The Yakuza series came about as a result of trying to create a game that was different from others on the market, according to producer Toshihiro Nagoshi.
“Originally, what we intended to do was to set out to create a game belonging to a genre that’s quite rare—and that was how the Yakuza series was born,” Nagoshi said to Siliconera.
“As to how we ended up bring together all the elements that would eventually comprise the Yakuza series, well we looked at what’s out there in the market in terms of game universes, in terms of game genres, and what are all the different ways that gamers enjoy these titles for.”
Nagoshi elaborated, “At the time, in Japan there were already set notions as to what kinds of games would sell, and what kinds wouldn’t, and so what we wanted to do was to prove that it was possible to create something different, something fresh, and still do well. It was with those thoughts that we began the Yakuza game project.”
“With that said, even with all the games I’ve worked on before as well, it was always a gamble for us,” Nagoshi said. “Take a gamble on things, try and make it a successful, and that’s how we were able to make all these different games. Over time doing so gave me the confidence that if you work on games with passion, it is possible to create interesting titles aimed at new markets.”
