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GTA: San Andreas - Coming Soon To Japan


Chris

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Rockstar Games has today announced a partnership agreement with Capcom Co., Ltd. to localize, publish and distribute the blockbuster title Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system in Japan. The game is currently scheduled for release in the Japanese market in January 2007.

Japan has always been late getting localised GTA games compared to the rest of the world, GTA3 and Vice City were both released in the country almost 2 years after the rest of the world, San Andeas' January release pushes this gap to over 2 years. Some prefectures choose to ban the games, due to the belief that they promote violence and are harmful to today's youths. You may remember our previous stories of GTA3 getting banned in various prefectures, with retailers facing hefty fines if caught selling the game to under-18's.

Link: Take 2 Press Release

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Yeah I don't it's that important for us since I don't recall seeing anyone from Japan here but I could be wrong and if so good news for them. Wow they'll probably have to wait until 2009 or maybe even 2010 (since it's being released late next year October I think because all GTA games have been released like that) until GTA4 then.

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Japanese games are usually only released in Japan, only the really popular ones ever see release in NA and EU countries.

AFAIK Rockstar don't have a Japanese localisation team, and don't publish games in Japan, therefore needing a lot of time to find a new publisher, and one which can translate the entire game into Japanese - I would guess this also involves in game voiceovers, but maybe not.

Games, like films, are released first in the country where they are produced, or have the largest market.

Examples of films released in Europe before America: Every James Bond film ever made, 28 Days Later, Shawn of the Dead, The Business, The Football Factory, Snatch, Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels... etc.

Examples of games released in Europe first: James Bond games, virtually all racing games apart from Gran Turismo and NASCAR, and many others which I personally have no interest in

- Most American's don't actually know any other motorsports exist, and would rather watch cars drive in circles for over 500 laps (I can't believe there's even such a "sport" as NASCAR - the concept is ridiculous yet somehow popular)

basically America get GTA games first because there is a far larger market over there. On a completely pointless and unnecessary sidenote, America is the only country in which the phrase "Grand Theft Auto" actually means something.

The second half of my post contains many exaggerations and is written satirically, if you can't realise this you are too young to be here.

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