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Story by Johnny Cullen

Fri, Apr 16, 2010 | 01:28 BST

Demon’s Souls formally dated in Europe for June 25 by Namco Bandai

As promised yesterday, Namco Bandai Partners has formally announced it’ll be releasing Demon’s Souls in Europe, with the firm also giving a date to the PS3 RPG: June 25.

The game will be released exclusively as a special pack called the “Black Phantom Edition”, which will contain the soundtrack, artbook and strategy guide. Namco Bandai Partners, however, are keen to stress this will be a “special limited launch” for the region.

“We’re very pleased to be working with SCEI to bring the fantastic Demon’s Souls to gamers outside of Japan and North America,” said Oliver Comte, VP of Marketing, Sales and Publishing at NBP.

“The game is exactly the kind of quality experience with which we are continuing to grow the NAMCO BANDAI Games portfolio of titles, and we will be working hard to ensure it’s at least as much of a success in our markets as it has already proven to be elsewhere.”

It brings to an end the demands of gamers in the EMEA region, who decided to skip importing the game, to bring the FromSoftware RPG to Europe after inital releases by Sony in Japan and Atlus in the US last year.

SCEE had said previously it had no plans to release the game in Europe, while Atlus hadn’t stated if it was bringing the game to the region.

A sequel has already been hinted at for a fall release in Japan.

Shots of the Black Phantom Edition are below, as well as the PR.

NAMCO BANDAI PARTNERS ANNOUNCES AGREEMENT WITH SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT INC TO DISTRIBUTE
‘DEMON’S SOULS’ IN EMEA AND PAL ASIA

- NAMCO BANDAI Partners S.A.S. to Distribute Acclaimed PlayStation®3 Action RPG Title from Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. of Japan across EMEA and Asia Pacific Regions -

LYON, FRANCE – 16 April 2010 – NAMCO BANDAI Partners S.A.S., one of the video game industry’s leading distribution, marketing and sales companies, today announced an agreement with renowned Japanese publisher Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) for the distribution of the acclaimed action RPG title Demon’s Souls across the EMEA and Asia Pacific regions. Following its release in Japan and North America where it garnered high praise from media and a loyal audience of fans, the PlayStation®3 (PS3™) game will be launched on June 25, 2010 as an exclusive European limited edition retail pack containing the soundtrack CD, a new artbook and brand new strategy guide.

“We’re very pleased to be working with SCEI to bring the fantastic Demon’s Souls to gamers outside of Japan and North America,” said Olivier Comte, VP Marketing, Sales & Publishing NAMCO BANDAI Partners S.A.S. “The game is exactly the kind of quality experience with which we are continuing to grow the NAMCO BANDAI Games portfolio of titles, and we will be working hard to ensure it’s at least as much of a success in our markets as it has already proven to be elsewhere.”

Beautiful, compelling, and unforgiving, Demon’s Souls is one of the hardcore RPG experience PS3 owners have been waiting for since the platform’s launch.

Revolutionary online features support your adventure like never before, presenting seamless interconnectivity that serves in every instance to enhance the single-player game. Team up with other players in simultaneous cooperative play, working together to topple some of the game’s colossal bosses, or force your way into the games of skilled players and challenge them to PvP battle.

Leave hints and clues for those who will follow in your footsteps; either intentionally or through your own inadvertent demise, your bloodstains will allow your successors to view a replay of your death, hinting at how to avoid your gruesome fate. Unprecedented in its depth and subtlety, peerless in its relentlessly challenging gameplay, Demon’s Souls is the ultimate action RPG.

UK website Eurogamer.net awarded the title a resounding 9 out of 10 – “absolutely compelling; dark, detailed, unforgiving, creatively cruel,” and adding, “You can learn to love Demon’s Souls like few other games in the world.”

Gamespot awarded the game ‘Game of the Year 2009’ – “Brutally challenging and utterly engrossing, this innovative role-playing game is one of the year’s best.”

Featuring the game, a brand new hardback artbook filled with mesmerizing concept and game art images, a new strategy guide, plus the deeply atmospheric original soundtrack of the game on CD, the limited edition retail pack of Demon’s Souls is coming exclusively to EMEA and Asia Pacific on June 25, 2010, only for PS3. The European limited launch of Demon’s Soul’s can be pre ordered now from Play.com, Game.co.uk, HMV.co.uk and other leading retailers whilst stocks last.

For more information about NAMCO BANDAI Partners S.A.S. and its entire product line up please visit www.namcobandaipartners.com