Yes, my guess is that he had to sign a contract when he left that he wouldn't say anything in a lot of detail about Capcom's future plans. I would imagine he might comment or talk to us sometime in the future but it won't be like uncovering Ace Attorney-Gate (Although I guess Ace Attorney-gate would be called Gatewater) and will more likely be "Yeah, I tried to make that happen but I don't think its happening now" or something like that.

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I can and will still skip the digital copy.



I will NOT be talked down to as if it's OUR fault Ace Attorney may cease to exist outside of Japan because of the awful choices Capcom is making. This WAS a day 1 purchase. It is not a purchase at all now. I don't want the series to die, but quite frankly Capcom is the one who is guilty of making this situation. To say I, or any other fan who does not want to support them because of it being digital only will be at fault for killing the series is beyond insulting. This is all on Capcom. This was argued to death and back when they first announced this and it's silly to argue it again, but when people bring this up AGAIN, I won't be silent and let it go.

If we get a retail release, it won't be an issue (for now), but if Sven being fired killed any hope of that, the game will fail in sales. And you know, given the crazy sales they expect it to do to be "successful" I don't know that doing a traditional release would even get it to that level for them to be happy.

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As long as we support the digital release then we have nothing to complain or worry about because it will show capcom how much we want more of the ace attorney games

Can you say "Contradiction"?
Seriously, you're saying you'll help prevent the series from dieing by not purchasing DD? Explain your logic, for you have blown my mind.

Well put well put

Then we are all at a loss here dude. Every single purchase counts. If the fans truly loves their series. They'll commit. Then the company will commit. If GS6 won't make it here. It's really not the unpopularity of the series. But an unprofitable view that they will not commit themselves too.

thats why i say everyone on this site should buy the game to show their support for the sales so that the series doesnt die here in NA

I was not trying to imply that I think it will be the fan's fault if the franchise dies. Capcom has continued to make bad decisions about how to handle the franchise. I also completely understand why people are upset about the digital release, as if it was for any other series I might be making the same decision. What I am trying to stress is that even if it is their fault if the game doesn't sell well the franchise will die here. Capcom won't care if it's their fault or not; they only look at sales numbers. So I am in no way trying to say that if you don't buy the game it will be YOUR fault the series dies. What I am saying is that if you or others are refusing to buy the game simply for ideological reasons like you don't support the idea of digital releases I would ask you to protest with a game that will make still make a statement but won't affect the future of a franchise; do it with a game released by a company that actually knows how to market a game properly and hasn't given up on its own IPs. I totally understand the drawbacks of digital, and I'm not happy about it myself but at this point buying GS5 is the best chance of getting future games. I would ask people to weigh whether this particular game is the one to boycott in order to protest digital releases, which is already a huge business in the PC market and will likely only get bigger. I think people think protesting the digital release will somehow have a better outcome then what we are getting but I honestly can't see how that will work out. It's much more likely Capcom will simply decide the sales weren't high enough.

Hopefully Capcom employees other than Sven actually read that topic. It got huge in days so hopefully we'll hear some progress soon.

And I apologize if it sounded confrontational or as if I was talking down to anyone. I wrote it to convey the serious nature of our present situation.

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Oops it double posted for some reason.

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cant you just delete one?

It sounded like Sven wasn't 'fired' as such but chose to leave (although it was probably 'encouraged' *cough*) because he was disenfranchised. '“I stayed as long as I did in large part for the potential I felt the company had (and still may have). '

Some of the posts on the above link hint Capcom USA has very little power relative to Capcom JP in relation to getting Western releases (though no idea how accurate that is? Would match up with the undertones of some of Sven's comments though re. AAI2 etc.)
If that's true I'd say we should be rethinking strategy here, if it's Capcom JP who ultimately determines whether we get anything, on a fundamental level.

Look I really don't get why people are boycotting the digital copy. I understand there's a LOT of reasons why people don't like it but if you CAN purchase it do so? (Unless your English is too poor to play it or something for those people who used to play other languages European release) For example it's NINTENDO's fault that the digital games are tied to the actual 3DS so you just lose them all if it breaks or something. Well go direct your concern at Nintendo, not the GS franchise? It's a very legitimate issue but you're penalising the wrong target here?

Or is the another reason I'm missing here? Are people just not buying the digital one on principle because they wanted a physical release? I mean at least we're getting A release, even if it's sub-optimal. Making the digital release more popular increases the chances of a physical one.... Maybe. (They always just tell us to jump through hoops like buy the iOS versions don't they? And there's no linear cause and effect, they just goad us to buy things....) Are people perhpas boycotting cause they don't like CAPCOM's direction? Well Capcom's not going to read boycotting a 'niche' franchise that way, they're going to read it as nobody cares about GS enough to bother maintaining it in the West.

Anyway Sven gone well who knows. I doubt all the impact fans directed at him re: GS will be passed onto his.. successor (not that there will be a direct analogue if it's a 'restructure'). But since GS5 ENG was officially announced we will still be getting the digital game at least. Good thing they announced it when they did.

I think it's interesting people assume there is going to be a GS6 at all, (or within the next million years after GS5) but already I see people discussing about 'In GS6' and that kind of thing.... like it's going to happen next year or something...

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If I am correct, there are a couple of main issues that people have with digital releases, a few being specifically about THIS release and the others being a more general, ideological reason. I will try to explain them to the best of my ability and also discuss my views on them.

Reason #1: People are boycotting the digital release because they want a physical copy of the game. This is very understandable, and I think most of us really wish a physical release was coming out. Unfortunately Capcom is not going to look at the low sales as reason to release a physical release. They will simply look at it as a lack of interest.

Reason #2: People are boycotting the digital release because of Nintendo's Digital policies. This one is the most understandable of the bunch, and this is the one that concerned me in the beginning. Nintendo doesn't use an account system like Steam of iTunes, which let you install your game on whatever devices you have and makes it simple to replace them in the event of your system breaking or getting stolen. Now, a lot of people are convinced Nintendo won't refund your purchases, but while I don't have personal experience in this department I did talk to a Nintendo representative and they confirmed that there is a list of all titles downloaded from your 3DS, tied to an account which is tied to your serial number. I have also heard from another user that if your 3DS is stolen and you send them a police report they have refunded people's games before. Joining Club Nintendo, if possible, adds another layer of security here. So if something happens to your system, Nintendo DOES know what you downloaded and chances are it will work out. However, Nintendo is still behind the times and needs to change their system. There have been recent hints that Nintendo is going in this direction and they will no doubt let all your previously downloaded software join this "new system" when it happens so I would imagine that DD will be in a steam like system in the next couple of years. This is still a concern that many including me have, but the appeal of the game and the possible future installments outwieghs the possible issues I might have long after I complete DD.

Concern #3: People are boycotting the game because AAI2 hasn't been released yet. I understand why people are angry about this, but its been 2 years and there's no hint that AAI2 is coming. And unless DD sells incredibly well (something I don't see happening) it's probably never going to get here. As much as I'd like to play an English version of GK2 I'd much prefer to have more of the main series than not get any more because of a game that didn't come over here.

Concern #4: People are boycotting the game because they don't like Capcom or have issues with its policies. I understand this one too. Their handling of the GS in the west shows they've made huge mistakes in marketing as well as policies like on-disc DLC which are a real pain for consumers. I would ask that people boycott games like whatever newest version of Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 or Street Fighter; something that will make a statement but not be on a series that Capcom seems like they are just waiting to kill at this point.

Concern #5: People are boycotting the game because they don't like Digital Distribution in general. I understand this one too, as I lean towards physical copies and hate things like DRM. As much as we might not like it, digital copies are huge and are most likely the way of the future for gaming. Steam has completely changed PC gaming, for better or worse, and that's most likely starting to appear on consoles in the near future. However, I still understand why people would protest this in general because as stated I'm not crazy about digital downloads. But I don't think DD is the game to protest this, as there's not a real "return" on it. Capcom won't listen to this as a protest about digital, but simply as a lack of sales. And AA isn't a huge series that will draw attention to the issue. Like I said, if a group of people protested Valve's steam-only release of the next Half-Life or Portal, and the movement got big enough, it would draw attention and would really raise the issue or have the possibility of changing something. That's not really a possibility with GS5.

All in all, I think all the reasons are very valid and if it was a different situation I would probably support it. But we're in really desperate times right now and I just think these battles could be fought elsewhere, which would end better for both sides.



I think there's no question there will be a GS6. It's a new console, a new team, and a new start for the series. The long wait and return of Phoenix guarantees a smash hit in Japan and I think Takumi is no longer interested in involvement so I think we can expect a GS6 announcement by 2015. The franchise is making too much money in Japan for there not to be a GS6 soon. Unless they start doing something like Layton where they keep saying it will be the last game, but even that already has spin-offs and I bet you a "luke" game or something will be announced soon. In the video games market it's all about the money eventually.

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I am going to agree on this. Ace Attorney is not popular enough for a boycott to show Capcom that people are protesting. Were it a game like IDK Street Fighter then it might be different.

Capcom won't see it as a boycott - they will see it as a lack of interest in Ace Attorney in general and think that the West doesn't care about the series and that they only like beat 'em ups and first person shooters.

In other words, boycotting is not a smart move. I cannot stress this enough.

Thats why we gonna show our support by buying the game when it is released if not then we have no one to blame but ourselfs

I know what you are trying to say, but I think this is also a wrong way if looking at it. As TheResPriest said, it isn't our fault that we're in this situation and it won't be our fault if the series dies, so thinking about it like that isn't giving Capcom enough of the blame. Everyone gets to buy what they want and customers speak with where they spend - or refuse to spend- their money.

But the problem is Capcom is not going to listen to that. At least now that Sven is gone I doubt there will be a lot of discussion about the fans over there. We're in big trouble now, and its not out fault but we're the ones jumping through hoops.
That's why I ask Anyone considering skipping DD only for the digital reason to think about fighting that battle another day. It's a battle worth fighting, but I don't want AA to be a causality.

The sales of Apollo Justice were good enough to get AAI localized; does anyone know how much it sold in the us and uk?

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i understand we arnt the only ones to blame, capcom is alot of times a very selfish company who only thinks with their wallets and not of the people who make their wallets full that is what companies like capcom need to think about because without us they would be nothing which they need to understand that and i agree boycotting the digital release would be the right thing to do if the series was popular enough to even think of that strategy so best thing is to buy the game and make capcom happy with sales so that way they would keep making more AA games to fill their pockets

I didn't say not buying DD would help prevent the series from dying. I don't want it to die. Capcom has decided it will die by the choice of release they're doing. I absolutely love the series. I've spent I don't know how many hours ripping music from the games. I've played through the games more than almost any other I own. Not being able to play new installments makes me extremely sad. That said, unlike some of you, I am not willing to support Capcom's decisions even if it means that we will never get another Ace Attorney game. That does NOT mean I'm not a fan or I don't care for the series deeply. To suggest otherwise is very insulting.

I am WELL aware poor sales will kill the future of the series outside of Japan. But it's Capcom that has guarenteed it will sell poorly. I flatly will not support a digital release. I actively encourage others not to. Will Capcom care if we boycott it? No. They won't. They won't look at it and say "They didn't like digital we should do physical". They plainly DON'T CARE. Quite frankly I don't even see why they bothered to release it outside of Japan with the attitude they have. They've set the game up to fail even before they've released it and set a crazy sales expectations for it. Not supporting DD is VERY hard for me.



Don't blame us, blame Capcom. They're the one who put the gun to AA's head.

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You make a point, but if we want GS6, we're going to have to buy DD.
Capcom is to blame, but if we want more AA, we have no choice.

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Keep in mind that before Sven stated that they might consider a physical release if there was enough demand, he said (IIRC) that it was digital release or nothing, which sounds like they didn't like the numbers (if they don't make much profit, why should they do it? That's how business works). It is possible that one of the reasons why they are doing the digital release is to test to see how the series is actually doing. Even if the digital platform isn't ideal, it's definitely a much lesser risk for Capcom.

They probably saw a retail release as highly risky, since it costs more and takes more time to create physical cards and distribute them to retailers. On the other hand, digital release likely has a smaller fixed and variable cost (depends on Nintendo's pricing model; there's probably an entry price for lot testing and a percentage off of every sale) and since there isn't a limit on how many get sold, there's no money wasted on excess copies. For sure, digital gets less visibility than retail, which is why retail is not in danger of going away any time soon, but for a series that has doubt surrounding its viability, it's still safer because of the lower costs.

Try thinking of it from that standpoint instead of thinking that Capcom hates the Western fans. If they really hated the fans, they wouldn't have considered digital at all.

That is true, but Capcom does expect "aggressive sales numbers" from DD, which I'm still not sure if digital only can deliver.

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That is true, but Capcom does expect "aggressive sales numbers" from DD, which I'm still not sure if digital only can deliver.[/quote]

sales could go well with digital since there a good amount of advertizement from it like capcom's own youtube channel, the website and forums like this one and the loyal fans of the AA series so it could still have a chance of selling well

Hahahaha I don't like the 'hate Western fans' train of thought at all. If they really hated Western fans they wouldn't have branches in the US and Europe at all.

They might have overblown standards of what 'good sales' are, I'll buy that. But they're a company that wants to make money, just like every other game company and every other company in the world. Which is why boycotting is a bad idea, although we should still protest about wanting a physical release.

Buy the game digitally if you can, buy the game physically as well and that'll more likely make Capcom go, "Oh, maybe we underestimated the size of the Western AA fanbase." It's not guaranteed to change their minds, sure, but it's better than boycotting.

Not to mention that they can't screw themself over by not printing enough carts.

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I'm not sure about the making TOO much money part, GS5 hasn't even arrived there yet. However it looks fantastic and it should sell fine there.

BTW there was an article about Level-5 CEO Hino saying he wants to make another Layton game. It seems likely they will, and possibly begin a 3rd trilogy.

That also gets me wondering... is there any chance PL vs AA gets interest going for AA? Will Capcom bother to monitor its sales and see if there's enough interest for GS6 coming over here?

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I think Capcom will look at sales, but like someone said earlier, a ton of the sales will probably come from the Layton fans.

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I think we thought this would be a factor a long time ago, when we assumed PLvsAA would be out first and that GS5 would be released in retail stores where people would see it on the shelf. It still has the possibility to help but the perfect situation (Layton fans have just finished playing PLvsAA and happen to see GS5 on the shelf on its opening day, they decide to pick it up, etc.) is not going to happen. If anything it will be a much lesser extent, like a couple of Layton fans happen to see GS5 on the eShop menu.


I'd just like to say something about some of the things I talked about earlier, for a second, just so everyone knows exactly where I stand. I don't believe fans are to blame for what happened with AA, and if the franchise dies I don't believe fans are responsible for that either. I also don't believe Capcom is an evil or greedy company. They have made some huge mistakes recently (that might be the reason for the recent restructuring) and they are not treating AA very well, but it's not like they are doing it only to be jerks. We're in a complicated situation and we're trying to work through that. I never said at any point that if someone doesn't support the digital release they are any less of a fan of AA or care for the series any less. I don't totally disagree with the many reasons why people would and if it were any other game then I would be right there with those who don't want to settle for a digital release. I will never blame anyone or be angry with them if they choose to ignore the digital copy. I only wish to ask those boycotting to consider turning their efforts to another game or series that can sustain itself better. I personally feel that the appeal of a new game or multiple new installments outweighs the issues with Digital. I know others have other opinions and that's totally fine. I just want to make sure people understand that Capcom isn't going to be kinder to us if we don't support DD now. That is what I think about it.

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Hum I know that it wasn't enough to justified a translation in other language than english. So I think it was hum... bad. The first 3 games were released. I suspect moderate profits. Apollo Justice come. People are not sure. It has Ace Attorney on it. But the main character is changed... I dunno... I don't trust that guy very much . Won't buy it

AAI come. Not sure... Edgeworth the protagonist? Let's see Ace Attorney: Investigation: Miles Edgeworth... man that's a long title. Oh it's english only won't buy.

Yeah I know this is a very stupid theory. I just think about how I first saw Apollo Justice and just wasn't sure to buy it because the characters on the box didn't grew on me. Also I coudn't get the grasp about what this game was about. (Seem I wasn't the only one to see the lack of charisma of Apollo). Also I'm used to play my game in english since the french law came a few years ago. But for some other countries it would be hum.. a good argument to not buy the game for either a fan (like a protest to translate games) and newbies (oh this game is in english, and it's not my forte.)

Even if it's niche, normally compagnies would expect to see the fan base grew (plus the number of potential players grow at an astonishing rate). Not a lot, but a little. With the change of main character and distribution to mass market (first saw Apollo at costco) it is normal that they would wish to see the fan base grow. It didn't in fact it might had been reduce. AAI come in english only, for maybe, reduce the translation cost. Didn't worked well. Sells go down. Take the risk to release AA:DD on eshop, probably english only... Only time will tell...

We never know. The up about physical release is that fans are please and newcomers may take a copy. Down side, it might be overshadowed by more important, interesting or popular games. Let's all admit it when we go buy a game we have a game in mind so we tend to forget about the others. Plus AA never had the most interesting cover so it will probably won't get the attention of a potential buyer (YEAH GRAPHIC ADVERTISMENT IS ALL!) In digital, people tend to look a bit around for new demos. They find AA they try they like it. Also, I think that to find more potential gamers for this series on e shop. Again don't take it wrong. It's just a theory, but I tend to see a lot of costumers to seek for a nice game to play in shop and tend to go toward something they know (just dance, Last of us (yeah advertisment again), any e-sport game). Online people tend to be more curious and more open minded to new genre (boom in independant game anyone). So yeah more potential buyer there. Not to mention the fact that most countries (or McDonalds) offert wi-fi for little money (well little if you're rich enough to have a 3DS).

So yeah stupid theory.

Let's keep it brief: BUY THE GAME IF YOU SUPPORT IT PPPPPPPLLLLLLLEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAASSSSSSEEEEEEE

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Wow i wasn't even thinking about international sales; that's a good point about the english thing. I'm not sure if people would really pass it off based on the characters, since most AA fans are used to character change ups.

I do know as of when AJ was released, AJ was the most successful AA game in Japan, although it wasn't as well received as the others which is part of the reason why it took so long to get GS5 made. I don't remember the sales of GS4 in the US but I do know it was more than T&T,JFA, and AAI, although it wasn't as much as the original GS.

The thing is GS2 and GS3 were mainly localized due to GS1's huge sales in the US. They were guaranteed a localization since they were already being made when GS1 became a massive hit. Most likely that wave was what got GS4 localized despite the sequels' less than amazing sales, but whatever sales figures GS4 brought in was enough to get AAI translated two years later. We all know AAI's sales weren't good enough to get AAI2 localized, so we can take these figures and try to think of a template for what DD needs to have.

Obviously the best thing would be to have sales as high as GS1, but that's never going to happen. And the sales of GS2, GS3, and AAI weren't that good (with AAI's being bad enough not to bring the other game over here) So once again I think if DD can match AJ's sales we'd see GS6 over here.

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Hey guys, all things considered, what should I do to make Capcom know I'm extremely interested in a physical copy of AA5? Because I'm down, whatever that might be :)

only one thing to do is to start a petition

There is a thread in the Ask Capcom section of Capcom Unity over here. Hopefully the new VP will be aware of it.

That's not the only thing you can do. I'm not sure if posting in the Capcom Unity thread will do any good now, but you can go ahead and see if Capcom cares.

Also, I heard people are sending in their support for a physical release via Twitter. I have no knowledge of tweeting so you should talk with another user about that.

Now that I look at my options, I see there actually isn't much to do. Starting a petition is an option, I suppose. If you do, tell us, I will sign it too.

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I don't know, couldn't you find a more productive way to express your concerns? This game is just collateral in a series of far larger issues it seems. I mean yeah people shouldn't have to buy something they don't support but if it's not going to have any beneficial effect... direct all that energy at Nintendo or something? I assume you're at least informing Capcom exactly why you're not buying this game. It's too bad a large company like Capcom will never use Kickstarter or something, they might commit to something if money was on the table (GS5 print on demand? AAI2?) but those companies don't. Sven said no and I doubt the 'new people' would be different.

The 'aggressive' sales forecasts were probably a bad idea. Nothing is likely to sell as much as AJ, I fear, because everyone was hyped about the series because Phoenix Wright 1 (particularly) is a kind of cult hit and that was released at the apex of the series' popularity on the back of the original game/s. Then I assume it was put EVERYWHERE for sale. How many of the people who played PW1 (or AJ for that matter) will notice and play GS5 is... unclear.
I mean I was aware of Phoenix Wright 1 way before I ever played it because I saw things all over the internet, memes and soforth.

Anyway, to keep up the hype, Phoenix is in the GameFAQS character battle RIGHT NOW so please go vote everyone so the series is POPULAR
http://www.gamefaqs.com/poll/5155

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honestly the best way is go to capcoms HQ in NA and have strike infront of their building demanding for a physical release

There's one good possibility that we haven't thought of yet, mostly because there's little chance of it happening, but this restructuring at Capcom might somehow be beneficial to us. I mean, Sven was great and everything, but over the years Capcom hasn't handled things very well. Maybe this restructuring is an attempt to get their act together.

Although more than likely it's just cutbacks.

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if it were to happen maybe it would make them open their eyes since we be right infront of their building and most likely it is because of cutbacks hopefully the reconstruction will be a positive for us

I don't know man, I think it wouldn't work that way. Imagine you're a Layton fan who doesn't know about Ace Attorney or just never thought a "Lawyer game" could be interesting. Now you're playing PLvAA (because you play all PL games) and are getting to know Phoenix and Maya and the trial gameplay. You happen to like the AA part of the game and think you should start to track the series down. Then there is no need for them to "accidentally stumble upon Ace Attorney" in a shop, because they already know the series exists.
Of course they need to like what they saw in PLvAA in the first place, but it'S still a great way to let many people know about Ace Attorney.

Coming out of hibernation to echo what others have said: this sucks major balls.

However, I also agree with what others have said in this topic that the most we can do is keep up the demand for a physical copy of DD and a localization of GK2 by posting with our Internets and speaking with our wallets. Lamenting the fallen is fine but dwelling on it will just sink us faster than the Ace Attorney franchise seems to be at this point. The best we can do wait for DD to be released and pour as much money into Capcom's dirty piggy bank as possible and hope that it's enough to convince them that releasing more games is worth their time and resources. Economics 101: Buy it and they will make it (probably)!

I'm not too worried, though. Capcom is good at making games and targeting them at dedicated niche audiences. Pretty much every game they release sells well within its respective market. Chin up, guys! Now's not the time to be down and out. If anything, we need to bang the drums louder than ever before!

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Point Blank is just making capcom richer and us poorer to support AA... I LOVE IT

Should it be considered a good sign that Phoenix won the battle?

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