The gentlemen and ladies at Sega who have toiled away lo these last several years on the Yakuza series aren't just one-trick ponies. For instance, series creator Toshihiro Nagoshi, long before he got into the whole Yakuza thing, also created the Super Monkey Ball series, and has worked on everything from Sonic to Billy Hatcher over the course of his career.

That said, apparently Nagoshi, alongside a number of his primary cohorts from the various Yakuza projects, are really into this whole Yakuza thing now. So much so, in fact, that they have formed their own studio. Appropriately titled "Yakuza Studio" (or Ryu ga Gotoku Studio), Nagoshi and posse will, predictably, be focusing on new entries in the Yakuza franchise, including a fifth Yakuza console title, and a new PSP game called Yakuza Black Panther 2.

According to a write-up from Andriasang (which they translated from the latest issue of Famitsu), Yakuza 5 is still extremely early in development, and details likely won't be slid in the direction of the press any time in the foreseeable future. Black Panther 2, however, is a bit further along, and focuses on the same protagonist as Yakuza Black Panther. Granted, that first PSP title never released outside of Japan, so the odds of this sequel coming to any other territories seem equally, if not more slim.

Despite the new moniker, Nagoshi and crew do plan to make games not named Yakuza once in a while. The team is still working on Binary Domain, a sci-fi action title set to release early next year. That game obviously has nothing to do with anything related to the Yakuza, but don't be surprised if Nagoshi decides to give the lead character a bitchin' full-back dragon tattoo or something, just to keep the theme going.

The gentlemen and ladies at Sega who have toiled away lo these last several years on the Yakuza series aren't just one-trick ponies. For instance, series creator Toshihiro Nagoshi, long before he got into the whole Yakuza thing, also created the Super Monkey Ball series, and has worked on everything from Sonic to Billy Hatcher over the course of his career.

That said, apparently Nagoshi, alongside a number of his primary cohorts from the various Yakuza projects, are really into this whole Yakuza thing now. So much so, in fact, that they have formed their own studio. Appropriately titled "Yakuza Studio" (or Ryu ga Gotoku Studio), Nagoshi and posse will, predictably, be focusing on new entries in the Yakuza franchise, including a fifth Yakuza console title, and a new PSP game called Yakuza Black Panther 2.

According to a write-up from Andriasang (which they translated from the latest issue of Famitsu), Yakuza 5 is still extremely early in development, and details likely won't be slid in the direction of the press any time in the foreseeable future. Black Panther 2, however, is a bit further along, and focuses on the same protagonist as Yakuza Black Panther. Granted, that first PSP title never released outside of Japan, so the odds of this sequel coming to any other territories seem equally, if not more slim.

Despite the new moniker, Nagoshi and crew do plan to make games not named Yakuza once in a while. The team is still working on Binary Domain, a sci-fi action title set to release early next year. That game obviously has nothing to do with anything related to the Yakuza, but don't be surprised if Nagoshi decides to give the lead character a bitchin' full-back dragon tattoo or something, just to keep the theme going.

Yakuza Black Panther 2?! I guess this means they won't be bring over that Yakuza zombie game anytime soon then, what a bummer. :(

I'm surprised it took them this long to form their own studio given the massive popularity of the franchise in Japan (and spurring popularity from the West). Still, great to know that they're going bigger and better. I love those games. But I still want a Western localisation of Yakuza: Of The End.

Wish I could finish my copy of Yakuza 4. Lent it to my cousin, then my PS3 broke. Was in the middle of Saejima avoiding cops in the city. If they brought it to the PC, maybe the textures would be better...

YAAAKUZAAAAA!!!

Wow, it's good to see some stuff go up even in the early morning. Thanks east coast Alex!

There's corn on this pizza!

I hope Yakuza: Of The End comes over some times this or next year. I loved 4 so dearly and hope to play some more of Akiyama.

I love how I can immediately tell it's an Alex story by the headline alone.

<3 Alex :)

I'm surprised it took them this long to form their own studio given the massive popularity of the franchise in Japan (and spurring popularity from the West). Still, great to know that they're going bigger and better. I love those games. But I still want a Western localisation of Yakuza: Of The End.

Man, I'm glad they're that dedicated franchise.

So still no news on if Yakuza of the End is coming to the US? 

Countdown to Yakuza 1 & 2 HD remake announcement. Starting at 10.....9......8......7

Any day now.

And I WILL fucking buy them.

Where's Black Panther 1?!! 
 
Also I thought 'The End' was a given to come over, now I'm not so sure :( 
 
@Panic_Switch said:

Yakuza Black Panther 2?! I guess this means they won't be bring over that Yakuza zombie game anytime soon then, what a bummer. :(

Yakuza Black Panther 2: coming in summer 2012...in Japan. Coming to America in fall of 2018.

i wish they did something about their mini game. they r somewhat fun but the fact that i have to perfect them to get certain items is just damn hard

So I guess we're gonna see the Millennium Tower blow up many many times now.

Where's Black Panther 1?!! 
 
Also I thought 'The End' was a given to come over, now I'm not so sure :( 
 
@Panic_Switch said:

Yakuza Black Panther 2?! I guess this means they won't be bring over that Yakuza zombie game anytime soon then, what a bummer. :(

...Its not just me then, shit.

SHOCKING!!! 
 
 
...but, seriously, the fact that they seem to sell well enough in and out of Japan well enough to push sequels is... quite surprising to me. 
I wonder how much it cost to produce Yakuza 4, how much they earned internationally, and how much it will cost for Yakuza 5. Does it really sell that well in Japan? Let alone, here or in Europe?

DO NOT DO A YAKUZA GAME FOR ENDURANCE RUN... that all for now folks ;)

Make them finish Shenmue.

Thanks!

Yakuza Black Panther 2: coming in summer 2012...in Japan. Coming to America in fall of 2018.

PIZZA HUT GIVIN' YOU AN EXTRA LENGTHY DEMO! CODES INSIDE E'RY BOX

PARTY TIME SONIC THE HEDGEHOG LET'S GO GEORGE FOREMAN

@ajamafalous said:

PIZZA HUT GIVIN' YOU AN EXTRA LENGTHY DEMO! CODES INSIDE E'RY BOX PARTY TIME SONIC THE HEDGEHOG LET'S GO GEORGE FOREMAN

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

DO NOT DO A YAKUZA GAME FOR ENDURANCE RUN... that all for now folks ;)

I am perfectly fine with this. Yakuza is one of the last few good series that SEGA produces.

After the ending of Yakuza 4, I wanted 5 at that fucking moment.

SHOCKING!!!   ...but, seriously, the fact that they seem to sell well enough in and out of Japan well enough to push sequels is... quite surprising to me. I wonder how much it cost to produce Yakuza 4, how much they earned internationally, and how much it will cost for Yakuza 5. Does it really sell that well in Japan? Let alone, here or in Europe?

@eroticfishcake: Agreed that Akiyama was definitely the best part of Yakuza 4, and that I'd love to see an entire game based around his character. As for more Hana karoake? I'll leave that to you.

Yeah!

PIZZA HUT GIVIN' YOU AN EXTRA LENGTHY DEMO! CODES INSIDE E'RY BOX PARTY TIME SONIC THE HEDGEHOG LET'S GO GEORGE FOREMAN

Yakuza Endurance Run. Wait no. Yakuza series Endurance Run. All games back to back.

Yakuza Endurance Run. Wait no. Yakuza series Endurance Run. All games back to back.

I personally am sick of Yakuza. It's a fine series, but it's practically Japan's Madden or Call of Duty at this point. And poor Amusement Vision - the creators of fun, creative, EXCELLENT games like Super Monkey Ball, F-Zero GX, Panzer Dragoon Orta and Jet Set Radio Future (since they absorbed Smilebit when Sega restructured their internal studios last generation) - are now stuck making only one game again and again and again. Year after year. F***ing annualized series. I can't imagine they even have many people still working there who were there during the Monkey Ball/Jet Set days. 
 
I'd trade all the Yakuza games for another Jet Set title. Sega's problems were never finding creative games or having talented guys pump out quality titles - it was always in promotion. Games like Jet Set could've been much more successful if they were promoted better. But now we'll never see these types of games from Amusement Vision again. That sucks.
 
I bet Sumo Digital could make a great Jet Set game for some reason, though. They were so respectful of many of Sega's franchises when they made the awesome, underrated Sonic All Stars Racing.

@Olivaw said:

@Cirdain said:

DO NOT DO A YAKUZA GAME FOR ENDURANCE RUN... that all for now folks ;)

FUCK THAT, TOTALLY DO A YAKUZA GAME FOR AN AN ENDURANCE RUN

SHIT IS PERFECT

*leans back* Reverse psychology hype. boom...... ;)

Sweet, more franchises for me to enjoy.

I hope they stick to one character this time round, doesnt have to be Kiryu or any've the guys from prior iterations. I only say this because I hated having to relearn moves for marginally different chracters.. (combat wise)

..& I know it's asking alot but a new engine would go a long way, the current engine is really showing it's age. Other than that though i'm glad the same guys are working on the sequel, I thought I heard somewhere that the Yakuza team was working on some generic TPS, guess either it got cancelled or there was some misinformation.

Full-back dragon tattoos should be in every game really.