Over the last few years, Atlus has been posting and sending fan surveys out to players about what they want next from their favorite franchises. Many of the survey's questions typically ask what systems players use primarily, how they feel about spin-off games, general questions like that. One question in particular asks fans about the interest in remakes and remasters for franchises like Shin Megami Tensei and Persona.
Now that survey seems to have lead to the Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne remaster coming early next year, along with Shin Megami Tensei 5. With Atlus porting Persona 4 Golden and now Nocturne receiving a remaster, it's a good sign that more older Atlus titles could receive remasters or re-release in the near future. Considering how fans have been asking for remasters of old Persona games for a while, this makes a Persona 3 remaster far more likely.
Fans' Interest in Classic Persona Games
This is partially due to Persona's now massive popularity and success in the west and around the world. Even though Persona 4 Golden was also quite popular on the PlayStation Vita back in 2012, Persona was still considered a niche JRPG compared to titles like Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest. Not to mention the Vita was a niche console to own in general. It wasn't until Persona 5 was so well received by both new fans and critics alike when the Persona series really started to gain traction. While many would consider Persona 5 as one of the best JRPGs of all time, even without playing the previous games, the fifth entry contributed to the mainstream acclaim of Persona around the world.
Earlier this year, a social media campaign from Persona fans was trending on Twitter for a potential Persona 3 re-release. There wasn't a particular consensus on a remake, remaster, or just plain re-release. Fans simply wanted the opportunity to play the game again, or affordably play the game for the first time without having to source a PS2 or PSP with a copy of the game. Now that more players are familiar with what the series is like, new fans are interested in turning back to the franchise's past. Because the older titles were released on older hardware, it's become harder to play classic Persona games.
Persona 4 Golden on PC Was the First Step
At least, that used to be the case. Atlus had never really ported or remastered many games to other platforms. Granted Atlus was going through some financial issues a few years ago with its parent company Index going through bankruptcy. Since 2013, Atlus' various studios have been on good footing thanks to Sega acquiring Index and the rights to franchises like Persona. While this was going on in the background, many fans never figured older games would be ported or remastered to newer systems. Then Catherine and eventually Persona 4 Golden were ported to PC.
As mentioned earlier, Persona 4 Golden was initially only released on the PS Vita way back in 2012. While the game saw nominal success on the handheld platform, the Golden version of the game was never released on any other platform. At least, until earlier this year when Atlus ported Persona 4 Golden to PC via Steam. This was a huge moment for Atlus and Persona, not only because it was the first time a mainline Persona game was released on something other than a PlayStation console, but because Atlus' was finally acting on the information fans inputted on their surveys. Persona's publisher likely recognized that there's success to be had on other platforms, especially with its legacy titles that haven't been around in a while.
Why Nocturne's Remaster is Another Good Sign
Now granted Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne is not a Persona game, but it's an Atlus game from 2004 that's receiving a remaster. That's a huge sign that Atlus is not averse to bringing older titles back to newer platforms for fans. Arguably Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne is a much more niche game compared to Persona 3, just based on the commercial success of both games. Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne quickly became a cult classic JRPG for hardcore Megami Tensei fans, especially in the west. If an Atlus game like Nocturne can get an HD remaster with a worldwide release, then a potential Persona 3 remaster doesn't seem too far fetched at this point.
Plus given the massive fan interest for a Persona 3 re-release of some kind, it almost seems like a no-brainer to remaster or port the game. Atlus and Sega have proven both companies are not averse to re-releasing classic titles on modern hardware at this point, plus it can help draw attention to upcoming new projects in the series. That's exactly what Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne is doing for Shin Megami Tensei 5 when it launches later in 2021. Granted a Persona 6 release is likely quite a few years away, but Nocturne's remaster is a solid bit of evidence that further Persona ports (or even a Persona remaster) may be on the way in the near future.
Persona 3 originally released on PS2 in 2007.