English Yakuza 4 will have hostesses

By Robert Purchese Published 23 June, 2010

Back by popular demand.

SEGA has confirmed that the western version of Yakuza 4 will feature hostesses.

Community manager Aaron Webber noted their inclusion to Siliconera.

Hostesses were yanked from the English version of Yakuza 3 in order for the game to launch on time. Fans weren't happy - these establishments are an important part of Japanese culture.

Hostess clubs are places were Japanese businessmen and women go to enjoy the company of attractive members of the opposite sex. Rumpy-pumpy isn't part of the job description.

Webber stopped short of confirming Yakuza 4 mini-games mahjong, shogi and Japanese chess for the West.

Yakuza 4 will be released for PS3 here in spring 2011. Eurogamer reviewed the openworld crime game on import in April.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds. @Clert on Twitter.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (19) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Beano #1 2 years ago

    Thank you, Sega :D

  • Genji #2 2 years ago

    Shogi *is* Japanese chess. They shouldn't be separated into two games.

    /pedantic

  • apoc_reg #3 2 years ago

    Good to hear! Still enjoyed 3 but no doubt the cutting of hostess bars was handled rubbishly!

  • menage #4 2 years ago

    Finally some positive stuff from Sega.

  • Kanselier #5 2 years ago

    Did anyone truly miss the lack of Hostess bars in Yakuza 3? I have finished the game to about 40% completion and can not say the lack of hostess bars was a problem. Is is not there is not enough to do in the game already.

  • el_pollo_diablo #6 2 years ago

    "English Yakuza 4 will have hostesses by popular demand"

    I don't know whether to cheer or sigh, to be honest.

  • siro #7 2 years ago

    Can you please put them into Yakuza 3 again. I'm going to play it soon and would like to chat with digitized porn stars.

  • twoism #8 2 years ago

    Erm, I don't remember where I read this, but don't the hostesses in Yakuza 4 actually play a vital role in the main story? I just hope they wont just think 'that'll be good enough' and not bother with all the side missions and mini games.

  • Slipstream #9 2 years ago

    I don't care about actually dating the hostesses, that's all a waste of time. It's actually running the hostess busniess! That's where it's at, I always looked ofrward to upgrading the bar. Choosing the most expensive stuff out of the profits I had been earning, raising or docking wages, having chats with the staff. It was all handled so well in Yakuza 2. If they can recapture it all again, then great.

    Eitherway, I was sold with or without the feature, it's Yakuza after all ;)

  • Tuffty #10 2 years ago

    It will be only time I will ever get to chat up the smoking hottie that is Rio, so kudos to you Sega.
    Edited by Tuffty at 23/06/10 @ 10:26

  • sonicyoda #11 2 years ago

    I've read somewhere that the Japanese history arcade game is still cut, but I guess that's a little more understandable.

  • 52pickup #12 2 years ago

    While we're on the topic of japanese games,here's some new scans from FFVersusXIII

    http://www.ffring.com/news/Versus-XIII-i...

  • djed #13 2 years ago

    wat? I thought they dropped it because it would offend Western sensibilities.

    Anyway, I like how Sega is handling the localization of (what could have been) a big franchise.

  • coomber #14 2 years ago

    Fair to play to the people who complained. Didn't miss the hostesses from Yakuza 3 but being treated equally as a customer is something I DO value.

  • darc #15 2 years ago

    "Rumpy-pumpy". You Brits slay me. :)

  • neonemesis #16 2 years ago

    "wat? I thought they dropped it because it would offend Western sensibilities."

    I think the general concensus is that that was a cover line to hide the true reason of time constraints.

  • FabricatedLunatic #17 2 years ago

    Ironic? The hostesses are a huge deal in Japan. At least know what you're talking about before trolling.

    Did I miss the hostess bars in Yakuza 3? At first I did, yes. The game's two main environments seemed a little less alive without them, and I really enjoyed the club management in Yakuza 2. As I progressed through the game I found a multitude of other ways to occupy my time and it became less of an issue.

    In the end I was more bothered by the ~20 missions that were cut, since the XP lost has made the task of levelling up Kazuma, thus unlocking all his moves, more difficult than it should be.

    Nevertheless, I'm pleased to hear that the clubs will return.

  • nuanimal #18 2 years ago

    Meh

    /Goes back to wanking over Dead or Alive Xtreme

  • FabricatedLunatic #19 2 years ago

    The most amusing thing here is that someone whose blurb is "I game too much" has that big a superiority complex :D