It’s easy to forget that the popular Like a Dragon series, also known as Ryu Ga Gotoku, once catered mostly to fans in Japan. This changed in a big way when Yakuza 0 made its debut on PC. That move marked a major shift for the games, turning a beloved Japanese favorite into a global hit.
Masayoshi Yokoyama, the studio head at Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios, shared this insight during the PC Gaming Show Tokyo Direct event last weekend. He freely admitted that the incredible support from PC players brought the studio to where it is today. The Like a Dragon series started out for a Japanese audience, marketed only in Japan. But PC gamers made its worldwide recognition a reality. Yokoyama hopes the studio can continue creating great things well into the future. You can read more about his comments here.
Yakuza 0 first launched in Japan on March 12, 2015, for PS3 and PS4. It then came to PC in 2018. This PC release sparked a huge reaction, making the game famous everywhere. Its success came from an appealing blend of 1980s Japan and the compelling stories of Kiryu Kazuma and Goro Majima. The game showed their early days, before they became legends in Kamurocho.
The future looks bright for the Like a Dragon series. Just last week, the team announced Yakuza Kiwami 3. Other related projects are also in the works, showing how far this series has come, thanks in part to its PC journey.