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Yakuza 6: The Song of Life "Essence of Art" Gallery Opening Night Recap

Legendary Tattoo Art by HORITOMO on Display, an Informative Q&A, and an 'Extreme' Announcement


IRVINE, Calif. - March 21, 2018 - SEGA opened their Yakuza 6: The Song of Life "Essence of Art" Exhibit at Gallery Nucleus in Los Angeles this past weekend with all the style and panache of Kazuma Kiryu himself.

The event, hosted by PlayStation Access's very own Hollie Bennett included honored guest appearances by Yakuza series general producer Daisuke Sato, and HORITOMO, the renowned tattoo artist responsible for designing the series' ornate tattoos. A life-size Kamurocho Gate installation towered just beyond the entrance, complete with authentic timeworn signage, bathing the surrounding area in its gentle red glow. Original hand-drawn art from HORITOMO and Kiryu, Ryuji, and Majima's physical, handmade costumes were shipped in from Japan for the first time ever for the show.

A collection of artwork from the series and stunning tribute art from fans and SEGA staff were also featured throughout the gallery. Exclusive Yakuza-themed prints were also debuted at the show, which were made available for purchase for interested attendees. A selection of original pieces from the show are also available for purchase at Nucleus's online gallery.

Sato-san opened the show with a surprise announcement - the English version of Yakuza Kiwami 2 will be released both physically and digitally on PlayStation®4 August 28, 2018! An exclusive SteelBook® featuring Kiryu and Ryuji will be available for pre-order and first-run copies of the game. An announcement trailer was premiered alongside the announcement, which was made available on the SEGA America YouTube channel.

Both the launch and premium editions of Yakuza 6: The Song of Life were available for pre-purchase at the gallery. All attendees who purchased a copy there received a collector's art book, many of which were signed by HORITOMO and Sato-san throughout the evening. HORITOMO also performed a live art demonstration, showcasing his tattoo design expertise by completing an incredible inking of Kiryu's trademark dragon tattoo in just 30 minutes. At the same time, Sato-san held a Q&A session where he answered fan questions around key points on Yakuza series. The full live art and Q&A session were streamed live from the event - the streams have been archived on the SEGA America YouTube channel, and can be viewed here. A condensed recap video is also available.

The Yakuza 6: The Song of Life "Essence of Art" Exhibit runs from March 17, 2018 - April 1, 2018 at Gallery Nucleus at 210 East Main St., Alhambra, CA 91801. The gallery is open from 12:00PM - 8:00PM, Tuesday - Sunday and is open to the public with free admission. More details are available at the official event page: http://www.gallerynucleus.com/gallery/648/exhibition.

About Yakuza 6: The Song of Life
In Yakuza 6: The Song of Life, Kiryu will find out exactly how much people are willing to sacrifice for family - be those ties through blood or bond - when he investigates a series of shadowy events that involve the ones he holds closest to his heart. He'll journey to familiar grounds in Kamurocho and the new setting of Onomichi, a beautiful, sleepy port town in Hiroshima Prefecture, in order to find the answers he seeks. Powered by the brand-new Dragon Engine, the game is the ultimate iteration of Yakuza's blend of gritty crime story, hyper-explosive combat, and all the vices and distractions those locales have to offer.

The "Essence of Art" edition is almost sold out! You can pre-order the launch edition of the game today which contains a sleek hardcover art book that also doubles as the disc holder!

About SEGA® of America, Inc.:
SEGA® of America, Inc. is the American arm of Tokyo, Japan-based SEGA Games Co., Ltd., a worldwide leader in interactive entertainment both inside and outside the home. The company develops, publishes and distributes interactive entertainment software products for a variety of hardware platforms including PC, wireless devices, and those manufactured by Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. SEGA of America's website is located at www.sega.com

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