persona posts (Subscribe to this feed)

After the completion of Persona 4, the team responsible for the game at Atlus split in two, with one half tasked with creating Persona 3 Portable, while the other half got to work on "an original new game." According to a translation by Andriasang of the P3 Portable creator's blog, that first game is "nearing completion," and the two teams will re-form [insert Voltron reference here] in 2010.

Persona 4 producer Katsura Hashino says that the re-unified team will work on "an even bigger title" in the coming year, though no details have been formally announced. We'll just have to giddily think about the impending release of 3D Dot Game Heroes in North America, while we wait for Hashino to dish.

[Via Andriasang]

The upcoming PSP version of Persona 3 features a nice easter egg for fans of the franchise. According to Siliconera, Inaba, the town featured in Persona 4 will be a playable locale in the upcoming port. You must play as the female lead in order to visit the Amagiya Inn -- two years before the events of P4. There, you'll be able to meet a younger version of Yukiko.

Certainly, it's not the biggest news surrounding the game, but it gives us an excuse to post this video. P3P hits Japan next month.

Alright, look. When Persona 3 Portable is released in Japan, it's going to be attached to an exorbitantly large 6,279 yen ($68) price tag. As long as you're shelling out so much dough for the title, why not kick that total up to 8,495 yen ($92) and spring for the game's limited edition bundle?

Siliconera recently uncovered the bonus items included in the aptly titled Persona 3 Portable DX bundle: A Persona-branded t-shirt (seen above), 12 PSP jacket-sized character posters, and a 2010 desk calendar. You know what would've been a great addition to this bundle? Some Persona 3 papercraft made out of three 1,000 yen banknotes. Now that's a collector's item.

Do you know how cool Persona 3 is? It's so cool that it made shooting yourself in the head seem awesome.*

The upcoming PSP version of the game will have some significant changes, like this new opening intro sequence and new song done by Shuhei Kita (the same performer behind Persona: Trinity Soul's intro). In addition to being able to take control of a female lead, the gameplay has also been tweaked with brand new Beginner and Maniac modes. Players will also be able to move to any location they want from the menu -- a much improved experience for handheld play. Finally, you'll be able to issue commands to square mates directly, a pretty significant change from the original PS2 game.

All in all, we have to say we're very excited for Persona 3 Portable. Now, we just need Atlus to get working on an English version ASAP!

*Shooting yourself in the head is not awesome. Do not attempt at home. Persona 3 is a video game, and real-life results may differ. Please consult a physician before shooting yourself in the head.

Atlus just isn't quite done with remaking Persona 3. A new issue of Famitsu has hit Japanese newsstands and one of the most notable entries is an advertisement for Persona 3: Portable. While details are slim, the ad prominently shows a new female character standing aside the nameless main character of Persona 3 and Persona 3: FES.

The ad proclaims the game will be available on November 1st, which, honestly, seems rather sudden. (No Q1 slump for Japan?) If it follows the model of the PSP port of the original Persona, we're bound to see a ton of extras remixed into the game.

[Via PS3Nation]

Persona's September 22nd release is awfully close to the release of the all-digital PSP Go. So, what's Atlus to do? Release Persona on UMD and PlayStation Network simultaneously, of course! This will be the first PSP title in America to simultaneously launch in both physical and digital forms. Atlus' dual-format release circumvents Sony's earlier policy to disallow PSN/UMD releases until October 1st.

While we're entirely supportive of PSN releases, we recommend you buy the retail version if at all possible. Why? Only the retail version will include the bonus two-disc soundtrack; a digital version won't be bundled with the PSN game. Considering both the UMD and retail versions will cost the same at launch, it's a no-brainer as to which version of Persona you should buy.

For a full rundown on what's new in Persona, don't forget to check out Atlus' walkthrough video.

Atlus has produced a lengthy seven minute video detailing all the features of its upcoming PSP port of the original Persona. While it's filled with some overzealous marketing talk, it does a good job of detailing the various gameplay mechanics of the game. One of the important aspects focused on in the video is the speed of battle. While you'll still be grinding and leveling up in Persona, each battle can go much faster, especially with the PSP "skip" feature.

Details of the game's "negotiation system," missing from later Persona releases, are offered. For the many that have only recently discovered the Persona franchise, this should feel like a particularly new feature. In addition to showing off the game's new cutscenes and overworld map, the video also reveals that Persona for PSP will be much more difficult (or as the video says, "satisfying") than the original PS1 release -- are you up to the challenge?

Atlus continues to package some of the coolest goodies with its games. The upcoming PSP version of Persona, Atlus' flagship RPG series, will include a two-disc soundtrack set ... with every copy of the game. No, this isn't some elusive pre-order bonus that you can only get from Retailer X (which, by the way, would be an awesome store to go to).

In addition to the soundtrack CDs, the US release of Persona will be coming with a nifty extra that didn't make the original Japanese cut. "We are able to confirm to series fans that in addition to the all-new localization, the 'Snow Queen' quest, game content never before available in North America, will be included in this new release," an Atlus PR e-mail told us.

Expect Persona on September 22nd.

The folks behind our favorite high school lifestyle sim/dungeon crawler series, Persona, are apparently having some internet woes. It seems that yesterday, a "third-party entity" hacked Atlus' website (currently still down) and managed to embed a trojan that, "may have made its way" onto the system. The publisher is guessing that those who may have been affected by the trojan would have visited its website between 9AM PST and 2:30 PST, give or take.

While we're used to whacky press releases from Atlus, this is most certainly not one of those. If you believe you may have been affected by this trojan, the company implores you to "run malware removal software," though, more than likely, you probably aren't reading this if that's the case, eh? All jokes aside, Atlus does seem to sincerely apologize, stating, "The faith and trust of our fans is of the utmost importance to us, a responsibility we don't take lightly." Here's hoping the dirty, dirty haxxorz didn't get to you!

With Persona's PSP port arriving in Japan soon, Atlus has just revealed the game's brand new intro -- and it's as stylish as those seen in the modern PS2 Persona games. The theme music also has that right Persona Jpop vibe -- classy, without being too upbeat. We're going to be listening to this track a few times during our blogging shift today.

[Via PSPHyper]

It's amazing how much more clout the Persona name has now than when it originally launched in the PS1 era. The upcoming enhanced PSP port of the first Persona title is being met with newly revived interest, thanks to the critically acclaimed releases of Persona 3 and 4 on the PS2.

Our readers should be familiar with the new content of the upcoming PSP title: while the graphics remain largely intact, new cutscenes and music have been added. The gameplay has been tweaked, but you'll still have to wander through flat 3D corridors.

The latest Persona trailer shows off some more cutscenes from the game. Japanese gamers will be playing it in just a month, while the rest of us will have to wait until this Fall.

[Via PSPHyper]

The upcoming PSP version of Persona isn't so much a remake as it is an enhanced port. Although this gameplay sounds more like Persona 3, it still features graphics from the PS1 era of games. The new widescreen presentation and character portraits look good, yes, but it still doesn't hide the rather antiquated look of the sprites.

Though this first look at gameplay is a little underwhelming, our excitement for Persona still remains. The franchise has seen quite a resurgence due to the last two PS2 games, and it'll be interesting to take a look at how the series began. Persona will be available on PSP this fall.

[Via PSPHyper]

What, you want more PSP news? Very well, how about the announcement that Atlus will be bringing the Persona PSP remake over to the US this fall. After the success of Persona 3 and 4, it was a no-brainer that Atlus would decide to bring the game over to an RPG-hungry western audience. The remake includes "a completely redone localization and content never before seen in North America," along with "gameplay enhancements and additions new to the remake."

Whether or not the title will head to Europe is slightly more nebulous, as Atlus doesn't have a publishing arm in the region. Hopefully sales of Persona 4 will be high enough to encourage Square Enix to go ahead and publish the PSP remake of the original, too.

PS2 and BC-compatible PS3 owners, watch out! One of the best RPGs of 2008 is now available for cheap: Atlus' Persona 4 is amazon's Gold Box Deal of the Day, its price slashed from $40 to $26. This unique RPG goes away from the sci-fi and fantasy worlds of most RPGs and offers a mature look into rural Japanese life. Other PS2 games are expected to drop in price today as well, so expect a Yakuza 2 discount later on.

Much like its predecessor, Atlus' Persona 4 is coming to Europe via another big-name publisher. This time Square Enix is picking up the dungeon-crawler and releasing it in European and other PAL territories on Friday the 13th. That's quite a suitable date for a murder mystery tale like P4. And no that "Friday the 13th" is not today; we're talking about the 13th of next month -- March.

It'll come in a two-disc set including the game and a 24-track music CD. It's similar to the bundle released in North America; however, unlike the NA release, it looks like the European version won't be getting the added 100-page art book. Pricing for P4 wasn't mentioned, though we suppose it won't break the bank.