Concept Statement of Yakuza

Yakuza is a combined mobile and online game using the real world as an arena, and the internet as a place to record the results and promote a strategic image for each player. Players post identification stickers around the city, and the object of the game is to find and record the numbers of other stickers and to attain points to win the game. Yakuza is a transmedial game that incorporates mobile messaging together with online communities and street art. The players will need stickers and mobile phones capable of text messaging to play the game. To follow the results and develop a strategy players use a computer with an internet connection. Build your strategy online and play the game on the streets! The name Yakuza is based on Japanese mafia culture and comes from the card game Oicho-Kabu where the hand 8-3-9 (Ya-Ku-Za) is the worst hand possible. These numbers sum up to 20, the losing number. With such hand you will need more skills than luck to succeed - In Oicho-Kabu as well as in real life...

The Experience

The game combines the excitement of games like tag with the strategic interaction of Risk. At the beginning of the game each player registers and designs a sticker online. Every player will receive stickers with serial numbers through the post together with a personal web space at the online community. The players can post their stickers anywhere they want to in the city, or at designated places. The player who finds and tags the most serial numbers of other players gains the most points. The use of mobile phones will provide the recording of codes and sending of information to the administrator to update the website results. The order of play during the game is as follows: GET stickers POST your stickers TAG\SCORE on other players’ stickers CHECK your scores online/update your profile GET MORE stickers, continue posting.

The main motivations of the game are pride and greed. The other source of personal motivation is the territorial sense established by the number of personal stickers the player can put up. The player can add a personal picture, logo, tag or any message she would like to express with her stickers. The logo will be a way of expressing identity and creating a feeling of individuality. By posting their stickers, the players will develop street credibility..

Possibilities

The play experience of Yakuza emerges a mix of a classic board game, tag, and a digital strategy game. Our concept combines the virtual world of computers with physical space. Players will be able post their stickers in designated areas in the city which are owned by individual stores, cafes, and other businesses that can support the game. This will most likely appeal to the small business owners in the city centre who appreciate the free advertisement and a generation of new customers. The ideal players would be young people aged 16-25. The graphic profile can be customized for specific target groups.