During its industry panel for Anime Boston attendees, Sentai Filmworks confirmed that the company has been able to retain the English dub cast used in the Playstation 2 game for the anime adaptation, which will be a good way for both Atlus and the anime distributor to cross-promote the property with the forthcoming release of Persona 4 Arena. This comes after months of speculation regarding the ability for the company to reunite the entire cast, as Sentai previously stated last year that it was being considered as a possibility that hinged on availability for all actors in their respective roles. In additional news regarding Persona 4 The Animation, while Sentai has confirmed the return of the game’s English dub cast, it has yet to confirm the release pattern and formats for the series, as it apparently needs to gather more information on the streaming numbers in order to gauge which release format and pattern to best release the series on, as the licensor still has yet to decide on home video format and and digital distribution formats for sale.

(via crunchyroll.com)

That’s good, isn’t it? But wait….  http://www.animevice.com/news/questions-swirl-around-persona-4-the-animation-dub/5978/ … the cast didn’t know a thing. I just…. HAHAHAHAHA oh wow. Still, Yuri, please, accept the role! PLEASE!

Famitsu gives us a sneak-peek of PS Vita installement of P4: Golden cover art (which you can preorder now), revealing some package contents for special DX pack as well.

The special pack is supposed to include Marie’s multi-purpose pouch, set of 10 special postcard and set of six A3 size clear posters.

Normal and DX version of the game go on sale June 14th

Atlus released the official trailer of the sequel to Persona 4.

Persona 4: The Ultimate in Mayonaka Arena is a 2D title developed by Arc Systems Works. The game has a Japanese Spring 2012 release for arcades and Summer 2012 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

Bear-sona! Japan’s Famitsu magazine has plenty to reveal in the Shin Megami Tensei Persona series, some expected and some “WTF, I guess that’s cool, but really?”

First is Persona 4 The Golden, a Spring 2012 PS Vita remake of the genre-defining Persona 4 on PS2, which will bring a new character named Mary, new animations, and “wireless support for calling on others to help you when you’re about to die in a dungeon”. I’m not sure what that means, but I imagine that if you’re playing with someone else who’s playing Persona 5 nearby, The Protagonist can be revived by your friend when he’s down for the count (probably by some annoying instant-kill Hama or Mudo spell)

Persona 5 also seems well on its way with all the staff members in place with director Katsura Hasino, character designer Shigenori Soejima, and composer Shouji Meguro.

On the strange side, Arc System Works, known for their furious BlazBlue series, will be turning Persona 4 into a 2D fighter for Xbox 360 and PS3 called Persona 4: The Ultimate in Mayonaka Arena. Also releasing in arcades in Spring 2012 and then for consoles in Summer 2012, it takes place two years after the who-dun-it mystery in Inaba and already features Protagonist, Chie, Yosuke, and Aigis (with their default Persona forms). I expect some along the lines of a cel-shaded Bloody Roar. (Yep, I totally referenced that.)

Amazon is running a special promotion where you can purchase Persona 4 for $26.

Atlus U.S.A., Inc. announced that there will in fact be no enhanced or expanded version of Persona 4 released, as was the case with the game’s predecessor, Persona 3.

“We are today able to announce that at no point in the future will we announce the release of a “FES” version of Persona 4,” said Tim Pivnicny, Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “The very finest, most definitive version of Persona 4 will be the one released on December 9, 2008.”

This groundbreaking preemptive anti-announcement puts to rest concerns among many Atlus devotees that an improved version would be announced and released shortly following the release of Persona 4.

Persona 4 released for the PS2 on December 9, 2008. Each and every copy of the game will include Side A of the Persona 4 soundtrack for free, which features the work of famed composer Shoji Meguro. Fans who pre-order from select retailers will also receive Persona 4: Visual Data, a 100-page, full-color art book loaded with designs from master artist Shigenori Soejima (at GameStop, Amazon.com, EB Games (Canada), Game Crazy, and other fine retailers, while supplies last).

In addition, hardcore fans can pick up the Persona 4 Social Link Expansion Pack (exclusively at Amazon.com), a bundle of rare North American-exclusive goodies unavailable anywhere else, like the Teddie plushie, 2009 Calendar, Side B disc of the P4 soundtrack, and more!