And it’s covered in stickers. Because Japanese gangsters just love stickers?
Project K is the newest entry in SEGA’s Japanese crime franchise known as Yakuza. Unlike previous titles, it will not be a home console game. It is also getting a new protagonist.
Ryu Ga Gotoku is a solid game with great voice acting. With the game was localised for the West, SEGA made the mistake of dubbing over the voices in English with folks like Michael Madson and Luke Skywalker. It didn’t work. At all. Sure, both of those are talented actors, but the dubbing didn’t fit. It was, to put it nicely, a “criminally bad f*ck up”. But SEGA listened. SEGA cares. According to SEGA’s Associate Producer Kevin Frane:
When Yakuza was released in the U.S. without a Japanese voice track, there was actually a significant fan outcry. Obviously, this is a very Japanese game, set in Japan and dealing heavily with Japanese culture, and quite a lot of people thought that not having the original Japanese dialogue affected the game’s sense of authenticity. When definitely took that fan reaction into account when making the ultimate decision to go ahead with the Japanese voice track for Yakuza 2.
Bravo, SEGA. Nice to know you’re listening!
Sega tells us why they kept the Japanese voice track in Yakuza 2 [Siliconera]
Good times! Sega’s announced today a release date for Yakuza 2 in the US. Yes, we know, it came out in Japan in 2006, but let’s try and look on the bright side for once, eh? It’ll be out on September 9 (Europe, you get it on September 28), and instead of trying to get the likes of Michael Madsen back into the recording studio, the sequel will just be sticking to the Japanese voice actors, with English subtitles provided.
Phew! Sure seems like Sega listens to fans. After the first Yakuza game was released with an English language dub, erasing the brilliant original Japanese one, people complained. Why not, you know, release the game with subtitles? It is called Yakuza and English dubbing, no matter how good, kills the mood! Well, that is, unless you’re one of those can’t-see-foreign-movies-with-subtitles people. For the PS2 sequel, Sega points out on the game’s official site:
While the Japanese continue to enjoy Yakuza 3, everyone else if stuck with Yakuza 1. Don’t even have Yakuza 2. Which came out in December 2006. But, hey, don’t be so slum, chum. The ESRB have gone and classified it, which means it’ll at least be out sometime. In the future. Which could be in six months, it could be while you toil the rest of your life away in an alien salt mine, who knows. The point is you can cross “if” off your speculation whiteboard, and circle “when” a little more furiously.
Yeah, we’re getting Yakuza 2 [Siliconera]
Yakuza 3, aka Ryu Ga Gotoku Kenzan!, may already be out in native Japan, but the previous episode has yet to leave the country. Good news for Europe though, as Sega has announced that Yakuza 2 will see a release on the PlayStation 2 sometime in 2008. That seems to be as far as it’s willing to nail it down, just like the North American release, something the publisher has been quiet about lately. Let’s bug Sega and find out what’s what!
