Atlus has revealed that due to an issue surrounding the manufacture of an art book to be included with Persona 3, the title's original July 24th release date will no longer be feasible.

"Presented with the choice of compromising on the quality of the art book, or shipping the game without said extra, we decided to have the art book redone with a higher quality binding, which will cause a very short delay in the ship date of the title," a company representative explained.

The rep went on to say that while all other elements of the game were complete and ready to ship, Atlus was unwilling to abandon the art book, and so while the company will be working to expedite the production process, Persona 3 will be held up for the time being.

Atlus will provide notice when the game is ready to ship, so fans should keep an eye on RPGamer for that information. There will also be media showing the deluxe extras posted on the site for perusal.

EDIT: Atlus has just announced that Persona 3 is now expected to ship on August 14. The new date reflects the necessary time to complete the art book and assemble the final package.