Yakuza 4
Kindof cool that Yakuza 4 is coming out, but it's fucking bullshit we still haven't had Yakuza 3 localized and probably never will. Along with most likely never receiving this game either.
http://ryu-ga-gotoku.com/news/index.html#104
http://news.vgchartz.com/news.php?id=4493
Everything in the above post is opinion unless stated otherwise.
Why is it BS? The games just didn't do well here. Sega isn't rolling in the money to go and release yet another game that isn't going to do them much good in the sales department. They like any other publisher are going to go with what works movie/cartoon licenses, milking of original IP's and the occasional new IP, which in Sega's case just have performed incredibly poorly. Mad World? Ert. Conduit? Ert. HotD, Eh. They gave Yakuza a shot (2 in fact) and they didn't get anywhere. I bought them both, (new even), but just enough others didn't.
Since the game will be PS3, just import it, problem solved.
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I still have hope that Yakuza 3 will be released here, at least by the end of this generation, if not by Sega then by somebody else.You never know, they could release the game on the PSN for the US release.
Keep the faith man.
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More like a shot in the foot. While maybe Americans are less appreciative of the authentic Japanese atmosphere of the games, the fault of the fate of those localizations falls squarely on Sega of America. First off, you have the first Yakuza, which they poured an inordinate amount of money into the localization, mostly to hire big-name actors, and the dubbing was still regarded as poor by most. Even with decent sales, they couldn't recoup that initial investment, which probably would've been more worthwhile to spend on more and better marketing, rather than trying to pass it off as "Japanese Grand Theft Auto!" doing injustice to both the game and the consumers. Then with the sequel, they decided to do a complete 180 and spend virtually nothing on its localization. They didn't so much as have a whimper of marketing, leaving even fans of the original surprised to learn that the sequel was already out in America.Originally Posted by PapaStu
Sega has a big opportunity to redeem themselves and so far they're squandering it. With the absolutely massive sales of Yakuza 3 in Japan, I can't honestly believe that the game would be a total flop in America if they only did a proper job of bringing it out. The graphics are great, the plot is captivating, and the fighting is beautiful, brutal, and immensely evolved compared to prior games. It's got all of the qualities of a hit, and all Sega has to do is give it some decent marketing, hire some no-name but adequate dubbers, and keep the original vocal cast for purists, and they'd be set.
Last edited by Aussie2B; 07-24-2009 at 02:40 AM.
Yakuza 3 was localized in Korean. Korean! If they can translate it into Korean, there's no reason they can't translate it into English. Even if it's a much more popular franchise in Korea, there is no way that sales for all English-speaking markets combined would be lower.
Wanna bet ?
Las calles no son basurero, POR FAVOR TIREN LA BASURA EN SU LUGAR !!!!
Can't very well make that bet if it never comes out.
Everything in the above post is opinion unless stated otherwise.
I still have my hopes high for a NA release, even if Yakuza 3 isn't released ... so that bet could be possible, hehehehe :P
The Korea market is quite strong and should be dismissed against the US or English market
Las calles no son basurero, POR FAVOR TIREN LA BASURA EN SU LUGAR !!!!
You forgot about the distribution, packaging, and advertising costs. Might sell more but the profit margin wouldn't be all that different.
Still, it's a shame the series has stopped being translated into English. Not that I've ever owned any of the games though!
Don't Korean games have all Japanese audio removed or something? And they don't bother to hire new voice actors? A text-only translation would be much, much cheaper to produce. In fact, it should be an option if Yakuza 3 gets released stateside. Don't spend money on VAs, just translate the text and be done with it.
(I know someone here lives in Korea, get him to answer this!)
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I don't think the audio is removed, but it is just subtitled. So was the US release of Yakuza 2.
<3
Maybe in 20 years I will learn Japanese and fawn over this some more then. :P
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I'm betting Yakuza 3 will see the light of day over here. Eventually. I still have to pick up 2, which has been in my Amazon cart for 7 or 8 months.
"One of the ways I gauge a DS game is by recharges. "...Tycho (Penny Arcade)
It will ... Yakuza 3 is so good that SEGA just couldn't afford to leave this AAA title in the bench.
It could take a few years to get it, but once the PS3 gains more momentum, we'll see it in the shelves.
Las calles no son basurero, POR FAVOR TIREN LA BASURA EN SU LUGAR !!!!
Why don't gaming sites have a contact page anymore? Capcom doesn't have one, Sega doesn't have one. I was just going to message "now that Yakuza 4 is being made, any chance of the US getting Yakuza 3?"
Everything in the above post is opinion unless stated otherwise.
I don't see why they spent so much cash on the dub of the first game either.
Hey, here's this game. Takes place in Japan. Stars Japanese guys. It's about the Yakuza, which is Japanese. It's got authentic Japanese stores and products and stuff. And now, thanks to a lot of money, the people all speak English! derp.
I realize that there are a lot of people who don't enjoy subtitles. But this is a video game, most of it is reading anyway. The people who are interested in the game are likely going to go set the Japanese voices first thing and never use the expensive dub. I know I always do. I don't enjoy games "hiding" where they were made, this isn't the NES days anymore. I enjoy the different flavors that come from American/European/Japanese development studios. I don't see how there is still a majority that cannot stand to hear another language in a game, and if there actually is, how are they ever going to get used to it for the future? arg.
One of my favorite examples of publishers "hiding" where a game is from...
...Just as bad as the NES days. Ugh.
"One of the ways I gauge a DS game is by recharges. "...Tycho (Penny Arcade)
Yeah. I've always hated the Suikoden cover. Ted, Tir, Cleo, Windy, Futch, and Barbaros don't even resemble their anime counterparts. Windy actually reminds me of a more female version of Chyna(WWF.) I don't get how they even though that was a good idea. Well. Blacky(dragon in the background) resembles a dragon and the one skeleton looking thing actually looks alot like the version in the game, though it's a random enemy you fight in Neclord's castle I think(not at the end of the game.)
Windy is the one in the black with the lightning
And this is Chyna. Not much of a difference is there? Aside from Windy not looking like so much of a man.
Last edited by kupomogli; 07-25-2009 at 10:26 PM.
Everything in the above post is opinion unless stated otherwise.
It's weird that they did that, but kept the title. The name "Suikoden" is very Japanese-sounding. Most English speakers aren't sure how to pronounce it.
I agree with you; that's another really boneheaded aspect of Sega's handling of the franchise in America. They totally ruined any sense of a smooth transition by making the first game English-only and the sequel Japanese-only. But it's a lose-lose situation because I don't think they should've approached the sequel in the same way as the original anyway. They obviously shouldn't have blown that kind of money, and I think Japanese was the proper choice in the first place, for the same reasons you expressed. If any Japanese-developed franchise is begging to be left in Japanese, surely it's Yakuza. At the very least, they should leave both as an option. And there certainly isn't anything wrong with the Japanese acting. I know a lot of seiyuu otaku hyped up Japanese voice actors as being some godly figures of talent, but I generally don't care for them much one way or the other. But in Yakuza, the performers they've hired have some legitimate serious acting chops. Personally, the original Yakuza is the one and only game I'm hoping will get an undub someday.
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