PlayStation(.Blog) Nation,

Did you know that Persona 4 Golden is only 18 days away? That’s 432 hours. 25,920 minutes. 1,555,200 seconds. THAT’S PRACTICALLY NOW, FRIENDS.

Seeing as how P4G’s unique blend of social-life-developing and evil-shadow-defeating roleplaying gameplay is a must-own for PS Vita owners (YEAH, I SAID IT), and it’s arguably reason enough for those pained on-the-fencers (Seriously, it must be getting super uncomfortable by now. We have soothing balm on the PS Vita side, come join us…) to hop off already and snag themselves a sexy new PS Vita, we figured why not pimp out the special pre-order bonus PS Vita skin while we’re at it?

Oh, you haven’t heard of the pre-order bonus? Well, that’s quite a pity, because while supplies last, folks who pre-order Persona 4 Golden from participating retailers will receive a DezaEgg protective skin for PlayStation Vita. Yes, the same DezaEgg skin that’s also included in the completely awesome, completely sold out Solid Gold Premium Edition of the game, which also includes a custom HORI Hard Pouch, HORI Face Cover, and a set of nifty stickers. It’s understated, stylish, and pretty much the best way to tell your friends, “Why yes, I do own Persona 4 Golden and I was cool enough to pre-order it.” You’re also telling them, “Oh, PS Vita? Yes, I have one. Didn’t you know I have excellent taste?” It ALSO happens to be the exact same item given to Japanese customers for the game’s release in that region.

To add even more fuel to this fire of awesomeness, this classy and vibrant PS Vita skin also comes with a selection of Persona 4 Golden wallpapers that seamlessly mesh with the skin’s design. With a wallpaper for each of the main characters, you’ll be able to personalize your Vita even further.

The DezaEgg skin is so darn cool-looking and so easy to apply… Well, we decided to make a handy-dandy video (up above) that shows you exactly how easy the whole process is. Watch former ATLUS PR Manager Aram Jabbari (hey, that’s me!) give you pro tips and walk you through the simple steps to get P-4-G all over your P-S-V.

Persona 4 Golden releases on November 20th, in stores and via PlayStation Network, exclusively for PS Vita. Please note that the pre-order bonus offer only applies to the physical version of the game (available on Amazon for example), seeing as how it’ll be centuries until transporter technology is a real thing (according to Star Trek, anyway). Transparent aluminum, on the other hand, we’ve had for a couple decades. Thanks, Scotty!

BREAKING NEWS! Persona 4 Golden, Japan’s BEST SELLING PS Vita game of ALL darn-tootin’ time, finally has a North American release date: November 20, 2012, in stores and via PlayStation Store.

Did you hear that? That’s the sound of millions of Vita owners screaming in joyous union. They know, as you might too (or will soon learn), that when it comes to a deep role-playing game experience with TONS of monsters to slay; Personas to collect and fuse; areas to explore; well-written characters with which to interact and develop bonds; and a terrific, highly memorable story, there is NO substitute.

A random short list of enhancements and additions (in no particular order) we’ve only lightly touched on:

• You can now sneak out at night when your uncle Dojima is out at work (which is frequent, as he’s a veteran police detective). Every conversation and event discovered during this time – heck, even the music that plays – is all new. Moreover, many areas, like Shiroku store in the shopping district, serve a different purpose after dark.
• You can get night jobs, on top of the clubs you might join after school, that allow you to further advance your character (not to mention roam the city at night without having to hope your uncle is out).
• The game now offers a Very Easy and Very Hard difficulty option (in addition to the existing Easy, Normal, and Hard settings).
• You can now easily speed through cutscenes and lengthy exchanges (maybe it’s your umpteenth playthrough?) by holding the Triangle button or by double tapping Start.
• Load times are ridiculously fast. Almost every load is approximately 3 seconds or less, whether PS Vita game card or PSN download.
• The fishing mini-game has been expanded to include new fish, many of which are exclusive to the evening, providing yet another layer of addiction and depth.

[TIRED PR CLICHÉ INCOMING]

…And so much more!

Check out this video walkthrough we did with our friends over at IGN.com to see many of the above points for yourself.

Pre-orders of the physical release at participating retailers will net you a free protective PS Vita skin (while supplies last). For more info about P4G, visit our official site.

Pre-emptive Answers to Likely Comments

Q: Does Persona 4 Golden have a Japanese language option?
A: No, only English text and an English dub are available. We are VERY aware of many fans’ interest in dual language audio, but it is not possible in every project.

Q: Why can’t I find the Solid Gold Premium Edition for pre-order anywhere?
A: Because the entire production run of 10,000 is just about entirely spoken for via pre-order. There may be a minimal number of units made available by retailers near or at launch (held aside in order to avoid oversell situations), but for the most part, it’s sold out.

Q: Is Persona 4 Golden region locked?
A: No.

Q: Perhaps windmills can cool all this P4G demand?
A: WINDMILLS DO NOT WORK THAT WAY. GOOD NIGHT!

Persona 4 Golden. It’s so hot right now. It’s Japan’s hottest PS Vita game of all time, selling more than twice as many units as the next bestselling title. In the weeks following P4G’s release, PS Vita hardware sales in Japan saw a dramatic spike, larger than at any time since the start of the year.

Perhaps it’s because the original Persona 4 became such a phenomenon, winning tremendous critical acclaim and adoration from consumers. It could also be because Golden, the enhanced and expanded PS Vita version of the game, dramatically improves on the beloved RPG classic in so many gosh darn ways.

Did you know I speak PS Vita? True story. I can hear yours from here, musing aloud, longing for something amazing; it’s practically begging to be loved. It wants copious oodles of Persona and it wants said oodles right now. It wants 100+ hours of interacting with fleshed out, sharply written characters. It yearns for a rich world to get lost in, for intense battles, for blazing fast load times. Translation: your PS Vita has a fever, and the only prescription, is more Persona 4 Golden.

We hear your PS Vitas, PS.Blog amis. (That means “friends” in French… Don’t ask me how I know that; I took four years of Spanish in high school.)

We hear them, and we’re answering.

We’re proud to announce Persona 4 Golden: Solid Gold Premium Edition, a very special and very limited set of collectibles for the hardcore Persona and/or PS Vita fan. Japan’s biggest PS Vita game ever deserves an extra fine greeting as it reaches North American shores in one of the coolest special editions we’ve ever put together.

Every one of the ONLY 10,000 COPIES of the Premium Edition will include:

• The game: One of the best RPGs of all time is bigger and better than ever before, enhanced to take full advantage of the power of PS Vita.
• Hori Hard Pouch: Sturdily crafted and stylishly customized, this case has a flap for storing PS Vita cards that also guards the screen.
• Hori Face Cover: Offers lightweight yet effective protection without blocking any major ports, meaning you don’t have to take it off to play!
• Protective Skin: Adorns your PS Vita with the stylish, vibrant aesthetics of Persona 4 Golden and also includes eight matching character wallpapers. This same skin is being offered in limited quantities as a bonus for fans who pre-order P4G at participating retailers.
• Stickers: Featuring some of the popular stars of Persona 4, these stickers can be used to decorate anything you can think of!

Devotees may recognize these items as the same ones made available in Japan, and they’d be right! These are exactly the same special set of accessories made by Hori for the Japanese game, down to the use of the overseas title, Persona 4 The Golden.

The Solid Gold Premium Edition will not be remanufactured. We’re projecting it will sell out and very likely in short order, so if you’re interested in owning a huge piece of ATLUS gaming history, pre-ordering from a participating retailer is highly advised!

Persona 4 Golden: Solid Gold Premium Edition ($69.99 MSRP) releases this holiday season alongside the standard version of the game, both exclusively for PS Vita. If you’re not compelled by the Premium Edition, remember that you can still get a free protective PS Vita skin with a pre-order at a participating retailer. (Please note supplies for these are limited too.) For more info about P4G, visit www.atlus.com/p4g.

Look, I’ll concede that the title of this post is open for misinterpretation. What YOU do with your PS Vita in the comfort of your own home is obviously none of our business.

The kind of loving Persona 4 Golden can offer your PS Vita, however—apart from it being one of the best RPGs ever made, delivering 100+ hours of addictive goodness, et cetera—might be something you’ll want to share with the world…

We’re incredibly excited—nay, elated—NO WAIT, WE’RE EXCITALATED—to reveal the Persona 4 Golden Vita Skin, a special FREE gift for fans who pre-order P4G at a participating retailer while very limited supplies last.

SMARMY PR MODE ENGAGED

“The skin adorns your Vita with the stylish, vibrant aesthetics of Persona 4 while protecting it from small scratches and dust. It is easy to apply and won’t leave any residue when removed. Also included are 8 exclusive matching wallpapers, each featuring a main character from P4G and all designed to perfectly coordinate with the protective skin. Manufactured in Japan by Dezaegg, this Vita skin is the same one made available to Japanese fans, down to the use of the original title for the game, Persona 4: The Golden. The P4G Vita Skin will not be made available for individual sale in North America.”

SMARMY PR MODE DISENGAGED

That’s right, friends in the PlayStation Nation: ATLUS is going to make your PS Vita sexy and we’re going to do it at no added cost, provided you do what pretty much everyone else is doing—certainly all the cool kids—and reserve your copy of P4G today. (We stress the today due to the limited quantity.) What’s that, people who live on the same street/floor as whoever is reading this sentence? YOU’RE PRE-ORDERING, TOO? Your currently-reading-this friend/acquaintance is going to be sooooo jelly come the holidays.

Oh, and in case you were wondering just how improved Persona 4 Golden’s visuals are (the game is bigger and better in every other way as well, mind you), we have a couple comparison screens we’re showing here on the blog for the first time!

Persona 4 Golden releases this holiday season, exclusively for PS Vita. Which is, without coincidence, also when your PS Vitas become (even more) the envy of everyone you know (provided you pre-order soon). For more info about P4G, visit www.atlus.com/p4g.

Persona 4 Arena, the freakishly gifted fighting progeny of ATLUS (makers of Persona and other fine JRPGs) and Arc System Works (makers of Guilty Gear and BlazBlue), is out now in North America for the PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system.

What exactly do you get when you marry Persona and its rich I-want-to-go-to-there universe of characters and mythology and some masterful fighting game design? Based on the fact that it’s Japan’s top arcade fighting game, Japan’s bestselling conventional console fighting game of the past four years, and one of North America’s most anticipated fighting games in recent memory, it would seem you get one heck of a mix of gaming DNA. It probably has a perfect SAT score and everything.

With a unique fighting engine that deftly incorporates the titular Personas and their breathtaking special powers; a roster of thirteen intricately balanced fighters, a majority of whom hail from the acclaimed Persona 4 (and a few from the equally beloved Persona 3); expertly rendered character sprites and backgrounds; a smorgasbord of features, modes, and content (including a Story mode that offers 30-40 hours of canonical goodness); and smooth-as-butter online play that lets users challenge anyone around the world, Persona 4 Arena is an irresistible fighting package. We even threw in the Japanese dub, which can be easily toggled to in the main menu… Probably because we love you.

Are you a fan of the Persona RPGs but not too keen on fighting games? P4 Arena has been designed with accessibility in mind. It’ll still take a bit of practice and commitment to master the game’s intricacies, but just about anyone can pick it up, play, and feel like a contender. Are you an Arc System Works fan who doesn’t know anything about Persona? You’re in luck, because Persona 3 and 4 offer some of gaming’s most memorable characters. Fully realized and sharply written, the roster of fighters in P4 Arena improve every game mode, bringing personality and humor to what is often a sterile experience in other genre entries.

Oh, and in case you really get into things (or you’re a huge Persona fan already), there’s a slate of launch day DLC waiting for you. The DLC varies from sets of glasses for every character — an iconic aesthetic element from Persona 4 — to additional Navigators for in-game commentary and quick tips. It’s all entirely cosmetic, meaning passionate fans can further customize their characters and play experiences without messing up that oh-so-important balance.

Race out (safely) and pick up a copy from a nearby retailer today. We’re confident you’ll be happy you did. Maybe we’ll fight you online!

We’re way-fairly convinced you’re going to find this post way-fairly awesome, and no, not just because it’s about Growlanser: Wayfarer of Time, the upcoming PSP strategy RPG from, well… us.

As for why we’re so convinced, it’s becau—wait, what? Oh, no, you heard right; we said “PSP.”

Look, folks, it’s still an immensely popular system with a huge user base and an amazing library of RPGs and SRPGs. Also, with a game as ridiculously lengthy as Growlanser: WoT (and this PSP remaster is significantly meatier than the original release from way-back-when), it does take a while to localize things from Japanese to English, so it’s not as though we’re eagerly planning PSP games for 2025. Unless, of course, the PSP becomes sentient and takes over the world, in which case we welcome our new PSP overlords and commit to supporting the system for all eternity.

Anyhoo, the reason you should be am excite for this post is because:

1. It is to celebrate the debut of the game’s full trailer (above), which shows tons of gameplay footage from the imminent North American release.
2. Growlanser: Wayfarer of Time is the fourth chapter in a long-running, highly beloved series of tactical RPGs. Despite being one of the most popular entries, it also happens to suffer from “Never-before-released-in-North-America-itis,” making this a rather exciting launch for fans of SRPGs, anime, things from Japan, and shininess. (check out the art and you’ll get what I mean about “shininess”)

PS Vita owners, don’t fret! Our last PSP release, Gungnir, may not have supported PS Vita at launch (we greatly appreciate the patience of PS Vita fans hoping for that compatibility), but we’re happy to proclaim that it does now (and should be accessible through the PS Vita PS Store as of August 7th). We’ll cooperate with the right folks as much as possible to make Growlanser: WoT playable on those sexy screens as close to launch as possible.

Our own Persona 4 Golden for PS Vita (coming this fall, pre-order today!), the enhanced and expanded handheld version of one of the highest rated RPGs of all time, is proof enough that we’re proud and excited to support those five diagonal inches of OLED goodness.

Growlanser: Wayfarer of Time launches in stores — and digitally via PlayStation Network — on July 31, 2012. Check it out, won’t you?

ATLUS says: when your Growlanser lasts longer than four hours, please remember to get up and stretch or something.

‘Tis a week — nay, why not call it an entire month — of celebration! Those of you who hath recently vanquished thy terrible foe known as “school” are now celebrating as much sloth and inactivity as your parental figures are willing to permit. Those of you who work for a living are looking forward to pleasant possibilities of the vacational variety, hoping some pool/beachside lounging is in your immediate future. The United States and Canada both celebrate their Independence Days.

Really, it’s a cool month (non-literally, as many are feeling right now, sadly), and as we mentioned earlier, there’s no shortage of cause for celebration. Which is why Atlus is so excited to announce the “Half Off Just About Everything For Just About A Month” (HOJAEFJAAM) PlayStation Network Sale, a 50-percent–off sale for just about every Atlus game in the PlayStation Store library!

Through July 31st, the “HOJAEFJAAM” (pronounced like it’s spelled) PSN promotion is cutting prices in half on pretty much every title Atlus has to offer via PlayStation Network, a collection that includes

Catherine
Only $19.99 (originally $39.99)

The sleeper hit of 2011, Catherine challenges gamers’ minds and reflexes with its brazen mix of drama, horror, fast-paced action puzzles, and its daring exploration of the psychology of commitment and love. A terrific example of Atlus’ internal development studio firing on all cylinders, the game’s perfectly executed visual design and aural presentation, combined with the spectacular animated sequences of Studio 4°C, allow for true lasting impact on the player.

Trine 2
Only $7.49 (originally $14.99)

Trine 2 is one of the most beautiful, vibrant, lush, entrancing games ever made. It’s also a fantastic three-player (local and online) cooperative physics-based action platformer. Playing as one of three highly specialized characters, the Knight, the Wizard, or the Rogue — or all three, provided you’ve got two friends to play with — you will trek through a series of jaw-dropping set pieces filled with hazards to traverse and monsters to best, each area oozing with as much color as the talented developers at Frozenbyte could squeeze out of the light spectrum.

…Not to mention these other acclaimed hits, cult classics, and whatnot:

Visit the PlayStation Store on your PS3, PS Vita, or your PSP (as applicable) and take advantage of these killer savings. In fact, why not take all three out and try to use them at the same time? Just for laughs, and also to prove to the universe that you’re the ultimate PlayStation fan.

Surely you all have a PS Vita at this point? What? WHAT?! Don’t you know Persona 4 Golden is coming soon?! You know, the first Vita game to sell over 100,000 copies in Japan? WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!?

The “HOJAEFJAAM” PSN Sale ends on July 31st.

HO-JAIF-JAYUM!!!!

Look at it. Just look at it. Your PlayStation Vita. It’s so sexy, isn’t it? Those sleek, glossy curves…Those adorable analog sticks…That gigantic OLED screen. Oh my goodness, dat screen.

Wouldn’t it be amazing if there were some RPG, some massive RPG with dozens and dozens of hours of tried-and-true gameplay and a captivating story to tell? Sure, it takes a while for every system to really get to that meaty part of its lifecycle, but luckily for PS Vita owners, their new handheld is going to get that game this fall.

That’s right, boys and girls, Persona 4 Golden, the enhanced and expanded (yet comfortably handheld) upgrade to the award-winning RPG classic, is coming to a PS Vita near you–preferably the one in your hands as you’re reading this–this fall.

The original game has an overall Metacritic score of 90 and tons of “Editor’s Choice” and “Best Of” awards. It’s generally considered one of the finest games ever made, certainly one of the best in its genre, delivering oodles of hours of enthralling storytelling, immensely satisfying combat, intricate party management, and addicting Persona collection and customization. Social Links, the system through which players can develop and strengthen bonds with characters in the game world—relationships that will enrich the overall experience and enhance their party’s combat capabilities—are as incredibly addictive and fulfilling as ever.

And then there’s all the new stuff, the improvements, if you will: remastered visuals and sounds; new Personas to collect; new story events along with an all-new character; 1.5 times the voiced dialogue of the original release; a new online “dungeon rescue” feature that allows users to call on other players for assistance in real time when they are about to die in the TV world; stunning new anime cutscenes, which include a new opening animation with a new song from master composer Shoji Meguro; a host of fan-suggested tweaks and changes, and much more!

When Persona 3 Portable, a similar handheld reimagining of an already terrific RPG, was released in 2010, it went down as the second-best reviewed game on the PSP (according to gamerankings.com) EVER. We figure it stands to reason that Persona 4 Golden and all of its enhancements are going to be one heck of a reason to boot up (or pick up) your PS Vita.

Pre-order your copy using links at http://www.atlus.com/p4g, which will become a full-fledged site with additional game info and media soon enough.

UNTIL NEXT TIME, BLOGGERS!

You know how you’re really excited for something and then something happens and you get even more excited? Like that time you found out they were making a movie for The Hobbit and you were excited…but kinda bummed that Peter Jackson wouldn’t be directing it. But guess what happened: Peter Jackson announced that he *would* in fact direct it, and you got a heck of a lot more excited. Right?

Remember Dragon’s Crown, the next project from Vanillaware announced at last E3, a multiplayer action RPG with beautiful hand-drawn visuals slated to come to PS3 and PS Vita?

BREAKING NEWS: Atlus is taking over publishing duties in Japan and North America! What’s more, key (and very talented) members of the Atlus internal development team will be involved with the project as producer(s). You know, some of the people who’ve worked on games in the critically acclaimed Persona series. Yeah, we know: we’re stoked, too!

What does this mean for the game? For one, it means that it’s going to be better than ever. It will, however, come a bit later than originally expected, as it’s now slated for release in 2013.

When we took over the reins, we realized that a lot of the information made available to the public was ambitious and unfounded conjecture. The release timing, the pricing, and many of the features detailed for fans and members of the press were simply unknowable at the time they were disseminated (and frankly we were quite shocked to find out that many of the details were made public unbeknownst to even the developers).

It’s still way too early in development to be talking about specifics, but we can say that the game simply cannot retail for $29.99. We don’t know where that price point came from, but it is a logistical impossibility. We’re all gamers and we all wished it could be so, but it would have essentially destroyed any chance for profitability.

There’ll be plenty more news on the game in the coming months, and many questions that you’ll want answered. We promise that we’ll do our very best to answer them!

SUMMARY: Dragon’s Crown is still coming to PS3 and PS Vita, Atlus is bringing it (and helping to produce it), and it’ll hit North America in 2013.

*lowers goggles*

You may fire when ready.

There’s a new PlayStation 2 Classic coming to PlayStation Network. I want to talk to you about it. Instead of just getting to the darn point, though…LET’S DRAG THIS OUT.

Join me, won’t you, as we take a trip back in time? Step into this police box with me, please. Get the door behind you? Thanks.

Ok, the year is 2008. You just saw Al Pacino’s 88 Minutes in theaters. It was terrible.

You’re on your way home, your head hung low in abject disappointment, when you pass by your local INSERT NAME OF YOUR FAVORITE VIDEO GAME RETAILER HERE. What’s that? New releases? You wander in to take a closer look, thinking that a new game might help cleanse your mental palate…

Whoa. Wait, didn’t Persona 3 come out in 2007? Sure, it was one of the best RPGs you ever played, introducing one of the most memorable casts of characters ever and a ridiculously sweet half-dungeon RPG/half-social sim gameplay mechanic that let you balance the everyday demands of a high school student with the every night demands of a world-saving, Persona-wielding badass.

And then there was FES. It took the original game, which was now known as “The Journey,” and added: a new Hard Mode selectable from the start, new Personas, a new Social Link with new Arcana, new classroom pop quizzes, a new Weapon Fusion system, over 50 new requests from Elizabeth, new nighttime events with Koromaru, and a few secrets as well.

But FES also offered “The Answer,” an entirely new chapter that dealt with the events after The Journey’s ending. In The Answer, players control Aigis as she works to solve the mystery of “time skips” that have trapped the S.E.E.S. members in the same repeating day. The Answer gives players who have completed the Journey a formidable challenge: conquer hundreds of new floors filled with enemies and bosses harder than anything in The Journey’s Hard Mode, and do it all without the benefit of The Journey’s Persona compendium.

Persona 3 is widely considered one of the finest JRPGs ever made. Persona 3 FES takes all of that even further. It has an 89 on Metacritic, getting perfect scores from sites like Destructoid.com, who raved: “Persona 3: FES manages to take one of last year’s best RPGs and make it even better, trumping the original with loads of gameplay and fantastic value.”

Anyways, we’re back in 2012 now. Please get out of my time machine. No, seriously, I’m tired of having to watch you out of the corner of my eye. Second of all, and perhaps more importantly, Persona 3 FES is available tomorrow as a PS2 classic via PSN.

Own a PS3? Always wanted to play Persona 3 FES and never got around to it. NOW YOU CAN!

Well, it’s been fun. I’m off to 1999. I go back to it a lot. I sit outside of big movie theaters and watch peoples’ reactions as they shuffle out of Phantom Menace. Schadenfreude is an addicting thing.

Until next time!!