Bringing Yakuza To The West Is Still Tricky

Sega’s Yakuza games are terrific. You really need to play them. Yet, they’re not always localized, and if they are, they arrive late. According to series mastermind Toshihiro Nagoshi, Sega is still trying to figure out how to appeal to Western gamers.

[isarai]

No it isn't, it REALLY isn't, just translate all text and subtitles BAM! localized. I really want to know who is telling all these japanese studios and devs thatt they're game has to be a certain way to be released in the west. i mean it seriously always seems like there's some middleman who's gone full retard when it comes to overseas localization and feedback. It's really getting ridiculous at this point and ijust wish they'd ask us directly instead of listening to whatever asshat has them cut, alter, or just straight up cancel localization because the western audience "doesn't understand"

What did they think was going on in the 9o's and early 00's when there games were the epitome of the industry before they even thought to edit western versions? Then they start changing and altering everything to "appeal to the western audience" and are somehow lost when their overall sales drop?I feel like it's too obvious to not get yet somehow they believe it's because they're not changing/appealing enough. This crap grinds my gears to no end cause it's such a simple solution, it's like watching a grown man trying to shove the square peg in the round hole for the better part of a decade because instead of using common sense he listens to a consultant who can can't find his own ass with both hands and a map.

[pyroxxx]

Agreed ,.. but western world really went all culturally retard in the last few decades ,..SWJ,Feminazi trippng balls. Identity politics and political correctness are so pervasive it is absurd. No wonder apparently they have to adjust everything,.. Liberal left has gone insane. It is sad these retards have a pull even on gamedesign.

[BrianOBlivion]

Stop blaming the libs and the left for idiots. I lean to the left and I agree with you that some of this sh*t is out of control. Don't assume that because some sh*t happens that you don't like, it must be "Liberal left".

[ThePsychoGamer]

I think your grossy underestimating how much work actually goes into localization, even with just subtitles. Not only do they have to translate every line of dialogue in the game, they need to rewrite it in such a way that conforms to grammar of said lange, including finding the best words or phrases for when there isn't a direct translation available. Then they have go threw the entire game and add in the new script. On top of that since they do have to go in the coding, it is possible that small alterations to the code could accidentally be made causing performance issues (See Ar Tonelico 2), so there is a small amount of testing that needed to. It's a very long process and takes a fair amount of money.

Also I think you misunderstood the article, The director of the Yakuza series, Toshihiro Nagoshi, wasn't saying it was hard because of cultural issues, he was saying it's hard because right now there are barely enough people buying Yakuza games to justify the costs of localization. The only thing he said needs to change is how they market the series in the west.

[ONESHOTV2]

you know one smart thing sega can do when creating the game have a dam translator when they reach to the inputting the text in game killing 2 birds with one stone

[_-EDMIX-_]

" he was saying it's hard because right now there are barely enough people buying Yakuza games to justify the costs of localization. The only thing he said needs to change is how they market the series in the west"

Agreed.

[SaveFerris]

I wish they would localise Yakuza: Ishin! for the West.

[Jayszen]

I want to play the Yakuza series precisely because it is NOT tailored for western consumption. God, just imagine how boring the world would be if we just had one culture! Sega does not have to do anything other than translate all text and add subtitles. END OF STORY. No more than this is needed.

It's like they are trying to fix a problem that does not exist! Have they actually spoken to an of the game's fans in the UK, Europe or the USA? Sega would be shocked to find out that most of us want nothing changed about the Yakuza games at all. We like the Japan-centric focus.

Sega, think of it this way - I get to be Japanese while playing 'Yakuza'!

[ONESHOTV2]

"Sega is still trying to figure out how to appeal to Western gamers." i didn't ask you to appeal to me sega just release the game how you created it so i can finish the next game in the series there is a reasons so many of us go crazy over the yakuza series. the story is good the fighting is on another level and the characters are very likable. except for saejima in yakuza 4 at first he was a bit too heavy his fighting style didn't fit what i was looking for but over time of playing the game over 3 times i got use to him everyone else was good. now yakuza 5 is a masterpiece as well dont forget to try dead souls as well guys it may have some bad reviews but the game has too many jokes to not enjoy your self. if anyone has the time to watch a movie check (like a dragon) out it's the live action of yakuza 2 http://www.imdb.com/title/t...

[ThePsychoGamer]

"you know one smart thing sega can do when creating the game have a dam translator when they reach to the inputting the text in game killing 2 birds with one stone"

That really doesn't make financial sense if your only planing on releasing it in one region.
also your misinterpreting what the the article meant when it said appeal.

here's the direct quote on the matter from the director “As for Europe and America, it seems like fans have increased, but I wouldn’t say it’s become a good situation. It feels like we need to come up with a bit more of a plan on how to attract [American and European gamers].”

Also some other key quote from the director of the series

"I think maybe gamers elsewhere in Asia are buying Yakuza for different reasons than players in Japan are. So, if we thoroughly analyse those motives, then it looks like there’s the possibility of it being successful abroad.”

“Appeal too much to international players and Japanese players will say things like ‘The Yakuza I know and love is no more,’ which is what I want to avoid. So, the feeling that these games are made for Japanese men is unchanged. "

[_-EDMIX-_]

"That really doesn't make financial sense if your only planing on releasing it in one region.
also your misinterpreting what the the article meant when it said appeal"

100% Agreed.

[Melankolis]

Ummm...i have an idea :
1. Make it like GTA, hitting people on the street, debt collecting, vandalism, or
2. 3rd/first person shooting, a war between yakuzas with multiplayer feature, maybe creating Yakuza clan would be interesting...

Nah....just forget it.....

[ONESHOTV2]

yakuza doesnt need to be like GTA. the story is what drives yakuza that one thing GTA doesnt have over it

[Melankolis]

At least 5 people don't get it....my comment above is a sarcasm...SARCASM...
I wrote it because i'd like to mock gamers in the west that tend to think that good games have to be :
1. a Shooter
2. an Open world

Yes it's a sarcasm...but i'm just kidding after all....

[PaleMoonDeath]

Just do a digital release for the West, that'll do me proud.

[_-EDMIX-_]

After Yakuza 5 I think that is what they will be doing and that is fine with me if it means they still met their target and we still get a game.

People need to get that gaming is still a business.

[Chaos_Order]

So often when studios try to "appeal" to a wider audience they manage to botch it. Remember Dead Space 3? Instead of survival horror EA wanted a fast-paced co-op action game to appeal to the masses, and they actually expected it to sell better than the first 2 games. Guess what? It sold WORSE. (I myself got it from a bargain bin after buying the first 2 at full price) Then there was Resident Evil 6, which Mikami himself said was "going after the Call of Duty crowd." Guess what? It sold terribly compared to 4 and 5, garnered awful critical reception and made many fans give up on the series. Compare that to the Souls series, a "niche" franchise which has stuck to its roots and done so well it actually saved Namco Bandai from possible bankruptcy, with DS3 being their most profitable game to date. Imagine if they'd tried to copy Elder Scrolls because "more money."

Sega. Just release the games as they are. Unnecessary pandering can backfire.

[gigoran]

I remember wheb one of the idiotic kotaku writers wrote a hate piece about the entire yakuza series. after that, the game creator simply said "why do we even bother bringing them to the west?"

wanna see why more games aint localized? look no further than the "professional" gaming journalists.