For people who want Persona 6 to have a mature cast: Can I ask you something?

[Wamb0wneD]

What I have gathered from all of your comments here is that the series really resonated with you at a particular moment in your life, and part of you feels that it should always stay that way because of it. You say its so future generations also won't "miss out" on the same experience, but I think its really about you not wanting your perspective on it to change. Personally, I am all for new experiences that constantly change my perspectives. At worst, the games you loved will never change.

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The first part of your first sentence is correct. I rather think that that moment would have been different if the cast was older, if only ever so slightly different. I don't want it to stay that way for myself. I just think a highschooler in 5 years should be able to get into P6 on the same level than a highschooler back then getting into P4. And I think the cast being the same age and the setting being a similar one to your real life situation, helps. Helps, mind you. It's obviously not necessary by any means, or the main reason why these games resonate with people. But it's still part of it, imo.

Maybe I'm wrongly assuming it was like this for most others playing it back then. I only spoke with a few people about this (because well, the games weren't that popular baclk then) and most of them shared the same feeling.

 

[Iva Demilcol]

I don't think that's a particularly fair take if you're talking about EP. The PS1 release of EP sold $200,000 copies in Japan, which was a respectable amount for the time. If you're talking about the PSP re-release, then yeah, that didn't sell great, but I think there were many more factors beyond having an adult cast that affected that release.

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it sold less than its predecessor despite the fact that it was released for more markets. To the point that the series had to be reinvented.

i can call that a bomb.

Dude the cast being adults wasn't the reason why it bombed

And it's not like 3 and 4 sold like hotcakes either

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The series has grown in popularity with 3 in Japan and with 4 in the west. If anything the series is getting more and more sales due to its still unique setting. You could argue that there are tons of teenager as leads in JRPGs -which is true- but very few polished games like Persona. Unless sales say otherwise I could bet that the Persona series will remain like it is now.

and personally I don't think it should change.

 

[Wamb0wneD]

OP, if the Persona team decides to put the next game in an adult setting like an office, or in a college, would you consider that Atlus itself is "robbing" the next generation of their own Persona experience? Do they have some sort of moral obligation to present the same experience to each subsequent generation that you had when you were younger? Genuine question, because everything you've said seems to imply that's the case.

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No, I would just think it's a bummer. I don't think they have obligations. Please don't try to paint that rethoric on me.

 

[Deleted member 11413]

They should probably eliminate romance options between teenagers and adults, when in reality such relationships are extremely predatory.

 

[Another]

I just can speak for myself then when I say that when I played P4 back then, it had an impact it wouldn't have had if I played it later. From the love interest stuff, to the teachers and school, to well, everything being around the joy and sorrows of being a teenager.

It's like Harry Potter. That had a bigger impact to me as a kid than it would have ever had now, too. I just know myself well enough to know that. It wouldnt be near as important to me.

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I think you're overestimating the importance of such issues. I remember very well going to midnight releases for HP books starting with #3 and there being a huge amount of adult fans and they even had more discreet editions made specifically for them. Themes will resonate with people of all ages if they're properly explored, you don't have to struggle with existentialism and anxiety for In Search of Lost Time to resonate with you, these are universal issues, much like the Jungian themes the Persona series is based around... personally I think the high school setting only helps make the game popular among otakus and weebs, it doesn't really do much in regards to resonating with "regular teens"

 

[Asklepios]

I don't care what age they are as long as the writers grow the fuck up and get the homophobic/sexist sentiments outta my game.

It's 2020 and a translation team shouldn't be fixing embarrassing writing while leading game sites throw 10/10 blindly.

Also I get that it's your experience but if gaming protags were made to be a certain age to appeal to the exact same aged demographic a lot of IPs wouldn't work. The interactive nature of it somehow negates that need IMO.

 

[BasilZero]

College cast please.

 

[StrangeRoboMemory]

No, I would just think it's a bummer. I don't think they have obligations. Please don't try to paint that rethoric on me.

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I asked you a question, because I felt you were implying something. I wasn't trying to paint rhetoric on you. The whole point was asking you to clarify.

Why are you so hostile? Jesus.

 

[Reckheim]

I just think an office enviroment would be interesting.

I'm sure teenagers would be fine with it too.

 

[theosmeo]

college persona would be sick, if people want an smt game with adults tho i would reccomend digital devil saga games! theyre quite fun

 

[Deleted member 11008]

Spoiler: P5 Scramble Spoilers

Zenkichi's character alone shows that they are at least testing the waters on having adult characters again.

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That is quite interesting to know. The "adult-suck" rethoric at vanilla P5 was quite pathethic at time, and, considering how much the Niijima sisters are a expy from the Suo brothers, it would have been nice to have Sae as a playable character.

 

[SubvertedTrope]

I'd like a college cast or someone like Maya though I don't know how they'd make that work in the current system. But I think the non-highschool ship has sailed, crashed and burned.
P-Studio have said they have a lot of ideas for 6 so I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[The Bear]

If they keep wanting to sexualise their main cast (lets be honest, only female cast), said cast shouldn't be minors.

 

[Homura]

They should probably eliminate romance options between teenagers and adults, when in reality such relationships are extremely predatory.

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I do agree with you but there is a reason if Kawakami is one of the most popular romance options.
Most teenagers have a crush on at least one of their teachers.

 

[Aeana]

Also, it's not like the Persona series hasn't had an adult cast before.

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are you trying to tell me that the first persona game wasn't persona 3

 

[Omnicore]

Ok, so the OP wants the setting of the game to stay the same so that future generations can have the same resonating experience from P6 that they had with P4. From all the comments it really reads like OP is older now and won't have a game experience that resonates with them like P4 did and now wants to live vicariously through the next generation playing through P6 in hopes that they have a similar experience to theirs. Nostalgia can be a cruel bitch.

 

[Fat4all]

are you trying to tell me that the first persona game wasn't persona 3

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burn my bread

 

[KernelC]

Pretty sure most people want "College". Not like work force people in their late 20's to early 30's.

Which I totally want a College-Age Persona game to mix things up.

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but isnt that due to age? then they will want fully adult cast, disregarding he point of the franchise only because they have personally grown up?

 

[Jimnymebob]

are you trying to tell me that the first persona game wasn't persona 3

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Don't pull that nonsense, I know you long for the good old days of Revelations: Persona, where you had to press right on the d-pad to wal k up.

 

[KernelC]

are you trying to tell me that the first persona game wasn't persona 3

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another little known fact, Shin Megami Tensei Nocturne is neither the best SMT nor the first Shin Megami game :0

 

[PlanetSmasher]

If they keep wanting to sexualise their main cast (lets be honest, only female cast), said cast shouldn't be minors.

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Pretty much. The pervert shit has got to go, but if they NEED to sexualize their characters this teen shit needs to stop.

I have no reason to believe Atlus cares at all about improving themselves at this point, though. P6 will be the same exploitative nonsense as 5 was.

 

[Mobu]

make them middle schoolers instead but cut the romance options

 

[Xaszatm]

but isnt that due to age? then they will want fully adult cast, disregarding he point of the franchise only because they have personally grown up?

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Did Eternal Punishment disregard the point of the franchise?

The series has grown in popularity with 3 in Japan and with 4 in the west. If anything the series is getting more and more sales due to its still unique setting. You could argue that there are tons of teenager as leads in JRPGs -which is true- but very few polished games like Persona. Unless sales say otherwise I could bet that the Persona series will remain like it is now.

and personally I don't think it should change.

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And what would change? Did EP ruin the franchise because it was adults?

 

[Chie Satonaka]

"Older cause I'm sick of high school" isn't compelling to me. If it's not broke, don't fix it. With that said..

Maybe there should be a timeskip halfway through the game, best of both worlds

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If they pull something like this off properly, I am totally on board.

 

[Wamb0wneD]

I asked you a question, because I felt you were implying something. I wasn't trying to paint rhetoric on you. The whole point was asking you to clarify.

Why are you so hostile? Jesus.

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Sorry then. Well some people in here are trying to make me look like I think this would be the worst thing ever, so I mistook your post for one of those. I also just asked you not to, which is like the least hostile way to confront someone you think is being hostile towards you, too.

 

[PlanetSmasher]

"Older cause I'm sick of high school" isn't compelling to me. If it's not broke, don't fix it. With that said..

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I would argue that three games in a row recycling the exact same high school character tropes IS broken. Social links have completely worn out their concept if the next game is ALSO going to star high school kids again.

 

[Wamb0wneD]

Ok, so the OP wants the setting of the game to stay the same so that future generations can have the same resonating experience from P6 that they had with P4. From all the comments it really reads like OP is older now and won't have a game experience that resonates with them like P4 did and now wants to live vicariously through the next generation playing through P6 in hopes that they have a similar experience to theirs. Nostalgia can be a cruel bitch.

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The bolded is all mostly true. I think thats the case with a lot of media we consume as kids and teenagers. Nostlagia is indeed a powerful thing. and I would like if folks will have the same kind of nostalgia to their first Persona as I did.

The non-bolded doesn't apply though. Thanks for trying to understand though, much apprechiated.

 

[KernelC]

I would argue that three games in a row recycling the exact same high school character tropes IS broken. Social links have completely worn out their concept if the next game is ALSO going to star high school kids again.

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how so? the characters in the three games are very different. And I love the idea of Social Links, it adds so much depth and strategy to even the most mundane things such as... well, choosing wisely what to spend your time on. Makes it feel very immersive and gamey at he same time. Hell, it's the new bread and butter of Persona, and why it is far more enjoyable (and popular) than Shin Megami Tensei will ever be.

I wouldn't oppose to a big change to the system in future games, but I would hate for it be completely gone

 

[timedesk]

It depends in which ways it should mature. Are there things it can handle better? Absolutely. But why does the cast need to mature? Because you have grown up, too?

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I think if Atlus is going to keep going they way they've been moving in the past several years, maturing the cast would do a lot to help them. Having the cast be teenagers and letting them date adults is a problem. If they want to explore adult relationships then then they need a more mature cast. P5 literally undermined one of it's core messages by having the main character be able to date a teacher. That was just dumb.

I feel like Persona has become an increasingly narrow series. It shouldn't be bound to a constant rigid perspective. P3 eventually gave us a woman lead, and it was awesome. P4 had characters that questioned the gender and sexual identity, it was done sloppily, but could have been a good first step. However, P5 had the creator say he had no idea how this story would work for a woman lead, which is ludicrous. It took potshots at the LGBT community, and it treated every female character as a possible love interest instead of giving them fully independent stories.

It feels more like the franchise is regressing more than anything else. The central perspective is getting narrower. Having a slightly more mature cast would go a long way to push back against that regression. I can appreciate that Persona was very impactful for you at a specific age, and that you want that experience for other people. However, series an perspectives shouldn't remain stagnant, and a balance can be found between identifiable kids, and older leads. It doesn't have to only be one or the other. Also wanting a series to mature, and stray away from cheap fanservice and harmful stereotypes doesn't seem that selfish to me.

 

[Iva Demilcol]

And what would change? Did EP ruin the franchise because it was adults?

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No, it ruined it because it plays like shit despite the fact that the story is good. If anything P3 was the one that ruined the franchise and turned it in what it is now.

I think these games became the ultimate weeb power fantasy and I'm really surprised that people can't see that and don't understand that that's the reason why they won't change.

 

[Chie Satonaka]

I would argue that three games in a row recycling the exact same high school character tropes IS broken. Social links have completely worn out their concept if the next game is ALSO going to star high school kids again.

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Wouldn't the next set of social links/confidants be the exact same thing? Older people, younger people, high schoolers, ect?

I don't really understand how the playable cast's age changes what social links are supposed to be.

 

[NoName999]

"Older cause I'm sick of high school" isn't compelling to me. If it's not broke, don't fix it. With that said..

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It's not like "I want to vicariously live high school again only this time, I'm actually popular" is any better to keep it as is.

 

[Mars People]

At least let them be college age, so you can get into wacky drunken adventures.

 

[PlanetSmasher]

Wouldn't the next set of social links/confidants be the exact same thing? Older people, younger people, high schoolers, ect?

I don't really understand how the playable cast's age changes what social links are supposed to be.

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As long as we don't have to deal with the laundry list of high school anime cliches again, it can be whatever they want it to be.

Also no more "teenager who can fuck his teachers", that shit was violently gross.

 

[BestTestie]

They've made 3+ games with a teen cast. They need to do something else, period. Make it like Persona 2 more.

 

[Addleburg]

I'm sure I'm not the first person to say this, but I don't get why they need to remain teenagers in order for teenagers to be able to relate to them. People of all ages relate to people of all ages. I can't think of a single game I've played where I related to a character because of age or couldn't do so in spite of age. Making them endearing and relatable will carry people through it. This doesn't just apply to games, but protagonists of all sorts of media.

I'm not someone calling for the characters to be aged up, and before this thread I didn't know there were several who were calling for this. I'm fine with them remaining teenagers in P6, but just as okay with them being older. And no, I don't feel like doing so is depriving teenagers of the experience you speak of, OP. Or at the very least, I don't feel the tiniest modicum of concern about it.

 

[Zukuu]

I read this sentiment yesterday again, and I really have to wonder.
I get that people want a Persona cast who caters to them more but...are you realizing you basically take away the next generation what could be a best in class game they can resonate with?

Personally, I know Persona 4 would have never had the impact it had on me if the main characters weren't roughly my age. It resonated me on a level few games did, and I know I'm not the only one. I feel like making Persona 6 something that caters to a different audience is wrong. Let people in 15 years be nostalgic over P6 in the same way others are over P4 or 3.

I'm not calling people who want a mature cast selfish or anything, but the more I think about it, the more I want it to cater to people younger than me.

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We already have 5(!) games in that setting. People just want to have a different experience. College just allows for other themes, setting and story.

 

[Schopenhauer]

A cast made up of adults, what a novel thought. Would be great if gaming companies addressed the fact that their fans don't remain children forever.

Yet another reason that Eternal Punishment is still my favorite game in the persona series.

 

[Mechaplum]

Time for a sad dad(s) Persona imo.

 

[KushalaDaora]

I don't really care about the cast age, I just want the series to move on from cliche anime (and often otaku pandering) tropes.

Edit : PlanetSmasher ayyy

 

[Datajoy]

Ok. That's not what this thread is about, if you want to shit on these games, make your own one please.

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"If you don't like sexualization of minors in video games, have you ever thought about shutting the fuck up and making your own game?"

 

[Rosebud]

This will never happen, JRPG's will always be aimed at teenagers and they don't want to play as 30 years old.

 

[Hate]

People need to remind themselves that the main target audience of Persona is the Japanese market.

 

[PlanetSmasher]

People need to remind themselves that the main target audience of Persona is the Japanese market.

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Being aimed at the Japanese market doesn't mean the devs HAVE to be homophobic creeps who sexualize minors. That's Atlus' choice.

 

[Chivalry]

This will never happen, JRPG's will always be aimed at teenagers and they don't want to play as 30 years old.

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Jrpgs with older protags do exist, though. Lost Odyssey, FF13, SMT Strange Journey, Resonance of Fate, and so on.

 

[Hate]

Being aimed at the Japanese market doesn't mean the devs HAVE to be homophobic creeps who sexualize minors. That's Atlus' choice.

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Well besides that.

 

[Wamb0wneD]

I think if Atlus is going to keep going they way they've been moving in the past several years, maturing the cast would do a lot to help them. Having the cast be teenagers and letting them date adults is a problem. If they want to explore adult relationships then then they need a more mature cast. P5 literally undermined one of it's core messages by having the main character be able to date a teacher. That was just dumb.

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Absolutely agreed in that being able to date a teacher was not a good idea, and that it goes against one of the main themes. I think in the troubled development process, a lot of the themes and how they handled were becoming a bit messy. It would be way easier to just cut relationships with adults instead of making the cast and setting mature though.

I feel like Persona has become an increasingly narrow series. It shouldn't be bound to a constant rigid perspective. P3 eventually gave us a woman lead, and it was awesome. P4 had characters that questioned the gender and sexual identity, it was done sloppily, but could have been a good first step. However, P5 had the creator say he had no idea how this story would work for a woman lead, which is ludicrous. It took potshots at the LGBT community, and it treated every female character as a possible love interest instead of giving them fully independent stories.

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If you mean that kind of maturing, I'm with you. That still doesn't need a mature cast though. You can be less homophobic and have a woman lead without an adult cast.

It feels more like the franchise is regressing more than anything else. The central perspective is getting narrower. Having a slightly more mature cast would go a long way to push back against that regression. I can appreciate that Persona was very impactful for you at a specific age, and that you want that experience for other people. However, series an perspectives shouldn't remain stagnant, and a balance can be found between identifiable kids, and older leads. It doesn't have to only be one or the other. Also wanting a series to mature, and stray away from cheap fanservice and harmful stereotypes doesn't seem that selfish to me.

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I don't see how it would ot be honest. I really don't. I think P4 handled its themes the best. It also managed to have mature themes in it with Dojima and how he handles his wifes death and being alone with his daughter.

I can absolutely agree on it straying away from fanservice and harmful stereotypes. I don't have anything against that. Thanks for trying to understand where I'm coming from with this by the way.

 

[TropicalSalad]

Wouldn't the next set of social links/confidants be the exact same thing? Older people, younger people, high schoolers, ect?

I don't really understand how the playable cast's age changes what social links are supposed to be.

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The themes would change. We could have adults social links that aren't "you young'ns don't know about my adult problems". We could have teenagers social links that delve into the kind of conversations teens have with adults, like if the MC was the teacher at the school instead of being the student.

 

[Rosebud]

Jrpgs with older protags do exist, though. Lost Odyssey, FF13, SMT Strange Journey, Resonance of Fate, and so on.

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Yeah but they are not loved like Persona, Dragon Quest, other FF's, Fire Emblem, Chrono Trigger, Pokemon...

 

[Eppcetera]

I'm just interested in Atlus changing the formula more. It gets boring when game companies reiterate the same story again and again. The last three Persona games star mostly high school students...and they need to all be in high school, why? The Persona 2 games feature some adults, and I'd be happy to see that again, even if the protagonist is yet another high school student.

Also, I don't buy the argument that changing the characters' age in the next game will deprive the next generation of anything. Younger kids can play the older Persona games; my nephew was about 5 years old when Persona 4 first came out, and he started playing it last year when he was 16 (and, from what I could tell, he liked Persona 4 a lot). A new Persona game does not suddenly make the older ones non-existent, especially if Atlus makes the older games available on newer consoles (something Atlus has been terrible at, admittedly).