Megami Tensei
"Persona" is the largest and most popular spin-off from the "Megami Tensei" series. The first entry in the series, "Megami Ibunroku Persona" (originally released overseas as ""), was released in 1996 in Japan and North America. The first "Persona 2" title, "", was released in 1999 in Japan. The second game, "", was released in 2000 in Japan and North America. "Persona 3" was released in 2006 in Japan, 2007 in North America, and 2008 in Europe. Its sequel, "Persona 4", was released in 2008 in Japan and North America, and in 2009 in Europe. A sixth entry in the series, "Persona 5", was released in Japan on September 15, 2016, and was released in North America and Europe on April 4, 2017, to critical acclaims. In addition to the main "Persona" games are spin-offs, so far focused on "Persona 3" and "4": the canon spin-off "", two fighting games "Persona 4 Arena" and its sequel "Arena Ultimax" as well as the crossover fighting game "", and rhythm game "". While "Persona 3" and "4" used the "Shin Megami Tensei" moniker, it was dropped for the "Persona 4 Arena" duology and "Persona 4 Golden" as it would have made the titles too long to be practical.
Persona (series)
By October 2018, the series had sold about 9.3 million copies worldwide. The first "Persona" was referred to at the time as a sleeper hit, and the success of it and "Eternal Punishment" helped establish both Atlus and "Megami Tensei" in North America. In Europe, the series did not become established prior to the release of "Persona 3" and "4", both of which were highly successful in the region. According to Atlus CEO Naoto Hiraoka, the main turning point for the franchise was the release of "Persona 3", which was a commercial success and brought the series to the attention of the mainstream gaming community. "Persona 4" received an even better reception. The "Persona" series' success has allowed Atlus to build a strong player base outside of Japan, contributing to the success of other games such as "Catherine".