Capcom May Release Ace Attorney 5 Physically If Fans Demand It
Capcom’s Ace Attorney series has supposedly seen diminishing returns in the West, with the sequel to Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth never getting a translation. The series jumps to 3DS for Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies, and it’s getting an English localization, so that’s good news for fans. However, the trade-off is that it will be a digital-only release, a move that will help meet an exact level of demand and cut costs for physical copies and distribution. But according to Capcom’s Christian Svensson, a physical release is still possible, with enough fan support.
After Motehide Eshiro, the current series producer, made a comment that a physical release was possible with enough fan demand, someone started a thread on Capcom’s forums to drum up support for a physical boxed copy. Svensson, current Senior Vice-President, stepped in and mentioned he had talked to Eshiro and would like to see more support. Basically, he’s looking for more “ammo” in discussions about a physical release, meaning he wants to hear as much support from fans as possible.
Though digital media can be convenient, I’m a big proponent of physical media, due to the ownership implications, longevity of the product, and simply a collector’s desire to show off his stuff. If you agree and would like the chance to buy a physical copy of Ace Attorney 5, then be sure to tell Svensson so, whether it’s in the official thread, via PM on Capcom’s forums, or messaging him on Twitter (@chrissvensson).
Svensson warns that a physical release isn’t a guaranteed thing, but the more support there is, the better chance the game has. He’ll be able to present an option that “puts the ball back in the fans’ court.” Perhaps that means a Kickstarter-styled fundraiser where just enough copies are printed to meet initial fan demand, similar to what MonkeyPaw Games & Gaijinworks did for a physical release of Class of Heroes 2 on PSP. Timing and pricing would also be at a “disadvantage” compared to a digital release, meaning this might happen after the digital release date and cost a bit more.
And as for Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth 2? Svensson says that Eshiro would be the man who would be able to make an English translation possible, which sounds optimistic, but he had nothing he could add on that subject. It would be nice to see that get a release, because all we’d be missing at that point is Professor Layton vs. Ace Attorney.
Source: Capcom Unity