Yakuza 6’s prologue focuses on Kazuma Kiyru and Haruka Sawamura

Yakuza6FeatSEGA has released Yakuza 6‘s prologue story to the public. It seems that Yakuza 6 will focus on Kazuma Kiyru and Haruka Sawamura relationship as it will have to do with Kazuma Kiryu investigating an accident that has occurred. If you haven’t played and beat Yakuza 5, I warn you not to read the prologue of Yakuza 6 since it explains what happens at the end of the last game.

Interesting enough Yakuza 6 has been teased as the last chapter in Kazuma Kiryu’s story line and also that it will have to do with ‘family bond versus those you consider family’. Want to read the prologue? Head to Gematsu or hit the jump!

Persona 5 releasing in Europe the same day as US

PERSONA51Publisher Deep Silver announced today that Atlus’ Persona 5 will launch in Europe and other PAL regions on February 14, 2017, which is the same day Persona 5 launches in the United States. Persona 5 will come out in Europe and PAL regions with a PlayStation 4 edition that costs  €70 / £55, on the other hand the PlayStation 3 version will launch at €50 / £40.

The PlayStation 4 ‘Take Your Heart’ premium version of Persona 5 and the SteelBook launch edition will also make their way to Europe. The Take Your Heart premium edition will cost €90 / £80, click here for all the contents on that version. Persona 5 on the PlayStation 3 will be the only version to launch with its standard packaging (since first time buyers of the PlayStation 4 version get a SteelBook launch edition.)

If you are confused about why Deep Silver is publishing the game in Europe and not SEGA or Atlus, its because they announced their European publishing deal a few months ago. This is good news because it means that Europeans get to enjoy Persona 5 the same day as we Americans, but then again the Japanese get Persona 5 this September. Damn them.

Looks Like Hatsune Miku: VR Future Live Will Come West

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It seems like a huge possibility that Hatsune Miku: VR Future Live, the debut Project Diva game for the PlayStation VR, will be coming West. Hatsune Miku: VR Future Live has not only been rated by the Australian ratings board but also the German ratings board.  If the game is coming out in two English speaking countries its likely that it will come to the rest of them. Don’t be surprised when SEGA announces Hatsune Miku: VR Future Live as a PlayStation VR launch title shortly after Hatsune Miku: Project Diva X comes out on August 30th.

In Hatsune Miku: VR Future Live players use the virtual reality headset to experience being an audience member at a Hatsune Miku concert, allowing the user to have a interactive stage experience not possible in real life. Hatsune Miku: VR Future Live will be a PlayStation VR launch title in Japan.

[Source: Siliconera]

Hatsune Miku: Project Diva X ‘Snow Miku 2010 to 2015’ DLC Shown Off

SEGA has unleashed a new trailer showcasing Hatsune Miku: Project Diva X‘s “Snow Miku 2010 to 2015 Pack” of downloadable goodies. This pack will include in-game modules for Hatsune Miku: Project Diva X ranging from 2010 – 2015 versions of the “Snow Miku” design. Each of the Snow Miku designs have been given attribute tied to one of the game’s five Clouds.

These are the attributes to Hatsune Miku: Project Diva X‘s skins:

    • Snow Miku 2010 – Classic
    • Snow Miku 2011 – Cute
    • Snow Miku 2012 – Cool
    • Snow Miku 2013 – Elegant
    • Snow Miku 2014 – Quirky
    • Snow Miku 2015 – Cute

This downloadable content will be FREE from its launch in Japan on August 25 until September 25! I assume we will have a similar thing here in the West, when Hatsune Miku: Project Diva X launches but it hasn’t been confirmed just yet. Hatsune Miku: Project Diva X is due out on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita in the west on August 30.

[Source: Gematsu]

SEGA teases Valkyria: Azure Revolution 2.0 demo

Valkyria-Azure-Revolution-1-1280x720SEGA has announced that more information regarding the second Valkyria: Azure Revolution “Battle Demo Ver. 2.0” will be released towards late August, if their official blog is to be believed.

If you didn’t know, SEGA released the Valkyria: Azure Revolution Battle Demo Ver. 1.0 a few months back to some very heavy fan criticism. The developer Media.Vision and SEGA said that they would be taking the fan feedback seriously and implementing changes to the core game, now those changes will be displayed in the new upcoming Valkyria: Azure Revolution Battle Demo Ver. 2.0. According to the team, the new demo will be more ‘strategic’ in nature.

But that isn’t all the upcoming news, the blog promises that we will get other information about Valkyria: Azure Revolution before the end of August including confirmations about the game’s Japanese voice cast. Valkyria: Azure Revolution will also be shown at this year’s Tokyo Game Show in September.

Valkyria: Azure Revolution will release on the PlayStation 4 in Japan this winter. There has been no western release announced.

[Source: Gematsu]

Yakuza 6 Will End Kazuma Kiryu’s Story Confirms Producer

Yakuza-6-1080-Wallpaper-3Our friends over at Yakuza Fan have gotten the latest Japanese Toshihiro Nagoshi interview with translated talking all about the upcoming Yakuza 6. If you missed the latest trailer for Yakuza 6, one of the biggest aspects shown or alludes to is that this will be the final chapter for our long time hero Kazuma Kiryu. The issue? This has been a running theme in almost every single past game and I find it hard to believe that they will end his story. Please  note that Nagoshi-san never promised to end the franchise, but end the story of Kazuma Kiryu which leads me to wonder what he has planned for any new titles.

According to Toshihiro Nagoshi, Yakuza 6: The Song of Life will be the ending chapter for Kiryu:

“I’m not lying when I say that this is the final chapter in the legend of Kazuma Kiryu, however. Those are my true beliefs right at this moment. Usually – for example, right around this time as we’re making RGG6 (editor’s note: July 2016) – the staff generally have at least a bit of discussion amongst themselves about what we might do with RGG7. This time, though, there’s been nothing like that at all.”

Toshihiro Nagoshi also talks about getting famous Japanese actor Takeshi Kitano to have a role in Yakuza 6:

“I was actually friends with Takeshi from before this, to the level of drinking companions, but I had trouble taking the plunge and beginning business negotiations with, “Would you appear in our game?” I really wanted to ask him, though, of course. I didn’t think it would be easy to get my wish, and sort of felt like he would get mad at me (laughs). It took years before I could say anything.”

If you guys want to read the full interview head over to Yakuza Fan who have translated the full interview. Its a fantastic read and recommended for fans that are looking forward to Yakuza 6. I will also suggest you all support the upcoming Western release of Yakuza 0 on January 24, 2017 that way we also get a localization of Yakuza 6. Do you believe that this is the last chapter in Kazuma Kiryu’s story or is Toshihiro Nagoshi pulling a fib to sell copies?

English Hatsune Miku: Project Diva X demo coming August 9

Been waiting to get your hands on the English Hatsune Miku: Project Diva X demo for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita? You’re in luck because the wait is almost over. The English Hatsune Miku: Project Diva X demo is set to hit PSN starting on August 9.

While you wait for the English Hatsune Miku: Project Diva X demo, you can gander at the latest released trailer above that shows off the ‘Concert Editor’ mode. SEGA has also confirmed a upcoming free update called ‘Live Edit’ that will make the mode compatible with PlayStation VR. Of course that is for the PlayStation 4 version only.

How many readers are excited for the upcoming Hatsune Miku: Project Diva X game?

Yakuza 0 set to hit the Americas and Europe on January 24, 2017 – pre-order now!

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A press statement from SEGA has just released, detailing the release information for the upcoming western localization of Yakuza 0. The prequel game to the longtime running franchise is set to hit the Americas and Europe on January 24th, 2017 on the Playstation 4  both physically and digitally, and will be priced at $59.99. Show your support for localized games and physical release by pre-ordering Yakuza 0 today! If you’re an Amazon Prime member, you get 20% off the game, which is a pretty sweet deal.

After the break, check out the full press release as well as some new screens.

Yakuza 6 to release in Japan on December 8th – Watch the new trailer now!

Released last night is a brand new trailer for the upcoming Playstation 4 game Yakuza 6! The trailer reveals several things including the release date, December 8th, and the price of 8,190 yen. The game’s full title is Yakuza 6: Inochi no Uta which translates to “Poetry of Life”. For those wondering if this is the end of the road for series star Kazuma, the trailer carries the message “The final chapter of the legend of Kazuma Kiryu.” It is unknown if this means the franchise will debut a new hero in subsequent games, or if SEGA plans to put the franchise to rest after this game. Though given how reliant SEGA of Japan are on the franchise, a new hero or more prequel titles like Yakuza 0 are probably more likely.

Check out a large gallery of screens and renders after the break, and let us know your thoughts on the game in our dedicated forum topic or in the comments below!

[Via: gematsu]

SEGA News Bits: Sonic Mania Hands On Impressions

We played Sonic Mania, and now we’re going to tell you what we think! In this SEGA News Bits, George and I (Barry) rest our aching feet just hours after the Sonic the Hedgehog 25th Anniversary Party in San Diego to share our reaction to the Sonic Mania reveal and give our thoughts on how the game plays. Do we have another Sonic 4 on our hands or is Sonic Mania the true successor to Sonic 3 & Knuckles? The answers are obviously “nope!” and “hell yes!” in that order.

Special thanks to Neo Hazard for letting us use his footage, you can check out his channel here! Also, thanks to Bartman for being the one to play the game in our footage. You can find Bartman’s YouTube channel here!

If you enjoyed this episode of the SEGA News Bits, make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel and never miss an episode!

Take a look at SEGA’s Sonic Mania press materials

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Friday night in San Diego at Sonic the Hedgehog’s 25th Anniversary Party saw several reveals, most notably being a brand new 2D Sonic game titled Sonic Mania. George and I were there, and we shared our thoughts on the event itself in a recent SEGA News Bits, with more videos from the event to come. Unfortunately, as is the case with being on location, it’s tricky to news things immediately. Thankfully, we had our website designer Will on writing duty posting up stories as soon as they hit.

Now that the dust has settled, I managed to obtain SEGA’s press materials for Sonic Mania to offer our readers some more details on the game. Per the press release, seen in full after the break, the game is confirmed to have select returning zones from Sonic, Sonic 2, Sonic CD, Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles. This is excellent news, as fans of Taxman and Stealth know full well that Sonic 3 & Knuckles has been a tricky title, likely due in large part to rights disputes over the game’s music. But given that these reimagined stages will have newly composed music by Tee Lopes, new music means no issues.

While we knew who was developing the game, the press release also lays things out in a more official capacity stating that SEGA of America is developing the game in collaboration with PagodaWest Games, Christian “Taxman” Whitehead and Simon “Stealth” Thomley (of Headcannon). Also confirmed is that this will only be a digital release, and will hit PS4, Xbox One and PC. While at the event, we did ask if a physical release was in the cards but SEGA representatives sounded very iffy. Perhaps if fans make some noise we might see one? Also, additional platforms are also possible, but none are being talked about at this time.

Check out the press release and screens after the break!

Project Sonic 2017 announced for Holiday 2017 for PS4/XBOX One/NX/PC

Just at the end of the Sonic the Hedgehog 25th Anniversary Party, SEGA had one last surprise. This is Project Sonic 2017, a modern Sonic game being worked on by Sonic Team. It is coming to PS4, XBOX One, PC and NX Holiday 2017! Enjoy the trailer. Holiday 2017 is pretty far away, SEGA is all about quality now though. So the wait will be worth it most likely.

Sonic Mania (Classic Sonic Game) Announced for PS4/XBOX One/PC

At Sonic the Hedgehog’s 25th anniversary party a new Sonic game was finally unveiled! This game is called Sonic Mania and it seems to be a remix of past Sonic games and entirely new levels, made by Christian Whitehead aka Taxman, and Stealth.

Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles are all playable and the game comes out in early 2017. It was playable at the Sonic the Hedgehog 25th anniversary event, and will be playable at the upcoming Summer of Sonic. We will update this post when we have more info, in the meantime, enjoy the trailer!

Atlus shows off 15 minutes of Persona 5 gameplay

Atlus has officially premiered 15 minutes of Persona 5 gameplay during its live stream this morning. This is just a teaser for tomorrow’s big Persona 5 Premium Event being held in Japan, that promises SEVEN new announcements! The footage above shows returning skills, fishing mini-game (froggy?!, movie date with Futaba Sakura and lots more.

Persona 5 hits the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 on September 15 in Japan, February 14, 2017 in the Americas. Persona 5 does have plans to release in Europe with publisher Deep Silver, like discussed before, but they haven’t announced a release date.

[Via: Gematsu]