For a long time, the "Megami Tensei" franchise was not exported to western territories despite there being a recognized market. The original reasons were the heavy religious themes and symbols used, which were considered taboo in western game markets, and Nintendo's strict content guidelines for overseas releases. Later, many of these early works were prevented from coming overseas due to their age, which would have put them at a disadvantage in the modern gaming market. Early entries on the PlayStation were also blocked by Sony of America's then-current approval policies. The first title in the franchise to be localized was "Jack Bros."; the first role-playing game in the franchise to receive an overseas release was the first "Persona" game. This was done to give Atlus' North American branch a flagship RPG franchise that could compete with the likes of "Final Fantasy", "Suikoden" and "Breath of Fire". According to Okada, the naming of creatures and enemies was adjusted from the main series and original Japanese release of "Persona" to make it more acceptable for an overseas audience. Though it managed to establish the franchise overseas, the localization was a taxing task due to a small staff and the need to change multiple aspects to suit a North American audience, including removing references to Japanese culture and changing one character from Japanese to African-American. The first "Persona 2" title, "Innocent Sin", needed to be passed over due to shortage of manpower and the fact that development was focused on the second title, "Eternal Punishment".