Square Enix patches out Japanese language support for Tomb Raider on Steam, and is selling it back a - Polidicks

[url]http://www.destructoid.com/japanese-language-pack-for-tomb-raider-costs-another-30-251446.phtml[/url] [url]http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=539037[/url] [quote]Something pretty incredible is happening with the Japanese PC version of Tomb Raider. The game is "officially" coming out on the April 25th here in Japan, after being released earlier last month in the US and EU... and in Japan for Steam (only, I think). Thing is, the Steam PC version of the game disposed, at launch, of Japanese voices and subtitles, despite being priced at a lower price point than the physical release: 50$ against what amounts to 76$, according to today's exchange rate (which is exceptionally bad for the yen). It was a pretty nice, and a weird move... [b]So what did Square-Enix do? They patched the Steam version some time ago to take out the Japanese language support and just announced that this Japanese option would be offered as DLC for 30 dollars.[/b][/quote] [quote]Beginning on April 25, Tomb Raider on Steam will offer a Japanese Language pack. The optional add-on will include a Japanese voice track, along with subtitles. The kicker? This added support costs the U.S. equivalent of $30. Tomb Raider currently costs $50 on Steam. When the packaged version releases in Japan later this month, it will cost approximately $80. It's pretty apparent that the $30 language pack is Square Enix's attempt at balancing the two versions, and maximizing profits while simultaneously bleeding the consumers dry.[/quote]

Well maybe if those damn Commies spoke plain English they could save money. [B]AMERICA[/B] [editline]13th April 2013[/editline] what's more american than charging foreigners money

Wha- That's how they try to balance out the price difference? They can do that and get away with it?!

It's not like Square-Enix to pull an EA.

I thought the title was just being ultra sensationalist but goddamn. Squeenix is gonna get some shit for that one.

What the fuck? Are they really so desperate for money that they'll resort to underhanded tactics like this?

This is some EA level bullshit here

What the hell Square, I thought you were the good guys

I have never seen EA take away the ability to understand the game without an interpreter.

[URL="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?p=53654346#post53654346"]According to duckroll...[/URL] [QUOTE=duckroll]Okay, let me explain how this fuck up probably happened. Please bear with me, because it's going to sound really stupid, and I'm not defending Square Enix here, only explaining the nature of the fuck up. - Tomb Raider comes out in Japan on April 25 2013, at the price of 8000yen (80 USD). - The Japanese release includes voices in English or Japanese, and Japanese text. This differs it from the version sold in US and Europe where the voice options are only in English. - Somehow it appears the PC Tomb Raider release on Steam was available for purchase in Japan at the US/Europe release price of 50 USD when it was released last month. - Additionally it appears that someone fucked up massively and included all the language content meant for the Japanese release along with the package. - So for a period of time Japanese fans were able to buy Tomb Raider on Steam for 50 bucks, and enjoy Japanese language support, a whole month before the release in Japan. - Someone found out, panicked, and removed the language content support so Japanese consumers would no longer be able to buy a fully functional Japanese version of Tomb Raider at almost half the price and a month before it is released in Japan. - Now that the Japanese launch is finally arriving, they are offering the option for anyone who used the previous "exploit" to top up the 30 dollars of difference to regain access to the Japanese language options. From Square Enix's perspective, what they were doing was closing a reverse import regional loophole, and now they are offering an olive branch to fans who used that exploit so they don't have to sit on a useless 50 buck English-only Tomb Raider. From the perspective of everyone else, Square Enix is scamming everyone. ROFLMAO. :P [/QUOTE] If this is indeed the case, that's hilarious.

is this seriously the level we've hit are we seriously at the point where a bunch of people at a big game publishing company legitimately think this is a good idea have we seriously sunken this low seriously

This isn't even EA level, this is beyond that.

That's... illegal isn't it?

[QUOTE=for no reason;40261887]This is some EA level bullshit here[/QUOTE] I don't even think EA would go this low

That is just ridiculous. Why would you sell a language pack. Not everyone speaks English.

Oh shit, THIS is just horrible. Even if it's just the Japanese language and subtitles, it's the sheer PRINCIPLE behind it that makes me want to vomit and cry. Now EA sliced off a portion of the game BEFORE release and sold From Ashes as Day 1 DLC, but THIS is a whole other level of dark horror. I hope this stunt gets punished and sets a standard, whilst making an example of Squenix in the process. But even if justice is done here, I need a fucking drink; time to down some whiskey.

[QUOTE=En Ex;40261946][URL="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?p=53654346#post53654346"]According to duckroll...[/URL] If this is indeed the case, that's hilarious.[/QUOTE] "We fucked up, let's punish our consumers".

What the fuck?

Yeah, the article left out some details. It's priced lower than usual in Japan and it's only for Japan.

lol, the number of people pissed about this that didn't care before they put the magic hate-letters "DLC" on it

Eh. The game wouldn't really feel right in Japanese anyway considering that it takes place on an [i]ancient japanese island[/i] and part of the charm is that noone knows what the fucks' going on (except Laura, apparently)

Wait why are they charging Japanese people to play the game in Japanese? That makes literally no sense.

[QUOTE=Greenen72;40262019]lol, the number of people pissed about this that didn't care before they put the magic hate-letters "DLC" on it[/QUOTE] Removing a feature and reselling it is fucking free to play level bullshit. It doesn't matter if it's named DLC or an Expansion or whatever you want to call it. [QUOTE=Scot;40262028]Wait why are they charging Japanese people to play the game in Japanese? That makes literally no sense.[/QUOTE] I think japanese copies get japanese obviously, but US copies (and other places) have to pay for it.

Charging money for language support is already ridiculous. Charging $30 is just goddamn insane.

[QUOTE=Greenen72;40262019]lol, the number of people pissed about this that didn't care before they put the magic hate-letters "DLC" on it[/QUOTE] I do'nt fucking care if its "DLC" or not, its bullshit no matter what.

thats dumb

I wonder if that $30 price tag is going to be for everyone or just the US pricing.

[QUOTE=legolover122;40262048] I think japanese copies get japanese obviously, but US copies (and other places) have to pay for it.[/QUOTE] You're wrong. The Japanese were importing the game from outside Japan because it was much cheaper, and this is how Square Enix is working around that. Fucking scumbags. [editline]13th April 2013[/editline] Read the OP. It states everything I've said.

I think what this highlights more than anything is releasing the same game on different days internationally. Before digital download, they could get around it because importing a box from another country/continent could take days. Nowadays, you download games, which takes hours instead of days. And the fact the Japanese localization was already done makes me wonder why they were waiting to release it a month later. [editline]12th April 2013[/editline] Also, calling it DLC is very misleading.

[QUOTE=Zinayzen;40261860]Well maybe if those damn Commies spoke plain English they could save money. [B]AMERICA[/B] [editline]13th April 2013[/editline] what's more american than charging foreigners money[/QUOTE] (square enix is japanese) [editline]13th April 2013[/editline] They're doing it because pretty much all consumer products are much more expensive in Japan than everywhere else. Price of the game + price of language pack = normal price of a game in Japan Still a shit thing to do though