Japanese game developer Atlus shocked the world last week when they announced thesurprise, worldwide Steam releaseofPersona 4 Goldenat The PC Gaming Show. The critically-acclaimed JRPG has HD visuals, multiple language options, and more for only $19.99 in its current iteration, making it a great first experience for new players able to tackle the game now that it is available outside of a console, and Atlus wants to keep it that way.
Atlus' official Twitter account for western audiences posted a message yesterday thanking thePersona 4 Goldencommunity for “enthusiastically” making the game’s launch on Steam successful, before going on to ask players to not share its ending and to insert spoiler warnings for any “critical cutscene/s” they post online. It says that while the game is at least seven years old, for some “this will be their first time exploring Inaba and solving the mystery of the Midnight Channel.”
RELATED:Persona 4 Golden PC Review
This kind of warning makes sense for story-heavy RPGs, and givenPersona 4 Goldenhas only been available on the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Vita before now there is certainly a larger audience able to tackle the experience for themselves. After the widespread success ofPersona 5, whose enhancedRoyal port achieved record sales in the U.S. and Europeaccording to SEGA, this warning feels even more prescient.
Atlus is not the only company that has expressed concern over spoiler material on social media in recent months thanks to large video game communities found online. Square Enix also asked players toavoid spoiling itsFinal Fantasy 7 Remake, as the classic title had brand-new content to experience even for long-time fans.
The success ofPersona 5and the sudden appearance ofPersona 4 Goldenon PC has given fans of the JRPG franchise hope that Atlus may be gauging interest in doing more ports of its games to accessible platforms in the future. However, some have also asked whetherPersona 4 Goldenwill be ported to the PlayStation 4as well, keeping the series relevant on the console that it has thrived on for many years.
In all likelihood, even if Atlus has plans to do more ports of itsPersonagames, the developer may push those plans off until at least thewestern release ofCatherine: Full Bodyin July. Who knows what the future might hold for Atlus, but whatever it is will clearly be consumer-focused if its attention to spoiler avoidance is any indication.
