Following news that Like a Dragon: Ishin is coming to the West, Sega has confirmed that it is officially dropping the Yakuza name from its fan-favourite RPG series.
This means that new games coming to what would’ve been the “Yakuza” series will carry the “Like a Dragon” name instead.
Like a Dragon: Ishin! – Announcement Trailer.
Confirmation comes by way of Sega, which confirmed to Kotaku that as the Like a Dragon branding is “more closely align with the Japanese name”, it is formally dropping the Yakuza name from every new title going forward.
Sega recently announced that a western release for historical Yakuza spin-off Like a Dragon: Ishin – which has been “rebuilt from the ground up” – will be making its way to PS4 and PS5 next February. It was recently confirmed that it will only feature Japanese voice acting.
Like a Dragon: Ishin originally released for PlayStation 3 and PS4 in Japan under the name Ryū ga Gotoku Ishin! back in 2014, transplanting the chaotic Yakuza formula to the Late Edo Period for a historical slice of samurai action. It follows protagonist Sakamoto Ryōma as he returns to his home in Tosa where, after a run-in with a high-ranking samurai, he’s sentenced to be executed.
It was only last year that the future of the Judgment series was looking extremely dicey, courtesy of a legal battle over star Takuya Kimura’s likeness. Looks like that’s all been cleared up, though, because both games aren’t just coming to the PC, they’re already here.
As we reported in 2021:
According to weekly publication Nikkan Taishu, a Japanese entertainment insider is quoted as saying that the upcoming Lost Judgment will be the last entry in the series. “Because,” the insider explains, “those on the side of the game developer and those on the side of [Kimura’s talent agency] Johnny’s are said to have been unable to reach an agreement regarding the platforms to sell the game.”
Today, though, that’s all water under the bridge, because both 2018’s Judgment and its 2021 sequel, Lost Judgment, are now up on Steam and available for purchase.
The Judgment Collection | Steam Launch Trailer
This is fantastic news! I’ve reviewed both games for Kotaku, and had a blast with both. Here are my closing thoughts on the original:
Playing Judgment and Yakuza are like looking at the same photo—in this case the streets of Kamurocho—through two different filters. The presentation might be slightly different, and the tone a little off when you’re comparing them, but the underlying image is identical, from their geography to their face-kicking.
The Yakuza formula, so unchanged here beneath the additions of detective distractions, is still a very good one despite its age. I really enjoyed my time with Judgment, partly because I took a shine to the new, more human cast, but mostly because the basic Yakuza building blocks of “smashing traffic cones into ribs” married with “a soap opera about angry dudes” is still loads of fun.
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$663 Total Value
Humble Bundle 2K Megahits Game Bundle for Covenant House
Provide housing and supportive services to youth facing homelessness An array of games from 2K have been bundled together. You can pay what you want to support the cause, but if you want access to some of the big hits like Borderlands 3, The Bioshock Collection, XCOM: The Ultimate Collection, and Sid Meier’s Civilizatrion VI, you’ll have to pay at least $16. But hey, that’s hardly anything compared to the $663 value you’re getting from all 18 games combined.
And here’s my review of the sequel, which is even better:
If you own a PC, have been remotely curious about the Yakuza series but haven’t known where to start, or if you even should, I’m going to be brave here and suggest that in 2022 these games might actually be the best jumping-off point. They’re smaller, more focused experiences, they’re free from the burdens of the main series’ lore and the action-based combat here is as fun as it has ever been in the Yakuza games.
They’re some of my favourite PlayStation games of the last five years, and now that they’re out on PC—and Sega’s more recent Yakuza ports have been pretty good—they’re now instantly some of my favourite games on PC as well.
Sega just released trailers for two new Yakuza games that are on the way: Yakuza 8, the next mainline game in the series (and one which we’d already seen and knew about), and Like a Dragon Gaiden, an all-new announcement which stars series stalwart Kazuma Kiryu. That makes this three Yakuza announcements in one week for Sega, after yesterday’s reveal of Like a Dragon: Ishin!
First up is Yakuza 8, which looks to have ditched having Ichiban as its lone star in favour of a shared adventure with Kiryu, the man nobody can say goodbye to. Please note that Sega isn’t really using the Yakuza name anymore, this is officially called Like A Dragon 8, but it’s going to take a while to get used to that, so for now let’s just keep calling it Yakuza 8:
Like a Dragon 8 | Announcement Trailer
The eighth game in the main series will be out in 2024 on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC. I…I don’t know how to process what they’ve done to Kiryu’s hair here, and to be honest, I don’t want to talk about it right now. Instead, let’s move onto the other Kiryu-related project shown off overnight, called Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name:
Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name | Announcement Trailer
Now this is interesting. Not only is it filling in some narrative gaps, showing us what Kiryu had been up to between Yakuzas 6 & 7, but it’s also specifically targeting fans who preferred the older style of game (before Yakuza 7’s leap to turn-based combat), with a big focus on action-based combat. The game is reportedly a smaller, more manageable affair as well, lacking the sprawl of mainline Yakuza games, so hopefully it comes in a bit cheaper as well.
Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name will be out in 2023.
Following a ballyhooed June relaunch, Sony’s PS Plus membership now comes with access to a games-on-demand library (well, if you pay for either of the two pricier tiers). Like Microsoft’s competing Xbox Game Pass service, PS Plus is starting to see a regular addition of several games on a monthly basis—gotta keep the content wheel churning.
Last month saw the addition of cat game Stray alongside a ton of Assassin’s Creed games, Ubisoft’s long-running series of historical stabby sims. Some of the scheduled titles for August—Bugsnax! Yakuza!—are exciting. But the service is still lacking when it comes to one of its big promises: a robust classic games library. Here’s everything coming to Sony’s games-on-demand service starting August 16:
Bugsnax
Dead by Daylight
Ghost Recon Wildlands
Metro Exodus
Monopoly Madness
Monopoly Plus
Trials of Mana
Yakuza Kiwami
Yakuza Kiwami 2
Yakuza 0
UNO
Behaviour Interactive’s asymmetrical horror game Dead by Daylight is a welcome addition, and will give players who’ve been on the fence a chance to try it out. Yakuza, I am contractually obligated to say by virtue of working at Kotaku, is and forever will be worth your time. But some other additions are less exciting. The PS5 version of Bugsnax was available free to PS Plus subscribers when it launched in November 2020. Ghost Recon Wildlandsalso landed on Xbox Game Pass earlier this month, so clearly Ubisoft wants people to play that game, shamelessly jingoistic as it is.
The lineup further leaves something to be desired, especially for those paying for the priciest Premium tier, which costs $18 a month or $120 a year. Before rolling out its PS Plus revamp, Sony widely touted its classic game library—comprising titles from the PlayStation 1, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation Portable catalogs—as a major selling point. To date, that section, totaling the classic games from all three platforms, tallies to a combined 41 titles. But hey, at least we’re getting a relatively decent 2020 remake of a 1995 Square RPG! Wanna guess what platform it was originally on?
Just like your favorite video streaming apps, major gaming subscription services Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Plus add—and remove—new content each month.
In August, PlayStation’s recently revamped PlayStation Plus services has a few marquee additions, among them a lineup of Yakuza games. Yakuza: Like A Dragon is one of the free games available for all PS Plus members, with Yakuza 0, Yakuza Kiwami, and Yakuza Kiwami 2 also available to PS Plus Extra and Premium members. All of the other free games for the month are available to all PS Plus members, including Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 & 2 remakes and the horror-themed platformer Little Nightmares.
As for Xbox players, the Games with Gold freebies include indie standouts Calico and ScourgeBringer for Xbox One and Xbox X/S, as well as the Xbox 360 classic Saints Row 2 via backward compatibility—meaning you can play using the Series X/S’s graphical enhancements, like increased framerates.
Xbox (and PC) players can also look forward to sampling a few new day-one game releases for free through Game Pass, such as the highly-anticipated FMV adventure game Immortality and the school management sim Two Point Campus, among others. While there’s lots to play on Xbox and PC this month. we should also note that the beloved hack-and-slash roguelite Hades is leaving Game Pass on Aug. 16—so give it a whirl if you’ve been holding off.
And there’s more. Here’s everything coming to and leaving PlayStation and Xbox’s subscription services in August.
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What’s new on PS Plus in August 2022
Image: Sony
PS Plus monthly free games (PS Plus Essentials, PS Plus Extra, and PS Plus Premium)
Yakuza: Like a Dragon (PS4, PS5), available Aug. 1–Sept. 6
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 remakes (PS4, PS5), available Aug. 1–Sept. 6
Little Nightmares (PS4), available Aug. 1–Sept. 6
New PS Plus PS4 and PS5 Game Catalog additons (PS Plus Extra and PS Plus Premium)
Yakuza 0 (PS4), availability TBA
Yakuza Kiwami (PS4), availability TBA
Yakuza Kiwami 2 (PS4), availability TBA
Note: More as-yet-unannounced games are expected to be added to the PS4 and PS5 Game Catalog on Aug. 10.
New PS Plus Classics Games (PS Plus Premium only)
No new PS Plus Classics games have been announced for August 2022 as of yet.
What’s leaving PS Plus in August 2022
Leaving PS Plus Monthly free games
Arcadegeddon (PS4, PS5), leaving Aug. 1
Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time (PS4), leaving Aug. 1
The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan (PS4), leaving Aug. 1
Leaving PS Plus Game Catalog
Killzone Shadow Fall Intercept (PS4), leaving Aug. 11
NBA 2K22 (PS5, PS4), leaving Aug. 31
WRC 10 (PS5, PS4), leaving Aug. 31
What’s new on Xbox Gamepass and Games with Gold in August 2022
Image: Microsoft
Xbox Games With Gold
Calico (Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One), available Aug. 1–Aug. 31
ScourgeBringer (Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One), available Aug. 16–Sept. 15
Saint’s Row 2 (via backward compatibility), available Aug. 1–Sept. 15
Monaco: What’s Yours is Mine (via backward compatibility), available Aug. 16–Aug. 31
Xbox Game Pass (Console and PC):
Turbo Golf Racing (Console, PC), available Aug. 4
Two Point Campus (Console, PC), available Aug. 9
Midnight Fight Express (Console, PC), available Aug. 23
Immortality (Console, PC), available Aug 30
What’s leaving Xbox Game Pass and Games With Gold in August 2022
In 2022 Yakuza is a pretty big series in the West, as we saw yesterday when eight games made it to PlayStation Plus. But it wasn’t always this way! Between the release of Yakuza 2 and 3 things were looking incredibly dicey for English-speakers, and there were real fears that if Yakuza 3 didn’t sell well, it would be the last game in the franchise we’d ever get to see here.
I know this sounds absurd given the number and prominence of Yakuza games around these days, but it’s true! Folks were so anxious about it, in fact, that every tiny little change that Sega made to Yakuza 3’s English release was scrutinised to hell and back, with fans terrified that any little thing that could potentially hurt sales would mean the end of the series in the West.
All that fear counted for nothing, of course—Yakuza 3 did just fine and the rest is history—but all that trepidation over low sales helps set the stage for why, around the same time, a different Yakuza game was released in Japan (later followed by a sequel) that we still to this day have not been able to play in English. And it’s about time that changes.
In 2008 Sega released Ryu ga Gotoku Kenzan! for the PS3, which I guess you can best describe as a Yakuza holiday special. Set in Kyoto in 1605, it was a Yakuza game sent back in time, with players still controlling Kazuma Kiryu, only now he’s called Kazumanosuke Kiryu, and instead of being a gangster he’s a retired swordsman now working as a bodyguard.
Then in 2014 Sega released Ryu ga Gotoku Ishin! for the PS4, which did the same thing—only now set during the end of the Shogunate in the mid-19th century—and introduced more cameos from the main series, with appearances from favourites like Majima and Daigo.
While set in different time periods and with a sword-heavy, historical slant, these were still Yakuza games through and through. Check out the Japanese trailer for Ishin and you’ll see what I mean:
Yakuza Ishin – PS4 Trailer
Ishin even has, if you’re a fan of the karaoke sequences in the main games, its own historical take:
Ryu Ga Gotoku Ishin! – Okita Singing
These look great! I really want to play them!
Sega and developers Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio have long had multiple reasons to keep these games in Japan. The first was an understandable fear that, if nobody was buying the main Yakuza games, why would they bother with these spinoffs? As that was slowly nullified by the series’ increasing popularity in the West, though, there remained concerns that much of the vibe of the games would be lost on a Western audience, who wouldn’t be as familiar with the nuances of the time period (it’s telling here that another Yakuza spinoff, the gun-heavy Dead Souls, was given an English-language release, which says a lot about Sega’s perceptions of the Western market).
Those have now been joined (or replaced) by technical issues, as we covered just last year, when director Daisuke Sato said:
Personally, I would like for these titles to be localized and enjoyed by our Western fans. We were prioritizing regaining our ground with the series in the West from Yakuza 0, so time just flew by without an ideal time to release these games.
In my opinion, the action is one of the best in the series, so I’d like to localize them if we get the chance. However, the game is also close to 7 years old, so we may need to put in additional work to remake it instead of a simple port, so the decision is a bit more complicated.
Despite the potential in those statements, and the fact the developers have said they’re working on games beyond the Yakuza and Judgment series, we haven’t heard squat on the possibility since. But even if it does take some work—and in the case of Ryu ga Gotoku Kenzan!, some serious work—to get the games up to speed on modern hardware for modern expectations, there’s never been a better time to pull the trigger on that spend.
The Yakuza Kiwami games—remakes of the first two entries in the series—have done well, and that was for two games that had already been available in the West! These spinoffs would be starting from scratch, not to mention appealing beyond the existing Yakuza fanbase to the potentially wider audiences that lapped up the setting of, say, Ghost of Tsushima.
Anyway, I’m not here to demand these games. We’ve all managed to survive the last 15 years without them, and could maybe survive another 15, outside world permitting. I’m just here to maybe give Sega a nudge, a reminder that, hey, we love Yakuza games, but maybe one day we could also love those other Yakuza games, the ones with the swords, as well.
Sony just announced that Sega’s widely loved Yakuza series of criminal underworld sims will soon debut on its PlayStation Plus subscription service. The entire mainline series is coming, in fact.
Today, Sony announced on its blog that the main entries in the Yakuza series, which follow Kazuma Kiryu’s story across seven different titles, will start becoming available for PlayStation Plus subscribers next month. Yakuza: Like A Dragon, which changes pace to tell the story of Ichiban Kasuga—with a surprise switch to turn-based combat—will also join the service.
They’re not all coming to everyone, though. Yakuza: Like A Dragon will be available on the Essential, Extra, and Premium subscription tiers, but Yakuza 0, Kiwami, and Kiwami 2 will only be available at Extra and Premium. Sony’s blog promises the rest of the main series will be available later in the year, but only at the Premium and Extra tiers.
(Sony’s blog post currently seems to have an error regarding which games are specifically available at which level. Kotaku has reached out to Sony for clarification.)
Yakuza first arrived way back in 2005 on the PlayStation 2. An open-world action-adventure game with RPG-like fighting mechanics, Yakuza introduced us to Kazuma Kiryu, a soulful gangster who’s swept up in a story of crime and violence. Seven more games would follow over the years, releasing on nearly every Xbox and Sony console since, as well as PC. Remasters of the first two games, rebranded as Yakuza Kiwami and Kiwami 2, launched in 2016 and 2017.
The Yakuza series is legendary among fans for maintaining a standard of solid, memorable writing with a wide array of features and side-quests that’ve allowed players to get lost in seedy, wonderfully designed urban districts. The series hasn’t shied away from taking some chances, with the most recent entry delivering a sharp pivot to turn-based combat on top of some hilarious story beats.
The inclusion of these hit games is helping to round out the PlayStation Plus value proposition, with games like Stray, Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade, and tons of Assassin’s Creedtitles joining the service earlier this month as well. The tiered structure has led to some confusion, but with more hit games arriving over time, the prospect of figuring it out will become that much more appealing.
Update: Sony has officially confirmed that the PlayStation Plus Essential games are Yakuza: Like A Dragon, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2, and Little Nightmares, and they’ve confirmed that every mainline Yakuza game is coming to the higher tiers of the service.
In August, PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium users will get Yakuza 0, Yakuza Kiwami, and Yakuza Kiwami 2. For those of you unfamiliar with the series, 0 is a prequel (and the best starting point for new players), while Kiwami 1 and 2 are remakes of the original PS2 games.
“Later this year,” according to the official announcement (opens in new tab), Premium members will get the the remastered PS4 versions of Yakuza 3, 4, and 5. Both Extra and Premium members will get Yakuza 6: The Song of Life, the final story for long-time series protagonist Kiryu.
With that, the only Yakuza games missing from PS Plus will be the non-canon spin-offs like Dead Souls and the as-yet-untranslated samurai-themed games. The whole mainline Yakuza series is on Xbox Game Pass, too, so you can get your gritty, goofy crime drama on whatever console you prefer.
Original story: Several new PlayStation Plus Essential games seem to have leaked online before an official announcement.
Stop us if you’ve heard this one before: Dealabs (opens in new tab) user billbil-Kun has leaked the supposed new games set to be added to the PS Plus Essentials tier. This time, Yakuza: Like a Dragon’s PS4 and PS5 versions are set to join the tier, an absolute must-play modern RPG from Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio.
Elsewhere, the user claims Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 remasters will both be joining the subscription tier for PS Plus Essential users. Both games should be an excellent bonus for subscribers, even if we’re unfortunately never getting remasters of the third and fourth games in the franchise.
Finally, the trio of new additions is rounded out by the original Little Nightmares. Developer Tarsier’s original horror adventure is a standout of the genre, one of the best original horror games released over the past decade, you could say, and will be another must-play for PS Plus Essential tier users.
In all, it’s a pretty stacked line-up for PS Plus Essential users. It’s also a fantastic deal when you consider that these three games will all be offered to users on the cheapest subscription tier for PS Plus, opening up the action-packed Yakuza drama, skating antics, and horrific tales for bigger audiences. Considering PS Plus users were just offered Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade earlier this month, it’s a great time for JRPG fans.
Head over to our PS Plus tiers explained guide to see which subscription package is the best for you.
If you didn’t beat them the first time around (fair, they’re huge), you now have a second chance. Three of the best Yakuza entries are coming back to Microsoft’s games-on-demand service, alongside a handful of more family-friendly games. Here’s everything coming to Xbox Game Pass over the coming weeks.
PAW Patrol The Movie: Adventure City Calls (Cloud, Console, PC)
PowerWash Simulator (Cloud, Console, PC)
And the following will become unavailable as of July 15:
Atomicrops (Cloud, Console, PC)
Carrion (Cloud, Console, PC)
Children of Morta (Cloud, Console, PC)
Cris Tales (Cloud, Console, PC)
Lethal League Blaze (Cloud, Console, PC)
Are they gone for good? Who knows! At this point, Game Pass has become a true revolving door, with popular games like Cities: Skylines and Outer Wilds getting added to the library, leaving, and then coming back.
The latest to do so are three entries in Sega’s popular Yakuza series of bazillion-hour action-RPGs: Yakuza 0, which is a prequel, and Yakuza Kiwami and Kiwami 2, respectively remakes of the series’ first and second games. All three were previously part of Game Pass before getting kicked off the service last December.
It’s a bit of a curious strategy, Microsoft shifting expectations like this. If a game leaves Game Pass before you’re done with it, you can buy it at a 20 percent markdown and keep playing. (Xbox save data is automatically stored in the cloud.) But if Microsoft conditions players to assume those games could come back, such a move could have a chilling effect on the Game Pass sales pipeline.
Some of the new library additions are worth checking out as well. Road 96, a procedurally generated adventure game about escaping a dystopian nation with a political landscape that’s frighteningly reminiscent of America’s, is entertaining, if not as biting as it thinks it is. The Peppa Pig and PAW Patrol games are terrific for those with younger children. And, after a year and change in early access, PowerWash Simulator—which is exactly what it sounds like—finally sees its full release. But no, sorry, that internet-winning idea you’ve just had? Everyone already beat you to it.
Anyway, play Yakuza 0. With enough dedication, you could hit the halfway point before it leaves the service again.
NetEase Games [273 articles]” href=”https://www.gematsu.com/companies/netease-games”>NetEase Games has announced the establishment of Nagoshi Studio” href=”https://www.gematsu.com/companies/netease-games/nagoshi-studio”>Nagoshi Studio, a new game development studio headquartered in Shibuya, Tokyo and led by Yakuza series creator Toshihiro Nagoshi [39 articles]” href=”https://www.gematsu.com/people/toshihiro-nagoshi”>Toshihiro Nagoshi as its president and CEO. The studio will focus on developing high-quality console titles that will be released worldwide.
Nagoshi left Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and SEGA back in October 2021 with right-hand man Daisuke Sato [3 articles]” href=”https://www.gematsu.com/people/daisuke-sato”>Daisuke Sato, who is also a founding member of Nagoshi Studio.
Here is a message from Nagoshi on the studio’s establishment:
The sea of change that began in the entertainment industry in the late 20th century has brought even greater change to the industry in the 21st century.
Changes to entertainment content, how it’s made and the business model driven by technology and infrastructure advances have sparked a paradigm shift, and these changes are continuing to unfold with greater and greater speed.
What only yesterday had been considered the height of cool now suddenly becomes outdated before you know it.
For creators, this makes working in the industry today incredibly challenging.
But no matter how the times change, I believe that what people essentially want from entertainment has not changed one bit.
People see their dreams in entertainment.
People look to entertainment to give them hope in life, to soothe them in times of difficulty, and to add excitement in happy times. People look to entertainment to provide the spark for all kinds of events.
The appetite for entertainment is the same today as it was in the past.
There are obviously differences between the past and the present in how entertainment is consumed, its volume and velocity, but its essence remains the same.
The only way to deliver this essence to the world is if all creators approach the works they create with seriousness and clarity while grinding away to get closer to reaching the ideal.
One of my goals at this studio is to create an open atmosphere.
This may sound like an overly simplistic goal.
But even the most talented creators cannot fully unleash their abilities in isolation.
I believe that the first step to creating high-quality titles and delivering the essence of entertainment with strong motivation starts with creating an open atmosphere in the studio.
This means having open-ended discussions that ignore seniority and hierarchy.
This means not fearing mistakes while also not being afraid to correct them, and treating failures as assets. This means not giving up on reaching the ideal, and fighting to get closer to it.
This may seem so simple, but the simplest things can unexpectedly be the hardest to do, and at the same time the most important.
Nagoshi Studio is committed to creating content for the world to enjoy from this atmosphere.
The following eight staff make up the additional founding members of the new studio:
Daisuke Sato (producer)
Profile: Joined Capcom [2,278 articles]” href=”https://www.gematsu.com/companies/capcom”>Capcom Co., Ltd. in 1992 after graduating from university. Joined SEGA [2,385 articles]” href=”https://www.gematsu.com/companies/sega”>SEGA Enterprises, Pyramid [15 articles]” href=”https://www.gematsu.com/companies/colopl/pyramid”>Inc. (currently SEGA Corporation) in 1994 and worked in the AM#2 department. Also worked in the consumer business, where he was the director and producer of the Yakuza series, and later became head of the development studio business. Appointed Director at Nagoshi Studio Inc. in January 2022.
Message: “Nagoshi Studio Inc. is a brand-new company. Led by Toshihiro Nagoshi, our team of creators aims to produce high-end console titles that will become famous around the world. We are just beginning to build our culture as a new company, which will focus on delivering products of the highest quality. One thing that I intend to do as Director of the company is to make sure that we reward our creators for their work when we get the results we seek. I want our studio to be a place where we feel great satisfaction from the products we make as well as the work we do. We are currently hiring development staff. Come on board if you’re interested in sharing your passion and succeeding as a creator with us!”
Kazuki Hosokawa (artist)
Profile: Joined SEGA Enterprises, Inc. (currently SEGA Corporation) in 1995, and was involved as a designer in series such as Panzer Dragoon and Jet Set Radio. He later became art director and director of the Yakuza series and producer of the Judgment series. Joined Nagoshi Studio in January 2022.
Message: “I want to make games that people can’t resist. It has always been my goal to make beautiful, fun and expansive games that people won’t want to put down. I’ve had my good days and bad days while creating games, but one thing I’ve learned is that you always have to challenge yourself if you want to achieve your goals and make something great. Our new studio is full of people who have great ambition, and it is the perfect place to challenge yourself to make games that people become obsessed with. We don’t set boundaries on our creativity or the possibilities, because we believe there are no limits. We are looking for creators who will join us in our creative challenges. Please reach out if you want to experience the joy, the pain and the great satisfaction of creating at Nagoshi Studio. We look forward to working with passionate people!”
Koji Tokieda (programmer)
Profile: Joined Amusement Vision, Ltd. (currently SEGA Corporation) as a programmer in 2001. After working in program development for the Super Monkey Ball series and F-ZERO AX/GX, he was involved in the Yakuza series, and was the main programmer for Yakuza: Like a Dragon. Joined Nagoshi Studio, Inc. in January 2022.
Message: “I have been making games with Toshihiro Nagoshi for the past 20 years. And now I look forward to soon delivering games that people will love from the new Nagoshi Studio! I believe that it is a game programmer’s mission to make games interesting. The main job of programmers at Nagoshi Studio Inc. is to develop games using programming language. However, we are also looking for people who can contribute ideas to new endeavors and elevate the quality of our games, regardless of their role in the organization. If you are a creator who wants to make fun games and new titles for high-end console games, this is your chance to join us at our studio. Let’s create the future together!”
Masao Shirosaki (game designer)
Profile: Joined SEGA Corporation as a planner in 2007. He was involved in the development for the Yakuza series, Kurohyo series, and Sakatsuku series, and was a producer for the Super Monkey Ball series. Has a wealth of experience in game development for various platforms, including development and operations for online mobile games. Joined Nagoshi Studio Inc. in January 2022.
Message: “Hello everyone! I’m Shirosaki. Thank you for checking out our website. It had always been my dream to become a game creator. I want to create the excitement that so many great titles have given to me, so that I can share this with others and in some small way make people feel good. I look forward to working alongside Toshihiro Nagoshi to create games like this at Nagoshi Studio. We are going to make great games you’ll have fun playing, so stay tuned! We’re also looking for people to help us make games that light up the world. If you have this passion, aspiration and ambition, reach out and contact us!”
Mitsunori Fujimoto (engineer)
Profile: Joined SEGA Enterprises, Inc. (currently SEGA Corporation) in 1991 after working at an overseas computer manufacturer. Primarily worked in IT roles (development environments and online games), and was engaged in a companywide development support business. Joined Nagoshi Studio Inc. in January 2022.
Message: “You probably have high expectations for games that come with the Nagoshi Studio name. We created this company to make games that live up to these expectations for scale and quality. We make games that are deep, epic and filled with a commitment to please our fans. My role isn’t in game development per se, but is to provide whatever is necessary so that game developers can focus on their work. We’ve basically started from scratch without the infrastructure, pipeline or systems needed to develop deep, epic games. There is a lot of freedom, but it is also a major undertaking. We hope to hear from you if you think this Adventure [138 articles]” href=”https://www.gematsu.com/genres/adventure”>adventure is right for you.”
Naoki Someya (artist)
Profile: Joined Amusement Vision, Ltd. (currently SEGA Corporation) in 2002 as a designer, and was involved in developing arcade games and console games. Served as the background designer for the Yakuza series and art director for the Judgment series. Joined Nagoshi Studio Inc. in January 2022.
Message: “There is no greater pleasure as a game designer than to know that people get immersed in the visuals of a game and have fun in the world they create. There are a few things I would like to accomplish at the new Nagoshi Studio Inc. They include creating the greatest art the industry has ever seen, and creating titles that are loved by users. Our biggest goal, however, is to create as many titles as we can that wow the world. We’re intent on making these goals a reality, so stay tuned! We’re also looking for creators that want to take this journey with us. If you want to test your abilities and set goals to achieve, then Nagoshi Studio is the place for you. Let’s work together and create great things!”
Taichi Ushioda (director)
Profile: Has worked at NHN Japan Corp., Square Enix [4,825 articles]” href=”https://www.gematsu.com/companies/square-enix”>Square Enix Co., Ltd., LEVEL-5 [692 articles]” href=”https://www.gematsu.com/companies/level-5″>LEVEL-5 Inc. and SEGA Corporation. Has served as director, producer and development general manager for a wide range of projects including major MMORPG titles and mobile games before joining Nagoshi Studio Inc.
Message: “As someone who grew up in the era of games, I want to give back to the gaming industry and fans. I think this is best done by delivering games that people truly enjoy. But for people working in the game industry, do you find that other factors come into play that get in the way of achieving this simple goal? At Nagoshi Studio, we not only have staff with great passion and experience, but we also have the foundation that allows us to make games of the highest quality that hold up over time and across world markets. We have everything we need to focus single-mindedly on doing our best work to put smiles on the faces of game fans. We hope that game fans are excited for what’s to come from Nagoshi Studio. We intend to live up to your expectations with games that make you smile. To the game creators out there seeking a new challenge—why not come and fuel your passions with us?”
Toshihiro Ando (artist)
Profile: Joined SEGA Enterprises, Inc. (currently SEGA Corporation) in 1996 and mainly worked on character designs at AC/CS. After working on development for Power Smash and Sakatsuku, he worked as lead character designer on the Judgment series. Joined Nagoshi Studio in January 2022.
Message: “My childhood dream was to become a manga artist or a rakugo storyteller. In high school, I wanted to be an artist or graphic designer. But I fell in love with “Virtua Racing [30 articles]” href=”https://www.gematsu.com/genres/racing”>Racing” while at university, and before I knew it I was working at a game company. Working in this field may have been a natural progression for me, as I have always had a love for the arts and entertainment. The passion I feel burns just as bright today, and I hope to make great games that people love to play at this new company. Creating a worker-friendly environment where we can all enjoy creating is a key piece of this. Now that I am a designer at a brand-new company that is full of potential, I aim to create visual expression that is mind-blowing, beautiful and maximizes the excitement of the games we create. I want my designs to help give everyone who plays our games highly satisfying, memorable game experiences.”
