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[Aki-at]

They've implied that there will be new PC announcements early 2017, so we will be able to determine if they continue down this route or shift to a more Japanese-centric strategy.

Oh yeah definitely, that'll be a test where Sega is focused long term in terms of Japanese support on PC.

I still feel their major Western aimed titles will come out on PC, which at this point will only be the Sonic franchise unless RGG Studio attempts another global IP, but with titles such as Yakuza and Valkyria Revolution they're handled by Sega America which has no PC development capabilities. Sega Europe will feel whatever resources it would take to port it to PC they would rather spend it on catering specifically to the PC market but hopefully this stance can be changed as they continue to see how well other Japanese titles do.

 

[ar4757]

miku 5.3 million woooooo〜

Much higher than I thought not that I ever thought about it before

 

[chaosblade]

Hopefully more PC stuff means more ports, but I'm kind of worried that Sonic Lost World hurt their faith in PC ports. I'd hope not, since it's a less than stellar Sonic game that nobody really asked for.

Also, looks like they are further reducing focus on packaged software/console games. A bit unfortunate.

Wtf at Aladdin?

 

[poodaddy]

yup, same here. still got 2 Business Edition copies pre-ordered on amazon for Y0, im still fighting the good fight

You can't see me but I'm fistbumping you through the interwebs right now. I'm fistbumping you harder than Kiryu punches a rich shit talker on the streets of Kamurocho shortly before he apologizes and gives him a random ass gold plate.

I'm saying that I'm fistbumping you.

 

[Karak]

I know fighting games aren't as big as they were years ago. But the fact I may never play another true Virtua Fighter kills me

 

[Nightbird]

I'm gonna do my part by trading in my WiiU+Vita for a PS4 so i can play P5 on it.

 

[MrCunningham]

What the hell is the ALADDIN series? It was originally released in 1989... and I have never heard of it... must be something that was Japanese exclusive.

 

[dracula_x]

What the hell is the ALADDIN series? It was originally released in 1989... and I have never heard of it... must be something that was Japanese exclusive.

 

[MrCunningham]

Ah, it was originally a Sammy made Pachislot game. It makes more sense now.

 

[Akainu]

Did i miss something Sega has the Megami franchise?

 

[wrowa]

Did i miss something Sega has the Megami franchise?

Sega bought Atlus a couple years ago.

 

[Pachael]

That's an interesting observation. Never thought about it.

The choice of peer group comparison that Sega Sammy has in the report really shows that (from a domestic point of view - much less overseas)

Just looking at the gaming parts,

Mobile wise their large competitors have a stranglehold on ROE, ROA, operating margin and income (which is probably why everyone wants this pie) - look at how much income big mobile guns like Gungho, Cyberagent (with Cygames), mixi and Colopl are making

In comparison to its former packaged software peers, Bandai Namco are doing really well across the board, with Square Enix not that far behind. (This is also not to mention the other large party pubs like EA, ActiBlizz, Ubi for instance)

The 'stagnating' mobile space in their words will be interesting as they are competing their new IP like World Chain and Soul Reverse Zero with existing large IP games which means new gimmicks or better graphics to stand out in the domestic (Japan) crowd, not to mention Nintendo and Sony (Aniplex, Forwardworks)rolling out their share of mobile/gacha games both there and worldwide.

 

[cj_iwakura]

Yes, but none of them are for the West.

But Why? They have to know PS still has a loyal fanbase here.

 

[Robert at Zeboyd Games]

I still don't know how or why they missed PSX.

Persona 5 had a huge presence at PSX - there was an entire wall of Persona 5 demos setup (right near the front entrance no less) and when I was talking to John Hardin, he said that even with the multiple demo stations, at its busiest, there was about 200 people in line for the demo. Also, I saw a ton of people with Persona 5 tote bags. If you were expecting to see it in the keynote, other than Horizon: Zero Dawn & Last Guardian (both of which are huge Sony-owned IPs), I don't think there was a single game in the keynote that wasn't either a new game announcement (most of them) or a major update/announcement for a game (the rest) and Persona 5 doesn't qualify in either of those categories.

The whole narrative that Atlus/Sega aren't marketing Persona 5 properly is ridiculous. At E3, Persona 5 was on the badges for crying out loud. Atlus is already releasing a constant stream of youtube videos of the game (gameplay footage, story stuff, and interviews) and the game isn't even coming out for several months. What exactly are you guys expecting - TV ads? You're not going to get those for any JRPG that isn't Pokemon, Final Fantasy, or Kingdom Hearts. And again, this is just the warmup period - the fiercest marketing is always scheduled for right around launch.

 

[GhostTrick]

Does this also include stuff like persona, yakuza etc or more focus on regular pc title like warhammer/football manager?

More regular PC title. Basically, they treat PC as their Western arm, hence acquiring western studios like Amplitude while console is their Eastern arm. Despite VC success but whatever

 

[vaporeon]

The choice of peer group comparison that Sega Sammy has in the report really shows that (from a domestic point of view - much less overseas)

God, that awful operating margin....
Their sales are high but so are their costs, jesus.
Hopefully Sega's new supposed cost structure plan gives then good results.

 

[Akainu]

Sega bought Atlus a couple years ago.

Yeesh. How did I miss that? Maybe i just forgot.

 

[FluxWaveZ]

Persona 5 had a huge presence at PSX - there was an entire wall of Persona 5 demos setup (right near the front entrance no less) and when I was talking to John Hardin, he said that even with the multiple demo stations, at its busiest, there was about 200 people in line for the demo. Also, I saw a ton of people with Persona 5 tote bags. If you were expecting to see it in the keynote, other than Horizon: Zero Dawn & Last Guardian (both of which are huge Sony-owned IPs), I don't think there was a single game in the keynote that wasn't either a new game announcement (most of them) or a major update/announcement for a game (the rest) and Persona 5 doesn't qualify in either of those categories.

What does this matter to people who don't actually go to those events, which is the vast majority of people who would end up actually buying the game?

"Missing PSX" is the wrong way to put it, but the live streams are how most of the audience will experience it. And most events. And you can say those reasons as to why Persona 5 wasn't at the keynote (just like literally every other Western conference in the past 2 years that wasn't PSX 2014), but then why wasn't it in the montage video? Hellblade was in the montage video. Persona 5 even skips montage videos at English conference events.

 

[The Mad Draklor]

Persona 5 had a huge presence at PSX - there was an entire wall of Persona 5 demos setup (right near the front entrance no less) and when I was talking to John Hardin, he said that even with the multiple demo stations, at its busiest, there was about 200 people in line for the demo. Also, I saw a ton of people with Persona 5 tote bags. If you were expecting to see it in the keynote, other than Horizon: Zero Dawn & Last Guardian (both of which are huge Sony-owned IPs), I don't think there was a single game in the keynote that wasn't either a new game announcement (most of them) or a major update/announcement for a game (the rest) and Persona 5 doesn't qualify in either of those categories.

The whole narrative that Atlus/Sega aren't marketing Persona 5 properly is ridiculous. At E3, Persona 5 was on the badges for crying out loud. Atlus is already releasing a constant stream of youtube videos of the game (gameplay footage, story stuff, and interviews) and the game isn't even coming out for several months. What exactly are you guys expecting - TV ads? You're not going to get those for any JRPG that isn't Pokemon, Final Fantasy, or Kingdom Hearts. And again, this is just the warmup period - the fiercest marketing is always scheduled for right around launch.

Well, that's great knowing that the reception of Persona 5 at E3 and PSX was big. However, the audience includes those who don't go to these major events. I'm not saying Sony should've dedicated 10 minutes of Persona 5 for its press conference, but even a short trailer would suffice so that it catches the attention of those who were watching the livestream online.

 

[Inuhanyou]

Persona 5 should be at Sony's conferences that are livestreamed all over the internet by a huge audience. Sega and Atlus should know better than to skip out on giving P5 maximum penetration

 

[Robert at Zeboyd Games]

What does this matter to people who don't actually go to those events, which is the vast majority of people who would end up actually buying the game?

Because those people who do attend the events end up writing articles & posting impressions about games for those who do not.

I'm sure Atlus would have loved time in the PSX 2016 keynote, but why should Sony give it to them over brand new game announcements or updates to AAA games like Resident Evil & Destiny? If you're hardcore enough to be watching the PSX 2016 keynote at home, you already know about Persona 5. There's obviously enough hype for the game among fans & gamers already - just look at how its rankings in the NeoGAF hype poll or the fact that Persona 5 has been a trending topic on Twitter in the US with pretty much every major update (major trailers, release date).

 

[kadotsu]

Persona 5 should be at Sony's conferences that are livestreamed all over the internet by a huge audience. Sega and Atlus should know better than to skip out on giving P5 maximum penetration

P5 will get a lot of penetration at C91.

 

[FluxWaveZ]

Because those people who do attend the events end up writing articles & posting impressions about games for those who do not.

I'm sure Atlus would have loved time in the PSX 2016 keynote, but why should Sony give it to them over brand new game announcements or updates to AAA games like Resident Evil & Destiny? If you're hardcore enough to be watching the PSX 2016 keynote at home, you already know about Persona 5. There's obviously enough hype for the game among fans & gamers already - just look at how its rankings in the NeoGAF hype poll or the fact that Persona 5 has been a trending topic on Twitter in the US with pretty much every major update (major trailers, release date).

But Persona 5 was playable at the event and we didn't get any impression pieces/articles on the demo there. We didn't get any footage, either.

The thing is that "appealing to the hardcore" can always be used to explain why Persona 5 doesn't get any mass media marketing (however, why does it then get a major push in Japan when the same excuse could be used?). But this is also why people question just how many sales it can get from the outset, because the hardcore isn't the only thing that can get a game selling tremendously.

 

[The Elite]

Can we get a Persona game with Sonic the Hedgehog characters? Please.

 

[Inuhanyou]

P5 will get a lot of penetration at C91.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYRQ7zw7iHk

 

[DaveTheSnake]

I'm really hyped about Persona 5. I hope it does well here in the United States and I hope that Atlus expands it more, like with Persona 3 to FES and Persona 4 to Golden.

 

[StereoVsn]

But Persona 5 was playable at the event and we didn't get any impression pieces/articles on the demo there. We didn't get any footage, either.

The thing is that "appealing to the hardcore" can always be used to explain why Persona 5 doesn't get any mass media marketing (however, why does it then get a major push in Japan when the same excuse could be used?). But this is also why people question just how many sales it can get from the outset, because the hardcore isn't the only thing that can get a game selling tremendously.

Yeap, where is that payoff from PSX or E3 or whatever? There is 0 outreach beyond Persona's core fan base and that's just short sighted. Where are the previews from IGN, Verge, Polygon (I know it sucks but it has big readership), hell, even Kotaku didn't have it.

We all know it's going to sell just find to it's existing audience so those 300-500K sales are guaranteed. However if they want to get beyond that and before it hits $20 price point there needs to be a bigger outreach to show people why they would want to play this weird Japanese game. Yeah, P4G sold well in the West, after some deep price cuts/sales on a game starved system. P5 is not coming in to that situation or landscape.

 

[Robert at Zeboyd Games]

But Persona 5 was playable at the event and we didn't get any impression pieces/articles on the demo there. We didn't get any footage, either.

Quick online search pulled up an IGN article on the game last week that mentioned the demo.

The thing is that "appealing to the hardcore" can always be used to explain why Persona 5 doesn't get any mass media marketing (however, why does it then get a major push in Japan when the same excuse could be used?). But this is also why people question just how many sales it can get from the outset, because the hardcore isn't the only thing that can get a game selling tremendously.

But so far, nobody has explained what exactly Atlus USA should be doing differently other than somehow convincing Sony that they should give them more free exposure than they already are (with frequent PS Blog entries & videos on the Playstation youtube channel). Why exactly should Sony have spent a minute or two on Persona 5 at PSX instead of spending that time on Ni no Kuni 2 (which is a sequel to a game that sold better AND isn't already out in Japan so there's more demand for news)?

And again, Persona 5 isn't out for 4 more months. It's not time for an all-out attack.

Where are the previews from IGN, Verge, Polygon (I know it sucks but it has big readership), hell, even Kotaku didn't have it.

Kotaku hates doing previews (as I've been informed each time I've tried to give Jason Schreier a preview build of Cosmic Star Heroine). But a quick search of Persona 5 + Site name revealed the following number of articles about Persona 5 on each of those website in the past month:
Kotaku - 2
Polygon - 2
IGN - 2
Verge - 1

That's just counting articles that were specifically about Persona 5, not articles that mention Persona 5, or non-article links/rehosts of videos.

 

[Inuhanyou]

I just feel like P5 has the potential to be on the cusp of a breakout for the franchise in a way that it hasn't seen before, and everyone should be firing on all fronts to make sure that potential is fully maximized.

 

[RPGCrazied]

Sounds good for Persona, hope they can keep it going as long as SE is doing for Final Fantasy.

 

[FluxWaveZ]

Quick online search pulled up an IGN article on the game last week that mentioned the demo.

There was no IGN article that gave actual impressions on the demo, which is what you suggested previously by saying the media would then produce write-ups from these events. Mentioning that there was one doesn't amount to much at all.

But so far, nobody has explained what exactly Atlus USA should be doing differently other than somehow convincing Sony that they should give them more free exposure than they already are (with frequent PS Blog entries & videos on the Playstation youtube channel). Why exactly should Sony have spent a minute or two on Persona 5 at PSX instead of spending that time on Ni no Kuni 2 (which is a sequel to a game that sold better AND isn't already out in Japan so there's more demand for news)?

And again, Persona 5 isn't out for 4 more months. It's not time for an all-out attack..

I don't know, I'm not a marketing guy. But what I do know is that looking at how P5 was promoted in Japan, and then looking at how it was promoted in the West is like night and day. As one who doesn't go to these events and where the focal point are these conferences, it's always a bit confusing as to why Persona 5—a supposedly significant Sony exclusive—is literally never present or mentioned, even when it comes to montage videos.

 

[Robert at Zeboyd Games]

As one who doesn't go to these events and where the focal point are these conferences, it's always a bit confusing as to why Persona 5—a supposedly significant Sony exclusive—is literally never present or mentioned, even when it comes to montage videos.

Generally how these things work is that the platform holder sends out a request for trailers or B-roll footage to developers & publishers, but in the end, it's the platform holders decision what ends up getting shown. Like for us, one year we send them some footage & our game was shown in a montage sequence on one of the secondary monitors at the event so nobody who was watching the event at home was able to see it (I only saw it because I was there and I was specifically searching; it was really easy to miss).

As to why Sony isn't showing Persona 5 at their major events, I assume it's a combination of the game's US release not being for a while and them thinking the game already has gotten plenty of publicity given what kind of game it is. Because it's a zero sum game; if they spend time on Persona 5, they have to take time away from something else.

 

[orthodoxy1095]

Persona 5 had a huge presence at PSX - there was an entire wall of Persona 5 demos setup (right near the front entrance no less) and when I was talking to John Hardin, he said that even with the multiple demo stations, at its busiest, there was about 200 people in line for the demo. Also, I saw a ton of people with Persona 5 tote bags. If you were expecting to see it in the keynote, other than Horizon: Zero Dawn & Last Guardian (both of which are huge Sony-owned IPs), I don't think there was a single game in the keynote that wasn't either a new game announcement (most of them) or a major update/announcement for a game (the rest) and Persona 5 doesn't qualify in either of those categories.

The whole narrative that Atlus/Sega aren't marketing Persona 5 properly is ridiculous. At E3, Persona 5 was on the badges for crying out loud. Atlus is already releasing a constant stream of youtube videos of the game (gameplay footage, story stuff, and interviews) and the game isn't even coming out for several months. What exactly are you guys expecting - TV ads? You're not going to get those for any JRPG that isn't Pokemon, Final Fantasy, or Kingdom Hearts. And again, this is just the warmup period - the fiercest marketing is always scheduled for right around launch.

Are you just qualifying new trailers as major updates? Because that seems silly, and even if you wanted to call those "major updates," the story trailer dropped like that afternoon or the next day. That was just as "new" as plenty of things in that keynote.

 

[Robert at Zeboyd Games]

Are you just qualifying new trailers as major updates? Because that seems, and even if you wanted to call those "major updates," the story trailer dropped like that afternoon or the next day. That was just as "new" as plenty of things in that keynote.

Other than Ni no Kuni 2 & Sony's own stuff, I can't think of any game that was in the PSX 2016 keynote that was just a new trailer without an announcement attached.

 

[XiaNaphryz]

There may also have been a decision made by Atlus to be in the keynote trailer stream to begin with, as they had just announced the delayed release date 2 weeks prior. Someone may have thought that showing something could just end up causing more of a backlash/negative response.

Given how far in advance these events are planned, and that Atlus likely knew there was a chance they were going to have a delay well before the public announcement of it, someone may have made the call not to be involved in the keynote long before the show to "play it safe."

 

[Dantis]

But Persona 5 was playable at the event and we didn't get any impression pieces/articles on the demo there. We didn't get any footage, either.

The thing is that "appealing to the hardcore" can always be used to explain why Persona 5 doesn't get any mass media marketing (however, why does it then get a major push in Japan when the same excuse could be used?). But this is also why people question just how many sales it can get from the outset, because the hardcore isn't the only thing that can get a game selling tremendously.

I mean, if Atlus had the demo kiosks set up, what more can they do? Outlets write news pieces that they think people will read. If nobody wrote impressions on Persona 5, surely the onus is on news outlets? And even that is debateable, as it's likely more that they felt other stuff was more worthy of their time and space on their site.

You posted a video a while back of Ian Hinck saying "Those people who have never heard of Persona 5 are going to carry on not having heard of Persona 5", and it's absolutely true.

And that incredibly vague story trailer wouldn't have sold anybody on P5. The people who that would appeal to are most likely already aware of it.

 

[Robert at Zeboyd Games]

That's a problem with such a long development time (and a gap between Japanese & English release) - sites become pickier and pickier about what qualifies as enough news to justify writing an article.

 

[FluxWaveZ]

I mean, if Atlus had the demo kiosks set up, what more can they do? Outlets write news pieces that they think people will read. If nobody wrote impressions on Persona 5, surely the onus is on news outlets? And even that is debateable, as it's likely more that they felt other stuff was more worthy of their time and space on their site.

You posted a video a while back of Ian Hinck saying "Those people who have never heard of Persona 5 are going to carry on not having heard of Persona 5", and it's absolutely true.

And that incredibly vague story trailer wouldn't have sold anybody on P5. The people who that would appeal to are most likely already aware of it.

Yeah, but none of that is what I was addressing. It was a response to Robert's statement saying that Persona 5's showings at the events themselves would beget reporting from media outlets. It didn't, in PSX 2016's case.

And no, I do not believe that statement is absolutely true at all. If it were, why do you think Atlus Japan went to the effort it did to advertise the game in a country where the console playerbase is shrinking and where consumers being targeted would, supposedly, mostly have heard about the game already? The whole essence of marketing is about reaching a wider audience, not preaching to a choir.

If Atlus USA had this philosophy, they wouldn't put in the time to market this game any longer because it wouldn't be worth it. That statement is nonsense.

 

[Dantis]

Probably because it's a thousand times easier to sell Persona 5 to a wider market in Japan?

In the west, a lot of the stuff in P5's adverts is considered dorky and lame. Maybe it is in Japan as well, but I doubt to the same extent.

 

[Robert at Zeboyd Games]

I just think it's ridiculous that people are trying to backseat Persona 5's US marketing of all things. Atlus USA is marketing the game - hence all the convention appearances, the email blasts, and the nigh-constant stream of videos. If they didn't think these forms of marketing were effective, they wouldn't spend all that time & money on them. And judging from the huge lines at the Persona 5 kiosks, they're seeing some success beyond just the hardcore Persona fans.

 

[Mediking]

Persona 5's advertising should actually be really easy. Take some notes from recent Fire Emblem. Cool anime scene then hype gameplay.

 

[Dr. Kitty Muffins]

I already preordered on PSN. I won't be waiting for any sales I can tell you that.

 

[Mediking]

I already preordered on PSN. I won't be waiting for any sales I can tell you that.

Wanna...wanna...wanna... give me your Joker theme and avatar??? I'll...uhhh... owe you.

 

[Meia]

I just think it's ridiculous that people are trying to backseat Persona 5's US marketing of all things. Atlus USA is marketing the game - hence all the convention appearances, the email blasts, and the nigh-constant stream of videos. If they didn't think these forms of marketing were effective, they wouldn't spend all that time & money on them. And judging from the huge lines at the Persona 5 kiosks, they're seeing some success beyond just the hardcore Persona fans.

It's been a long road of weird marketing decisions. They'll show it publically in regular places and have big events in Japan, and it can't even get in part of a sizzle real at a big gaming convention? Not exactly sure how that's something that can be defended, really.



The game is stylish as all hell, so I can't imagine it being a case where it wouldn't show well in a convention sense. Again, this is a situation where they had a new trailer as a pack in for a spin-off, but in the same month as E3 they couldn't show it on stage. It's these decisions that Persona fans on GAF have been following, and just scratching our heads about. It just kind of makes it seem like they have no idea what they're doing when it comes to marketing. Why exclusively market the series to people that are already invested in it; you HAVE those sales already.

 

[orthodoxy1095]

Other than Ni no Kuni 2 & Sony's own stuff, I can't think of any game that was in the PSX 2016 keynote that was just a new trailer without an announcement attached.

Ace Combat 7, Pyre and Nioh all come to mind.

To say nothing of games like What Remains of Edith Finch or NieR: Automata where their "significant announcement" was a release date or games like Hellblade which got time in the montage reel.

Probably because it's a thousand times easier to sell Persona 5 to a wider market in Japan?

In the west, a lot of the stuff in P5's adverts is considered dorky and lame. Maybe it is in Japan as well, but I doubt to the same extent.

Shocking news guys.

When you want to advertise games, you have to put in the legwork to localize your message.

To say nothing of the fact that there is likely a considerable and useful niche of people who love that kind of Persona "animu" stuff.

 

[Wilsongt]

Can we get some Shining games back on iOS, Sega? Please? I will throw a lot of money at you.

 

[LifeBrandRobot]

If you were expecting to see it in the keynote, other than Horizon: Zero Dawn & Last Guardian (both of which are huge Sony-owned IPs), I don't think there was a single game in the keynote that wasn't either a new game announcement (most of them) or a major update/announcement for a game (the rest) and Persona 5 doesn't qualify in either of those categories.

I feel like the only reason P5 wasn't in the Showcase was because Atlus didn't want to make a new trailer for the game. The trailer they released during PSX was just an old Japanese trailer with English dubbing.

 

[XiaNaphryz]

Can we get a Persona game with Sonic the Hedgehog characters? Please.

Miku's already done a crossover with Persona, so looking at the numbers in the chart what Sega has to do obviously is make a SMT/Persona X Sonic X Miku X Mario at the Olympics title.

 

[LifeBrandRobot]

Miku's already done a crossover with Persona, so looking at the numbers in the chart what Sega has to do obviously is make a SMT/Persona X Sonic X Miku X Mario at the Olympics title.

Can't wait for my downloadable Xenomorph Persona for P5.

 

[Dantis]

It's been a long road of weird marketing decisions. They'll show it publically in regular places and have big events in Japan, and it can't even get in part of a sizzle real at a big gaming convention? Not exactly sure how that's something that can be defended, really.



The game is stylish as all hell, so I can't imagine it being a case where it wouldn't show well in a convention sense. Again, this is a situation where they had a new trailer as a pack in for a spin-off, but in the same month as E3 they couldn't show it on stage. It's these decisions that Persona fans on GAF have been following, and just scratching our heads about. It just kind of makes it seem like they have no idea what they're doing when it comes to marketing. Why exclusively market the series to people that are already invested in it; you HAVE those sales already.

I think you're mistaken about how easy it is. FFXV sold really well, and in the west I think that its groundedness really helped it.

P5 on the other hand screams "look how crazy and anime we are!" and it makes for a tougher sell. The thief outfits alone will alienate a lot of westerners right off the bat.