Petition for a PC English release of the RTK series and/or the PUK

Although the PS2 versions that KOEI has released recently in the past are great games, there are many advantages to having a PC release:

• One release for North America, Europe, Australia, and other regions where English is widespread
• The nature of game releases on the PC allows the game to be patched should major issues arise (In the NA PS2 version of ROTKX, loading data from ROTKIX would result in the game corrupting, an issue that was never solved... a PC release would have allowed developers to create a fix)
• Modability via third-party tools, such as editing character statistics or sharing saved games and new characters easily
• A more responsive, point-and-click GUI that keeps gameplay moving rather than navigating menus with a gamepad
• No limit to the amount of data that can be included with the game, allowing for more events, higher resolutions, more music, etc.

In addition, the Power Up Kits have never been released in English. These add-ons, although sold separately, drastically increased the replayability of previous editions by allowing features such as children, new gameplay structures and scenarios, events, game modes, and in-game editors (eliminating the need for third-party tools).

I, myself, read Traditional Chinese at a near-fluent level, so I am able to purchase, play, and enjoy the Taiwanese versions. However, most in the KOEI fan community do not. Some of these people have even purchased foreign editions of the game and experienced it without understanding a single word but still enjoying it.

We realize that there are concerns about a PC release. Foremost among these is piracy. Piracy is a huge, legitimate concern that costs the game development industry millions, if not billions, every year. While a PC release would be easier to pirate than a PS2 release, there are steps that KOEI can take to minimize piracy. These include digital distribution and copyright protection methods such as Steam^TM and other such services; online activation; requiring the manual to answer a question in order to play the game; mandated registration; and other methods.

Another concern would be the sales of such an endeavor. It is true that ROTK is not well known outside of the strategy or KOEI fan communities. It is of course possible that KOEI would actually lose money by undertaking such a venture. To deny this is a possibility would be naive on our parts, but perhaps KOEI could undertake one of several steps:

• In future releases, include an English language option with the Asian releases.
• Online distribution, thus cutting some packaging, distribution, and shipping costs.
• Target broader audiences, including the untapped PC wargamer market and the casual history buff market.
  

Another aim of this petition is to allow our friends in Europe and other countries to play the game without having to import a foreign PS2. A PC release would greatly advance this cause as well, as PC games are region-free, thus only one version is needed. It is not a great hardship to import a computer game from North America - but consoles and console games are another story. Many ROTK fans are scattered across Europe as well, and this is a market that KOEI could very well capture with a PC release.

We realize that a PC release would be a major undertaking on KOEI's part. It would also be a risk, just like any other serious business decision. Although we are ignorant in the ways of business, we sincerely hope that, at the very least, we can get KOEI to at least consider these ideas. We know that KOEI has already heard of the past incarnation of this petition. This one is far more ambitious, but will be administered far more closely.

Please forward this petition to all of your friends or colleagues who are interested in seeing this great series reach the PC for the world market.

IMPORTANT NOTE FOR PETITON SIGNERS: Duplicate petitions are NOT going to help get the game released on PC or in Europe. In addition, please do not use aliases when signing the petition. If you are uncomfortable giving your full name, give a last and/or first initial. In addition, do not fill out the Children/Political Party fields if they show up - these are fields that cannot be removed and are not important to the petition.

We would like to thank KOEI for listening to their fanbase. We realize that, like any other business, KOEI needs to make profits in order to continue to function. We, as the loyal fans, would be more than willing to oblige.