It's not hard to understand why Sega would press forward despite the Japanese controversy. There's already an English voice cast for the game, so Sega can continue to sell the game abroad without upsetting people in Japan (which frowns on drug use more than other countries). Still, it creates an unusual situation where a game created by and intended for Japanese players is available seemingly everywhere but Japan.

As it stands, Sega has acknowledged that pulling the game wasn't an easy call. Creative chief Toshihiro Nagoshi recently said that there was "no correct answer" on pulling Judgment (known as Judge Eyes in its home country), and that it might have been different if the game had already been out for a few months. And if there are future games? Nagoshi didn't confirm any plans for one, but said that Taki wouldn't be involved regardless of whether or not his character persists.