Here's a little background if you're unfamiliar with the franchise in question:
Yakuza has been one of Sega's most praised franchises during the current generation. Featuring a quasi-open-world with intense street brawling and great narratives, these titles felt original and even addicting. However, it usually took at least a year for a new release to find its way to the US after debuting in Japan.
Therefore, North American fans might assume they just have to keep waiting for the most recent installment, Yakuza 5 , which released in Japan in December of 2012. Sadly, due to a "small fan base," there's a good chance we may never see it. According to what an official Sega representative told Yakuza Fan at PAX, there are currently no plans to localize Yakuza 5 . The rep said there weren't enough dedicated fans in this part of the world, and the lengthy localization process would be another problem. So in other words, it doesn't look good.
And with the new generation coming very soon, perhaps a new Yakuza release on the PS3 would fall on deaf ears if it launched in the US in 2014. That being said, I really hope another entry comes to the PS4, because this is one IP that doesn't deserve to just fade away.
Related Game(s): Yakuza 5
Damn it!! Why cant they just translate the game and sell it digitally??!!!
^ this
NOOOOOOO! Seriously, screw Sega. They F'd up VC2 and 3, now they are not localizing Yakuza 5. They don't like money do they or are they content with the money they get from mediocre to crappy Sonic games?
sega doesn't like my money it seems.
Sega what happened? All of a sudden you don't want money from use western gamers.
but they bring project diva here xD, not hating on that game but Yakuza 5 would sell more than that one.
Exactly Project Diva caters to an even more niche crowd than Yakuza.
Sega has gotten strange again.
How do they expect to build fanbases? VC is one my favorites this generation. I did not buy 2 or 3 (did 3 even come to NA?) because they are on handhelds… It's hard to get sequels when it feels like they are taking a huge step backwards.
Quick question: Never played any of these. Is this anything like SHenmue?
Sort of yes, it's somewhere between GTA and Shenmue.
It's true Yakuza has a stupidly tiny fanbase for such a fantastic series. I don't think the answer it to make it smaller though.
You guys are gonna kill me but I think there's a solution here, make it multiplat, sell MS some crazy exclusive DLC, and then actually have an advertising campaign. Just push it like it's the newest greatest thing.
The games are a little behind technologically but I still think you can grab the GTA market since they have a long time to wait between games.
Since almost all the audience is Japanese making it for xbox too probably won't help much.
if they make the game way more "westernized" it might loose what makes it Yakuza
That's what the advertising would be for, trying to sell it to that audience here in the US. It is good enough to gain converts but most people don't even know about it.
At least people can still import it and play the game with a translator from another site. Still, why leave out that small fanbase? I don't see why Sega doesn't just print out 50,000 hard copies for the North American market or better yet, just make it an exclusive downloadable game on PSN.
Not a big fan of the series (I only finished Yakuza 4) but devoted fans want their karaoke, pachinko and those clubs every year or two.
It's because Dead Souls sold like pants, isn't it? How lengthy is the localisation process for Yakuza, anyway? All Sega do is add in subtitles (unless I'm mistaken). I know I still haven't gotten around to Yakuza 4, but I'd make it a priority if they announced 5 for the West. Bloody Sega and their dire straits. They'll sell Sonic and Bayonetta to Nintendo, but can't give us Yakuza 5 and Valkyria Chronicles. Man… This is why my relationship with them is love/hate.
Sega needs to find a better way to survive asap.
"That being said, I really hope another entry comes to the PS4, because this is one IP that doesn't deserve to just fade away."
Why didn't you help out w/the fan campaigns to get fans to show support? I tried tweeting and sending e-mails, and not one US games media site would run any stories about YakuzaFan's Facebook or Twitter campaign, nor would anyone even mention Operation Rainfall's campaign. Several of the European outlets tried to help out, but it's really shameful IMO that not one of the larger American websites would bother to even write a story about it, much less help out.
Sega of america you motherfuckers the best game for the PS3 ever and they won't translate it to the most common language on earth.
Ryu Ga Gotoku 5 i've already played but there's a huge audience of fools who rely only on gta5
IS there a Sega of UK?
Last edited by Kiryu on 9/5/2013 7:29:21 AM
And this news is the exact reason why Japanese-centric games will continue to suffer a long and slow, but eventual death.
If you can't be bothered to support all of your fans equally, even if it's only 5 or 10 thousand fans (exaggeration) in one region, you deserve to go out of business.