Report: Sega Interested in Buying Atlus

[Sarah LeBoeuf]

Report: Sega Interested in Buying Atlus

Twenty companies have expressed interest in bidding on Atlus following the bankruptcy of the developer's parent company.

With the newly-bankrupt Index Holdings selling off its assets [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/126131-Atlus-Parent-To-Sell-Off-Operations], Japanese developer Atlus is for sale. According to one report, Sega is among the companies looking to scoop up the JRPG maker. The house that Sonic built isn't alone in its quest, though: the report states that 20 companies are interested in or bidding on Atlus, with the highest bid reaching $203 million.

Atlus seemed uncertain when Index Holdings announced that it was filing for bankruptcy (possibly because of fraud) last month. However, a statement from the studio, perhaps best known for the Shin Megami Tensei series and its various offshoots, seemed confident that work would carry on: "The development and sales of the Atlus brand as well as the consumer business will continue."

With so many potential bidders and such a high reported price, there's probably no need to worry about the future of Atlus. Unless this situation somehow interferes with the making of the next Persona game, in which case there will be hell to pay.

Source: CVG [http://www.bloomberg.co.jp/news/123-MQVZXW6JIJUX01.html]

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[Fappy]

There are enough sad tales coming from the industry. Can't we have this one reprieve?

Let us pray it all works out in the end.

 

[Teoes]

Sega was one of the companies that the community was rooting for in this acquisition, right? To keep Atlas working cross-platform. Just so's I know who to root for. Also would be nice to see people's jobs remaining secure, natch.

 

[ScrabbitRabbit]

I'd be OK with SEGA. I don't think they'll interfere with the games too much or give them a huge budget that their games won't be able to make back.

 

[jericu]

I've heard about this, and I'll reserve judgement for how well Sega would do with Atlus when, and if, they're the ones who end up winning the auction. But honestly, I'm curious what the other 19 companies interested in buying Atlus are, since NO ARTICLES have mentioned that at all.

 

[xyrafhoan]

I'm not worried about the future of Atlus in Japan. I'm worried about the future of Atlus in North America. Etrian Odyssey and SMT enjoy cult success here, but Catherine, one of their most successful games, only sold about 78,000 copies in North America on their first week. When Sega brings over less than half of their RPG franchises, it's scary to think what the future will be like for English gamers who are treated so well by the current Atlus localization team under Index Holdings.

My fingers are crossed that any buyer keeps the status quo and allows Atlus to work as they currently do.

 

[Charli]

I eghghgmmm ghhgmhhgl. Yeah... okay. I'd be okay with this.

Dunno how this'll pan out for outside Japan released given Sega's oddly xenophobic relationship with outsiders regarding anything that isn't Sonic the Hedgehog... But we'll see.

 

[Andy Shandy]

Works for me. SEGA, for the most part anyway, have been doing some good stuff recently, and Atlus would just add to that quality, and I don't think SEGA would interfere much either.

Plus it may mean that Atlus games don't take an absolute age to reach Europe either, which I know I'd be very thankful for.

 

[Tanis]

I kind of wish XSEED and NIS would merge, buy Atlus, and then make some amazing cross overs.

I just hope Atlus is sold INTACT, and its' IPs aren't broken up.

I also hope Nintendo doesn't buy them because...well...
Nintendo and 'mature' games don't seem to 'fit'.

 

[emeraldrafael]

it still does matter, especially considering who buys them. Personally Im hoping Sony does, cause sony seems the one to leave them the most alone. I'd hate to see sega pull a sonic with SMT or persona or see Square Enix make them into the next FF.

 

[Quiotu]

I'm not worried about the future of Atlus in Japan. I'm worried about the future of Atlus in North America. Etrian Odyssey and SMT enjoy cult success here, but Catherine, one of their most successful games, only sold about 78,000 copies in North America on their first week. When Sega brings over less than half of their RPG franchises, it's scary to think what the future will be like for English gamers who are treated so well by the current Atlus localization team under Index Holdings.

My fingers are crossed that any buyer keeps the status quo and allows Atlus to work as they currently do.

And this is the only reason I'm concerned about Atlus if it falls to Sega. I will take Sega getting them over Nintendo, so they can remain cross platform, but Sega's well known for mostly caring about Japan. Now their acquisition of Relic sort of flies in the face of that, since 40k is an almost purely western fanbase. So right now I'm not sure if Sega is looking to expand interests in the West, or if these are just acquisitions of convenience.

Regardless, if Sega treats Atlus like Relic or The Creative Asssembly, merely publishing their games and not really managing what they actually do, then I'd be quite alright with this arrangement. As it stands, I'm not really comfortable with Sega having the power to steer Atlus in whatever direction they want. They have been pretty bad at catering to anyone other than Japan for a very long time.

 

[Roxas1359]

snip

Alright, you do realize it's SEGA Sammy who wants to buy Atlus, not SEGA themselves right? SEGA Sammy is a holdings company for SEGA, just like how Index was the holding company for Atlus. If SEGA Sammy were to buy Atlus then nothing would change, and unless SEGA Sammy were to force a merger between SEGA and Atlus then SEGA would not control anything at all with Atlus. I've been seeing it a lot that people just see the SEGA part of SEGA Sammy and instantly think doom and gloom. SEGA Sammy does nothing but hold copyrights and investments because it is a holdings company, while SEGA is the business part.

Here's the translated Bloomberg Japan report from Gematsu: http://gematsu.com/2013/08/report-about-20-companies-sega-interest-atlus-bid-20-billion-yen

 

[neonsword13-ops]

Hmm. Not sure I'm completely okay with this.

Sega seems to be doing fairly well, and they publish some niche titles from time to time, so it could be an okay fit. But it just doesn't sit right with me. NIS, Nintendo, or Sony should be picking them up.

Oh man, I'm starting to get nervous.

But hey, maybe Sega could make them develop another Valkyria Chronicles game for PS3/PS4. That would be somethin'.

 

[Roxas1359]

snip

Actually it's SEGA's holding company SEGA Sammy that's looking to buy it, and they don't seem like they are in too much financial trouble right now..
Plus, they could use Atlus USA to perhaps help localize more SEGA stuff if they so choose to.

 

[Tony2077]

i hope a multiplaform let atlus do its own thing group buys them

 

[ClockworkUniverse]

I love how the actual story is that 20 companies are bidding for Atlus, and yet every time I see it on a gaming news site, they write it as "SEGA WANTS TO BUY ATLUS! also some other companies want to as well."