Toshihiro Nagoshi
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Metal Gear Solid and Yakuza creators discuss future titles
What do you get when you sit Hideo Kojima (Metal Gear Solid) and Toshihiro Nagoshi (Yakuza) in the same room together? You get a fruitful discussion about games. But not just any lot of games -- their games; games they're currently working on and even ones planned for release this year. Kojima said in Japan's Famitsu magazine (via IGN) that his production company is working on at least three to four titles. It's a nice step up from his statement last month which was at two mystery titles. He could very well be counting Metal Gear Solid Touch in there, referring to one of these games as something that could be released quickly. But it makes you wonder, what are the other two to three titles? With Kojima being an ardent supporter of the PS3 and PSP, often offering high profile MGS exclusives, we're more than willing to go out on a limb that one of these titles will appear on a current PlayStation format. Also, one of these games is planned for release this year.Turning things over to Nagoshi, he too has something yet unannounced but currently in production. That title, he revealed, is to be announced sometime later this year. Nagoshi, too, like Kojima has put somewhat of a preference on PS3 as of late. Could this new title also appear on the PS3?
Sega's Yakuza goes from game to movie
Toshihiro Nagoshi walks with a swagger and dresses like a Japanese film star. A few years ago he was the Monkey Ball man; now he's the poster boy of Ryu Ga Gotoku (known in the West as Yakuza), and has achieved a Mizuguchi-like omnipresence within the Japanese game industry and media. The reward for all his hard work is this, the movie of his massively successful Ryu Ga Gotoku games. (More than 500,000 units of Ryu Ga Gotoku 2 have been sold in Japan since the PS2 game's December release.) Takashi Miike, who is reportedly one of Quentin Tarantino's favourite directors, has guided the production of Ryu Ga Gotoku: The Movie. Miike has previously directed flicks such as Ichi the Killer (a story of anarchic violence), The Guys from Paradise (a heartwarmer), and The Happiness of the Katakuris (a black comedy). Along with an A-list cast, Miike gives this game-to-movie transition more pedigree than most. Not that we have anything against Bob Hoskins... Ryu Ga Gotoku: The Movie will be showing at cinemas across Japan from March 3. Click through to see the movie's official Japanese website, which now features a (very promising) preview clip.
Japanese release day highlights: 12.07.06
It's getting really cold in Japan. Like, two pairs of socks cold. And as the outside gets colder, the inside gets warmer. Inevitably, we stay indoors more and play more games. This is the time of year when Thursdays become even more important to us. And today's shop for new games should be a particularly warming one. Here's what we plan to pick up in Osaka's Den Den Town: Blue Dragon (the biggest Xbox 360 game in Japan to date -- a 3-DVD set that scored 37/40 in Famitsu) Ryu Ga Gotoku 2 (aka Yakuza 2 -- by orange-skinned Toshihiro Nagoshi; PS2) Ape Escape Racer (like Mario Kart, but with more monkeys and some disco balls; PSP) PaRappa the Rapper (Chop Chop Master Onion gets cut up and refried for the PSP) Power Pro Kun Pocket 9 (big-headed baseball from Konami; DS)
