Persona Director reveals that Persona 3 saved Atlus from "collapse" nearly 20 years ago,

 

Persona Director reveals that Persona 3 saved Atlus from "collapse" nearly 20 years ago,

Japanese video game developer and publisher Atlus has been around for a while and is best known for the Shin Megami Tensei and Persona series. The Persona series in particular has garnered a large following in the West, and 2017's Persona 5 became a hit abroad. However, the studio hasn't always been so successful, as Katsura Hashino, director of Persona 3, 4, and 5, pointed out in a recent interview when he detailed how Persona 3 saved the company from "overthrow."

Persona 3 director reveals how the game was saved. The Atlus

  Hashino shared the story on Japanese radio show J-Wave Radio, as reported by Genki_JPN on Twitter. According to Hashino, while Atlus was working on Persona 3 for PlayStation 2, the studio was facing bankruptcy and was told it could be his last game. Hoshino insisted that the development team should increase the appeal of the series starting with Persona 3 in order to save the company.

 

  As hardcore Persona fans know, Persona 3 marked a turning point for the Shin Megami Tensei: Persona series. The game introduced the popular social linking mechanic, a calendar system, and a core area of the dungeon focused on the combat system.However, Hashino struggled to convince the older members of the team about these new changes, but argued, "If We make a game that will make the most die-hard fans happy, how will it attract new people? The business will go away.”

 

  During the segment's radio host Hashino said that in finding a new direction for the series, he tried to analyze and break down the systems, settings, and themes of previous Persona titles.

  Ultimately, the development team accepted these new changes and Persona 3 became a hit among fans. Now the series continues with two main chapters: Persona 4 and Persona 5.The

   Persona 5 fans who didn't have a chance to play the previous games can easily do so since Persona 4 Golden is now available on all modern platforms. Additionally, an all-new remake of Persona 3 titled Persona 3 Reload will be released on February 2, 2024.