• Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!

Amazon lists Yakuza 3 for western release in March

Zengar said:
Yakuza kenzan next, please.
Click to expand...
I like celebrating too, but let's not get stupid. It sells bad enough with a modern day setting, I don't even want to imagine what it would sell with samurais.
 
Very surprising if true, but great news none-the-less. It's a very good game, lots to do and the extra unlocks modes are awesome.
 
March? Seriously?

As excited as I am for this, Sega better put at least SOME fucking marketing into this. Every time I think of Yakuza 2, I recall Garnett's story about how the Sega guys weren't interested in even letting the EGM guys do a cover story for it :/
 
Shikashi said:
I like celebrating too, but let's not get stupid. It sells bad enough with a modern day setting, I don't even want to imagine what it would sell with samurais.
Click to expand...

Well, a man can hope, right ?
 
Goddammit Sega, you really didn't learn from the Yakuza 2 release. The game doesn't even have a high chance of selling a decent amount of copies as it is, but a march release would lead to the alpha and omega of commercial disaster.
SEGA is really just looking for a reason to never bring a game from the series to the west again.
 
Yeah after looking at everything slated just for the PS3 in March, Sega would be insane not to delay this til Summer :lol Theres no benefit for releasing it early at all, we've waited this long. Going up against the likes of God of War 3, Gran Turismo 5, Final Fantasy 13 and even Lost Planet 2 in so many weeks is just ridiculous.

Could some of the Sega PR people here please fucking bombard head office with messages of what an insane period this would be to release it in? I'd like this one to at least stand a vague fighting chance at selling more than 5 copies please.
 
AlphaTwo00 said:
Wow, sent to die, again. March?

Seriously?
Click to expand...
Is there a time you could release a Yakuza game and it's not sent to die?

The game's market is pretty much made of people who know exactly when it will come out and will either pre-order or look for a deal.
 
slaughterking said:
Goddammit Sega, you really didn't learn from the Yakuza 2 release. The game doesn't even have a high chance of selling a decent amount of copies as it is, but a march release would lead to the alpha and omega of commercial disaster.
SEGA is really just looking for a reason to never bring a game from the series to the west again.
Click to expand...


Agreed. I'm going to buy it, but if they actually want to attract new gamers to the franchise, March is a terribly stupid month to release it in. It's like they -want- to kill it. -_-
 
In retrospect, this reminds me a little of the time that every Wii developer released their big games the same week as Mario Galaxy. A few of them, like Umbrella Chronicles, made it out unscathed.
 
ShockingAlberto said:
In retrospect, this reminds me a little of the time that every Wii developer released their big games the same week as Mario Galaxy. A few of them, like Umbrella Chronicles, made it out unscathed.
Click to expand...

Yeah, and Demon's Souls did fine crammed between Uncharted 2 and R&C. But FFXIII, God of War 3 and Gran Turismo are much larger releases than any of those (okay, maybe not so much GoW 3).

There's definitely different levels of being "sent to die". Sega's had a lot of trouble with localizing niche games; first two Yakuzas, Valkyria Chronicles... they don't need competition to do poorly. Atlus has a history of doing so well with niche games as to almost promote them to being mainstream (Persona 3, 4, Demon's Souls). Umbrella Chronicles had at least a decent counter-programming theory going on. Yakuza 3 fits squarely between GoW 3 and FFXIII thematically, but the combat is close enough to GoW 3 to actually share basic combos and controls (square+square+square+triangle, L1 to block, circle to grab, etc).

The good news is I think only FFXIII has a real release date. GT 5 is strongly hinted to get delayed past March at least for the U.S., GoW 3 doesn't have a solid date, and Heavy Rain might be worried about competition from Yakuza 3 rather than the other way around. ;)
 
While excited, I'm still a bit disappointed that the story of this one took a dive in comparison to the previous games (assuming I'm remembering the impressions thread right). Still love the franchise though, and will be picking this up day 1.

So where's Kenzan? ;)
 
I never considered any of the Yakuza titles to be sent to die. Especially now with the third game, ANYONE at all who is going to buy this will know about it and buy it. I don't really think they have a chance to break in any new customers at this point. Which, if you think about it, means that it's crazy stupid to even bring this over, but thank God if this is true. It will be my #1 purchase in March; FF13 and Gow3 will still be there and I can rent Bayonetta in a few years, this gets my money.
 
XiaNaphryz said:
While excited, I'm still a bit disappointed that the story of this one took a dive in comparison to the previous games (assuming I'm remembering the impressions thread right). Still love the franchise though, and will be picking this up day 1.

So where's Kenzan? ;)
Click to expand...

How similar is the gameplay in 3 to 1 & 2 though? I'm on about chapter 6 / 7 of Yakuza 2 and it feels too similar to Y1 - it has a kiler story but the gameplay mechanics are just copy and pasted from the first game. I think I'm already suffering from franchise fatigue already.

I also tried the Y3 demo on the Japanese PSN but this just feels like an HD version of Yakuza with zero to minimum gameplay evolutions. I'll probably still pick this up, but I'm pretty sure I won't be day-oneing this like I did with Yakuza 1 and 2. Hmpf.
 
I'm excited. :D

but I want the first two yakuza remastered for HD. just like GoW collection. cuz i never beat them and I don't have a PS2 nor a PS3 that could play ps2 games.
 
holy shit, let me text everyone!

pleasebetrue.png
 
Wait, people seriously expect release date to make a difference to sales? The game will sell to its fans and maybe to a few new recruits, regardless as to when it is released.

As was said above, Yakuza 3 could be the only new release in a month and still it would bomb; those who suggest SEGA give the game a big push are foolish, no amount of marketing would give it big sales
 
ShockingAlberto said:
Is there a time you could release a Yakuza game and it's not sent to die?

The game's market is pretty much made of people who know exactly when it will come out and will either pre-order or look for a deal.
Click to expand...
I actually pre ordered Yakuza 2, but I'm not doing it this time around considering the games I want will be coming out during that month. Last time it was released during a rather uneventful month, so I would go with any month during summer for Yakuza 3, but even then it won't do all that well but not Dead Space Extinction bad.
 
Would be awesome and I would definitely buy it, but I have to admit, my frothing anticipation for the game has dwindled substantially. Kind of a too little too late situation.
 
Shouldn't there be like an announcement or something already if this were coming in march ?
 
Katana_Strikes said:
I'll support this at £20
Click to expand...

smh.

you are the problem



Aske said:
Awesome. So, so happy to be playing this at last. Day 1, regardless of whatever else hits in March.
Click to expand...

well , there are fewer games in March compared to January and February , so far the confirmed title are
God of War III
Battlefield: Bad Company 2
Final Fantasy XIII
Major League Baseball 2K10
Supreme Commander 2
Resident Evil 5 Gold Edition
Just Cause 2

only GOW3 and FFXIII as the BIG titles in that month , if it's indeed in March 12 then it can be even earlier in NA ( first week of the month maybe ? ) , also they can push it with the release of RGG4/Yakuza 4 in Japan , so I think it's all good.
 
I've played, and completed Yakuza 3 in Japanese. (As well the other three Yakuza games). To those that don't know what to expect: It's a lot like the first Yakuza games, but now in HD. Some o the face texturing is awesome, while the animations are of similar quality like before.

The fighting is even better though, as there isn't much loading to speak of between fights. The story was interesting, although I had a hard time following it in Japanese. (I read FAQs in between scenes.)

Compared to Kenzan:
- It is prettier, but feels less fresh

Compared to Yakuza 1 & 2
- It's a lot prettier and it has a lot less loading.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Duskbloods listing appears today on Australian eShop and Finnish retailer starts listing 27th March release
Rumor 
1
123
Hyet replied
Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties - Reviews Thread
2 3
115
2K
adamsapple replied
Western Rye - Trailer
Trailer Indie 
0
75
IbizaPocholo replied
Yakuza 3: Remastered Being Delisted Individually, Only Sold via "Bundles" In Future
31
739
Thief1987 replied
Netflix is ending PlayStation 3 support in March 2026
News Platform 
31
877
onQ123 replied
Top Bottom