8 Video Games Fans SAVED From Annihilation

While it would be wrong of me to insinuate that the Yakuza franchise was ever close to closing its doors seeing as it is and pretty much always has been immensely popular, there was a dark time in which is seemed that the off-the-wall fighting and bike-based beatdowns would only ever be enjoyed in Japan, thanks to sales in the West not being up to Sega's expectations.

This lack of faith saw the English Yakuza website taken down and the series quietly shelved for those outside its country of origin, which of course sparked a mass outcry from global followers of the franchise.

Finally, these voices were given their chance to be heard properly when Sony put out a poll asking fans what Japanese exclusive titles they would like to see be brought to their consoles, and with an overwhelming majority, Yakuza took the top spot.

This prompted Sega to re-evaluate its stance on region releases and saw not only newer Yakuza titles get full worldwide launches, but also classic titles get their first on-disc treatment for the West.

With the games receiving rave reviews and a staunchly loyal fanbase, there's never been a better time to be a fan of the Japanese crime opera that is Yakuza.