Support NeoGAF

[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

It's been three months since RGG Studio released Infinite Wealth's pirate-themed spin-off Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii. While post-launch concurrent player data and Sega's financial statements have suggested that the latest Yakuza game is doing well, RGG Studio's director Masayoshi Yokoyama recently shared some new insights about the game's performance.

Talking to Denfaminicogamer, Yokoyama reveals that Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii has been selling particularly well in Europe, and unlike the Like a Dragon series' past entries, it's actually doing better overseas than in Japan.

Last year, when RGG Studio celebrated Infinite Wealth becoming the franchise's fastest-selling title in history, Yokoyama highlighted the massive role domestic sales played, commenting, "The game is incredibly strong in Japan. Sales in the rest of Asia are also quite strong, but the momentum in Japan is even greater than in the past." The release of Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name the year before was followed by similar comments, with the developers describing domestic sales as "astonishing" and indicative of the series' popularity reigniting in Japan.

However, it seems Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii has turned this tendency around, with Europe and the UK in particular becoming a major contributor to sales. "I'm not sure if it's the influence of pirate culture or what, but the game is selling especially well in the UK. From our perspective, we didn't really set out to make a full-on pirate game – we simply saw it as making a Yakuza side story – but I think players saw it as a game belonging to the genre and appreciated that side of it," Yokoyama comments.

The experience of making Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii – which is full of mechanics RGG Studio has never tackled before, as well as this positive response, have helped the developers realize how important it is for RGG Studio to keep trying new things. Yokoyama notes that, "In this sense, this title has become something that will likely influence our future projects."

While Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii hasn't become a massive global blockbuster, it "managed to greatly expand our possibilities even though there was a risk of it becoming a huge failure." In that regard, RGG Studio's director comments, "I'd say it was a major success."

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is selling better overseas than in Japan, which hasn’t been the case for past games in the series - AUTOMATON WEST

RGG Studio head Masayoshi Yokoyama says Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii owes a majority of sales to European audiences.

automaton-media.com

 

[LakeOf9]

I was under the impression the series has largely relied on overseas sales since at least Y7

 

[DeVeAn]

Didn't think I would care much for Pirate Yakuza. Then I got the Platinum. Super fun ride!

 

[HRK69]

Didn't think I would care much for Pirate Yakuza. Then I got the Platinum. Super fun ride!

Got it at launch, only played a bit

Finally started for real today and yeah, it hits just right

Don't mind the reused stuff, kinda cool seeing old characters back, got some charm to it

 

[The Cockatrice]

I didnt buy it as a huge Yakuza fan. Their method of "reusing assests" is abysmal lately and Pirate Yakuza from the demo and what I saw is a massive waste of time and you can clearly see it was dlc made into full priced game. Even Infinite Wealth didnt sell that much and you can tell why. They really need to bring something new to the table or else they might lose another fan.

 

[RavageX]

I didnt buy it as a huge Yakuza fan. Their method of "reusing assests" is abysmal lately and Pirate Yakuza from the demo and what I saw is a massive waste of time and you can clearly see it was dlc made into full priced game. Even Infinite Wealth didnt sell that much and you can tell why. They really need to bring something new to the table or else they might lose another fan.

I have to agree. The series really started to take a different turn in seems. With the series overall, even though the locations are generally the same, they would still improve things. For me...since 6 it has been kind of a downward hill. Judgement games were ok, but the crazy flippy combat I did not like. I did like the story though.

I enjoyed the turn based game too, the first one anyway. I am not enjoying infinite wealth. I ended up getting the Pirate one too on a significant discount on PC....and I don't think I like it either. It really does seem like DLC.

It feels like that curse...once something you enjoy gets too popular, it starts to lose what you enjoyed about it in the first place.

Now it feels like they are just gonna run the series into the ground by just seeing what they can get away with until people are sick of it and it flops.

 

[GateofD]

Series does seem like a 'well I played the last 3 or so games, might as well keep at it kind of thing'

 

[Connificent]

Straight to GP

 

[Hyet]

I like the franchise but this seemed contrived and cringe

 

[rubik's dude]

All the "longtime" fans complaining about reused assets in a silly spinoff are forgetting about Yakuza Dead Souls. The series hasn't jumped the shark, they've done this before. And, I say this as someone who's been locked in since the PS2 days, Yakuza: Beach Episode was awesome.

Yakuza's comeback in the West has been astounding. I'm glad it found success.

 

[DeVeAn]

Until the passion fades from RGG Studio, I'll play everything they make. One of the few where the passion of the devs shines through while playing the game.

 

[Kurotri]

Might touch it if it ever comes to gamepass, but otherwise I can't bring myself to get this. I completely even forgot that it released. Waiting patiently for Yakuza 9 and Project Century instead. Also pleeeease give us another Judgment!

 

[xrnzaaas]

Bought it day1 and had tons of fun. I'll keep supporting them with day1 purchases as long as they'll continue to offer physical releases (let's pretend that Gaiden was a mistake, thankfully I managed to get an imported copy from Japan).

 

[struggler_guts]

Never played infinite wealth cause I didn't really enjoy "like a dragon" so I won't get the reused asset fatigue, and I love majima so I think this one will be super fun when I eventually get to it. Couldn't really care less about the pirate stuff though

 

[Rambone]

I will get this one eventualy, I just have a massive backlog of Yakuza games to play and need to finish Infinite Wealth. I figured since I'm not ready to play Pirate Yakuza, no reason to get it day 1 and most likely when I am ready, the game will have had a fairly generous discount available.

 

[Durin]

Still have Yakuzo 0 sitting in my backlog to play at some point. Missed out on the series, but it's always been interesting to me.

 

[Zacfoldor]

I keep bouncing off. There are just too many things going against it for me.

1. GTA like and I don't enjoy GTA like hubworld unless it is immersive(GTAIV, Bully)
2. Endless chatter designed to be humorous but I never crack a smile that you have to skip thru
3. Pretty basic turn based combat that is relatively easy and uninteresting or what I assume is a sega like beatemup style gameplay in the current spinoff(but formerly main) series. Neither of these hold a candle to other action or turn based affairs that I can tell
4. Too much choice in minigame activities that make me feel overwhelmed and not wanting to do any of them, and the first several you try are either completely greek to me(like these are fully fleshed out literal sports in some cases and I don't know any of them being from America, so there is a big disconnect there for me) or just outright boring and meant I assume to appeal to some niche or novelty that is oceans away from anything I've ever known.

If you took Persona and lost any sense of reason or purpose you would get Yakuza Infinite Wealth. I have not played the action/non-turn based games but I have seen others play them and also do not appeal to me. I have tried, oh goodness I have tried, but I just can't figure out what tf I'm missing here. I get that they are over the top jump the shark kinda games but I cannot force myself beyond the first few play sessions and my revulsion is complete. Why am I the way that I am?

 

[nowhat]

Pretty basic turn based combat

The fuck are you on about? This is a classic Yakuza beat-em-up/brawler/whatever you want to call it. But turn-based, no.

 

[nowhat]

Still have Yakuzo 0 sitting in my backlog to play at some point. Missed out on the series, but it's always been interesting to me.

It's the best place to start, really. And yes, Zero (and other Yakuza games) is a bit of a slow burner. It does drag a bit initially, before the story really picks up. But when it does, oh boy.

 

[nnytk]

I'm a proud gajin, supporting this goofyness.

 

[bender]

I buy all the Yakuza titles day one but really haven't spent much time with any since the original Like a Dragon.

 

[Humdinger]

Played and enjoyed it quite a bit. I'm not too surprised that it did so well outside Japan. It didn't seem like a particularly "Japanese" game to me. It had a lot of Western tropes and characters.

p.s. Glad to hear that the game was financially successful.

 

[Durin]

It's the best place to start, really. And yes, Zero (and other Yakuza games) is a bit of a slow burner. It does drag a bit initially, before the story really picks up. But when it does, oh boy.

Yeah, a friend recommended me to start with this game since it gives more of an introduction to different characters that come back in later games.

I'm definitely into giving it a shot. It's always felt a bit like Shenmue in being sort of an open-world just smaller scale and has a host of mini-games.

 

[Synless]

This one did not catch my attention unfortunately. Not a huge fan of pirates.

 

[EDMIX]

This one did not catch my attention unfortunately. Not a huge fan of pirates.

Same, I love the IP but shit...there is a fucking limit lol

I'd rather continue my run on AC Shadows, Oblivion remake and then next month Bravely Default remaster and Mafia Old Country etc

I'll jump in when they are ready to make a main line Yakuza title. Not everything needs to be milked like this to such a wild degree to having fucking Pirates in Hawaii lol