I'll admit i thought about doing it, but in the end i decided that i wanted my list to be an honest representation of what i enjoyed most this year and not about politics or the gaming equivalent of affirmative action. Even though i came in late to the series with Y3, i really grew to love it, but i can't in good conscience say that it was the best game i have played in the last year, just because i love the characters (i've been rocking an Akiyama avatar on PSN since Y4 came out) and enjoy the story and general game play, when i've also had many issues, which are partly due to the age of the engine. I'm sorry if that makes me an unworthy Yakuza fan. I'll continue to support the releases in the west and i might even import a couple of the ones that apparently will never come over, but i feel like i shouldn't have to praise every last aspect of the games, just because we can consider ourselves lucky to be getting a new installment.
It would have been kinda cool if Y5 ranked highly, but honestly, who really cares about the GAF GOTY, i've never bought a game (or skipped buying one) due to how it ranked on the poll. As long as we do our best and spread the love for the series via word of mouth, that's all that matters. If you want to be disappointed in anyone, you should take it up with
this guy, a self-proclaimed fan of the series.