Square Enix has announced Bakusou Yankee Damashii, an upcoming online game for the PC involving old-style Japanese motorcycle delinquents. The title can be translated into English as "Souls of Wheel-Burning Yankees." The term "Yankee" is synonymous with "delinquent" in Japan, coming from trends in the 1970s involving rebellious youths cutting their hair in stereotypical American-rock-musician style.
According to Square Enix, Bakusou Yankee Damashii will be the first online MMORPG that will let players enjoy the world of Japanese motorcycle delinquents. There will be a number of goals in the game, such as to become the leader of all the juvenile riders in Japan, but the player can also just hang around in places such as convenience stores and chat. While Bakusou Yankee Damashii will involve motorcycles, it will not be based on racing. Instead, players will fight for territory, compete with each other by finding the weirdest way of riding bikes, play chicken, and participate in other events, such as the "day of the cops," where the game master, disguised as the police, will arrest the delinquents without asking any questions.
Bakusou Yankee Damashii is being developed by Atalier Double, and it will be published by Square Enix. A demo of the game will be released by Square Enix soon. No release date or retail price information has been released at this time.