Jack Black has made it clear he is keen to jump into another video game adaptation, and this time he has his eyes set on Sega’s Yakuza series, also known as Like a Dragon.

In a recent interview with ScreenRant, the actor openly said he is “throwing his hat in the ring” for a potential role, even acknowledging he may not be the most obvious fit for the franchise’s typically grounded, Japan-focused cast.

Jack Black Pitches Himself For A Yakuza Role

Speaking during promotion for his latest projects, Jack Black directly called out Sega with a light-hearted pitch.

“So I’m going to throw my hat in that ring. I don’t know if there are any parts for me, like a portly American, but talk to me. Sega, give me a jingle,” he said.

It is not the first time Black has leaned into gaming-related roles. He has already starred in adaptations tied to major franchises, including The Super Mario Bros. Movie and The Minecraft Movie, building a reputation for bringing comedic energy into established gaming worlds.

The Yakuza Franchise Continues To Grow Beyond Games

The Yakuza series, known internationally as Like a Dragon, has been around since 2005 and has grown into one of Sega’s most recognisable properties.

With more than 30 million copies sold worldwide, the franchise blends serious crime drama with eccentric side content, often following deeply personal stories set within Japan’s organised crime scene.

That success has led to multiple attempts to expand the series beyond games. Amazon MGM Studios previously released a live-action project, Like a Dragon: Yakuza, which ran for six episodes in 2024. However, it was described as a loose adaptation and did not continue beyond its initial run.

Multiple Yakuza Adaptations Are In Development

Black’s comments come at a time when Yakuza is seeing renewed interest in live-action formats.

Recent reports point to a growing slate of projects, including a newly released miniseries in March 2026, alongside a feature film and additional streaming productions currently in development. This signals a broader push to bring the franchise to a wider audience outside of gaming.

The direction of these adaptations is still unclear, particularly around casting choices. Industry observers suggest decisions may depend on whether producers aim for global appeal or remain closely tied to the series’ Japanese roots.

Casting Remains Unconfirmed For Now

Despite Jack Black’s enthusiasm, there has been no official casting announcement tied to any Yakuza adaptation.

His interest highlights how popular video game adaptations have become in recent years, with studios increasingly tapping recognisable actors to bring these worlds to life. Whether Black ultimately finds a place in Yakuza will likely depend on the creative direction of the projects currently in development.

For now, it remains a case of an actor publicly putting his name forward, while Sega and its production partners continue shaping what the future of Yakuza on screen will look like.

The post Jack Black Wants Yakuza Role As Sega Expands Live-Action Projects appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

SEGA and L.A. LIVE have announced a new strategic partnership that places the gaming giant at the centre of one of the most high-profile sports and live entertainment districts in the United States. The agreement establishes SEGA as an Official Partner of L.A. LIVE, giving the company a campus-wide media presence across major sports, gaming, awards shows, concerts, and cultural events in downtown Los Angeles.

This is not just a simple logo placement deal. Instead, it is a district-wide alignment that integrates SEGA into the ongoing flow of large-scale live events that attract global audiences year-round.

Partnership Details And Official Status

The partnership, announced on February 10, 2026, was brokered by AEG Global Partnerships and formally aligns SEGA of America with L.A. LIVE’s four-million-square-foot sports and entertainment campus in the heart of downtown Los Angeles.

As part of the agreement, SEGA becomes an Official Partner of L.A. LIVE. That status comes with enhanced brand visibility across the district, which regularly hosts major awards shows, concerts, premieres, sporting events, and gaming-related experiences.

Ryan Okum, Executive Vice President of Publishing at SEGA of America, said the location sits at the intersection of gaming, sports, and live entertainment in a way few destinations can. He added that the partnership allows SEGA and its globally recognised IP to be positioned at the centre of moments that already command massive audience attention.

Nick Baker, President and COO of AEG Global Partnerships, highlighted the role of L.A. LIVE’s purpose-built out-of-home platform and noted that the collaboration is designed to promote SEGA in ways that feel authentic to the millions of fans who visit the district each year.

Campus-Wide Digital OOH And High-Impact Visibility

A key part of the SEGA and L.A. LIVE partnership is access to the district’s extensive digital out-of-home network. SEGA will maintain a prominent presence across 11 large-format LED displays positioned throughout high-traffic areas of the development.

These screens are located across Peacock Place, primary pedestrian corridors, and key guest entry points, including those leading into the JW Marriott L.A. LIVE Hotel and the adjacent Los Angeles Convention Center. The placements are designed to deliver sustained year-round visibility, not just event-day exposure.

In addition to on-site screens, SEGA’s branding will extend to freeway-facing digital assets surrounding L.A. LIVE. This broadens exposure to audiences travelling into and around downtown Los Angeles, effectively expanding the partnership beyond the physical campus footprint.

On-Site Activations And Immersive Experiences

Beyond digital displays, the agreement opens the door for SEGA to bring its brand to life through immersive activations across L.A. LIVE. These experiences can take place at Peacock Place, the district’s 40,000-square-foot open-air plaza that regularly serves as a gathering point during major events.

This activation component is significant because it allows SEGA to create interactive, experiential touchpoints tied directly to sports fixtures, concerts, gaming showcases, and cultural events. Rather than passive branding, the partnership supports hands-on engagement with fans already present for high-profile moments.

The district is anchored by venues including Crypto.com Arena and Peacock Theater, both of which host globally recognised events throughout the year. By aligning with these venues, SEGA gains visibility during some of the most watched live moments in entertainment and sport.

Digital And Social Media Integration

The partnership also extends beyond physical signage and on-site activations. SEGA will be featured across L.A. LIVE’s official website and social media channels, integrating the brand into ongoing event announcements, updates, and district-wide communications.

This digital layer ensures that SEGA’s presence is not limited to those physically attending events. Instead, it becomes part of the broader storytelling ecosystem that surrounds L.A. LIVE’s programming calendar, reaching audiences following events online.

Gaming And Live Entertainment Continue To Converge

The SEGA and L.A. LIVE partnership reflects a wider trend in which gaming brands are increasingly embedding themselves into mainstream live entertainment spaces. With esports, awards shows, concerts, and sporting events often overlapping in audience demographics, physical entertainment districts like L.A. LIVE are becoming strategic hubs for experiential brand storytelling.

By securing official partner status in one of the most recognisable live entertainment districts in the world, SEGA positions itself not just as a game publisher, but as a cultural brand present during major real-world moments.

As live events continue to blend gaming, music, sport, and pop culture, partnerships like this suggest that the line between digital entertainment and physical venues will only keep narrowing in the years ahead.

The post SEGA And L.A. LIVE Announce Strategic Partnership Across Sports And Live Entertainment appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Timewarp back to 1993, when the Sega Genesis (Megadrive II) was in it’s prime, releasing games that graphically, shouldn’t even be able to run on the 16BIT cartridge console.

One of the heavier hitters of that era was Aero the Acrobat.

Fast forward to now, and indie game developers Ratalaika Games has given Aero a modern refresh.

Still the same 2D gameplay you may remember from your younger days, but now in 4K and way less pixels.

The catchy soundtrack has also had a rework, swapping out it’s 16BIT blips and beeps to a more synthesized sound.

Gameplay has you running and jumping about through maze like levels in the worlds craziest and most deadly circus, taking out enemies and using environmental contraptions to get yourself through as you escape.

A hard yet satisfying puzzle-like play at times and Aero will gain differing skills as you play through.

Given that Aero the Acrobat is now a 31 year old game, but is more challenging than some current Triple AAA titles.

Ratalaika Games have generously added in the original cheat codes. For those that were not around in the 90’s, gameplay was a stressful affair, as you only had so many lives, once those were gone (unless the game was able to generate a password) it was permanent death and you had the cold hard reality of starting over at the beginning.

Cheats can be toggled on or off, and if you really want to take a trip back to the days of 16BIT you can, and change the graphics to the original.

Aero the Acrobat was one of my favs back in the day, and it was a late comer to the console, as it was being phased out in favour of CD consoles.

Still as fun and super challenging now as it was back then, Aero the Acrobat is the ideal game to introduce a whole new generation of players to a long-standing classic, or relive your childhood.

The post Aero the Acrobat (Xbox Series X|S) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Despite Super Monkey Ball having been around for a very long time, it’s a series I have never touched.

I know many have had a love for this series so I did want to check it out. Well with Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania it seems like as good of a place to start as any.

Jumping into the game I started, as many do, with the story mode.

This has some, well to be honest, bland cut scenes.  Our hero AiAi has his banana stolen by another monkey called Palette. Palette is looking for her dad, and she reckons she will find him by finding the “Legendary Banana”.

I know this story isn’t designed with adults in mind, but I was skipping cutscenes far too early on this one.

Fortunately the reason I was skipping them was I just wanted to play the puzzles, which for the most part are fun. If, like me, you are new to Super Monkey Ball, I will explain this for you.

Basically you roll around a level in a ball, trying to collect Bananas and getting to the end. There is a weird quirk which is when you move the whole stage tilts. Initially I thought that the ball would be moved by the stage tilting, but the movement seemed to be based on how I was moving, so honestly it just seemed like an aesthetic quirk.

Either way, it’s pretty fun to play.

The levels start out nice and chill with you getting through most without any major issues. Thanks to there being an award for beating within a certain time, and the levels being nice and short, I found myself making the easy levels harder than they needed to be. But that is a me problem.

About half way through the massive number of levels, the difficulty ramps up like crazy.

Moving platforms, the whole ground moving, all kinds of shenanigans start taking place. For the most part I was really enjoying it as the levels are short so the frustration doesn’t lead to feeling like they aren’t achievable. Instead it just hangs the carrot, or banana as it were, in front of you making replaying levels super addictive.

On top of this, there are heaps of extra modes with a lot allowing couch co-op. You can get stuck into the adventure levels with a friend, or get stuck into different levels and mini games. Mini games include a shockingly well designed racing game, and then there is a strange golf game and football. It’s kind of bonkers how much fun these modes can be.

From the style it’s a surprisingly nice game.

The simple but cartoony art style looks great with the bright colours they use, and that just makes it that much more chill which is needed when you get stuck on a harder level. Other characters can be unlocked including our iconic friend Sonic. Best of all, if you play as Sonic it switches the bananas for rings. Now that is some seriously awesome care and attention for the crossover.

On the whole, I am really enjoying Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania. Sure the story itself sucks, but my kids may enjoy that. Me, well I am just enjoying the fun gameplay that is on offer here.

It may not be my next favourite game, but it’s a great way to spend a weekend or two.

The post Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania (Switch) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

SEGA of America has unveiled an initiative to produce brand new titles from the publisher’s treasure trove of beloved IP.

New games are currently in development for five of the company’s legacy franchises: Crazy Taxi, Golden Axe, Jet Set Radio, Shinobi and Streets of Rage – all reimagined for modern audiences.

“In recent years, Sonic the Hedgehog has forged new paths for SEGA, bringing the franchise to life and reaching new audiences in ways we had only dreamed of in the past. Building off that success, we are digging into our legacy and reimagining several franchises to bring these games to more audiences around the globe,” says Co-COO of SEGA Corporation and CEO of SEGA of America, Shuji Utsumi. “Today’s announcement is just the start of our initiative. First and foremost, our ambition will be to create great games with memorable characters and worlds. We hope fans of all ages will look towards our future with anticipation as we release these projects in the coming years.”

The upcoming projects, spanning a range of genres, are currently in different stages of development and will release over the next several years. The first of these games will be based on the following legacy franchises:

• Crazy Taxi franchise – A whacky, high-octane driving adventure series where players must weave through traffic in an open play environment to deliver passengers to their destinations before time runs out.
• Golden Axe franchise – A “hack and slash”-style series with close melee combat set in a fantasy world of beasts, swords, and magic.
• Jet Set Radio franchise – This franchise combines action-packed traversal around vibrant Tokyo-to with skating, and self-expression through graffiti, street culture and rebellious themes.
• Shinobi franchise – A series that utilizes ninja shuriken, ninjutsu, special attacks and more to defeat enemies in a mix of side-scrolling action and challenging environments.
• Streets of Rage franchise – A “beat ’em up”-style series that pairs fast-paced fist fighting with fresh music set in a lawless urban environment.

More details on each of these upcoming games, including official game titles, release dates and platforms, will be shared in the future.

The post SEGA Dives Into its Legacy for New IP appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Sonic Superstars brings back that classic 2D feel with lightning fast gameplay.

Doctor Eggman is again up to no good imprisoning the cute and fluffies sending out his henchmen to entrap as many as he can.

Sonic, Tails, Amy and Knuckles must speed through multi tiered levels to stop them.

Collecting Rings ensures your survival and a better score after each level, known as Acts.

And each level has varying Acts to them.

Chaos emeralds also feature in Sonic Superstars but to get these you need to enter a portal, which can be anywhere within an Act and then swing your way to the Emerald before the timer runs out. Tricky.

There’s mini games dotted throughout too. Again these are accessed via portals in an Act and some have the ability to clone Sonic (or your chosen character) to get through the challenge.

Sonic Superstars has three game modes; Story, Battle and Time Attack.

Battle is an online or offline single or multiplayer series of mini games with differing challenges. A lot of fun and some, a little weird. But good weird.

For me it was the main story mode that not only gave me those childhood feels of the Sonic games I played back in the day but also offered up excellent play with any or all of the characters playable art any time.

Classic Sonic, reimagined, reworked and this one is totally replayable., Sonic Superstars is simple to play, challenging for Sonic veterans and a whole lot of fast-paced super-fun

The post Sonic Superstars (Xbox Series X|S) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

SEGA Europe and Creative Assembly have released the official gameplay trailer for HYENAS, showcasing its chaotic, zero-G heist action.

HYENAS is a hero-based multiplayer extraction shooter pitting five teams of three against each other (and relentless NPC security teams known as MURFS) as they race to steal valuable pop culture memorabilia from expansive, themed Plunderships. HYENAS will be publicly available to play for the first time at Hall 8 in Gamescom, the world’s biggest gaming event, from the 23rd of August to 27th, 2023.

Don’t worry if you can’t make it to Gamescom, as all PC players are invited to join the first-ever Closed Beta, which begins the 31st of August and runs until the 11th of September. Would-be Yeenas can register to join via Steam Playtest.

This Closed Beta will feature eight specialists including newcomers Mozie – the OG Hyena – and rock-and-roll roadie Digits. They will join ballerina Prima, astronaut Commander Wright, super speedy cosplayer Hero-Ki, Sniper El Silbón, gamer Doc Hotfix and defence connoisseur drag queen Galaxia as they dive into zero-G action across the massive Plundership, Earth Vintage.

Alongside the reveal of the new Gameplay Trailer, HYENAS have also released their new official key art. Featuring Prima, Digits, and Commander Wright, the key art shows a three-player-team emerging from a teleporter en route to attack a Plundership.

HYENAS will be coming to PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X and Series S, Xbox One, Windows and Mac.

The post HYENAS GAMEPLAY TRAILER & HANDS-ON @ GAMESCOM appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Calling all superstars – it’s time to jump into a brand-new Sonic gaming experience.

SEGA has revealed Sonic Superstars, Sonic the Hedgehog’s latest adventure bringing a new standard of play to classic high-speed 2D Sonic platforming.

Sonic and his friends’ journey starts on the beautiful North Star Islands, a mystical place offering never-before-seen environments, as well as a mysterious story waiting to unfold. Enormous creatures, exhilarating adventures, and evil plans from Dr. Eggman await Sonic and his friends, who can now obtain brand-new abilities known as the Emerald Powers when Chaos Emeralds are collected.

Sonic Superstars is set to release in Spring 2023, on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch.

Harness the Emerald Powers to take on Dr. Eggman in dynamic new ways and stop him from converting the island’s animals into Badniks before it’s too late.

The post SEGA Announces Sonic Superstars appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Relic Entertainment Inc. and SEGA Europe Limited have revealed that Company of Heroes 3 is coming to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S on 30th May 2023.

For the very first time, Relic Entertainment is bringing its universally lauded Company of Heroes franchise to console players, offering fans around the world the deepest strategic experience yet. Console players can expect a custom UI, full controller support, and special features that allow them to play at their own pace. Furthermore, the user interface has been adapted for gamepads to ensure a fun and immersive experience for all.

New features like Full Tactical Pause offer gamepad players a level of tactical control over the pacing on the battlefield. By freezing the action, players who choose to employ Full Tactical Pause will be able to coordinate all their actions at once, thinking through every move in detail without the pressure of doing it all in real-time.

Company of Heroes’ renowned boots-on-the-ground storytelling will bring players to a brand-new theatre of war, unlocking authentic new tactics, four distinct factions, and a wealth of untold stories from World War II. In single-player modes, the turn-based Italian Dynamic Campaign offers a sandbox-style gameplay experience with new levels of strategic choice, whereas the sweeping deserts of North Africa allow for a classic, narrative-led single-player experience. For players that enjoy their competitive action, CoH3 has a huge online multiplayer and co-op vs AI offer, with more factions, mechanics and units than ever before.

Players can pre-purchase their digital copy of Company of Heroes 3 Console Edition directly via the Xbox and PlayStation store fronts from 25th April 2023.

The post COMPANY OF HEROES 3 RELEASE DATE appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Humanoids, aliens, cyborgs, and the rest: it is with great pleasure and only slight trepidation that we announce ENDLESS Dungeon is now available for pre-purchase on Microsoft Xbox Series X, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.

ENDLESS Dungeon is our upcoming rogue-lite tactical action game. It’s a top-down twin-stick shooter with a twist of tower defense. Assemble your band of heroes and make your way towards the core. And don’t forget to protect your crystal – you’ll need it to survive!

It might seem tough, but there’s satisfaction to be gained in going just a little bit further each time, unlocking new weapons, heroes, and finding out the secret behind the black magic that keeps bringing you back every time you die…

Pre-order now to secure the Day One edition, while stocks last. This edition will come bundled with a physical version of the artbook, the Crystal Search card game along with digital items like the soundtrack and skin packs.

ENDLESS Dungeon will release on 18th of May 2023 on Xbox and PlayStation. Pre-orders and release for Nintendo Switch will follow later.

The post ENDLESS DUNGEON RELEASE DATE & TRAILER appeared first on Shane the Gamer.