The build-up game Yakuza Empire sounds like a dream for players who like to organise virtual crime. However, there is a potential danger.
You know that meme where a guy makes a suggestion and gets thrown out the window in return? That”s the image I have in my head with Yakuza Empire. So mainly because the scene exists so similarly on Steam.
But also because games from publisher PlayWay follow a tough (and unusual) business strategy. And it has something to do with not knowing what customers want – and trying to find out exactly that.
This is how Yakuza Empire is supposed to play
The building strategy game relies on a style reminiscent of a mix of Fallout Shelter and This War of Mine. The trailer gives you a quick overview:
Building a Yakuza Empire in the 90s: In 1990s Tokyo, the Yakuza clans rule the streets. You are right in the middle of it all, eager to increase your influence and rake in some serious cash. To do this, you expand your headquarters, train members, intimidate businessmen, annoy the competition … the whole spectrum of organised crime.
Turn-based battles: Similar to Empire of Sin, battles against other clans are turn-based. The trailer above shows fight scenes in side view. In the (Development Blog on Steam) the developers are also working with a top view, which will be used during missions.
Screenshots of Yakuza Empire show the quite atmospherically designed game world:
Many unknown factors: When Yakuza Empire will be released remains open. The same goes for the price. And this missing information is directly related to the way publisher PlayWay releases its games
Who is publisher PlayWay and what does that mean?
As PlayWay”s founder revealed to us in an interview, PlayWay has an unusual business strategy. The company works with dozens (!) of studios and has games of all stripes developed at the same time.
This is how many small niche titles were and are created, including several construction games and professional simulations. Builders of Egypt, for example, is doing well as far as wish lists on Steam are concerned. And the renovation hit House Flipper is also from PlayWay:
Wish lists are an important keyword: One measure of player interest is personal wishlists on Steam. PlayWay measures how likely certain projects are to succeed. This can also lead to games with little response being discontinued completely.
Therefore, we warn you not to get too excited about Yakuza Empire. It is entirely within the realm of possibility that the building game will never be released. Or lose quality because of the publisher”s broad business brushstroke. But only time will tell.
Editor”s Verdict
I”ve been missing a game like Yakuza Empire for years! I thought I”d found it in Empire of Sin, but after about ten hours the controls suddenly got on my nerves. I even reinstalled the ancient Gangsters: Organised Crime from 1998, but the controls weren”t any better. No wonder I didn”t get it when I was 14 years old.
Yakuza Empire kicks open doors for me. So it would, if it came out at all. PlayWay isn”t above scrapping projects if there isn”t enough interest to show for it. And who knows if it will end up being any fun at all? I”ve put it on my wish list for journalistic reasons, and I hope other players will also miss the virtual rumgangstern.
