In a new interview with NikkeixTrend, Yakuza series chief director Ryosuke Horii was asked a series of questions regarding the latest installment in the series, Yakuza Kiwami 3 + Dark Ties. One of the most notable things about Kiwami 3 is that it marks the first time in series history that a game is launching day-and-date on a Nintendo platform alongside other versions. Over the years, Yakuza has transformed from an inexplicably PlayStation-only series into a multi-platform one. xTrend wanted to know if there was more to the decision to port to Nintendo Switch 2 than just because Sega does multi-platform releases.
“Strategically speaking, many Switch 2 users are young, so to be honest, it’s unclear whether this will immediately translate into sales for Yakuza,” Horii said. “However, the current game industry is shifting its emphasis to a stock-based business model where ‘if we release it, people will eventually play it.’ Even if they don’t play it now, they might play it five years from now. We believe that broadening our reach now is a very honest decision for the studio, even in the sense of sowing the seeds for future fans.”
That does make some sense, though it doesn’t explain why the rest of the series isn’t currently available on Switch 2. When Nintendo released its new console onto store shelves, Sega was there with a new version of Yakuza 0 on day-one, but then has slowly trickled out other Yakuza titles leading up to Kiwami 3 (which include both Kiwami and Kiwami 2). Maybe we’ll get an announcement in the coming weeks, but there is still Yakuza 4-6 and the successive Yakuza: Like a Dragon and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth to consider. Porting things isn’t easy, but at the moment, it seems like RGG wants to leave it at Kiwami and nothing else.
At any rate, it looks as if RGG Studios is less concerned about pushing massive sales numbers up front than it is about having its games be available on as many platforms as possible. That’s good news for anyone who doesn’t own multiple devices.
Check out more Yakuza content
Yakuza Kiwami 3 includes 12 Game Gear games for your nostalgic fix
Yakuza Kiwami 3’s ‘Dark Ties’ expansion was originally envisioned as a video
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Written by Peter Glagowski
Peter has been a freelance gaming and film critic for over seven years. His passion for Nintendo is only matched by the size of his collection.
