The Like a Dragon series producers talk about the “Don’t change anything” policy they upkeep and fandom behavior that has surprised them - AUTOMATON WEST
An interview with the creators of Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. Masayoshi Yokoyama and Hiroyuki Sakamoto talk influences and fandom behavior.
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I’ve heard that the Like a Dragon series really took off globally with the release of Yakuza 6. When was the moment you realized the series’ potential overseas?
Yokoyama:
Wasn’t it Yakuza 0?
Sakamoto:
Yes, when Yakuza 0 released on Steam, the sales really exceeded our expectations. We could see the potential in numbers.
──Have you noticed any characteristics of Steam users?
Sakamoto:
On Steam, there’s actually not so many players who play a game on its release day. However, when they do play it, Steam players take the time out of their day to launch their PCs and play the game thoroughly. I have the impression that, for PC players, whether it’s an indie game or an AAA game, as long as it’s fun, they will invest their time in it. I think that this is part of why a strange Japanese game about yakuzas managed to take off. The overseas users who hadn’t know of the Like a Dragon series got an opportunity to install it and try it out, and found it fun. This is what we make of it.
