Still on its way to North America

Yesterday we reported that the parent company of developer/publisher Atlus, Index, was in the midst of financial difficulties in Japan and had entered "civil rehabilitation proceedings". Some have compared this to bankruptcy, though the law in Japan means that it's not an exact match, with the general idea being that the company is in a process of trying to resolve its problems with investors and will, if necessary, see management changes that are appointed by the courts.

It's not just about Atlus in Japan, of course, as subsidiary Atlus USA is active in distributing and publishing various games in North America, while also partnering with those such as NIS America to bring some releases to Europe and PAL regions. With speculation surrounding the parent company in Japan, the USA branch has released the following statement to Kotaku to reassure its fans.

Currently, Index Digital Media, Inc. and the ATLUS brand are unaffected by the Index Corporation proceedings in Japan. We’re carrying on day-to-day activities, business as usual. Shin Megami Tensei IV and Dragon’s Crown are still releasing on July 16 and August 6 respectively, and we’re licensing and publishing third-party titles such as R.I.P.D: The Game and Daylight. We want to thank all of our fans for their outpouring of support.

That's good news at this stage for those anticipating the upcoming arrival of Shin Megami Tensei IV on 16th July. We'll keep you posted with any important developments.

[source kotaku.com]