Hollywood Talent Lends Their Voices to Yakuza

The idea of video game companies hiring major Hollywood actors to appear in their games isn’t as uncommon as it used to be, but only time will tell if people can accept Mark Hamill in the role of a killer yakuza. Sega, however, isn’t worried at all. While the role of Kazuma, who stars as the game’s protagonist, has yet to be decided, the casting of such actors as Michael Madsen (Kill Bill, Sin City, Reservoir Dogs), Michael Rosenbaum (Smallville, Sorority Boys), Rachel Leigh Cook (She’s All That, 11:14), and Eliza Dushku (Wrong Turn, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) at least means that they are taking the game very seriously. Hamill himself has actually spent that last several years building up quite a reputation as a capable voice actor, perhaps most famously as The Joker in Batman: The Animated Series. “Yakuza was an immense hit in Japan, and in bringing the game to the U.S. market, we wanted to ensure that the subtle nuances of the game were brought to life,” stated Scott A. Steinberg, vice president of marketing, Sega of America. The game is set to hit store shelves here on September 5, 2006.