<s>
Persona	B-Application
4	I-Application
Arena	I-Application
is	O
a	O
fighting	O
video	O
game	O
co-developed	O
by	O
Atlus	O
and	O
Arc	O
System	O
Works	O
for	O
arcades	O
,	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
,	O
and	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
;	O
the	O
game	O
is	O
a	O
spin-off	O
from	O
the	O
Persona	O
series	O
,	O
itself	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
larger	O
Megami	B-Application
Tensei	I-Application
franchise	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Persona	B-Application
4	I-Application
Arena	I-Application
is	O
set	O
two	O
months	O
after	O
the	O
events	O
of	O
Persona	B-Application
4	I-Application
,	O
and	O
two	O
years	O
after	O
its	O
predecessor	O
Persona	B-Application
3	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Investigation	O
Team	O
of	O
Persona	B-Application
4	I-Application
is	O
drawn	O
into	O
a	O
new	O
mystery	O
involving	O
the	O
P-1	O
Grand	O
Prix	O
,	O
a	O
fighting	O
tournament	O
within	O
the	O
Midnight	O
Channel	O
dimension	O
that	O
pits	O
the	O
Investigation	O
Team	O
against	O
the	O
Shadow	O
Operatives	O
,	O
a	O
group	O
formed	O
by	O
the	O
surviving	O
SEES	O
of	O
Persona	B-Application
3	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
story	O
is	O
directly	O
continued	O
with	O
Persona	B-Application
4	I-Application
Arena	I-Application
Ultimax	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Persona	B-Application
4	I-Application
Arena	I-Application
was	O
the	O
first	O
title	O
in	O
the	O
Persona	O
series	O
outside	O
the	O
role-playing	O
genre	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Development	O
of	O
Arena	O
began	O
in	O
2010	O
after	O
Atlus	O
approached	O
the	O
company	O
to	O
collaborate	O
on	O
a	O
fighting	O
game	O
based	O
on	O
Persona	B-Application
4	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
success	O
of	O
Arena	O
and	O
its	O
sequel	O
prompted	O
the	O
development	O
of	O
further	O
spin-off	O
titles	O
,	O
including	O
Persona	B-Application
Q	I-Application
:	I-Application
Shadow	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Labyrinth	I-Application
and	O
Persona	B-Application
4	I-Application
:	I-Application
Dancing	I-Application
All	I-Application
Night	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Persona	B-Application
4	I-Application
Arena	I-Application
is	O
a	O
fighting	O
video	O
game	O
in	O
which	O
players	O
take	O
the	O
role	O
of	O
13	O
characters	O
from	O
Persona	B-Application
4	I-Application
and	O
its	O
predecessor	O
Persona	B-Application
3	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Persona	B-Application
4	I-Application
Arena	I-Application
takes	O
place	O
in	O
the	O
Persona	O
universe	O
,	O
revolving	O
around	O
groups	O
of	O
people	O
who	O
harness	O
Personas	O
—	O
physical	O
manifestations	O
of	O
their	O
inner	O
psyche	O
—	O
and	O
use	O
them	O
to	O
fight	O
rogue	O
psyches	O
born	O
from	O
humanity	O
's	O
collective	O
unconsciousness	O
called	O
Shadows	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Arena	O
is	O
set	O
two	O
months	O
after	O
the	O
events	O
of	O
Persona	B-Application
4	I-Application
,	O
and	O
three	O
years	O
after	O
its	O
predecessor	O
Persona	B-Application
3	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
location	O
is	O
the	O
rural	O
town	O
of	O
Inaba	O
,	O
the	O
main	O
setting	O
of	O
Persona	B-Application
4	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
story	O
is	O
split	O
into	O
two	O
parallel	O
narratives	O
following	O
the	O
Investigation	O
Team	O
of	O
Persona	B-Application
4	I-Application
(	O
Yu	O
Narukami	O
,	O
Yosuke	O
Hanamura	O
,	O
Chie	O
Satonaka	O
,	O
Yukiko	O
Amagi	O
,	O
Kanji	O
Tatsumi	O
,	O
Rise	O
Kujikawa	O
,	O
Naoto	O
Shirogane	O
,	O
and	O
Teddie	O
)	O
,	O
a	O
group	O
of	O
friends	O
who	O
investigated	O
a	O
serial	O
murder	O
case	O
involving	O
the	O
TV	O
World	O
;	O
and	O
the	O
Shadow	O
Operatives	O
(	O
Aigis	O
,	O
Mitsuru	O
Kirijo	O
,	O
and	O
Akihiko	O
Sanada	O
)	O
,	O
a	O
covert	O
group	O
formed	O
by	O
former	O
SEES	O
members	O
from	O
Persona	B-Application
3	I-Application
to	O
fight	O
Shadows	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
main	O
protagonists	O
of	O
Persona	B-Application
4	I-Application
Arena	I-Application
are	O
Persona	B-Application
4	I-Application
protagonist	O
Yu	O
Narukami	O
—	O
a	O
character	O
blessed	O
with	O
the	O
"	O
Wild	O
Card	O
"	O
power	O
to	O
summon	O
multiple	O
Personas	O
;	O
and	O
new	O
character	O
Labrys	O
,	O
an	O
Anti-Shadow	O
weapon	O
used	O
by	O
the	O
Shadow	O
Operatives	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Meanwhile	O
,	O
former	O
members	O
of	O
SEES	O
,	O
Mitsuru	O
Kirijo	O
,	O
Akihiko	O
Senada	O
,	O
and	O
Aigis	O
,	O
now	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
Shadow	O
Operatives	O
(	O
an	O
organization	O
formed	O
after	O
the	O
events	O
of	O
Persona	B-Application
3	I-Application
FES	O
that	O
battles	O
Shadows	O
)	O
,	O
track	O
one	O
of	O
their	O
Anti-Shadow	O
weapons	O
,	O
Labrys	O
,	O
that	O
went	O
missing	O
when	O
Mitsuru	O
's	O
plane	O
was	O
hijacked	O
,	O
to	O
Yasoinaba	O
and	O
enter	O
the	O
TV	O
World	O
;	O
they	O
are	O
joined	O
by	O
Naoto	O
,	O
who	O
is	O
in	O
close	O
pursuit	O
,	O
having	O
been	O
hired	O
by	O
public	O
safety	O
to	O
spy	O
on	O
the	O
Kirijo	O
group	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
team	O
chose	O
to	O
contact	O
Arc	O
System	O
Works	O
,	O
developers	O
of	O
the	O
BlazBlue	B-Application
fighting	O
game	O
series	O
,	O
due	O
to	O
their	O
similar	O
work	O
ethics	O
and	O
proficiency	O
in	O
developing	O
for	O
the	O
fighting	O
genre	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
opening	O
theme	O
was	O
performed	O
by	O
Yumi	O
Kawamura	O
,	O
the	O
vocalist	O
of	O
Persona	B-Application
3	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
story	O
was	O
designed	O
from	O
the	O
outset	O
as	O
a	O
canonical	O
sequel	O
to	O
Persona	B-Application
4	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
character	O
of	O
Labrys	O
was	O
originally	O
mentioned	O
in	O
an	O
earlier	O
Persona	B-Application
3	I-Application
audio	O
drama	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
She	O
had	O
previously	O
worked	O
on	O
supporting	O
artwork	O
for	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
Megami	B-Application
Tensei	I-Application
titles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
studio	O
were	O
brought	O
in	O
after	O
their	O
work	O
on	O
the	O
opening	O
of	O
Persona	B-Application
4	I-Application
Golden	O
,	O
which	O
impressed	O
Atlus	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
opening	O
was	O
designed	O
to	O
have	O
a	O
different	O
tone	O
to	O
the	O
opening	O
of	O
Persona	B-Application
4	I-Application
Golden	O
,	O
as	O
Arena	O
was	O
a	O
different	O
genre	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Persona	B-Application
4	I-Application
Arena	I-Application
was	O
first	O
announced	O
in	O
August	O
2011	O
alongside	O
Persona	B-Application
4	I-Application
Golden	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
arcade	O
version	O
was	O
set	O
for	O
release	O
first	O
in	O
2012	O
,	O
with	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
and	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
versions	O
following	O
the	O
same	O
year	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
Taito	B-Application
Type	I-Application
X2	I-Application
arcade	O
models	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
also	O
dropped	O
the	O
"	O
Shin	O
Megami	B-Application
Tensei	I-Application
"	O
moniker	O
used	O
for	O
Persona	B-Application
4	I-Application
and	O
other	O
Megami	B-Application
Tensei	I-Application
titles	O
as	O
it	O
made	O
the	O
title	O
too	O
long	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Operating_System
PS3	I-Operating_System
version	O
was	O
region	O
locked	O
,	O
the	O
second	O
game	O
for	O
the	O
console	O
to	O
have	O
this	O
feature	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Operating_System
PS3	I-Operating_System
version	O
was	O
delisted	O
by	O
Sony	O
at	O
Zen	O
United	O
's	O
request	O
when	O
digital	O
publishing	O
rights	O
were	O
returned	O
to	O
Atlus	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Game	O
Informers	O
Jason	O
Oestreicher	O
said	O
that	O
the	O
story	O
would	O
be	O
a	O
"	O
treat	O
"	O
for	O
fans	O
of	O
Persona	B-Application
3	I-Application
and	O
Persona	B-Application
4	I-Application
,	O
Eurogamers	O
Matt	O
Edwards	O
favourably	O
compared	O
the	O
writing	O
to	O
the	O
mainline	O
Persona	O
games	O
despite	O
noting	O
its	O
slow	O
pace	O
,	O
and	O
Edge	O
positively	O
noted	O
the	O
story	O
mode	O
's	O
use	O
of	O
the	O
thirteen-character	O
roster	O
and	O
its	O
alternate	O
interweaving	O
paths	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
GamesRadars	O
Lucas	O
Sullivan	O
enjoyed	O
the	O
extensive	O
narrative	O
,	O
but	O
noted	O
that	O
those	O
who	O
had	O
not	O
played	O
Persona	B-Application
4	I-Application
would	O
be	O
spoiled	O
on	O
story	O
events	O
by	O
the	O
narrative	O
of	O
Arena	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
North	O
American	O
360	B-Operating_System
version	O
was	O
criticised	O
by	O
multiple	O
Western	O
outlets	O
due	O
to	O
performance	O
issues	O
in	O
the	O
online	O
mode	O
prior	O
to	O
a	O
patch	O
released	O
by	O
Atlus	O
to	O
address	O
the	O
issue	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
its	O
debut	O
week	O
,	O
the	B-Operating_System
PS3	I-Operating_System
version	O
of	O
Arena	O
reached	O
second	O
place	O
in	O
gaming	O
charts	O
,	O
with	O
sales	O
of	O
128,485	O
units	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
360	B-Operating_System
version	O
also	O
reached	O
the	O
charts	O
in	O
eighteenth	O
place	O
,	O
with	O
sales	O
of	O
over	O
9,800	O
units	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
Media	O
Create	O
's	O
2013	O
summary	O
of	O
2012	O
game	O
sales	O
,	O
the	B-Operating_System
PS3	I-Operating_System
version	O
had	O
sold	O
over	O
192,700	O
units	O
,	O
while	O
the	O
360	B-Operating_System
version	O
sold	O
nearly	O
13,000	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Titled	O
Persona	B-Application
4	I-Application
Arena	I-Application
Ultimax	I-Application
,	O
the	O
version	O
released	O
for	O
Japanese	O
arcades	O
in	O
2013	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
published	O
worldwide	O
for	O
PS3	B-Operating_System
and	O
360	B-Operating_System
in	O
2014	O
by	O
Atlus	O
and	O
Sega	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
success	O
of	O
Persona	B-Application
4	I-Application
Arena	I-Application
prompted	O
Atlus	O
to	O
expand	O
the	O
Persona	O
series	O
with	O
further	O
spin-off	O
titles	O
;	O
these	O
included	O
the	O
dungeon	O
crawler	O
Persona	B-Application
Q	I-Application
:	I-Application
Shadow	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Labyrinth	I-Application
in	O
2013	O
and	O
the	O
rhythm	O
game	O
Persona	B-Application
4	I-Application
:	I-Application
Dancing	I-Application
All	I-Application
Night	I-Application
in	O
2014	O
.	O
</s>
