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Persona Gets Its Own Monthly Magazine In Japan

By Ishaan . October 18, 2011 . 1:31pm

Persona Gets Its Own Monthly Magazine In Japan

Atlus are pushing Persona in a big way in Japan. Starting next month, Japanese publisher, ASCII Media Works, will launch a monthly Persona Magazine starting on November 7th. The first issue will include a 16-page feature on Persona 4 The Animation, including an interview with the director.

 

A regular column in the magazine will also flesh out the world, characters and game systems of the Persona series. Naturally, the magazine will also contain information on upcoming titles such as Persona 4: The Ultimate in Mayonaka Arena and Persona 4: The Golden.

 

A Dengeki Online report translated by Anime News Network also reveals that the Persona 3 manga that was serialized in Dengeki Black Maoh magazine will be featured in the Persona Magazine as well. Additionally, a spin-off of the ongoing Persona 4 manga will be included in the magazine as well.


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  • malek86

    They are really trying to make Persona big. Doesn’t look like we’ll get many other standard SMT games from now on.

    • Solomon_Kano

      Probably not. I hope we get a new one though. Series was too cool to just die like that. Awesome as Persona is, I’d rather have them co-exist than for it to flat-out replace SMT.

      • http://www.facebook.com/people/Eric-Ames/100000065495943 Eric Ames

        Agreed.

    • http://www.facebook.com/chance.chevalier Daniel Helmick

      Where is all this coming from? The new Devil Survivor game is coming out this Fall. It’s not like SMT games ever come out super-often like Bioware’s Mass Effect or Dragon Age titles after all.

      • http://twitter.com/Laith_Rem Laith Rem

        DeSu 2 comes out next year. Overclocked came at the end of Summer.

      • malek86

        Isn’t Devil Survivor supposed to be a Megami Ibunroku just like Persona, though? Not exactly SMT, although I guess it’s just a cosmetic thing.

        Still, it’s easy to see that DeSu didn’t sell as much as Persona, so who knows how this bodes for the rest of the series. They also said Strange Journey didn’t meet sales expectations, if I remember well.

        • http://twitter.com/Laith_Rem Laith Rem

          DeSu is indeed a Megami Ibunroku product. However DeSu:Overclocked and DeSu2 do not have the Ibunroku prefix. And IIRC DeSu1 sold more of what was expected. I can’t tell you about Overclocked though.

          • malek86

            DS2 and DSO don’t have the SMT prefix either, though. So they have become their own series, in a way.

            I’m not sure, but looks like they’re trying to make the SMT prefix disappear, and instead create a number of series which, while obviously based on it, still aren’t implied to be related by name.

            I don’t know why. Maybe they thought the SMT name only attracted to the old fans, while they were trying to attract new fans?

            The series still keeps the prefix in the USA (including Persona), so the japanese and american strategies appear to be well different.

          • http://twitter.com/Laith_Rem Laith Rem

            The prefix only works on the east. In Japan all the spin offs have lacked the prefix (see Majin Tensei). The only exceptions being Persona 1 and DeSu which had Megami Ibunroku.

    • SalomeHarras

      It’s not that they’re trying to make Persona big, it’s just that they want to keep the Persona name relevant to ensure x amount of sales when the next flagship title arrives.  This also allows them to explore additional revenue sources that they normally wouldn’t pursue (partnership with Arc System Works for example) which in the end, benefits all of Atlus and not just the Persona team.  

  • Minh Nghiem Tuan

    I know that what I’m going to say means nothing, just want to speak out my mind for once. Persona games were meant to be spin-off of Megami Tensei series, they only got the Shin Megami Tensei titles in the US, after the success of SMT3. And now thanks to the great fanbase of Persona games, we might never able to see SMT4. Because a date simulator with pretty girls obviously is better then the choices that change the course of game’s story, Kaneko’s characters and fully-customizeable party of demons.

    • http://www.jb2x.com/wordpress/ JB2X

      If I remember right, they basically noted that Strange Journey on the DS was to be named the successor to the name.  I’m at the very last part of it, but holy hell, it’s so damned hard.  But that’s exactly why I love these games.

      • http://www.facebook.com/chance.chevalier Daniel Helmick

        Correct. Strange Journey is listed as the fourth SMT game.

        • cj_iwakura

          Yet according to the director of Strange Journey, it’s supposedly not. Him versus Kaneko. Drama!

          That said, I love SJ, but it’s no successor to Nocturne. Not even close. It’s a successor to SMT1&2.

    • http://twitter.com/Laith_Rem Laith Rem

      Strange Journey is SMT4, the reason why it’s called SJ and not 4 is because it doesn’t take place on Tokyo.

      Also while Persona is successful, it’s not replacing the SMT since between SMT2 and SMT3 there was a long gap (10 years or so) and the same is true between SMT3 and SJ (8/7 years). Besides, while indeed the Persona franchise is the popular child of SMT, they are still doing other games like Devil Survivor 2.

      And it is one SMT game per year not counting remakes so that is why it feels they are making a lot of Persona tittles.

      And it is the P4 year so might as well celebrate it (read, take money out of our costumers.)

      • http://www.facebook.com/Chrome.Cell Bernard Yanga

        well cuz SJ just sux I spent my money on that crap cuz I’m a SMT fan. The reviewers were like SH*T this awesome so I tried to played it then after I spent 21 hr of gameplay it turn out to be a crap.
        Still SMT1,2,3(nocturne) is the best.
        Or maybe they need to remake the SJ crap!

    • SalomeHarras

      Your condenscending remarks don’t help the “victimized” image you’re trying to portray for yourself.  I have played the main SMT series before I was even aware of what Persona was, and I legitimately enjoy (both the earlier games in the series and later) it more than anything I have played in the “main” SMT universe.  Does this make my taste in games “inferior” to your own?  I would think not, in fact, pardon my rudeness, but I am fairly confident that I am on par, if not superior to your own ability to objectively critique a game.

      If you truly care about the fate of the main SMT universe, support it with your wallet.  Strange Journey is no longer acknowledged as a true successor to Nocturne, but it’s obviously molded in its vein.  Already bought the game?  Rally and market it yourself online to increase sales.  Atlus will care a hell of a lot more about that then the jealous musings of an anonymous internet source.

      • Minh Nghiem Tuan

        Hell I don’t know, I thought I said on the first place that there is no meaning in what I was saying, you can think of whatever you want, I don’t care. Also I expect more in the future from NBGI, or Konami, as it is bringing back Suikoden, so all is well.

      • Asura

        You DO have to admit, a “date simulator with pretty girls” is pretty spot-on for what Persona did. It’s that, and some of the most repetitive RPG combat ever.

        • http://twitter.com/Cucumber_man Cucumber

          “”You DO have to admit, a “date simulator with pretty girls” is pretty
          spot-on for what Persona did.”

          Not really. Unless you want to be retardedly reductionist about every
          single game in the world. The S-link system is a brilliant, well-thought
          out way to combine character development and gameplay. The fact that
          you can bone,like, 5 out of the 21 and only in the last stages seems like a
          pretty minor thing all things considered.

          Also, I like the combat in Persona 4 just fine. Its at least worlds
          better than the junk in P1/2 and the horribly oversimplified stuff in
          Strange Journey. P3 could be very repetitive at times, but lets be honest with ourselves here: every SMT game has that problem to some extent

  • Solomon_Kano

    Really? Wow. Hey, hey maybe we’ll get some P5 news soon? I doubt it, but y’know.

    • SalomeHarras

      When concrete Persona 5 information is released, this will be an excellent source to distribute it, and if kept exclusive, will definitely help its sales.

      • Solomon_Kano

        That would certainly be a good strategy.

  • SolidusSnake

    A monthly magazine devoted around a series with 4 or 5 titles? Cool I guess. Wonder how long it will take for them to run out of material.

    • malek86

      Well, the Tales Magazine didn’t last much, did it? And they probably had more stuff to talk about.

      Maybe it’s supposed to be a limited time publication.

  • http://myanimelist.net/profile/Kuronoa Kuronoa

    Should of made it a Shin Megami Tensei magazine, that would cover more topics.  This is like making a Wario magazine instead of a Mario Magazine IMO…

    Still, I await any new news that comes from this magazine online, like I do with most magazines. :)

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Javon-Hernandez/706489182 Javon Hernandez

    Wooooah. What is going ON here

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_3ITUZUKPZYUV2VUCVXUW3DVO6Y AJ

    Maybe we’ll get some SMT5 news?  Oh wait this is a PERSONA magazine.  Nevermind.  :(

    Strange Journey was sooooo intriguing.  Nocturne is still one of my favorite games ever.  I need another one…even if I have to make it myself!  :O

    • http://www.facebook.com/Chrome.Cell Bernard Yanga

      Strange Journey is sooo booooorrrriiiiinnnngggg and also I’m one of those people didn’t consider SMT:SJ as SMT 4. Why do you really like it I spent 21 hour of gameplay and I didn’t see any awesomeness in it maybe it’s the graphics or the story. They need to make another nocturne type or the continuation of SMT2.

  • Total_Overdose

    Hopefully we can finally get a conclusion for the P3 manga, since I don’t think any installments have been in Dengeki Black Maoh magazine in a while. Also, I would love more info/manga/anime whatever on P1 and P2. Not to say I don’t like P3 and P4, but I feel like the first 2 Persona titles need more love than they’ve been getting.

  • http://twitter.com/ifarah12 Gren

    Why not just make an SMT magazine

    They’ve been milking Persona way too much lately

  • leadintea

    Cool. I hope we’ll get to learn more about P1 and P2, but I highly doubt it.

  • sandra10

    Once upon a time I thought the Persona series could never get enough exposure just because its that awesome… but that’s not the case anymore. I feel like this is enough (if not too much) for my tastes.

    • exhume

      Just remember though, it’s only in Japan, the land of insane fan & character goods! Persona will never get this much exposure outside of Japan, for better or worse.

  • Crimson_Cloud

    As much as I love Persona series I get the feeling that they are starting to milk the series. But eh, not really interested in expending my horizon towards Persona 4. I mean sure, the game was awesome, the visual data that I got with the game was a good bonus and I’m watching anime right now, so it’s quite enough for me. If I had to choose then I would rather see more info regarding Persona 3…

    Still waiting for PES5 appearance, though.

    • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_2UDFY4ESBBF3Z255AJEISWVNTM Chris Dorelus

      lol i was just about to type that myself. but yes i agree. i love persona but im seeing a trend here. and im not really liking it. their giving the series overexposure which is never a good thing

    • Asura

      You JUST NOW realize the series is being milked like a cow with double the hormone injections!?

      • Crimson_Cloud

         Lol, more like turned the blind eye towards their way.

    • http://whatistheexcel.com/ Excel-2012

      At least Square Enix didn’t pull this nonsense with Final Fantasy.

      Right?

      • Crimson_Cloud

        Of course. That would be stupid.

        Kidding aside, I wanted to believe that Atlus was a bit different then the Squere Enix who already has the gold medal in milk-squeezing.

        • http://whatistheexcel.com/ Excel-2012

          But seriously, did they actually do that?

  • icecoffemix

    Don’t thinks this more than promotion for the golden, they don’t intend to keep the magazine running for long from the start.

  • Okuni-chan

    I… must… import… D:

    • http://www.myspace.com/Juan_Rod bluejuan85

      You ….. must…..translate for the rest of us english only speakers.

      • http://twitter.com/starksimon Stark

        ^ This :)

      • Okuni-chan

        D: I wish I were that good at Japanese… (I wouldn’t call myself a beginner but I wouldn’t say I was fluent yet) So getting accurate translation would take me a whiiiiile… Plus With my backlog of games I’m trying to import I’m crossing my fingers for a sale or something so I can get this whenever it comes out. I also have zero skills in scan-lation ._.;

  • Kawashima

    They are kinda milking the series but if you think about it the Golden is the only remake they did for P4 so far and they are releasing a spinoff from P4.  NIS has done some similar things with Disgaea and their other titles like Phantom Brave with the multiple remakes they made, not that im complaining. 

    • Ladius

      Honestly, there’s nothing particularly strange in milking a successful series, practically every developer with at least one decent brand try to do just that, from Square Enix to Idea Factory, Falcom, Namco, NIS and so on.
        
      The wrong thing here isn’t that they are milking Persona like hell, it is that recently they haven’t been doing much more than that (both Atlus Japan and the new Atlus USA with its drastic reduction in localizations). I hope Catherine’s great sales are able to give Atlus Japan enough confidence to resume developing a wider variety of titles like they did in the PS2 generation, since their home console output so far has been underwhelming.
      In Atlus Japan’s case, I imagine Index played a big role in their current situation, and seeing Catherine shipping 500k will probably make the shareholders more open to Atlus Japan’s ideas.

  • http://twitter.com/class_zero Class_zero

    I just hope it was Index efforts to make Persona big franchise not milking it like Square Enix did with FF

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