It has come to our attention that our partner site SEGAbits noticed a Kotaku writeup regarding localization plans for the Playstation 4 version of Phantasy Star Online 2. That is to say, there aren’t any plans for localization at the moment. Per Jason Schreier of Kotaku and his conversation with the Sega representative:
SEGA is currently not planning to release the PS4 version of Phantasy Star Online 2 outside of Japan
There’s a lot to be said for being upfront on the localization status of the game. There’s a lot to be said for the fact that “currently” is an important word in reading the above statement. Things can change, and Sega might not necessarily respond well (or at all) to what they deem to be unsavory fan conduct.
There’s also a lot to be said for the idea that this stretches beyond what could reasonably be appreciated as “tolerable” for any gamer waiting to play PSO2. It’s a shame. This is exactly the sort of move that does not do well for fan goodwill.
If the idea is being held somewhere that Phantasy Star Online 2 is fundamentally an untenable investment for the West (and to speak not on the company’s behalf, because so far as we know this has not been explicitly or implicitly suggested,) maybe all parties involved should seriously ask themselves why this is believed to be the case, and equally important – how this is to be rectified. Phantasy Star Online 2’s continued lack of localization is an enduring reference point in fans taking issue with Sega in recent times. As a new Sega fan and someone who does consider himself outside of the range of highly knowledgeable Sega fans who voraciously study the company’s history, I can still say that the move isn’t going to be well met in any sense of the phrase.
