Industry News: Deep Silver to publish Persona 5 & future Atlus/SEGA titles for Europe

A news bombshell just dropped for the future of Atlus and SEGA Japanese games in Europe.

For a while, many European owners have questioned what is going on regarding the future of Japanese games published by both SEGA and Atlus ever since NIS America announced they would no longer handle the Atlus titles at the end of April 2016. This result affected not only the titles NIS have owned for many years now (like Dragon’s Crown, which recently got delisted from PSN but will be reinstated by Atlus themselves in the future) but also future releases such as the highly anticipated Persona 5 game.

Today, all fears have been relieved as both Atlus and SEGA have announced they have partnered with Deep Silver to publish all upcoming titles from now on.

This will not only include Persona 5 but also Atlus’ Shin Megami Tensei IV Apocalypse and SEGA’s 7th Dragon III Code: VFD plus much more unannounced. Deep Silver is known for publishing Western IPs like Dead Island and Saints Row IV but they also released Catherine (another Atlus title), Killer Is Dead (Suda51’s latest game) plus the upcoming The King of Fighters XIV (SNK title also published by Atlus in North America). All three Japanese games received physical releases as well as digital.

The three Japanese games that Deep Silver have/are publishing for Europe

One of the main reasons that this publisher has been chosen was to separate the Japanese games from SEGA Europe’s catalogue (due to their main focus on Western IPs) but also offer both digital and physical releases for the fans. It has been confirmed that Yakuza 0 will still be published by SEGA Europe themselves while Hatsune Miku: Project Diva X is suggested to be with them also given it has been rated by the PEGI ratings board.

No dates have been revealed as of yet but more details and information will follow. Both 7th Dragon III Code: VFD and Shin Megami Tensei IV Apocalypse are due for release this year while Persona 5 is due for February 2017 over in North America. Let’s hope that Europe will be able to get their copies as soon as possible!

Persona 5 - PlayStation 3 | PlayStation 4 - Atlus

Persona 5 marks the return of the award-winning franchise on home consoles since the PS2 generation, and is the first numbered Persona game in over eight years! With fast-paced Japanese role-playing game mechanics, exciting action sequences, vibrantly stylized characters, enemies, and environments, and elegant anime-style cut-scenes, Persona 5 is unlike any of its predecessors! Persona 5 is a game about the internal and external conflicts of a group of troubled high school students – the protagonist and a collection of compatriots he meets in the game’s story – who live dual lives as Phantom Thieves. They have the typically ordinary day-to-day of a Tokyo high schooler – attending class, after school activities and part-time jobs. But they also undertake fantastical adventures by using otherworldly powers to enter the hearts of people. Their power comes from the Persona, the Jungian concept of the “self;” the game’s heroes realize that society forces people to wear masks to protect their inner vulnerabilities, and by literally ripping off their protective mask and confronting their inner selves do the heroes awaken their inner power, and use it to strive to help those in need. Ultimately, the group of Phantom Thieves seeks to change their day-to-day world to match their perception and see through the masks modern-day society wears.

Plot source: VideoGamesPlus

Shin Megami Tensei IV Apocalypse - Nintendo 3DS - Atlus

The story of Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse is one of human pawns being shuffled across a chessboard by the higher deities. One lone Hunter, the game's protagonist, meets an early demise and through a pact with a lesser god, is brought back to life in exchange for his pledge of servitude. From there, the protagonist allies with other Hunters in the ruins of post-apocalyptic Tokyo beginning a plot that crosses over with the events of the original Shin Megami Tensei IV.

Plot source: Atlus USA

7th Dragon III Code: VFD - Nintendo 3DS - SEGA

The long-awaited RPG series finally makes its way out of Japan with 7th Dragon III Code: VFD! In the year 2100, dragons have descended upon earth and humanity is at the mercy of these terrifying beasts. However, not all is lost. As the protagonist, the player will team up with Nodens Enterprises-a video game company dedicated to stopping the dragon menace-to become a dragon hunter and eventual savior of the universe. Although times are bleak, Nodens Enterprises has found a way to tip the scales in favor of mankind: By traveling through time to three different eras, the protagonist can upset the balance of the dragons' power. This will give them the edge to defeat the True Dragons, and stand a chance against the most powerful one of them all... the 7th Dragon: VFD.

Plot source: Amazon US