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Yakuza 0 doesn't allow share button use - Help change SEGA's mind for West release

Apparently, the recently released Yakuza Kiwami, like the Japanese release of Yakuza 0, heavily restricts the use of the Share button on PS4. This means no screens or videos. Also no SharePlay.

Kotaku piece on the Y0 matter here: http://kotaku.com/yakuza-0-does-not-want-you-taking-screenshots-1695202267

I am going to assume it will be a similar case for the 2016 Western release of Yakuza 0.

I dunno about other Yakuza fans looking forward to the game, but I was really excited by the idea of getting to take screens and videos of the game to share with the community at large. Not only to show some of the crazy/touching stuff I love the series for, but also to help spread the word on the game I genuinely love to play. But Sega doesn't want us using Share.

I think we can get Sega to change its mind. We did get them to finally relent and release Yakuza 5 and 0. So I think getting them to disable the Share block on Y0 is doable, too. (I don't mean to take their generosity for granted.)

The only way I can think of to accomplish this, is to tweet @SEGA @SEGA_OFFICIAL and @GioCorsi and make them aware, politely, that we'd like Sega to activate Share option so we can take screens/videos to help spread the word about the Yakuza series.
 

Tizoc

Member
The demo for 0 allowed you to take screenshots, although from th looks of it it is only for non story sections or sub story sections.
On the one hand I can get why they'd do that, but on the other some leniency on what snapshots can taken would be a good move.
 

Deft Beck

Member
I assume they restricted the Share button for copyright and story reasons. For a franchise like Yakuza, which is heavily dependent on narrative, I can understand why.

Still, I agree that it is counterproductive.
 

artsi

Member
It was restricted already in Ishin, I doubt they will change it, unfortunately.

But what the hell, how did Kiwami's release get past me? I need to get some JP PSN codes now.
 
My papa always told me not to look a gift horse in the mouth. Sharing could help the game get more popular on social media I guess, but honestly this isn't really an issue to me.
 
Not really an issue, but it'll probably get a couple more sales. Releasing it in Europe will probably net more sales.
I don't like this limbo of not knowing.
 

Tohsaka

Member
Japanese publishers are really dumb about stuff like this, unfortunately. Tales of Zestiria doesn't allow you to take screenshots or stream, either.
 
is this the only japanese game with these restrictions? i've only seen that for licensed songs so far.

maybe they just want to prevent spoilers, i don't know.
 
D

Deleted member 20920

Unconfirmed Member
Could it be because the Yakuza games use the likeness of many Japanese celebrities? They might not have the rights to let people record or share like likeness.
 
Blocking the share button always comes down to licensing.

All games that have blocked the share button feature some form of licensed material not owned by the developer/publishe
 
Japanese publishers are really dumb about stuff like this, unfortunately. Tales of Zestiria doesn't allow you to take screenshots or stream, either.

Yeah, I just completed ToZ and noticed that it's always popping up the message indicating that you can't use the Share function. Although, during the Alisha's Story DLC I noticed that it's actually functional when you enter the optional character specific dungeon.
 

pbayne

Member
Could it be because the Yakuza games use the likeness of many Japanese celebrities? They might not have the rights to let people record or share like likeness.

Yeah thats what I thought too. Would the manga and product licences they have kind of complicate things?
 

Ridley327

Member
Could it be because the Yakuza games use the likeness of many Japanese celebrities? They might not have the rights to let people record or share like likeness.

I think it's more likely that with all the real-world branding in the game that they didn't want to chance upsetting any of the licensors.
 
My papa always told me not to look a gift horse in the mouth. Sharing could help the game get more popular on social media I guess, but honestly this isn't really an issue to me.

And I say that in the OP. I know a lot of people who're still unhappy with Sega and think they dragged their feet with Yakuza in the West, but I am genuinely appreciative of them bringing the series back to Western fans.
I genuinely think if an argument is made that unblocking Share will help spread the word on the series, it will out weigh their concerns about story spoilers. Also, in all the time I have been viewing screenshots I cannot recall one single time where a screenshot spoiled a game for me. Maybe because I don't go looking at screenshots of games I am currently playing.

If people are not fussed about Share button in general then that is fine, (there was a Share button/console capture topic recently where many people said so) but it's a great option to have in there for a variety of positive reasons.
 
Japanese publishers are really dumb about stuff like this, unfortunately. Tales of Zestiria doesn't allow you to take screenshots or stream, either.

Ugh. Gonna be playing that this year. Ah well, I'm glad I have that pop-up notification already blocked in PS4 settings.
 
I will not complain about anything Yakuza 0 related now that we're getting it. :p

xD Yeah, I know how you feel.
I think we've still a bit of time before the game is released, and so thought better to make them aware of how we feel now.

I think it's more likely that with all the real-world branding in the game that they didn't want to chance upsetting any of the licensors.

Was there any such licensing in Ishin? Because that too placed heavy restrictions on Share button.
 

KyleCross

Member
Not surprised. I uploaded an LP on YouTube of Dead Souls a couple years back and SEGA fucked my channel up. Blocked the videos worldwide then got a strike put on my channel (yes, a strike, as in three strikes you're out, not contentID). Videos weren't even monetized.

Not surprised they're banning the share button at all.
 

Ridley327

Member
Was there any such licensing in Ishin? Because that too placed heavy restrictions on Share button.

I honestly couldn't tell you, but it wouldn't surprise me if it's like what others have said and that music and actor likenesses play a part.

Sega could ultimately just be too overzealous in covering their own asses, but I doubt they're going to change.
 
Not surprised. I uploaded an LP on YouTube of Dead Souls a couple years back and SEGA fucked my channel up. Blocked the videos worldwide then got a strike put on my channel (yes, a strike, as in three strikes you're out, not contentID). Videos weren't even monetized.

Not surprised they're banning the share button at all.

Man, and people throw a hiss at Nintendo for disabling the monetisation... how the hell they think people will know about the game?

OP, why did you put a do not link to a Kotaku article?

Oh, so that's why it didn't open for me...
 

Dio

Banned
OP, why did you put a do not link to a Kotaku article?

Some of the places I've been have unspoken community rules to pastebin or donotlink Gawker/Kotaku articles so they don't get traffic. I assume the OP is the same, although I personally don't think it's worth bothering doing that.

EDIT: Oh, I see. That's a much simpler solution.
 

Kama_1082

Banned
None of the PS4 yakuza games allow you to take shots or stream until you've competed the main story. It's been known since Ishin.
 
None of the PS4 yakuza games allow you to take shots or stream until you've competed the main story. It's been known since Ishin.

It's time it changed in some shape or form. I know in some Yakuza games elements are opened up to Share button once the story is complete, but I think it applies to only mini-games or similar.
 
same for Ishin. Just done playing it, couldn't take a single screen, couldn't broadcast (I remember people streaming the demo for god sake)
 

Jubern

Member
I want to say it's because of the heavy use of real life branding (we are talking about dozens of brands) and also some actors likenesses.

Maybe it's the actors? There's no "risk" to run into them postgame I think so that would explain why it becomes allowed in Premium Adventure.
 

AlucardGV

Banned
could it be related to voice acting? i think voice acting business is super serious in japan. if the games has licensed music they could probably just mute them, but muting all the voices would be a little different..
 

Dio

Banned
could it be related to voice acting? i think voice acting business is super serious in japan. if the games has licensed music they could probably just mute them, but muting all the voices would be a little different..

Might be. The reason why XSEED's localization of Trails of Cold Steel is dub only is because of Chara-Ani being protective of their voice actors.
 

Tohsaka

Member
could it be related to voice acting? i think voice acting business is super serious in japan. if the games has licensed music they could probably just mute them, but muting all the voices would be a little different..

I haven't tried streaming it, but I read that Akiba's Trip mutes the game audio if you do. I think Dragon Quest Heroes might as well.
 

Deft Beck

Member
Man, and people throw a hiss at Nintendo for disabling the monetisation... how the hell they think people will know about the game?

Devil's advocate: Anybody interested in playing the sixth entry of a niche Japanese action game with a heavy story focus would already have secured their purchase of this title somehow. There would not be too many other potential customers outside of this pool.
 

Andrefpvs

Member
This doesn't please me. I use the Share button mainly as a way of archiving my gameplay, so I can refer back to it if I ever forget what I was doing or just for fun to see how I played the game.
 
Devil's advocate: Anybody interested in playing the sixth entry of a niche Japanese action game with a heavy story focus would already have secured their purchase of this title somehow. There would not be too many other potential customers outside of this pool.

Kiwami would be a great jumping on point for people new to the series.
 
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