Why Isn't Yakuza Coming To Nintendo Switch?
The devil works hard, but the developers behind Yakuza and Like A Dragon work harder. The series has been pumping out games at an incredibly steady rate, and not only do fans love them, but they're damn good. It's strange to see a team create games at such a rate and at such great quality, especially when they're as dense and interesting as Yakuza.
With a new mainline title and a samurai spin-off on the way, fans who can just about keep up with their rate of work have plenty to look forward to, on myriad consoles. Except (of course) for Nintendo Switch users. Fans have long wondered why the versatile series hasn't made it to the Nintendo console, with little in the way of an answer - until now.
Why Isn't Yakuza On Nintendo Switch?
Click to enlargeIn a roundtable interview (via GameSpot), RGG Studio head Masayoshi Yokoyama revealed why the game series hasn't yet made it onto the Switch, and instead, why the titles have headed straight for other consoles.
"First of all, whether our games will run on the Switch is probably the first question," he says. "The second is, when people are doing things they don't want to do, and you lose the morale and urge to do it. He continued, "When it comes to the Switch, it's kind of a system for a younger audience… it's how we picture it in Japan, anyway, for kids. So do we want to put a title, where we're going and picking a fight with the world, and doing all this Yakuza stuff, on a Switch?"
This has become a recurring problem for developers and the Nintendo Switch. Remember, 2017's Resident Evil VII released on Switch, but only in Japan. It's only now that Capcom has announced a worldwide release of recent Resi games on the Switch. Citing the same problems for Yakuza, Yokoyama concluded, " "Will people be happy if we do that? And we're not confident that they will. So that's why we're probably not aiming for it."
What's Next For Yakuza?
Though it's not likely we'll see any of it on the Switch, the Yakuza series (or Like a Dragon series, depending on who you ask) is still galloping forward. It was just revealed that a new samurai-themed spin-off, Like a Dragon: Ishin! is coming to the West, as well as a brand-new mainline game in the form of Like A Dragon 8.
The Yakuza series is clearly in for another significant few years, and even though we might not see it unfold on the Switch, it's still going to be a very big deal. Maybe one day we'll be able to draw our katana on the Switch, but for the time being, there are plenty of other platforms giving you your Yakuza fix. Bring it on.
