ATLUS, PLEASE distribute the soundtrack as audio files!!!

[Toasty]

EDIT(3): Well, the game's out now and it's exactly what I was expecting... I wouldn't say it's too late to correct it. Please, just give us the audio files, ATLUS.

EDIT(2): video link has been updated to an official SEGA ASIA trailer upload
EDIT(1): linked video no longer exists, I'll try to find another upload of it

It's an unfortunate trend right now for Japanese game companies to distribute digital soundtracks for their game in the form of a separate application that must be run to listen to the music. This was the case for Persona 5 Strikers, and it's confirmed to be the case for Persona 3 Reload

Originally posted by https://youtu.be/B0VPlfCUYgY?t=145:

Persona 3 Reload Digital Premium Edition
A special edition that includes the base game of Persona 3 Reload (digital), an art book and soundtrack (apps), and all DLC!

Persona 3 Reload Digital Deluxe Edition
A luxurious set that includes not only the base game of Persona 3 Reload (digital), but also an art book and a soundtrack (digital apps)!

When I purchase a soundtrack, it's very important for me that I can transfer the audio files onto my phone to listen to it while I'm out. Requiring me to run a desktop program to listen to the music defeats the whole point of purchasing the soundtrack in the first place.

I love Persona 3's music and I'm absolutely psyched about this remake, but PLEASE distribute the soundtrack as normal audio files! Steam has functionality for distributing soundtracks already, so you don't need to make a separate program to allow users to download it.

Piracy shouldn't be a concern, as it would be no more risky than selling CDs or other digital releases such as on iTunes which offer normal audio files (which I may end up having to buy if the digital soundtrack is just a program).

Please reply and show support. There's still five more months before the game launches, it's not too late to get the attention of ATLUS and hopefully correct this.

Additionally, please ensure the soundtrack is of equal quality with other digital releases such as iTunes and contains all of the songs from the game.

[Toasty]

Bump

It's really not fair to customers to claim you're offering the soundtrack, but deliver it in an unusable format.

[Pastel TJ]

I mean- it's not that hard to extract sound files from Unreal Engine games

[Toasty]

Originally posted by Pastel TJ:

I mean- it's not that hard to extract sound files from Unreal Engine games

We don't actually know that the app(s) will be on Unreal Engine, but even if they are, there's no guarantee that the file(s) won't be encrypted. You'd probably still not have the meta data either. ATLUS/SEGA really should just treat the soundtrack on Steam like they would any other release of it.

[Tim Thanks]

Originally posted by Pastel TJ:

I mean- it's not that hard to extract sound files from Unreal Engine games

Who do you think you are to listen to the OST that you paid for?!? You are only allowed to pay. Nobody said anything about listening. /s

But seriously though the problem is that the most convenient way to consume anything Atlus is not to buy it. I cant wait to see the new and exciting ways to ruin the paying consumer's QoL.

Shame on you Atlus

[Pastel TJ]

Originally posted by Toasty:

Originally posted by Pastel TJ:

I mean- it's not that hard to extract sound files from Unreal Engine games

We don't actually know that the app(s) will be on Unreal Engine, but even if they are, there's no guarantee that the file(s) won't be encrypted. You'd probably still not have the meta data either. ATLUS/SEGA really should just treat the soundtrack on Steam like they would any other release of it.

I was mainly referring to ripping from the main game itself. If they do use different encoding for the deluxe bundle though, I'm sure it won't take long to crack.

I also recommend trying this out [katiefrogs.github.io] I used this to rip the digital deluxe music from Sonic Frontiers on day 1

[Toasty]

Bump because we're now one month away from launch and there's still no word about the soundtrack being available in a real format.

[x1m0n3i9]

ah ♥♥♥ its a persona 5 strikers bonus content all over again

[ingueferroque]

I came here to post this. Super disappointing that they won't just offer a proper Steam soundtrack for this game.

Originally posted by Pastel TJ:

I mean- it's not that hard to extract sound files from Unreal Engine games

It is even less hard for companies to distribute the files properly, give us some nice artwork and allow us to the soundtrack using Steam's interface without a hassle.

[Reven]

I mean... P5S got a program made that successfully ripped the music out of the app, I'm sure someone will end up making one for P3R at some point. There's also the fact the same soundtrack is on cd in the physical collector's edition, it will end up online at some point, so ways around the issue will probably exist. I think it's dumb too, Elden Ring did it right, it was an app, but there was an export button that extracted the mp3s to a folder.

[Toasty]

Originally posted by Reven:

I mean... P5S got a program made that successfully ripped the music out of the app, I'm sure someone will end up making one for P3R at some point. There's also the fact the same soundtrack is on cd in the physical collector's edition, it will end up online at some point, so ways around the issue will probably exist. I think it's dumb too, Elden Ring did it right, it was an app, but there was an export button that extracted the mp3s to a folder.

You shouldn't have to pirate something you legally bought.

[ingueferroque]

Originally posted by Reven:

I mean... P5S got a program made that successfully ripped the music out of the app, I'm sure someone will end up making one for P3R at some point. There's also the fact the same soundtrack is on cd in the physical collector's edition, it will end up online at some point, so ways around the issue will probably exist. I think it's dumb too, Elden Ring did it right, it was an app, but there was an export button that extracted the mp3s to a folder.

That's not really the issue though, although it proves that the reason they distribute soundtracks in this way (likely to make copying/sharing harder) is a meaningless reason.

Elden Ring did it wrong too. It needs to be a Steam Soundtrack so you can use Steam to listen to it, right in the UI. Something I actually do quite a lot on Steam Deck.

[Reven]

Originally posted by Toasty ♂:

You shouldn't have to pirate something you legally bought.

Fully agree, my statement was not supporting the soundtrack app practice.

Originally posted by ingueferroque:

That's not really the issue though, although it proves that the reason they distribute soundtracks in this way (likely to make copying/sharing harder) is a meaningless reason.

Elden Ring did it wrong too. It needs to be a Steam Soundtrack so you can use Steam to listen to it, right in the UI. Something I actually do quite a lot on Steam Deck.

As with the response above yours, I agree, it SHOULD be a Steam Soundtrack or at least the files in a folder. It however isn't, someone mentioned Strikers, I was just pointing out someone made the extraction program. I also agree that Elden Ring did it wrong overall too, my point there was at LEAST you could export the files in the app, a stupid thing, but I got the mp3s as lose files without 3rd party need.

[Silvi the Bun]

glad I read this, I almost bought the ost here, not interested in an app.

[Akai_Cobra]

How do I even open the damn artbook? I try to open it and it just opens the game.

[QuantizedAnson]

There is another post in here that covers how to extract the soundtrack files from the app.
https://steamcommunity.com/app/2161700/discussions/0/4206993388793089469/