Yakuza Producer Says "Underground" Nature Of The Series Is The Reason For It's Absence On Switch
I thought we were past this discourse...
Fan’s hoping to one day see the Yakuza series on Switch may never see that day come, according to executive producer Masayoshi Yokoyama. In his eyes, the “underground feeling” of the Yakuza series doesn’t fit with the family-friendly perception of the Switch.
“Do we want to put a title like this where we’re going around and picking a fight with the world and doing all this Yakuza stuff, on a Switch,” Yokoyama explained. According to the producer, the family-friendly image of the Switch in its home ground of Japan clashes with the “underground feeling” that Yakuza games project.
“We still kind of think of ourselves as people of the night world, right? We don’t want to be like walking around the day with everybody else,” Yokoyama said. “Like for us, it’s kind of showing this kind of underground feeling. I think the underground kind of feeling is what we want to do.”
While the Yakuza series is for sure a violent series, it’s hard to argue that it couldn’t fit on Switch. Countless third-party M-rated games have been released on the Switch since its launch, many of which are much more violent than any Yakuza game. Many moments in the Yakuza series are quite silly as well, making it hard to say that it takes itself that seriously.
This opinion of the Switch’s family-friendliness (and to a lesser extent Nintendo as a whole), while still present, had appeared to be less prevalent as it had been in the past. Game releases such as Doom and Doom Eternal, two of the goriest and most violent game’s in recent memory both are available on Switch, right alongside polar opposites such as Animal Crossing: New Horizons. This isn’t even the first time a Yakuza game has appeared on a Nintendo console, as Yakuza 1 and Yakuza 2 were both released on Wii U.
Here’s hoping Masayoshi Yokoyama may change his mind about the series’ place on Switch, as many people would love to see releases on the System.
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ngamer01
Somebody is still upset over the Yakuza Wii U versions not doing well in Japan. Nevermind Switch versions of Wii U games sold hotcakes across all regions. Even players that didn't know or care for the Wii U picked these ports up on Switch.
There are still going to be those that still believe "Nintendo is kiddy", but I hope people will breath down Masayoshi's neck for leaving money on the table and keeping Kiryu from qualifying to get into a future Super Smash Bros. game.
d_says_hi
1y agoHasn't Sony been doing more censorship this time around?
sligeach_eire
1y agoAnd yet Shovel Knight doesn't mind digging UNDERGROUND on Switch. Nor the SteamWorld Dig series.
ngamer01
1y agoSomebody is still upset over the Yakuza Wii U versions not doing well in Japan. Nevermind Switch versions of Wii U games sold hotcakes across all regions. Even players that didn't know or care for the Wii U picked these ports up on Switch.
There are still going to be those that still believe "Nintendo is kiddy", but I hope people will breath down Masayoshi's neck for leaving money on the table and keeping Kiryu from qualifying to get into a future Super Smash Bros. game.
noxide
1y agoThis is a weightless statement. If the company decides to have ports or new entries on the Switch/ future Nintendo console one day, Masayoshi will be sure to change his tune accordingly.
rick-fil-a
1y agoI would respect their decision more if they just came out and said "we don't want to commit the time and resources to port the games to Switch".
bakfug
1y agoI know it's not a big deal, but they dropped the name Yakuza now and it's just "Like a Dragon" worldwide finally.
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