As you may know, all PS3 games released in all regions during the past six years, ever since PS3 was launched, were region-free.

Publishers always had a way to region-lock their games, but none ever did. Until now, you could buy or pre-order PS3 games from all over the world and never had to worry about them not being compatible with your local game system. This freedom helped to bring Demon's Souls to the west: PS3 users imported it from Asia and thereby demonstrated to publishers that there was enough interest to bring it to other regions. What's disconcerting is that the very company who benefited from this by publishing Demon's Souls in the USA is now taking away our freedom: Atlus

Persona 4 Arena will be region-locked. After the initial outcry, Atlus was quick to issue a press release. If you read said release, you'll notice that they neither reverse their decision, apologise nor promise to never do it again, and that their reason for region locking the game is pure greed, because they are afraid of Japanese conumers importing the cheaper American version. And while they say they they aren't setting a precedent, that is EXACTLY what they are doing.

With this anti-consumer decision, Atlus is opening the floodgates of hell. Publishers of niche titles that don't see releases elswhere in the world may follow suit, and from now on you can never again be sure that a PS3 game won't be region-locked.

In case you are American you may be of the opinion that this doesn't affect you because Atlus USA is releasing the game in question at nearly the same time as in Japan, and you get to benefit from the cheapest prices in the world. That's an incredibly selfish stance to take, and a short sighted one. Region-locking may very well affect you too eventually, once that obscure Japanese PS3 title you'd like to play turns out to be locked, or in case that RPG you'd like to play is brought only to Europe and locks you out.

Atlus has neglected Europe for years. They don't even have a European branch to publish their titles, leaving their games to other small publishers in this region. The result:

Persona 3 US: August 14th 2007
Persona 3 EU: February 29th 2008

Persona 3 FES US: April 22nd 2008
Persona 3 FES EU: October 17th 2008

Persona 3 Portable US: July 2010
Persona 3 Portable EU: April 28th 2011

Persona 4 US: December 9th 2008
Persona 4 EU: March 13th 2009

Persona 4 Golden US: October 23rd 2012
Persona 4 Golden EU: ????

Persona 4 Arena US: August 7th 2012
Persona 4 Arena EU: ???? "2012" ????

Catherine US: July 26th 2011
Catherine EU: February 10th 2012

Devil Survivor Overclocked US: 23rd August 2011
Devil Survivor Overclocked EU: ???? "2012" ????

Devil Survivor 2 US: February 28th 2012
Devil Survivor 2 EU: ???? "2012" ????

Shin Megami Tensei - Strange Journey hasn't been brought to Europe at all.

Region-locking is anti-consumer. It's yet another example of how corporations reap the benefits of globalisation, while we, the consumers, do not. Region-lockouts should be made illegal. They are an insult to us, and go against free trade. For instance in Australia and New Sealand the region-locking of DVDs has no legal protection, and you can buy region-free players. Mod-chips that defeat region-locks in game-consoles have been legal in Australia for years for this very reason.

PS3's lack of region-locked games was a good thing. It benefited us all. Atlus is now ruining a good thing. That's why we should not let this happen without protest. But as you may have noticed, online protests and petitions hardly ever do any good. However, money speaks! That's why you need to vote with your wallet. Don't buy Persona 4 Arena, and send an email to Atlus explaining why you don't buy the game. Tell your friends not to buy the game. Show Atlus (And other publishers) that you aren't spineless. Show them what happens when they try to take away your freedom. Show solidarity and don't buy the game, no matter which region you live in and then inform Atlus of your decision.

I agree, region locking for games can go to hell, no matter who does it. I guess the situation is a little better for PAL gamers like myself due to Ghostlight, but I'm still really pissed off at this decision. I'm also surprised that Atlus is doing this, I always thought their games being region free was probably on balance good for their US division, as people from Europe and Australasia would import from North America.

The worst thing about region-locking Persona 4 Arena is that it's a fighting game with global servers. Once the game will finally be released in Europe/Australia several months later, Japanese/American gamers will have had a huge headstart to practice, creating a very unfair situation. This is simply inexcusable.

And they called me crazy when I bought a NTSC PS3 5 years ago.

Personally I'd say they're doing a pretty good job at localizing games for the European market, so I'm not sure why you bring those release dates up. Other similar sized companies are waaay worse.

The problem is that Atlus don't have a European branch, therefore their games go without a PAL release unless someone else picks it up.  For example Nintendo picked up the Trauma Centre games (but for some reasons passed on Trauma Team) and the first Etrain Oddyssey, Namco release Demon's Souls, Ghostlight brought over the Persona PSP games, and are doing the remake of DS1 as well as DS2 this year, they've also confirmed that they are doing another non-RPG 3DS game (I'm certain it is Code of Princess).  The problem is that several medium-high profile Atlus games have gone without PAL releases, most iirc on the DS.

What we don't know is whether publishers skipped on the DS games because the fact that the platform is region-free will limit the market for a localisation as many would import upon US release, or just because they were on the DS.  The former reason is supported by the fact that 3DS Atlus games are off to a good start PAL localisation wise (DS: Overclocked and probably Code of Princess), however the latter reasons might explain how the likes of Catherine and the PSP Persona games got European releases despite being on region free devices, but Etrian Oddyssey II and III, Strange Journey, 999, Devil Survivor (until the remake), etc didn't.  If the reason is the later, and therefore EOIV, SMT4, Soul Hackers, etc miss out on European release on the region locked 3DS, that is not good at all.

While I know your pain, I don't see myself boycotting this game. It's not Atlus NA's fault for it, but the Japanese branch issuing an ultimatum.

I don't blame Atlus USA, I blame Atlus. And so should you and everybody else, because this isn't just my pain, it's everyone's pain. This is one of those times where we need to act decisively to send a clear and strong signal. At least don't buy a new copy.

I hope they learned the lesson and next time release the game without dual audio and half a year later in the west.

But I'm pretty sure they could have the japanese version and one that works in both american and europeans console. I've seen this happen with 360 games.

Lol its not even a big deal. Just buy the game. Atlus needs all the sales they can get I feel. So if this keeps them on track then so be it. Sometimes I think fans feel that game companies should only care about the gamers. They have to think about profit as well and region locking this one game will allow them to keep their Japanese sales on track i would do the same thing. The game is going everywhere anyway.