Sega has released their Integrated Report 2018, divulging a ton of financial details and sales on some of their biggest series. One of the biggest surprises out of the report, however, is that Yakuza 6: The Song of Life has sold just as many copies in the West as it has in Japan. This is a big first for the series, as Japanese sales have always been dominant for Yakuza, as it’s heavily steeped in Japanese culture. Here’s the exact wordage used in the report,
“In Yakuza 6: The Song of Life, although the main character is played by the legendary Yakuza and set in Tokyo and Hiroshima, it has sold as many copies overseas as it has in Japan. In the past, the Japanese market has generated the bulk of sales for these series, and although it has elements that are appealing to overseas. However, the game was not developed with European and U.S. markets in mind. Thanks to painstaking efforts to create a game that Japanese fans will appreciate, the title has become popular not only in Japan but also won over fans overseas who praise the refined game sense of the title. I believe this is why Yakuza 6: The Song of Life has become such a popular hit around the world.”
Sega also recently shared total sales numbers for many of their series, with Yakuza hitting approximately 11 million in total. It’s joined by Persona at roughly 9.3 million, Total War at roughly 22 million, and Sonic the Hedgehog at a whopping 800 million copies sold since the blue blur was introduced in 1991.
Yakuza has seen a huge spike in popularity over the last two years, starting with the introduction of Yakuza 0 in January 2017. Since then, in a short time span, we’ve seen the release of quite a few games by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio including, Yakuza Kiwami, Yakuza 6: The Song of Life, Yakuza Kiwami 2, and Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise. Yakuza 0 and Yakuza Kiwami have also seen release on PC via Steam. In our reviews we praised both Yakuza 6 and Yakuza Kiwami 2, giving both games a 4.5/5.
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life is currently available on PS4. If you’re looking to get into the Yakuza series, we have a handy guide with everything you need to know, including where to start and what to expect. You can also take a look at the next game from Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, Project Judge.
