Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3(TM) Deluxe Edition Announced

SHIN MEGAMI TENSEI®: PERSONA 3TM DELUXE EDITION ANNOUNCED

Locked away in the human psyche is power beyond imagination...
Now, the time has come for you to unleash that power!

IRVINE, CALIFORNIA — APRIL 23, 2007 — Atlus U.S.A., Inc., a leading videogame publisher, today announced that Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 will be available for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system across North America in summer 2007, packaged in a special collector's box with a tantalizing art book and wicked-awesome CD soundtrack. Enormously successful in Japan, P3 is the newest RPG from the publisher of the acclaimed Shin Megami Tensei series. Fans have waited eight long years since the release of Persona 2, and Atlus is rewarding their patience by rolling out the red carpet for its successor. “Persona 3 is the most exciting, challenging, and ambitious title in the SMT series to date!” said Yu Namba, Project Lead for P3. “While still faithful to its roots, it takes the series in a bold new direction with the implementation of the Social Link system, where your relationship with not just party members but also a huge cast of characters is critical to your success!”

Overview
In Persona 3, you'll assume the role of a high school student, orphaned as a young boy, who's recently transferred to Gekkōkan High School on Port Island. Shortly after his arrival, he is attacked by creatures of the night known as Shadows. The assault awakens his Persona, Orpheus, from the depths of his subconscious, enabling him to defeat the terrifying foes. He soon discovers that he shares this special ability with other students at his new school. From them, he learns of the Dark Hour, a hidden time that exists between one day and the next, swarming with Shadows. These monsters have been steadily claiming victims aptly nicknamed “The Lost”—people who've inexplicably become mindless zombies. Under the supervision of school chairman Shuji Ikutsuki, he joins his new companions in confronting this threat to humanity...

With your school as the primary battlefield, you'll be forced to juggle between two lives: student by day, defender against evil by night. And your greatest challenges await you on the eve of each full moon.

Key Features:
• Engaging Social Link system lets you build intimate relationships with friends and love interests alike!
• Unforgettable characters and professionally-acted dialogue bring the story to life!
• Massive replay value with over 20 Social Links and a complex storyline encompassing a full school year.
• Highly stylized designs grace the beautiful 2D character portraits, detailed 3D animations, and heart-pounding cut scenes!
• Intense, strategic battle system; find and exploit enemy weaknesses with the help of your allies!

Bonus Materials:
• A full-color, 52-page art book packed with character art, concept sketches, and more!
• Soundtrack CD featuring the hip urban-techno music of Shoji Meguro, composer of the haunting and unforgettable scores for Nocturne and Digital Devil Saga!
• A striking collector's box to store your game and all the extra goodies!

About Atlus U.S.A., Inc.
Located in Irvine, California and founded in 1991, Atlus U.S.A., Inc. is a publisher of compelling video games for a variety of platforms, including the Nintendo DSTM, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system, WiiTM, Xbox 360TM, and PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system. Atlus U.S.A, Inc.'s library of critically acclaimed video games includes Odin Sphere, Trauma Center: Second Opinion, Magna Carta: Tears of Blood, and the award-winning Shin Megami Tensei series. For more information, visit http://www.Atlus.com.