Extensive Famitsu interview with Persona 5 art and audio leads

persona 5 famitsu interview

Play Asia has posted the entire exhaustive interview Famitsu ran with some of Persona 5’s art and audio leads.

First up is Art Director Sudou Masayoshi. He discusses the usage of color for the last few Persona games, the wild UI that Persona 5 boasts, his sources of inspiration, and more.

From the first full Persona 5 trailer we saw a lot of the Game User Interface (GUI) that you created for the game, it really is a splendid piece of work. Your chance to create such work began with Persona 3, correct?

Sudou: Yes, whilst working on Persona 3, Mr. Soejima (the games character designer; Soejima Shigenori ) we got together a lot to throw ideas and see if we could confirm how to create the games GUI. Not just the GUI but also the game’s website design. Speaking of design, we really wanted to create a GUI that didn’t just stand out in a game related magazine but also something that would look interesting and stand out in magazines aimed primarily at females as well, it was an idea that I never thought of before. I always like using traditional methods, I tend to not add gradations, but prefer filling in each and every graphic. When I’m designing, I will continue to create my best work through trial and error until I feel 100% satisfied.

Is there something that you’ve put your entire heart and soul into when it comes to your designs?

Sudou: The biggest thing I put my all into was regarding the color of the interface compared to the game’s main color scheme. For example, the main color for Persona 3 was teal, Persona 4’s a vivid yellow color and so I had to decide the right colors for the menus etc. Of course Persona 5’s main color scheme is a crimson red and therefore after much deliberation I sat down and after trying out black and white text I was confident with it.

Lead Sound Designer Tsuchiya Kenichi and Sound Composer Mr Meguro Shouji are also featured. You can read the entire piece here.

Persona 5 screens let you compare PS4 and PS3 versions

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Atlus has now opened up Persona 5 digital pre-orders for the game on both the PlayStation 4 and the PlayStation 3 systems. That means that we get to see what Persona 5 looks like running on a PlayStation 3 and a PlayStation 4. You can see the Persona 5 screenshots below this article.

Atlus has also put up a Persona 5 20th Anniversary PlayStation Store edition for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3. This version comes with the following items:

  • Persona 4 Costume & BGM Special Set
  • Persona 3 Costume & BGM Special Set
  • Orpheus & Orpheus Zokujin Set
  • Izanagi & Izanagi Zokujin Set
  • Persona 20th Anniversary All-Time Best Soundtrack
  • 20th Anniversary Special Edition Limited Theme & Avatar Sets

Of course Persona 5 launches in Japan on September 15, 2016 for both the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3. The rest of the world has to wait all the way till February 14, 2017 to get our hands on this highly anticipated JRPG. As you can see from the screenshots after the jump, the game doesn’t look much different on either system. What do you think?

Persona5 the Animation – The Day Breakers available to stream, coming to Blu-ray & DVD

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The Persona 5 prequel anime special, Persona5 the Animation – The Day Breakers, has aired in Japan and it’s available to watch on Crunchyroll right now. A Blu-Ray and DVD release is scheduled for December 7th in Japan.

On top of that, I also have more information on Persona 5’s showing at Tokyo Game Show 2016 and a live event scheduled for July 2017 after the jump!

Atlus to hold Etrian Odyssey V panel

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An Etrian Odyssey V discussion panel will be held in Japan on September 30th, 2016. It will be at the Shinjuku Loft Plus One venue in Tokyo, Japan at 8:30PM.

Panel hosts will include long-time Etrian Odyssey panel leaders Yoshihisa Kawahara and Ayumi Murase (both voice actors in EO V), as well as composer Yuzo Koshiro.

The announcement page for the event states that the show will discuss the Etrian Odyssey series and potentially include spoilers for the fifth entry, which released in Japan on August 4th.

Pre-sale tickets will be 2,000 yen, while tickets on the day of the panel will run 2,500 yen. Food and drink are included for free along with admission price. The show is restricted to persons 18 and older only, so expect a good drink selection.

You can buy tickets in advance over here starting on September 10th if you are interested in attending.

7th Dragon III Code: VFD and Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse to hit Europe this Winter

7th_Dragon_III_Code_VFD_Screenshot_09If you remember back in July SEGA announced a European publishing partnership with Deep Silver, which has now confirmed that Europeans will be getting their JRPG fix this winter since both Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse and 7th Dragon III Code: VFD games will be released in the region before the end of the year. Both titles are obviously exclusive to the Nintendo 3DS. Sadly Deep Silver didn’t reveal the exact date, only that they will be released in Europe before the end of 2016.

If you are thinking of picking up 7th Dragon III Code: VFD, you should check out our review on the game. Long story short, if you like JRPGs then its something to keep on your radar. While 7th Dragon III Code: VFD has already been out in America since July 12, 2016, Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse won’t release over here until the September 20; so at least one title isn’t much of a wait, all things considering. We will keep you updated on any more information regarding European releases of SEGA and Atlus games, so stay tuned in.

[Source: Nintendo Life]

Persona 5 Online Features Revealed

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The latest issue of Weekly Famitsu has information on some of Persona 5‘s online features.

If you opt into the Phantom Thieves Alliance, multiplayer elements will be available during the main game. You’ll be able to cooperate with other players as you battles foes, explore dungeons, or just do normal teenager things around school.

Etrian Odyssey V Debut Tops Japanese Charts

etrianodysseyvIt seems that Japan went crazy for Atlus’ Etrian Odyssey V: The End of the Long Myth as it was the top selling new game released in Japan last week. Etrian Odyssey V managed to sell 92,518 units. The chart tracked from August 1st to August 7th, considering Etrian Odyssey V came out on August 4th it would mean it did 92,518 units in only three days. In second place came Bandai Namco’s Dragon Ball Fusions that manage to sell 77,509 copies. and that’s a game based on a highly popular IP.

It seems that the Nintendo 3DS can still move software since the top five selling games happen to be on the Nintendo 3DS. Etrian Odyssey V hasn’t gotten a western release date yet, but I wouldn’t be surprised when it does considering all the past titles in the series have been released outside of Japan.

To see the full Japanese sales charts, hit the jump.

[Via: Gematsu]

Persona 5 releasing in Europe the same day as US

PERSONA51Publisher Deep Silver announced today that Atlus’ Persona 5 will launch in Europe and other PAL regions on February 14, 2017, which is the same day Persona 5 launches in the United States. Persona 5 will come out in Europe and PAL regions with a PlayStation 4 edition that costs  €70 / £55, on the other hand the PlayStation 3 version will launch at €50 / £40.

The PlayStation 4 ‘Take Your Heart’ premium version of Persona 5 and the SteelBook launch edition will also make their way to Europe. The Take Your Heart premium edition will cost €90 / £80, click here for all the contents on that version. Persona 5 on the PlayStation 3 will be the only version to launch with its standard packaging (since first time buyers of the PlayStation 4 version get a SteelBook launch edition.)

If you are confused about why Deep Silver is publishing the game in Europe and not SEGA or Atlus, its because they announced their European publishing deal a few months ago. This is good news because it means that Europeans get to enjoy Persona 5 the same day as we Americans, but then again the Japanese get Persona 5 this September. Damn them.

Etrian Odyssey V gets 15 minutes of gameplay released

The Japanese site 4Gamer.Net has posted a 15-minute gameplay video of the upcoming Etrian Odyssey V ahead of its Japanese release, which is August 4th. The video shows off new characters, creation system and features each of the ten classes that will be selectable when the game hits shelves. If you have a Japanese 3DS you can now access the Etrian Odyssey V demo!

Sadly SEGA or Atlus haven’t told us when Etrian Odyssey V will be heading outside of Japan. I guess you have to stay tuned to our site and we’ll let you know as soon as its announced. For now enjoy the Etrian Odyssey V gameplay video and envy the people in Japan.

Persona 4 Getting a Pin Set Limited to 200 Units, Pre-Orders Up August 7th

P4FramedPinSetAtlus hasn’t killed Persona 4 just yet, teaming up with Udon Collectibles to create the Persona 4 Mystery Puzzle Framed Pin Set. The Persona 4 pin set will be limited to only 200 sets and will be sold for $199.99 each.

Each of the Persona 4 pin set comes with eight character pins that will feature characters such as Chie, Kanji, Naoto, Rise, Teddy, Yukiko, and Yu. The pins will be professionally mounted in a 15 x 17-inch frame. As a bonus the set will also include a Persona 4 logo pin that has been 3D sculpted, this pin is exclusive to this collection and won’t be sold separately.

Want to pick up the Persona 4 collectible pin set? Pre-orders open on Sunday, August 7, 2016 at 9 a.m. PST over at Udon Exclusives Website. Good luck, they will most likely go super fast and cost a fortune on Ebay. Persona 4 released on the PlayStation 2 way back in 2008 and got a PlayStation Vita remake in 2012 as Persona 4 Golden. Atlus has re-used the characters in their Persona 4 Arena fighting games, Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth in 2014 and even had a rhythm game called Persona 4: Dancing All Night released in 2015. While Atlus is already planning on releasing Persona 5 this September in Japan, doesn’t mean they will let Persona 4 characters die. Wonder how they will be used in the future.

[Via: Siliconera]

Persona 5 shows off opening movie, first 18 minutes, new characters, anime, and more

Persona5OpeningMovieI warned you the other day that Atlus was teasing seven new announcements for Persona 5 during its Premium Event Niconico stream. Well, that happen earlier today and what did they announce for Persona 5? A ton of stuff, including showing off the first 18 minutes of gameplay from the game. Want to catch all the action?

Hit the jump for all the new information:

[Via: Gematsu]

Atlus shows off 15 minutes of Persona 5 gameplay

Atlus has officially premiered 15 minutes of Persona 5 gameplay during its live stream this morning. This is just a teaser for tomorrow’s big Persona 5 Premium Event being held in Japan, that promises SEVEN new announcements! The footage above shows returning skills, fishing mini-game (froggy?!, movie date with Futaba Sakura and lots more.

Persona 5 hits the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 on September 15 in Japan, February 14, 2017 in the Americas. Persona 5 does have plans to release in Europe with publisher Deep Silver, like discussed before, but they haven’t announced a release date.

[Via: Gematsu]

The King of Fighters XIV demo hits PSN on July 19

The-King-Of-Fighters-XIVBeen waiting to try The King of Fighters XIV? You won’t have to wait long, Atlus and developer SNK Playmore have announced that The King of Fighters XIV demo will be out July 19 on the North American PSN.

The King of Fighters XIV demo will allow you to try seven of the game’s 50 playable fighters. The demo will be strictly offline, but the full version of The King of Fighters XIV will have online play. SNK Playmore have also announced a new mode for the full retail version titled Cooperative Online Multiplayer. In Cooperative Online Multiplayer you can match against two teams of three players. Meaning instead of you playing the three characters on your team, its a team of three separate players.

Atlus will publish the North American version of The King of Fighters XIV for PlayStation 4 on August 23rd!

[Via: Gematsu]

SEGA News Bits: Deep Silver to bring SEGA and Atlus titles to Europe

In this SEGA News Bits, George and Barry discuss the recent announcement that publisher Deep Silver has teamed with SEGA of America and Atlus USA to release Atlus and select SEGA titles to Europe. That’s right! While SEGA Europe lets great games slip through the cracks, these two American companies are picking up the slack (“Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers” anyone?) .

Europeans can expect Atlus’ Persona 5 and Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse as well as SEGA’s 7th Dragon III Code: VFD in both physical and packaged releases thanks to a deal made with Deep Silver, and that is just the beginning. More games are to come! Listen to our thoughts on what this means for SEGA Europe and why SEGA of America and Atlus USA had to do what they did in our latest News Bits.

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