Atlus 2019 Online Consumer Survey Released, Includes New Persona Genre Series Suggestions

0

Atlus has released this year’s Japanese online consumer survey to learn more about their customers and to improve their game development with commitment and thought, delivering unique and attractive game experiences.

Atlus is happy with the many enthusiastic responses they received from the “free description” section in last year’s survey. Like last year’s survey where part of the data was released in the form of answers for the “Do you believe in the Phantom Thieves?” question, part of this survey’s data is planned to be released during an event in the future.

The survey duration is estimated to take approximately 45 minutes.

Previous Surveys

The Japanese questionnaire is set to last from March 1 to March 5 at 11:59 PM JST.

Atlus USA recently held its own survey for the American audience.

The questions from the survey can be seen below. For questions that I feel are especially interesting and should be highlighted, see Questions 16-20, 38, 39, 50, 52, and 53.

Q1: Please tell us about your profession.

Q2: Who are you currently living with?

Q3: Among the following platforms, which do you own?

Q4: Among the platforms you own, how often do you play them?

Q5: For the devices that you do not currently own (including those that will be released in the future), please select among the applicable options below:

4 possible answers for the devices that were not selected in Q3:

  1. I am going to buy this device.
  2. I know about this device, but I’m not sure if I’m going to buy it.
  3. I know about this device, but I’m not going to buy it.
  4. I don’t know about this device.

Q6: Please select among the options that apply regarding your display situation when playing on a stationary, home console (connected to a TV).

8 possible answers concerning the quality of the screen the person plays on, including a 4K TV, a 4K monitor, a less than HD monitor or a projector.

Q7: Among the dedicated home consoles you play the most (for TV screens, non-handhelds), why do you play on them?

23 possible answers, including:

  • To relieve stress
  • To experience exhilaration
  • To feel immersed in the game world
  • To get a sense of accomplishment
  • To immerse myself in the game story
  • To express myself
  • To forget everyday life

Q8: Among smartphone gaming (iPhone, iPad, Android mobile apps), why do you play on them?

Same 23 possible answers as the above.

Q9: Among the following smartphone games (iPhone, iPad, Android mobile games), which ones do you know of?

52 possible choices including Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, PUBG Mobile, Shin Megami Tensei: Liberation Dx2 and Shadowverse.

Q10: Among the following smartphone games (iPhone, iPad, Android mobile games), which have you played?

For each game selected in the previous question, the options “I play it continuously, even now,” “I have played it before, but not now,” and “I have never played it.”

Q11: What are your favorite game genres when it comes to home consoles (stationary machines or portable machines)?

14 different options, which include different genres than previous years.

  1. Board game
  2. Card game
  3. Sports
  4. Music
  5. Fighting game
  6. Text-Adventure
  7. Action-Adventure
  8. Puzzle game
  9. Rogue-like RPG
  10. 3D Dungeon RPG
  11. Turn-based strategy RPG
  12. Action RPG
  13. Turn-based RPG
  14. Other

Q12: Among the following games for home consoles (stationary and portables), which ones do you know of?

A list of 61 games, including Atlus games and:

  • Death Stranding (PS4)
  • Red Dead Redemption 2 (PS4, Xbox One)
  • Kingdom Hearts III
  • Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown (PS4, PSVR, Xbox One, PC)

“Project Re Fantasy (TBD)” is listed once again.

Q13: Among the following home console games (stationary and portables), which have you purchased?

Among the games selected in Q12, there are 4 possible choices:

  1. I bought this (regardless of new or used).
  2. I have bought it (regardless of new or used) but I have not played it yet.
  3. I am considering purchasing.
  4. I have not purchased this, and I am not considering to in the future.

Q14: Among the following unreleased home console games (stationary and portables), which are you planning to purchase?

Among the unreleased games selected in Q12, there are 3 possible choices:

  1. I am going to purchase it.
  2. I am considering purchasing it.
  3. I will not purchase it.

Q15: Please select the applicable answers of your impressions for the following Atlus titles.

Among Atlus games chosen in Q12, there are 4 options:

  1. The characters were attractive
  2. The story was interesting
  3. I enjoyed the game system
  4. The BGM was good (or made an impression)

For each of these, the user rates them from 1 to 4.

For the following questions, media for 5 games that can be played on home consoles (stationary and portables) and smartphones will be shown. Please answer each question after seeing them carefully.

Each of these questions have the following possible answers:

  1. It seems it can be played for a long time.
  2. The visual design is cool.
  3. It feels like Atlus.
  4. It seems like an interesting game.
  5. I would like to play this with friends.
  6. I would like to play this if I have free time.
  7. I would like to play this on a big screen TV with a console.
  8. I like the colors.
  9. I would like to play this on a handheld game machine.
  10. The characters are attractive.
  11. I would like to play this for free.
  12. I would like to play this as a smartphone game.
  13. The story seems interesting.
  14. None of the above applies.

Q16: Please take a look at the game visuals and select what you feel.

Q17: Please take a look at the game visuals and select what you feel.

Q18: Please take a look at the game visuals and select what you feel.

Q19: Please take a look at the game visuals and select what you feel.

Q20: Please take a look at the game visuals and select what you feel.

Q21: Please select all that apply among the following regarding “Atlus-likeness.”

16 choices:

  1. Characters that are easy to empathize with and have an attractive personality
  2. A world/setting with the feeling of an underground subculture.
  3. The BGM is worth listening to.
  4. A world/setting with an occult feeling.
  5. A fictional world setting that is easy to empathize with.
  6. A world/setting in contemporary Japan.
  7. Good design of non-human characters such as Atlus’ own demons.
  8. A fun and deep story.
  9. Good design of things other than characters, such as user interface.
  10. User interface that emphasizes comfort and tempo.
  11. A world/setting around anarchy or opposing authority.
  12. The feel of the difficulty level and game balance.
  13. Good character design.
  14. A play experience and themes that are thought-provoking.
  15. Other
  16. There is no particular application.
  17. I do not know Atlus (very well).

Q22: Please select the applicable choice for each music event of the following game titles.

3 choices of:

  1. I have been to.
  2. I have not been, but I’d love to go.
  3. I have not been and I’m not going to go.

For the following:

  1. “Persona” series music event”
  2. “Etrian Odyssey” series music event
  3. “Shin Megami Tensei” series music event

Q23: How much free time do you usually have per day?

2 answers, with 10 options ranging from 1 hour to 18 hours or more.

  1. Weekday
  2. Holiday

Q24: What do you spend your free time with on weekdays, weekends and holidays? Please choose all that apply.

There are 42 answers. The list includes answers like:

  • I go on the Internet with my PC
  • Learning a foreign language
  • Going to public competitions (horse racing, bicycle racing…)
  • I go to get a massage or to a beauty parlor
  • Home gardening
  • I take pictures
  • I watch sports
  • I play sports
  • I go to karaoke
  • I go to live concerts
  • I play home console games
  • I play handheld games
  • I make a meal or have tea with friends
  • I watch YouTube
  • I watch Nico Nico Douga
  • I watch TV at home

Q25: Have you ever seen an anime of the “Persona” series before among the below? If you have seen it, please indicate where.

6 choices of:

  1. I watched it on a TV broadcast.
  2. I recorded it and watched it.
  3. I watched it with a video distribution service.
  4. I watched it on a DVD / Blu-ray disc.
  5. Other
  6. I have not seen it

For the following:

  1. TV anime “Persona 5: The Day Breakers” (September 3, 2016)
  2. TV anime “Persona 5 the Animation (April 6, 2018)

Q26: Among the “Persona” series titles that you answered you purchased in Q13, did watching the TV anime of “Persona 5” made you decide to purchase any of the following titles? For each, please choose your closes feelings.

For each Persona title released after the Persona 5 anime, the user can select two options:

  1. The “Persona 5” TV anime made me want to buy this.
  2. The “Persona 5” TV anime is not what made me want to buy this.

Q27: Among the devices that were selected as “I own this” in a previous question, on average, how much time do you spend with them during weekdays?

6 choices per platform, ranging from “I do not use this” to “over 10 hours.”

Q28: Among the devices that were selected as “I own this” in a previous question, on average, how much time do you spend with them during weekends or holidays?

6 choices per platform, ranging from “I do not use this” to “over 10 hours.”

Q29: Which media do you usually obtain game information from? Please choose all that apply.

25 answers, including:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • LINE
  • YouTube
  • Nico Nico Douga
  • Nico Nico Live Broadcast
  • Game Magazines

Q30: How much do you use a PC or a smartphone when gathering game information on the internet?

3 possible answers for both the PC and the smartphone: “Often,” “Occasionally,” “Not at all.”

Q31: For those who obtain game information on Twitter, how do you do so?

10 possible answers, including:

  • Looking at a friend’s post.
  • Look at posts from people who often send out game information.
  • Look at posts of talents and voice actors.
  • Look at the official accounts for each game title.

Q32 For those who obtain game information on LINE, how do you do so?

6 possible answers, including:

  1. Look at official game media account LINE posts.
  2. Look at the official game account posts on LINE.
  3. Look at posts on my LINE timeline.

Q33: Please select all the social services you use to write and post.

16 answers including:

  • LINE
  • Tumblr
  • Pinterest
  • Vine
  • Instagram
  • Google+
  • Twitter
  • Blog
  • Bulletin boards (2channel, etc)

Q34: Do you recommend games to friends on social media? Please choose all that apply.

  1. I always recommend games
  2. I recommend games I want to play with friends
  3. I recommend minor games to support them
  4. I recommend games for reasons other than the above
  5. I’ve never particularly recommended a game

Q35: What kind of content do you post on social media?

28 answers, separated between columns for Facebook, Twitter, and LINE, including:

  • Family
  • Love
  • Console games
  • Handheld games
  • Pre-release game information
  • Food

Q36: When do you usually use social media on weekdays?

13 options per social media, with a variety of time intervals.

Q37: When do you usually use social media on weekends and holidays?

13 options per social media, with a variety of time intervals.

Q38: Please select all of the Virtual YouTubers you know of below.

28 options including:

  • Hatoba Tsugu
  • YuNi
  • Kizuna Ai
  • Higuchi Kaede

Q39: Please select all of the let’s players you know of below.

26 options including:

  • KIRIN
  • MSS Project
  • Mafumafu
  • Miracle Gucci

Q40: The previous questions asked you about “Virtual YouTubers” and “Let’s Players” who you know of. Have you ever watched live streaming or videos uploaded by them? This also includes guest appearances on other live streams you watched.

2 options for yes or no among the ones selected previously.

Q41: The previous questions asked you about “Virtual YouTubers” and “Let’s Players” who you know of. Have you ever been influenced to purchase a game from their videos or live streams?

2 options for yes or no among the ones selecter previously.

Q42: How much money on average are you free to use per month?

8 answers, ranging from less than 5,000 yen to 100,000 yen or more.

Q43: Among the money you are free to use, how much on average do you use for smartphone games in a month?

7 answers, with ranges including less than 30,000 yen to 50,000 yen.

Q44: For console games (stationary and portable), have you reserved games before purchase? If you have reserved a and purchased, please select all that apply.

15 options with reasons influencing one’s decision to pre-order from watching trailers to social media, with a 15th option of “I have never pre-ordered before.”

Q45: Having answered that you have pre-ordered games in the previous question, please select all that apply to the places or sites where you pre-ordered and purchased games for stationary consoles.

10 options, with 5 for different types of physical retailers (game shops, Animate) and 5 for online platforms (including Amazon Japan and the PlayStation Store).

Q46: What makes you want to pre-order game titles for home game consoles (stationary and portables)?

12 options including recommendations by friends, TV commercials, social media, wanting to play a popular game, and reviews.

Q45: Having answered that you have pre-ordered games in the previous question, please select all that apply to the places or sites where you pre-ordered and purchased games for dedicated handhelds.

10 options, with 5 for different types of physical retailers (game shops, Animate) and 5 for online platforms (including Amazon Japan and the PlayStation Store).

Q46: How much do you use a PC or smartphone when purchasing from a mail order website?

Q49: What influences your decision to buy games on dedicated home consoles and handhelds?

17 possible answers, including:

  • Demo
  • Official game site
  • Developer
  • Genre
  • Favorite series
  • Voice actors
  • Music
  • Specific platform

Q50: The following “Persona” series titles have had collaborations with mobile games. Did you know of them? Please select what applies.

The collaborations are:

  1. Collaboration between “Puzzle & Dragons” and “Persona 5” (April 27, 2018 until May 11, 2018)
  2. Collaboration between “Granblue Fantasy” and “Persona 5” (June 18, 2018 until June 29, 2018)
  3. Collaboration between “BanG Dream! Girls Band Party!” and “Persona 5” (July 20, 2018 until July 29, 2018)
  4. Collaboration between “Soul Reverse Zero” and “Persona 5” (September 3, 2018 until September 12, 2018)
  5. Collaboration between “Puyo Puyo!! Quest” and “Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth” (December 7, 2018 to December 18, 2018)

6 possible options for each, ranging from playing the game before the collaboration and during, to “I did not know about this collaboration.”

Q51: For those who answered “I’ve played this collaboration” in the previous answer, did this compel you to purchase any of the “Persona” series titles?

For the previously selected purchased Persona games, 4 options ranging from “the collaboration made me want to buy it” to “I played the collaboration, but that did not make me want to buy it.”

Q52: If the following “Persona” series title as follows was released, would you think “I want to play this”? If that’s what you would think, please answer for which devices.

9 possible choices:

  1. I want to play this on PS4.
  2. I want to play this on PS VR.
  3. I want to play this on Nintendo Switch.
  4. I want to play this on smartphones.
  5. I want to play this on PC.
  6. Other
  7. I do not want to play this / I’m not interested.

For the following titles:

  1. “Persona” series Action Adventure [This option is a new addition]
  2. “Persona” series Action RPG
  3. “Persona” series online RPG
  4. “Persona” series Text-Adventure [This option is a new addition]
  5. Completely new “Persona 6”
  6. “Persona” series card game [This option is a new addition]
  7. “Persona” series board game
  8. “Persona 5” fighting game
  9. “Persona” series strategy game

“‘Persona’ series shooting game” was previously listed, and has now been removed.

Q53: If a full remake of past Atlus titles was made (adding additional elements to the existing title and brushing it up), would you think “I want to play this?” If that’s what you would think, please answer for which devices.

9 possible choices:

  1. I want to play this on PS4.
  2. I want to play this on PS VR.
  3. I want to play this on Nintendo Switch.
  4. I want to play this on smartphones.
  5. I want to play this on PC.
  6. Other
  7. I do not want to play this / I’m not interested.

For the following titles:

  1. Remake of “Revelations: Persona”
  2. Remake of “Persona 2: Innocent Sin / Eternal Punishment”
  3. Remake of “Persona 3”
  4. Remake of “Persona 4”
  5. Remake of “Persona 5”
  6. Remake of “Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne”
  7. Remake of “Shin Megami Tensei IV”
  8. Remake of “Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse”
  9. Remake of “Digital Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner”
  10. Remake of “Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers”
  11. Remake of “Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha” series
  12. Remake of “Etrian Odyssey” mainline numbered series
  13. Remake of “Persona Q” series [This option is a new addition]
  14. Remake of “Catherine: Full Body” [This option is a new addition]
  15. Remake of “Devil Survivor” series

“Shin Megami Tensei NINE” and “Devil Summoner” were previously listed, and have now been removed.

Q54: What are your impressions on the possible following initiatives Atlus would take in its future?

3 possible choices:

  1. I’d love to support you
  2. If anything, I would like to support you
  3. I don’t think I would support you / I’m not interested

For the following:

  1. Efforts to develop completely new titles
  2. Development of large numbered titles based on an established series (“Shin Megami Tensei V”, etc.)
  3. Development of spin-offs based on an established series (Persona Dancing series, Persona Q series, etc.)
  4. Remaking past titles (“Etrian Odyssey Untold”, “Catherine: Full Body”, etc.)
  5. Porting of past titles, or remastering (“Dragon’s Crown Pro”, etc.)
  6. Effort to develop content for existing games (animation, etc.)
  7. Aggressive collaboration with other company content (competitors’ games, etc.)

Q55: To those who answered supporting Atlus to develop a completely new title, in the future, when a completely new game among the following is released, how much do you want to play it?

4 possible choices:

  1. I’d love to play
  2. Depending on the content, I would like to play it
  3. I do not think I would play it / I’m not interested
  4. I do not know

For the following:

  1. Completely new Vanillaware game
  2. Completely new game by the “Shin Megami Tensei” team (excluding the “Shin Megami Tensei” series)
  3. Completely new game by the Persona Team (excluding the “Persona” series)
  4. Completely new game by Studio Zero
  5. Completely new game by the “Etrian Odyssey” team (excluding the “Etrian Odyssey” series)

Q56: When the following game sequel (numbered title) is released, which would you want to play for which devices?

7 possible choices:

  1. I want to play this on PS4.
  2. I want to play this on PS VR.
  3. I want to play this on Nintendo Switch.
  4. I want to play this on smartphones.
  5. I want to play this on PC.
  6. Other
  7. I do not want to play this / I’m not interested.

For the following:

  1. “Etrian Odyssey” series
  2. “Persona” series
  3. “Shin Megami Tensei” series

Q57: If you have a request for Atlus, please write it down.

300 characters or less.

Atlus