One of the most popular video game franchises in recent years has got to be RGG Studio and SEGA’s Like A Dragon series. Known as Ryu Ga Gotoku in its native country Japan and formerly known as the “Yakuza” game series for western audiences, the series is critically acclaimed and beloved by fans worldwide thanks to its approach on crime drama stories and adventure – but eventually expanding to other themes that involve things that people experience and do in everyday life that make it so relatable and grounded for fans to enjoy as well.
Last January 18, I joined fellow LAD fans in the Philippines in attending an exclusive event held at The Island PH over at Bonifacio Global City to help promote the latest sequel in the series – Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth! Featuring a very special guest visiting Manila from Japan in RGG Studio producer and game director Hiroyuki Sakamoto, the event’s theme was patterned after Honolulu and Hawaii and decorating the entire al fresco dining area and club into a tropical paradise that would reflect the new setting. Guests were also given some exclusive items for the event – including a Hawaiian polo shirt, Infinite Wealth T-Shirt, and a poster of the game!
As the eighth mainline entry in the series, Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth sees the return of Yakuza: Like A Dragon protagonist Ichiban Kasuga – who teams up with longtime series lead and hero Kazuma Kiryu as both headline the game and bring the series over to its first overseas locale in Hawaii. Joining forces with allies old and new, Ichiban searches for his mother while Kiryu completes his bucket list while battling an enemy he cannot easily overcome in the form of cancer.
With over 80 invite-only guests and winners attending this once-in-a-lifetime gathering, it was the perfect intimate celebration for LAD and Yakuza fans to converge in which included members from the international Facebook group Yakuza MajimaPosting Royale led by PH based admin Adam Cartel! Other special guests included famous KOLs, gamers, and influencers like Myrtle Sarossa, GLOCO Gaming, Een Mercado, Cherizawa, and Kristian PH, and almost everyone in the party cosplayed and suited up as a character in the series – including yours truly as Kazuma Kiryu aka The Dragon of Dojima!
As far as the setup and program flow went, the Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth Launch Party was designed to be a tropical paradise style resort, there were several activity areas lined up around the club – including a room with a couple of PlayStation 5 and screens set up that had LAD Infinite Wealth for guests to try out if they wished. Various tarps, posters, and standees displaying the logo and characters from in the game were decorated all around The Island PH as well – with main protagonists Ichiban Kasuga and Kazuma Kiryu headlining things alongside the other party members featured in the game and even a tarpoline featuring the giant shark boss seen in the game. There were food and drinks of course, as well as photo booth set up next to standees of Ichiban and Kiryu, which would be set up next to a table that would feature Sakamoto-san during his autograph signing session and picture taking with the fans.
The main program had dining tables and chairs lined up next to a stage that featured an LED screen that would showcase slides and images as well as a playable copy of the game. Things started off with a host introducing Hiroyuki Sakamoto to the stage – who was accompanied by a translator who conveyed the producer’s thoughts to the audience and vice versa. Sakamoto-san answered the most burning questions fans had – being his first time in the Philippines he expressed his love for Jollibee and Chickenjoy to boot. He also answered some game development questions – citing why Hawaii was chosen as a location for the sequel and then later on teasing that he and RGG Studio may consider other world locations in future games as well. Past Yakuza games have already featured or referenced Filipino culture and Tagalog as part of the game’s sub-stories and dialogue, and with Infinite Wealth’s setting being in Honolulu and it having a Filipino community there as well – making PH fans excited on the possibility of it happening in the future of the series.
The program proper started with Sakamoto-san giving fans an exclusive look at Infinite Wealth by playing a segment of the game and giving live commentary on gameplay while doing so. After a short break, a series of trivia questions were asked where guests stood a chance to win exclusive prizes from RGG Studio themselves! There was also a game where the KOLs and influencers paired together with random attendees to play a minigame from Infinite Wealth called “Crazy Delivery” – competing for the highest score with the winning team standing a chance to win even more prizes from RGG Studio. Finally, there was a meet and greet session with Sakamoto-san – which I lined up for of course to get a picture taken with him as well as his signature on a poster of Infinite Wealth!
As one of the best events I’ve attended promoting a game by one of the most well-known video game publishers in the world, the Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth Launch Party was a blast and the fans absolutely made it worthwhile. It was an intimate gathering from start to finish, and we capped off the event by singing some of the most popular karaoke songs featured in the games in Baka Mitai, Judgement -Shinpan-, and 24-hour Cinderella – and then ending with a bang by dancing to the disco song “Friday Night” as featured in Yakuza 0! A big heartfelt thanks and congratulations goes out to RGG Studio SEA, SEGA, the organizers, and of course my Yakuza/ Like A Dragon kyoudais for making this an awesome experience!
Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth launches for the PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on January 26!