While the future of the Yakuza series outside of Japan may be in question, on Sega's home turf, the Toshihiro Nagoshi adventure series is a guaranteed hit. Sega is continuing to invest in some heavy promotions for the latest entry.
The company announced today a tie-up with discount retailer Don Quijote to help promote Yakuza 3. Starting January 23, Don Quijote retailers throughout Japan will begin putting up posters for the game. These posters will have a QR code which can be scanned into a cell phone to access some free wallpapers.
The promotions kick into high gear on February 26, the day of Yakuza 3's release. On that day , Don Quijote shops will begin offering plastic bags with Yakuza 3 imagery. Two bags will be on offer, one just for Yakuza 3 and one for both the game and the Koakuma Ageha magazine whose models are being used as the game's virtual hostesses.
The connection to Don Quijote is deeper than this. If you've played Yakuza 1 or its still-Japan-only sequel, you'll recognize the retailer as having appeared in digital form in the game. Today, Sega shared screenshots of the Yakuza 3 implementation of the shop, which you can see in our latest media update.