Crime-based games have been a staple of the gaming industry for many years now, from the Mafia to the Yakuza, but have you ever really thought about how faithfully this games actually are in representing these organized crime institutions? Well, Jake Adelstein did, a former crime reporter on Japan and author of Tokyo Vice, a book that exposes the Japanese underground to the western world, he sat down 3 friendly Yakuza bosses to play Sega’s Yakuza 3 and give their opinion on the matter. The piece is full of interesting bits on Yakuza life such as their social responsibility initiatives:

S: I don’t know any ex-yakuza running orphanages.
K: There was one a few years ago. A good guy.
M: You sure it wasn’t just a tax shelter?
K: Sure it was a tax shelter but he ran it like a legitimate thing. You know.

See? Even the Yakuza have a soft spot in their hearts. The piece is definitely worth a read so head on over and find out why the Yakuza have a hard time using console controls.

[Boing Boing]