PlayStation 3 has been the import gamer's console of choice this generation, thanks to its lack of region-free games. Whether you're a US gamer looking to play Japanese games, or a gamer that owns a snazzy Japan-only special edition console, you knew that any game from any region would play in your system.

Of course, someone had to screw that up. Surprisingly, it's Atlus. Persona 4 Arena is the first region-locked game on the console.


"Yes, the PS3 version game will be region-locked. I certainly can't offer details as to why, but there might be an official response at some point," an Atlus representative confirmed on its official forums.

It's an odd decision on Atlus' part, considering all versions of the game across the world are "nearly identical," according to The Escapist, with text and voice options in both Japanese and English regardless of which version you pick up. Still, it's a good thing to know--especially if (like me) you don't use a North American system to play games on.

It was done to prevent japanese fans from importing cheaper American copies of the game.