Out Now: Yakuza (PS2 game)

[eliza'snumber1fan]

SEGA Europe Ltd and SEGA of America, Inc. today announced the celebrity cast for its upcoming video game, Yakuza. Slated for release on Sept. 5th 2006, the critically acclaimed game is currently being localized for a western audience. To ensure a fully cinematic experience for players, the game will feature the distinctive voice work of Hollywood actors including Michael Rosenbaum, Michael Madsen, Eliza Dushku, Rachel Leigh Cook, and Mark Hamill to compliment its stunning visuals and engaging storyline.
Yakuza, scripted by noted Japanese novelist Hase Seishu, features an intricate storyline driven by loyalty, honor, and revenge. The seasoned Hollywood cast will bring the widely varied characters to life with both subtle and impassioned performances. Adding his signature voice to the cast, Michael Madsen (Reservoir Dogs, Sin City) plays Shimano, a physically imposing Yakuza boss who relies on brutality to achieve his selfish goals; Michael Rosenbaum (Smallville) voices Nishiki, a ruthless Yakuza member who has turned against his childhood friend, Kazuma, out of bitter jealousy; Eliza Dushku, (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Bring It On) voices Yumi, who grew up with Nishiki and Kazuma in an orphanage, and is at the center of the mystery; Rachel Leigh Cook (She’s All That) plays Reina, owner of the Serena hostess bar, whose secret love leads her down a road of betrayal; and Mark Hamill (Star Wars, Batman: New Times) voices the insane Majima, a violent Yakuza boss with a twisted sense of honor.

“Yakuza was an immense hit in Japan, and in bringing the game to the U.S. market, we wanted to ensure that the subtle nuances of the game were brought to life,” said Scott A. Steinberg, Vice President of Marketing, SEGA of America, Inc. “The title delivers the cinematic visuals and fast-paced action gamers demand, and with these top notch performances, they will experience a deep, character-driven storyline like nothing they have encountered before.”

Yakuza is an all-encompassing, immersive chronicle that captures the full scope of Japan’s underground by authentically recreating Tokyo's clandestine nightlife and unveiling the mystery surrounding the Yakuza's traditional honor, respect, and loyalty system.




source from
http://www.gaming-age.com/news/2006/6/16-29

[andrew r]

You just beat me to it! I just read about this, it sounds great doesn't it? This will be her second game after the Buffy: Chaos Bleeds game.

[eliza'snumber1fan]

her character name is YUMI , sound a good game

[Tru Faith In Eliza]

Hey, everybody beats me to the news! However, I will add this pic of Eliza doing her voice performance:


Tagline: In Yakuza, the yummy Eliza Dushku will play Yumi

(Added benefit to those who would love to see her as a talkshow host -- Eliza with headphones!!)

Here's another review:
Madsen, Dushku head Yakuza voice cast
Reservoir Dogs and Buffy stars join Rachel Leigh Cook and Mark Hamill in English adaptation of Sega's Japanese-gangster game.
By Tor Thorsen, GameSpot
Posted Jun 16, 2006 8:43 am PT
It's now no secret how Michael Madsen makes his mortgage payments. Since the turn of the century, the star of such films as Free Willy and Thelma and Louise has earned a steadily growing side income from his voice work in games. His gravely baritone has been featured in Grand Theft Auto III, True Crime: Streets of LA, Driver 3, Narc, and the upcoming game adaptation of his most celebrated big-screen effort, Reservoir Dogs.
Now, Madsen can add another game to his voice-over-work resume. Today, Sega announced that he would be the English-language voice of Shimano, the hulking crime boss in the publisher's forthcoming crime game, Yakuza. The game, originally released in Japan under the title Ryu ga Gotoku, follows a rough-and-tumble gangster, Nishiki, through a free-roaming, GTA-style re-creation of Tokyo's underworld.
The English-langauge voice of Nishiki will be Michael Rosenbaum, who is most famous for his portrayal of a young Lex Luthor in the television series Smallville. He is joined by several other MTV-friendly actors in the Yakuza cast, including Buffy the Vampire Slayer's Eliza Dushku, who plays the ingénue Yumi. Also featured is Rachel Leigh Cook, who gained notoriety for playing the Pygmalion-esque lead in the 1999 teen comedy She's All That.
Yakuza's cast will also feature an actor who has iconic status among several generations prior to the current 18 to 34 demographic. Mark Hamill--aka Luke Skywalker in Star Wars--will play Majima, an insane Yakuza boss. Hamill is no stranger to voice work, having played the Joker in the long-running Batman Beyond cartoon series.

sources:
http://www.gamespot.com/news/6152835.html

http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/action/r...&mode=previews

[BlackWolf]

That sounds great, thanks for the heads up.

[lovely_disaster]

YES!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE PLAYING VIDEO GAMES!!! her coming out in buffy was the best! kept me busy for hours!!! and now this??? i can not wait!!! thanks for the news! *does a jig*

oh yea, BIG THANKS FOR THE PIC TOO!! she looks good where ever, when ever!!! beautiful!!!

[Aphrodite]

Cute picture! Glad you posted it since it didn't seem to pop up in any of the articles I read that showed up in my google alert.

Now if only I had a PS2 and played video games. I might have to start for this game! I love Eliza's voice.

Thanks for the pic Tru Faith. Shame its going to be PS2 only

[rlm]

i so hope that this game is good and not another lame grand theft auto type of rip off. cuz that's what it sounds like. but just hearing her voice makes me go................................................ .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. ...................................oh. ah. i started to daydream there.

[Tru Faith In Eliza]

Originally Posted by BD100

Thanks for the pic Tru Faith. Shame its going to be PS2 only

Is that right? I hope not.

Seems like most of these games eventually get released in multiple formats, perhaps this will too. Could be once the PS2 version makes it's debut they would then try others. Let's hope so, I have an X-Box....

cant wait for this game

[Keri]

*strokes my PS2 and waits til September*



Thanks for the heads up Si

[andrew r]

Why just Ps2? Why not any other format? Wouldn't it be better to have it for the next-Gen machines?

it would be good for the 360 but probably wont be on it

[andrew r]

That's what I was thinking. Plus the new Nintendo (which has a stupid name, but I'd love one) and PS3.

hope its on the 360 or the wii or ps3 tyhen i can have elizas 2nd game

[eliza'snumber1fan]

usually there released on all consoles, but some games are exclusively made for a particular console.

the resident evil series arent on x-box??only playstaition,, i think ,could be wrong tho!!

cant wait for the game to come out,ive only got one console, ps2

there a buffy game on the old xbox what isnt out for any other aswell dunna matter which console its on cuz ive got em all

[Tru Faith In Eliza]

A bit more info from Joystiq.com:

[quote] ....All-star voice cast for Yakuza...Yakuza, already a hit in Japan, is gearing up for its western release, and today SEGA has announced the line-up of Hollywood talent lending their voices to the game’s characters. Michael Rosenbaum, Michael Madsen, Eliza Dushku, Rachel Leigh Cook, and Mark Hamill have all been signed up to voice characters in the game.

Madsen (Reservoir Dogs, Sin City) will voice Shimano, a Yakuza boss who relies on brutality to achieve his selfish goals; Michael Rosenbaum (Lex Luthor from Smallville) lends his voice to Nishiki, a ruthless Yakuza member who has turned against his friend Kazuma; Eliza Dushku, (Faith from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) voices Yumi, who grew up with Nishiki and Kazuma in an orphanage; Rachel Leigh Cook (She’s All That) plays Reina, the owner of the Serena hostess bar; and Mark Hamill (son of Darth Vader) voices Majima, a violent and insane Yakuza boss.
"Yakuza was an immense hit in Japan, and in bringing the game to the western market, we wanted to ensure that the subtle nuances of the game were brought to life," said Scott A. Steinberg, Vice President of Marketing, SEGA of America, Inc. "The title delivers the cinematic visuals and fast-paced action gamers demand, and with these top notch performances, they will experience a deep, character-driven storyline like nothing they have encountered before."
Yakuza is scheduled for release on the PlayStation 2 in September. [quote]

september not long then