Catherine gives Atlus its 'largest launch' ever

Atlus is known for localizing and publishing niche games for the US market. However, it may have found a big hit on its hands with the recently-released Catherine. The mature themes of relationship/puzzle game seem to have spoken with a large audience, with Atlus boasting it as "the largest launch in the 20-year history of Atlus."

And who could possibly resist the charms of a special edition package that includes underwear?

"Catherine has exceeded our highest expectations," Tim Pivnicny, VP of Sales and Marketing at Atlus told IGN. "It released last week to tremendous critical acclaim and fan response... and continues to see strong sales at retail."

Atlus wouldn't disclose numbers, but a previous report suggested that Atlus projected to sell about 150,000 copies of Catherine. We'll have to see if the game charts the NPDs and makes its not-so-lofty goals.

Atlus promoted Catherine heavily at E3, sponsoring the show's badges

[Image from Siliconera]