Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio (Yakuza, Judgment, Binary Domain + more!) Discussion Thread

[Misco Jones]

https://gematsu.com/2019/10/yakuza-like-a-dragon-introduces-fortuneteller-riot-police-and-idol-jobs

 

[TheImplodingVoice]

I like that they are trying something new with the combat system. I like turn based combat so this should be good if done right

 

[Deflowerer]

My only concern is that it will be piss-easy. I really hope that since this is turn-based they will at least make the hardest difficulty challenging enough. Yakuza games have been laughably easy in the past, but at least the combat has been fun and relatively swift. Brain-dead turn-based combat is far worse than brain-dead action.

 

[Aqualung]

Yakuza 3/Ishin/whatever when?

 

[TheImplodingVoice]

My only concern is that it will be piss-easy. I really hope that since this is turn-based they will at least make the hardest difficulty challenging enough. Yakuza games have been laughably easy in the past, but at least the combat has been fun and relatively swift. Brain-dead turn-based combat is far worse than brain-dead action.

 

[Readher]

Some bits from Sega's Integrated/Annual Report 2019 (MTL from Japanese, no English version yet).

• In the package game field for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019, profitability has improved significantly, with operating profit margin improving by 3.6pts. to 15% compared to the previous fiscal year. The driving force is mainly the expansion of overseas sales. In this market where ratings on evaluation sites tend to have a significant impact on sales, the overall number of points earned in Metacritic is on an upward trend, leading to high evaluation spree by improved product quality. In addition, measures to strengthen sales on Steam, a game distribution platform for PCs, have led to longer sales opportunities and contribute significantly to the expansion of repeat sales and the improvement of profitability. Creative Assembly Ltd. and other previously acquired Western studios support group earnings.
• Packaged games are on the rise for digital distribution. Sales have been prolonged against the backdrop of the expansion of Steam and other PC game distribution platforms, and as with digital games, revenue diversification is progressing through additional content after sales. In recent years, the expansion of repeat sales has contributed to raising sales and improving profitability.
• Although the entertainment content business is lower than expected, the pursuit of quality that we have been working on has been successful in the packaging field, and we have continuously earned high praise in external evaluations, mainly in Europe and the United States, and achieved steady results. Continuous delivery of titles to PC game platforms such as Steam has led to a prolonged sales of titles, and profits have been raised.
• We will shift our management resources to packaged and PC download games, which have continued strong growth mainly in Europe, the United States, and Asia, and aim to create global hit titles while strengthening cooperation with studios in various countries. On the other hand, since the domestic mobile game that we have been focusing on so far is overwhelmingly larger in market size than packaged games, we will continue to invest in our focus and improve profitability.
• The four IP Strategies Group divides IP assets into four categories: existing IP, new IP, revival IP, and external IP, enhancing multi-device and global expansion, such as mobile, PC, and console. By making full use of IP, we will expand revenue opportunities and maximize IP value, leading to a sustainable expansion of corporate value.
• In order to strengthen the earning power of existing businesses, we also reviewed our management strategy for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2020. By optimizing the number of titles developed and operated in the digital game field of the entertainment content business, and by investing in areas where we have strengths and are expected to grow in the market, such as packaged games and PC games in Europe and the United States, We will try to expand the earning power.
• In the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019, we struggled in the digital game field, mainly mobile. Although the slowdown in the market environment and intensifying competition are also behind the scenes, I feel that the failure to make a hit due to delays in market launch with multiple titles is a major challenge. On the other hand, in the package game field, we were able to improve our business performance by maintaining a solid PC game by Western development studios.
• Based on the fiscal year ending March 2019, we will review the titles under development and operation, optimize the scale, and improve profitability by establishing a development management system for mobile devices, mainly in Japan, where there is a sense of stagnation in the market. On the other hand, overseas packaged games and PC digital games, which are expected to continue to grow in the market, are expanding their resources globally, mainly in Europe and the United States, where we have already formed a large market, and in Asia, where growth is remarkable.

 

[Deflowerer]

Uh no, there is English version as well.

Too bad Sega has sucked for investors. It's about 50% down of its price in 2004. 2004. Let that sink in (not sure if there were any stock splits at some point, that could be one explanation).

 

[Readher]

Uh no, there is English version as well.

They must've released it very recently since I check for it every day and it's still not in the recent IR materials (only in the Integrated Reports category).

 

[Readher]

So, now that I'm aware of the fact that English IR has also released, here's V2 of my bits taken from the English version and with more info added.

Spoiler

• Further, our measures to step up sales through the STEAM distribution platform for PC games are lengthening sales opportunities, thereby contributing significantly to increases in repeat sales and improvement in profitability.
• Digital distribution of packaged games is trending upward. The lengthening of sales is progressing due to the expansion of game distribution platforms for PCs such as STEAM. As with digital games, the diversification of revenues has also progressed, such as additional contents after release. In recent years, a rise in repeat sales has been contributing to the basic levels of unit sales and improving profitability.
• Although the Entertainment Contents Business did not perform as expected, our efforts in the Packaged Games area to improve quality to date have been successful. This success can be seen in the steady stream of high ratings from external parties in Europe and North America for our packaged games. We have been able to secure long-term sales for titles through continuous distribution via PC-gaming platforms such as STEAM and those contributed to the profit.

• Aiming to create titles that are global hits, we will shift the focus of management resources to packaged games and downloadable PC games—which are continuing to grow robustly centered on North America, Europe, and Asia—and strengthen collaborations with studios in respective countries.
• Our group classifies its IPs assets into four categories: existing IP, new IP, revived IP, and external IP, and is strengthening its global deployment across multiple devices such as mobile, PC, and console. We will expand profit opportunities and maximize IP value through the full utilization of IPs to achieve sustainable growth in corporate value.
• We plan to increase earning power by investing in areas where we expect to see market growth and also areas where we have strength in such that North American and European packaged games and PC games.
• We are also planning to improve profitability by establishing a development management system. On the other hand, we can also expect continued market growth in overseas packaged games and PC digital games. We are planning to devote more resources to the already thriving market in Europe and North America, as well as the expanding market in Asia and are working toward global development.
• While encouraging the sharing of personnel and expertise in management of development, we will step up IP-oriented rollouts. We will apportion responsibility to each manager based not on titles, as we have been doing, but on IP. As a result, these managers will put effort on maximizing the value of IP from broad viewpoints encompassing the whole world and all platforms.

• To expand its business, SEGA Games Co., Ltd., which primarily handles packaged and digital games, needs to expand its lineup, which requires it to develop IP for a variety of regions across multiple platforms. M&A is an effective method we have utilized to this end. Post M&A, we provide publishing support in cooperation with our publishing bases around the world including support for marketing, sales, licensing, and other business development. In addition, we utilize the specific characteristics of each IP for development into a wide range of areas and platforms. These actions serve to increase the value of the IP itself and support each IP so that it may grow into a pillar of profit. In addition, we also support development studios according to their own individual characteristics to help them establish a better development environment.
• The global game market has grown in size by 13.1 trillion in keeping with the expansion of the Chinese market. With the emergence of new platforms and the advancing communication environment, the user base has expanded, and we expect to maintain a high growth rate and expand further in the future.
• Going forward, we will continue to deepen ties between bases, increase the value of individual IP, and develop IP titles for a wide range of devices, regions, and platforms, and make them a valuable part of our future results.

 

[Misco Jones]

Yakuza: Like a Dragon gameplay live stream set for October 29

Sega will host a Yakuza: Like a Dragon official broadcast on October 29 at 20:00 JST featuring the latest gameplay. You will be able to watch it on YouTube.

Presenters include Yakuza series general director Toshihiro Nagoshi, Yakuza: Like a Dragon chief producer Masayoshi Yokoyama, Yakuza: Like a Dragon producer Hiroyuki Sakamoto, and comedian NO Motion.

Yakuza: Like a Dragon is due out for PlayStation 4 on January 16, 2020 in Japan, and in 2020 in the Americas and Europe.

https://gematsu.com/2019/10/yakuza-like-a-dragon-gameplay-live-stream-set-for-october-29

 

[Misco Jones]

Gameplay starts at 12:25

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

 

[Reinhardt]

So your lvl enemies actually hit pretty hard. Legend playthrough will be fun.

 

[Endemic]

I'm not good at this...

Spoiler

 

[Modron]

Please spoiler ptsd inducing Yakuza karaoke grading.

 

[Reinhardt]

I'm not good at this..

Welcome to our club.

 

[Lyre Mors]

Every time this thread is bumped, I hope it's a spontaneous Yakuza 3 PC release announcement.

Sega always gotta leave us hanging.

 

[Morkar Left]

You have a party now. Nice. But it's really turnbased now, too???

 

[gerey]

Every time this thread is bumped, I hope it's a spontaneous Yakuza 3 PC release announcement.

Sega always gotta leave us hanging.

It wouldn't make any sense for SEGA to skip the release of the remasters for Yakuza 3, 4 and 5, yet there's been complete radio silence about this for months now.

 

[Readher]

Yakuza Kiwami is in one of the early unlocks of Humble Monthly for December.

https://www.humblebundle.com/monthly

 

[aweigh]

YAKUZA 4 HD REMASTER ENGLISH LOCALIZATION CENSORS “RAPE” TEXT
Posted on November 5, 2019, 6:00 pm By Billy D

The localization team working on the Yakuza remasters don’t seem to have much respect for the original art that they’re supposed to be translating. That has become seemingly evident with the Yakuza 4: HD Remaster for the PS4, where the English version of a conversation has been censored that contained the word “rape”. This is despite the fact that the game is rated ‘M’ for Mature by the ESRB.

Sankaku Complex picked up the news after being made aware of the incident from an observant Twitter user, Noxa.


Noxa@5Noxa
https://twitter.com/5Noxa/status/1189267317806587904

Wow... The Yakuza 4 Remaster localisation has been censored. Subtitles have changed from Hana being afraid of being raped and Akiyama making a mean joke to this in the screenshot. You can still hear him clearly say "rape."



49
2:46 PM - Oct 29, 2019
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Sankaku Complex proceeded to show the comparisons between the original English version of Yakuza 4 and the Yakuza 4: HD Remaster, where the dialogue had been altered between the characters Hana and Akiyama.

You can see the comparisons below.



Pro-censorship advocates will likely try to use the excuse that the text is fake or modified and that the original didn’t actually say that, but Sankaku Complex went the extra mile to also include video footage of the scene in question to shut down the pro-censorship critics.

You can see the scene from the Yakuza 4: HD Remaster below, courtesy of YouTuber Red Venom Corp.


There’s also the original PS3 version of Yakuza 4 with English subtitles that shows what the character Hana had originally intended to say, and the mean-spirited joke made at her expense by Akiyama, courtesy of SilentProtag.


This kind of censorship isn’t new to the Yakuza series.

The Yakuza 3: HD Remaster was also heavily censored, both in its native Japanese re-release and for the English localization.

We actually had a heads-up about the Yakuza 3: HD Remaster censorship courtesy of Daisuke Sato, who revealed that the game would be censored as far back as May, 2018 in an interview with GNN.

However, pro-censorship advocates on KotakuInAction spread fake news convincing people that it was a mistranslation and many gamers were misinformed and led to believe that the HD remaster would not be censored, even though it was.

You can see all the changes that were made to the Yakuza 3: HD Remaster courtesy of Censored Gaming.


The good part about the Yakuza 4: HD Remaster, though, is that the original Japanese version has been left unaltered, unlike the original Japanese version of Yakuza 3: HD Remaster.

So if you’re inclined to get the HD remaster of Yakuza 4 and you want the full uncut version of the game, you’ll want to get your hands on the Japanese version of the game.

(Thanks for the news tip Wondy Bergers)

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

Nazis whining about "censorship", always amusing. Get that shit back to /gd/.

 

[Reinhardt]

 

[gerey]

Nazis whining about "censorship", always amusing. Get that shit back to /gd/.

"Nazis" are the ones protesting censorship, while proud liberals like you are mocking them and defending said censorship.

Really makes you think.

 

[Mark.L.Joy]

Nazis whining about "censorship", always amusing. Get that shit back to /gd/.

I don't often give retards but I'll give you one. this level of stupidity is untenable.