Features

 After a long two-week absence, Shane Patterson rejoins the crew just in time to celebrate TalkRadar’s 18th birthday. With our podcast finally old enough to vote, buy cigarettes and go to the mall by itself, we briefly put aside our usual yammering for a weirdly serious talk about the ethics of software piracy.

With the possible exception of unexplainable, extraordinary inspiration, the factors which define a game’s quality are roughly quantifiable. The success of a game, however, involves slightly more chance, as the variables are less precise. When is the best time to launch a new PS3 exclusive FPS? Is there a market for fighting games on the Wii? The Western audience likes Final Fantasy – shouldn’t it like other Japanese RPGs?

North American gamers have it pretty good. We pay less for our games and often see them on store shelves earlier than our European and Oceanic counterparts. We’re spoiled, really. But despite our privileged geographic position, we always want more. We envy Japanese gamers, the ones who play the real thing on day one and don’t have to wait for the localization of highly anticipated titles like Final Fantasy XIII.

Kiryu Kazuma is one brutal bastard. As you'll see in the video below, there's nothing he enjoys more than beating men into comas with bikes, billboard signs and whatever else he can get his criminal claws on. But then again, he has to, because Yakuza 3's take on Tokyo is the most aggressive in-game city ever.

Commuters who'd rather kick the crap out of you than make their 9 o'clock bullet train. Street thugs who want to rob you blind.

Is this the most rapidly-sequelled franchise ever?

The Tokyo Game Show used to be filled with eccentric Japanese titles, destined to be locked away from all but the most hardcore collectors. Those days are over. Almost every major upcoming title on show this year was confirmed for release outside of Japan.

Is this the most rapidly-sequelled franchise ever?