Why Yakuza devs won't put the games on Switch? Well...

GameSpot

Yakuza games used to be PlayStation exclusives, but over the last couple of years, the series has landed on other platforms. Just about every game in the mainline series can be found on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, but don't expect to see Kiryu Kazuma busting heads on the Nintendo Switch.

Though Nintendo's hybrid video game console could technically run the Yakuza games on its hardware--or even stream them in a manner similar to recent Resident Evil games--executive producer and Ryu Ga Gotoku studio head Masayoshi Yokoyama is hesitant, for now, to port the adult series to that system.

"Do we want to put a title like this where we're going around and picking a fight with the world and doing all this Yakuza stuff, on a Switch," Yokoyama explained. According to the producer, the family-friendly image of the Switch in its home ground of Japan clashes with the "underground feeling" that Yakuza games project.

"We still kind of think of ourselves as people of the night world, right? We don't want to be like walking around the day with everybody else," Yokoyama said. "Like for us, it's kind of showing this kind of underground feeling. I think the underground kind of feeling is what we want to do."

Yakuza fans will have plenty of underground action to look forward to soon. Next year will see a remake of Like a Dragon: Ishin and the Yakuza spin-off Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name arrive on PC and console, while Like a Dragon 8 is scheduled to launch in 2024. For the next mainline entry in the series, RGG Studio is pairing up both Ichiban Kasuga and Kiryu Kazuma for a new adventure in what it calls "the largest [Yakuza] game to date" in the long-running series.

Okay, first...

Second, they do know SEGA still owns Bayonetta right? Nintendo may have published 2 and 3, but SEGA still owns the series. Plus, like I said in the comments (and an earlier thread), Bayonetta 2 is now a million seller on Switch alone, which makes it the best selling Nintendo published game with an M rating (if you don't count Rare's N64 work).

Third, when Nagoshi was still on the team, he had no problem making Kazuma Kiryu kid friendly for a remake of classic Super Monkey Ball games. And he was playable on the Switch version too. Mixed messages, much?

This excuse is just getting more and more embarrassing.

What a hipster.

Does seem like a lame excuse, there are other M rated games as well that have been on Nintendo.

Read: resources are currently being dedicated to other systems.

Pretty sure they could still be blunt with at least THAT.

When even you agree! *checks temps in Hell*

Lame excuse or not, porting games to Switch is not fun for any developer.

Yakuza Like A Dragon felt like a fun game of caricatures mixed with comedy. Out of place on Switch? Come on.

But they can be a little more blunt with it. SNK just was over KOF XV. Instead, this is a SEGA owned developer sticking to an argument not even their parent company stands by anymore, otherwise Bayonetta would not be in Nintendo's hands. We also wouldn't have seen SEGA put some Mature games on the fricking Wii.

But you can still screw Yennefer on a unicorn in The Witcher 3 lmao what a lame excuse

Sega put Yakuza 1 and 2 on Wii U, Xbox, and PC and the Sony fanboy cried.

Fail.

@valgaav_219: Oh Jeez! Lol

A system for babies shouldn't be getting any mature titles with violence and nudity. We need to protect our children from filth. I am sure nintendoby16 agrees with me.

Not surprising. Their OG producer also said the same thing.

@sakaixx: It was out of touch then. Plus, hypocritical as a kid friendly version of Kazuma Kiryu in even the Switch version of the Super Monkey Ball GameCube remake. Not kidding.

And I think Nagoshi is still sour Miyamoto cited to Geoff Keighley that fans were disappointed in that game and the last few Star Fox games pre-Zero.

you mean like this? The version on the right is the ps5, and the left is the switch... LOL.

To me, it just looks like they don't have the resources to port the game to the switch, and they aren't confident the game will sell well enough.

@blaznwiipspman1 said:

@hardwenzen said:

A system for babies shouldn't be getting any mature titles with violence and nudity. We need to protect our children from filth. I am sure nintendoby16 agrees with me.

you mean like this? The version on the right is the ps5, and the left is the switch... LOL.

To me, it just looks like they don't have the resources to port the game to the switch, and they aren't confident the game will sell well enough.

Notice how way more effort was put into those bunnies? Yea, this is Playstation gaming for you, more effort goes into its games.

Valve makes shooting games, yet Steam has plenty of non-shooting games from third party developers. How can Stardew Valley be on the same platform as Counter Strike? That sounds like the same excuse as this.

To me, it doesn't make a difference if they are blunt or not, truthful or untruthful because the end result would remain the same.

Doesn't make them sound any less wrong.

This is another area I belive publishing considerations are taking into account the physical distribution considerations into account and weighing against the idea with that in the equation. Just release them digitally on Switch, have Nintendo license in some Nintendo-centric assets like costumes and stuff. Who would pass up having Princess Peach in their soapland?

Sounds like something Sega would say back in the 16-bit days... "Nintendo is too kiddie for our games!"

Because it's to weak and it's for children. That's basically what he said.... Ouch!

Yakuza 2 is the most recent game I've played and I remember that I had to lock it at 60fps, because my 3060Ti was struggling to maintain stable 72fps at 1440p (75Hz gsync compat monitor with 72fps limit). No wonder they can't port the games to Switch, even if they don't state performance as the primary reason.

Which is like I said, not something they buy now given Nintendo's current hand on one of their IP's. Like did the Yakuza studio even get the freaking memo?

Sounds dumb. Why not just be honest and say "we don't feel like spending time on a shitty Switch port".

Surprised they haven't tested the waters and just put yazuka 0 on switch.

And that's a PS3 game. How many on that level are on Switch already? Even Volition put that era of Saints Row on there (minus 2, the best one, but still, I like 3 and 4).

For once, Litchie...

Which again, the latter holds no water at all, especially given SEGA's OWN actions.

Nintendoboy16 ain't happy seeing devs indirectly call the Switch as a weak pos. I wouldn't be happy if i was in his shoes tbh. Difficult life.

With the sales of the switch you would think its a win win for sega. So bizarre they haven't even tested the waters.

I rather Yakuza stay on PC, Xbox and Playstation. Alot of third games have never been on Switch which doesn't surprise me.

Guess why GTA6 won't be on the Switch? The Switch can't handle games from the 21st century, dude. Really is a system made for the 20th century lazy rehashes.

Okay, but why does the idea of Yakuza, even one of the older titles on Switch, bother you? Hell, why does the idea of Nintendo getting support bother you? Don't we all want more than Nintendo's first party offerings, FFS?

@nintendoboy16:

I seen a few FPS on Switch like Bioshock, Borderlands and Doom, those run good on the Switch. It's really up to developers If they want to support the Switch.

@pillarrocks: Sure, but they can be blunt. Not resorting to outdated, lame excuses like this. And inconsistent.