Atlus 2022 Online Consumer Survey Released, English Version Included for First Time, Questions for Ports and Remakes

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Reggy
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Atlus has released their annual Japanese online consumer survey for 2022, in order to learn more about their customers and improve their game development. This year will mark the seventh annual Japanese survey.

For the first time this year is an English version of the survey aimed at those who live in North America (the United States of America, specifically).

Every year, the survey contributes meaningfully to development at Atlus, with the company stating that the results “assist us in delivering unique and compelling gaming experiences, as we continue to pursue development that values passion and ambition.”

The survey duration is estimated to take approximately 45-50 minutes. The survey timeframe is from May 13th to May 15th.

The questions from the survey can be seen below. For questions that I feel are especially interesting and should be highlighted, see Questions 24, 25, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, and 52.

Previous Surveys

Q1: Please enter your email address.

Q2: Please tell us your gender.

Q3: Please tell us your age.

Q4: Do you live in Japan? [JPN ONLY]

Q5: How did you first find out about this survey? Select the answer that best applies.

7 options, including the official website for Atlus series games, the Atlus YouTube video, Twitter, etc.

Q6: Please tell us about your profession.

Q7: Please select the family and friends you live with. Select the answer that best applies.

9 options for different household arrangements.

Q8: Please select all of the following game devices that you own.

Q9: Please select all of the subscription-based services you’re subscribed to (even if they are shared by the family, if it is a service that you can use freely then please consider yourself to be subscribed to). [NEW QUESTION]

18 different options (with 26 in the JPN version) for popular subscription services, including Netflix, Hulu, Spotify, PlayStation Plus, Nintendo Switch Online, Xbox Game Pass, EA Play, etc.

Q10: Among the platforms you own, how often do you play them?

Q11: From the devices you play video games on, how long do you play on those devices during workdays?

6 options per device, ranging from not used during weekdays to 10 hours or more.

Q12: From the devices you play video games on, how long do you play on those devices during weekends and holidays.

6 options per device, ranging from not used during weekdays to 10 hours or more.

Q13: For those who play on consoles (gaming devices connectoed to a TV or portable gaming device). Please select all the TV, monitors, etc. that you use when playing with consoles. [NEW QUESTION]

Q14: Please select everything that you desire from a video game on each platform.

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

Q15: Please select everything that can lead to you downloading a game on Steam.

13 different options included learning about a title that is not available on consoles / smartphones, wanting to play games that are popular at the moment, discovering the game in the Steam store, or when it’s cheap on sale.

Q16: Please select the reasons why you play games on Steam.

  1. I don’t have any other games to play
  2. Friends / colleagues / family play on it
  3. It’s become normal for me to play games on PC
  4. It’s popular at the moment
  5. I want to play at better specifications (image quality, etc.) than a smartphone or console.
  6. There are frequent updates for it
  7. I received a game as a gift or received a Steam Gift Card from friends / colleagues / family / acquaintances
  8. I want to play with mods created by a third party
  9. It’s fun to play games
  10. Other

Q17: What are your favorite game genres for console games and Steam games?

17 different options:

  1. Turn-based RPG
  2. Action RPG
  3. Turn-based strategy RPG
  4. 3D Dungeon RPG
  5. Roguelike RPG
  6. Puzzle game
  7. Action Adventure
  8. Text Adventure
  9. Fighting Game
  10. Music Game
  11. Sports
  12. Card Game
  13. Board Game
  14. Racing Game
  15. Real-Time Strategy Game
  16. FPS/TPS Games
  17. Other

Q18: Among the following games for home consoles (stationary and portables), which ones do you know of?

A list of 60 games (65 in the JPN survey), including Atlus games and such games as:

  • The sequel to the Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
  • Scarlet Nexus
  • Final Fantasy XVI
  • Forspoken
  • Animal Crossing: New Horizons

“PROJECT Re FANTASY” is listed once again.

Q19: Among the following home console games (stationary and portables), which have you purchased?

Among the games selected in Q18, there are 3 possible choices:

  1. I bought this (regardless of new or used).
  2. I am considering purchasing.
  3. I have not purchased this, and I am not planning to.

Q20: Regardless of whether you have played them or not, who would you recommend the following titles to? [NEW QUESTION]

For each game selected in Q18, there are 6 options:

  • Family / housemates / significant other / partner
  • Friends / acquaintances at school / work
  • Friends / acquaintances in the gaming community
  • Friends / acquaintances outside of the gaming community
  • Random viewers online, such as on social media
  • I wouldn’t recommend this

Q21: Among the following unreleased home console games (stationary and portables), which are you planning to purchase?

Among the unreleased games selected in Q18, there are 3 possible choices:

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

Q22: This question is for those who know of Persona 5 Strikers. Did you know that Persona 5 Strikers was available to play for free as a PlayStation Plus monthly game? Please select the answer that best applies. [NEW QUESTION]

8 answers including “I downloaded it for free and played it for the first time,” I had already played it, but I downloaded it again for free,” and “I already own the PS4 version, so I didn’t download it.”

Q23: This question is for those who know of 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim. Did you know that the demo was distributed on the Nintendo Switch? Please select the answer that best applies. [NEW QUESTION / JPN ONLY]

For the following questions, media for games that can be played on home consoles (stationary and portables) 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 use of color.
  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.

Q24: Please look at the above game screenshots, and then select everything that you feel about them.

Q25: Please look at the above game screenshots, and then select everything that you feel about them.

Q26: 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

Q27: Of the free time you have on a work or school day, and on a day off or holiday, how much can you spend it to play video games?

Q28: How often do you purchase game software (including physical and digital versions) for home consoles (stationary and portables)? Please choose the one that applies the most to you.

7 possible answers, from “2 or more every month” to “less than 1 per year.”

Q29: [Taken from answers given in Q18] If you were going to purchase the following console games, would you purchase the digital edition or the physical edition?

For unreleased games such as PROJECT Re FANTASY, Soul Hackers 2, Final Fantasy XVI, The sequel to The Legend of Zelda; Breath of the Wild, and Forspoken.

Q30: [For games select for digital edition in Q29] If there was a “digital deluxe” edition of the following console games, would you buy it?

Q31: For console games (stationary and portable), have you ever pre-ordered? If you have reserved a purchase, please select all that apply.

12 options with reasons influencing one’s decision to pre-order from watching trailers to social media, with a 14th option of “I have never pre-ordered before.”

Q32: Have you ever pre-ordered and purchased a game on Steam? If you have, please select all the reasons why you did so.

Same options as Q31.

Q33: When do you tend to pre-order / purchase games? [NEW QUESTION]

  1. Immediately after preorders start
  2. Less than 1 month before release
  3. After seeing media reviews
  4. After release and seeing user reviews
  5. Other
  6. I’ve never preordered a game

Q34: What media do you usually obtain game information from? Please choose all that apply.

18 answers (20 in JPN), including:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Reddit
  • TikTok
  • Discord
  • Official game manufacturer websites
  • Game information event (E3, Tokyo Game Show, etc.)

Q35: If there is a game you are considering purchasing, what kind of information do you use to decide to actually purchase it? Please select all that apply.

10 possible answers, including videos of people playing the game or information on sales rankings.

Q36: Among live streams and live video, pleases select “let’s players” and “Virtual YouTubers” you’ve watched (from Nico Nico to YouTube, etc.). [JPN ONLY]

51 options including a variety of Japanese let’s players and Virtual YouTubers.

Q37: How much money on average are you free to use per month?

8 answers, ranging from less than $50 to $1,000 or more.

Q38: Among the money you are free to use, how much on average do you use for smartphone games in a month? [JPN ONLY]

8 answers, with ranges including less than 30,000 yen to the range of 50,000 yen to 100,000 yen

Q39: For what reasons do you pay for smartphone games? Please select all that apply. [JPN ONLY]

9 possible answers, including “to play it for a long time, such as extending the number of plays,” “to get the item, I want,” or “to win the game.”

Q39: Have you ever played the “Persona” series? If you have, choose the first game in the series you played.

23 options (25 options in Japan, as it includes a couple of re-release editions the English one does not), listing every single Persona console game released from Revelations: Persona for the PlayStation and Windows in September 1996 to Persona 5 Strikers for Steam released in February 2021  (with the 23rd option being “never played the Persona series”).

Q40: Have you ever played the “Shin Megami Tensei” series? If you have, choose the first game in the series you played.

82 options listing every single Shin Megami Tensei game released from Digital Devil Story Megami Tensei for the Famicom in September 1987 to Shin Megami Tensei V for Nintendo Switch released in November 2021. In the English survey, it simply asks you to type the name of the title if you have.

Q41: Have you ever played an Atlus & Vanillaware partnered game? If you have, choose the first Atlus & Vanillaware partnered game you’ve played.

7 options, listing the Atlus and Vanillaware collaborated games from Dragon’s Crown for the PS3 and PS Vita in July 2013 to 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim for the Switch in April 2022 (with the 7th option being “never played an Atlus & Vanillaware title”).

Q42: Among the following Atlus games you purchased, which of the following apply to each Atlus title?

Users must select among 4 choices per 6 option, with the choices being close to A (left side) or close to B (right side). A is positive, B is negative.

Per listed game (recent games such as Shin Megami Tensei V and Persona 4 Arena Ultimax Remastered), these are the following 6 options:

  1. The characters were appealing.
  2. The story was interesting (or memorable).
  3. I enjoyed the game systems.
  4. The BGM was good (or impressive).
  5. The play length was appropriate.
  6. The game’s price was fitting.

Q43: Please select all the things you expect from Atlus titles and that make it feel like an Atlus title.

17 choices:

  1. Characters that are easy to empathize with and have an appealing personality
  2. A world/setting with the feeling of an underground subculture.
  3. Music worth listening to.
  4. A world/setting with a strong occult feeling.
  5. A fictional world setting that is easy to empathize with.
  6. A world setting in modern Japan.
  7. Good design of non-human characters such as Atlus’ own demons.
  8. Interesting / 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 that feels anarchistic / going against common tropes
  12. The feel of the difficulty level and game balance.
  13. Good character design.
  14. Gameplay experience / themes that you think about even when not playing the game.
  15. Other
  16. There is no particular application.
  17. I don’t know of Atlus / I’m not sure

Q44: If a sequel (numbered entry) in the following game series was to be released, what platform would you want to play it on?

11 possible choices:

  1. I want to play this on PS4 / PS4 Pro.
  2. I want to play this on PS VR.
  3. I want to play this on PS5.
  4. I want to play this on Nintendo Switch (Lite).
  5. I want to play this on a smartphone (subscription)
  6. I want to play this on a smartphone (free-to-play)
  7. I want to play this on a smartphone (single purchase)
  8. I want to play this on Xbox.
  9. I want to play this on Steam.
  10. Other
  11. I do not want to play this / I’m not interested.

For the following:

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

Q45: Did you know that Atlus games have collaborated with the following titles? Please select which apply. [JPN ONLY]

The collaborations are:

  1. Collaboration between “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate” and “Persona 5” (DLC distribution from April 2019)
  2. Collaboration between “Dragalia Lost” and “Persona 5 Strikers” (January to February 2021)
  3. Collaboration between “Star Ocean: Anamnesis” and “Persona 5 Royal” (from October to November 2019)
  4. Collaboration between “Another Eden: The Cat Beyond Time and Space” and “Persona 5 Royal” (permanent since December 2019)
  5. Collaboration between “The Alchemist Code” and “Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Remaster” (March 2021)
  6. Collaboration between “#Compass (COMbat Providence Analysis System)” and “Persona 5” (June to July 2021)
  7. Collaboration between “BanG Dream! Girls Band Party!” and “Persona” series (September to October 2021)
  8. Collaboration between “Love Live! School Idol Festival” and “Persona” series (October to November 2021)
  9. Collaboration between “m HOLD’EM” and “Persona 5 Royal” (December 2021)
  10. Collaboration between “War of the Visions: Final Fantasy Brave Exvius” and “Persona 5 Royal” (December 2021 to January 2022)
  11. Collaboration between “Dragon Poker” and “Shin Megami Tensei V” (February 2022)
  12. Collaboration between “Boku & Dragons,” “Neko & Dragons” & “Shin Megami Tensei V” (April 2022)

4 possible options for each, ranging from knowing about the collaboration and having played it to not knowing about the collaboration.

Q46: If a Persona series title was released, would you want to play it? If you would want to play, please select the platform you would want to play on.

The 11 possible choices from Q44 are listed.

For the following titles:

  1. Persona series card game
  2. Persona series online RPG
  3. Persona series new rhythm action game
  4. Persona series new action RPG
  5. Persona series text-based adventure game
  6. Persona series board game
  7. Persona series strategy RPG
  8. Persona series action adventure game
  9. Persona 5 fighting game
  10. Completely new Persona 6

“Action Adventure” was removed as one of the genres in last year’s survey, and has now returned.

Q47: If a Shin Megami Tensei series title was released, would you want to play it? If you would want to play, please select the platform you would want to play on.

The 11 possible choices from Q44 are listed.

The following titles:

  1. “Shin Megami Tensei” series Action Adventure
  2. “Shin Megami Tensei” series card game
  3. “Shin Megami Tensei” series online RPG
  4. “Shin Megami tensei” series rhythm action game
  5. “Shin Megami Tensei” series text adventure
  6. “Shin Megami Tensei” series board game
  7. “Shin Megami Tensei” series strategy RPG
  8. “Shin Megami Tensei” series fighting game
  9. “Shin Megami Tensei” series action RPG

Q48: If remakes (remake of a game with new elements added and improved visuals and controls, etc.) of past Atlus games were released, would you want to play them? If you would want to play, please select the platform you would want to play on.

The 11 possible choices from Q44 are listed.

The following titles:

  1. Etrian Odyssey series remake
  2. Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha series remake
  3. Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers remake
  4. Digital Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner remake
  5. Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse remake
  6. Shin Megami Tensei IV remake
  7. Persona 4 / Persona 4 Golden remake
  8. Persona 3 / Persona 3 FES / Persona 3 Portable remake
  9. Persona 2: Innocent Sin / Persona 2: Eternal Punishment remake
  10. Revelations: Persona remake title

Persona 4 Golden had been listed in the 2020 survey, removed in the 2021 survey, and has been reinstated now.

Q49: If a remake (the existing title with new elements added and improved visuals and controls) of a past game were to be released, what would you place importance on?

There are 10 options:

  1. Low price
  2. Play with the latest hardware
  3. Improved graphical quality
  4. Improved controls.
  5. Add new battle elements
  6. Add a new story (something that was happening at the same time which was not told in the game before the remake)
  7. Add a new story (sequel/events after the game, before the remake)
  8. Add a new story (prequel/events before the game, before the remake)
  9. Addition of new characters
  10. Other

Q50: If ports (am existing title with no new elements added, just being able to play it on different platforms) of past Atlus game were to be released, would you want to play them? Please select all from among the following that you would want to play.

8 possible choices for platforms:

  1. PlayStation 4 / PlayStation 4 Pro
  2. PlayStation 5
  3. Nintendo Switch / Nintendo Switch Lite
  4. Smartphone
  5. Xbox
  6. Steam
  7. Other
  8. I wouldn’t want to play this / not interested

Titles (games that were already released on the above platforms have those platforms removed as options):

  1. Port of “Revelations: Persona”
  2. Port of “Persona 2: Innocent Sin / Eternal Punishment”
  3. Port of “Persona 3,” “Persona 3 FES,” and “Persona 3 Portable”
  4. Port of “Persona 4” and “Persona 4 Golden”
  5. Port of “Persona 5” and “Persona 5 Royal”
  6. Port of “Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne”
  7. Port of “Shin Megami Tensei IV”
  8. Port of “Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse”
  9. Port of “Digital Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner” series
  10. Port of “Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers”
  11. Port of “Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha” series
  12. Port of “Etrian Odyssey” series
  13. Port of “13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim”
  14. Port of “Persona Q” series
  15. Port of “Catherine: Full Body”
  16. Port of “Devil Survivor” series
  17. Port of “Odin Sphere Leifthrasir”
  18. Port of “Dragon’s Crown Pro”

Q51: Apart from the actual game, around how much do you spend per year on game-related merchandise (character merchandise, sound tracks, food at collaboration cafes, etc.)? Please select the one answer that best applies. [NEW QUESTION]

7 options for answers, ranging from $500 or more to $0.

Q52: Please watch the video below, and then write anything you feel about the characters appearing in it, and the content of the video. (Optional) *Please note that the video contains sound.

The video is a unique clip featuring Ringo from Soul Hackers 2 thanking the user for filling out the survey, and giving a response based on previous answers in the survey.

Q53: If you have any comments or requests for Atlus, please write them below. (Optional)