Anzu is one of sixteen finalists in the running for a spot in the upcoming PS3 exclusive.

But those sixteen finalists have some very stiff competition: adult video actress Rio. The 22 year-old thespian is known for her work in blue movies like Rio is a Squirting Young Wife and Let's Have Sex at School.

Other girls in the running include fashion model Maya Mori and curvy pin-up model Chiri Arikawa (NSFW).

SEGA has released promotional pics of all the girls talking into microphones — some of them, like Anzu, decked out in fancy evening wear.

Rio looks like she has the online voting locked up, though. As of August 6, she is leading the pack. Magazine model Mari Komatuzaki (above) is currently in second place. Good for her. Oh, the suspense! It's killing us.

Have a look at the current voting standing.

『龍が如く4 伝説を継ぐもの』キャバ嬢役オーディションのPR動画が更新 [Famitsu]

Finalist Rio is one of the 16 to be in the running for a slot in the game. According to her personal blog, which is linked on the SEGA site, Rio works in the adult industry, starring in titles like Rio is a Squirting Young Wife and Let's Have Sex at School.

The 22 year-old was known as Tina Yuzuki prior to 2007.

While the blog SEGA links is certainly NSFW, the safe-for-work video features Rio talking to the camera in hopes that she is selected. "I can become friendly with anyone," says Rio.

Well, yeah.

Good luck to her and the other finalists!

「龍が如く」次回作 キャバクラ嬢役オーディションWeb一般投票開始！ [SEGA via はちま起稿]

Between May 8 and June 19, there were over 1,500 applicants. Those screened from that pool auditioned at SEGA's headquarters. Groups of 2~3 applicants were interviewed by the game's creators, including Ryu Ga Gotoku designer Toshihiro Nagoshi, in a 30 minute audition.

Besides getting a screen test, the applicants were quizzed by Nagoshi. The girls also had to do line readings of bar girl game dialogue like: "Wooow!", "So mean...", "You're already going home?" and "Hey sweetie, let's sing a duet".

Questions included their current profession, whether or not they have worked as a hostess and for how long, and if they liked karaoke. The ladies were also asked if they played video games and if they were familiar with the Ryu Ga Gotoku franchise. Many of the female applicants were familiar with Ryu Ga Gotoku 3 because fashion models from Koakuma Ageha appeared in the game as hostesses.

"The motivation for these auditions," says Nagoshi, "was to create an opportunity to participate in this title."

セガ、PS3「龍が如く」次回作キャバ嬢役オーディションを公開 名越総合監督「予想以上の内容で採用者を増やしたいと思っている」 [Game Watch]

Starting today, SEGA is accepting nonfiction and fiction hostess club stories from pro and amateur writers via a special website Ryu-Story.com. Stories must be under a thousand Japanese characters.

The best three will be selected with the best, or even all three, appearing in the game with the writer's name appearing in the game's credits. The last day to submit is July 20.

Odd that SEGA has to ask others for hostess bar stories — you'd think Yakuza designer Toshihiro Nagoshi would already have plenty.

In an interview in the upcoming Famitsu, the very tanned Toshihiro Nagoshi reveals the development on another Yakuza title. Nagoshi says that it doesn't mean this is Ryu Ga Gotoku 4, but he wants the game to have the essence of Ryu Ga Gotoku. "For example," the designer says, "If main character Kiryu Kazuma went to outer space or fought zombies, I think fans would accept that and say, 'I get it.'"

He wants to have players wonder what is going to happen in the next Ryu Ga Gotoku. "It's not KENZAN 2," Nagoshi assures. "I want to create a new style of game set in contemporary surroundings." Ryu Ga Gotoku KENZAN! was set in Edo-era Kyoto, but the other titles have been set in modern day Japan. All of the ideas that have been saved up until this point will apparently find their way into this new, more immersive title.

Ryu Ga Gotoku 3 and the previous Yakuza titles had elaborate promotional campaigns. Nagoshi is thinking about how to promote the new title, and one concept he has is called "Everyone Can Participate" to fill out the game's cast. Starting on May 8, SEGA will begin accepting applications for 18 years-old-and-up female night club hostess-type characters. SEGA is also planning to accept applications from males; however, age is not important.

"This title will be a PLAYSTATION 3 game," says Nagoshi. All Yakuza titles have been PlayStation exclusives.

Another pic after the jump.

「龍が如く 見参！」のコラボレーションケータイがソフトバンクより発売中 [IT Media]

In addition, as friend of the site Matt Hawkins was nice enough to tip us off to, two episodes of Retro Game Master will be screened at the event. You may know the series better as Game Center CX, in which host Shinya Arino is tasked with beating games under a time limit. This is similarly a North American debut and will feature Ghosts 'n' Goblins and Mystery of Atlantis.

Matt tells us that he's planning to review a good portion of this stuff in his Cinema Pixeldiso column for GameSetWatch. If you've never read the irregular column, it's all about video game inspired cinema and, furthermore, shame on you.

Like A Dragon & Retro Game Master [Subway Cinema]

Authentic, cinematic sequel. The gritty, genuine portrayal of life in the Yakuza is made more realistic throughout 16 gripping chapters with a return to the original Japanese voice cast and English subtitles.

Bravo, Sega, bravo. The game does a neat job of authentically capturing Osaka's nightlife (above) — though needs more people. Still, it's a PS2 game and quite a nice looking one at that!

Games Yakuza 2 [SEGA via Sega Nerds]

Nagoshi descended from the heavens and touched down in Tokyo recently to sample the signature dish based on the third Yakuza game, known there as Ryu Ga Gotoku KENZAN! Emphasis Sega's. The menu, appearing at a pair of cafes in the Tokyo area, features a trio of drinks that compliment delicious looking meat-on-stick fare and fresh salads.

For more pictures of Nagoshi eating and drinking, hit up Game Watch's coverage of the Ryu Ga Gotoku KENZAN! PR machine in action.

Ryu Ga Gotoku KENZAN! The Restaurant Opening [Game Watch]

Ryu Ga Gotoku Cafes [Game Watch Impress]

Give it up. Give it up for Sega and Yakuza's main man, Toshihiro Nagoshi. Not only does Ryu ga Gotoku Kenzen—to be known as Yakuza 3 outside of Japan, we're guessing—feature extraordinary cleavage, it also features turtle racing. Yes. Turtle racing. Turtle racing that you can wager on. There's some other stuff in here, too, like amazing depth and breadth of detail, pretty graphics and all that crap. But those turtles. My God!

We're thinking of giving Ryu Ga Gotoku 2 an international release.

Nagoshi took the stage earlier this summer with a cancerous coating of bronze to announce a couple of new PLAYSTATION 3 games. They went unnamed at the time, but with Tokyo Game Show just shy of a fortnight away, and eight days on the countdown, it seems the next-gen look at the Yakuza will be right around the corner.

Pity we won't get it over here.

Ryu Ga Gotoku [Official Site]

Sure, we knew that our favorite brown man and Monkey Ball creator, Toshihiro Nagoshi used to write articles for UK gaming mag EGDE in which he discussed important things like boozing.

Things to keep in mind about Nagoshi:

• He always wears white to appear darker.
• 
  
• He does not save his money and lives month-to-month. Yes, he told me this.
• 
  
• In his free time, he enjoys decorating his cell phone.

But a Nagoshi penned book? Now *that* slipped right under our radar! And we look for Nagoshi news. Daily. And yet, we missed this jewel. Back in late 2006, the tanned dude wrote a book titled Game Ya Jinsei ("Game Shop Life"). There are pages, words and everything. In it, Nagoshi talks about his experience and experiences within the industry. It's apparently just his previously written columns for Japanese game mag Game Hihyou put into book form.

To recap: Nagoshi has published a book, and now we must find it. Brian Ashcraft

Nagoshi's Book [Amazon]

For purists, subtitles are better than dubs. Just think how Sega's Yakuza could've been better with the original Ryu Ga Gotoku voice track. Just! Well, leave it to the French to get it right with Naruto. Ubisoft's North American arm is developing Naruto: Rise of a Ninja, but including the original voice actors from the anime. That's right! The French game maker is including a Japanese voice track with English language subtitles. What's more, everything in the game has been approved by the creators of the original series. Well done, Ubisoft. Brian Ashcraft

Naruto To Have Japanese [Xbox Thanks Scazza!]

Sure beats popcorn! Filmmaker Takashi Miike and Ryu Ga Gotoku (AKA "Yakuza") film star Kazuki Kitamura sit in a movie theater with weapons to promote the movie in Kansai Walker. Don't like their adaptation of the Sega PlayStation 2 game, they'll beat you. Then shoot you.

Hit the jump for in-game characters and in-film actor comparisons. Film opens in Japan March 3rd. Brian Ashcraft

The long form trailer can be downloaded here or via the official site that takes ages to load. Michael McWhertor

Ryu Ga Gotoku Official Site [via Twitch]

Back when Ryu Ga Gotoku ("Yakuza") was originally released in Japan, filmmaker Takashi Miike was roped in to make short promotional films, which were eventually cut into a forty-minute flick. The game went to be a smash, spawning a highly successful sequel, the cleverly titled Ryu Ga Gotoku 2.

Sega and Toei Studios teamed up for a feature length adaption, once again with Miike behind the camera and starring Kazuki Kitamura (in the title role), Goro Kishitani, Shun Shioya, Gong Yoo and Saeko. This actually could be an interesting game adaptation as Miike had practice making cinematic versions of the game. And they didn't seem to piss off anyone. What's more, he has made a handful of good films like Audition, Chakushin Ari and Ichi The Killer — Along with his fair share of garbage. So we shall see! Until then, check out the trailer here and pray that a possible international version is not dubbed.

Regular reader quiz: In the photo above, which of those gentleman is Ryu Ga Gotoku game producer Toshihiro Nagoshi? Brian Ashcraft

Ryu Ga Gotoku Movie Hits Japan March 3 [Game Watch Impress]

Sega stuff you can't get from a game you can't play. While Yakuza met a horrible dubbing fate, it's doubtful that Sega will give the game's PS2 sequel (called Ryu Ga Gotoku 2) the same drubbing for an US/Euro release. To get Japanese gamers ready for the title's December 7th domestic release, various stores retailers across the country are holding lottery type events to give away neat freebies like this jacket, which I'd actually wear anywhere except Japan. Brian Ashcraft

Ryu Ga Gotoku 2 Schwag [Insert Credit]