Another pic of Ayana after the jump.

椿姫彩菜｢初めてで緊張｣の 『龍が如く3』記者発表会が開催 [Famitsu]

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]

Yakuza 3 Announced [2chan.net]

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]

I pre-ordered Ryu Ga Gotoku Kenzan! at the Shinjuku Bic Camera in Tokyo as after playing the demo I was really interested in giving the final product a serious playthrough. Today being the release date, I headed over to Bic Camera as soon as I could leave work. I arrived at the store around 7:30pm, got my copy and was told that there were holding a Japanese-style raffle and to take my recipt over to another section of the videogame area.

For those that don't know, a Japanese raffle is a kind of lottery where when it's your turn, you spin a hexangoal box around a few times, and out comes a colored ball to determine your prize. I got the lowest level - a "high quality oil cloth."

The highest reward were fairly large posters for the game, and when I got over there, some guy in a flashy jacket was bent over one of them with a pen in his hand. In case you hadn't guessed, it was indeed the
director, Toshihiro Nagoshi, autographing some of them. I didn't feel right asking for his autograph since he was already making the posters for the winners, but I had the good luck to see that he was on his way out - the poster I had seen him sign was his last.

We rode down the elevator together (with his staff), and then as we got off I worked up the nerve to ask him for his picture. One of his staff was kind enough to offer to hold the camera so I could appear in the picture too...

For a guy as flashily and expensively dressed as he was, he was very nice, and to be honest a bit tired - I think the final push had taken it's toll, as his pants were a bit dirty too.

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]

The UV radiation enthusiast was decked out in the above get up, flanked by two geisha girls in reference to his first unnamed project, one that according to IGN's report is bigger than both Yakuza titles. Nagoshi was even less clear on the second unnamed release, only teasing that an announcement would be forthcoming. Super Monkey Ball Next-Gen maybe? We'll see.

The tanned one also revealed a third game from the Sakura Taisen team, Battlefield Valkyrie also for the PS3. Lots of love for the PS3 today, which should make for an interesting TGS.

PlayStation Premiere: Yakuza Producer Brings Two to PS3 [IGN]

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]

Still, this teaser is Japanese, meaning most of you won't understand the text you're presented with. The nation also has some fascination with tiny screenshots and tiny movies, so don't expect beefy American-sized 720p HD goodness. But it's a nice, brief look at Miike's game-to-film work. Michael McWhertor

Ryu Ga Gotoku: The Movie Official Site [via Twitch]

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]

To get Paris excited for the upcoming Wii title, Ubisoft threw a party filled with French ladies pretending to be Japanese ladies and heavy handed visual puns like red curtains and red lights. Boy, that's subtle. The game and controls have been retooled post E306, and Ubisoft was showing off the near final version of the sword wielding, gun shooting yakuza game. Hack your way over to Jeux-France for images of the festivities and screenshots. Brian Ashcraft

Red Steel Party [Jeux-France, Thanks creamsugar!]

Toshihiro Nagoshi has a stylish cell phone. It's on the table of this white cubicle Sega has set up. And Nagoshi, the Super Monkey Ball producer, is decked out all in white. Whether he is trying to coordinate with the decor or the decor is trying to match him is open for dispute.

"Technology's changed, sure," he says, when I ask him about how the industry is different from when he first joined Sega. "But, when I first started, certain companies were just beginning to focus on certain genres. And now, they've become famous for those types of games."

And could you tells us more about—

Nagoshi's cell phone rings. He picks it up and answers it.

"We should meet up. Swing by and we can talk."

I have forgotten my next question.

Now Nagoshi is talking about technology: "Of course I am interested in technology. If it's only tech, then it's no good. We need something else. But, technology is necessary to continue what we do."

"What do you think of the PS3?" I venture. Sega PR is setting to my left. Very close.

"It's very Sony. Because Sony is interested in technology. Nintendo is more interested in gameplay and interface. And Microsoft's concentrating on network play."

Which console do you prefer?"

Nagoshi is checking an email on his cell phone.

And, yes folks, he's back.

"I really like the Wii. I want to make games for the biggest system, and that's why we're releasing another PS2 game this year. It's the biggest system. But, everything should be platform specific. We shouldn't make multi-platform games. We should make games for the platform."

So what are you interested in? He doesn't really listen to music. Movies, he likes them. Tells me that wildman director Takashi Miike is very polite and well-mannered. Clothes, ah yes, clothes. He likes lots and lots of clothes.

"I don't have any savings," Nagoshi.

Isn't that dangerous?

"Nah, not at all."

He plays around with his clam set phone. "I added all this stones myself. If you pay someone to do it, it would cost 15,000 yen. I did it for 3,000 yen. It only took me all day, too." Bedazzling! Brian Ashcraft

Today is full of videos, for which I apologize. It's just what the feeds doled out last night.

Brand new as of the 14th, this Red Steel trailer is full of the new control scheme, good music (hopefully in-game), and and undoubtedly exaggerated gestures on the part of the "gamer". But this footage gets me stoked about being given more opportunity to play video games in a way that utilizes more than my thumbs.

But check out the totally un-bushido way that the hero stabs that ninja once he's already disarmed. For shame.

The gleaming white mini-katana (I know it has a real name but none of my Japanese-speaking friends are talking to me) in the background hints at a custom wiimote from my dreams. Eliza Gauger

Click here for full-quality version of the above video [IGN]

Just as Yakuza goes on sale in North America for $50, Sony Computer Entertainment announces that the unlocalized version Ryu Ga Gotoku will be part of the "PlayStation 2 the Best" series and go on sale in Japan next month 1,890 yen (US $16). D'oh! Sure the game's not exactly new, but way to make everyone who's now paying full price feel like a chump. Brian Ashcraft

The Other Cheap Titles Here [Sony]

Sega has announced not only a sequel for Ryu Ga Gotoku out this December in Japan, but also a schedule feature film version directed by Takashi Miike (Audition, Ichi the Killer), who also directed the live-action promo flicks for the original title. Known in the West as Yakuza, the game gave players a first-hand tour of the Japanese crime underworld. Sadly, the game was subtitled dubbed in English—ultimately killing some of the buzz around the title. Here's hoping Sega gets it right the second time. Brian Ashcraft

Eds Note: The localized version was not subtilted, but dubbed.

More Here [Eurogamer]

Yakuza (PS2)
Sega's brawler adventure puts you in control of yakuza tough Kiryu Kazuma. Lotsa punching, lotsa swearing.

LocoRoco (PSP)
You are a yellow blob in the happiest game ever! I just wanna pinch its blobby cheeks!

Spy Hunter: Nowhere to Run (PS2, Xbox)
It's like the last Spy Hunter but with The Rock. Whatever happened to that movie anyway, Rock?

Test Drive Unlimited (Xbox 360)
Pretty looking driving game that takes you all over Hawaii.

Xbox Live Arcade Unplugged Vol. 1 (Xbox 360)
Play those great Live Arcade games (like Geometry Wars) without an internet connection.

You kids snapping up anything this week?

Outstanding news for me, Red Steel, and anyone who wanted a little blood spray on their Wii: German games site Nintendo-Lan says that Ubisoft told them swordplay will be realtime and realfeel, and furthermore that there will be NO LOAD TIMES.

Mordrag: Hi, in your interview with Ubisoft you could ask how the swordfighting is going to work now, because it was announced to be redesigned. So that the swordmoves aren't predetermined any more but are converted 1:1.

N-LAN: That's the case indeed. The developer has confirmed that the control scheme will be completely redesigned so that the controller moves are converted into the game precisely. Besides the controller sensitivity will be completely adjustable in the final version. And the graphics were improved very well since E3, now the atmosphere is darker and thrilling. But that's not all, there will be even more improvements on the graphics side.

Mordrag: Furthermore you could ask Ubisoft if there are any loading times in Red Steel or in other games on the Wii.

N-LAN: In Red Steel there will be no loading times at all because of smart streaming techniques. How it's handled in other Wii games we can't say at the moment. But it's a fact that Mario Strikers Charged will have loading times similar to the Gamecube version of the game.

This is excellent. A darker, more hackyslashy Nintendo awaits us on the Wii. I heard Frodo complaining today on the Weekly Geek that he was worried about his poor little girly arms getting tired out by all that slicing in the new Zelda.

I'd like to state for the record that Frodo is a pussy, and that if Red Steel has any multiplayer, I'm going to slice his face with big, arm-tiring sweeps of my wiikatana. Eliza "Cherry blossoms in snow" Gauger

More here [Cubed3, via Digg]

To promote Sega's crime blockbuster Ryu Ga Gotoku (retitled "Yakuza"), Osaka-born filmmaker Takashi Miike (Ichi the Killer, Audition) was roped into create a short 40-minute "prequel" that was sold in Japan. The film's been broken up into four segments and is airing on Sega Europe's Yakuza site. The movie is subtitled, leaving me still puzzled why the game is not. The game, in all its dubbed glory, drops September 5th. Brian Ashcraft

Watch Here[Sega Europe] via Siliconera

Game site Firing Squad cornered Red Steel producer Marie-Sol Beaudry. The game is about an American, who meets his fiancee's father for the first time and discovers he is a yakuza boss. The hero's girl is kidnapped during an attack on the father. Beaudry explains the game's story:

At first you will have to face the Los Angeles incident in the Japanese restaurant, when your girl is kidnapped. This means you have to assume the consequences: you'll have to escape with your step father; begin to inquiry about your girl's disappearance. Once in Japan, you have to find allies among the Yakuza clans and learn new fighting techniques.

Now, if this were real, the hero would spend most of the game flipping through an English-Japanese dictionary or gesticulating to communicate with the yakuza, before giving up and contacting the local embassy. Good thing it's not. Brian Ashcraft

More Here [Firing Squad]

Fortunately, the gameplay and unique setting still let Yakuza stand out, it's just a shame that, based on the first taste of English dubs, we'll be unnecessarily cringing at every other line.

Warning: NSFW language and kind of a bummer. Michael McWhertor

Yakuza Game Intro [GameTrailers]

Game site Kikizo has an amazing interview with Toshihiro "Coppertone" Nagoshi,—amazing because the cooler than cool Nagoshi showed up and said something. Anything. While the Monkey Ball creator and Yakuza director might be a Snickers bar personified (brown, chewy and nutty as hell), the dude offers up loads of thoughtful insights:

All games don't need to be created as they are derived from the limited motifs, such as the military, fantasy, and licensed IPs. We need to prove that we have broader and freer options to choose a genre from, and break down, the fixed ideas.

...and...

In one sense, it's great that the consoles are generating a lot of buzz [at E3]. But in another sense, I'm a little bit sad that there's not more buzz about the games, because, you know, it's a game show, so it should be about the software as well.

That, of course, is contrasted with this:

I referred to the famous amusement areas in Tokyo and got some ideas from them [for Yakuza]. I really enjoyed researching the amusement areas, since I like drinking.

Tanning oil, too. Brian Ashcraft

More Here [Kikizo]

Sega's stayed true to its insanity and is moving forward with its dub of Ryu Ga Gotoku (US title: Yakuza). The game was made by Toshihiro "I Love Tanning Salons" Nagoshi and features some crackling Yak dialogue. That of course is going to be replaced with tough-sound American English. Scary!

Here's a clip from the Sega release:

Yakuza, scripted by noted Japanese novelist Hase Seishu, features an intricate storyline driven by loyalty, honor, and revenge. The seasoned Hollywood cast will bring the widely varied characters to life with both subtle and impassioned performances. Adding his signature voice to the cast, Michael Madsen (Reservoir Dogs, Sin City) plays Shimano, a physically imposing Yakuza boss who relies on brutality to achieve his selfish goals; Michael Rosenbaum (Smallville) voices Nishiki, a ruthless Yakuza member who has turned against his childhood friend, Kazuma, out of bitter jealousy; Eliza Dushku, (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Bring It On) voices Yumi, who grew up with Nishiki and Kazuma in an orphanage, and is at the center of the mystery; Rachel Leigh Cook (She's All That) plays Reina, owner of the Serena hostess bar, whose secret love leads her down a road of betrayal; and Mark Hamill (Star Wars, Batman: New Times) voices the insane Majima, a violent Yakuza boss with a twisted sense of honor.

Yakuza speak a very different kind of Japanese, complete with tough rolling and guttural sounds. It's not easy on the ears, but that's the point. It's a weapon that Sega is robbing these characters of. Why is this game even called Yakuza? "Gangster" is more like it. Brian Ashcraft

More Here [Firing Squad]

Frame Zero: IGN interview, dated May 30th, 2001. So full of light and laughter. This man knows only of monkeys and balls.

Frame One: F-Zero GX-era Nagoshi.

Frame Two: Got-Next interview, dated December 21, 2004. The endarkening has begun.

Frame Three: The Kikizo interview, dated October 31st, 2005. Chin scruff awakes, as does the knowledge of the hard-boiled road ahead in his eyes.

Frame Four: Nagoshi's own 1up page displays this presumably self-selected picture, documenting his aim to become Sega's first game-producing hybrid of Ursula Andress and Grace Jones.

Frame Five: Finally, a picture taken by Kotaku's own Mike "Michael" McWhertor, highlighting Nagoshi's complete transformation into a yakuza-inspired "method" game producer. We've slather the contents of an entire case of indelible markers over our body in tribute. Joel Johnson

The biggest mystery at E3, the thing that got everyone talking was not the Wii or the PS3. Rather, it was what the hell happened to Toshihiro Nagoshi's skin. Somewhere between bringing us classics like Super Monkey Ball and Ryu Ga Gotoku (Yakuza), the acclaimed designer got locked in a tanning booth. In the center of the Earth. For years.

Everyone's worried about Nagoshi getting skin cancer or worse yet, being mistaken for a leather coat at Takeshimiya. So what gives? We're all huge fans and dying to know! Game site SPOnG (gawd bless 'em) found out in an interview with Lumines luminary and Q Entertainment honcho Tetsuya Mizuguchi:

SPOnG: Who are you still in contact with at Sega?

Mizuguchi: Ah, Many people! Hisao Oguchi, the president of Sega, sometimes we have dinner or go out for lunch.

SPOnG: Are you friends with Toshihiro Nagoshi?

Mizuguchi: Yes, very good friends.

SPOnG: Have you noticed his image change?

[Whole room, Miz, other Q staffers, outsourced PR people, all laugh out loud]

Screw talking about Lumines 2, this is way more interesting! More ballsy interviewing after the jump.

SPOnG: We ask because the last time we met him was with you, at the VIP Sega evening. He was dressed normally, had kind of straggly hair, looked a bit hungover... We've seen him recently and he's really skinny and his skin colour is golden! The most incredible tan we've ever seen ever. Do you have any background on his image change?

Mizuguchi: I feel very, erm... negatively about this...

[Everyone now in hysterics]

SPOnG: Were you surprised?

Mizuguchi: Oh yeah! But, you know, he's a very good guy! But I told him, 'I think this is not good!". I think he knows. He made the Yakuza game, and he set his mind into the game.

SPOnG: So, he's dressed like he's Yakuza?

Mizuguchi: Yes, I think so.

Ah, so Nagoshi's like a "method actor" in the vein of Brando or DeNiro. Take back every snide remark, this man is creating art! Brian Ashcraft

Full Interview [SPOnG]

At the Nintendo party earlier this week, I pulled aside Sega's Toshihiro Nagoshi (Super Monkey Ball) to talk about Yakuza's English dub. Titled Ryu ga Gotoku in Japanese, the game is one of the biggest budgeted ever and cost a cool 21 million US dollars. The game examined yakuza culture in great detail and paid close attention to the language, vocabulary and delivery Japanese gangsters use while speaking. Sega has decided to give the title an English language track, instead of subtitling the game.

"I think it's okay," Nagoshi said. "They've been taking the time to do it."

"But the language the yakuza use is so important," I replied.

"It is."

"It really helps you enter and understand that world. Don't you think it's a little strange to hear yakuza speak English?"

"It is a little strange, but people do this all the time with movies and books."

Yakuza gameplay footage straight from the Sony booth.

No beer bottles, bicycles, lead pipes, or baseball bats, but what we do have (our fists) gets the job done just fine. The controls were intuitive, and the violence satisfying—especially getting beaten by a guy wielding a we-don't-know-what-the-fuck. Watch the short video to get a glimpse of what Japanese on Japanese brutality looks like.

If you feel like you've been emasculated by this week's Wii announcement, Sega has a testosterone injection for you in the form of the new English version Yakuza trailer. Formerly known as Ryu Ga Gotoku, the action-adventure, beat-em-up will be coming stateside in September of this year.

My sources say that despite the Japanese voice work shown in the trailer, the Japanese gangsters located in Japan will in fact speak English (not Japanese) after the game gets the full dubbing treatment.

Sega has also updated the official Yakuza site with new screens, game info, and alternate versions of the trailer.

Yakuza Official Site

Round two of the Yakuza screenshots hit today. These screens shows "interactive street arenas that allow you to pick up almost any item to use as a weapon against oponents including beer bottles, bicycles, lead pipes, baseball bats, street signs, etc. Using your fists and numerous fighting combos, take your enemies out in a brand new fighting engine that requires you to block and sway to avoid punches, while maximizing the Heat Gauge to perform finishing moves."

Those wacky Japanese gangsters and there bicycle weapons, when will they learn?