Author Topic: No Yakuza outside Japan, another Sega classic (Read 2233 times)

pilonv1 · « **on:** July 29, 2009, 11:55:28 PM »

http://www.examiner.com/x-12218-Providence-Video-Game-Examiner~y2009m7d29-Yakuza-3-US-release-date-announced-Never

Quote

Earlier this evening, I was talking with a friend, Mr. Ray Almeda, who works in the Sega marketing department, and we did some catching up and had a bit of small talk. Before our conversation ended, though, I asked him about the current status of Yakuza 3 coming stateside. He gave me a blunt answer: No Yakuza 3.

Sega fans and Yakuza fans will be saddened to know that Sega won’t be bringing Yakuza 3 stateside. The reason as to why they won’t be bringing the game over is simple: it won’t sell, he told me. They have a firm stance to believe that would be the case, too. Yakuza 2 has only sold around 40k copies in America on the PS2. The numbers for the original Yakuza aren’t much better.

The series is moderately popular in Japan and the series will stay there. With the recent announcement of Yakuza 4 coming to PS3 in the future, you can bet it won’t see release outside of Japan.

loul sega etc..

bork · « **Reply #1 on:** July 30, 2009, 12:00:05 AM »

Quote from: Green Man on July 29, 2009, 11:58:26 PM

I just posted this.

Whatever, lol @ anyone who thought this was coming over. Yakuza 1 and 2 sold like 3 copies combined.

I was shocked they brought out Yakuza 2, and look when they brought it out...the next generation was in full-swing, what did they expect? Yakuza 3 would do better.

Oh well.

pilonv1 · « **Reply #2 on:** July 30, 2009, 12:00:21 AM »

everyone needs more chances to laugh at sega

pilonv1 · « **Reply #3 on:** July 30, 2009, 12:06:52 AM »

Less competition, PS3 needs more games

couldn't hurt to try

MCD · « **Reply #4 on:** July 30, 2009, 12:08:30 AM »

so can't someone like atlus bring it over instead?

recursivelyenumerable · « **Reply #5 on:** July 30, 2009, 12:12:16 AM »

That's what they want you to think.

Don Flamenco · « **Reply #6 on:** July 30, 2009, 12:14:28 AM »

atlus could move 50,000 copies just by packing in a little girl plush and calling it "limited"

ch1nchilla · « **Reply #7 on:** July 30, 2009, 12:16:29 AM »

I don't know what the fuck is wrong with Sega. They need to mount up, rebrand it as something entirely different from the Yakuza series, not spend a shitload of money on getting "high-profile" voice actors and instead focus on the quality, and market it to Atlus fans. BAM.

Himu · « **Reply #8 on:** July 30, 2009, 12:29:39 AM »

Who cares.

Yakuza 3, 4, Kenzan. Whatever.

I got definitive Yakuza for ps2, man. I don't give a fuck anymore.

chronovore · « **Reply #9 on:** July 30, 2009, 01:04:13 AM »

Sega has always been exceptional at snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

cool breeze · « **Reply #10 on:** July 30, 2009, 02:00:24 AM »

what about europe or a subtitled hong kong verison? I don't care if 'ts out in america or not, I just want it in english.

Junpei the Tracer! · « **Reply #11 on:** July 30, 2009, 02:13:16 AM »

Quote from: Oscar the Grouch on July 30, 2009, 01:57:57 AM

I thought people here were smarter than that other forum.

Game A is released in NA, sells like shit.
Game A Part II is released in NA, sells half of what Game A did.
Game A Gaiden and Game A Part III are not released in NA.

Conclusion:
DURR HURR HURR SEGA IS SOOO DUMB

Pretty much. That GAF thread is just awful with morons.

Mr. Gundam · « **Reply #12 on:** July 30, 2009, 02:31:03 AM »

Fuck you, Sega of America. You don't get my money that I'd spend on Yakuza 3.

I love you, Sega of Japan. You'll get my money for Ryu ga Gotoku 3 next Spring, as well as Ryu ga Gotoku 4 if it's out while I'm there.

At least Sega actually said something instead of staying silent and never telling us anything. I guess it's time I actually play through my Japanese copy of Kenzan.

Quote from: swaggaz on July 30, 2009, 02:00:24 AM

what about europe or a subtitled hong kong verison? I don't care if 'ts out in america or not, I just want it in english.

Asian version already came out, it's entirely in Japanese but comes with an English and Chinese language instruction sheet.

Probably just as dead for Europe as North America.

Rman · « **Reply #13 on:** July 30, 2009, 02:40:13 AM »

shocker!

EmCeeGrammar · « **Reply #14 on:** July 30, 2009, 02:41:52 AM »

Quote from: Oscar the Grouch on July 30, 2009, 01:57:57 AM

I thought people here were smarter than that other forum.

Game A is released in NA, sells like shit.
Game A Part II is released in NA, sells half of what Game A did.
Game A Gaiden and Game A Part III are not released in NA.

Conclusion:
DURR HURR HURR SEGA IS SOOO DUMB

And this people, is why sales numbers are interesting. They provide you with sweet perspective. The kind that could rid the world of entitlement issues.

The Sceneman · « **Reply #15 on:** July 30, 2009, 04:50:21 AM »

not surprising but still, I'd like to play this game

Bebpo · « **Reply #16 on:** July 30, 2009, 05:23:24 AM »

Assuming Sega doesn't have some namcobandai-ish dumb WE DON'T LET ANYONE LOCALIZE OUR GAMES WHO AREN'T US thing, I can definitely see Atlus USA bringing the Yakuza games over. They could probably sell at least 50k if not 100k and Atlus probably knows how to localize things fairly cheaply even with a lot of voice. The original disgaea had a ton of voice and that was probably riskier in the US at release than Yakuza Kenzan or Yakuza 3 would be.

ch1nchilla · « **Reply #17 on:** July 30, 2009, 05:44:54 AM »

REBRAND IT. FUCK.

EmCeeGrammar · « **Reply #18 on:** July 30, 2009, 05:53:20 AM »

Quote from: ch1nchilla on July 30, 2009, 05:44:54 AM

REBRAND IT. FUCK.

Its on the ps3 dude. Moar like port it.
That could be a fun thought excercise. How do you rebrand a japanese mafia game? That appeal obviously doesn't exist in the states.

ch1nchilla · « **Reply #19 on:** July 30, 2009, 05:55:16 AM »

Quote from: EmCeeGrammar on July 30, 2009, 05:53:20 AM

Quote from: ch1nchilla on July 30, 2009, 05:44:54 AM
REBRAND IT. FUCK.

Its on the ps3 dude. Moar like port it.
That could be a fun thought excercise. How do you rebrand a japanese mafia game? That appeal obviously doesn't exist in the states.

That's a good question. I'm drunk. Perhaps I will come up with a rebuttal tomorrow.

pilonv1 · « **Reply #20 on:** July 30, 2009, 06:56:11 AM »

Quote from: Oscar the Grouch on July 30, 2009, 05:41:17 AM

I don't think the series has a hope in hell of selling 100k on the PS3 in North America. It couldn't even do that on the PS2 with the first installment, and although some people have spotty memories about it, SEGA did market the shit out of it.

There's less competition this time round now which is why I think it cant hurt

chronovore · « **Reply #21 on:** July 30, 2009, 07:19:44 AM »

Quote from: Oscar the Grouch on July 30, 2009, 01:57:57 AM

I thought people here were smarter than that other forum.

Game A is released in NA, sells like shit.
Game A Part II is released in NA, sells half of what Game A did.
Game A Gaiden and Game A Part III are not released in NA.

Conclusion:
DURR HURR HURR SEGA IS SOOO DUMB

Sell it on PSN as a low-cost subtitled download-only title.

EmCeeGrammar · « **Reply #22 on:** July 30, 2009, 07:32:22 AM »

Quote from: chronovore on July 30, 2009, 07:19:44 AM

Quote from: Oscar the Grouch on July 30, 2009, 01:57:57 AM
I thought people here were smarter than that other forum.

Game A is released in NA, sells like shit.
Game A Part II is released in NA, sells half of what Game A did.
Game A Gaiden and Game A Part III are not released in NA.

Conclusion:
DURR HURR HURR SEGA IS SOOO DUMB

Sell it on PSN as a low-cost subtitled download-only title.

See I was thinking do it like Burnout Paradise, but Sony charges publishers for bandwith now.

chronovore · « **Reply #23 on:** July 30, 2009, 11:34:41 AM »

Quote from: Oscar the Grouch on July 30, 2009, 07:35:32 AM

The game is over 20 GB and Sony charges by the MB for bandwidth.

Damn. That's kinda. I dunno -- greedy. "Hey, it's great that your game is selling well! Thanks for our cut of the total sale price. Oh, BTW, you also owe us this much for 'shipping' fees."

chronovore · « **Reply #24 on:** July 30, 2009, 11:39:24 AM »

Quote from: a slime appears on July 30, 2009, 11:35:40 AM

Sony has to recoup their insane losses any way they can.

Probably not the best way to encourage a dev to transition to digital only though. But like anything else, it's likely negotiable. Burnout Paradise is a PR dream for them: an excellent game which has PS3 as the lead SKU; odds are Criterion's not paying any bandwidth fees unless Sony wants to see that whole "lead SKU" angle go away with subsequent releases.

Mr. Gundam · « **Reply #25 on:** July 30, 2009, 11:53:41 AM »

Quote from: Bebpo on July 30, 2009, 05:23:24 AM

Assuming Sega doesn't have some namcobandai-ish dumb WE DON'T LET ANYONE LOCALIZE OUR GAMES WHO AREN'T US thing, I can definitely see Atlus USA bringing the Yakuza games over. They could probably sell at least 50k if not 100k and Atlus probably knows how to localize things fairly cheaply even with a lot of voice. The original disgaea had a ton of voice and that was probably riskier in the US at release than Yakuza Kenzan or Yakuza 3 would be.

Atlus should hire some local high school drama kids to the dub. I mean, all Sony requires is a dub, doesn't matter how bad it is.

Mr. Gundam · « **Reply #26 on:** July 30, 2009, 03:46:23 PM »

Eh, fuck it. I'm gonna go buy the Japanese version today in the International District. A USED copy just to stick it to Sega.

ManaByte · « **Reply #27 on:** July 30, 2009, 06:44:25 PM »

Quote from: Green Man on July 30, 2009, 03:43:07 PM

You know, I hope someone does publish it and I hope it's multiplatform just to piss people off.

Nonono you're doing it wrong. Have someone publish it...but only on the Wii.

Mr. Gundam · « **Reply #28 on:** July 30, 2009, 08:11:32 PM »

Hi there, Sega. You don't get any of my money.

Thanks, Pink Godzilla.

chronovore · « **Reply #29 on:** July 31, 2009, 01:53:14 AM »

Quote from: distantmantra on July 30, 2009, 08:11:32 PM

(Image removed from quote.)

Hi there, Sega. You don't get any of my money.

Thanks, Pink Godzilla.

When you thank Pink Godzilla, something in my pants answered.

Mr. Gundam · « **Reply #30 on:** July 31, 2009, 03:07:01 AM »

Quote from: chronovore on July 31, 2009, 01:53:14 AM

Quote from: distantmantra on July 30, 2009, 08:11:32 PM
(Image removed from quote.)

Hi there, Sega. You don't get any of my money.

Thanks, Pink Godzilla.

When you thank Pink Godzilla, something in my pants answered.

I'll let the guys who run the store know that they apparently named it after your cock.

bork · « **Reply #31 on:** July 31, 2009, 04:34:12 AM »

STICK IT TO 'EM, DISTANT!!

Mr. Gundam · « **Reply #32 on:** July 31, 2009, 04:38:29 AM »

You know that Sega of America will announce it now that I've bought the game.

I actually thought that was going to happen when I imported Kenzan last October... that never happened.

Mr. Gundam · « **Reply #33 on:** July 31, 2009, 12:53:10 PM »

I don't buy much from them, I do most of my importing from NCSX and Play Asia. But every once in a while they get in a used title that I want, and it's nice to have an actual physical location to browse in.

I'm headed to Oahu next month, I hear Toys N Joys is really expensive.

HyperZoneWasAwesome · « **Reply #34 on:** July 31, 2009, 07:30:32 PM »

Its not surprising, but still a darn shame. But I wouldn't be entirely sure that Yakuza is dead in the states forever. Hell, if Way of the Samurai 3 can get a stateside release, an even nichier game with 1/5th the production values can make it here (and I'll be doing my part), then maybe Sega or somebody else will roll the dice on an eventual Yakuza localization.

And Sega has let other companies publish their games before.

So I'm going to hope for the best, even if it may never happen, the possibility still remains.

trippingmartian · « **Reply #35 on:** August 01, 2009, 12:27:38 PM »

Disappointing. Well that leaves Heavy Rain on the long list of PS3 games I care about.

Mr. Gundam · « **Reply #36 on:** August 01, 2009, 02:13:44 PM »

Yakuza 3 would probably much more expensive to bring over and localize than any of those games, though.

Bebpo · « **Reply #37 on:** August 01, 2009, 02:44:33 PM »

I think the biggest cost factor would be that Sega Japan would want a lot for the license since it's such a huge seller in Japan.

that would be....bad

The Sceneman · « **Reply #38 on:** August 01, 2009, 09:48:11 PM »

Fuck Headhunter was awesome

Bebpo · « **Reply #39 on:** August 01, 2009, 09:56:39 PM »

Quote from: Scenester on August 01, 2009, 09:48:11 PM

Fuck Headhunter was awesome

Yeah, I dug it.

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Author Topic: No Yakuza outside Japan, another Sega classic (Read 2233 times)