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Last month we learned that Atlus parent company Index Corporation was in a fiscal mess due to a debt of 2.45 billion yen and fraud investigations and had entered "civil rehabilitation proceedings," akin to American bankruptc.
According to Bloomberg, with some help in translation from Mad Man's Cafe, it seems Index will begin selling off its subsidiary operations. Bidding could start as early as next week and finish as quickly as September. As we guessed last month, it seems Index wants to get things done before any of its operations devalue amidst the turmoil -- production could be impacted, employees could jump ship, etc. Settlements could reach as high as 15 billion yen, according to experts.
Index stock will be delisted on July 28. Atlus Japan recently issued a statement on its website noting, "the development and sales of the Atlus brand as well as the consumer business will continue." It also confirmed that regularly planned releases of various upcoming titles, like Dragon's Crown, would be unaffected by the proceedings. Even next month's Persona music festival in Japan is going as planned. Hopefully things keep moving smoothly.
Index corp. selling off its businesses [Mad Man's Cafe, Bloomberg]
With the auction to find a new home for Atlus well on its way and generating more revenue than expected, everything seems to be back to business at usual at the house of Persona.
The Japanese developer and publisher just released its plans for Comiket 84, that will happen between August the 10th and August the 12th at the Tokyo Big Sight convention center.
Not only they will be in attendance, but they will come packed with all sorts of merchandise and collectibles for the fans to enjoy, including some related to the still unreleased Devil Survivor 2: Break Record. There’ll also be merchandise for Dragon’s Crown, Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millenium Girl, Shin Megami Tensei IV and Persona 4.
Index Corporation (Atlus’ Mother Company) just officially announced with a press release that the primary auction for the acquisition of the company’s assets (including Atlus), and that until now was only rumored, has indeed been conducted.
According to Index, a “large number†of companies took part in the bidding process, and “several candidates†for the transfer of business have been selected. The publisher also announced that a second auction between the selected candidates will be held in the future in order to define a final purchasing party as soon and as smoothly as possible.
No names of potential candidates were mentioned as part of the press release and no details about the amount of the bids were given.
J Trust, the Japanese financial services firm five percent owned by Goldman Sachs, has made an offer to purchase Atlus parent company Index, currently up for grabs.
The company, according to Bloomberg, aims to use cash raised through a record rights offering to fund takeover bids, including Index, as part of a client-boosting strategy. During an interview, J Trust CEO Nobuyoshi Fujisawa said the company can spend as much as 130 billion yen (approx. $1.3 billion) in cash on buyouts without seeking external financing.
Purchasing a bankrupt company wouldn’t be new to J Trust. The firm purchased failed consumer lenders Lopro Corp. in 2010 and Takefuji Corp. in 2012.
As reported last week, about 20 buyers, including Sega Sammy Holdings, have shown interest in purchasing the Persona and Shin Megami Tensei developer’s parent, and Index aims to reach a sales agreement by the end of August. Offers to purchase the company have reached 20 billion yen, Bloomberg said.
Gather round, dear friends. We have some sad news for you – we’ve decided to close down our forums for the foreseeable future. In two weeks, we’re going to basically wipe all the content, so if you have any threads you want to save or screen cap for posterity, now is the time to do it.
Why are we going all Blockbuster Video on the forums? Two main reasons, really. First: we have awesome fans, and the overwhelming majority of them spend more time on Facebook and Twitter. In this business, it’s adapt or die, so we’re refocusing our efforts on social media. But in the great expanse of the world wide internets, you’ll find plenty of exceptional ATLUS fans – the ones who keep our game Wiki pages alive, create walkthroughs on GameFAQs, cosplay, create fan art or fan fiction, etc. So even if you actively avoid having a social media presence, we’re sure you’ll find some other great ATLUS fan community to be a part of.
Second: we have a lot of games coming out in the coming months/years, and we just don’t have the time to police the forums they way we did in the past. It’s become a barren echo chamber over the past couple of months, with no practical solution in sight (other than the Ol’ Yeller method, that is).
So there you have it. We’re pulling the plug, because its time has come. The last day the forum will be active is Friday, Nov. 22. You can still find us though. We’re alive and well on Facebook, Twitter, and our ATLUS Faithful email newsletter!
We’re not sure what it’s all about. But there’s a couple flashing ultrasound photos of a baby in the womb, the words “Center for New Releases, Women’s Health†above it, and words like “Persist 5″ and “Gold 4″ on its side.
Atlus might be localizing Yakuza 5 for release in North America, according to the latest issue of EGM.
“The House That Demon Schlong Mara Built is far from dead and looks to keep on churning out great localizations,†the magazine’s Q-Mann wrote in its latest rumor mill. “In fact, the Q-Gangzsta even has this exclusive tidbit: Don’t rule out Yakuza 5 coming to America under the Atlus banner. After some high-rollin’ escapades in the Tokyo underworld during my many TGS trips over the years, the Q is ready for the rest of you to relive some of his thuggin’ and buggin’!â€
If true, this shouldn’t come as a complete surprise. Sega recently purchased Atlus’ parent company Index, and Atlus generally localizes even the most niche titles.
Yakuza 5 first launched for PlayStation 3 in Japan in December 2012. It is the second latest Yakuza title, with the newest release being this month’s Yakuza: Ishin for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3.
Atlus has confirmed via the U.S. PlayStation Blog that a successor to Demon’s Souls is not in development for the PlayStation 4.
“PS Blog Exclusive: can 100% confirm there will NOT be a Demon Souls 2. ,†wrote PR boss John Hardin.
Rumors have cropped up in recent months that Demon’s Souls 2 was in development, though nothing official was ever confirmed.
The original Demon’s Souls was released as a PlayStation 3 exclusive in fall 2009, becoming a cult hit among gamers. From Software eventually released a spiritual successor, Dark Souls, two years later to critical acclaim and strong sales.
Sales sheets from Atlus, who are distributing several titles for NIS America, have revealed release dates for the company’s upcoming PlayStation 3 and PS Vita games.
Fairy Fencer F, from Compile Heart, will launch for $39.99 on September 23. It will have dual audio in English and Japanese.
Disgaea 4: A Promise Revisited, from Nippon Ichi Software, will launch on August 12 for $39.99. It will have dual audio in English and Japanese.
And finally, Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair will launch on September 2 for $39.99. It will, as the others, have dual audio in English and Japanese.