Persona 5 dev blocks PS4 sharing features in the name of storytelling

Atlus has opted to completely block the PlayStation 4’s built-in share features from being used to capture images and video from its upcoming game Persona 5.

While it’s somewhat common for games to either limit or block share features during cutscenes or moments featuring licensed content, it’s rare to see a developer or publisher outright prohibit players from taking screenshots and video.

Easily accessible share features, both on the PlayStation 4 and other systems, can be used to attract more players to a game, but in the case of Persona 5, Atlus is worried it could spoil the game's story.

According to Polygon, Atlus made the call to block the share feature in both Persona 5’s upcoming Western release and the Japanese version that launched last September, citing the game’s status as a story-based single player title.

"This being a Japanese title with solely a single-playthrough story means Japan is very wary about it," an Atlus representative told Polygon. "Sharing is currently blocked through the native PS4 UI."

It's worth noting that this in no way blocks players from using external capture cards to stream or upload gameplay footage or images, but blocking access to the built-in PlayStation 4 feature prevents a chunk of players from sharing in-game moments, and potentially spoiling the game for others, at the touch of a button.