll have to download the game to my PSP.

[Sheleigha]

Speaking of the $120 mark, I paid that for the Super Premium Disgaea 4 set, because I wanted all the figures instead of worrying about getting blind boxes (and buying them seperately can be pricey too), and they all came in a nice box too! The point is, that Disgaea 4 still sold a good amount with that set! Enough to warrant a second print, which looks like they didn't have as many buyers as intended to scoop up the next run... It was Nisa's big game though, and I can imagine it being tough to deal with how much they should manufacture for a second run. Still, the first run DID sell out, so it does show that people WILL pay more for such a premium.

Neptunia MK2 is a good example though: here's a series with a HUGE collector-based fanbase, that LOVE premiums and limited editions (scalpers aside). The volume got SO big for this title, they produced more copies to try and keep up with the volume of purchases! Sure, it was PS3 though, you could argue that. Still, it was a store exclusive that sold out entirely! BRS, although on PSP, would have quite the premium package to do good enough sales to sell completely out. Actually now that I think about it, Nisa hasn't made limited-edition counters for a while. Most sets would be listed as "1000/2000 available!" and that's all that would be made! So, couldn't a similar model, with a premium price be used? I am SURE that 2000 people would spend, say, $150+ on a BRS LE set (figma included, of course). If anime fans (somehow) have the cash to buy a $400 anime import set for HALF a series, collectors would sure pay the premium for a limited set.


And yeah, I blab on this sort of thing alot^^ I just love the world of business and sales numbers and all that stuff (especially for my favorite niche companies), and thinking of ways myself to how things could maybe work.

[Poison Frost]

Speaking of the $120 mark, I paid that for the Super Premium Disgaea 4 set, because I wanted all the figures instead of worrying about getting blind boxes (and buying them seperately can be pricey too), and they all came in a nice box too! The point is, that Disgaea 4 still sold a good amount with that set! Enough to warrant a second print, which looks like they didn't have as many buyers as intended to scoop up the next run... It was Nisa's big game though, and I can imagine it being tough to deal with how much they should manufacture for a second run. Still, the first run DID sell out, so it does show that people WILL pay more for such a premium.

Neptunia MK2 is a good example though: here's a series with a HUGE collector-based fanbase, that LOVE premiums and limited editions (scalpers aside). The volume got SO big for this title, they produced more copies to try and keep up with the volume of purchases! Sure, it was PS3 though, you could argue that. Still, it was a store exclusive that sold out entirely! BRS, although on PSP, would have quite the premium package to do good enough sales to sell completely out. Actually now that I think about it, Nisa hasn't made limited-edition counters for a while. Most sets would be listed as "1000/2000 available!" and that's all that would be made! So, couldn't a similar model, with a premium price be used? I am SURE that 2000 people would spend, say, $150+ on a BRS LE set (figma included, of course). If anime fans (somehow) have the cash to buy a $400 anime import set for HALF a series, collectors would sure pay the premium for a limited set.

Well you have to take into consideration the fact that Disgaea 4 has (as the number suggests) about 3 sequels, plus Ports. So that gives Disgaea LOTS of time to gather followers as well as gives buyers more reason to buy the game, having a game with a higher number of prequels or sequels shows the quality of the game...or at least the zeal of the fans. Mk2 however I can agree, the first game supposedly wasn't rated as high as I would've given it myself (somewhere between 5-7 if I remember correctly) yet here we are with a sequel and the game is quite popular given it's prequel's rating. What's to blame? I'd give that honor to the fans of the first game that honestly liked the game but just wished for a few tweaks here and there, plus Mk2's LE looked magnificent (still waiting...) so I'm sure that brought in potential buyers as well.

The game being priced high would definitely work for NISA, giving back the money they used manufacturing the UMDs, plus putting them in limited supply would also limit their funding towards it and also draw in the real fans. That leaves all the non-true fans and the other people with a PSN game that they will equally enjoy. PROBLEM SOLVED. However, this all rides on the chance that NISA takes up this idea or even THINKS about creating UMDs for this game; they'll probably weigh the manufacturing cost with the original price of the LE and increase the LE's (or PE) price accordingly so as to keep their profits manageable as well as keep the price low enough to keep us from going COMPLETELY cold.

[Sheleigha]

Because of our discussion, I decided to make a poll: http://nisamerica.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=57&t=8641
I really want to know what people will say regarding the issue^^ And *sigh* I just we hope to hear something more on the game... I know Nisa will have their conference soon too (I think Houk said we'd hear more about a date this month) and that it will for sure before E3 at least. Booo I hate waiting for stuff :p

[Poison Frost]

Voted

Yeah, some more insight on what is going through NISA's mind in regards to BRS would definitely help me get a weather check on the game's localization. Plus, if the physical UMD is shot down then I can just get up and leave without having to attach a golden string to my chair and my wrist so I can find my way back. If they do make a decision before E3 (which is June 5-7 if the site is correct) then I should have ample time to choose between BRS: PE and RoAW2 (LE?).

[Tokiko]

Also voted :3

I'm just hoping that they get the White Box edition LE here with the Figma and everything as far as having a physical UMD or not as much as I'd like one because my internet here sucks but i wouldn't mind just having to go somewhere to DL it so meh in that regard. Really looking forward to this game though i think thats also more for the Figma (sadly haha) than anything else about it so kinda hoping we hear something soon or i may just end up getting a Jap copy and then getting a NA release later on.

[Sheleigha]

Really looking forward to this game though i think thats also more for the Figma (sadly haha) than anything else about it

Here's the funny thing with me: I LOVE figures, especially BRS ones, but I don't own any. I look at the price and think "Ohhh it IS $40ish... Not right now >_>" I do have to be picky about what I chose to buy and as far as figures go, I have a lower spending limit for them, since I know they aren't interactive. With all this considered, if a figure were to come with a game, then all the more I would want it, because I feel like it would come with alot more content that would justify me getting it. And WRS is a beautiful figure...

[Poison Frost]

I went ape (crazy) when the WRS figma was announced to be included in the BGS Premium Set, went ape when I saw that IBRS was to be included with the Blu-Ray DVD set. I pretty much spazzed out any time I got something on my news feed if it had to do with BRS. Though I myself don't have any figures (unless Bionicle count <.<) So this'll be my first figure/figma. I do want to get BGS along with the BRS figure 2035 or something that was also posted on this sight. Though in contrast to Tokiko I feel about 1/4 maybe even 1/3 of my heart is singing this tune for the Figma while the other 2/3 is singing for the physical copy.

[Argroh Valdios]

There's an issue with a PSN only release for me at the moment...

my PSN acc is American based, and I'm in Canada...
(Canadian based PSN cards won't charge American PSN accounts.)

[suttonmitchell]

There's an issue with a PSN only release for me at the moment...

my PSN acc is American based, and I'm in Canada...
(Canadian based PSN cards won't charge American PSN accounts.)

You will have to buy US PSN cards from a site like PlayAsia. That seems to be the easiest way. I think Amazon and Gamestop (EB) sells em too.

[Discoceris]

I'm surprised people are still discussing the "price" of the BRS LE. Mind you, even if "video gamers" don't want to pay $100-$120 for this LE, the anime fans will, and maybe pay more. If you don't want the stuff that comes with the game, then why do you express interest in an "LE" in the first place?

If you don't have money, you have no business in the LE market. If you want an LE, expect to pay for it. It's that simple.

[Ringwraith]

I'm surprised people are still discussing the "price" of the BRS LE.

Errr, they are?
Last I checked it was still discussing it's digital-only status rather than the price.