Push Square Predicts: Will Tales of Zestiria Make the Journey to PS4?

We've said it once and we'll say it again: Bandai Namco would be crazy not to port Tales of Zestiria to the PlayStation 4. The Japanese action role-playing game released on the PlayStation 3 back in January in its homeland, and it's slated to hit store shelves at some point this autumn in the West – but it doesn't take a genius to work out that it's all but doomed to commercial failure if it launches solely on Sony's now almost decade-old console.

Since around the time that the PS4 hit the market, PS3 hardware and software sales have fallen off a cliff – which is to be expected when a new generation of machines rolls around. However, the transition hasn't quite been as cut and dry as it has between previous generations, as evidenced by the sheer amount of titles we've seen release on both last-gen and current-gen consoles. As such, it makes the fact that Zestiria hasn't yet been hinted for a PS4 launch all the more baffling.

So, what's the deal with that, then? Well, there's a good chance that we're writing this article prematurely. For all we know, the publisher could come out tomorrow and announce a new-gen port, but as it stands, we can't believe that it hasn't happened already. The Tales Of series has a dedicated fanbase, that much is certain, but without making the jump to PS4, the franchise's latest entry has almost no chance of attracting any significant interest from a wider audience. What's more, when you stop and look at the PS4's current library of games, there's a real dearth of Japanese RPGs. We'd dare say that if Zestiria launched on the home console this year, it'd actually have a decent chance of making an impact by capitalising on the total lack of similar titles on Sony's newest machine.

Then there's the fact that Bandai Namco is already releasing a few Japanese games on multiple platforms this year. One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3 and J-Stars Victory VS+, for example, are both hitting the PS4, PS3, and Vita, and although the Tales Of titles are obviously created by an entirely different team of developers, it's clear that the publisher is aware of the PS4's success and importance.

The one thing that throws a spanner in the works of this particular prediction is the opinion that those involved don't really give a damn about the Western market, and are simply happy with Zestiria's impressive success in Japan. The presumption that hardcore fans of the series will buy the game regardless of what platform it's on is perhaps a safe one, but as we've already mentioned, we surely can't be the only onlookers who see a PS4 port as a massive opportunity, not just for the release itself, but for the Tales Of franchise as a whole.

Will Tales of Zestiria make the journey to PS4?

There's no reason why Tales of Zestiria shouldn't come to the PS4. If Bandai Namco wants the latest entry in the series to have any sort of positive impact on the Western market, then Sorey and the gang have to make the journey to Sony's latest. As such, we reckon that it will happen, but whether it's a dual PS4 and PS3 launch or eventually arrives as part of a Tales Of PS4 collection, we can't say.

Do you think that Tales of Zestiria will journey to PS4? Do you think that we're we spot on, or dead wrong? Make your own predictions in the comments section below.