Joystiq

Virtua Fighter 2 spotted in Yakuza 5's arcades

JC Fletcher — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 12:30:00 EST

One of the arcade games available within Yakuza 5's Club Sega game centers is Virtua Fighter 2, available in both revision 2.0 and 2.1 of the arcade game. The tenuous link to Virtua Fighter makes the Yakuza series even more Shenmue-like!

Meanwhile, the lascivious table tennis of past games has been replaced with an equally humiliating air hockey game, with the goal of staring at hostesses' cleavage, basically. It's a good thing these activities are fully optional.

Other minigames within Yakuza 5 include river fishing, snowball fights, and batting cages, along with ... chicken races? Taiko Drum Master is also available in arcades.

Virtua Fighter 2 spotted in Yakuza 5's arcades originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 12 Oct 2012 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yakuza 5 and Fist of the North Star inspire ... interesting PS3 special editions

JC Fletcher — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 09:45:00 EST

The first special-edition releases of the new toploading PS3 have been revealed for Japan, and they're ... uh ... different, and made in honor of two games that definitely won't have special-edition hardware elsewhere. The Yakuza 5 "Emblem Edition" (above) features gold emblems of the virtual crime families featured in the series around the edges of the 250GB system, and a gold controller to match, along with a special themed USB drive. It's due in Japan December 6.

The Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage 2 "Legend Edition" has character art in white along the periphery of the black system, with a controller that is supposed to feature a Big Dipper design, but which looks a lot like it's been pooped on by birds. It'll be released on December 20.

Continue reading Yakuza 5 and Fist of the North Star inspire ... interesting PS3 special editions

Yakuza 5 and Fist of the North Star inspire ... interesting PS3 special editions originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 02 Oct 2012 09:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yakuza 5's five cities and five stories in two trailers

JC Fletcher — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 21:30:00 EST

New trailers for Yakuza 5 introduce all the protagonists, the new locations (based on real Japanese cities), and the storyline. Oh, and a bunch of crowds being beaten with random objects.

Continue reading Yakuza 5's five cities and five stories in two trailers

Yakuza 5's five cities and five stories in two trailers originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 21 Sep 2012 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Monster Hunter 4 playable at TGS, Capcom and Sega unveil lineups

Sinan Kubba — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 07:30:00 EST

A playable version of Monster Hunter 4 is coming to this year's Tokyo Game Show, Capcom announced on its newly launched TGS portal.

The company also unveiled its current lineup for the show, with Resident Evil 6, DmC, Lost Planet 3 and EX Troopers joining the 3DS Monster Hunter. Meanwhile, Sega also unveiled its current line-up, which features Yakuza 5, Yakuza 1 & 2 HD, and Phantasy Star Online 2. So, no surprises there - yet.

The show runs through September 20-23, when lucky attendees can see for themselves if Monster Hunter 4 really does have a whiff of the Dragon's Dogma about it.

Monster Hunter 4 playable at TGS, Capcom and Sega unveil lineups originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 07:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yakuza 5 to feature Dance Battles alongside the regular punching ones

JC Fletcher — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 22:00:00 EST

One of Yakuza 5's subplots is about series hero Kazuma Kiryu's adopted daughter, Haruka, trying to find success as an idol. The usual street combat would be an odd fit for this storyline, so instead Haruka will have dance-based battles, according to leaked Famitsu info.

Haruka's "battles" take the form of a rhythm game in which you compete against rival dancers. As you perform, you'll build up a gauge, much like the "Heat Gauge" in the series' non-dance fights. And, like in those fights, you'll be able to perform special moves when it's full - in this case, Dance Heat moves.

There's even a parallel RPG mechanic, in the form of "expression power," which is awarded at the end of every battle by spectators.

Yakuza 5 to feature Dance Battles alongside the regular punching ones originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 22 Aug 2012 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Taiko Drum Master muscles into Yakuza 5

JC Fletcher — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 23:30:00 EST

Yakuza games are packed with odd minigames that have you hitting baseballs, playing darts, romancing hostesses, and even fishing for zombies. Yakuza 5 adds a new but familiar distraction, according to a leaked Famitsu article reported on by Andriasang: a Taiko Drum Master minigame.

Namco Bandai's arcade game will appear in-game as an arcade machine, with a variety of songs. This is kind of fun news, but also a potential roadblock for localization, as Sega and Namco Bandai would have to coordinate rights for a western release.

Taiko Drum Master muscles into Yakuza 5 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 08 Aug 2012 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yakuza 5 due in Japan December 2012, has new engine

JC Fletcher — Wed, 23 May 2012 11:30:00 EST

Yakuza 5, as revealed in a leak from the latest Famitsu magazine, sounds like it's expanding significantly on its predecessors, spreading out into five Japanese cities (Tokyo, Sapporo, Nagoya, Osaka, and Fukuoka) with one protagonist in each - for a total of five, one more than any previous game.

Those protagonists include Kazuma Kiryu, who is now a cab driver in Fukuoka (but will certainly get back to solving everyone's problems with violence), Yakuza 4's escaped convict Taiga Saejima, once again in prison, loan shark Shun Akiyama in Osaka, and Kiryu's daughter Haruka, playable for the first time. Why, we remember when she was just an NPC in a PS2 game, cheering for us as we showed off in the batting cages ... they grow up so fast.

According to the summary of this Famitsu interview, Yakuza 5 has had double the development time of previous games, and features a new engine, allowing the game to move from battle scenes to adventuring "seamlessly." The game is reportedly set for a Japanese release this December.

Yakuza 5 due in Japan December 2012, has new engine originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 23 May 2012 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yakuza 5 and second PSP Yakuza in development at Studio Yakuza (also: Yakuza!)

Justin McElroy — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 10:30:00 EST

You may think of Yakuza games as the exclusive purview of Dan, the guy in the polyester dragon shirt who's always at the comic store, even though he doesn't work there. But over in Japan, the series is a big business. "Just how big?",you ask, as you pretend to read an Archie to avoid making eye contact with Dan.

Famitsu reports (as translated by Andriasang) that the team developing Binary Domain (headed by Yakuza creator Toshihiro Nagoshi) has christened itself Studio Yakuza. Though it clearly won't dabble in the franchise exclusively, its next two titles are Yakuza Black Panther 2 -- due in spring 2012 for the PSP -- and, unsurprisingly, Yakuza 5.

We think we can all agree: The day belongs to Dan.

Yakuza 5 and second PSP Yakuza in development at Studio Yakuza (also: Yakuza!) originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 31 Aug 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yakuza: Of the End hits the top of slow Japanese sales chart

JC Fletcher — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 17:40:00 EST

After an earthquake-prompted delay, Yakuza: Of the End has been officially released in Japan, to ... pretty good sales. Not the best sales of the series, but the best sales of the very slow week. According to 4Gamer's report of Media Create sales, the gangsters vs. zombies shooter sold 298,717 copies in its first week, fewer than Yakuza 4 moved last year (384,000) or Yakuza 3 before (372,000). It wasn't enough to boost hardware sales appreciably, as PS3 sales only increased 594 units over the previous week, to 17,104.

Fans of low numbers will enjoy the rest of the sales chart -- the number two game behind Yakuza was Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D, which earned its position by selling 15,551 copies. See the rest of the "top" ten after the break, and start formulating your plan to revitalize the Japanese game industry. Nintendo's thinking "release the 3DS again in a new color." Sega's plan is, of course, Of the End costume DLC (as seen above!)

Continue reading Yakuza: Of the End hits the top of slow Japanese sales chart

Yakuza: Of the End hits the top of slow Japanese sales chart originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 16 Jun 2011 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sega earnings suffer from Yakuza delay, 'sluggish' Western game sales

JC Fletcher — Fri, 13 May 2011 14:00:00 EST

Sega Sammy's consumer game division -- a.k.a. Sega games -- brought in ¥89.55 billion ($1.1 billion) in sales over the last fiscal year (ending March 31), down 26.5 percent from the previous year. Operating income declined even more sharply to ¥2 billion ($24.8 million), down 68.9 percent. While the previous fiscal year saw major success from Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games, this latest 2010-11 fiscal year was an off-year for the two Olympians, who were in training for their next competition.

Sonic's less sporting pastime, Sonic Colors, was the bestseller in Sega's lineup, moving 2.18 million copies worldwide. It was followed by ... Iron Man 2, which sold 1.54 million. Vanquish, which everyone without Stark Industries stock would agree is the better robot-suit game, only managed about half of that achievement at 830,000 units sold. Shogun 2: Total War and Phantasy Star Portable 2 Infinity (which only came out in Japan) rounded out Sega's "major" lineup with 600,000 and 370,000 copies sold, respectively.

Sega said that sales were slow in North America and Europe due to "the adverse market condition," noting "sluggish personal consumption" in those regions (which ... didn't seem to be an issue for everybody). Additionally, Sega's big Japanese release, Yakuza: Of the End, was delayed out of the fiscal year as a result of the Tohoku earthquake in March, further reducing the company's bottom line.

Overall, however, Sega Sammy about doubled its net profits from the previous year to ¥41.51 billion (roughly $513 million) on the strength of its pachislot and pachinko business.

Sega earnings suffer from Yakuza delay, 'sluggish' Western game sales originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 13 May 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yakuza: Of the End out in Japan June 9, sales support Red Cross

JC Fletcher — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 00:51:00 EST

A victim of really unfortunate timing, Sega's Yakuza: Of the End was to be released in Japan on March 17 -- a week after the Tohoku earthquake. Sega delayed it right after the earthquake, with no definite release date.

Sega just announced the new date for the PS3 Yakuza spinoff, which has Kazuma Kiryu and other tough guys shooting up zombies in a wrecked Kamurocho. It'll be out in Japan on June 9. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the game will go to the Red Cross, and a "Let's Go, Japan" sticker will be bundled with the game.

Sega has yet to make any announcements regarding a Western release.

Yakuza: Of the End out in Japan June 9, sales support Red Cross originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 07 Apr 2011 00:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yakuza: Of the End begins in March

JC Fletcher — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 23:00:00 EST

Despite the fact that Yakuza: Of the End violently breaks from series tradition, it's hewing pretty closely to the previous games' schedules. According to Siliconera, Famitsu magazine has revealed the Japanese release date for the gangland zombie shooter: March 17. The date follows tradition, apparently, as Yakuza 4 was released in Japan this past March (along with Yakuza 3 in North America and Europe), and Yakuza 3 debuted in Japan in late-February 2009.

In addition to next March's release, Sega has a new Yakuza game coming this winter: a mobile social game called Yakuza Mobile for GREE, in which players raise and train Yakuza characters, earning weapons that can be transferred into Of the End.

Gallery: Ryu ga Gotoku Of the End (Yakuza 5) -- First in-game screens

Yakuza: Of the End begins in March originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 15 Dec 2010 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yakuza: Of the End video proves the game still holds surprises

JC Fletcher — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Okay, after watching this eight-minute Yakuza: Of the End gameplay trailer, we can now think of the game in a different way. Our bemusement is reduced and our interest increased. Instead of a really strange Yakuza game, we now look at it as a cheesy zombie game with great production values -- like Onechanbara, but less embarrassing and with a better budget. Kamurocho is still a great setting for games, and now it's a setting for a zombie game!

Well, maybe it's just marginally less embarrassing. For some reason, the dating, hostess club, table tennis, and mahjong minigames are still present -- and for some reason, Goro Majima finds an opportunity to sing. With backup dancers.

Continue reading Yakuza: Of the End video proves the game still holds surprises

Yakuza: Of the End video proves the game still holds surprises originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 18 Oct 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yakuza: Of the End screens introduce cast and ... this thing

JC Fletcher — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 20:40:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Sega continues to work on the zombie shooting spinoff Yakuza: Of The End, releasing more screenshots as proof that it really is following through on this insane idea. The new screens feature Kamurocho pre- and post-zombies, as well as the four protagonists (and Chiaki Kuriyama) firing weapons at the undead. Also, one screen (above) reveals the presence of at least one non-zombie monster, which is totally disgusting.

The accompanying news post rounds up all the voice talent behind the cast, and explains how each of the main characters ended up in the middle of a ruined Kamurocho. Kazuma Kiryu returns to rescue his adopted daughter Haruka; Yakuza 4's Shun Akiyama is in town to collect on a debt when the zombie thing happens; Yakuza 2 final boss Ryuji Goda has been wandering aimlessly, selling takoyaki on the street (to pay for maintenance of his awesome cybernetic arm, possibly); and Goro Majima is chasing Goda when he finds a city full of zombies. Apparently, the crazed Majima is enjoying himself.

Yakuza: Of the End screens introduce cast and ... this thing originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 13 Oct 2010 20:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Details begin to appear for Yakuza: Of the End

JC Fletcher — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Andriasang has rounded up all of the details announced about Yakuza: Of the End so far, giving us a bit more info than "it's got zombies in it and it's really weird." Of the End takes place in a Kamurocho that is quickly becoming infested with zombies, causing Japan's Self Defense Force to close the district off and leave the remaining survivors for dead. Four gangsters from previous Yakuza games, including series hero Kazuma Kiryu, decide to take up arms and clean out the town rather than allow themselves to be eaten. Also, complicating matters, Kazuma's adopted daughter Haruka has been kidnapped.

The "Heat Action" finishing moves from the series have been replaced by "Heat Snipe" moves, which grant increased accuracy with guns when launched. Each character has a different weapon with which they are most proficient: calm Kazuma is a rifle expert, while nutjob Goro Majima is best with shotguns. In addition to these four characters, you'll be able to pick up partner characters -- including hostesses from hostess clubs -- all of whom can be trained at "Gary's Boot Camp."

Perhaps strangest of all, the usual Yakuza distractions will be back. In the midst of a zombie invasion, you can play some arcade games in Club Sega, hang out in batting cages, or even perform karaoke. Don't worry, those booths are soundproof, so the groaning undead outside won't bother you when you're concentrating on your song.

Details begin to appear for Yakuza: Of the End originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 20 Sep 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yakuza: Of The End designed to bring shooter fans to Yakuza

JC Fletcher — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 12:20:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Yakuza: Of The End was ... unexpected. Not in that it's another Yakuza sequel -- we can pretty much count on those being at least annual -- but in that it's a zombie shooting game. Why would Sega take a series built around realistic criminal organizations, known for its accurate (if fictionalized) representation of Tokyo, and fill its latest entry with zombies? Where do people even find all those guns in Japan?

At TGS, we asked producer Masayoshi Kikuchi about this seemingly inexplicable decision. "We want to essentially use the Yakuza universe to try our hand at different genres of games," he said. "In that effort, one of the games that hasn't been released [outside of Japan] yet, but that we've done, is a samurai-based game called Kenzan. That is our foray into utilizing the mythology and universe of Yakuza to branch out into different gameplay. The other one, obviously, is Of The End."

"For us, it's a way to hopefully attract more fans to the Yakuza franchise by widening the gameplay styles that we create," Kikuchi added. In other words, Of The End hopes to attract people who love zombie shooters, and who might then discover there are other Yakuza games; albeit ones about punching street punks and running orphanages. But what about the people who already love Yakuza? Are they to simply stare at this spinoff in disbelief?

"From my point of view," Kikuchi told us, "I feel that -- if you have 100 Yakuza fans, it's not going to be the case where all 100 of them will be receptive to the new direction. But however, we feel that by making something that is very enjoyable, we will be able to capture as many of the existing fan base who enjoy the games we create."

[Pictured: Yakuza: Of The End TGS booth models]

Yakuza: Of The End designed to bring shooter fans to Yakuza originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 17 Sep 2010 12:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First Yakuza: Of the End trailer and screens shamble out of TGS

David Hinkle — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 13:50:00 EST

You'll never survive the zombocalypse unless you take the time to educate yourself. Thankfully, we've got this first Yakuza: Of the End trailer and accompanying screens for you to study. Take note: These gangster fellows may be bad guys, but they're all that stands between you and the biting.

Continue reading First Yakuza: Of the End trailer and screens shamble out of TGS

First Yakuza: Of the End trailer and screens shamble out of TGS originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 16 Sep 2010 13:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yakuza: Of the End brings the zombie invasion to Japan

Ben Gilbert — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Japan's Self Defense Force is being overrun by hordes of the undead. Kamurocho (Yakuza's fictional district) is in shambles. Sure, most gangsters would run for their lives, but not returning Yakuza characters Kazuma, Goro, Ryuji and Shun. That's right -- Sega's next entry in the series is actually a shooter and features a zombie outbreak ravaging Japan, according to the latest issue of Famitsu (via Siliconera).

The publisher hasn't confirmed whether the game will be released in North America; nor has Sega verified if Yakuza: Of the End is a spinoff or a main entry in the franchise (i.e., "Yakuza 5"). Regardless, producer Toshihiro Nagoshi did tell Famitsu that he doesn't believe this will be the last entry in the Yakuza series.

Yakuza: Of the End brings the zombie invasion to Japan originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 15 Sep 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kill Bill actress starring in upcoming Yakuza game

Ben Gilbert — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 03:30:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Chiaki Kuriyama may be most well known for her terrifying roles in Kill Bill and Battle Royale, but she'll soon become more familiar to gamers as "Misuzu Asaki," the heroine in the upcoming Yakuza title Ryu ga Gotoku: Of the End. Sega revealed her role to IGN and handed over a couple of images for comparison -- one of Kuriyama in the recording booth, another as her in-game character (oddly, this is the first actual image of the game that we've seen).

Other Of the End screens depict additional characters -- Tetsuo Nikaido, Tomoaki Nagaham, DD, Oya-san and Daigo Dojima -- though no images have been released with any of the game's playable characters just yet. As we noted when the game's title was revealed yesterday, we expect to learn much more at next week's Tokyo Game Show.

Kill Bill actress starring in upcoming Yakuza game originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 11 Sep 2010 03:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Next Yakuza revealed as 'Ryu ga Gotoku Of the End'

Ben Gilbert — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 13:05:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Though still not announced for US launch, the next PlayStation 3 installment in the Yakuza series was just unveiled by Sega of Japan (via Andriasang). The Japanese version of the game's official website is up, introducing the title as "Ryu ga Gotoku Of the End," and showing little more than the logo.

The game was first teased back in March with a shot of the Kamurocho district from previous Yakuza titles (now seen more clearly in the gallery below). More recently, Japanese audiences were treated to a teaser ad highlighting a possibly wrecked Tokyo as the game's setting.

For those of you who can read Japanese, the site offers a short blurb about the game alongside computer wallpapers and a set of folder icons for both Windows and Mac. Nope, no screenshots or videos yet, just stuff with which to dress up your computer. We're hoping to see the game in action at Tokyo Game Show next week.

Gallery: Ryu ga Gotoku Of the End (Yakuza 5)

Next Yakuza revealed as 'Ryu ga Gotoku Of the End' originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 09 Sep 2010 13:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sega teases yet another Yakuza game

JC Fletcher — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 09:39:00 EST

[Famitsu]

Now that Yakuza 3 has been out in North America for a whole week and Yakuza 4 ia due to hit Japan in two days, it's definitely time for Sega to announce another one. At least, that's what Sega seems to think. At a Yakuza 4 event in Tokyo, Sega showed a teaser trailer for a new game in the series, with concept art depicting the familiar Kamurocho district of the other games. As usual, the next iteration will be produced by series creator Toshihiro Nagoshi.

Codenamed "Project K," the new game appears to star a young man who "knew the graveness of the crimes he continued to commit," luckily, "fighting is his destiny," even if he "doesn't know the cruel fate that awaits." Powerful stuff!

The teasers calls this new project, "A new challenge for Ryu ga Gotoku [Yakuza]," suggesting that the next game could be different in some way. Perhaps this forthcoming Yakuza will leave the story of Kazuma Kiryu behind entirely in favor of a new character. Or perhaps it'll be made for a platform other than PlayStation 3.

Sega teases yet another Yakuza game originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 16 Mar 2010 09:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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