Sega: "No plans to release Phantasy Star Nova in the Western market"

phantasy star nova west

Sega has no plans to bring the recently announced PlayStation Vita title Phantasy Star Nova over to the West, Sega of America told Sega Addicts.

Phantasy Star Nova was announced over a week ago as part of a pre-Tokyo Game Show announcement — with all information being provided in Japanese and no mention of a Western release whatsoever. Considering the lack of information given by Sega’s Western arms regarding its seemingly suspended plan to localise Phantasy Star Online 2 — including Sega Europe’s less than helpful update — many Western Phantasy Star fans assumed the worst.

Nevertheless, Sega Addicts got in touch with Sega of America’s Kellie Parker to ask about the possibility of Phantasy Star Nova‘s Western release,

There are currently no plans to release Phantasy Star Nova in the western market. Should this change, we will ensure the information is shared as soon as possible.

It’s hard to be surprised, but Sega’s official truncation of Phantasy Star fans’ hopes to see the title in their local videogame shop is still saddening.

Were you holding out for a Western release of Phantasy Star Nova? Is this the end of Phantasy Star in the West? Can Sega really be blamed for its decision to keep the brand where it believes it will sell well? Let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment below.

About the author

Michael Westgarth

Michael Westgarth is a freelance writer and geneticist for hire who has been writing about video games since 2011. Michael enjoys saving the world and building creeper-proof, vertical sheep farms. Follow him on Twitter @MegaWestgarth, Tumblr and Google+.

Readers Comments (25)

  1. WHAT I WAS WAITING FOR MONTHS NONE STOP ENDS FOR THIS GAME BASICALLY what the japanese guy has said and compared to the same old American person has said is that it isn’t coming out in the West that japanese guy gave it out straight to us… The game isn’t coming out in the west…

    • I’d like to hope that it is coming to the West, but given Sega’s increasing reluctance to bring over many of their games, I wouldn’t hold your breath.

      Thanks for the comment!

  2. It’s not surprising, considering we never got Phantasy Star Portable 2 Infinity and possible cancellation of PSO2 for the western market.
    Can’t say I blame them for wanting to cater to the region where the franchise was more of a success, but they haven’t offered the same support for the rest of the world that isn’t Japan.
    If anything, Sega views anywhere outside of Japan with a certain bias.

  3. Atlus games will be missed too… ;(

    • Atlus USA has said they are not going to be affected by the Sega buyout of Index. Stop calling gloom and doom on them.

      • Oscar Alberto Abrego Suarez September 20, 2013 @ 8:47 PM

        A poor soul that believes in PR BS :/

        • BS? Sega would be reviled if they shut down Atlus USA. It’s not BS. The fact that some people actually still think Atlus USA is screwed even when their CEO has said they will do business as normal is just appalling.

  4. Counterproductive September 20, 2013 @ 3:31 PM

    Goddammit. The first non-MMO Phantasy Star in years, and they’re going to shaft the west. Sonofa…

  5. “Can Sega really be blamed for its decision to keep the brand where it believes it will sell well?”

    If they don’t bring over their best IPs what is Sega worth?

    Sega (mainly Sega of America I suppose? Sega Europe is probably to small to do own localisations) need to work on global strategies for their best IPs. PS has a lot of potential, PSO as F2P would perfectly fit to the Vita platform. Attach rate on that console is quite high and on portable it could work out even in the west (Vita’s userbase isn’t the largest but on the other hand it’s the right audience for these kind of games) . Plus, Sega will likely develop more games based on that IP in the foreseeable future.

    • Sega of America is even smaller now than Sega of Europe, and its the European branch that calls the shots where Sega of America is concerned

      Anyway, really Sega, you’re not even freaking bringing one of your most well known IPs?
      what are you worth now, Sonic? what a freaking joke, yeah that ones been better recently but thats not saying much.

  6. so how is this atlus thing going to work

  7. Sega: All we care about is Sonic, what’s Phantasy Star?

  8. I don’t get it. The PR lady only said “currently no plans”. Why is it written into such a way that it’s trying to say that SEGA have absolutely no plans to bring it over?

    Same thing with the PSVita TV, really. Andrew House said “currently no plans for Western markets” and people got their knickers into a twist: “OMG you guys! Sony’s NOT bringing the PSVita TV over here forever!”

    • Sega more than likely won’t bother with localizing it at all because their track record with Phantasy Star games is awful. PSO2 still has no US release and is probably canceled. At this point I wish nothing more but for them to just close up and have their Japanese or European division handle everything because it’s clear their US division doesn’t care about the fans anymore. All they do is appeal to Sonic fans, people who play stupid mobile phone games and people who play Rome: Total War or Company of Heroes. They’ve forgotten everyone else and just want to throw them under the bus.

      • PSO2 English demo was playable at PAX2012. Some companies e.g Asiasoft is bringing the English version over to South East Asia countries. These two points alone prove that a English build exists. It’s just a matter of “when”.

        • They’re lying about it being localized. They keep saying “it’s delayed, it’s delayed” but it’s a cover up for it being canceled. Sega is lying through their teeth.

          • There’s multiple reports of the development of an English version, but for Asian territories where English is the second language.

            But as for a release in Europe and North America? No one, including Sega, seems to know.

      • yes god forbid they saved relic to make such a great game called company of heroes

      • I don’t think that’s entirely fair. Sega of America did run the whole Project Diva F campaign that resulted in the game having a physical, Western release.

        It seems to be the Phantasy Star series in particular that they are reluctant to bring over. The Phantasy Star fans are for more vocal (and potentially numerous) than the Yakuza fans and the Shining Force fans.

    • I’m not saying that there’s definitely no plans to bring it over, but if there were plans, they would have been drawn up by now.

      Further more, the article would have had more of an indifferent tone if not for Sega’s lack of communication regarding Phantasy Star Online 2 — And Yakuza 5 for that matter.

  9. Whats nice about living in the Western part of the world is that there are many publishers who listen to fans and might be willing to talk to Sega to get the go ahead, translate, and release it themselves.

    Anything is possible. I do know that Sega has been dead to me for over a decade now, ever since the no more Phantasy Star single player stuff and the shaft on Shining Force 3. If they want more customers, they need to quit hogging the interesting games and actually start releasing them here.

  10. Then they should let Atlus USA do the honors! Friggin SEGA >_>

  11. A non-translated Tri-Ace game? How dare they! Burn SEGA burn!!!!!

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