Weird how one spin-off can kill off an established franchise just like that.
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Yakuza 1 Extreme (Remake, PS3/PS4, Jan 2016) and Yakuza 6 (PS4, Fall 2016) announced
- Thread starter Immaculate
- Start date
Weird how one spin-off can kill off an established franchise just like that.
It was thought to be killed off after Yakuza 2 at the time but 3 was a surprise glorious revival.
it literally is getting the same discount, just no preorder.
shinjimimura
Member
I think it's safe to assume that Yakuza 5 will be the worst selling western release in the series:
1. It's a three year old game
2. It's coming on a last gen hardware
3. It's a freaking part FIVE in a story driven game. Without a major marketing campaign, which it won't have, it can AT MOST keep ALL of Yakuza fans who went 1-4. Or at least the ones who played 4, which are very few. It doesn't help that the few infos that Sega put out on the Yakuza 5 page emphasize how it is a sequel to Kiryu's story and such, so casual gamers couldn't mistake Yakuza for a "1 game - 1 story" series (ala FF) without an overarching continuity.
So are we all doomed to learn Japanese? Maybe not. I mean, I'm sure that Sega and Sony DO expect Yakuza 5 to sell badly, and yet they decided to green-light the localization... so maybe (MAYBE) they just decided to grin and bear it, and they will continue to localize the mainline series form now on. Y5 might have been the turning point, western releases could have just stopped with it after 3 years, but once they went on with it even on a doomed to fail project, maybe we're in the clear for the rest of the series.
It wouldn't be a bad idea for them to use Y1 remake as a new starting point for western audiences on current gen. They might pull a REBirth - RE0 and release them both with a few months apart. Let's just hope.
1. It's a three year old game
2. It's coming on a last gen hardware
3. It's a freaking part FIVE in a story driven game. Without a major marketing campaign, which it won't have, it can AT MOST keep ALL of Yakuza fans who went 1-4. Or at least the ones who played 4, which are very few. It doesn't help that the few infos that Sega put out on the Yakuza 5 page emphasize how it is a sequel to Kiryu's story and such, so casual gamers couldn't mistake Yakuza for a "1 game - 1 story" series (ala FF) without an overarching continuity.
So are we all doomed to learn Japanese? Maybe not. I mean, I'm sure that Sega and Sony DO expect Yakuza 5 to sell badly, and yet they decided to green-light the localization... so maybe (MAYBE) they just decided to grin and bear it, and they will continue to localize the mainline series form now on. Y5 might have been the turning point, western releases could have just stopped with it after 3 years, but once they went on with it even on a doomed to fail project, maybe we're in the clear for the rest of the series.
It wouldn't be a bad idea for them to use Y1 remake as a new starting point for western audiences on current gen. They might pull a REBirth - RE0 and release them both with a few months apart. Let's just hope.
shinjimimura
Member
Didn't they say that in EU you have to be a PS+ member for the discount to apply? Or was it false news?
Newtype-001
Member
AnkiRendan
Member
I wish they skipped it. We seriously didn't need it.
IrishNinja
Member
best news out of TGS hands-down
hearing nagoshi say he was disappointed in bits of 1 was a first for me, but here were are with a gorgeous remake - NO NAGOSHINATIONS
can't stress this enough - still feel we've a shot at Zero if we all show up together
ehhhh i think we're putting way too much on Dead Souls' back here - changes in sega's overall direction were happening, and lots of niche stuff was getting left behind, especially with some key localization members being dropped. it's sad that 3 outsold 4 the way it did - and the sales #'s were clearly showing a downward slope - but i'd be willing to wager even if DS had put up better than 4, we'd still be right where we are: only getting 5 at all because of sony's assistance.
jesus christ, shut it down people
this is gonna be in every yakuza thread ever now
hearing nagoshi say he was disappointed in bits of 1 was a first for me, but here were are with a gorgeous remake - NO NAGOSHINATIONS
can't stress this enough - still feel we've a shot at Zero if we all show up together
ehhhh i think we're putting way too much on Dead Souls' back here - changes in sega's overall direction were happening, and lots of niche stuff was getting left behind, especially with some key localization members being dropped. it's sad that 3 outsold 4 the way it did - and the sales #'s were clearly showing a downward slope - but i'd be willing to wager even if DS had put up better than 4, we'd still be right where we are: only getting 5 at all because of sony's assistance.
jesus christ, shut it down people
this is gonna be in every yakuza thread ever now
Yes, Yakuza going multi-platform is probably the only way to make the franchise sustainable in the western markets and that is the way it should have been from the start weren't it for stupid Sega exclusivity-decisions. I have gotten another PS3 just for Yakuza 5 but how many will do that? And then a bunch of people who refuse to buy because of digital only. Steam could give the series another shot, Sega should take the chance with Yakuza Extreme. Maybe also take it to XB1. 1+2HD came out for Wii U in Japan (right?) so nothing should prevent this from happening. Yakuza 5 I can see staying PS-exclusive as Sony seems to be paying for it upfront.
IrishNinja
Member
no doubt, but just like Kenzan! last gen, it just had zero chance of happening - it's a heavily japanesey spinoff of a niche series etc etc. really, if you want puzzling, look at the lack of PSO 2.0
damn, wasn't aware of this but glad the follow-up posts say you have options
...are ya'll serious
do you guys understand how risks like this work, with minimal investing & all
yeah, goddamn...am i reading that right? like RE3 tyrant, but majima-kun??
agree 100%, such a shame we're not seeing that - like Binary Domain, i bet theyd find a much better home with that market too...and id absolutely double-dip
ShogunDarius
Member
Well I can understand people being concerned about Yakuza 5 being PS3 only considering how many have moved on, its a concern of mine too, i'll still get the game but it is worrisome. I am surprised it isn't getting a PS4 port, its not unprecedented for a PS3 release in Japan to get a PS4 port in the west just look at Bandai Namco.
Thank you. LTD is <200k for all those games combined. On PS2, Yakuza 1 is best selling <50k, on PS3, Yakuza 3 is the best selling <70k
US sales at retail.
Don't even ask me what yakuza 2 and Dead souls did.
Kenzodielocke
Banned
I think this game would've had better chances, if it had an actualy english dub with good voice actors and a decent marketing campaign. Yakuza is basically Mafia but in Japan.
I see this as SEGA's fault as it's Square's fault that they never really established Dragon Quest in the west.
I see this as SEGA's fault as it's Square's fault that they never really established Dragon Quest in the west.
IrishNinja
Member
apples to oranges though
1) sega =/= namco, though oddly i do recall reading bandai almost bought them before sammy
2) small base/low sales + localization costs + super risk-averse sega = we'd not be getting this without sony, who at this point i think we can safely assume was doing their #buildingthelist effort as a sort've fan goodwill project, considering that even with minimizing their risks i doubt they're expecting a big return here
which is to say: any cost put into porting this to the PS4 would likely be seen as a waste for an already uphill effort, really surprised so many on here are kinda sidestepping all of this
nah, they tried exactly that with part 1, and never again put up the $ for both voices (thank fuck) or advertising
part of the problem might've been expecting it to be/play like Mafia but in Japan - no offense but Y1 was already up against the expectations of weird shenmue fans like myself at the time, throwing in the GTA crowd - already oversaturated at that point with Mafia, Scarface & so many me-too's - and you've now got people thinking they might play an open world game that lets them take on cops & do whatever. Yakuza's a very specific kind've odd that i think would appeal to a lot more people than it does now, but i don't honestly think the overlap in these groups is as big as Sega did in '06...still don't
Kenzodielocke
Banned
I never touched 1, but many say it's not that good gameplay wise. Maybe that's the reason and if they stop with dubbing and advertising, because 1 wasn't a serious hitter, still their fault. Also, I never heard of Yakuza when the first 1 came out but I heard of Mafia and Yakuza came like a couple of years later than that.
IrishNinja
Member
yeah, 1 really is the weakest gameplay-wise (hence the remake)....2 is better in every possible way, even if it showed up late as hell/on the PS2's way out.
my point being that it's still really niche, and i personally get why they don't spend on advertising...honestly, putting them up on PS Plus is a much better option. i really don't want them spending more to let people know a late entry to a low-selling series is out & further keeping down our chances of a next localization...and hey, those advertising dollars clearly didnt go far if you/plenty of others in that period didn't hear of it anyway, right?
artsi
Member
Yeah, considering Yakuza Zero alone sold more than that in Japan, it's pretty clear why they would focus in new (annual) domestical releases instead of localizations that barely turn a profit.
Even so, I wish there will be more so western fans can enjoy these games.
Sure but they could have tried to localize isshin on ps4 in the west , it had a rare setting and not connected to the story and it would have come when the ps4 didnt have many games, it could have been a success.
i'm not too confident in the future of the series in the west.
But maybe the new sega president that said that they will try to go back to roots will help a little.
i'm not too confident in the future of the series in the west.
But maybe the new sega president that said that they will try to go back to roots will help a little.
sublimit
Banned
Contextually this is one of the best gifs i've ever watched in this site.And i've watched a lot.Thankfully the majority of fans have realized that Sega doesn't give a shit for Yakuza fans in the west so we'll have less people begging them for localizations in every single Yakuza thread.
Lets hope Sony will keep willing to localize these games and Y5 wasn't just the exception.Kinda hard to believe they will still be willing though since i expect the western sales for Y5 will be the worst (although not much worse from previous entries).
ShogunDarius
Member
you say people are sidestepping the cost issue, but you are sidestepping the fact that the western game market has by and large moved on
Its an undisputed fact the the more active game purchases are now on this gen not last, just look at the recent cross platform game sales. MGS5 PS4 72% where PS3 got 3%. The western audience apart from the most hardcore multiconsole owner/slow uptaker is on PS4 now. If they want this game to be bought by more than just the hardcore, they need to go where the audience is.
King Gilga
Member
Only if you have PS+ iirc.
AnkiRendan
Member
I'm not sure how you can spew this garbage about Sega not caring about Yakuza fans. Look at these pitiful numbers. Sega was generous as hell to release 5 games where not even a single one sold 100k alone. There's only so many times a company can burn money like this.
Tizoc
Member
Ryu ga Gotoku 5 was never released on the PS4, to even release it on the PS4 it would have to be ported or designed to run on that console; that's cost not worth investing in.
Also you don't need a PS3 to buy Yakuza 5, you need one to play it.
Back to the topic though, Y1 Remake is a good opportunity for SEGA to give the series a chance on PS4 worldwide/outside of Asia, they just need the right convincing.
ShogunDarius
Member
as I said above it's not unprecedented for a PS3 release in Japan to get a PS4 version in the west, Bandai Namco have done this several times already.
secondly, its wishful thinking at best to expect any significant number of PS4 owners who don't have a PS3 just to buy Yakuza 5
Tizoc
Member
You're forgetting something here: This is Yakuza we're talking about, not Tales series.
ShogunDarius
Member
my point is its a precedent that already been set, and its more than just Tales, J Stars for instance which is quite niche (though not as niche) got the same treatment
IrishNinja
Member
i love yakuza, man - but again, a late entry (series wise) of last gen game in a niche series upported to the smaller base on PS4 would still sell like butt, only worse because now having cost more, it'd more likely either not happen at all or guarantee the series' death. what you're asking isn't logically far from those demanding physical copies - this is literally the only way it's viable.
the faithful will show up, but not much beyond that - honestly? if this clears 10-15k that'l prolly not be so terrible given expectations. you're asking to spend more $ to what, hope that reaches a few thousand more units sold, optimistically?
id love to play it on my PS4 too, but it doesn't make sense. i wish it did.
yup, pretty important, that. I imagine J Stars will do far, far better as well - and Namco (a company with better teams/resources than SOA) knows this.
Tizoc
Member
i WAS going to add something but had to end my post then and there cuz I went for lunch
Consider also Development costs are different for how much SEGA put into Ryu ga Gotoku 5 and how much Bamco put into J Stars and Tales games.
Do the graphics quality and presentation of those 2 games even come close to RgG 5?
ShogunDarius
Member
i WAS going to add something but had to end my post then and there cuz I went for lunch
Consider also Development costs are different for how much SEGA put into Ryu ga Gotoku 5 and how much Bamco put into J Stars and Tales games.
Do the graphics quality and presentation of those 2 games even come close to RgG 5?
I'm just going to sum up my point in one post.
A precedent has been set for a Japanese PS3 release to get a PS4 release in the west, Bandai Namco have done it at least 3 times, Square Enix with Dragon Quest etc.
The sales data for cross platform games prove that people are buying games on this gen more than next gen now. I cite MGS V 72% PS4 vs 3% on PS3 as an example, my source btw http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1108094&highlight=pal+charts
The main point is this, Yakuza 5 is either going to be a niche game targeting a last gen platform with sales declining rapidly, or it can be a niche game targeting a platform with increasing sales and momentum (and is slowly getting a much bigger Japanese games presence every year).
Just something else, i'm not saying abandon the PS3 version, i'm saying release on both. I never stated the PS4 version needed to be physical either. Also lets not forget 6, your argument that 5 is so long in the series that it would be weird for it to be released on PS4 here, well 6 is in that same boat.
Tizoc
Member
Ah OK I see what you mean, but even then: There would still be the cost of getting to run on PS4, Costs which SEGA prob. isn't risking to do.
Nagoshi's team is more focused on going forward than going back to make Y5 PS4 compatible or being able to run on PS4s.
Thus my prior post still stands: Development of J Stars and Tales is different to how RgG5 was developed, so porting J sTARS and Tales to PS4 is likely much easier than RgG5.
Insert Disk Two
Member
Exactly my situation.
sublimit
Banned
Are you serious?When did Sega even tried to do some decent marketing for these games?Never.They just released them over here and expected they would magically start selling.Same case scenario with Valkyria Chronicles and with other of their IPs.
I'm tired of listening to people putting all the blame on the western market alone and how "it doesn't care" for these games.
Tizoc
Member
I've pre-ordered a Wii U game and I don't have a Wii U.
Not like PS3s cost an arm and a leg, you could get one for cheap come Black friday if you live in the US.
IronicSonic
Member
This is new information? Never expect that Yakuza sales were that bad
btw, which is the current state of Yakuza 5's pre-orders in US? I think if they were good, Sega had said something at this time
Tizoc
Member
This is new information? Never expect that Yakuza sales were that bad
btw, which is the current state of Yakuza 5's pre-orders in US? I think if they were good, Sega had said something at this time
Game companies don't have to comment about the sales/pre-order numbers of each game they publish
Mr. Nice_Guy
Member
I was wondering about the new scenes with him in them. Fits his character nicely, and brings the goofiness that later games had more of in nicely.
Red Blaster
Member
i dont think sega has crazy expectations for y5 given its a digital only release on an old ass console with a dwindling active userbase, not to mention sony is paying for its western release
also could wager that gio corsi and shane bettenhausen will continue to push the series within sony
also could wager that gio corsi and shane bettenhausen will continue to push the series within sony
Yakuza 4 selling worst than Yakuza 3 even though they kept just about every mini game didn't help
ioriyagami
Member
Do you have a source for those numbers?
I could only find reliable NPD LTD sale figures for PS2 Yakuza 1 (56K), and 5-month sales for PS2 Yakuza 2 (24K). Everything else I have read online are unbacked statements...
EDIT: Also, don't forget those numbers are just part of the sales of Yakuza outside of Japan. The PAL/EU sales are also unknown...
TrebuchetGames
Member
I purchased 3, 4 and DS... hardly played 3, it was a funny from what I had played... but I am a bit of a completionist and don't feel like playing them until 1/2 come out - a perfect solution for me would be all be made for PS4, but I don't see that happening.
Hopefully Sony helps/gets behind Sega and somehow makes it happen.
- a perfect solution for me would be all be made for PS4, but I don't see that happening.Hopefully Sony helps/gets behind Sega and somehow makes it happen.
IronicSonic
Member
Game companies don't have to comment about the sales/pre-order numbers of each game they publish
I mean, if pre-order were good, maybe Sega may have shared some optimism
Does that mean it will have English subtitles? :OOOO
No, probably just Chinese
ioriyagami
Member
No. Yakuza 0 was released there too and did not have English subtitles.
Not sure where that 6k discrepancy is coming from.
I have the exact same number for Yakuza 2 though.