Yakuza / Like a Dragon series producer Masayoshi Yokoyama says the thing he's most proud of is that people can openly enjoy the series now. Hm.
The Yakuza series is 20 years old now, with the first game releasing in Japan on December 8, 2005. Compared to its humble beginnings, the series is somewhat of a powerhouse now, with a new release coming pretty much every year (or three in a year in the case of Feb 2023 – Feb 2024) and a massive worldwide fanbase for a series that didn't even bother releasing in English for a number of entries.
Speaking to PlayStation Blog, Yokoyama was asked what he is most proud of about the series compared to 20 years ago, and he says that it's that "people can finally say they enjoy the Like a Dragon series more openly." He explains, "In the past, it wasn’t something you could really say out loud; its reputation and brand image made it hard to talk about publicly. Back in the early days, even some of the studio developers kept their involvement a secret from their parents or girlfriends."
However, that eventually changed; Yokoyama recalls, "about ten years in, more staff began proudly acknowledging their work on the series," adding, "there was even a case where being part of the project helped someone gain approval for marriage from their partner’s parents. That’s when it really sank in how much the series’ presence and perception in the world had evolved."
Yokoyama didn't specify what exactly made it such a touchy subject, but presumably – based on the brand image comment – it was more to do with the idea of a game where you play as a member of the Japanese Yakuza rather than the wild things that happen in the game, like brawling with a group of men in diapers pretending to be babies. Even if Kiryu is incredibly virtuous and really doesn't commit crimes very often, I can understand why someone playing as a character involved in organized crime would be a hard sell, especially given the reaction to the name of Rockstar's Bully the very next year.
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