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Yakuza 1&2 HD Wii U fails to enter top 50 for first week in Japan

jrush64

Banned
Yeah cus we were all expecting this to break records. Even forgot this was a thing. TOo focused on hoping Yakuza 5 comes to the west.
 

Sendou

Member
Didn't iwata mention that Yakuza on Wii U will light the way on third party support for the Wii U and prove to developers that not making a game on the Wii U is a mistake?

I don't remember that. If you can find a link though it would be hilarious and sad at the same time.
 
As much as this has bombed, I can't help but think it would be a good title for Nintendo to secure an overseas release for. After all, the PS3 version wasn't released outside Japan, and I think we all know in our hearts that the days of Wii U software droughts are not yet behind us. It would be a nice title to fill a gap sometime early next year.
 

ZoddGutts

Member
Just think about it. They could have used the money instead localizing Yakuza 5. Even if it sold 25K in it's first month, it still would have done more than Yakuza HD Lifetime sales will be. What a waste. :(
 
a western y5 won't net a big company enough money, and it could kill a smaller one. sega would have brought it over by now if it looked like a profitable enough venture.

just to offer some perspective, tales of the abyss for the 3ds has outsold every yakuza game in america.

I wonder how much of a profitable venture the localisation of Yakuza 2 looked for Sega, considering how much the first game mega-bombed in the West.

We've gotten all the mainline Yakuza titles over here thus far, AND a spin-off. I don't see why we won't get 5 as well.
 

AniHawk

Member
The concept of the port was to reach a staunch Nintendo-only console owner and see what they may purchase.

Now you can take two conclusions: said Nintendo fan barely ever touches third party efforts, or they now own a PS3 as a necessity for their other experiences.

Either way, a fairly high profile gesture like this bagging around 1600 won't have made the money back and sends a clear and strong signal to all other japanese third parties.

or a nearly year-old port of a collection of games from almost a decade ago wasn't actually that high profile a gesture. this wasn't something like a simultaneous yakuza 5 release. yakuza 1+2 hd didn't even break 100k on the ps3.
 

Madouu

Member
Just think about it. They could have used the money instead localizing Yakuza 5. Even if it sold 25K in it's first month, it still would have done more than Yakuza HD Lifetime sales will be. What a waste. :(

I'm pretty sure Yakuza is a franchise that is pretty expesnive to localize. This on the other hand probably didn't cost them that much, especially if it's part of whatever rumored deal Nintendo signed with them.

Terrible performance nonetheless.

I don't remember that. If you can find a link though it would be hilarious and sad at the same time.

Don't be too naive and believe posts like those. He's referencing the comment Iwata made after being asked on low third party sales on the Wii U and how Nintendo are planning to fix that, to which he replied "by proving that third party games in general can be successful on the console", without ever mentioning any specific title, and certainly not Yakuza.

Really surprised. I thought Nintendo Direct videos were a super successful marketing initiative.

lol

I should probably quote John Harker's recent post here about ROI but I think I'll just leave the thread.
 

Shiggy

Member
Really surprised. I thought Nintendo Direct videos were a super successful marketing initiative.

lol
 

AniHawk

Member
I wonder how much of a profitable venture the localisation of Yakuza 2 looked for Sega, considering how much the first game mega-bombed in the West.

We've gotten all the mainline Yakuza titles over here thus far, AND a spin-off. I don't see why we won't get 5 as well.

sega's getting out of the console/handheld business, and they really wound down their american side about a year and a half ago. the only things they're bringing from japan these days are the most tried and true franchises, like sonic and such and such. something that sells 60k maximum isn't going to pay the bills.

oh and that spinoff might have been the final nail in the coffin. atlus and nisa make more successful games than that thing.
 

Parakeetman

No one wants a throne you've been sitting on!
Not surprising as with how the Wii U isnt exactly doing gangbusters domestically anyways.
 

Data West

coaches in the WNBA
Kamiya and Inaba reading this
qfQTv8j.gif
 

OryoN

Member
Nearly everyone that would have wanted the HD version would have bought it on PS3... a year ago. What a shocker...

The remaining half-dozen people bought it for Wii U. Not sure why this is news...

Oh yeah, I remember! Negative Nintendo news makes great news!
 

AniHawk

Member
That's... Pretty impressive given it was released during the 3DS troubled times. Or should I express disappointment in Yakuza's overall performance in the US?

maybe a little of both. the floor for the tales series is about 40k (tales of the world for the psp). the tales games on the psx did about 60k each. symphonia was a huge outlier nearing 500k. everything except symphonia 2 and vesperia has been under 100k.
 

Pie and Beans

Look for me on the local news, I'll be the guy arrested for trying to burn down a Nintendo exec's house.
or a nearly year-old port of a collection of games from almost a decade ago wasn't actually that high profile a gesture. this wasn't something like a simultaneous yakuza 5 release. yakuza 1+2 hd didn't even break 100k on the ps3.

I guess at this point the Japanese home console install base is so low, those that actually buy most games are multi-console owners too.

This is however another example of why the WiiU as a console has failed. A game seemingly isn't worth buying with GamePad features and nothing else, and the power-bump isn't there to ever provide more of the "something else".

1.6k-1.7k isn't just some normal bomba, its a complete flatlining of market interest outside of Nintendo properties and I guess MonHun and DQ.
 

spekkeh

Banned
ボムバ!

Kind of frightening to see Wii U even doing bad in Japan. How out of the loop was Nintendo?
 

AniHawk

Member
I guess at this point the Japanese home console install base is so low, those that actually buy most games are multi-console owners too.

This is however another example of why the WiiU as a console has failed. A game seemingly isn't worth buying with GamePad features and nothing else, and the power-bump isn't there to ever provide more of the "something else".

1.6k-1.7k isn't just some normal bomba, its a complete flatlining of market interest outside of Nintendo properties and I guess MonHun and DQ.

i don't get the part about the power bump. the wii u isn't going to redo the polygons and texture work anymore than the ps3 would for ps2 games. i think yakuza 1+2 hd is a really bad example to make a blanket statement with.
 

StayDead

Member
It would actually have a better chance of selling outside off Japan due to the HD Collection not already been out for a while on PC here.

I bought my copy but it's still shipping. I don't have a PS3 so I'm really looking forward to it!
 

MDX

Member
Maybe its just me, but I got a feeling
people buying new generation consoles are buying them
with the anticipation of getting new games.

Also, most people dont like to be seen as lab rats for some
"experiment" (see Capcom).

They should have ported this game to the Wii, if anything.
 

Durante

Member
sega's getting out of the console/handheld business, and they really wound down their american side about a year and a half ago. the only things they're bringing from japan these days are the most tried and true franchises, like sonic and such and such. something that sells 60k maximum isn't going to pay the bills.
I still fail to understand how selling 60k of something can not make a translation profitable, while at the same time being enough to fund entire games.
 
I would agree with people who think this isn't a big deal but then when you consider that this is only the 5th third party release on Wii U this year and that Nintendo gave this game a big push, you can't just shrug these results off. The game should have at least charted...

Wii U is a failed system. Not even Nintendo's own franchises will perform to expectation. The situation is that bad.
 
It would actually have a better chance of selling outside off Japan due to the HD Collection not already been out for a while on PC here.

I bought my copy but it's still shipping. I don't have a PS3 so I'm really looking forward to it!

PC?

I agree if they just slapped English subtitles on this and release it on PSN it would've been profitable. The WiiU port won't make its money back.
 
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