SEGA recently disclosed its latest sales data, and the report makes for a fairly interesting read — especially when it comes to Persona. The property now sits at 15.5 million units sold worldwide, which means that it's moved around 500,000 additional units since this time last year.
The headline here, though, is that Persona 5 / Persona 5 Royal and its spin-offs — Persona 5 Strikers and Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight — account for a whopping 7.22 million of that 15.5 million total. Not a huge surprise given the obvious popularity of the series' latest instalment, but the data really hammers home just how much of a hit Persona 5 has been.
Interestingly, it's regions outside of Japan that account for most of these sales. SEGA's report expands on previous findings, showing that 77 per cent of the aforementioned units were sold overseas. In other words, Persona 5 and its successors have absolutely smashed it in the West.
It's crazy to think that just a five or six years ago, Persona developer Atlus was making Western fans wait months for localised versions of its games. It's a shift that's indicative of the Japanese industry as a whole, with bigger publishers coming to realise that breaking into the Western market is a borderline necessity where console gaming is concerned.
Did you ever see Persona 5 being such a success? Don't forget to steal some hearts in the comments section below.
[source segasammy.co.jp, via personacentral.com]
Comments 35
Yeah cuz its one country and western sales are pretty much everything else combined
Persona 5 was clearly something special even from the original trailers.
Though I personally am understanding if it takes time for a translated version to get out, its a game made in Japan with a ton of text, it doesn't bother me if I have to wait longer than the place it is actually made in.
I mean, RGG Studio recognized they have a massive fanbase in the west and decided to start releasing new games simultaneously worldwide.
p5 switch flops hard in japan
selling only 45k
remember reading on gematsu that this game and other jrpg release on switch will sell gazillions
And this is why PlayStation relocated their HQs to the US, ladies & gentlemen. PS keeps making (most of the time) great decisions
@arra1213 I've always found it a bit odd why people single this out as an 'on the go' game. I guess it's the day system, but that really doesn't make it any more 'on the go' than any other game.
Yeah just shows Sony was not crazy focusing their attention elsewhere. Japan market has been dying. I still want the focus on Japan games nonetheless like The next Persona for instance
Well deserved success, without question. Persona 5 is the gateway drug for many into JRPGs, anime, and japanese culture as a whole. Persona 6 has a lot to live up to.
Probably helps that they made the best JRPG in the last decade.
A good game if a little overrated. But I'm glad ATLUS receives the recognition they always deserved.
Ummm maybe because they already played it on ps4 ?
It's more expensive upfront to localize simultaneously, especially if you end up localizing stuff that gets cut. So it's perfectly reasonable that w smaller publisher may release in one market and use those sales to fund localization into others. But Sega, come on they can afford simultaneous releases.
It's great to see and Persona 5 is one of the very best JRPG's I've played. Overall it seems the Japanese market is dead outside of Nintendo exclusives and there's a significantly bigger audience for their games outside of Japan. Sony have obviously realised this and I wouldn't be surprised to see games like Persona prioritising western releases in the future
Maybe it's not as interesting to roam around Japan when you live there?
Nah who am I kidding I like wandering around GTA5's LA and finding buildings I know irl
The japanese market contracted a lot. If it had released on the switch as well at the same time it probably would've sold more in japan.
@Ultrasmiles Yeah, I find it funny that people are glossing over the fact that we are comparing a fairly popular game sales, from a small country to that of the whole west 🤣.
I know you guys want to push your narrative to defend why Sony moved their HQ from Japan to US, but not like this people, use common sense.
Japanese video game companies have known the importance of the western market for decades (Just look at the stuff Capcom were putting out in the 7th generation of consoles); what they didn't know is that inherently Japanese style games that cater to their home market do have a market in the west. That market is niche, but still matters, especially now.
As long as genuine and quality projects are made and marketed, there is an audience for it. Cater to that audience, but don't pander.
@arra1213 Probably because the game already came out twice in Japan so most people interested have already bought and played the game. Royal sales will most likely be much bigger on Switch in the west because that's where all the Twitter users who were port begging for it are.
@arra1213
Gematsu is full of Nintendo fanboys and people who hold a grudge against Sony for "abandoning" Japan. So no surprise there.
That's nothing new. Most JRPGs sell the most outside of Japan.
It's sad to see Japan gaming market right now.
That said, I'm so happy to see western market grow beyond GTA, Fifa and CoD. I known these games still juggernauts but niche games are not so niche anymore!
P4 and P4 golden were crucial for P5 success in markets outside Japan. P4 was probably their best known and most played Persona game before P5 due to western hip game journos who just wouldn't shut up about it (rightfully so!).
And how Sega and Atlus say thank you to the loyal fans? Make us buy for third time the same game full price just to unlock frame rate on a turned based rpg. No thank you. Makes me sad cause P5R is one of the best games of all times and would like to have the PS5 version even if i don't plan to play it again
@Balosi - turn based. Easy to stop at any point, put it in sleep/suspend. Even if their are only limited save spots in a dungeon.
I never got very far playing on the ps4. Am already farther along playing on the switch.
Wasn't Persona 5 the last PS3 game that was cross platform with PS4? I think I read that somewhere.
Amazing to think it's straddled 3 generations really, even with the Royale update.
Should be obvious surely? You are comparing one country to the rest of the world 🙃
Not surprising given Persona 5/Persona 5 Royal couldn't be played in handheld form until last week meanwhile with previous Persona games you had PSP/Vita ports.
Look at the Japan charts over the past 5 years, the vast majority of games on it are for Switch (the only current hardware with a handheld mode until this year's Steam Deck).
@arra1213 Not sure if I'd consider 45k for a game that already released twice before a "flop"
Pretty sure if they would have released the Switch version of P5R (the original P5 released in 2016 in Japan therefore before the Switch) back than in 2019 alongside the PS4 version it would have done way better
I mean, duh, obviously. Unless a game is a cultural sensation like Splatoon 3, it would make sense that the majority of your sales would come from THE ENTIRETY OF THE WESTERN WORLD instead of one small asian island, even if said island still constitutes one of the biggest console gaming markets outside of the U.S. (probably the biggest, tbh).
I'm just just glad Atlus has started releasing their games simultaneously worldwide since SMT V released.
Persona 5 royal is one of the greatest games ever made.a jrpg masterpiece.word up son
Problem is that most gamers, even the hardcore gamers, don't seem to want to support most Japanese Games, not willing to branch out and try something new, thus purposely miss out some truly great games like Persona, Danganronpa, Ace Attorney, Zero Escape, AI the Somnium Files, Kingdom Hearts, Dragon Quest, Ni No Kuni, Final Fantasy, Ys, Trails of Cold Steel, Chrono Trigger, Tales of, etc.
Gamers really need to branch out and have more variety in the games they play, instead of funneling themselves into a select few categories and limiting themselves to what's familiar and safe.
Also the dumba$$ notion that 'Anime' Games are for losers & virgins doesn't help either, the fact that there are morons that genuinely believe AND say this is utterly pathetic, and another reason why the gene pool needs a lifeguard.
@rachetmarvel At the end of the day it was the right choice to move the HQ and become more global, simple as that.
No one is defending anything, those are just facts that people love to ignore because they believe that Japan is some kinda fictitious utopia of a country, when in realty isn't. Lost of problems in there, and those that live and work there know it, especially those that work in the entertainment industry (VA, animation, gaming, etc.).
The same way it was the right choice to disbanded the money-pit called Sony Japan (to make Team Asobi and xDev Global).
@Capt_T only issue with putting it on sleep/suspend is the social network for class answers & activities/thieves thing in dungeons don’t work after suspension. You’ll have to reboot the game. Well, at least that’s the case for my games. But that’s a very minor issue.
@CWill97 had not noticed yet. Good to know.
@mariomaster96 not really just look at ryza 2
the ps4 version outsold the switch version in japan
and remember it was the ps fans that put that game on the map
same with nier automata
pretty sure atlus spend tons of money just to put p5 on a catridge aside from wasting time and resouces
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