Feature: 'Mapping The World With Atlus: Jim Ireton on Atlus' Import Aspirations'

In today's other main feature, Gamasutra interviews Jim Ireton, Atlus USA VP of sales, a company that has prospered with games like Trauma Center: Under the Knife and Magna Carta, despite the wavering financial performance of its Japanese parent. Gamasutra probes to get the story behind the success of the company's U.S. arm and how it found its niche in a foreign market. In the following excerpt, Ireton responds to criticism of Atlus' relatively short publishing runs of its best titles: "I suppose you could look at it as criticism. On the other hand you could look at as taking care of the marketplace and taking care of the Atlus customers. Atlus products, even to this date, maintain original retail or more, instead of flooding the marketplace and our customers waiting eight to ten weeks to buy it at $19.99. We've been able to develop a business plan where we bring, what I would call, almost the right amount of product into the marketplace, and feed the market as needed. An Atlus customer will buy our product as quickly as they can knowing a couple things: One, is the quality. Two, is that the product will hold its value, and third, knowing that the product probably won't be there in six months. That's a strategy I like. We may be a little short but we're also taking care of our customers." You can now read the full Gamasutra feature on the subject, including more information on Atlus' top sellers and its hopes for the future (no registration required, please feel free to link to the article from external websites).