Persona dev says splitting the Atlus team to work on Metaphor: ReFantazio was "for the better" and will help the studio's future JRPGs stay "on the right track"
Sep. 4, 2024The future looks bright for Persona 6
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As Atlus cracks on withMetaphor: ReFantazioto ensure its smooth release this fall, some are wondering what the new JRPG means for the future of thePersonaseries - and thankfully, it seems that it’s not compromised at all.
Speaking in an interview withGameSpot, Persona producer and P-Studio director Kazuhisa Wada explains why work on Metaphor is beneficial to Atlus' already established series. When the P-Studio team split to allow for the production of both Metaphor and Persona, questions arose among fans regarding the future - wouldPersona 6come to fruition one day despite a few of the longtime developers moving on to a new project?
Wada says yes - or at least that Persona is fine, if not better than before. “Many years ago, one of the issues we wanted to resolve as a company was to improve the development capacity of the organization. Fortunately, as of today, very talented young and mid-career people are steadily growing through projects likePersona 3 ReloadandPersona 5 Royal, so if we are asked about the impact on the future from here on, the answer can only be ‘for the better.'”
The producer continues, further detailing his thoughts on the future: “We game developers, myself included, have a number of issues that need to be resolved in response to the lengthy and expanded game development process. I believe that one of the most important things to do is to pass on the spirit of the game to the next generation. One of the most important things is to build an organization that allows that transition to happen naturally.”
If anything, the Persona series has actually grown, improving over time. As Wada states, internal reform has helped P-Studio. “In order to develop and maintain a sustainable, high-quality series of titles, I believe that the methodologies of organizational reform and generational change at that time were unavoidable and highly necessary.” Atlus can “point to the growth of the Persona series,” which is “the best proof we have that we are on the right track.”
He urges fans to stay positive about the future and to have “greater expectations” for both the Metaphor devs and those still working on Persona: “We would be very happy and encouraged if you all have even greater expectations of both us and the games we produce in the future, so please keep up the good work.” It sounds to me like Persona 6, when it happens eventually, will exceed its predecessors - and I can’t wait to play it and Metaphor both.
Read ourMetaphor: ReFantazio previewto find out why we’re already obsessed.
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After spending years with her head in various fantastical realms’ clouds, Anna studied English Literature and then Medieval History at the University of Edinburgh, going on to specialize in narrative design and video game journalism as a writer. She has written for various publications since her postgraduate studies, including Dexerto, Fanbyte, GameSpot, IGN, PCGamesN, and more. When she’s not frantically trying to form words into coherent sentences, she’s probably daydreaming about becoming a fairy druid and befriending every animal or she’s spending a thousand (more) hours traversing the Underdark in Baldur’s Gate 3. If you spot her away from her PC, you’ll always find Anna with a fantasy book, a handheld video game console of some sort, and a Tamagotchi or two on hand.
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