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There’s no doubt that it genuinely feels like a nightmare to play every single game you’re interested in. Some of the industry’s biggest titles right now, such as GTA V, Starfield, and Dragon Age: The Veilguard, just can’t be completed in quick succession.

Yakuza’s creator has big plans for his next project. (Image via Sega)

That’s all because these games have huge worlds and maps, and even going through everything one title offers can set you back by hundreds of hours. It’s truly frustrating if you’re someone who looks to keep up with recent releases. However, Yakuza‘s creator, Toshihiro Nagoshi, has vowed that his next project wouldn’t follow this awful path.

Yakuza‘s Creator Promises to Push Smaller and Meaningful Maps Toshihiro Nagoshi is focussing is shrinking the map for his studio’s debut title. (Image via Sega)

While chatting with Famitsu,...

You might say that Nintendo is the house that Mario built, but there’s so much more to the Japanese company than the little plumber covered in overalls. The original Nintendo Entertainment System was really the console that started it all.

Nintendo’s biggest franchise hasn’t seen an entry in decades. (Image via Nintendo)

Nintendo produced some of the world’s beloved properties and still, to this day, keeps innovating in new ways. However, there was one franchise that was so phenomenal that the company decided to kill it for its own good.

F-Zero Gx‘s Success Forced Nintendo to End the Franchise F-Zero Gx is still considered to be the pinnacle of racing games. (Image via arronmunroe Yt)

Long before Mario Kart established itself as Nintendo’s racing franchise, it had shared the spotlight with F-Zero. The franchise was first released on Super Nintendo back in the 1990s...

Toshihiro Nagoshi, the ex-chief creative officer of Sega and the person behind the Yakuza (Like a Dragon) series, shared in a recent interview on Weekly Ochiai that Sega initially rejected the first game in the series because of its theme.

The Yakuza series, now called Like a Dragon, has gained critical acclaim for its focus on the Japanese criminal underworld. However, this focus on serious themes conflicted with Sega’s market strategy at the time.

More News: Baldur’s Gate 4 Was Almost Developed by Larian Studios

According to Nagoshi, the Japanese gaming industry had difficulty creating successful games for the worldwide market in the early 2000s. As a result, Sega and other companies began to focus on making games that would appeal to a large international audience. Nagoshi recognized this change in thinking, but he was concerned about creative ideas being weakened by the emphasis on broad appeal.

When Nagoshi first proposed Yakuza,...

When Elden Ring burst onto the scene in 2022, it breathed new life into the open world format, which was starting to stagnate for a lot of gamers. Players were plunged into the vast Lands Between, hunting Great Runes as the Tarnished. Elden Ring‘s biggest draw is its encouragement of exploration, rewarding players with epic bosses, rich lore, and legendary gear.

The question then lingers, are there any other open world games as immersive and engaging as the From Software masterpiece? The answer to that is a resounding yes, followed by five of our picks.

Horizon Forbidden West: Complete Edition

Horizon Forbidden West Complete Edition

One of the most visually stunning games ever made, Horizon Forbidden West expands upon 2017’s Zero Dawn with a world that’s twice as large, teeming with fascinating characters, vicious enemies, and gorgeous landscapes. As the name suggests, the further you go west in the game,...

Whenever Nintendo and Game Freak release a new Pokémon game, you usually expect high sales at best and decent sales at worst. However, Pokémon Legends: Arceus has blown past most expectations and seems poised to influence subsequent franchise entries. Of course, that raises an important question: If Pokemon Legends: Arceus truly represents the future of Pokemon, could it supplant the “traditional” mechanics from previous games going forward?

On February 3rd, Nintendo of America tweeted that Pokémon Legends: Arceus had sold over 6.5 million copies worldwide in its first week. According to CNET, this is a veritable record-shattering performance, as Pokémon Sword and Shield only pushed 6 million copies in their first week. Moreover, in Japan, Pokémon Legends: Arceus is the second best-selling Nintendo Switch game ever (via Siliconera/Famitsu). Admittedly, the race to the top isn’t over yet, as the prior titles, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, have sold around 13.87 million copies.

Binary Domain has been announced for release on PC. The third-person shooter came out last month for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and is scheduled to arrive on PC in April. It will be available both at retail and through downloadable marketplaces. Designed by Yakuza creator Toshihiro Nagoshi, Binary Domain takes place in a futuristic Tokyo populated by robots and powerful artificial intelligence. The squad-based shooter will allow players to take command (more)...

Binary Domain has been given a new trailer by Sega. The video shows a cutscene taken directly from the game's single-player campaign introducing a hollow child, a robot that thinks it is human. Designed by Yakuza creator Toshihiro Nagoshi, Binary Domain takes place in a futuristic Tokyo populated by robots and powerful artificial intelligence. The squad-based shooter will allow you to take command of your team-mates using standard controls or voice commands. A Consequence System (more)...

Each week we bring you news on what is being released into the gaming world…. So lets get it started! Kicking off this Huge list of games which will be released 20h February – 26th February 2012 is:

Jak & Daxter Trilogy (PS3):

The Jak & Daxter Trilogy features all three classic PlayStation 2 hits on one Blu-ray Disc. Experience Jak and Daxter’s greatest adventures in stunning high definition.

Kinect: Zumba Fitness – Rush (Xbox 360):

Kinect: Zumba Fitness – Rush for Microsoft Kinect features 10 additional routines, 5 new venues and 3 new instructors to help you Zumba your way into shape like no other game in the series so far!

The Last Story (Wii):

The Last Story features time-honoured RPG gameplay and story elements but also adds modern twists to the traditional RPG formula. Customise your items and character and master the innovative combat system to succeed in this epic new RPG universe. During The...

Binary Domain has received a new trailer from Sega. The video shows the game's multiplayer in action.

Multiplayer will support up to ten players competing in a range of score and objective based modes. There will also be a co-operative mode, with up to four players teaming up to fight waves of robots online. Designed by Yakuza creator Toshihiro Nagoshi, Binary Domain takes place in a futuristic (more)...

Binary Domain has received a new trailer from Sega. The video depicts one of the game's early cutscenes, showing the assassination attempt that sets its story in motion. The game is a squad-based shooter that allows you to take command of your team-mates using standard controls or voice commands. It will also feature a Consequence System, where team-mates will react to your commands based on how much they trust you. Designed by Yakuza creator Toshihiro Nagoshi, Binary Domain takes place in a futuristic Tokyo populated by robots and powerful artificial intelligence. Nagoshi has previously said of the title: "Usually (more)...

Binary Domain has been delayed, Sega has announced. Originally scheduled for February 17, the title will now be released on February 24 in Europe and February 28 in North America. Designed by Yakuza creator Toshihiro Nagoshi, Binary Domain takes place in a futuristic Tokyo populated by robots and powerful artificial intelligence. The squad-based shooter allows you to take command of your team-mates (more)...

Yakuza 5 is in the early stages of development, series creator Toshihiro Nagoshi has confirmed. The upcoming sequel will be developed by Nagoshi's brand new Yakuza Studio, which is also working on Sega's squad-based shooter Binary Domain. According to The Gamers Hub, Nagoshi teased the reveal yesterday, claiming that he was to make a "huge announcement" within the next 24 hours. Details are scarce, (more)...

Binary Domain has been given a release date by Sega. The squad-based shooter will be released for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in February 2012, the studio has confirmed. Binary Domain was designed by Yakuza creator Toshihiro Nagoshi. The game takes place in a futuristic Tokyo populated by robots. It was first announced in December last year. "Usually games have a simple theme, but if we aim to maximise the appeal of a game as interactive entertainment, we need to develop more sophisticated themes (more)...

The machine age has begun. When man-made machines begin to evolve and take control of our lives, its up to you to traverse a 2080 Tokyo and put an end to machines' reign of terror. Binary Domain is developed by Sega and is set to release early next year. Who is humanity’s true enemy? Binary Domain is an original squad-based shooter by Toshihiro Nagoshi, the creator behind some of Sega’s most well-know video game franchises, including the critically acclaimed Yakuza series. Binary Domain puts players in the middle of a fast paced and intense battle for humanity in a robot-invaded 2080 Tokyo. Fighting through the derelict lower levels of the city, players control an international peace-keeping squad that soon starts to question their surroundings and the choices they make. Are the...

Sega has announced squad-based shooter Binary Domain. Designed by Yakuza creator Toshihiro Nagoshi, the game will be set in a robot-populated Tokyo in 2080 and will examine what it means to be human. "Usually games have a simple theme, but if we aim to maximise the appeal of a game as interactive entertainment, we need to develop more sophisticated themes that tie into every aspect of the game," said Nagoshi. "I (more)...

Sega is hoping to top the recent success of Vanquish with an all new shooter entitled Binary Domain, an original squad-based shooter by Toshihiro Nagoshi, the creator behind some of Sega’s most well-known video game franchises, including the critically acclaimed Yakuza series. The game takes a very Anime style approach to story, setting the plot in a 2080 robot-invaded Tokyo. The game hope's to answer the question of where does humanity lie when an international peace-keeping squad begins to question their surroundings. If you've ever seen the Animatrix (the animated Prequel to the Matrix Trilogy), the story sounds a lot like that. “What I wanted to create this time was a dramatic and energetic sci-fi shooter. When you hear sci-fi you may think of cold, clinical environments but with Binary Domain I wanted to combine this with a deep human drama,” commented Toshihiro Nagoshi. “The keyword we have in mind...

Japan will get a new PSP Yakuza title this September, but overseas lovers of the series just recently got their hands on on "Yakuza 3." A "Yakuza 4" American launch may eventually happen, though, now that Sega West has officially tagged the game for an international ship date in spring 2011.

Producer Toshihiro Nagoshi will be fielding questions after E3, according to an announcement on the Sega Europe Blog. "In a move that will be sure to thrill Yakuza fans outside of Japan, we’re pleased to announce that Sega West will indeed be releasing 'Yakuza 4' in Spring 2011 on Yakuza’s traditional home, the PlayStation 3," the post reads.

I don't see anything explicitly stating that a U.S. release will be timed to coincide, but the chances are probably pretty good. After all, getting "Yakuza 4" localized to English is 90-percent of the battle. Shipping a few more copies the rest of the...

Sega's Yakuza series will debut on the PlayStation Portable on September 22, and the game, which was previously referred to only as "Project K" now has a proper title in Japanese. "Kurohyou: Ryu ga Gotoku Shinshou" will be the game's name, and the follow-up to "Yakuza 4" from series' creator Toshihiro Nagoshi already has a pre-order incentive standing ready.

The title roughly translates to "Black Leopard: A New Yakuza Chapter," according to 1Up.com. Advance orders in Japan will come with copies of a a fictional travel guide called "Young Kamutai Magazine," which covers the game's setting, the Kamurocho district.

"Yakuza 3" just finally made it to the U.S. this year, and we're still waiting on news for a "Yakuza 4" localization, so don't go expecting an immediate North American release for this PSP release. If Sega is satisfied enough with those sales numbers, they could always get inspired and give both of...