Yakuza series

[fisher007]

I`m a biggggggggggg fan of the Ryu ga gotoku games (yakuza)..Here my collection

[Riku Rose]

The thing I love most about Yakuza is the story. I can't see why people would import the game when they can't speak Japenese.

[Vyse Hazuky]

You can get by more or less with a FAQ (and they are avaiable).

However, I do not enjoy the story as much as the environment and depiction of modern Japan.

The one thing I'm most buzzed about when I finally play Yakuza 3 is that the camera in 3rd person and the ability to also put it in 1st person (akin to Shenmue) coupled with those excelent graphics will give a much more richer insight into this well-crafted world, like the first two couldn't.

But, like Shenmue, it was never about the story, never about the combat... it's all about world immersion and details.

[ThyDarkAngel]

For me it was always about the whole pack, but story, ambience and immersion above anything else. Shenmue puts you in that world and that story and makes you feel them like no other game.

Yakuza has a very good story, right from the start, but a very different one (also very different environment and feel) when comparing it to Shenmue's.

Shenmue is deeper and more detailed and immersive, and the story, the way it goes, what it says to you and makes you feel pleases me and marvels me much more than the Yakuza's.
With Yakuza's exceling itself in what it proposes to do, I hasten do add.

Save from some similarities, Yakuza' story and ambience is more 'spetacular' and Shenmue's more 'poetic'.
They complement each other to a point, and are some of Sega's greatest opus.

It would be a thing to behold having both sharing the spotlight.

[AnimeGamer183]

I have a PS3, but still havent not even completed the first Yakuza (though I own it now), I am glad this finally got announced as I enjoyed the small amount of time playing the first game. But I am going to have to wait to buy 3, it might be quite some time before I play 3 actually.

If I remember correctly it is neccesary to have played the original games cause the stories coincide right?

[Riku Rose]

^Yeah alot of story carries on.

[Riku Rose]

Please no.

Sega made a lot of PS3 owners very happy late in 2009 when they announced that Yakuza 3 would finally be making the leap across the pond from Japan to North America and Europe. Sega originally had no plans to bring the title over, but fan response encouraged them to do so. However, in a move presumably to keep the localization costs low, Sega did specify that the game would feature the original Japanese voice overs with English subtitles.

Something must has changed over at Sega, though, as Sega of America studio director Constantine Hantzopoulos has seemingly confirmed the North American/European localization will have English voice overs. Speaking on the latest 4 Guys 1 Up podcast, Constantine talks extensively about the costs of bringing the game over, including hiring voice actors.

"The bulk of the cost is actually the [voice overs]," said Constantine, in regards to how much Sega is spending to bring the game over. "A lot of lines in [Yakuza 3] so obviously the more expensive it gets, you wanna land the right actors, voice the right parts."

"Whenever Sega brings a game over [to the US] and makes the investment, the heavy investment, into localization, we're talking over 500, 600, 700K to localize this game. Lot of voices, lot of different peeps, lot of different characters."

When asked about which voice actors will be featured in Yakuza 3, Constantine simply said they hadn't announced anything yet.

Yakuza 3 is due out in March 2010.

http://www.ps3center.net/news/4221/yaku ... -afterall/

I really wish they didn't. Atleast if it was cheap to bring over rather then about one million we would have more chance of the forth coming over. I don't think it will sell well and with SEGA spending more money it ain't helping the series in any way.

[Crimson Ryan]

Could be a blessing in disguise, if they realise they need the right actors for the right parts, hopefully we can avoid a big travesty like Yakuza 1. I've not played it but I've heard they were pretty bad (John Travolta starred or something?) And with Blu-Ray's storage space, there's always a chance both languages could be included, even though both Konami and Square decided against it in the same situation..

[Riku Rose]

^I didn't think the first one was that bad from memory. And I'm sure that John Travolta wern't in it but Mark Hamill was.

[OL]

...

Goddammit all.
They want to give it english voices, after the announcement that it would retain the japanese voices went over so well?

Fuck you, Sega.

Seriously, a crap move like that will hurt the game for me. This is THE game I was looking forward to, and now they want to make it cheesy and inauthentic by dubbing over the already great original voices?
You know, for years people have been up in arms against Sega around here for not bringing out Shenmue 3, but I was always sort of middle ground about it. I didn't hate Sega with the same passion as some people around here over something so financially nonviable. That's stupid.
But this?
This is a good fucking reason to hate Sega. They give you something to be happy about, then pull the rug out from under you by saying they're gonna release a partially neutered version (which will, ironically, cost them more money).
Yeah, maybe there'll be a dual-language option (and there's no reason there shouldn't be, what with the fucking size of a blu-ray disc). But somehow I doubt it. Sega aren't like some of these smaller companies like Atlus or Xseed. They don't see the value in authenticity.

Well I'm pissed now.
Fucking stupid Sega.

[Bluecast]

It's all the Japanese mafia's fault!!!!!!!!!111

CEO of SEGA IS YAKUZA!!!!!!!!!! HERE READ THIS!!!!!1

SEGA MAFIA!

[Kenny]

I still haven't played the first one. I have no anticipation or expectation whatsoever.

In fact this post only exists for a +1.

[AnimeGamer183]

segas decision making skills are among the poorest in games. Yakuza 3 was a very high profile release in japan, they need treat it the same way in the US, if its going to be successful. Localizing it merely as a fan service is retarded and very poor business skills, atleast try to appeal it to more people than just the already established fans that asked for it. I hope this game gets the marketing and promotion it needs and deserves and probably will not get.

[Crimson Ryan]

I tipped off Sega Nerds

[ThyDarkAngel]

It's Sega fearing that a game so good and so wanted because it's very niponic ends of being too japanese... A dumb paradox.
If they do it well enough...
Let's hope they use the storage capacity of the Blu Ray to include both languages.

What's TRULY stupid if you ask me, is that Sega was reticent to release this game on the west based on budget/profit issues and is now spending a lot of money in the dubbing. Again... Paradox.