Persona 5

[Dextro]

It looks like it's time to get this party started. Index corporation has registed a domain for Persona 5 according to Eurogamer.

Persona 5 domain registered by Atlus' parent company

Originally Posted by Eurogamer

Persona series developer Atlus' parent company Index Corporation has registered a domain for Persona 5. (Thanks, NeoGAF.)

Unfortunately, that's all we know for now. As of less than two weeks ago, Index Corporation was in trouble, undergoing a bankruptcy-esque proceeding following being under investigation for crooked business practices. Atlus president Naoto Hiraoka told Kotaku at the time, "Currently, Index Digital Media, Inc. and the Atlus brand are unaffected by the Index Corporation proceedings in Japan."

However, the trademark is in Index Corporation's name, so it's unclear if this will have an effect the next hypothetical Persona game, but we've contacted Atlus about this an are awaiting reply.

The last brand new game in the Persona series was 2008's PS2 swan song Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4. It was later re-released on Vita with additional content as Persona 4: Golden, which Simon Parkin really liked.

[Kirito]

So the production of Persona 5 can hopefully get under way it seems. I don't think the inner issues of the bankruptcy is fully over, but at least this is new that we can go on.

[Flying Dagger]

There is a chance in which they are merely treating its ghostly existence as an asset and then selling off the franchise.

[Dextro]

Originally Posted by Clarami

So the production of Persona 5 can hopefully get under way it seems. I don't think the inner issues of the bankruptcy is fully over, but at least this is new that we can go on.

Apparently Atlus is in good shape, it's just Index Corporation that isn't particularly well off. We have to trust that, if the worst comes to pass and Index Corporation needs to offload it's gaming arm, someone will look at how it's still relatively profitable in it's own niche and pick it up to continue making the games we love.

[Kirito]

Originally Posted by Dextro

Apparently Atlus is in good shape, it's just Index Corporation that isn't particularly well off. We have to trust that, if the worst comes to pass and Index Corporation needs to offload it's gaming arm, someone will look at how it's still relatively profitable in it's own niche and pick it up to continue making the games we love.

You do make a point, but there have been talks about who might pick it up if Index were to fall under. Atlus is still liable and to me that's great, but... for some reason I can't stop worrying about this since production and planning times can be "altered" because of this issue.

[FlareKnight]

I think this is more of a sign that Persona 5 is pretty far along and Atlus is ready to officially announce it. They were pretty similar with Persona 4 not really saying much about it until they were just about ready to release it.

As to the situation with the Index Corporation it is unsettling. But at this point Atlus still appears to be operating business as usual. Even if things go under for Index they should get picked up by someone and still get their games out.

[Xefi]

so what system is P5 going to be develop on?

[Dextro]

Originally Posted by Xefi

so what system is P5 going to be develop on?

I'm betting on PS3 just like P4 was on the PS2 late in it's life-cycle.

[Kirito]

Originally Posted by FlareKnight

As to the situation with the Index Corporation it is unsettling. But at this point Atlus still appears to be operating business as usual. Even if things go under for Index they should get picked up by someone and still get their games out.

That's the thing. The question here is who should pick or collaborate with Atlus if Index goes under. There are many options regarding that, but it's the matter of which studio or company is right for the job.

If a buy out does occur I hope Microsoft doesn't pick this up. If that were the case then RIP Persona series "shudders in fear".

Originally Posted by Xefi

so what system is P5 going to be develop on?

We don't know yet. Right now we're still waiting on news regarding that since Index is still floating, but could sink at any moment.

Originally Posted by Dextro

I'm betting on PS3 just like P4 was on the PS2 late in it's life-cycle.

Or they could do a PS3 and PS4 port just to make more money and cater to both the still current and new gen. I don't know how I should feel about that really...

[Dextro]

Originally Posted by Clarami

Or they could do a PS3 and PS4 port just to make more money and cater to both the still current and new gen. I don't know how I would feel about that really...

I'm not sure how cost effective that would be. I can see why games like MGS5 would do it since they were meant from day 1 to be multi-platform and have the appropriate abstractions in place to ease such ports but if you look at the history of SMT/Persona games they have always been single-platform which points towards coding close to the metal. Given that the PS4 has a substantially different architecture to the PS4 it would make that port a daunting prospect.

You may still be right though. That would mean I would have yet another reason to pull the trigger on a PS4 sooner in it's life-cycle.

[Iron Maw]

Originally Posted by Dextro

Apparently Atlus is in good shape, it's just Index Corporation that isn't particularly well off.

An understatement if I ever saw one. Those guys are practically criminals.

Eitherway, glad to see that their game division is still alive and functioning.

[Chaos2Frozen]

Originally Posted by Dextro

I'm betting on PS3 just like P4 was on the PS2 late in it's life-cycle.

Here's the thing though, with the PS4 said to be much more easier to develop for wouldn't it be possible that they just skip the much harder PS3 altogether?

[Dextro]

Originally Posted by Chaos2Frozen

Here's the thing though, with the PS4 said to be much more easier to develop for wouldn't it be possible that they just skip the much harder PS3 altogether?

That would be true if development were to start right now but I'm betting that the game has been in the works for quite some time now and changing platforms midway can only lead to massive delays.

[4Tran]

Originally Posted by Xefi

so what system is P5 going to be develop on?

My money's on Playstation 3. Japanese gamers tend to be pretty slow to move to a new platform, and a 2014 release on the older console is a lot more attractive. I think that the Xbone, Wii U and 3DS can also be ruled out, although Vita is still a distant possibility.

Originally Posted by Clarami

That's the thing. The question here is who should pick or collaborate with Atlus if Index goes under. There are many options regarding that, but it's the matter of which studio or company is right for the job.

If a buy out does occur I hope Microsoft doesn't pick this up. If that were the case then RIP Persona series "shudders in fear".

The most likely of the console manufacturers to pick up Atlus is Sony. Atlus is a valued property, so there's a decent chance that a different publisher like Marvelous AQL buys them out instead.

Originally Posted by Chaos2Frozen

Here's the thing though, with the PS4 said to be much more easier to develop for wouldn't it be possible that they just skip the much harder PS3 altogether?

If Atlus were to develop on the PS4, they'd have to learn the toolset whereas that wouldn't be necessary on the PS3 given the experience working on Catherine. PS4 would probably be the home of Atlus' projects 2015 onwards. There will be a lot more sales on PS3 anyways.

[spikexp]

We should not forget the mobile gaming market. A lot of their recent game are for handheld devices.
But I want it to be One/PS4 (PS4 for me).

[Drkz]

Originally Posted by spikexp

We should not forget the mobile gaming market. A lot of their recent game are for handheld devices.
But I want it to be One/PS4 (PS4 for me).

They'd probably make a sequel or a tie-in for the PSP, but if they do make P5 it'd be on a console. If P5 was on a portable it'd mean the company is in trouble.

[FlareKnight]

Originally Posted by Clarami

That's the thing. The question here is who should pick or collaborate with Atlus if Index goes under. There are many options regarding that, but it's the matter of which studio or company is right for the job.

If a buy out does occur I hope Microsoft doesn't pick this up. If that were the case then RIP Persona series "shudders in fear".

Yeah, would be up in the air who might go for Atlus if it comes down to that. Microsoft would be the worst case scenario, but luckily they also seem to be the most unlikely. They've mostly appeared on Nintendo's handelds or on Sony's consoles. Catherine was on the 360 as well, but I don't think they'd go as hard after Atlus as the other two.

[Xacual]

Why would 3ds be ruled out? It's one of the more popular consoles / handhelds in Japan right now.

[Dr. Casey]

Hmm. So if Flare's correct, and Persona 5 is released next year, maybe the story will take place 2017-2018. (Persona 3 was released 2006 and covers 2009-2010, Persona 4 was 2008 and spans 2011-2012) Hope so; one of the fun aspects of the Persona games is feeling as though I'm drawn into the future for a little while. That would make me 29-30 during Persona 5, which would make me an 'old man' character by JRPG standards.

[FlareKnight]

Originally Posted by Xacual

Why would 3ds be ruled out? It's one of the more popular consoles / handhelds in Japan right now.

Yeah, but this has probably been coming for a while now. It's not like they are suddenly starting development. It would be rather odd to see Persona 3 and Persona 4 on the PS2 (and Vita) then suddenly shift over to Nintendo's handheld for P5.

I don't think you'd rule it out, but I wouldn't actually bet on it.