{"id":41914,"date":"2024-12-23T18:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-12-23T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/?p=41914"},"modified":"2024-12-23T18:02:46","modified_gmt":"2024-12-23T09:02:46","slug":"interview-like-a-dragon-pirate-yakuza-in-hawaiis-developers-maintain-the-mindset-of-plain-ol-guys-and-thats-what-makes-the-series-so-genuine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/interviews\/interview-like-a-dragon-pirate-yakuza-in-hawaiis-developers-maintain-the-mindset-of-plain-ol-guys-and-thats-what-makes-the-series-so-genuine\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview: Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii\u2019s developers maintain the mindset of \u201cplain ol\u2019 guys,\u201d and that\u2019s what makes the series so genuine\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

SEGA will release Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii,<\/strong> the latest entry in the Yakuza series, on February 21 for the PC (Steam), PS4\/PS5 and Xbox One\/Xbox Series X|S. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The upcoming title was showcased at Tokyo Game Show 2024, where AUTOMATON interviewed the Like a Dragon series\u2019 executive producer Masayoshi Yokoyama, chief producer Hiroyuki Sakamoto and producer Ryosuke Horii. We talked to them about the success of Infinite Wealth, what\u2019s new in Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, as well as their down-to-earth approach to making games. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We put our all into Infinite Wealth, and we have no regrets<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u2500Before we dive into your upcoming title, I\u2019d like to hear your impressions of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. I believe reviews and sales were strong, but looking back, what would you say you did well? Or, on the contrary, do you have any regrets?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Masayoshi Yokoyama (hereafter Yokoyama):<\/strong>\u00a0
Let\u2019s see, the things we did well and the things we regret… Is there even anything I regret? I don\u2019t think so.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2500Oh?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everyone:<\/strong>\u00a0
(laughs)\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hiroyuki Sakamoto (hereafter Sakamoto):<\/strong>\u00a0
Same here. I really feel like we were able to give our all in making Infinite Wealth. We packed in everything we wanted the RPG to have, both in terms of volume and gameplay, and I think the final product came out really close to the team’s vision. As a creator, it feels really rewarding to have not only made the game as it was envisioned, but to have also received recognition for that effort.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ryosuke Horii (hereafter Horii):<\/strong>\u00a0
Looking back, I\u2019m sure there are some small things in there that would bother me now, but I put my all into the game and have no regrets. I still feel a sense of accomplishment about it as a creator, and with all the praise Infinite Wealth has received, I think it\u2019s a good game and I\u2019m glad to have made it.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yokoyama:<\/strong>\u00a0
If we\u2019re talking about small details to reflect on, there\u2019s bound to be a bunch of them. However, behind those details lie various factors such as our budget, development schedule, and the condition of our staff members, right? But looking at the project as a whole, including the quality of the game itself and other aspects like marketing \u2013 we have no regrets, and nothing to reflect on.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, I’d like to mention that each time we hold a demo event, livestream, game showcase or fan meeting, we have in-depth evaluation meetings where we analyze things in so much detail you\u2019d be surprised (laughs). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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From left to right: Mr. Sakamoto, Mr. Yokoyama and Mr. Horii\u00a0
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\u2500How do you feel about the feedback, as creators?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yokoyama:<\/strong>\u00a0
I don\u2019t really read feedback from users. Why? Because at the end of the day, I think it\u2019s the numbers that indicate how a game has been received.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there are ten people giving you feedback, you can hear them all out, but if there are millions, it’s impossible to go through each and every opinion. I think it all boils down to whether you yourself find what you\u2019re making entertaining or not. That said, if my sense of what\u2019s entertaining were to be completely out of sync with the majority of the audience, I would probably find out about it from the people around me before I even got to release anything, given that we\u2019re working with such a big team. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sakamoto:<\/strong>\u00a0
At RGG Studio, you definitely receive criticism where it\u2019s due.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yokoyama:<\/strong>\u00a0
I\u2019d say that my ideas are more marketing-based than creativity-based. I rarely do things without rationale, and that\u2019s why I don\u2019t concern myself with opinions that are based on feelings, without any logic behind them. On the other hand, I thoroughly evaluate areas that have outcomes that can be objectively measured.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m always concentrating on what\u2019s next. I mean, after you\u2019ve released a game, there\u2019s no turning back, is there? Even if the company comes and tells us \u201cMake it sell more!\u201d – there\u2019s nothing we can do. It\u2019s out of our hands. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2500I think that\u2019s especially true of such large-scale projects.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yokoyama:\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0
Once the game is already out, I think it\u2019s much more important to think about yourself and how well you did, rather than chase after feedback. It\u2019s surprisingly difficult to evaluate yourself without bias, but it\u2019s an important thing to do before you start thinking about what you’re going to make next.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2500Does that apply only to you, or the whole team?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yokoyama:<\/strong>\u00a0
It depends on the person. I think that there are plenty of team members who look through feedback. I used to as well \u2013 I was especially curious about it when I was younger.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I used to look at the comments people left on message boards and the like, I realized that the people who criticize creators by name are the ones who are the most passionate. I mean, you can\u2019t know us by name if you don\u2019t really <\/em>like the Like a Dragon series. People like that are actually playing the games, so I don\u2019t mind hearing them complain at all.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What really scares me are the impartial reviews that don\u2019t care about the creators or their circumstances. But I realized that scrolling through forums and social media won\u2019t get me there, so I stopped actively seeking out feedback about 10 years ago. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hawaii\u2019s vastness was the \u201ckey\u201d to Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u2500Let’s move on to Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii. Is there any know-how from Infinite Wealth that you\u2019re making use of in the upcoming game?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yokoyama:<\/strong>\u00a0
One of our biggest struggles in making Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is how spacious Hawaii is. The streets are wide, which doesn’t mesh well with an action game. Infinite Wealth was an RPG, so it was easier to frame things. After all, with RPGs, you have a lot of characters on-screen at the same time. Your party\u2019s there, there\u2019s a bunch of enemies, you have different jobs, and the effects are flashy. This allows you to make use of the large space and make good compositions for the battles. But in Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, Majima is the lone protagonist, and he faces only a few enemies at a time, so depicting action scenes in these spacious streets makes things look empty.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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