The Unstoppable Rise of Persona: Igniting the Ultimate Shin Megami Tensei Revival
The massive popularity of Persona 5 presents an ideal chance for Shin Megami Tensei to reclaim its former glory, potentially revitalizing the franchise and attracting a broader audience Simplifying the game names could further enhance its appeal
Shin Megami Tensei launched Atlus into the JRPG spotlight, but it was the spin-off Persona that gained more attention, especially in the West. However, the tides may be turning soon.
With the success of Persona 5, the franchise has reached new heights in terms of sales and popularity. This has resulted in a wave of new titles, including modern ports of Persona 3 and 4, Persona 3 Reload, and the highly anticipated Persona 6. Recent years have made it abundantly clear that there is a global market for these types of games, providing Atlus with an excellent opportunity to revive Shin Megami Tensei.
A Shin Megami Tensei Resurgence
Shin Megami Tensei 4 is widely regarded as one of the standout titles in the series, as well as one of the top games on the Nintendo 3DS. While it achieved strong sales of over 600k copies, the numbers pale in comparison to the one million copies sold of its successor, SMT 5, on the Nintendo Switch, and the massive success of Persona 5 with 9 million copies sold across different platforms. The market potential for these games has evolved significantly since the early 2010s, potentially paving the way for renewed success as new fans explore the Atlus classics.
Atlus is not oblivious to this changing landscape. In 2020, they released an HD remaster of Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne for modern systems, and there have been recent ports of Persona 3 and Persona 4, expanding accessibility to the mainline entries for all players. However, there remains a barrier impeding the potential of a modern remaster for Shin Megami Tensei 4, which is the same barrier affecting almost all DS and 3DS games.
The concept of transferring numerous games from Nintendo's recent handhelds to a dual-screen design presents a significant challenge. In certain cases, adapting a game from a dual-screen format to a single-screen platform may even seem insurmountable. Nevertheless, we have witnessed successful transitions in the past, such as DS games like The World Ends With You. When it comes to Shin Megami Tensei 4, it should be a relatively straightforward task to port it to modern systems since it does not heavily rely on the second screen. A highly desirable option would be a bundle that includes both Shin Megami Tensei 4 and its more controversial sequel, Shin Megami Tensei 4: Apocalypse. Furthermore, there are numerous other Atlus titles from various eras that have the potential to be revitalized for contemporary audiences.
Maybe Streamline The Names
One potential challenge for Atlus in making its extensive series of Persona-related games more accessible to a wider audience lies in their naming conventions. If we're being honest, the system used to name these games is a total disaster. Just taking a glance at the Wikipedia page that lists all the various Megami Tensei titles, with their numerous spin-offs like Soul Hackers, Last Bible, Devil Summoner, and many more, it's almost as baffling as trying to make sense of the intricate storyline in Kingdom Hearts.
The complexity of these games poses a significant obstacle for Atlus in reaching a wider audience. The average player is reluctant to purchase a guidebook simply to comprehend why games with similar mechanics and foundations have distinct titles. However, if Atlus can resolve this issue, a multitude of incredible JRPGs awaits a new generation of enthusiastic gamers. Don't miss out on Shin Megami Tensei 5, available now on Nintendo Switch.
