Summary
Persona 5: The Phantom Xis different from previousPersonagames in multiple ways. For starters, it’s the first game in the series that Atlus isn’t directly developing. While the Japanese company has worked on selectPersonatitles with external studios like Arc System Works and Omega Force in the past, this upcomingPersona 5spin-off is primarily being helmed by Chinese developer Black Wings Game Studio instead, with Atlus merely taking a supervisor role for the project. Furthermore,Persona 5: The Phantom Xis also the only game in the series not to launch in Japan on day-one, since the title is currently only available in China, Taiwan, and South Korea. Most notably of all, however, is the fact thatP5Xis thePersonafranchise’s first attempt at adopting a live service business model.
As a free-to-play GAAS title,Persona 5: The Phantom Xis already different enough as-is from what people have come to expect from the franchise, but the title has the opportunity to distinguish itself fromthe mainlinePersonagameseven further by placing a heavy emphasis on crossovers. Thanks to being a gacha title, this spin-off has a lot of potential to take advantage of cross-IP collaborations, unlike the mainline entries in the series. While the mobile game trappings ofP5Xmay not appeal to everyPersonafan, titles like this can still draw the attention of wider audiences due to the fact that they’re available on platforms with very large install bases. Additionally, crossovers with major franchises often prove to be very successful for similar games in the gacha genre.
Persona 5: The Phantom X Should Embrace Its High Crossover Potential
Crossovers Are Very Prevalant in Mobile Games and GAAS Titles
In recent years, crossovers have become a defining trait of mobile games and live service titles, such asFortnite,Call of Duty Mobile,Dead by Daylight,Among Us,Arknights, and many more. These collaborations typically come in the form of skins or other paid cosmetics and even new, playable characters. Regardless of what form they come in, though,crossovers in mobile gamescan often generate bucketloads of money via microtransactions depending on the IP they pertain to.
The Mainline Persona Games Aren’t Known For Having Tons of Crossovers
When it comes tosingleplayer console gameslike the mainlinePersonatitles, though, cross-IP collaborations aren’t nearly as prevalent because they aren’t easily monetizable. In most cases, publishers typically charge for crossover skins, but since AAA singleplayer games already cost $60-70 on their own, players are less likely to spend additional money on microtransactions. This is wherePersona 5: The Phantom Xcomes in. Thanks to it being a free-to-play gacha game that already employs monetization schemes suitable for the distribution of paid skins,P5Xhas more potential than any other game in thePersonaseries in regards to crossovers.
There Are Many Franchises that Persona 5: The Phantom X Could Collaborate With
So far, Atlus has already confirmed thatPersona 5: The Phantom Xwill have collaborations with otherPersonagames in the near future, namelyPersona 5 Royal,Persona 4 Golden, andPersona 3 Reload, in that order. However, crossovers like these aren’t anything new, as previousPersonagames have regularly featured paid cosmetics based off of other titles in the franchise. The real potential here is not from collaborations with fellow Atlus titles, but rather crossovers with other, unrelated franchises, likethe game series owned by Sega. Characters fromBayonetta,Sonic,Like a Dragon, and evenSpace Channel 5would make great additions toPersona 5: The Phantom X. Atlus could even take things a step further by collaborating with third-party franchises, likeFinal Fantasy,Kingdom Hearts, andMonster Hunter.
WhenPersona 5: The Phantom Xeventually releases in the west, it could end up being a major hit and one of the more profitable games in the persona series if Sega and Atlus play their cards right.P5Xcould not only introduce thePersonafranchise to the larger, more casual gaming market, but collaborations with other franchises could elevate the popularity of the series even further.
Persona 5 Royal
WHERE TO PLAY
Don the mask and join the Phantom Thieves of Hearts as they stage grand heists, infiltrate the minds of the corrupt, and make them change their ways! Prepare for the award-winning RPG experience in this definitive edition of Persona 5 Royal, featuring a treasure trove of downloadable content included!Forced to transfer to a high school in Tokyo, the protagonist has a strange dream. “You truly are a prisoner of fate. In the near future, ruin awaits you.” With the goal of “rehabilitation” looming overhead, he must save others from distorted desires by donning the mask of a Phantom Thief.Explore Tokyo, unlock Personas, customize your own personal Thieves Den, experience alternate endings, and more. Become the ultimate Phantom Thief and defy conventions, discover the power within, and fight for justice in the definitive version of Persona 5 Royal.
