Last month, Ace Attorney fans got wind that the North American and European releases of Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies would be a digital-only release. Rather than get a physical release with a game cartridge and case, the game would be released on the Nintendo eShop at the standard retail price. According to Capcom, this was a business decision in order to maximize sales for a product they felt appealed to a very niche audience. Nonetheless, fans were not too happy with the decision.

Now it looks like there’s a chance for a physical release after all. Capcom USA senior vice-president Christian Svensson took to the Capcom forums and had this to say:

In the days after we announced AA5 for the West being digital only, and the requests of others for a physical release, we mobilized our US team to put together possible options that may address the concerns.
As a part of that process, Eshiro-san and I have met mulitple times, including the morning where he gave the interview where he made the statement above. I was not quite ready to open the possibility to folks until we had a few more ducks in a row but Eschiro suggested he mention the potential in an an interview he was having that afternoon.
So, if you’d like to be heard, you can post on this thread (I’ll leave it open), PM me on Capcom-Unity or hit up my twitter (@chrissvensson) as many folks already have. I need some additional ammo and these requests fit that need.
If things go well and demand is there, in a few weeks I may be able to present an option that puts the ball back in the fans’ court (in “tennis” terms, not “of law” terms). I want to stress the word “may” so as to not misrepresent the situation or promise anything. We are trying. Again, timing and pricing would be at a disadvantage to the digital option as an assumption you should make.

While it’s no guarantee that they will be able to produce a physical release for the game, it’s enough to give fans hope. Digital purchases on the 3DS are tied to the systems and cannot be transferred, which was one of the big reasons for the outcry against the decision to do digital-only. Besides, the game would look absolutely great on your shelf next to your other AA games, don’t you agree? Now if only they would localize Miles Edgeworth 2…

Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies will be released later this fall in the West on the Nintendo 3DS eShop.