It is the fourth installment in the Persona series, which is part of the larger Megami Tensei franchise. The game was originally released by Atlus for the PlayStation 2 in Japan in July 2006; the North American release of the game was delayed until 2007 due to issues with the publication of the official art book. Persona 3 FES, a director's cut version containing a new playable epilogue among other changes, was released in Japan in 2007 and worldwide the following year.