Yakuza 3's North American Release Gets the Battle Pack and Free Preorder DLC

Since it turned out to be a profitable business decision, Electronic Arts has been pushing DLC bonuses for almost all of its games. But the publisher isn't the only one using this special move, as Sega decided to do the same thing for the North American release of Yakuza 3. In order to promote its game and convince people to preorder it, Sega is offering a hefty dose of downloadable content for free to anyone that's willing to show blind faith in the title's localization.

The extra content will feature the Challenge Pack, made up of two-player mini-games, as you'll be able to pit your skills against those of your friends at Pool, Bowling, Darts and Golf. In addition to the mini-games, the pack also contains some special customization options for the main characters of Yakuza 3, Kazuma, Haruka and Rikiya, as you'll be able to parade them around in four additional outfits.

The title will also be released in an exclusive Premium Edition pack, the Battle Pack, which will feature four big DLCs and some side-features. These are the Battle for Survival, where players will be able to compete against all the bosses of Yakuza 3 as Kazuma, the All-Star Tournament, which will be made up of seven characters, the All-Star Tag Tournament, an eight-team tournament, and Haruka’s Request, a special set of missions that will send one trekking through the entire Yakuza universe, playing mini-games and keeping Haruka's mind off her problems.

The pack also contains a 31-track soundtrack and the Yakuza Who’s Who, a fully animated guide that will explain the inner workings of the game, while giving a lot of background context to the story. The title is scheduled to reach the shores of North America on March 12, just a week short of the Japanese release of the next installment in the series, Ryu ga Gotoku 4, as the game's original title is.