Nov 26, 2016 09:55 AM EST By Christian Pepito, UniversityHerald Reporter

Atlus boss Naoto Hiraoka discussed about "Persona 5's" popularity in Japan and their high expectations for its western release. The game publisher also reveals three more characters in the popular video game.

"Persona 5" a win

Hiraoka told MCV in an exclusive interview that 2016 has been a great year for their company. He said that it was due to the strong performance from different video game titles such as "Persona 5." He also said that they released fewer games this year than 2015, but they had a strong showing of titles with "Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse," "Odin Sphere Leifthrasir," and many more.

Hiraoka proudly said that "Etrian Odyssey V" and "Persona 5" were chart toppers in Japan. He said that this proved that their game company's lineup is as strong as ever.

"Persona 5" western release largest localization project

The Atlus boss revealed that "Persona 5" release for Western audiences is one of the largest localization projects they have done to date. He is confident that the video game will become an essential JRPG title. It was the fastest-selling Atlus game ever when it was released, which sold 437,929 units in just the first two weeks.

"Persona 5" Japanese release obliterated expectations

Hiraoka confessed that they could not imagine how the fans and players would react to "Persona 5" at first. In Japan, the video game exceeded their expectations of it due to its unique style and aesthetic that it appealed to so many people beyond the fanbase. He also believed that working with Sony Japan with the simultaneous release of the PlayStation 4 Slim helped with the distribution to a larger audience.

Atlus has high expectations with "Persona 5's" western release

Hiraoka revealed that Atlus has high expectations for "Persona 5's" release in the West. They feel that it will become a video game that will represent them, not only in Japan, but in the West as well. He assured that everyone from the company is working hard to ensure it sets the gold standard of their localizations.

Atlus reveals three more characters for "Persona 5"

In other "Persona 5" related news, Atlus has revealed three more characters that are involved with the Phantom Thieves. According to the official website of the video game, these characters are the hacker Futaba Sakura, the mysterious thief Haru Okumura, and the Charming Detective Goro Akechi.

Check out the First 20 Minutes of "Persona 5" from TGS 2016 video below:

See Now: Covert Team Inside Newsweek Revealed as Key Players in False Human Trafficking Lawsuit