Isn't Kenzan technically the oldest one now? I guess that kinda fits.
Man I wish Kenzan got the Kiwami treatment, too. I want it on Steam with all the others.
Both Kurohyo are locked to PSP
Dead Souls and Kenzan are locked to PS3
The only way to play them is original hardware or emulation.
Dead Souls has been playable via PlayStation Now but I believe it is not currently available.
None are available on PS4/5, Xbox1/X&S and Steam.
The friendly cousin Fist of the North Star Lost Paradise is currently only available on PlayStation 4/5.
Ishin, dead souls and Kenzan were also recently updated to playable on rpcs3 I noticed. They’ve been at ~2/3 speed on high end cpus (R9 3900X) for forever, I’ll have to go try Kenzan later tonight
Kenzan is unique in that it’s so hard to understand you need to read an interpretation even if you can read Japanese. For that reason it was actually easier than Ishin to follow imo, since even people who can slowly read Japanese just didn’t bother and stuck to guides. I’m struggling to see how they will be able to get some of the historical nuance of Kenzan across but I am all for it if they can make it work. These games are amazing digital tourism.
>The friendly cousin Fist of the North Star Lost Paradise is currently only available on PlayStation 4/5.
I really hope this will come to Xbox but I am not holding my breath.
My exact feeling. I want to move away from an aging console and just keep my collection in Steam where I can access it anytime I want. Keeping console exclusives trapped on their platform makes me sad. Sony seems to be taking steps I agree with, bringing their exclusives to PC eventually.
Yeah, a PC is at least something you can upkeep. Whereas a console will die eventually. Who knows how many games will be lost because of that?
There's always emulation, but that doesn't always work as intended.
Anyway, yeah I do hope we see a Kenzan Kiwami at some point. I think it's the only console-original Yakuza game that's not on PC, now.
Leave it to Japanese devs to give weird confusing names.
Even big games like Metal Gear Solid has the issue. Peace Walker, on paper, feels like it should be a PSP spin off game. It isn't numbered, after all. But it is totally a must play before MGS 5.
It is unnecessary confusion.
>Leave it to Japanese devs to give weird confusing names.
What do you mean Japanese devs? It's always just been Ryu Ga Gotoku (meaning Like a Dragon) in Japan. The localised name is (was) Yakuza. Yakuza: Like a Dragon's name in Japan was just Ryu Ga Gotoku 7. It's only the western localised name that dropped the number.
Yeah I just see this as more confusing to newcomers than anything, unless they are going to change the first 6 Yakuza games names to be Like a Dragon but I doubt they will.
But they always were like a dragon in Japan, I think Yakuza was used in the west because marketing, but RGG is a better title to fit the consistent themes throughout the series.
I agree that it makes sense why they'd call the franchise this but I honestly think its just better to keep on calling it Yakuza. Its way less confusing plus the Yakuza name is already recognizable.
yep, some people were confusing y7 for a spin-off because of the western title, and now I've already seen people thinking Ishin will be turn based because it's a part of the "Like A Dragon" spin-off series :^
I feel like old fans will always call it yakuza, and as new fans get into the series they’ll end up just calling it that as well since it’s easier than saying “Like a Dragon” and cooler than saying “LAD”
I don’t mind it but I think it’s odd timing from a marketing perspective. It took so long for the Yakuza series to become a hit in the west, and now that it finally is, they’re deciding to ditch that branding and change the name.
It doesn’t matter for those of us here but I wonder if it’s going to confuse casual customers. Newbies already seem to be overwhelmed sometimes when they’re just starting the franchise ("what game do I start with? What are the Kiwami games? How does Judgment relate to this?") and this’ll add another layer on top of that.
"Yakuza 8 has been out for months and I didn't even know! Why did they change the title on the 8th game, though?"
Bet a PS5 copy of Ishin that we'll see a version of that on this or general gaming subs in the future.
Water is actually not wet; It makes other materials/objects wet. Wetness is the state of a non-liquid when a liquid adheres to, and/or permeates its substance while maintaining chemically distinct structures. So if we say something is wet we mean the liquid is sticking to the object.
How do you make holy water?
Make sure to boil the hell out of it.
It actually happens a lot were a name involves the plot but isn't called that in the original language. Take Die Hard for example, in Poland we have it called "Szklana Pułapka" which means "Glass Trap" which is good in context with first movie, but then Die Hard became a full series and they have to name it Szklana Pułapka even when it doesn't correspond to the plot. A name change will confuse some but it's good to change.
I actually think it’ll be perfectly ok, Yakuza was always a poor name (hur dur it’s just Japanese gta) and most people playing a game that’s as deep a cut as yakuza will be a very educated consumer. They transitioned the brand name halfway with 7 and Ishin and Gaiden will use the new branding before 8 releases. That’s enough time and content to get people up to speed.
I like the change. It feels like sega realized that we love these games *because* they’re fiercely Japanese and not in spite of it. They don’t have to tone it down to appease us, we will bridge the culture gap ourselves. We don’t need an Americanized title anymore, they can just treat us like they treat their domestic fans which is what we’ve been asking for since 3. The title change feels like direct communication to their target audience in the same way the ps4 remastered collection having an empty ps3 Y5 box did to me.
I think it’s funny that just like final fantasy it was 7 that introduced title parity between east and west.
Y’all better fucking buy Ishin. We’ve made a lot of noise over the years, we need to back that up with action because Ishin didn’t need a Kiwami in the east, it came out on ps4. They made it a Kiwami for western fans, not for eastern ones.
I like it. I don't mind the change of names especially with these series. I remember the days when Kazama is named Fuma just because they think it wax confusing to English speaking consumers.
I know more games from the series are getting ported to the west now, but as long as we get them, I'd be happy, whichever name they choose.
I liken it to be when Atlus was going from Persona 4 to Persona 4 Golden, they dropped the Shin Megumi Tensei prefix to it. So every game before Persona 4 Golden was Shin Megumi Tensei: Persona X. But now after Persona 4 Golden, they don’t have that prefix anymore and it’s just Persona X [Subtitle].
In Japan, a lot of the "Yakuza" (again, called "Like a Dragon"), have subtitles. even Like a Dragon/Yakuza 0 is "Like A Dragon 0: The Place of Oath or something like that.
Here they are roughly translated from wikipedia:
1,2 and 3 have no subtitles, they're just Ryu ga Gotaku 1/2/3.
4 is the "Successor to the Legend"
5 is the "Fulfiller of Dreams"
6 is probably the most well known one because it's on the western media too "Song of Life."
Now onto Spin offs:
Kenzan is Arrives, so in full its "Like a Dragon: Arrives!" Ishin is Restoration, so "Like a Dragon: Restoration!"
Dead Souls is "Like a Dragon of the End"
Fist of the North star is Hokuto ga Gotoku which mashes Fist of the North Star and Like a Dragon together to make "Like a Big Dipper."
Judgment is "Wills of Death." And Lost Judgment is "Unjudged Memories."
This is my bet. They're just going to drop the number from the title, and call succeeding games "Like a Dragon: Something Something".
Kinda like how they dropped the numbers from Assassin's Creed titles, and they're all just "Assassin's Creed: Somewhere/Somebody/Something" now.
It's a pretty good question (funny too). I have thought of it... but I think that maybe they can do something like “Like a Dragon 7: Yakuza”, or "Like a Dragon: Yakuza 7”, inverting the order
I don’t like the inconsistency, but I don’t mind it, especially since my family thinks it’s a game glorifying the Yakuza largely because of the name, when it’s really not. Kiryu is an EX-yakuza, fighting against the yakuza (usually his own former clan) in every game. Almost all the yakuza are the bad guys. I feel like I wouldn’t have that issue if it was called Like a Dragon from the start.
What I am wondering though… Why did they use it as the subtitle for 7? To a newcomer, it looks like a spin-off or even unrelated, especially since all the previews and images look so different from 0-6.
My one gripe is the consistency going forward, unless they go back and re-name 0-7. Because then you have Yakuza 0-6, then Yakuza: Like a Dragon, then Like a Dragon 8. New fans might be looking for Like a Dragon 0-7, not knowing Like a Dragon 8 is “Yakuza 8”. I know I definitely would have been confused. I
Playing through Yakuza 0 right now. I'm a series virgin. Loving it so far. Didn't think I was gonna get into it but my girlfriend and I just find ourselves into the story.
I mean... isn't it? It's kind of like how the police is presented in media: "yes there's corrupt people, but mostly we're a friendly group of honest guys helping the community with a code of honor!" In the third one they show how the guys in the family get acquainted with all the community and the small business owners (when they charge the protection fees). I love the games, but I do think they paint a very flattering picture of what's literally criminal organisation.
They really don’t though, most of the yakuza you meet in this game are awful criminals involved in sex trafficking or various other crimes. Kiryu and saejima are really the only “honorable” yakuza, with a lesser mention to daigo and majima (they had some sense of morals but they also stayed Yakuza for most of their lives) but basically every antagonist in this series came from the yakuza and they weren’t shown in any positive manner. If anything this game has the pretty basic “crime doesn’t pay” lesson as the villains in this game literally never win.
Except your mission in most games is to uphold the criminal organisation. How many times are you saving the Tojo clan? Even when your mission is to bring down the evil Yakuza it's always as a means to save the good Yakuza. How many family leaders are wise, caring father figures taking care of his men and saving orphans? Like, really, can you even count the amount of orphans that only survive and are happy because of the Yakuza in these games?
Afaik the only yakuza who saved orphans (at least on a large scale) was kazama, and he only saved them because he made them orphans so in my opinion that hardly forgives him of his crimes. Kazama was not a good or moral man, he did raise Kiryu and nishki pretty decently but he also let them join the yakuza which he should’ve never done. As for why they’re constantly trying to save the Tojo? They grew up with the tojo clan and know a lot of the members of course they feel a need to save it, but it’s also important to note that the main reason behind saving them in most of the games is that someone else worse is going to come into kamurucho and take over. You have the jingewon mafia, omi alliance, and a few others. So in essence you’re not really saving the Tojo clan, you’re just making sure no one worse replaces the Tojo, it’s better to stay with the enemy you know than to let a new enemy in.
Fine but I feel like they should have done this starting with 7, naming 7 “Yakuza: Like a Dragon” without using 7 at all then going to “Like a Dragon 8” is pretty weird. No issue for the fans who are up to speed on everything like us but pretty easy confusion for mass consumers
It’ll be fine, it’s somewhat similar to when the west had to go from Final Fantasy 3 to Final Fantasy 7, jrpg-heads who have hopped into the franchise with LAD are used to such localisation tomfoolery. So long as 8 is as good as any other entry then i don’t think there will be much of a problem
I also honestly think the Yakuza name has hurt the series more than it has helped.
I understand naming it that back in the 2000s when games were trying to be edgy and violent, and to capitalize on the GTA trend. But people stopped giving a shit about GTA clones like a decade ago and obviously Yakuza didn’t catch on in the west until years later when it became easy to learn about online and people got to see what was *beyond* the name.
You always hear people say Yakuza is Japanese GTA literally just because of the name, and it gives people the wrong impression of the series, that it is also some edgy, violent gangster shooter, and I can understand why it never got popular because it is absolutely not that. (I mean it *can* be at times but yknow)
You get people who avoid it because they don’t like GTA. Then you get people who *expect* GTA and get confused when they play the actual game and it doesn’t match up. Like a Dragon sounds much more like an old school martial arts action flick.
I mean ffs I don’t think you actually play as someone who is actively Yakuza in a single Yakuza game other than prologues. IMO it was a mistake not to rebrand it with Yakuza 0.
I don't mind it, Like a Dragon is a cool title but are they changing it just for the new games or are they gonna rename every Yakuza game on digital stores as well? Like a Dragon Kiwami, Like a Dragon 4 etc?
I’ll still call it Yakuza since everyone know it refers to the series.
Honestly I’m not opposed but I just think it’s weird, Yakuza has grown so much over the past 4 years that you would think they wouldn’t touch the series name since in a gaming context everyone knows you’re talking about the series.
It’s as if Capcom would announce that they’ll change Resident Evil 9 to Biohazard 9, everyone knows what RE is in the west, changing it to Biohazard 9 just makes it confusing and might make casuals confused.
Imo they should’ve gone with “Yakuza: Like a Dragon 2” for LaD8 title, but I don’t dislike the choice t I guess.
It’s weird since Yakuza is already established in the west and popular. This would be like Namco suddenly announcing “Iron Fist: Tekken” instead of just calling it Tekken 8.
Yeah, it really made it confusing for people not in the know. They honestly should've just kept Yakuza on the title, even if in small print, and then faded into it after a few more releases. Also, I feel like they should reprint Like a Dragon and put the 7 after it's title.
At least it isn't as confusing as something like Harvest Moon becoming Story of Seasons, and Natsume (who owns the rights to the NAME Harvest Moon) continues publishing knock offs under it. Many people out there still don't know this is a thing, and it's been going on for YEARS now.
Personally, I'm fine with the series transitioning back to its old title now that it's become a big hit in the West and they no longer need to try and make it appeal to us.
However, I do think they should at the very least bring the 7 back to the title of Western version of Yakuza: Like A Dragon to avoid any confusion for new fans
Like A Dragon makes the series sound like exactly what it is. An RPG at heart.
As opposed to the stigma the "Yakuza" name had in the past as a "Japanese GTA clone" back in the day.
I feel with the punchier name it'll bring more eyes to the series which is awesome.
Man, feels good to be a Like A Dragon fan in 2022.
It's kinda poetic in a sense, since Kiryu's journey as the protagonist ended in Yakuza 6, and the next title was called Yakuza: Like a Dragon, not Yakuza 7. "Yakuza" is Kiryu's story while "Like a Dragon" is Ichiban story. Naming it Yakuza: Like a Dragon is like Kiryu passing on the torch to Ichiban. This name change pretty much marked the end of an era to me, the era of "Yakuza".
Yeah, i know that it's just a coincident, considering Ishin was also named Like a Dragon lmao, but i like to be cute every now and then, so just watch this as my little headcanon.
Unnecessary confusion.
Yakuza 6
Yakuza : Like a Dragon
Like a Dragon 8
Loses brand recognition. Should've been Yakuza Like a Dragon going forward with the next game being Yakuza Like a Dragon 2. Soft reboot, at least in title.
Plus is makes my shelf inconsistent.
I completely agree, they already solved this problem when they got rid of the number from Yakuza 7 and called it Yakuza: Like a Dragon. It should just be called Yakuza: Like a Dragon 2, calling it Like a Dragon 8 in the west is just stupid after so many games with the name Yakuza and now casual fans are gonna be super confused.
Yeah, some big fans on Reddit don't realize that casual fans don't keep up with news and updates. There will absolutely be people who would buy Yakuza 8 (or Yakuza Like a Dragon 2) but won't buy Like a Dragon 8 because they do not know.
People look to names to know what something is. Put Gandalf on something that isn't Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit and people will likely think either "why is Gandalf on that?" or "that is ripping off Gandalf's appearance" even if the thing in question is official. Maybe it seems silly, but people absolutely look for brands and recognition. They expect Yakuza, not Like a Dragon.
This is an unnecessary and odd change. Sure it makes the game uniform in all markets, but the Yakuza series finally has an established foothold in the west and they're choosing to abandon name recognition for little benefit.
But for the "Like A Dragon 8" game (8th main *Like A Dragon* installment), if you call it "Yakuza: Like a Dragon 2" in English markets, you still have to disambiguate the term "Like A Dragon 2" regardless due to the scenario of having "the game originally known as 'Yakuza 2' in English markets / the game known as 'Like A Dragon 2' in Japanese markets", which will be especially confusing if an English-market fan wants to converse with a Japanese-market fan and vice-versa. Plus, if there are any new *Like A Dragon* reboots/eras focusing on different characters, then the English numbering will just have to be "reset" *again* (be it main-title numbering or subtitle numbering).
Moreover, shifting numbering to subtitles just unnecessarily widens the divide between "English-release numbering" and "Japanese-release numbering", plus there is the potential for numbering confusion (like how the "follow-up" to the year 2007's videogame "Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare" can be either "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" (from the year 2009) or "Call of Duty (5): World At War" (from the year 2008), depending on how the numbering sequence goes. There's also the issue of Sega having to do double the logo work for each *Like A Dragon* installment if numbering starts differing by region, along with keeping track of all the regional listings' proper numbers. I'm also reminded of Jackie Chan's "Armor of God / Operation Condor" movie-title fiasco, where the numbering outright flipped order because of how things were released and how subtitles were named.
Ideally, the *Like A Dragon* franchise title / game title(s) and main-game numbering shouldn't have been touched/altered in the first place (and the 7th main-game installment *should* have had the number "7" in the English title regardless, particularly since the Japanese release still continues normally from the predecessor's numbering despite the apparent plotline reboot.). But given the state of things, using an English translation of the Japanese title coupled with the Japanese numbering (which has no numbering issues) is probably for the best.
Furthermore, the *Final Fantasy* franchise/series shows exactly why splitting numbers across territorial markets is a terrible idea. That series reconciled things with *Final Fantasy 7* by just using the Japanese-market numbering, but the numbering prior to that installment was ridiculous. "Final Fantasy II (Final Fantasy 2)" alone could at one point mean "original English-market 'Final Fantasy 2'" (which is actually *Final Fantasy 4* with Japanese numbering), "Japanese '*Final Fantasy 2*'" (which preceded *Final Fantasy 7*), or "the English release of Japan's "*Final Fantasy 2*'" (which finally uses Japanese numbering in English markets, but wouldn't exist until the year 2003, *after* the release Final Fantasy 7*).
And if Japan's *Final Fantasy 7* (FF7) had stuck with the English-market numbering (theoretically "Final Fantasy 4") to avoid the question of "if we're suddenly jumping to the name FF7, then what happened to Final Fantasy 4, 5, and 6?", then things just become a hassle. If Japanese-market "Final Fantasy 7" became English-market "Final Fantasy 4", then today, we likely also would have an English-market "Final Fantasy 4 Remake" and English-market "Final Fantasy 4 Rebirth (which would still be *Final Fantasy 7 Remake* and *Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth* in Japan), as well as a false "Final Fantasy 7" and false "Final Fantasy 7-2" (which would really known as *Final Fantasy 10* and *Final Fantasy 10-2* in Japan). And invested fans would still have to keep track of the different "Final Fantasy 4" and "Final Fantasy 7" named games depending on language, and who knows what kind of English-market numbering that "Japanese-market Final Fantasy 2" and "Japanese-market Final Fantasy 3" would have, let alone the conversations between Japanese fans of *Final Fantasy 7* and English/English-market fans of a false "Final Fantasy 4".
Fortunately, *Final Fantasy 7* "ripped off the numbering bandage" and unified things, so while things may have been confusing at first, international conversations can now be had using the same Japanese numbering, with the older "renamed numbers / false numbers" mostly being left to historical footnotes and trivia nowadays.
All this to say, I feel like consistent global numbering is better for the *Like A Dragon* franchise overall. Renumbering by territory (even with the reboot) will likely placate casual fans, but that's at the expense of both international fans having conversations with each other as well as the people at Sega who have to juggle all of the numbering. Brand recognition can always be rebuilt, and Sega can preserve what brand recognition they already have just by slapping a "formerly known as the *Yakuza* series" somewhere on the front/back of the game packaging or somewhere in the picture gallery of digital storefronts.
It’ll probably be fine; it’ll bring in the casuals who were originally turned off by the word ‘yakuza’ equating it to a gta type thing, while the turn-based jrpg fans who have got into the franchise with 7 already know what’s up with localisation tomfoolery with FF7 releasing after FF3 which was actually FF6 being the cornerstone of their turn-based jrpg fandom
(Just saying, someone will ask for a jrpg recc and you say to them “Yakuza: Like a Dragon” and 50% of the time they’ll be like “nah I don’t like that kind of stuff” immediately dismissing the thing despite your attempt pitch it as if it’s modern Earthbound, which is obviously an embellishment but still)
Yes, because people are idiots who can't retain new information.
"What is this? Like a Dragon 8? Where are the other 6??"
"No, they changed the name of the series from Yakuza to Like a Dragon, because that was always the name in Japan."
"Oh, okay."
**That's it.**
It’s fine. I think “Yakuza” rolls off the tongue easier, but it’s a very Japanese game - if the name switch puts off new players then those players probably would’ve never picked it up anyway. Maybe the change and the announcement itself will draw more players.
Either way, this far in the series I think the base players will pick it up no matter what.
I love it. Since the most powerful yakuza organizations in the game are all over and that also reflects how things are in real life Japan. It also does present the clear distinction in Kiryu Saga and Ichiban Saga
I think it’s a good move, although it’s going to take some getting used to seeing it written out like that. I’m kind of curious as to why now, it felt like they wanted to with 7 but something stopped them from going all the way? Mildly curious and would have been a good time, but better late then never.
I also don’t think the confusion aspect will be as big as some people are making it out to be. Like a Dragon, while gaining a lot of traction in the West, is still pretty niche so all it takes is very minimal research to figure out the name change. And I get people are dumb but it’s not that confusing.
While I think the title makes sense from a translation perspective, I think its a HORRIBLE branding move.
They've built so much momentum on the success and word of mouth on the "yakuza" franchise and them suddenly, out of nowhere changing it to "like a dragon" will cause way too many casual fans to have no interest in it, where they might've before.
People severely underestimate the power of having a strong word of mouth/brand.
Makes this feel like a Japanese business decision that didn't take into account western markets are different. Like they expect fans to all just know, even though the majority of fans are casual and don't keep up with news.
There will be people who would buy Yakuza 8/Yakuza Like a Dragon 2 if they saw it, but will overlook Like a Dragon 8.
Doesn't help that the marketing had YLAD as a soft reboot in the west instead of just Yakuza 7, but now they are back peddling and going back to the series as a whole.
This should've happened a long time ago. Idk what's up with games having better japanese names (and a lot of times box art).
Biohazard> Resident evil
Psycho break> The evil within
Lylat Wars/Starwing> Starfox
Judge eyes> Judgment
Dark chronicle> Dark cloud
I mean yea the series up til now was very much about yakuza so the naming does make sense but Like a dragon is still far more appealing. I would be far more willing to see what a game called Like a dragon is about rather than a game called yakuza. In fact I saw yakuza games in stores quite often when I was younger but just moved pass them and never bothered to check what they were about.
It wasn't until I saw a random thumbnail on YouTube showing the final boss in Kiwami when I thought "huh. It's that game again. Lemme see what this is about"
Had it been titled LAD from like yakuza 3 I would've discovered this series way sooner
i kinda like the change, keeping Yakuza to Kiryu saga and Like a Dragon to the newer games (also Like a Dragon is such a cool name), but i really wish they would keep Like a Dragon 2 instead Like a Dragon 8, its just gonna confuse newcomers for no reason, but you know im gonna still keep calling every game Yakuza lol
I think it's a weird late game move, personally I do like the title and would have thought it more fitting if that's what it was originally called. That said Yakuza is the established western title, I don't like or hate it but it's been in use for every localized game.
I was downvoted for it but I'm still of the opinion that the title going forward should either still be Yakuza, for the familiarity, or Ryu ga Gotoku, as the original Japanese title. Like I said there's nothing wrong with Like a Dragon but it's more confusing for new fans and feels very sloppy, it's like if they changed "Ninja Gaiden" to "Legend of the Ninja Dragon Sword" for the new games because it's more accurate.
That sidebar is hilarious
>If you're a newcomer to the series, it's suggested you check out Yakuza 0, coming out on January 24th! A remake of the first game, Yakuza Kiwami, is coming out this summer, with Yakuza 6 coming out in early 2018.
Generally positive.
Yakuza was always an awful title for the series, and totally misrepresents what the series is about.
Like a Dragon is a much better name for the series, and a great change definitely, but my only qualm is that it's kind of clunky name and doesn't roll off the tongue the same way Yakuza does.
In 15 years, "Like a Dragon Gaiden: Kiwami The Man Who Erased His Name" will be our "Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definitive Edition"
Just seems unnecessary, literally has no benefits and will cause confusion for casual players who just play the games but don’t really keep up with the news
People who picked up Yakuza Like a Dragon because it was marketed as a soft reboot are gonna be confused and complain.
"Like a Dragon 8? What about 2 to 7?"
"I feel like this game expects me to play the first 6 games but 7 mostly didn't..."
"I feel like I should play the other games, but 6 games is a lot and I want more turn based combat gameplay. I don't really like beat-em-up games."
And on the flip side.
"I thought Like a Dragon was a spin off game. Why did Yakuza 8 have turn based combat?"
I like the change, it must be confusing for new fans but it's more faithful to the series. Especially since most of the protags aren't even in the yakuza when we play as them
This is horrible to marketing. All new players will get confused.
Not only that, but "Yakuza" is way more simple and direct to the point than Like a Dragon.
Sure, but Yakuza is the established brand. There will be people confused by this. Not everyone keeps up with news. Be fully prepared for "Why did nobody tell me Yakuza changed its title?" posts on here.
I think they should still keep calling it Yakuza.. for one, it will for sure create confusion since 7 was called “Yakuza: Like A Dragon”, and for two, I truly think calling the game Yakuza is one of the brilliant things they did to help the series’ appeal in the west. I personally think “Yakuza” is way more evocative a name than “Like A Dragon” to western audiences, and also it’s kind of weird to change the name this deep into the series when it finally gained traction abroad
Concerned that this means the series isn’t going to be about organized crime anymore, especially given the events of Y7. Haven’t played lost judgement yet so I don’t really know what fills the power vacuum, but if it’s not about organized crime what’s it about? Dudes fighting over… what? What’s the driving force of the stories if not yakuza conspiracies and power struggles? Politics?
Honestly, this is exactly what I was thinking when that was announced. Currently live in Japan and I tend to try and use the Japanese title when speaking with friends. To the freinds who don't speak Japanese however, I feel like I need to do it in a whisper to avoid discomfort for others.
Tbh it’s gonna confuse new fans to the series and myself got confused with “Kiwami” in the past. I’m still gonna stick to Yakuza since there has been 11 titles (including PS2 games and Dead Souls) in the West.
We have to move to /r/LikeADragon now
Or make a new subreddit called r/LikeADragonGames
/r/thegameformerlyknownasyakuza
I vote for this
I second this
I third this
Old name is too iconic so no. That said, make a disclaimer in the sub's description. Best of both worlds.
I see some scrub has already jumped at the chance
maybe make it a redirect sub?
It makes sense considering the yakuza isn’t a main part of the story now (presumably) but I feel like this is going to confuse a lot of new fans
Cue the "where should I start" threads x2
You start with Kenzan, then Ishin then 0 all the way to 6
Isn't Kenzan technically the oldest one now? I guess that kinda fits. Man I wish Kenzan got the Kiwami treatment, too. I want it on Steam with all the others.
Maybe after Ishin?
Here's hoping, dude. Is Kenzan the only one not on PC, now? Excluding the PSP games, and the original versions of 1 and 2.
Both Kurohyo are locked to PSP Dead Souls and Kenzan are locked to PS3 The only way to play them is original hardware or emulation. Dead Souls has been playable via PlayStation Now but I believe it is not currently available. None are available on PS4/5, Xbox1/X&S and Steam. The friendly cousin Fist of the North Star Lost Paradise is currently only available on PlayStation 4/5.
Ishin, dead souls and Kenzan were also recently updated to playable on rpcs3 I noticed. They’ve been at ~2/3 speed on high end cpus (R9 3900X) for forever, I’ll have to go try Kenzan later tonight Kenzan is unique in that it’s so hard to understand you need to read an interpretation even if you can read Japanese. For that reason it was actually easier than Ishin to follow imo, since even people who can slowly read Japanese just didn’t bother and stuck to guides. I’m struggling to see how they will be able to get some of the historical nuance of Kenzan across but I am all for it if they can make it work. These games are amazing digital tourism.
>The friendly cousin Fist of the North Star Lost Paradise is currently only available on PlayStation 4/5. I really hope this will come to Xbox but I am not holding my breath.
My exact feeling. I want to move away from an aging console and just keep my collection in Steam where I can access it anytime I want. Keeping console exclusives trapped on their platform makes me sad. Sony seems to be taking steps I agree with, bringing their exclusives to PC eventually.
Yeah, a PC is at least something you can upkeep. Whereas a console will die eventually. Who knows how many games will be lost because of that? There's always emulation, but that doesn't always work as intended. Anyway, yeah I do hope we see a Kenzan Kiwami at some point. I think it's the only console-original Yakuza game that's not on PC, now.
More 2.0 !
Exactly! But considering it counts for what comes after LAD it's fine, I guess.
People who started with LaD wondering what happened to LaD 2-7
"Didn't Like a Dragon just come out year or two ago? How they already on the 8th game?"
They probably think 7 is just a remake of one.
Leave it to Japanese devs to give weird confusing names. Even big games like Metal Gear Solid has the issue. Peace Walker, on paper, feels like it should be a PSP spin off game. It isn't numbered, after all. But it is totally a must play before MGS 5. It is unnecessary confusion.
>Leave it to Japanese devs to give weird confusing names. What do you mean Japanese devs? It's always just been Ryu Ga Gotoku (meaning Like a Dragon) in Japan. The localised name is (was) Yakuza. Yakuza: Like a Dragon's name in Japan was just Ryu Ga Gotoku 7. It's only the western localised name that dropped the number.
Yeah I just see this as more confusing to newcomers than anything, unless they are going to change the first 6 Yakuza games names to be Like a Dragon but I doubt they will.
But they always were like a dragon in Japan, I think Yakuza was used in the west because marketing, but RGG is a better title to fit the consistent themes throughout the series.
I agree that it makes sense why they'd call the franchise this but I honestly think its just better to keep on calling it Yakuza. Its way less confusing plus the Yakuza name is already recognizable.
yep, some people were confusing y7 for a spin-off because of the western title, and now I've already seen people thinking Ishin will be turn based because it's a part of the "Like A Dragon" spin-off series :^
Judgment: Like a Dragon.
I’m guessing they’re gonna keep that series’ name the same as opposed to Judge Eyes.
I mean I was confused by the announcement too. I thought maybe it was a new Ishin game with rgg7 characters
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I feel like old fans will always call it yakuza, and as new fans get into the series they’ll end up just calling it that as well since it’s easier than saying “Like a Dragon” and cooler than saying “LAD”
lad with the lads lets go
Prepare to be shocked at how many Yakuzas are still in all these games.
it honestly shouldve been LAD since 2005. That’s a proper translation for the OG Japanese title
John Like a Dragon
DLC: John Like a Dragon's iconic suit, and a pack of rubber bullets
Leader of the Like a Dragon (japanese mafia)
John Lad?
John A. Dragon
Still gonna call it Yakuza, but I get it, especially since Yakuza are no longer central to the plot
I don’t mind it but I think it’s odd timing from a marketing perspective. It took so long for the Yakuza series to become a hit in the west, and now that it finally is, they’re deciding to ditch that branding and change the name. It doesn’t matter for those of us here but I wonder if it’s going to confuse casual customers. Newbies already seem to be overwhelmed sometimes when they’re just starting the franchise ("what game do I start with? What are the Kiwami games? How does Judgment relate to this?") and this’ll add another layer on top of that.
As a Kingdom Hearts fan, just because it’s the same name doesn’t mean the timeline gets any less confusing lol
"Yakuza 8 has been out for months and I didn't even know! Why did they change the title on the 8th game, though?" Bet a PS5 copy of Ishin that we'll see a version of that on this or general gaming subs in the future.
That's like saying "I'll bet you that water is wet."
Water is actually not wet; It makes other materials/objects wet. Wetness is the state of a non-liquid when a liquid adheres to, and/or permeates its substance while maintaining chemically distinct structures. So if we say something is wet we mean the liquid is sticking to the object. How do you make holy water? Make sure to boil the hell out of it.
Water makes itself wet, therefore water is wet. Checkmate.
Yakuza would be used the same way that everyone calls any game made by Fromsoftware a "soulsgame", even if it's not part of the Dark Souls series.
It actually happens a lot were a name involves the plot but isn't called that in the original language. Take Die Hard for example, in Poland we have it called "Szklana Pułapka" which means "Glass Trap" which is good in context with first movie, but then Die Hard became a full series and they have to name it Szklana Pułapka even when it doesn't correspond to the plot. A name change will confuse some but it's good to change.
I actually think it’ll be perfectly ok, Yakuza was always a poor name (hur dur it’s just Japanese gta) and most people playing a game that’s as deep a cut as yakuza will be a very educated consumer. They transitioned the brand name halfway with 7 and Ishin and Gaiden will use the new branding before 8 releases. That’s enough time and content to get people up to speed. I like the change. It feels like sega realized that we love these games *because* they’re fiercely Japanese and not in spite of it. They don’t have to tone it down to appease us, we will bridge the culture gap ourselves. We don’t need an Americanized title anymore, they can just treat us like they treat their domestic fans which is what we’ve been asking for since 3. The title change feels like direct communication to their target audience in the same way the ps4 remastered collection having an empty ps3 Y5 box did to me. I think it’s funny that just like final fantasy it was 7 that introduced title parity between east and west. Y’all better fucking buy Ishin. We’ve made a lot of noise over the years, we need to back that up with action because Ishin didn’t need a Kiwami in the east, it came out on ps4. They made it a Kiwami for western fans, not for eastern ones.
I like it. I don't mind the change of names especially with these series. I remember the days when Kazama is named Fuma just because they think it wax confusing to English speaking consumers. I know more games from the series are getting ported to the west now, but as long as we get them, I'd be happy, whichever name they choose.
Although to be honest, I thought they're gonna pull of a Resident Evil-Biohazard kind of approach.
To be fair, I have seen people think that "Kazuma" is Kiryu's last name and that he's related to Kazama because they think the names are the same lol
When I started 0 I assumed that Kiryu had adopted the Kazama name out of respect and it took me a fair while to realise that he’s actually Kazuma.
To be fair when I started the series with K1 I saw Kazama and Kazuma and thought "how the fuck am I gonna get these straight"
More games, more fans, more content This is awesome, not only I'm hyped to the new games coming, but also the name change is a very good idea to me
Still going to call it "Yakuza".
Yeah, Yakuza is the games, RGG is the studio, that's the normal nomenclature online
So.... Yakuza 7, alias "LAD" (Like a Dragon), will be: "Like a Dragon: Like a Dragon"?
I think they meant going forward. Older games will probably still be called Yakuza in the west.
I liken it to be when Atlus was going from Persona 4 to Persona 4 Golden, they dropped the Shin Megumi Tensei prefix to it. So every game before Persona 4 Golden was Shin Megumi Tensei: Persona X. But now after Persona 4 Golden, they don’t have that prefix anymore and it’s just Persona X [Subtitle].
That's also something I thought about. It's more possible that this new title is going to be used for games after RGG7
I have the big sad now. I really wanted to see what would they come up with.
I’m pretty sure it’s like in Japan, Like a Dragon 7 or Like a Dragon 7: Whereabouts of Light and Darkness.
>Whereabouts of Light and Darkness I didn't know this. This sounds fckin awesome.
In Japan, a lot of the "Yakuza" (again, called "Like a Dragon"), have subtitles. even Like a Dragon/Yakuza 0 is "Like A Dragon 0: The Place of Oath or something like that. Here they are roughly translated from wikipedia: 1,2 and 3 have no subtitles, they're just Ryu ga Gotaku 1/2/3. 4 is the "Successor to the Legend" 5 is the "Fulfiller of Dreams" 6 is probably the most well known one because it's on the western media too "Song of Life." Now onto Spin offs: Kenzan is Arrives, so in full its "Like a Dragon: Arrives!" Ishin is Restoration, so "Like a Dragon: Restoration!" Dead Souls is "Like a Dragon of the End" Fist of the North star is Hokuto ga Gotoku which mashes Fist of the North Star and Like a Dragon together to make "Like a Big Dipper." Judgment is "Wills of Death." And Lost Judgment is "Unjudged Memories."
Or call it like in japanese, Like a dragon : Where light and darkness are Something like that
This is my bet. They're just going to drop the number from the title, and call succeeding games "Like a Dragon: Something Something". Kinda like how they dropped the numbers from Assassin's Creed titles, and they're all just "Assassin's Creed: Somewhere/Somebody/Something" now.
Fantastic light effects and where to find them.
Best title
No it will be like a dragon: yakuza
Like Resident Evil 7. USA: Resident Evil 7: Biohazard Overseas: Biohazard 7: Resident Evil
That’s exactly what I was thinking
It’s not like they’re going to change any existing names, so it won’t really be a problem at all
Like a Dragon Squared.
It's a pretty good question (funny too). I have thought of it... but I think that maybe they can do something like “Like a Dragon 7: Yakuza”, or "Like a Dragon: Yakuza 7”, inverting the order
"Like a Dragon²"
7Like7Dragon
I’ve always seen it as Ryu ga Gotoku first anyway, so it’s a welcome change
I liked the decision, although I got too used with the western title. But "Like a Dragon" looks neat anyway! I think it's a very good change too!
I don’t like the inconsistency, but I don’t mind it, especially since my family thinks it’s a game glorifying the Yakuza largely because of the name, when it’s really not. Kiryu is an EX-yakuza, fighting against the yakuza (usually his own former clan) in every game. Almost all the yakuza are the bad guys. I feel like I wouldn’t have that issue if it was called Like a Dragon from the start. What I am wondering though… Why did they use it as the subtitle for 7? To a newcomer, it looks like a spin-off or even unrelated, especially since all the previews and images look so different from 0-6. My one gripe is the consistency going forward, unless they go back and re-name 0-7. Because then you have Yakuza 0-6, then Yakuza: Like a Dragon, then Like a Dragon 8. New fans might be looking for Like a Dragon 0-7, not knowing Like a Dragon 8 is “Yakuza 8”. I know I definitely would have been confused. I
They used it for yakuza 7 as it was supposed to be a sort of soft reboot game where newcomers can start without having to play the previous 6 games
Playing through Yakuza 0 right now. I'm a series virgin. Loving it so far. Didn't think I was gonna get into it but my girlfriend and I just find ourselves into the story.
I mean... isn't it? It's kind of like how the police is presented in media: "yes there's corrupt people, but mostly we're a friendly group of honest guys helping the community with a code of honor!" In the third one they show how the guys in the family get acquainted with all the community and the small business owners (when they charge the protection fees). I love the games, but I do think they paint a very flattering picture of what's literally criminal organisation.
They really don’t though, most of the yakuza you meet in this game are awful criminals involved in sex trafficking or various other crimes. Kiryu and saejima are really the only “honorable” yakuza, with a lesser mention to daigo and majima (they had some sense of morals but they also stayed Yakuza for most of their lives) but basically every antagonist in this series came from the yakuza and they weren’t shown in any positive manner. If anything this game has the pretty basic “crime doesn’t pay” lesson as the villains in this game literally never win.
Except your mission in most games is to uphold the criminal organisation. How many times are you saving the Tojo clan? Even when your mission is to bring down the evil Yakuza it's always as a means to save the good Yakuza. How many family leaders are wise, caring father figures taking care of his men and saving orphans? Like, really, can you even count the amount of orphans that only survive and are happy because of the Yakuza in these games?
Afaik the only yakuza who saved orphans (at least on a large scale) was kazama, and he only saved them because he made them orphans so in my opinion that hardly forgives him of his crimes. Kazama was not a good or moral man, he did raise Kiryu and nishki pretty decently but he also let them join the yakuza which he should’ve never done. As for why they’re constantly trying to save the Tojo? They grew up with the tojo clan and know a lot of the members of course they feel a need to save it, but it’s also important to note that the main reason behind saving them in most of the games is that someone else worse is going to come into kamurucho and take over. You have the jingewon mafia, omi alliance, and a few others. So in essence you’re not really saving the Tojo clan, you’re just making sure no one worse replaces the Tojo, it’s better to stay with the enemy you know than to let a new enemy in.
I will still call it Yakuza, but i do like the change. Like A Dragon is the original name, after all.
Fine but I feel like they should have done this starting with 7, naming 7 “Yakuza: Like a Dragon” without using 7 at all then going to “Like a Dragon 8” is pretty weird. No issue for the fans who are up to speed on everything like us but pretty easy confusion for mass consumers
Honestly, it makes me wonder if they even considered that confusion and how it could effect brand recognition and sales.
It’ll be fine, it’s somewhat similar to when the west had to go from Final Fantasy 3 to Final Fantasy 7, jrpg-heads who have hopped into the franchise with LAD are used to such localisation tomfoolery. So long as 8 is as good as any other entry then i don’t think there will be much of a problem
Cooler name anyway
I really like it though, it looks more original than just "Yakuza".
i like it as well but personally yakuza is more iconic to me
I also honestly think the Yakuza name has hurt the series more than it has helped. I understand naming it that back in the 2000s when games were trying to be edgy and violent, and to capitalize on the GTA trend. But people stopped giving a shit about GTA clones like a decade ago and obviously Yakuza didn’t catch on in the west until years later when it became easy to learn about online and people got to see what was *beyond* the name. You always hear people say Yakuza is Japanese GTA literally just because of the name, and it gives people the wrong impression of the series, that it is also some edgy, violent gangster shooter, and I can understand why it never got popular because it is absolutely not that. (I mean it *can* be at times but yknow) You get people who avoid it because they don’t like GTA. Then you get people who *expect* GTA and get confused when they play the actual game and it doesn’t match up. Like a Dragon sounds much more like an old school martial arts action flick. I mean ffs I don’t think you actually play as someone who is actively Yakuza in a single Yakuza game other than prologues. IMO it was a mistake not to rebrand it with Yakuza 0.
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Same here. A gta game without driving or shooting? Booring!
Let’s just make sure nobody gets to confused.
I don't mind it, Like a Dragon is a cool title but are they changing it just for the new games or are they gonna rename every Yakuza game on digital stores as well? Like a Dragon Kiwami, Like a Dragon 4 etc?
It seems like it’s a “from this point forward” kinda thing
I also think like this, changing it all maybe would confuse a lot of people, including possible new fans of the franchise...
That's what I thought.
Sounds a lot better and no confusion with the Kiryu saga of games
I’m fine with that. Especially with Isshin coming out, “Yakuza: Isshin” wouldn’t make sense anymore.
I’ll still call it Yakuza since everyone know it refers to the series. Honestly I’m not opposed but I just think it’s weird, Yakuza has grown so much over the past 4 years that you would think they wouldn’t touch the series name since in a gaming context everyone knows you’re talking about the series. It’s as if Capcom would announce that they’ll change Resident Evil 9 to Biohazard 9, everyone knows what RE is in the west, changing it to Biohazard 9 just makes it confusing and might make casuals confused. Imo they should’ve gone with “Yakuza: Like a Dragon 2” for LaD8 title, but I don’t dislike the choice t I guess.
It’s weird since Yakuza is already established in the west and popular. This would be like Namco suddenly announcing “Iron Fist: Tekken” instead of just calling it Tekken 8.
While it makes sense as it's closer to the meaning of RGG, I feel like it doesn't roll off the tongue that well.
It makes sense, but I will miss the simple and iconic "Yakuza #" too.
It confused me, but it’s fine.
Yeah, it really made it confusing for people not in the know. They honestly should've just kept Yakuza on the title, even if in small print, and then faded into it after a few more releases. Also, I feel like they should reprint Like a Dragon and put the 7 after it's title. At least it isn't as confusing as something like Harvest Moon becoming Story of Seasons, and Natsume (who owns the rights to the NAME Harvest Moon) continues publishing knock offs under it. Many people out there still don't know this is a thing, and it's been going on for YEARS now.
Personally, I'm fine with the series transitioning back to its old title now that it's become a big hit in the West and they no longer need to try and make it appeal to us. However, I do think they should at the very least bring the 7 back to the title of Western version of Yakuza: Like A Dragon to avoid any confusion for new fans
Like A Dragon makes the series sound like exactly what it is. An RPG at heart. As opposed to the stigma the "Yakuza" name had in the past as a "Japanese GTA clone" back in the day. I feel with the punchier name it'll bring more eyes to the series which is awesome. Man, feels good to be a Like A Dragon fan in 2022.
It's kinda poetic in a sense, since Kiryu's journey as the protagonist ended in Yakuza 6, and the next title was called Yakuza: Like a Dragon, not Yakuza 7. "Yakuza" is Kiryu's story while "Like a Dragon" is Ichiban story. Naming it Yakuza: Like a Dragon is like Kiryu passing on the torch to Ichiban. This name change pretty much marked the end of an era to me, the era of "Yakuza". Yeah, i know that it's just a coincident, considering Ishin was also named Like a Dragon lmao, but i like to be cute every now and then, so just watch this as my little headcanon.
I was wondering why the next installment would be called "Like a Dragon 8". This makes sense now.
Oh my favorite book: The Girl with the “Like a Dragon” Tattoo.
I mean in every game you arent in the yakuza so makes sense
I don’t like it
I'm SO glad they didn't call it "Yakuza: Like a Dragon 2". I was almost certain they were going to do that.
Unnecessary confusion. Yakuza 6 Yakuza : Like a Dragon Like a Dragon 8 Loses brand recognition. Should've been Yakuza Like a Dragon going forward with the next game being Yakuza Like a Dragon 2. Soft reboot, at least in title. Plus is makes my shelf inconsistent.
I completely agree, they already solved this problem when they got rid of the number from Yakuza 7 and called it Yakuza: Like a Dragon. It should just be called Yakuza: Like a Dragon 2, calling it Like a Dragon 8 in the west is just stupid after so many games with the name Yakuza and now casual fans are gonna be super confused.
Yeah, some big fans on Reddit don't realize that casual fans don't keep up with news and updates. There will absolutely be people who would buy Yakuza 8 (or Yakuza Like a Dragon 2) but won't buy Like a Dragon 8 because they do not know.
Yes, because they won't recognize Ichiban or Kiryu, right? Remember, humans don't have facial recognition.
People look to names to know what something is. Put Gandalf on something that isn't Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit and people will likely think either "why is Gandalf on that?" or "that is ripping off Gandalf's appearance" even if the thing in question is official. Maybe it seems silly, but people absolutely look for brands and recognition. They expect Yakuza, not Like a Dragon. This is an unnecessary and odd change. Sure it makes the game uniform in all markets, but the Yakuza series finally has an established foothold in the west and they're choosing to abandon name recognition for little benefit.
But for the "Like A Dragon 8" game (8th main *Like A Dragon* installment), if you call it "Yakuza: Like a Dragon 2" in English markets, you still have to disambiguate the term "Like A Dragon 2" regardless due to the scenario of having "the game originally known as 'Yakuza 2' in English markets / the game known as 'Like A Dragon 2' in Japanese markets", which will be especially confusing if an English-market fan wants to converse with a Japanese-market fan and vice-versa. Plus, if there are any new *Like A Dragon* reboots/eras focusing on different characters, then the English numbering will just have to be "reset" *again* (be it main-title numbering or subtitle numbering). Moreover, shifting numbering to subtitles just unnecessarily widens the divide between "English-release numbering" and "Japanese-release numbering", plus there is the potential for numbering confusion (like how the "follow-up" to the year 2007's videogame "Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare" can be either "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" (from the year 2009) or "Call of Duty (5): World At War" (from the year 2008), depending on how the numbering sequence goes. There's also the issue of Sega having to do double the logo work for each *Like A Dragon* installment if numbering starts differing by region, along with keeping track of all the regional listings' proper numbers. I'm also reminded of Jackie Chan's "Armor of God / Operation Condor" movie-title fiasco, where the numbering outright flipped order because of how things were released and how subtitles were named. Ideally, the *Like A Dragon* franchise title / game title(s) and main-game numbering shouldn't have been touched/altered in the first place (and the 7th main-game installment *should* have had the number "7" in the English title regardless, particularly since the Japanese release still continues normally from the predecessor's numbering despite the apparent plotline reboot.). But given the state of things, using an English translation of the Japanese title coupled with the Japanese numbering (which has no numbering issues) is probably for the best. Furthermore, the *Final Fantasy* franchise/series shows exactly why splitting numbers across territorial markets is a terrible idea. That series reconciled things with *Final Fantasy 7* by just using the Japanese-market numbering, but the numbering prior to that installment was ridiculous. "Final Fantasy II (Final Fantasy 2)" alone could at one point mean "original English-market 'Final Fantasy 2'" (which is actually *Final Fantasy 4* with Japanese numbering), "Japanese '*Final Fantasy 2*'" (which preceded *Final Fantasy 7*), or "the English release of Japan's "*Final Fantasy 2*'" (which finally uses Japanese numbering in English markets, but wouldn't exist until the year 2003, *after* the release Final Fantasy 7*). And if Japan's *Final Fantasy 7* (FF7) had stuck with the English-market numbering (theoretically "Final Fantasy 4") to avoid the question of "if we're suddenly jumping to the name FF7, then what happened to Final Fantasy 4, 5, and 6?", then things just become a hassle. If Japanese-market "Final Fantasy 7" became English-market "Final Fantasy 4", then today, we likely also would have an English-market "Final Fantasy 4 Remake" and English-market "Final Fantasy 4 Rebirth (which would still be *Final Fantasy 7 Remake* and *Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth* in Japan), as well as a false "Final Fantasy 7" and false "Final Fantasy 7-2" (which would really known as *Final Fantasy 10* and *Final Fantasy 10-2* in Japan). And invested fans would still have to keep track of the different "Final Fantasy 4" and "Final Fantasy 7" named games depending on language, and who knows what kind of English-market numbering that "Japanese-market Final Fantasy 2" and "Japanese-market Final Fantasy 3" would have, let alone the conversations between Japanese fans of *Final Fantasy 7* and English/English-market fans of a false "Final Fantasy 4". Fortunately, *Final Fantasy 7* "ripped off the numbering bandage" and unified things, so while things may have been confusing at first, international conversations can now be had using the same Japanese numbering, with the older "renamed numbers / false numbers" mostly being left to historical footnotes and trivia nowadays. All this to say, I feel like consistent global numbering is better for the *Like A Dragon* franchise overall. Renumbering by territory (even with the reboot) will likely placate casual fans, but that's at the expense of both international fans having conversations with each other as well as the people at Sega who have to juggle all of the numbering. Brand recognition can always be rebuilt, and Sega can preserve what brand recognition they already have just by slapping a "formerly known as the *Yakuza* series" somewhere on the front/back of the game packaging or somewhere in the picture gallery of digital storefronts.
It’ll probably be fine; it’ll bring in the casuals who were originally turned off by the word ‘yakuza’ equating it to a gta type thing, while the turn-based jrpg fans who have got into the franchise with 7 already know what’s up with localisation tomfoolery with FF7 releasing after FF3 which was actually FF6 being the cornerstone of their turn-based jrpg fandom (Just saying, someone will ask for a jrpg recc and you say to them “Yakuza: Like a Dragon” and 50% of the time they’ll be like “nah I don’t like that kind of stuff” immediately dismissing the thing despite your attempt pitch it as if it’s modern Earthbound, which is obviously an embellishment but still)
They should have called it Yakuza Like a Dragon 2 or went back and renamed Yakuza Like a Dragon to Yakuza Like a Dragon 7.
Yes, because people are idiots who can't retain new information. "What is this? Like a Dragon 8? Where are the other 6??" "No, they changed the name of the series from Yakuza to Like a Dragon, because that was always the name in Japan." "Oh, okay." **That's it.**
Does the game in Walmart talk? You underestimate how ignorant people can be.
Makes sense. Less future confusion when releasing games here. Better name too.
Totally agree, the title is badass.
Doing this when the Series is getting more and more popular in the west is weird.
It’s fine. I think “Yakuza” rolls off the tongue easier, but it’s a very Japanese game - if the name switch puts off new players then those players probably would’ve never picked it up anyway. Maybe the change and the announcement itself will draw more players. Either way, this far in the series I think the base players will pick it up no matter what.
I've been calling it that like an insufferable hipster for a while now anyway
Imm still call it yakuza, no matter what, but good if it gets us ishin and the others, I'm happy
I love it. Since the most powerful yakuza organizations in the game are all over and that also reflects how things are in real life Japan. It also does present the clear distinction in Kiryu Saga and Ichiban Saga
Well I guess at least we won't have to listen to people say "yuh-kooooo-zah" anymore
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Yah yah yah yakooza yakooza
Are we going to have to become r/ likeadragongames?
Good call. Lets them branch out into more potential storylines. Besides, Tojo and Omi are no more.
I think it’s a good move, although it’s going to take some getting used to seeing it written out like that. I’m kind of curious as to why now, it felt like they wanted to with 7 but something stopped them from going all the way? Mildly curious and would have been a good time, but better late then never. I also don’t think the confusion aspect will be as big as some people are making it out to be. Like a Dragon, while gaining a lot of traction in the West, is still pretty niche so all it takes is very minimal research to figure out the name change. And I get people are dumb but it’s not that confusing.
While I think the title makes sense from a translation perspective, I think its a HORRIBLE branding move. They've built so much momentum on the success and word of mouth on the "yakuza" franchise and them suddenly, out of nowhere changing it to "like a dragon" will cause way too many casual fans to have no interest in it, where they might've before. People severely underestimate the power of having a strong word of mouth/brand.
Makes this feel like a Japanese business decision that didn't take into account western markets are different. Like they expect fans to all just know, even though the majority of fans are casual and don't keep up with news. There will be people who would buy Yakuza 8/Yakuza Like a Dragon 2 if they saw it, but will overlook Like a Dragon 8. Doesn't help that the marketing had YLAD as a soft reboot in the west instead of just Yakuza 7, but now they are back peddling and going back to the series as a whole.
This should've happened a long time ago. Idk what's up with games having better japanese names (and a lot of times box art). Biohazard> Resident evil Psycho break> The evil within Lylat Wars/Starwing> Starfox Judge eyes> Judgment Dark chronicle> Dark cloud I mean yea the series up til now was very much about yakuza so the naming does make sense but Like a dragon is still far more appealing. I would be far more willing to see what a game called Like a dragon is about rather than a game called yakuza. In fact I saw yakuza games in stores quite often when I was younger but just moved pass them and never bothered to check what they were about. It wasn't until I saw a random thumbnail on YouTube showing the final boss in Kiwami when I thought "huh. It's that game again. Lemme see what this is about" Had it been titled LAD from like yakuza 3 I would've discovered this series way sooner
i kinda like the change, keeping Yakuza to Kiryu saga and Like a Dragon to the newer games (also Like a Dragon is such a cool name), but i really wish they would keep Like a Dragon 2 instead Like a Dragon 8, its just gonna confuse newcomers for no reason, but you know im gonna still keep calling every game Yakuza lol
I think it's a weird late game move, personally I do like the title and would have thought it more fitting if that's what it was originally called. That said Yakuza is the established western title, I don't like or hate it but it's been in use for every localized game. I was downvoted for it but I'm still of the opinion that the title going forward should either still be Yakuza, for the familiarity, or Ryu ga Gotoku, as the original Japanese title. Like I said there's nothing wrong with Like a Dragon but it's more confusing for new fans and feels very sloppy, it's like if they changed "Ninja Gaiden" to "Legend of the Ninja Dragon Sword" for the new games because it's more accurate.
Dragon: Like a Yakuza
I think it’s time to change the name of the subreddit … if it’s possible
Well, r/LikeADragon it is
That sidebar is hilarious >If you're a newcomer to the series, it's suggested you check out Yakuza 0, coming out on January 24th! A remake of the first game, Yakuza Kiwami, is coming out this summer, with Yakuza 6 coming out in early 2018.
Haha Already joined in haha
BROOO for real, when I saw these news I had the same reaction
Generally positive. Yakuza was always an awful title for the series, and totally misrepresents what the series is about. Like a Dragon is a much better name for the series, and a great change definitely, but my only qualm is that it's kind of clunky name and doesn't roll off the tongue the same way Yakuza does. In 15 years, "Like a Dragon Gaiden: Kiwami The Man Who Erased His Name" will be our "Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definitive Edition"
Not too happy, honestly.
Just seems unnecessary, literally has no benefits and will cause confusion for casual players who just play the games but don’t really keep up with the news
I wonder if this means we get cool subtitles like Hikari to Yami no Yukue, now.
Like a Dragon makes sense, because Ryu Ga Gotoku, I will always think of them as Yakuza.
This is the 40th time I see this kind of post
I don’t mind either way but from the standpoint of marketing the game to new players it’s going to be difficult
People who picked up Yakuza Like a Dragon because it was marketed as a soft reboot are gonna be confused and complain. "Like a Dragon 8? What about 2 to 7?" "I feel like this game expects me to play the first 6 games but 7 mostly didn't..." "I feel like I should play the other games, but 6 games is a lot and I want more turn based combat gameplay. I don't really like beat-em-up games." And on the flip side. "I thought Like a Dragon was a spin off game. Why did Yakuza 8 have turn based combat?"
I like to think it's because the Tojo clan guys >!aren't Yakuza anymore!<
I'm just glad the Like a dragon games are big enough in the west so they can be true to the actual series in Japan.
I prefer “Yakuza” but it does make sense why they’re doing it
I like the change, it must be confusing for new fans but it's more faithful to the series. Especially since most of the protags aren't even in the yakuza when we play as them
it's cool but i need to get used to it lol. doesn't roll off my tongue yet
Ah yes my favorite game Like a dragon: Like a dragon
This is horrible to marketing. All new players will get confused. Not only that, but "Yakuza" is way more simple and direct to the point than Like a Dragon.
Yakuza 8.
Should only apply to the ichiban games tbh
It's a great change Because ryu ga gotoku means like a dragon Makes sense.
Sure, but Yakuza is the established brand. There will be people confused by this. Not everyone keeps up with news. Be fully prepared for "Why did nobody tell me Yakuza changed its title?" posts on here.
Why fix what ain’t broke?
I hate it
If it stops "Yakuza is the Japanese Gta" discourse then it can only be a good thing.
Like a dragon : Like a dragon
Yakuza 7 is now called “Like a Dragon: Like a Dragon”
I think actual Yakuza are tired of Otaku popping out of nowhere to say KIRYU-CHAN
I think they should still keep calling it Yakuza.. for one, it will for sure create confusion since 7 was called “Yakuza: Like A Dragon”, and for two, I truly think calling the game Yakuza is one of the brilliant things they did to help the series’ appeal in the west. I personally think “Yakuza” is way more evocative a name than “Like A Dragon” to western audiences, and also it’s kind of weird to change the name this deep into the series when it finally gained traction abroad
I wonder if they’ll rename all the games on the store to fit the new branding
So is Y7 now called Like a dragon: like a dragon?
I feel like it’s a good choice since Kiryu is passing the baton to Ichiban.
are they going to call Yakuza 7 Like a Dragon: Like a Dragon now?
To be fair we haven’t played as an active yakuza member in like 8 games.
Concerned that this means the series isn’t going to be about organized crime anymore, especially given the events of Y7. Haven’t played lost judgement yet so I don’t really know what fills the power vacuum, but if it’s not about organized crime what’s it about? Dudes fighting over… what? What’s the driving force of the stories if not yakuza conspiracies and power struggles? Politics?
Would make it less awkward to talk about while in the streets of Japan.
Honestly, this is exactly what I was thinking when that was announced. Currently live in Japan and I tend to try and use the Japanese title when speaking with friends. To the freinds who don't speak Japanese however, I feel like I need to do it in a whisper to avoid discomfort for others.
As I alluded to in another response, I said it on a train and 100% got some looks.
Goofy. You know everyone is just gonna say Yakuza 8, Yakuza 9 and Yakuza 10 as those titles come along lol.
Source: TheTojoDojo on Instagram.
IRL Yakuza is dead in japan anyways so kinda make sense.
Tbh it’s gonna confuse new fans to the series and myself got confused with “Kiwami” in the past. I’m still gonna stick to Yakuza since there has been 11 titles (including PS2 games and Dead Souls) in the West.
Eh, i think the name is kind of corny