games  anime  |  toys
Destructoid is gaming news, community, videos, and sometimes love. Take the tour or jump in with Facebook:

 


Persona 4 dated in the US! Yes! photo

I'm here covering the Shin Megami Tensei panel at Anime Expo here in Los Angeles (more coverage on that later), but I wanted to drop in now and say that Persona 4 does have a US launch date now. I'm so happy!

After hearing the full history of the Shin Megami Tensei games (awesome, by the way), Atlus surprises us with the screen you're seeing above. Just in time for the holidays, P4 will hit shelves on December 9th, 2008. This will also include a bonus soundtrack CD!

I know some of you haven't finished Persona 3: FES yet, so you better hurry!

Are you ready for P4 yet?


Continue: More Role Playing Games stories





prev next 50 comments

51 comments | showing # 1 to 50

Projectexodus's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/05/2008 21:29
Projectexodus
What type of game is Persona anyway? I've heard so much fuss about these games, but I really dont know...
Josh Tolentino's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/05/2008 21:30
Josh Tolentino
YES YES YES ATLUS IS RANK 10 IN MY SOCIAL LINK.
Novakaine's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/05/2008 21:31
Novakaine
Aw shit, that means I have only a few months to finish P3... goddamn that game is long.

@ Projectexodus: RPG, aimed squarely at the heads of weeaboos. It can get really repetitive at times, but P3 has an amazingly mature story and cast of characters. Not mature as what the gaming industry thinks is mature (gratuitous sex, profanity, and violence), but actual maturity that makes you feel at home with those aforementioned subjects. Probably the most mature game I've played.
Krahsh's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/05/2008 21:31
Krahsh
I was completely new to the Persona series but after hearing others go on and on about it I picked up the fes edition and have to say I've throughly enjoyed it.

Reserving this is a nobrainer, can't wait.
Joseph Leray's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/05/2008 21:32
Joseph Leray
Oh fuck, that means I have to finish my second playthrough of FES stat.
madninja's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/05/2008 21:32
madninja
Darn it! I didn't know that this panel was today. I should have gone but the Mega64 panel was awesome.
Spartacus's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/05/2008 21:36
Spartacus
I should probably pick up P3 sometime soon, then.
Josh Tolentino's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/05/2008 21:48
Josh Tolentino
@ Projectexodus

>>What type of game is Persona anyway? I've heard so much fuss about these games, but I really dont know...

The Persona games are spinoffs from the core Shin Megami Tensei franchise. The series itself is distinguished by a closer emphasis on the school-life setting so popular in most anime TV shows. Gameplay-wise, the battle system features Persona, which are basically summoned creatures who perform attacks, each with weaknesses and strength. Personae can be switched out, leveled up and fused together to make new ones.

The first two PS1 games were fairly bog-standard jRPGs.

Persona 3 introduced Social Links, which are basically scores representing your relationships to the game's cast and ancillary different characters, each relationship corresponding to a persona's arcana grouping.

Building ranks by spending time with the characters produced stronger personae during fusion, and netted special story events that were like an anime series' various plot arcs.

With P3 the series evolved from a standard cutscene-to-cutscene ride common in the jRPG to a time-management game with an attached dungeon-crawler. Good call on that for ATLUS.
Tet's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/05/2008 21:48
Tet
Another game to throw into my list of must haves.
PikkonX's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/05/2008 21:49
PikkonX
This is the best news I've heard in a while. Gotta have another run through FES soon.
coffeesash's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/05/2008 21:54
coffeesash
12.09.08 in the UK is 12th of September 08 and I thought yay! That's not tooooo bad. But it's 9th of December -_- oy
That's quite a long way away. I'll have to import it of course, I bet 3 FES doesn't even come out in the UK til 2009
Kinsella's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/05/2008 21:56
Kinsella
Playing thru FES now, just killed floor 135 boss, that miserable sleeping table! Great game, love the characters, the voices seem like perfect matches for their personalites.
Jonathan Holmes's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/05/2008 22:02
Jonathan Holmes
I really wanted to like P3, and I did...for the first hour. Then tedium set in big time.

I'll buy P4 just in hopes that it grabs me, and to financially support Atlus. They've brought so many amazing games to the States that never would have benn localized by anyone else.

For Rule of Rose alone, I am indebted to them for life.
lawlflip's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/05/2008 22:05
lawlflip
MSRP?
MrSadistic's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/05/2008 22:12
MrSadistic
Sweet. I just hope P4 will make up for my distaste of the ending(s) of P3 (and FES), which totally killed any great praise I had for the games.
Junpei's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/05/2008 22:35
Junpei
BABYBABYBABYBABYBABYBABYBABYBABYBABYBABYBABYBABY OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
ZenGaijin's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/05/2008 22:39
ZenGaijin
I just beat Persona 3 last week I still got the Answer to go through but after beating 3 I'm right there day one for 4.
Chocobo Knight's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/05/2008 23:05
Chocobo Knight
YES! YES! YES! WOOOOHOOOO!
13thDragon's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/05/2008 23:10
13thDragon
Goddamn I haven't even started Persona 3 yet. Oh well I'll still grab a copy of 4 though. I'll play them eventually.
Novakaine's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/05/2008 23:20
Novakaine
An unrealistic wish of mine to see with the Social Link system is maybe an unlockable party member system. When I first played through P3, I for some reason had a hunch if you maxed out a person's SL maybe your Potential would rub off onto them, and thus I thought maybe later in the game you'd have Yuko and Mamoru as party members.

I don't know why I thought that, and I know it'd be a huge pain in the ass and bit of work for Atlus to even come close to pulling off, but that's one of my dreams for a future Persona game.
Faceless's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/05/2008 23:22
Faceless
You know what Atlus needs to pack in with Persona 4? A machine that stops time, because that's the only way I'll be able to finish that damn game.
nilcam's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/05/2008 23:27
nilcam
Good call, faceless. These games are too damned long.
F Whipple's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/05/2008 23:32
F Whipple
aghghghgh....i have to get some way to play ps2 games
Gen Eric Gui's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/05/2008 23:38
Gen Eric Gui
If I can work it, I will be buying this pre-day one. SO EXCITED.
Qraze's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/05/2008 23:52
Qraze
i was playing the original shim megami on the snes and wasn't to exited over it but P4 is gonna be the shit.
Kia's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/06/2008 00:02
Kia
I believe this calls for a

FUCK YEAH, ATLUS!
thinkfreemind's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/06/2008 00:18
thinkfreemind
Hooray! I can't believe it's coming so soon.
Brian Keljore's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/06/2008 00:25
Brian Keljore
Damn... that's fast. I can't wait.
thinkfreemind's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/06/2008 00:34
thinkfreemind
To anybody who went. What was the special gift?
frozenbabylon's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/06/2008 02:13
frozenbabylon
Meh. I hated the P3 and haven't ever liked a damn SMT game, So I'm not going to waste my time this time.
nintendoll's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/06/2008 03:08
nintendoll
Want. I <3 MegaTen games.
Doomtrain's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/06/2008 03:08
Doomtrain
What I played: Persona 3
What I expected: A decent RPG
What I got: A 999 hour long episode of Degrassi
Sir Unimaginative's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/06/2008 04:07
Sir Unimaginative
Joining the crowd that still needs to finish up P3.

Seriously, people need to stop making so many good games, so maybe we can finish what we have. We are only human.
Im OK's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/06/2008 04:49
Im OK
I'm currently about halfway through September in FES right now (which is further than I made it in vanilla P3, back in the day).
Tristero's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/06/2008 05:39
Tristero
So wait a minute ... you're here in Los Angeles and you didn't even holla? For shame.
Anus Mcphanus's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/06/2008 07:19
Anus Mcphanus
So no Euro release date? :-( or should we just change the 08 to 09 like usual?
AKK's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/06/2008 07:29
AKK
That's a day before my birthday. Conveniently, that's a day before my 17th birthday, so this will be the first M game I get by myself and not through someone else.

Fuck yeah.

Still have to beat FES though. I have three or four more Ordeals to get through.
deiga-the-semivaliant's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/06/2008 10:20
deiga-the-semivaliant
Arrgh, I'm stuck right now in Persona 3. I can't get past the boss on floor 110 because of it's cheap charm bullshit.

Maybe I'll give it another stab later, but I got kinda burnt out. P4 looks awesome, however, and I will most definately give Atlus my monies.
Josh Tolentino's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/06/2008 10:49
Josh Tolentino
Looking at the trailers, I see complaints that Persona summons no longer involve head-shooting, but I'm thinking that's ok. Smacking a burning card may not be as "edgy", but it allows for more creative animations.

Characters drop-kick the cards, pull them out over fans, hit them with a chair, crush them in their hands, and so forth. At least they're not drawing them over some ridiculous card-holding device and laying them on a deck*coughYuGiOhhack*.

Another key device seems to be a pair of glasses, which is cute since it provides additional visual twists to the characters. Daytime = no glasses, Nighttime = glasses. It's more interesting than the addition of a SEES armband to the school uniform, at least.

Weather looks like it plays a part in the proceedings, and there are group victory animations. So the game still oozes style like blood from a horror-house wall and drives a neon-colored stake into the grays and browns of "next-gen" gaming. Works for me!
The-Excel's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/06/2008 10:54
The-Excel
Five months isn't enough time for me to finish The Answer. They're doing this on purpose.
Josh Tolentino's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/06/2008 10:58
Josh Tolentino
Oh yay! Party control! No more spamming useless charm spells!
Slick Icarus's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/06/2008 11:03
Slick Icarus
I'm getting P3 with my b-day money as soon as I get it... That and P4 should hold me over 'till next year when I graduate and get a decent PC.
JonDarkwood's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/06/2008 11:46
JonDarkwood
I think it was Colette who sold me on Persona 3 FES. I bought it last week but i'm on vacation so I can't wait to get home and play it.
JonDarkwood's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/06/2008 11:46
JonDarkwood
I think it was Colette who sold me on Persona 3 FES. I bought it last week but i'm on vacation so I can't wait to get home and play it.
Batthink's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/06/2008 12:08
Batthink
@ coffeesash;

Indeed, great news, but us people in Europe would be waiting until June for this. By that time, the Americans will have the special edition. ¬_¬
coffeesash's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/06/2008 15:08
coffeesash
I think America will have Persona 4 FES by the time we get Persona 3 FES.
LadyLucifer's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/06/2008 17:17
LadyLucifer
Mmmm I've had Persona 3 FES since last September, played it and I love it, it's brilliant.

All I can say about P4 FES is "want."

^.^
Lucca's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/06/2008 17:40
Lucca
Damn regional encoding.

I'll play it anyway, though. ;)
Cletus the Fetus's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/06/2008 18:35
Cletus the Fetus
I love you Atlus. Have my babies!
gomeja's Avatar - Comment posted on 07/06/2008 21:07
gomeja
All I can say is: "YEAAAAAHHHHHH"

prev next 50 comments

Comment with Facebook





Click connect and comment instantly!

Comment with Dtoid





New? SIGN UP - it takes 5 seconds

Comments policy

Destructoid is an open discussion community. You don't need to "audition" to post a comment - just speak your mind. We respect differing opinions on the site, so have at it. Be smart, funny, insightful, clueless, or cute -- but back it up with substance. Keep your cool, keep it fun. We only ask that you act respectfully and above all: don't be a troll and ruin it for everyone else. Don't bring down gamers or we'll, you know, gently shoot you in the face and stuff you into a flaming mailbox. Each comment is your opportuntity to make this community awesomer. Is that even a word?

Avoiding the banhammer only requires common sense: spamming, trolling, racism, NSFW stuff, and other forms of sucking will not be tolerated. If anyone is griefing please report abuse. Be good. Don't suck!

 
New on Destructoid.TV play all videos

Loading
Loading Destructoid Videos



    Dtoid Twitter    Got news?   tips@destructoid.com

    Reviews & Previews
    Fighting Fantasy: The Warlock of Firetop Mountain review
    Madden NFL Arcade review
    Final Fantasy CC: The Crystal Bearers review
    iPhone Review Round-up: December review
    Gratuitous Space Battles review
    more reviews
    Shiren the Wanderer
    Being more than modern with Battlefield Bad Company 2
    Entering Mad Moxxi's Underdome Riot, Borderlands' DLC #2
    Sharing the shadows Splinter Cell Conviction
    Mass Effect 2
    more previews


    - The Dtoid Army is 53312 strong -

    Showing Cblogs with 3+ faps   show all

    Call for entries: Monthly Musing: Love/Hate

    New to Dtoid? Read the survival guide




     Originals
    Ashley Davis: The gamer's 12 days of Christmas





















    More Destructoid Originals




     Popular now more






















    Team Destructoid   tips@destructoid.com
    Nick Chester
    Editor-in-Chief
    Niero
    Founder, publisher
    Jim Sterling
    Reviews Editor
    Hamza Aziz
    Community Manager
    Dale North
    News Editor
    Rey Gutierrez
    Video editor & director
    Anthony Burch
    Features Editor
    Colette Bennett
    Tom Fronczak Brad Nicholson
    Ashley Davis Ben Perlee
    Conrad
    Zimmerman
    Chad Concelmo
    Jonathan Holmes Jonathan Ross
    Brad Rice Jordan Devore
    Will Maddock Matthew Razak
    Dyson Joseph Leray
    Topher Cantler Samit Sarkar
         
      Dexter
    Adam Dork
    Daniel Lingen
    Hollie Bennett
    Joe Burling
    Mikey
    Stella Wong

    Josh Tolentino




     

     
      get involved

    register or login
    post a blog
    post a forum
    enter a contest
    contribute a news tip
    suggest a feature
    be a guest editor
    support

    new member's guide
    login assistance
    tech support
    report abuse
    email our editors
    read our dev blog
    nuclear crisis?
    keep in touch

    RSS feed
    Twitter
    Facebook
    Myspace
    Flickr
    Game nights
    Meetup+play online
    seriously

    about Destructoid
    advertising
    terms of use
    privacy policy
    jobs at MM
    buy our crap
    our network

    Tomopop
    Japanator
    Despingation?




    Destructoid is an independently-run publication forged by our love of video games and the gaming community's need of accountable enthusiast press
    living the dream since March 16, 2006