Sega Initially Rejected Yakuza IP Pitch Over Concerns of Limited Appeal

Expert Verified By

Sega Feared Yakuza Would Fail Due To Lack of Interest From Children, Women, And Overseas Audiences!

Story Highlight
  • The Yakuza series first debuted in 2005, but Sega rejected two pitches from series creator Toshihiro Nagoshi.
  • He explained that the gaming giant wanted projects with mass appeal, and it thought Yakuza would not be popular among children or women.
  • Today, this series is among Sega’s biggest IPs.

The Yakuza franchise stands as one of Sega’s biggest IPs today, appealing to both Western and Japanese audiences.

Through an exciting blend of compelling stories, goofy side missions, and memorable characters, this franchise has only grown in popularity since its original debut nearly twenty years ago.

However, Sega did not immediately see this potential. As series creator Toshihiro Nagoshi recalls, the gaming giant initially rejected multiple pitches for this series, fearing it would not appeal to the masses.

Why it matters: This story highlights how various excellent ideas can often go to waste in the industry.

Yakuza 0 Released 8 Years Ago
Yakuza 0 Was Considered A Turning Point For The IP

According to Toshihiro Nagoshi, the Yakuza franchise was pitched to Sega when the studio was struggling with its games.

As a result, any future game would be greenlit based on its potential success. However, the Yakuza franchise would not immediately come to mind when considering a game with inherent mass appeal.

As reported by Automaton, Toshihiro Nagoshi confirmed that Sega was not impressed by his first pitch at all.

Of course, it was flat-out rejected. Children wouldn’t be able to play it, and it wasn’t catered to women nor overseas audiences.

-Toshihiro Nagoshi

The series creator then clarified that it wasn’t until the third pitch that Sega finally greenlit development. Looking back at this franchise, perhaps Sega’s concerns were well-placed.

The initial games were not the biggest hits in the West, and it wasn’t until the likes of the phenomenal Yakuza 0 and the more recent modern entries that Western audiences turned to this series for its unique qualities.

In 2024, Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth became this IP’s fastest-selling entry to date, contributing to the major success of Japanese games this year.

Yakuza has also become famous through meme culture today, and Kazuma Kiryu hardly needs an introduction. These elements have made the franchise a huge part of modern pop culture.

Ultimately, Sega made the right call, and Toshihiro Nagoshi deserves credit for not changing the game’s vision too drastically. Perhaps this series would not exist as we know it today if the developer had not been able to convince Sega two decades ago.

Was our article helpful? 👨‍💻

Thank you! Please share your positive feedback. 🔋

How could we improve this post? Please Help us. 😔

Gear Up For Latest News

Get exclusive gaming & tech news before it drops. Sign up today!

Join Our Community

Still having issues? Join the Tech4Gamers Forum for expert help and community support!

Latest News

Join Our Community

104,000FansLike
32,122FollowersFollow

Trending

Activision Dismisses Battlefield 6 Threat; Believes COD Is Too Big To Die

According to a new report, Activision doesn't consider Battlefield 6 as a threat because Call of Duty is too big to die.

Battlefield 6 Won’t Have A Server Browser As The Game Uses AI Bots To Populate Empty Matches

In a new interview, Battlefield 6 developers confirmed that the game will be using AI bots to populate servers that don't have enough players.

ARCTIC Expands P Pro Series With Powerful New P14 Pro Fans

ARCTIC introduces P14 Pro 140mm fans with quieter performance, high airflow, and up to 50% discounts. Ideal for custom PC builds.

Battlefield 6 To Get New Content More Frequently Than BF 2042, Teases Devs

Battlefield 6 developers have teased in an interview that it will get new content and seasonal events more frequently than Battlefield 2042.

Run AI Locally: Nvidia GeForce RTX with 16GB VRAM Makes It Possible

Thanks to the collaboration of Nvidia and OpenAI, you can now run AI locally if you have a Nvidia GeForce RTX or RTX Pro graphics card.