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Gaming => General Gaming Discussion => Topic started by: Pao on July 01, 2010, 09:23:35 am

Title: Majima's Yakuza has a website with an image.
Post by: Pao on July 01, 2010, 09:23:35 am
http://ryu-ga-gotoku.com/newproject/ (http://ryu-ga-gotoku.com/newproject/)

OK, now this is interesting.
a Shotgun?  :lol:
Title: Re: Majima's Yakuza has a website with an image.
Post by: Deefy on July 01, 2010, 09:33:03 am
The image is madly inspiring !
Title: Re: Majima's Yakuza has a website with an image.
Post by: Aki-at on July 01, 2010, 10:46:08 am
Majima has good taste in weapons. Nothing else really to say though yet!
Title: Re: Majima's Yakuza has a website with an image.
Post by: Suzuki Yu on July 01, 2010, 11:19:44 am
Awesome  :lol:
Title: Re: Majima's Yakuza has a website with an image.
Post by: Centrale on July 01, 2010, 12:46:59 pm
Majima is one of a kind.
Title: Re: Majima's Yakuza has a website with an image.
Post by: Kori-Maru on July 01, 2010, 01:37:16 pm
awesome, but kinda freaky at the same time like HotD style.
Title: Re: Majima's Yakuza has a website with an image.
Post by: MadeManG74 on July 01, 2010, 07:14:13 pm
What is that? Looks like a SPAS 12 with a magazine or something.

Goro Majima is so cool, cannot wait for this game. I STILL haven't bought a PS3 though, I really need to get around to that post-haste.
Title: Re: Majima's Yakuza has a website with an image.
Post by: Sharky on July 01, 2010, 07:32:39 pm
I'm always kind of losing interest in the Yakuza series and then they give it a new twist to bring me back in.

Goro as main character is EXACTLY what the doctor ordered.
Title: Re: Majima's Yakuza has a website with an image.
Post by: Barry the Nomad on July 01, 2010, 08:26:08 pm
If only that OTHER Goro had his own game...

YO BRO!!!!
Title: Re: Majima's Yakuza has a website with an image.
Post by: cube_b3 on July 02, 2010, 03:26:07 am
Quote from: "Barry the Nomad"
If only that OTHER Goro had his own game...

YO BRO!!!!

Hahahaha!

Back on topic I need this game has to have English Voice Overs, MARK HAMILL!!!
Title: Re: Majima's Yakuza has a website with an image.
Post by: George on July 02, 2010, 05:31:31 am
Mark Hamill was good, but the Japanese actor is much better.
Title: Re: Majima's Yakuza has a website with an image.
Post by: Team Andromeda on July 02, 2010, 07:49:41 am
Kiss goodnight to another once great SEGA franchise, while it be milked to death . Is that Guns I see too (well Shotgun)

So uncool and boring when the west does it. Somehow it's cools to have Guns when SEGA does it  :roll:
Title: Re: Majima's Yakuza has a website with an image.
Post by: Sharky on July 02, 2010, 10:04:21 am
Quote from: "Team Andromeda"
Kiss goodnight to another once great SEGA franchise, while it be milked to death . Is that Guns I see too (well Shotgun)

So uncool and boring when the west does it. Somehow it's cools to have Guns when SEGA does it  :roll:

I doubt its going to be a shooter and I don't think anyone here is in the 'western shooters are boring' camp apart from maybe Cube.

They can milk it as much as they like if the game continues to get better and better as it has done and theres no dip in quality I don't see the series being 'once great' its 'still great' last I checked.

The only problem I'm getting is that they could be making other IPs as well was the Yakuza series but theres nothing WRONG with Yakuza bar a dated engine.
Title: Re: Majima's Yakuza has a website with an image.
Post by: Sega Uranus on July 02, 2010, 12:52:36 pm
Another PlayStation 3 exclusive?  :x

I have not been disappointed by the series yet. Of course I would want Nagoshi to try new things, but the series just keeps getting better and better and everyone loves Majima to death now. I see nothing wrong with this [spoiler:3jp75xsw]outside of being a PlayStation 3 exclusive![/spoiler:3jp75xsw]

Quote from: "George"
Mark Hamill was good, but the Japanese actor is much better.

Hamill or bust!

*hits George hard with an umbrella*

STUPID... FUCKING... MOTHERFUCKER...!

Quote from: "Team Andromeda"
Kiss goodnight to another once great SEGA franchise, while it be milked to death . Is that Guns I see too (well Shotgun)

So uncool and boring when the west does it. Somehow it's cools to have Guns when SEGA does it  :roll:

Panzer Dragoon Saga? Pfft, what a load of shit that was. I mean it was completely different from the rest of the bunch and was already part of a MILKED franchise... Oh and is that guns I see too?

STUPID... FUCKING... MOTHERFUCKER...!
Title: Re: Majima's Yakuza has a website with an image.
Post by: Centrale on July 02, 2010, 03:37:42 pm
Yeah, until I see something like Yakuza Karts, I don't see how making each game better than the one before it is milking the series.  Keep 'em coming!
Title: Re: Majima's Yakuza has a website with an image.
Post by: MadeManG74 on July 02, 2010, 05:15:31 pm
I can see where TA is coming from, since the series is coming out at the same rate is FIFA or Madden games right now (or even faster). It is a bit worrying, especially since I honestly don't see a great deal of change between each installment.

Having said that, they all are still selling very well, and i haven't noticed anybody call the series stale or find it feeling 'lazy' yet, so I don't really have a problem. It sounds like this one is going to be mixed up a bit as well.
Title: Re: Majima's Yakuza has a website with an image.
Post by: Aki-at on July 02, 2010, 05:27:54 pm
It does seem the series is quite similar from each installment to another, but they do certain things that make it seem like a bit of an update, for example the battle system in 2, the adventure part of Yakuza 3, again both the adventure and battle system of 4 (In particular, the different fighting styles are significantly different)

It's not easy to just go and tell people how the series has improved through each installment. It's best just to play it yourself, for example you couldn't roll until Yakuza 3, nor could flying objects hit baddies until Yakuza 3, but it all changed there.

I for one await to see what we can get with Yakuza Majima, for one, hoping the co-op mode from the PSP game has made it into here! I'm sure the storyline will be ace though, a throughly enjoyable part about Yakuza is the great plotlines you find in there.
Title: Re: Majima's Yakuza has a website with an image.
Post by: Sieghardt on July 03, 2010, 01:25:12 am
Yeah this loks great and playing as Majima should really shake things up a bit, they said the keyword for this game is "Destruction" so I'm hoping for some crazy heat actions
Title: Re: Majima's Yakuza has a website with an image.
Post by: Team Andromeda on July 03, 2010, 01:28:26 am
Quote from: "Sharky"
I doubt its going to be a shooter and I don't think anyone here is in the 'western shooters are boring' camp apart from maybe Cube.

They can milk it as much as they like if the game continues to get better and better as it has done and theres no dip in quality I don't see the series being 'once great' its 'still great' last I checked.

The only problem I'm getting is that they could be making other IPs as well was the Yakuza series but theres nothing WRONG with Yakuza bar a dated engine.

I'm no saying it be a FPS, I'm saying some like to have a go at the west for endless guns and dark adult games, Yet have no worries or issue's when SEGA does it .

And I do care about milking for lots of reasons . This isn't Fifa here Sharky,  a sport game when just putting in the latest players squads counts for a lot, but a 25 Hrs + RPG. Now you name another RPG, or another team that's able to update a RPG ever year ,with endless sequels ?

Yearly updates killed Tomb Raider has the series lacked innovation and (bar the die-hards) people started to get bored and moved on . Look at what happened to Sonic, That went the easy route of side story spin off's, having new characters in the same game world ( an easy fix to hide the lack of true innovation) and Sonic 3D game had different teams and a 2 yearly development time

Carry on cheering, but mark my words ...

Yearly development times for a single team is a sure way to break any sort of innovation, kill the team will , and see Top staff have enough and leave , and SEGA can not lose any more talented staff imo .
Their current In-House line up is dull and uninspiring enough as it is
Title: Re: Majima's Yakuza has a website with an image.
Post by: Sega Uranus on July 03, 2010, 07:02:45 am
Quote from: "Team Andromeda"
Quote from: "Sharky"
I doubt its going to be a shooter and I don't think anyone here is in the 'western shooters are boring' camp apart from maybe Cube.

They can milk it as much as they like if the game continues to get better and better as it has done and theres no dip in quality I don't see the series being 'once great' its 'still great' last I checked.

The only problem I'm getting is that they could be making other IPs as well was the Yakuza series but theres nothing WRONG with Yakuza bar a dated engine.

I'm no saying it be a FPS, I'm saying some like to have a go at the west for endless guns and dark adult games, Yet have no worries or issue's when SEGA does it .

And I do care about milking for lots of reasons . This isn't Fifa here Sharky,  a sport game when just putting in the latest players squads counts for a lot, but a 25 Hrs + RPG. Now you name another RPG, or another team that's able to update a RPG ever year ,with endless sequels ?

Yearly updates killed Tomb Raider has the series lacked innovation and (bar the die-hards) people started to get bored and moved on . Look at what happened to Sonic, That went the easy route of side story spin off's, having new characters in the same game world ( an easy fix to hide the lack of true innovation) and Sonic 3D game had different teams and a 2 yearly development time

Carry on cheering, but mark my words ...

Yearly development times for a single team is a sure way to break any sort of innovation, kill the team will , and see Top staff have enough and leave , and SEGA can not lose any more talented staff imo .
Their current In-House line up is dull and uninspiring enough as it is

Sorry, but you are just talking out your ass now I think.

You said this with Yakuza 3, it turned out great and was considered the best yet.

You said this with Yakuza 4, it turned out great and was considered the best yet.

You said this with the Yakuza PSP title, but it has features that could easily make it the best in the series, it is portable and looks to have some of the best graphics and design on the six year old platform... Just from trailers anyone can see it is an extremely impressive game.

And now you are saying it again about the latest one that we know literally NOTHING about outside of "Majima is playable". You are looking like you are complaining about guns being in the series, but they have always been in the series with the exception of maybe Kenzan (which I assume has some anyways). Your argument is not fair at all.

I can understand why you are upset with this, I want Nagoshi to work on other stuff too. But as long as the franchise is top notch and only improving, I do not see why you are complaining at all. Blame the economy before you blame SEGA about not having nothing but games that appeal to you, if anything if the economy says the way it is, companies like Konami, Namco and a few others will be gone within 20 years and SEGA will be just fine, because they are have learned from their past.
Title: Re: Majima's Yakuza has a website with an image.
Post by: Aki-at on July 03, 2010, 07:19:14 am
The first Yakuza game wasn't even innovative, if at all. Why would one expect, after 5 titles of just improving the system and additions, we would start to see innovation. Yakuza has never been about outstanding elements that lead to a great game, it was a sum of all parts and has become closer to akin a TV seriel now with all it's plots and characters.

I agree with Sanus, having played Yakuza 1, 2, Kenzan, 3 and 4, as long as improvements are made and the storyline continues to be steller, I don't really mind it, innovation is not always required for a good game (After Sonic 1, the series did not innovate, just improve and it became one of the best series of all time, until Sonic Team decided to completely ignore what made the series popular in the first place)

Sanus brings an important bit about the economy too, the current NPD showing how poorly Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands, Lost Planet 2, Blur, Alan Wake etc shows that we're in real danger here.
Title: Re: Majima's Yakuza has a website with an image.
Post by: Team Andromeda on July 03, 2010, 07:50:07 am
Quote
You said this with Yakuza 3, it turned out great and was considered the best yet
I consider Yakuza II to be vastly superior (bar its poor end, which dragged on too long)

Quote
You said this with Yakuza 4, it turned out great and was considered the best yet.
I found it rather boring myself, but that was just the demo .

Quote
. You are looking like you are complaining about guns being in the series, but they have always been in the series with the exception of maybe Kenzan (which I assume has some anyways). Your argument is not fair at all.

Guns? I have made that point before  in other topics as you well know.

Quote
Blame the economy before you blame SEGA about not having nothing but games that appeal to you, if anything if the economy says the way it is, companies like Konami, Namco and a few others will be gone within 20 years and SEGA will be just fine, because they are have learned from their past.

Konami consumer side make profits, have done always , They have Prov Evo and Metal Gear Soild which sell millions and millions of copies . SEGA Japan have no answer to them, what so ever , other than Sonic Vs Mario.
Unless SEGA Japan start to make multi Platform games and game which appeal to the west , then yes it be dead in 20 years time.

Quote
the current NPD showing how poorly Lost Planet 2, Blur, Alan Wake etc shows that we're in real danger here.
How well did Red Dead sell ?.  there's a game with far better tech, and far more open than Yakuza . Blur was always going to sell poor, Alan Wake I expected better (but MS gave it no push at all) . Lost Planet II I will admit to be quite supprised about, though I'll bet it sell over a million copies over the next few months .

Summer Time is always a poor time for games sales, and has been the case for years

Quote
The first Yakuza game wasn't even innovative

I found it to be quite innovative, blending the Street Of Rage/Spike Out formula into a story drive RPG with a complete adult setting to be a breath of fresh air. I though the Heat moves were hugely entertaining and different enough from other games , and being able to walk around City so well modelled on shit that was the PS2 GPU, just amazing, and SEGA Japan  at its technical best

Fact is there is little new in Yakuza III that wasn't done in Yakyza II. Now emst enjoyed the Tomb Raider games, and for many years CORE were able to improve the tech, keep the quality bar decent , but after the 3rd game, but a few becan to tire of the same old game , just with some simple new move or ability , some update to the GFX engine and only single platform  .

I just seem the same happing to Yakuza . Its not a growing series anymore, far from it
Title: Re: Majima's Yakuza has a website with an image.
Post by: Sega Uranus on July 03, 2010, 09:28:01 am
Quote from: "Team Andromeda"
Konami consumer side make profits, have done always , They have Prov Evo and Metal Gear Soild which sell millions and millions of copies . SEGA Japan have no answer to them, what so ever , other than Sonic Vs Mario.
Unless SEGA Japan start to make multi Platform games and game which appeal to the west , then yes it be dead in 20 years time.

So we are going to ignore the truly terrible sales of recent Silent Hill, Dance Dance Revolution and Track & Field titles? What about how Castlevania games have only just been able to make their money back Yu-Gi-Oh, Frogger and Pro Evolution also have been slipping for years now too. Konami's presence in the whole world is shockingly smaller than it was years back. I would also bet the farm saying that Castlevania Lords of Shadow will be a bomb. Of course they always have Metal Gear, but the same can be argued with Sonic the Hedgehog and SEGA.

SEGA has tons of constant great selling franchises outside of Sonic the Hedgehog. Total War and Football Manager are some of the biggest PC-only franchises that are all that big, they have some of the biggest hits in Japan with Yakuza, Project DIVA and Puyo Puyo. Even cheap cheap cheap releases of The House of the Dead make it high on the charts just about everywhere in the world. Recent risks like Bayonetta have proven successful and with big branches like Marza Animation Planet just starting to take off, I do not see how you could be able to complain this much about SEGA's future.

And I think it is funny you think SEGA will be gone if their games do not start to have more Western appeal or be multiplatform, I guess the same must be true for Nintendo!

Quote from: "Team Andromeda"
How well did Red Dead sell ?.  there's a game with far better tech, and far more open than Yakuza . Blur was always going to sell poor, Alan Wake I expected better (but MS gave it no push at all) . Lost Planet II I will admit to be quite supprised about, though I'll bet it sell over a million copies over the next few months .

Are you serious? Red Dead Redemption might literally be the most expensive game to make of all time. Why would SEGA want to take a risk with this, especially when Take Two is not even sure themselves if the game will be able to make a profit?

Put it this way, Lost Planet 2 cost Capcom a lot of money... A whole lot. Why make something major like this when you can make a game tons of people enjoy, like Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing for a much cheaper budget and one that sells much faster?

I see the same happening to Dead Rising 2 to be honest, though not as bad. I think the sequel is too far away from the first release to ever take off as a major franchise now, especially with much bigger and better releases coming at the same time... They waited too long to get this one out the door.
Title: Re: Majima's Yakuza has a website with an image.
Post by: Aki-at on July 03, 2010, 09:33:47 am
Quote from: "Team Andromeda"
How well did Red Dead sell ?.  there's a game with far better tech, and far more open than Yakuza . Blur was always going to sell poor, Alan Wake I expected better (but MS gave it no push at all) . Lost Planet II I will admit to be quite supprised about, though I'll bet it sell over a million copies over the next few months .

The point was not about the tech, the point was about the state of the industry's sales.

You are using the number one selling game as reason the industry is in good shape in America? If I wanted, I could point to New Super Mario Bros Wii or Final Fantasy XIII as how Japan's gaming industry is in a good and healthy state, it's not.

Quote from: "Team Andromeda"
Summer Time is always a poor time for games sales, and has been the case for years.

That maybe so, but it does not change the fact the correction is finally catching up with the American gaming industry, it was bound to happen and it is happening and only will continue to get more and more severe. The Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands was another  game that bombed, after the last one did over 2 million. UFC also went down in sales. Revenues continue to decline, playing it risky is no longer a good idea.

Quote from: "Team Andromeda"
I found it to be quite innovative, blending the Street Of Rage/Spike Out formula into a story drive RPG with a complete adult setting to be a breath of fresh air. I though the Heat moves were hugely entertaining and different enough from other games , and being able to walk around City so well modelled on shit that was the PS2 GPU, just amazing, and SEGA Japan  at its technical best.

That's not innovation, that is taking existing ideas and combining them together. If what you said was the case, I could say adding the chase sequences in Yakuza 3 was innovative.

Quote from: "Team Andromeda"
Fact is there is little new in Yakuza III that wasn't done in Yakyza II. Now emst enjoyed the Tomb Raider games, and for many years CORE were able to improve the tech, keep the quality bar decent , but after the 3rd game, but a few becan to tire of the same old game , just with some simple new move or ability , some update to the GFX engine and only single platform .

I just seem the same happing to Yakuza . Its not a growing series anymore, far from it

There was a lot done in Yakuza 3, the upgrade battle system, a wider range of missions, a new camera system, an upgraded hostess system that SEGA unfortuntely cut, new heat moves, the chase sequences, a new area added, a new weapon system and weapon creation etc.

And now all this was not innovative, but again, neither was the original game. But if you think combining Streets of Rage gameplay with RPG elements innovative, then all that I've mention are innovations as well.

And again, innovations are not what makes a good game, else Sonic the Hedgehog 2 would not be considered a great game.
Title: Re: Majima's Yakuza has a website with an image.
Post by: Team Andromeda on July 03, 2010, 10:54:45 am
Quote
So we are going to ignore the truly terrible sales of recent Silent Hill, Dance Dance Revolution and Track & Field titles?

Nope, Point is Konami still posted profits for the consumer labs . Konami have an ace card, and its not just MGS or Pro, but a successful range of NCl sports games, which has brought in tons of money since the Snes days . Point is , give gamers a game they want,and they'll by it, even in a recession.

Like you say with SEGA, T&F and SH were made out of house , meaning minimum losses :P

Quote
I would also bet the farm saying that Castlevania Lords of Shadow will be a bomb. Of course they always have Metal Gear, but the same can be argued with Sonic the Hedgehog and SEGA.

I bet it will sell over 500,000 copies. As for MGS Vs Sonic. A MGS game isn't made every 2 years , it's always been shipped when the game is ready and quality bar is alays high . Technically its always pushed the host hardware , and is a game that sells the world over .

More gamers will want and look forward to a new MGS game that a Sonic game . Simple facts for this generation

Quote
EGA has tons of constant great selling franchises outside of Sonic the Hedgehog. Total War and Football Manager are some of the biggest PC-only franchises that are all that big, they have some of the biggest hits in Japan with Yakuza, Project DIVA and Puyo Puyo.

None of which are a multi million sellers outside of Sonic. That's the difference , Konami have more multi million seller IP, and IP that works and sells the world over.

Quote
Red Dead Redemption might literally be the most expensive game to make of all time. Why would SEGA want to take a risk with this, especially when Take Two is not even sure themselves if the game will be able to make a profit

I'm sure 2K have come out said the risk paid off , haven't they . It's sold over a 1.5  million inthe USA alone . 2K took a big risk and invested in a Multi Platform, mulit purpose engine from the very start of this generation and its paying off. Its also taken a risk and spent big on Mafia II motion capture tech.
I'll give credit to 2K , for taking risks and developing great tech, as well as pushing the Online side of things . Things I used to take for granted with SEGA Japan.

Quote
Put it this way, Lost Planet 2 cost Capcom a lot of money... A whole lot. Why make something major like this when you can make a game tons of people enjoy, like Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing for a much cheaper budget and one that sells much faster

Well see next set of results if LP II will be a Huge lose maker , if nothing else they've got the best next gen Multi Platform 3rd party engine out it . Sonic ASR?, just what makes you think, that was so cheap ?. It was in development for 3 years and had a decent number of staff on it , That's not cheap . Don't think it was a great seller either was it ?

Quote
I see the same happening to Dead Rising 2 to be honest, though not as bad. I think the sequel is too far away from the first release to ever take off as a major franchise now, especially with much bigger and better releases coming at the same time

I'm of the thinking it will sell a million , but not be a Huge hit. I bet you it sell more than Yakuza IV will .

Quote
The point was not about the tech, the point was about the state of the industry's sales.

1.5 million in sales inthe USA alone, recession or not .

Quote
The Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands was another game that bombed, after the last one did over 2 million. UFC also went down in sales. Revenues continue to decline, playing it risky is no longer a good idea.

POP was piss poor and looked old hat, and offered or brought nothing new to the table . UFC well I'll be hard pressed to notice any difference between this years and last years game . Yet the game that cost the most , was the biggest risk sold over a million in weeks

Quote
That's not innovation, that is taking existing ideas and combining them together.

Ok fair point, but then no game is truly innovate since the 16 bit days, because every genre was done to death by that time .
A yearly development cycle limits the team being able to develop and test new tech, new game play idea's and mechanics . That is the case for a sports game, never mind a game has complex as a RPG or Yakuza


How about making Yakuza multi platform , taking place in the west . That move alone will make it seem fresh , with a new city needing to be modelled. Give the team 2/3 years to really make a new game in the series . To me spending upwards of 25 to 30 million per Yakuza  is madness. When the game as limited appeal in the west and core audience of 500,000 in Japan.


That's really going to take SEGA forward at all
Title: Re: Majima's Yakuza has a website with an image.
Post by: Sega Uranus on July 03, 2010, 11:37:20 am
Quote from: "Team Andromeda"
None of which are a multi million sellers outside of Sonic. That's the difference , Konami have more multi million seller IP, and IP that works and sells the world over.

A game does not need to be a multimillion seller to be a hit or make money, you of all people should know this. I think the charts pointing at SEGA being one of the only publishers out there making money at all is proof of this, not to mention they release tons more games than Konami does, by a lot.

My point was that the Pro Evolution series has sold less with each release for quite some time now, and that many many of their franchises have been in a slump for years, even IPs that are known by everyone like Yu-Gi-Oh, Silent Hill and Frogger will never recover. SEGA has some franchises that are going downhill like Super Monkey Ball (which I will say has only had one bomb so far) but they do not have a massive list of franchises in this bad of a rutt as Konami does, and yet SEGA release many many many more games a year. SEGA has a much better business structure and it is a proven fact, just look at the numbers!

Quote from: "Team Andromeda"
I'm sure 2K have come out said the risk paid off , haven't they . It's sold over a 1.5  million inthe USA alone . 2K took a big risk and invested in a Multi Platform, mulit purpose engine from the very start of this generation and its paying off. Its also taken a risk and spent big on Mafia II motion capture tech.
I'll give credit to 2K , for taking risks and developing great tech, as well as pushing the Online side of things . Things I used to take for granted with SEGA Japan.

2K is one of the most well known videogame companies in the world known for losing money, even BioShock 2 - A sequel to one of the biggest games this gen was a huge disappointment in sales. Why would SEGA want to copy their business platform? For your approval? Come on man...

Red Dead Redemption also runs poorly on the PlayStation 3, and it is not really fair to bring Mafia II into the discussion as it is not out yet and might not run well on a platform either. Still there, that is another game that was in production for years that might not sell too good.

Quote from: "Team Andromeda"
Well see next set of results if LP II will be a Huge lose maker , if nothing else they've got the best next gen Multi Platform 3rd party engine out it . Sonic ASR?, just what makes you think, that was so cheap ?. It was in development for 3 years and had a decent number of staff on it , That's not cheap . Don't think it was a great seller either was it ?

Lost Planet 2 is a lost cause, the price is already being lowered everywhere already.

SEGA wanted Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing to be bigger, yes, but this is just my point. It was made by a third party with weak tech on multiple platforms and was most certainly not in development for three years. SEGA planned ahead thinking that even if this were to be a bomb that their losses would be minimal. It was an extremely smart bet and worked out, and guess what? The game sold pretty damn good anyways with a sequel no doubt already on the way.

Quote from: "Team Andromeda"
How about making Yakuza multi platform , taking place in the west . That move alone will make it seem fresh , with a new city needing to be modelled. Give the team 2/3 years to really make a new game in the series . To me spending upwards of 25 to 30 million per Yakuza  is madness. When the game as limited appeal in the west and core audience of 500,000 in Japan.


That's really going to take SEGA forward at all

This is where your point is lost entirely. First of all, you want them to make other things, but give an idea out for ANOTHER new Yakuza? Second, we know nothing about the Majima game outside of him being playable. It could be all of what you said for all we know.

And even then, I do not see the point of it all. You do not need 2-3 years to make a really outstanding game. Some of what I consider the best games of all time were developed in around a years time.
Title: Re: Majima's Yakuza has a website with an image.
Post by: Aki-at on July 03, 2010, 12:21:10 pm
Quote from: "Team Andromeda"
1.5 million in sales inthe USA alone, recession or not .

So did Final Fantasy XIII on it's debut month in Japan, that does not change the fact the Japanese video game industry revenue is in decline.

Quote from: "Team Andromeda"
POP was piss poor and looked old hat, and offered or brought nothing new to the table . UFC well I'll be hard pressed to notice any difference between this years and last years game . Yet the game that cost the most , was the biggest risk sold over a million in weeks .

The game that sold the most has also yet to make it's money back if we were going just by American sales, and that's believing all $60 per unit goes to TakeTwo (Which obviously, it does not)

For SEGA to pour that amount of money in a game they need to either completely stop in the arcade development, or cease the development of Bayonetta, Yakuza 4, Sonic Colours, Vanquish and Shogun 2 to have even that level of funds available. Just to make one game. That didn't even make it's development cost back in it's first month of sales in America, despite selling 1.5 million. This something SEGA cannot do, spend over a $100 million developing a game that could lead them to going bankrupt? They are not going to do that again, ever.

Furthermore, biggest risk? Alan Wake took Remedy close to six years to develop and they've come out and said "We've bet our farm on it to be a massive success" the game has easily missed the target set by it within Remedy, the same with Blur, which might just cause Activision to cease Bizarre Creation. Blur was seen to be "The racing game for this generation that Call of Duty is for shooter" Activision was betting on it being a huge success, it failed. In a way Red Dead was a big risk, in other ways these two games were also massive risks.

And then there is Lost Planet 2, a game which has had it's sales targets scaled back twice and even still is looking likely to be another dud for Capcom in the line of Bionic Commando, Dark Void and Darkside Chronicles. But that's not the point, revenues are down year on year, the recession is finally catching up with the industry. Spending the sort of cash we've seen thrown about just not a good idea anymore.

Quote from: "Team Andromeda"
Ok fair point, but then no game is truly innovate since the 16 bit days, because every genre was done to death by that time .

I did not deny that, but a game being innovative does not mean it will not be fun, some of SEGA's best games are sequels without any real innovation.

Quote from: "Team Andromeda"
A yearly development cycle limits the team being able to develop and test new tech, new game play idea's and mechanics . That is the case for a sports game, never mind a game has complex as a RPG or Yakuza

They've kept up the quality of the games with additions that add to the game and that's all that matters to me at the end of the day.
Title: Re: Majima's Yakuza has a website with an image.
Post by: Sharky on July 03, 2010, 02:03:01 pm
Konamis Metal Gear Soild is just as milked if not more so then Yakuza in recent years.
Title: Re: Majima's Yakuza has a website with an image.
Post by: Pao on July 03, 2010, 02:14:48 pm
Quote from: "Sharky"
Konamis Metal Gear Soild is just as milked if not more so then Yakuza in recent years.
Nope.
The differences and changes between each main MGS game is big, unlike Yakuza (which still use same environmental assets and animations, among other stuff).

Its not milking when there is only 4 main games from more than 11 years, especially when there are big changes each game.
Title: Re: Majima's Yakuza has a website with an image.
Post by: Aki-at on July 03, 2010, 03:35:57 pm
Quote from: "Pao"
Nope.
The differences and changes between each main MGS game is big, unlike Yakuza (which still use same environmental assets and animations, among other stuff).

Its not milking when there is only 4 main games from more than 11 years, especially when there are big changes each game.

No, I think you don't exactly understand what milking means.

For example, Mario's main games have been Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, Super Mario Galaxy and Galaxy 2 in a span of 12 years. Sonic the Hedgehog has had Sonic Adventure 2, Sonic Heroes, Sonic the Hedgehog 2006 and Sonic Unleashed as his main games in 9 years. Under Mario's instence, are you claiming that series is less milked then Metal Gear Solid and Sonic is only slightly more milked? Even though each title is radically different from the last? We all believe Mario is one of the milked franchises in the industry, but with what your saying, it appearently is not.

Just because the main games are spaced apart and radically different does not mean a series is not milked. Just like Yakuza, Konami milk as much as they can out of each Metal Gear title. Not saying the Metal Gear series is terrible or anything, but Konami certainly use it instead of a new title to generate as much income as possible.
Title: Re: Majima's Yakuza has a website with an image.
Post by: Sega Uranus on July 03, 2010, 05:06:44 pm
Metal Gear is one of the most milked franchises in the history of gaming... I do not know how anyone can say Yakuza is anywhere close. Different playstyles and designs are the biggest reason to prove it is, meanwhile Yakuza just comes in one flavor. One glorious, delicious ass kicking flavor.
Title: Re: Majima's Yakuza has a website with an image.
Post by: Suzuki Yu on July 03, 2010, 09:32:50 pm
at least any main series in Metal Gear will have no less than 3 years in making .
while Yakuza's main series is milked over yearly updates .
big differences here .

in RGG games they are using the same assist again and again . and while there is some changes and new ideas it's still doesn't feel fresh enough  .

but i have to be honest , the team is really doing impressive work updating RGG every year ... but that will never be good for the long term .
in this situation all i can hope for is that the team was considering a multi-year RGG in production simultaneously with the past and current projects . and this could be the next project , according to Nagoshi's last interview he said ""Yakuza must evolve. To evolve, some things must be broken. A Yakuza that is being broken is under construction and thus cannot be released. This probably saddens the fans, so as we break things, we make new things." ,,,, so we will see .
Title: Re: Majima's Yakuza has a website with an image.
Post by: Aki-at on July 03, 2010, 09:59:56 pm
Quote from: "Suzuki Yu"
at least any main series in Metal Gear will have no less than 3 years in making .
while Yakuza's main series is milked over yearly updates .
big differences here .

That was not the point though. The point was Metal Gear Solid is also being milked, by coming out with what Pao said, neither Mario nor Sonic are milked series, since both have games that have more than three years in the making and usually share little major assists. By what has just been said, Mario is the least milked series out of the lot, but that is surely not the case.

It's not about the difference in milking; it is the definition itself means Metal Gear Solid is also a milked series as, like Yakuza, Konami use MGS as a financial strong point, they even have the brand in their reports as a seperate genre.

As for additions to the series, I'll wait on it. So far I've played all five in the series and outside of Kenzan! I've find each to have it's own certain charm and strength that carry on the game on. I suppose people could get tired of it, but storyline is probably the biggest draw in Yakuza. If I wanted a game with a superb combat engine, I'd be playing Ninja Gaiden or Bayonetta, or if I wanted an adventure mode, Zelda or God of War, but rather Yakuza just does enjoyable and adds a fantastic storyline which keeps the game together. It's basically an RPG truly, nothing outside of the plot has been top draw, perhaps with the exception to attention to detail.

I can see your point about wanting new towns, but that really depends on which characters are in the game. It has become like a tv serial now, and the primary location is Tokyo's red light district, unfortunately for some.

Obviously I  would like to see SEGA take their time right now, but the current climate does not give them the space to do that...
Title: Re: Majima's Yakuza has a website with an image.
Post by: MadeManG74 on July 03, 2010, 10:05:25 pm
How would you guys feel about another Team taking on Yakuza in a manner like Call of Duty is handled? Where Infinity Ward would make a game every 2 years and Treyarch would make one every two years? It seemed to work out well with the COD series coming out at a regular rate and the games were mostly very good as well (COD4, WaW and MW2 for example were all recieved and sold very well).

I'm not sure who would take on Yakuza at Sega though, just keep it very fucking far away from Sonic Team obviously.
Title: Re: Majima's Yakuza has a website with an image.
Post by: Aki-at on July 03, 2010, 10:11:03 pm
Quote from: "MadeManG74"
How would you guys feel about another Team taking on Yakuza in a manner like Call of Duty is handled? Where Infinity Ward would make a game every 2 years and Treyarch would make one every two years? It seemed to work out well with the COD series coming out at a regular rate and the games were mostly very good as well (COD4, WaW and MW2 for example were all recieved and sold very well).

I'm not sure who would take on Yakuza at Sega though, just keep it very fucking far away from Sonic Team obviously.

I think that would be a good idea, but considering Nagoshi now has two teams making two seperate Yakuza games, well perhaps SEGA will start to make Yakuza games like that.

I don't see a problem as long as the team is not Sonic Team.
Title: Re: Majima's Yakuza has a website with an image.
Post by: Team Andromeda on July 04, 2010, 02:58:51 am
Quote
A game does not need to be a multimillion seller to be a hit or make money,

These days it does, unless its a well established 3rd party game in the west , or Dragon Quest in Japan . SEGA Japan consumer teams have been bleeding money, and have only posted profits like 2 to 3 times in the last 10 years .

Quote
My point was that the Pro Evolution series has sold less with each release for quite some time now, and that many many of their franchises have been in a slump for years,

Not really true.  Also what really hurt the series is how poor its been on the Next Gen system , with lazy updates, poor online modes, and very poor tech and animation .  Its seems that Konami want to fight back now , either way Pro Evo is still a multi million selling brand, Winning Eleven sells Hundreds of thousands of copies in Japan alone .

Quote
SEGA has a much better business structure and it is a proven fact, just look at the numbers!
Frogger ?, That died out in the 80's .

I look at the simple facts that Konami have more multi million selling IP and the consumer teams post profits.

Quote
2K is one of the most well known videogame companies in the world known for losing money, even BioShock 2
Yes I made that point on SEGA nerds, maybe ever on here too .  Though I'm sure 2K were able to post a profit this year . Risks like BoarderLands and Red Dead have paid off, and Bioshock II made a profit, even if it was a modest one.

Quote
Red Dead Redemption also runs poorly on the PlayStation 3, and it is not really fair to bring Mafia II into the discussion as it is not out yet and might not run well on a platform either.
What is this Eurogamer ?.

Its runs well enough on the PS3 and on the 360 is a remarkable technical achievement, for a open world game. Mafia II not saying the game will be any good, but the farcical motion capture looks set to bring in and set new standards . Yet again 2K investing and taking risks in new tech.

Quote
Lost Planet 2 is a lost cause, the price is already being lowered everywhere already.

It was sold at a low retail price to begin with . What is sold so far over 300,000 copies . I bet it will push over a million in the end . Though I will agree the sales are poor. At least Capcom would have learned a lot with Online Co-Op and now have Framework II tech , which imo is the best 3rd party multi platform engine there is .

Quote
SEGA wanted Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing to be bigger, yes, but this is just my point. It was made by a third party with weak tech on multiple platforms and was most certainly not in development for three years.

You'll be surprised it was in development for over 2 and half years . I also don't think the tech was that weak, it looked really good on the DS. My trouble with it was why it was even handled out of house, and not given to AM#2 to develope. SEGA Japan still in my eye are the best at making racers, for the most part anyway (not doubt we'll bring up Sonic)

Quote
You do not need 2-3 years to make a really outstanding game. Some of what I consider the best games of all time were developed in around a years time.

You do if you want to improve the tech and really move the game forward. I can't think of any Major Game epic , that's been developed in under a year. That knocked my socks off this generation GFX and gameplay wise.

Quote
So did Final Fantasy XIII on it's debut month in Japan, that does not change the fact the Japanese video game industry revenue is in decline

The clue is with 13 in the Title . FF is an long established and million selling IP , Kind of like Madden in USA. Going to selling over a million not matter what. RedDead is a new IP (or a passing sequel at best)

Huge difference .

Also how many copies did FF 13 sell on the 360 ?. Quite a lot wasn't it . That's what being Multi Platform can do (though I'm sure you'll bring up FF 14 ;))

Quote
The game that sold the most has also yet to make it's money back if we were going just by American sales, and that's believing all $60 per unit goes to TakeTwo

Well its topping the charts over here too . Its going to go through the 5 million barrier easy. Say to say it's going to make its money back, if it hasn't already.

Quote
For SEGA to pour that amount of money in a game they need to either completely stop in the arcade development, or cease the development of Bayonetta, Yakuza 4,

Let's not be Drama Queens here , we don't know the final costs of Red Dead . Just like we really don't know the true cost of each Yakuza game . We do now that Kenzan cost more to make than Yakuza , with Nagoshi-san  saying  it was the biggest game and biggest budget he's ever worked on. So That's a Budget of over $25 Million .

So we can assume that each Yakuza game is costing SEGA over $20 million . Remind me again how many Yakuza games SEGA developed or is developing this generation? . There's your 80 to 100 million right there .
Also I've mad the point here and on SEGA nerds, that SEGA funding Platinum games is taking money away form it's own Teams . In-House Teams that really need to start making their own WW games, and learn what its takes. Get their Pipe lines up to Next Gen standards.

Quote
urthermore, biggest risk? Alan Wake took Remedy close to six years to develop and they've come out and said "We've bet our farm on it to be a massive success" the game has easily missed the target set by it within Remedy, the same with Blur

Remedy are a tiny team . Alan Wake would have cost nothing like that of Read Dead to produce. Blur was a risk , but again in cost terms it would be nothing to that of Read Dead.

Quote
And then there is Lost Planet 2, a game which has had it's sales targets scaled back twice and even still is looking likely to be another dud for Capcom in the line of Bionic Commando, Dark Void and Darkside Chronicles.

Oh Please, Scraping the barrel if we need to bring in the likes of Dark Void or Chronicles into it . I think they sold so poor , more to do with the fact that they were crap, than anything to do with a so-called recession (more so when people are cuing in the streets to for the latest Apple) . In cost terms it would be low to Capcom.
I will agree that so far LP II isn't a great seller.

Games sales in one of the area's that still can perform well in a Recession. PS2 sold over a million at Launch in Japan , even though Japan was in one of its worst recessions ever. 16bit and 8 bit sales weathered the 80's and 90's recessions (and inthe UK the 90's was a crippling recession) . There's still plenty of money around.

Quote
Spending the sort of cash we've seen thrown about just not a good idea anymore.
It what you spend it on .

This generation you really need to be Multi Platform, Online and making games with the West in mind . Now we can all post we don't like it, but that what most 3rd parties need to do. SOJ isn't , that is a problem

Quote
some of SEGA's best games are sequels without any real innovation.
I agree, but that's been lost now. I don't mind sequels in fact I love them . But to me Yakuza is now starting to feel the same , very much like Tomb Raider .

Quote
Konamis Metal Gear Soild is just as milked if not more so then Yakuza in recent years

Simply not true . We've had 2 MGS games on the PS2 (same as Yakuza) we've had one major game on the PS3, yet we've had 2 Yakuza's and Kenzan . The development time between, each MGS (major console release) is vastly different to Yakuza's yearly development time line.

Quote
How would you guys feel about another Team taking on Yakuza in a manner like Call of Duty is handled? Where Infinity Ward would make a game every 2 years and Treyarch would make one every two years? It seemed to work out well with the COD series coming out at a regular rate and the games were mostly very good as well (COD4, WaW and MW2 for example were all recieved and sold very well).

I'm not sure who would take on Yakuza at Sega though, just keep it very fucking far away from Sonic Team obviously.

Well its what Ubisoft and Acti had to do, and in game terms the likes of SplinterCell and COD are much simpler to make.  I say give the team a 2 to 3 year development time , so they can really go to town . Ubi are getting just as bad of late though, they're milking Assassin's Creed of late, and that's a series that's going to do with way of POP imo .


Sonic Team like I said before, Now get it and will surprise many over the next couple of years
Title: Re: Majima's Yakuza has a website with an image.
Post by: Pao on July 04, 2010, 03:03:26 am
Quote from: "Aki-at"
Quote from: "Pao"
Nope.
The differences and changes between each main MGS game is big, unlike Yakuza (which still use same environmental assets and animations, among other stuff).

Its not milking when there is only 4 main games from more than 11 years, especially when there are big changes each game.

No, I think you don't exactly understand what milking means.

For example, Mario's main games have been Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, Super Mario Galaxy and Galaxy 2 in a span of 12 years. Sonic the Hedgehog has had Sonic Adventure 2, Sonic Heroes, Sonic the Hedgehog 2006 and Sonic Unleashed as his main games in 9 years. Under Mario's instence, are you claiming that series is less milked then Metal Gear Solid and Sonic is only slightly more milked? Even though each title is radically different from the last? We all believe Mario is one of the milked franchises in the industry, but with what your saying, it appearently is not.

Just because the main games are spaced apart and radically different does not mean a series is not milked. Just like Yakuza, Konami milk as much as they can out of each Metal Gear title. Not saying the Metal Gear series is terrible or anything, but Konami certainly use it instead of a new title to generate as much income as possible.
I believe I understood the definition of Milking differently from your understanding.
I think Milking is when a company continues on releasing sequels for their successful series in a short periods of time and with little changes (Yakuza, CoD, Dynasty Warriors) to make the most out of their franchise. The company does not only milk the name, but even the gameplay elements remain unchanged and kept repeated each sequel, no radical changes.

Games like  MGS and FF, while having a lot of titles in the series, are not released yearly like Yakuza, and each one got big and radical changes, its true that the company also wants to make the most out of the series, but not as frequent as those games like CoD and Yakuza.

Imagine two Cows:

One is being milked every day for 1 month. (CoD, Yakuza, etc..)
And the other is being milked every week for 6 months. (MGS, FF, etc..)
Just an inaccurate example, but which Cow do you think got its Milk dried?  :P

This is what I believe Milking is, it might be different than what you think it is though.
Title: Re: Majima's Yakuza has a website with an image.
Post by: Aki-at on July 04, 2010, 07:18:27 am
Quote from: "Pao"
I believe I understood the definition of Milking differently from your understanding.
I think Milking is when a company continues on releasing sequels for their successful series in a short periods of time and with little changes (Yakuza, CoD, Dynasty Warriors) to make the most out of their franchise. The company does not only milk the name, but even the gameplay elements remain unchanged and kept repeated each sequel, no radical changes.

Games like MGS and FF, while having a lot of titles in the series, are not released yearly like Yakuza, and each one got big and radical changes, its true that the company also wants to make the most out of the series, but not as frequent as those games like CoD and Yakuza.

Imagine two Cows:

One is being milked every day for 1 month. (CoD, Yakuza, etc..)
And the other is being milked every week for 6 months. (MGS, FF, etc..)
Just an inaccurate example, but which Cow do you think got its Milk dried? :P

This is what I believe Milking is, it might be different than what you think it is though.

As I've said before and will say again...

You've basically said Sonic and Mario are not milked franchises. In particular, Mario is less milked than Metal Gear Solid, do you believe that assessment?

Also Final Fantasy's radical changes have been regressive this generation... But just because it's main games are released every so often... Even though per year there has been as much as 4 Final Fantasy games per year, what is your take on that?
Title: Re: Majima's Yakuza has a website with an image.
Post by: Aki-at on July 04, 2010, 08:40:37 am
Quote from: "Team Andromeda"
The clue is with 13 in the Title . FF is an long established and million selling IP , Kind of like Madden in USA. Going to selling over a million not matter what. RedDead is a new IP (or a passing sequel at best)

Huge difference .

God Eater sold over half a million in February in Japan. Again, the top position in a chart does not matter, it is the entire state of the chart that matters.

Quote from: "Team Andromeda"
Also how many copies did FF 13 sell on the 360 ?. Quite a lot wasn't it . That's what being Multi Platform can do (though I'm sure you'll bring up FF 14 ;))

Yes, but Final Fantasy XIII is an established series in the West and still manages to get great sales overseas. Whilst if the game was primary developed for Japan, it would be released with a core Japanese focus. There is a reason why SEGA made/wanted a port for Bayonetta and Sonic Unleashed.

Quote from: "Team Andromeda"
Well its topping the charts over here too . Its going to go through the 5 million barrier easy. Say to say it's going to make its money back, if it hasn't already.

I did not say it will not, but the fact is Take Two has spent a colossal amount of money that they would need excellent cash flow to keep themselves going. Introducing such a large scale production into SEGA's current plans without sacrificing several games or departments is just not possible.

Quote from: "Team Andromeda"
Let's not be Drama Queens here , we don't know the final costs of Red Dead .

Metal Gear Sold 4 cost $70 million to make and an excess of $100 million was spent on Grand Theft Auto 4, easily it falls in between there.

Quote from: "Team Andromeda"
Just like we really don't know the true cost of each Yakuza game . We do now that Kenzan cost more to make than Yakuza , with Nagoshi-san  saying  it was the biggest game and biggest budget he's ever worked on. So That's a Budget of over $25 Million .

It's easy to assume something like Kenzan cost about $20 - $25 million to develop, the fact Yakuza 1 and 2 combined took SEGA $20 million to make. Likewise, it's easy to also assume that Yakuza 3's budget was $20 - $25 million.

Quote from: "Team Andromeda"
So we can assume that each Yakuza game is costing SEGA over $20 million . Remind me again how many Yakuza games SEGA developed or is developing this generation? . There's your 80 to 100 million right there .

Or we can cut out the terrible fat that is Sonic Team games and give that money for good games. Sonic the Hedgehog 2006, Sonic Unleashed, Sonic and the Black Knight and Sonic Chronicles all performed poorly, and Sonic Rush Adventure, Phantasy Star Universe, Phantasy Star Zero and Sonic Rivals 2 all missed their targets.

But that is not the point, we have to wait potentially upto three years and get 4 - 5 games less, SEGA is just not structured to be able to pour that amount of money, they need to get the money back sooner rather than later. Sacrifice either Sonic games, Yakuza games, arcade games et all and you are slowly eating into their cash flow that is already restrictive for SEGA thanks to Sonic not selling what he use to.

Quote from: "Team Andromeda"
Also I've mad the point here and on SEGA nerds, that SEGA funding Platinum games is taking money away form it's own Teams . In-House Teams that really need to start making their own WW games, and learn what its takes. Get their Pipe lines up to Next Gen standards.

Yes and if they've made money through Platinum Games then it is a good investment. So far two hits and one failure is looking good so far. This is purely opinion and I am sure people like that SEGA helped fund Bayonetta on this forum.

Quote from: "Team Andromeda"
Remedy are a tiny team . Alan Wake would have cost nothing like that of Read Dead to produce.

Yes it would not have cost as much, but the risk is relatively the same as it could very well make Remedy close up shop, or at least have a rocky few years.

Quote from: "Team Andromeda"
Blur was a risk , but again in cost terms it would be nothing to that of Read Dead.

And again, relative, Activision could clear out Bizarre Creations just to save money in the end.

Quote from: "Team Andromeda"
Oh Please, Scraping the barrel if we need to bring in the likes of Dark Void or Chronicles into it . I think they sold so poor , more to do with the fact that they were crap, than anything to do with a so-called recession.

I did not say the recession caused low sales in them, just Capcom has now had a line of duds, you can add Ghost Trick to that to, which at 50,000 after a few weeks, is already struggling to break past it's original 100,000 shipment.

Quote from: "Team Andromeda"
(more so when people are cuing in the streets to for the latest Apple) .

An indication of nothing, as I said, just pointing out one example does not reflect the whole state of the industry.

Quote from: "Team Andromeda"
In cost terms it would be low to Capcom.

And because it was low costs, Capcom did not ensure millions of dollars in losses. Infact even with three terribly selling games, they still managed a profit,

Quote from: "Team Andromeda"
Games sales in one of the area's that still can perform well in a Recession. PS2 sold over a million at Launch in Japan , even though Japan was in one of its worst recessions ever. 16bit and 8 bit sales weathered the 80's and 90's recessions (and inthe UK the 90's was a crippling recession) . There's still plenty of money around.

Game sales are down in the United Kingdom, that is despite the fact we've had one of our busiest spring periods in recent history. The same applies to America and Japan. The recession is biting away at industry revenues.

We are looking to the past, but production of a video game cost much less, infact you could make games with three guys in a garage back then, that's just not the case anymore. The market is not expanding for games to cost what they do, games are costing over $70 million to make, despite the PS3 and 360 hardly combining to outsell either the PS2 last generation or the Wii this generation.

Quote from: "Team Andromeda"
This generation you really need to be Multi Platform, Online and making games with the West in mind . Now we can all post we don't like it, but that what most 3rd parties need to do. SOJ isn't , that is a problem .

No, what we all do not like was the truth that Nintendo revealed in and now is making huge profits the likes the industry has never seen. Cheap games with effective marketing with a large userbase. They are the most successful developer this generation after seemingly looking like they would end up like SEGA, they didn't and now they are the top dog of the industry. To survive this generation, more people should have been backing the Wii or DS, unfortunately they didn't and the door is slowly closing for them.

Several teams have gone bankrupt and bust or close to it supporting either the Playstation 3 or the Xbox360, very little have who end up supporting the Wii or the DS.

Quote from: "Team Andromeda"
I agree, but that's been lost now. I don't mind sequels in fact I love them . But to me Yakuza is now starting to feel the same , very much like Tomb Raider .


As I said, Yakuza to me is more like a television series with unique characters that just make the game standout because of that.
Title: Re: Majima's Yakuza has a website with an image.
Post by: Orta on July 04, 2010, 09:51:56 am
I've been reading a lot about Red Dead Redemption. Do you really believe the game was that expensive? Be reasonable, the technology was already made and paid for and that alone is a big chunk (if not the largest) of the budget. I call it bullshit, the game didn't cost nowhere near $100 million (or whatever Take 2 claims).
Title: Re: Majima's Yakuza has a website with an image.
Post by: Aki-at on July 04, 2010, 10:44:41 am
Quote from: "Orta"
I've been reading a lot about Red Dead Redemption. Do you really believe the game was that expensive? Be reasonable, the technology was already made and paid for and that alone is a big chunk (if not the largest) of the budget. I call it bullshit, the game didn't cost nowhere near $100 million (or whatever Take 2 claims).

Red Dead Redemption's map is about twice the size of San Andres. I would imagine the majority of the budget went to catering towards the map than anything else since most of the engine was done beforehand on GTAIV.

Either way, what would you say Red Dead Redemption cost?
Title: Re: Majima's Yakuza has a website with an image.
Post by: Orta on July 04, 2010, 03:49:07 pm
Red Dead Redemption doesn't exactly have any massive cities in it I suppose? Most of the map is... desert? I don't know if there is any licensed media in the game, I would say between $40 and $50 million. Probably less. $100 million just feels absurd for a game that uses existing technology.
Title: Re: Majima's Yakuza has a website with an image.
Post by: Aki-at on July 04, 2010, 04:03:52 pm
Quote from: "Orta"
Red Dead Redemption doesn't exactly have any massive cities in it I suppose? Most of the map is... desert? I don't know if there is any licensed media in the game, I would say between $40 and $50 million. Probably less. $100 million just feels absurd for a game that uses existing technology.

I'd like to point out it has very nicely designed deserts... !

How tasty.

Anyway it has a bunch of areas and nothing really does feel like big empty spaces, but I will go with your assessment then.
Title: Re: Majima's Yakuza has a website with an image.
Post by: MadeManG74 on July 04, 2010, 07:31:46 pm
Red Dead Redemption is a staggering game in terms of scope and detail, I have no doubt it would have cost a LOT.
Title: Re: Majima's Yakuza has a website with an image.
Post by: Aki-at on July 04, 2010, 07:43:51 pm
Quote from: "MadeManG74"
Red Dead Redemption is a staggering game in terms of scope and detail, I have no doubt it would have cost a LOT.

Yeah from what I've seen and play, it certainly does not give me the vibe that it was cheap at all. The world really does feel one of the most detailed...
Title: Re: Majima's Yakuza has a website with an image.
Post by: MadeManG74 on July 04, 2010, 07:56:20 pm
Not only that, but it has a big original score (orchestral and even a handful of vocal tracks), a huge cast of VERY good voice actors, and on top of all that they even have a very big online mode with lots of game types.

Looking back on it, the game really is very very impressive.
Title: Re: Majima's Yakuza has a website with an image.
Post by: fluffymoochicken on July 05, 2010, 01:52:42 am
I'm quite bewildered by all of these Yakuza games being thrown out there. Does anyone else feel like SEGA should slow down a bit?
Title: Re: Majima's Yakuza has a website with an image.
Post by: Sega Uranus on July 05, 2010, 03:09:30 am
Quote from: "fluffymoochicken"
I'm quite bewildered by all of these Yakuza games being thrown out there. Does anyone else feel like SEGA should slow down a bit?

Of course, but they really want a major brand here.

As long as the outstanding quality is there I see nothing to complain about, really.
Title: Re: Majima's Yakuza has a website with an image.
Post by: Team Andromeda on July 05, 2010, 11:58:04 am
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God Eater sold over half a million in February in Japan. Again, the top position in a chart does not matter, it is the entire state of the chart that matters.

Yes it matters, it shows that people still buy video games in very large numbers . You also well know, summer time with its long nights and people going on holidays means a big turn down in sales, which is why Videogame corps tend to hold off new IP until the winter.

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Yes, but Final Fantasy XIII is an established series in the West and still manages to get great sales overseas. Whilst if the game was primary developed for Japan, it would be released with a core Japanese focus.

FF is not an estabished series onthe 360 or X-Box format, and Square only made the switch to 360 development, very late in. It is at its heart meant for the PS3 and the Japanese. Square have woken up to making huge games for a limited market and a single platform is complete madness .

Shame SEGA can't see the same with Yakuza.

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I did not say it will not, but the fact is Take Two has spent a colossal amount of money that they would need excellent cash flow to keep themselves going

SEGA has had millions and millions in cash flow. I'm getting sick of people making out SEGA can't compete with the big boys .  And we don't know how much Red Dead cost to make, but I would imagine its around the 50 million mark.

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Metal Gear Sold 4 cost $70 million to make and an excess of $100 million was spent on Grand Theft Auto 4, easily it falls in between there.

It didn't cost 70 million, that was what the 360 Defence force use to use to bash  MGS. I'm sure konami came out and rubbished those claims .
I can't see how MGS IV would cost any more than the like of GOW III to make

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It's easy to assume something like Kenzan cost about $20 - $25 million to develop, the fact Yakuza 1 and 2 combined took SEGA $20 million to make. Likewise, it's easy to also assume that Yakuza 3's budget was $20 - $25 million

Thanks, I would also think Yakuza III cost 25 million to make. More so if after 500,000 at the higher PS3 price range in Japan, SEGA said it just about broke even . I'm sure Konami said it needed to sell a million MGS IV to make a profit . So we can sort assume it would have been double the budget.

$25 million on a game with a limited user base in Japan, and next to none inthe west Is sheer madness in this day and age. Then this is SOJ.

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Or we can cut out the terrible fat that is Sonic Team games and give that money for good games. Sonic the Hedgehog 2006, Sonic Unleashed, Sonic and the Black Knight and Sonic Chronicles all performed poorly, and Sonic Rush Adventure, Phantasy Star Universe, Phantasy Star Zero and Sonic Rivals 2 all missed their targets.

Well Sonic 06 , Sonic Unleashed sold better than any single Yakuza you could care to mention.  We all know PSU was a mistake. That not happen again with the new Sonic Team .

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SEGA is just not structured to be able to pour that amount of money, they need to get the money back sooner rather than later. Sacrifice either Sonic games, Yakuza games, arcade games et all and you are slowly eating into their cash flow that is already restrictive for SEGA thanks to Sonic not selling what he use to.

Maybe waking up to making games for the world market, multi Platform is Key ? . That's is why I find it such a waste to make Yakuza appeal only to Japan, and single platform. SEGA Japan needs to wake up to the Western Market and the 360 base.

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Yes and if they've made money through Platinum Games then it is a good investment.

Not when its being done at the expense of your own In-House teams . Sooner or latter SOJ In-House teams need to learn what it takes to make World Wide games , Multi Platform . It just has too, or SEGA will die a slow and painful death . SEGA can't afford to screw up, for the next generation of Hardware.

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Yes it would not have cost as much, but the risk is relatively the same as it could very well make Remedy close up shop, or at least have a rocky few years.

That is the problem most small corps will face. Remdey aren't in SEGA or 2K league though .

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And again, relative, Activision could clear out Bizarre Creations just to save money in the end.
 They could, just like SEGA with its own Racing Team .

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I did not say the recession caused low sales in them, just Capcom has now had a line of duds, you can add Ghost Trick to that to, which at 50,000 after a few weeks, is already struggling to break past it's original 100,000 shipment.

You say that,while the likes of Red Dead and Harry Potter sell like how cakes. I expect they'll be a rush on the new Slime 360 . The likes of Bionic commando and Dark Void were just average or poor games .

Its it true that software sales in the USA for May were actually up from last year ?. Games/software sales  is a sector that can perform well in a Recession, as more people stay in to save money .

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And because it was low costs, Capcom did not ensure millions of dollars in losses. Infact even with three terribly selling games, they still managed a profit

Well that what happens when you have IP like Re5 that can sell millions and millions , and a cash cow that is Monster Hunter (even did will onthe 360). Though we don't know what the LP II sales fig's will do for Capcom next set of results .

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Game sales are down in the United Kingdom, that is despite the fact we've had one of our busiest spring periods in recent history. The same applies to America and Japan. The recession is biting away at industry revenues.

There is  a lot of factors playing in the UK. Great weather , and the World Cup will all have their impact on games sales . Games sales are still strong in the west, Japan is another story .

So why SOJ insists on backing this market with a Hugely expensive exclusive I do not know

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We are looking to the past, but production of a video game cost much less, infact you could make games with three guys in a garage back then, that's just not the case anymore. The market is not expanding for games to cost what they do, games are costing over $70 million to make, despite the PS3 and 360 hardly combining to outsell either the PS2 last generation or the Wii this generation.

Looking to the past , tells you a few things . Console Hardware was more expensive and games cost a lot more, with Snes games costing upwards of £60 and Mega Drive games well over £45. We also have 3 and half million people with out a Job, and Interest rates in double figurer. Yet games sales were still very high, and SEGA did quite well in the 90's UK recession.

And most games do not cost 70 million make. I'm sure the figure is far more close to $40 million . And when a game costs 40 million to make, you need to make sure its Multi Platform and with an eye onthe West , becasue that's where the money and sales are .So again why SEGA isn't doing this for Yakuza , just shows me how inept and hopless Sega Japan really are

Still lets wait until Tokyo Game Show, I guess
Title: Re: Majima's Yakuza has a website with an image.
Post by: Suzuki Yu on July 05, 2010, 04:05:12 pm
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Well Sonic 06 , Sonic Unleashed sold better than any single Yakuza you could care to mention. We all know PSU was a mistake. That not happen again with the new Sonic Team .

what the new sonic team had to do with this ?
what i am sure about is that sonic team has nothing to do with Phantasy Star franchise anymore .. the PS Staff and Sonic Team members are both in separated teams since PS Zero . ( of course this is before the new structure , no one knows their status right now )
Title: Re: Majima's Yakuza has a website with an image.
Post by: Nathan on July 06, 2010, 05:23:16 pm
So there's a PSP Yakuza, Goro's Yakuza, and is the one at TGS this title or something different?
Title: Re: Majima's Yakuza has a website with an image.
Post by: MadeManG74 on July 06, 2010, 05:48:58 pm
I think this is the one that will be at TGS.
Title: Re: Majima's Yakuza has a website with an image.
Post by: Sharky on July 06, 2010, 05:52:26 pm
Quote from: "Supa"
So there's a PSP Yakuza, Goro's Yakuza, and is the one at TGS this title or something different?

The TGS one is the Goro one.