Yakuza expanding turf to PSP

There may be no honor among thieves, but loyalty is another matter. Sega's Yakuza series has been a rare PlayStation-exclusive franchise from a third-party publisher. Appearing only on Sony consoles since its 2006 PlayStation 2 debut, the action adventure series about Japanese organized crime is now headed to the electronics giant's handheld system.

Siliconera coverage of the latest issue of Famitsu reports the series is ready for a fall debut on the PSP with a new style. While the game will bring players back to the neon alleys of Kamurocho, it will feature a new protagonist named Tatsuya Ukyo. Kazuma Kiryu, the protagonist of previous Yakuza games, will apparently not feature heavily into the series' first handheld installment. The game is tentatively being called Project K (not to be confused with K-Project, the code name for another Sega game, the critically acclaimed 2002 shooter Rez).

International release plans for Project K have not yet been revealed and are by no means guaranteed. While Yakuza 3 recently made its North American debut, neither the earlier PS3 spin-off Ryu ga Gotoku Kenzan! nor the fourth full installment of the series, Ryu ga Gotoku 4: Densetsu o Tsugumono, have been confirmed for wider release.

For more on the series, check out GameSpot's review of Yakuza 3.