In a special interview as part of the PC Gaming Show Tokyo Direct, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio director and executive producer Masayoshi Yokoyama explained how PC gamers' embrace of the series finally helped it explode onto the world stage after years of only limited success outside Japan.
"To us, PC gamers hold a special significance. If my memory serves me right, it was around 11 years ago that we first entered the PC market with Yakuza 0," recalled Yokoyama. "Until then, we had only released our games on PlayStation, and they were exclusively in Japanese, made specifically for the Japanese market.
"The Yakuza series itself was originally created with the concept of 'Japanese people making a game for Japanese people,' so we never imagined it would be accepted globally. But once we properly localized the language and created an environment where players around the world could enjoy it, the PC market embraced it in a big way. That acceptance helped our studio grow and pushed us toward globalization."
Yakuza 0 on PC was certainly my introduction to the series, and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio finally bridged that gap with some of its finest work. Yakuza 0 offered a stunning, immersive vision of the overheated '80s in Japan, a perfect entrypoint for newcomers thanks to its relatively self-contained story, but offering plenty of juice for longtime fans, like finally having Majima as a playable protagonist and seeing his tragic backstory. Formerly a series of cult hits outside Japan, these days Yakuza is an industry juggernaut.
"For Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, and for the Yakuza series itself, PC gamers have played an incredibly important role," said Yokoyama. "I truly believe that we are where we are today because of them. And, moving forward, I hope we can continue doing fun and exciting things together in that space."
Yokoyama spoke with us as part of a showcase of Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio's next entry in the series, Yakuza Kiwami 3. Alongside enhanced graphics for the 2010 original and a new gaiden game, Dark Ties, Kiwami 3 will also introduce new weapons and movesets inspired by the historical Okinawan kingdom of Ryukyu.
"Up until now, many PC gamers may not have had the chance to play the previous Yakuza titles, so even if you're new to the series, the story of Yakuza Kiwami 3 is very approachable and easy to get into," Yokoyama said of the upcoming game. "This is a great opportunity to start your journey into the Yakuza series."
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