Takaya Kuroda and others share behind-the-scenes stories of three new Sega titles!　Report on the Tokyo Game Show 2017 "Ryu ga Gotoku Studio" Special Stage

A special stage event to share information about new games from "Yakuza Studio" took place on Saturday, September 23, 2017, at the Sega Games booth in the Tokyo Game Show 2017.

The event featured "Yakuza" series general director Toshihiro Nagoya, "Hokuto Ga Gotoku" general producer Daisuke Sato, and "Yakuza" series producer Masayoshi Yokoyama. In addition, four well-known voice actors from the series, including Takaya Kuroda, Hidenari Ugaki, Seimi Iwasaki, and Kazuhiro Nakatani, were invited as guests to try out the game and talk about it in an informal setting.

The classic game has been revived in a new look! Yakuza Pole 2".

The event began with an introduction of "Yakuza Pole 2," a PlayStation 4 exclusive that is scheduled for release on December 7, 2017 (Thursday). This title is a major remake of "Yakuza2" released in 2006 for PS4.

After watching the promotional movie, Mr. Kuroda, who plays Kazuma Kiryu, said, "The power is amazing! and marveled at the graphics, which have greatly improved in quality from 11 years ago. Ugaki-san, who plays Goro Majima, also commented, "I know some of you are thinking, 'We played this game before, didn't we? I'm sure there are people who are thinking, "We played this game before," but it's totally different. Everything is better, so if you don't buy it, I won't let you say you're a fan of 'Yakuza'! He then went on to stir up the anticipation of the fans.

Next, Mr. Yokoyama explained the actual game contents while looking at the play screen. The "Dragon Engine" developed by Yakuza6 is used in the game, and the action on the battle screen differs depending on who is playing the game.

In addition, when players stop by the Club Sega restrooms in the game, they can play on the "Toilets," a game terminal developed by Sega exclusively for restroom use. Such playful additions are typical of the "Yakuza" series.

Kuroda-san commented on the recording: "(I have) experienced two major illnesses in the past 11 years. Kiryu is a man who has seen many deaths. I think I was able to play the role with a deeper understanding of life and death. Mr. Iwasaki, who plays Ryuji Gouda, also expressed his joy at being involved in the production, saying, "It was difficult to play the character from 11 years ago again, but I think this difficulty is a happiness that only we could experience.

Kazuhiro Nakatani plays the main character Kasuga Ichiban in "YakuzaONLINE!

Next, he introduced "YakuzaONLINE," which will be released in 2018 as a new installment in the "Yakuza" series. Set in Kamurocho, the main character, Kasuga Ichiban, spins a new storyline in this work of "Yakuza Studio's" best efforts.

Mr. Nagoshi explains his thoughts behind the name of the new main character, Kasuga Ichiban. Yakuza wants to sell one million copies worldwide. So when I thought about what kind of Japanese language could be used in the world, it was 'Ichiban'".

Mr. Yokoyama added, "Kasuga has an unfortunate upbringing. But he lived his life with his vitality and cheerfulness. That is why I decided to give him a happy name.

Touching on the reaction from users when the name was announced, Mr. Nagoshi laughed, "I can't help but notice the comedian in the pink vest. ...... Well, I can tie in! he laughed.

Kasuga also said that, unusually for the "Yakuza" series, he held auditions for the cast. Kazuhiro Nakatani won the major role of the new protagonist of the "Yakuza" series. When the casting decision was made, he invited Mr. Kuroda, who played Kiryu, out for a drink and reported the casting to him, revealing that he "cut the cord.

I have never seen Kenshiro like this!　The unique new "Hokuto Ga Gotoku!

Lastly, "Hokuto Ga Gotoku," a collaboration with "Fist of the North Star," was introduced. In the promotional movie, the audience was thrilled to see Kenshiro shaking a shaker at super speed as a bartender.

In this film, Kenshiro is played by Mr. Kuroda, Jagi by Mr. Ugaki, Raoh by Mr. Iwasaki, and Shin by Mr. Nakatani. Mr. Kuroda commented, "The comedic elements are typical of 'Yakuza Studio. Mr. Nakatani said, "It's funny, but it's a great sense of balance that it doesn't deviate from the world of 'Fist of the North Star,'" appealing to the perfect balance of the comedic elements.

Mr. Sato said, "The concept is 'I've never seen Kenshiro like this. In addition to being a bartender, there is also a scene in which Kenshiro entertains customers in a way that only he can as a black cabaret worker. I hope that the audience will enjoy "Fist of the North Star" in a way that they cannot see in any other film," he said, expressing his confidence in the film.

The event concluded with a presentation of each of the three titles.

(Reporting and writing by Menegi Takahashi at TRAP)