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[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

Sega has published the company’s quarterly investor Q&A for the Q2 financial results for the fiscal year ending in March 2024 (which is July, August and September 2023). The respondents were Sega Sammy’s Haruki Atami (Representative Director, President and Group CEO) and Koichi Fukasawa (Director, Senior Managing Executive Officer, Group CFO)

The Q&A includes an answer about the future sales potential of the Persona series.

Q: Is there a chance that, with its overseas popularity, the Persona series could sell 5 million copies in its first year?
A: By increasing the number of platforms it is available on and the regions it is released in, we have been increasing the sales of Persona 5. We believe that it would be possible for a major Persona title, such as a numbered release, to sell 5 million copies in its first year by releasing it on multiple platforms and simultaneously worldwide from day one.

We also have high expectations for the new IP Metaphor: ReFantazio from the developers of Persona 5.

In their FY Ending March 2024 Q1 Q&A session, Sega stated that the Persona series was one that they had high expectations for, with the likely expectation that Persona 3 Reload would sell over 1 million copies.

As per last reported numbers, no individual Persona release has yet to sell over 5 million. Between the original release and the remastered port, Persona 5 Royal will have sold at least 4 million copies as of the last reported figures in April 2023, with the Persona 5 series having sold over 9 million copies sold worldwide.

— Sega Investor Relations

Sega Targets 5 Million Sales in Debut Year for Next Numbered Persona Title - Persona Central

Sega believes a major Persona title could sell over 5 million copies in it's first year, by continuing multiplatform and worldwide releases.

personacentral.com

 

[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

We believe that it would be possible for a major Persona title, such as a numbered release, to sell 5 million copies in its first year by releasing it on multiple platforms and simultaneously worldwide from day one.

No platform exclusivity and day 1 release WW. Good stuff there SEGA/Atlus!

 

[owandeseis]

The saga's been getting more and more popular last years on every platform now, if they maintain the quality and go for a multiplatform release, yea, it's easily dethroning Final Fantasy as the best selling JRPG's nowadays, not counting Pokemon ofc

 

[Woopah]

There's a lot of potential for these sorts of games on PC, so glad it will come to that platform day 1.

 

[StereoVsn]

Yeah and by 2030 or whatnot when it releases market will be even bigger .

P5 released 7 years ago and P5R 4 years ago. And we probably won’t see P6 realistically not until 2026. Meh.

 

[gokurho]

Welcome to GamePass

 

[Mibu no ookami]

Would love to see Persona's splits on PC and Xbox.

I've never seen these games chart well on either, but they were released well after the fact.

I just hope the game isn't cross-gen.

 

[64bitmodels]

Opening the series up to Nintendo, PC and Xbox has done the IP wonders in terms of popularity. but it'd be better if we could get a Persona game that's actually new and not like years old.

 

[zapper]

I just hope the game isn't cross-gen.

it will be 110%, including switch

 

[BennyBlanco]

Would love to see Persona's splits on PC and Xbox.

I've never seen these games chart well on either, but they were released well after the fact.

I just hope the game isn't cross-gen.

 

[Mibu no ookami]

Thanks, though I mostly meant Persona 5.

This is where I think Steam units can be so misleading.

Persona 4 launched for 20 dollars on Steam in 2020 and has been as cheap as 12.99, so selling "1 million units" isn't the success I think that moniker generally would suggest, but as I said they took a game from 2008 and generated significant revenue for it, but would be interested to see if those million players would buy Persona 5, which has been on Steam for over a year now, but they want 60 for it.

 

[Labadal]

5 mil is a big ask.

 

[Mibu no ookami]

5 mil is a big ask.

If it launches day 1 on PS5, Switch, XBS, and PC... 5 million really isn't that much... In fact, that's a drop in the hat.

 

[YukiOnna]

Thanks, though I mostly meant Persona 5.

This is where I think Steam units can be so misleading.

Persona 4 launched for 20 dollars on Steam in 2020 and has been as cheap as 12.99, so selling "1 million units" isn't the success I think that moniker generally would suggest, but as I said they took a game from 2008 and generated significant revenue for it, but would be interested to see if those million players would buy Persona 5, which has been on Steam for over a year now, but they want 60 for it.

Nothing misleading, if SEGA and Atlus considered it a success, which they did, it's all that matters. It was the big catalyst for their PC/Multiplatform initiative with P4G's Steam launch. Royal's Remastered ver also almost at 2M.

Sega to Release More in Back Catalog of Atlus Games as Remasters and Remakes Thanks to Persona 4 Golden Steam Success - Persona Central

Sega has expressed their desire to release more titles in the back catalog of Atlus games because of the success of Persona 4 Golden on Steam.

personacentral.com

 

[Mibu no ookami]

Nothing misleading, if SEGA and Atlus considered it a success, which they did, it's all that matters. It was the big catalyst for their PC/Multiplatform initiative with P4G's Steam launch. Royal's Remastered ver also almost at 2M.

Sega to Release More in Back Catalog of Atlus Games as Remasters and Remakes Thanks to Persona 4 Golden Steam Success - Persona Central

Sega has expressed their desire to release more titles in the back catalog of Atlus games because of the success of Persona 4 Golden on Steam.

personacentral.com

I'm not sure I'd say it means it was a success. We'll see how this plays out long term. It could simply mean that they want to fully explore this.

It's like saying Sony putting Sackboy Adventure on PC and putting additional games on PC means that Sackboy was a success and is the reason for the continued PC support.

 

[BennyBlanco]

I'm not sure I'd say it means it was a success. We'll see how this plays out long term. It could simply mean that they want to fully explore this.

It's like saying Sony putting Sackboy Adventure on PC and putting additional games on PC means that Sackboy was a success and is the reason for the continued PC support.

In that very article the sega CEO said it far exceeded their expectations and was a catalyst for more PC ports. So nothing like Sackboy.

 

[Solidus_T]

5 mil is a big ask.

Persona 5 sold 9 million on PS4 alone, and then millions more when it was ported. It will be easy.

 

[Tiago Rodrigues]

5 mil is a big ask.

If it releases on PS4, 5, Switch 1 and 2, Xbox and PC? It's not...it's actually little.

 

[blacktout]

it will be 110%, including switch

Doubt it's going to the OG Switch, since even the Persona 3 remake seems to be skipping it, but I think it's pretty much a lock for Switch 2.

 

[Draugoth]

Cant wait for Persona 5 Remake on Unreal Engine 5

 

[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

Cant wait for Persona 5 Remake on Unreal Engine 5

 

[adamsapple]

Cant wait for Persona 5 Remake on Unreal Engine 5

Fantazio
Persona 6

then probably the next remake. Persona 5 already has like a bajillion spin offs, I don't think it even needs a remake.

Persona 5 sold 9 million on PS4 alone, and then millions more when it was ported. It will be easy.

The 9 million is for Persona 5 "Series" including all of its spin-offs, and that figure also came out after the game got released on other platforms.

 

[Draugoth]

Fantazio
Persona 6

then probably the next remake. Persona 5 already has like a bajillion spin offs, I don't think it even needs a remake.





The 9 million is for Persona 5 "Series" including all of its spin-offs, and that figure also came out after the game got released on other platforms.

You dont think it needa Remake, but Sega does

 

[ProtoByte]

Persona 5 sold 9 million on PS4 alone, and then millions more when it was ported. It will be easy.

As adamsapple pointed out, it did not. On top of that, consider that a good chunk of Persona 5 proper sales were (very likely) double dips on Royal.

 

[CrimsonSquall]

Xbox has blown it’s load all over Atlus. Marketing went crazy for gamepass on the Persona Series (P3R, P4G, P5R, P5T all GP).

I would be genuinely shocked if Persona 6 was a PS console exclusive at this point. That’d be a maaaaajor L for M$FT

 

[Ozriel]

If it releases on PS4, 5, Switch 1 and 2, Xbox and PC? It's not...it's actually little.

If it launches day 1 on PS5, Switch, XBS, and PC... 5 million really isn't that much... In fact, that's a drop in the hat.

5 million in the first year is actually really good. Not sure what you guys are on about.
Persona 5 sold 3.2 million in around 2 years on both the PS3 and PS4 and was hailed as a breakthrough success for Atlus.

 

[Mibu no ookami]

5 million in the first year is actually really good. Not sure what you guys are on about.
Persona 5 sold 3.2 million in around 2 years on both the PS3 and PS4 and was hailed as a breakthrough success for Atlus.

I hate how difficult it is to have conversations with people who don't read and don't know what they're talking about.

• What did I say, I said if it launched on 4 platforms and your response is let's take a look at a game that launched on the PS3 that undersold especially in Japan and PS4 that had a small userbase? It launched well after people were even buying games on PS3 anymore.
  • The game didn't even launch internationally for 6 months after the initial release
• And as you said, it's a game that broke through, it has a significantly larger and sizable fanbase now.
  • That's like comparing sales of GTA2 and GTA Vice City after GTA3.
• Simply launching on PC day 1 would open it up to more users than it ever has before, but the PS5 and Switch have sizable userbases now.

 

[Neilg]

Every persona game has had a much better version released later that couldn't be added as dlc and forced you to play from the top again.
Did they not lose a little loyalty on 5's royal version with fans ?
Personally I'll be waiting. I got enough in the backlog.

 

[March Climber]

The title of ‘Persona’ being way more popular worldwide over the title of ‘Shin Megami Tensei’ is exactly why I stand by my point that the next Elder Scrolls game should simply be called “Skyrim 2” and it doesn’t matter if it doesn’t make sense.

Short and easy name recognition for bigger audiences and more sales. Persona 6 will reach 5 million quickly.

 

[MaxwellParrish]

Persona 5 sold 9 million on PS4 alone, and then millions more when it was ported. It will be easy.

But it hasn't? Persona 5 SERiES ( meaning P5, Royal, Strikers and Dancing in Starlight or whatever was the name) sold 9 millions copies, in 4
6 years, between Ps3,4,5, Switch, Steam and XBox. Persona 5 has sold 3.2 millions copies in two yearsbetween Ps3 and Ps4

 

[Ozriel]

I hate how difficult it is to have conversations with people who don't read and don't know what they're talking about.

• What did I say, I said if it launched on 4 platforms and your response is let's take a look at a game that launched on the PS3 that undersold especially in Japan and PS4 that had a small userbase? It launched well after people were even buying games on PS3 anymore.
  • The game didn't even launch internationally for 6 months after the initial release
• And as you said, it's a game that broke through, it has a significantly larger and sizable fanbase now.
  • That's like comparing sales of GTA2 and GTA Vice City after GTA3.
• Simply launching on PC day 1 would open it up to more users than it ever has before, but the PS5 and Switch have sizable userbases now.

Already used to you not being on point when it comes to numbers.

PS4, small userbase? Nearly 30% of launch sales were on the PS3. And whether or not it launched 6 months later in the west is immaterial since the 3+ million sales figure I provided is over 3 years.

FFXV sold 10 million in 6 years across multiple platforms…a highly anticipated entry in a much bigger franchise with a much bigger budget. Yet Persona selling 5 million in a single year is supposed to be a poor showing.

 

[Mibu no ookami]

Already used to you not being on point when it comes to numbers.

PS4, small userbase? Nearly 30% of launch sales were on the PS3. And whether or not it launched 6 months later in the west is immaterial since the 3+ million sales figure I provided is over 3 years.

FFXV sold 10 million in 6 years across multiple platforms…a highly anticipated entry in a much bigger franchise with a much bigger budget. Yet Persona selling 5 million in a single year is supposed to be a poor showing.

• Yes, the PS4 userbase in Japan was pretty small in 2016.
• 30% isn't a great number when you consider the size of the PS3 userbase.
• It not launching in the West for 6 months doesn't matter to your 3 year time frame, it matters to the 12 month time frame of selling 5 million units. My point that you're missing again is that this game has far more advantage than P5 to sell much quicker.
• FF15 sold 5 million units in checks notes... 1 day...

5 million units worldwide across 4 different platforms is something pretty minor games can accomplish.

It Takes Two sold 5 million copies in 1 year
Dying Light 2 sold 5 million copies within a month
Cuphead sold 5 million units within 2 years, launching before even launching on PS4

You seem to not understand how big Persona is now, how fast games sell now, especially releasing worldwide on multiple platforms.

Not sure where this 5 million number came from for a year, but if it sold only 5 million copies, it would be a dud.

 

[MMaRsu]

Day one on PC will be insane for Persona 6, it will do millions.

 

[poodaddy]

I wish they'd remake both of Persona 2's games into one, but I don't think it'll ever happen. I think that was the high point of the series for my narrative preferences.