Yakuza was dead after 2. Then, Sega came back with a very late and butchered Yakuza 3 localization, which was a success despite going directly against FFXIII. But Yakuza 4 and Dead Souls bombed, and Y5 got a miracle digital only release.
Yakuza 0 however was a resounding success, their biggest ever. Since then the series always comes out in the west, and each game being localized faster with LaD being world wide. They even remastered and localized Ishin out of nowhere. The series enjoys usually health sales. Infinite Wealth sold over a million in a week. Its pretty sick, if you compare this series to its PS3 days; Like a Dragon probably outsold games such as Veilguard for example.
I think we can thank the PS4. On that system, Japanese games sold like hot cake again. NieR and Ace Combat also sold like mad on it. Those IP went nowhere on PS3 and 360.
That's interesting. Like a lot of people I suppose, Yakuza 0 was my first Yakuza game, and I loved it. I went on to play Kiwami 1 and 2, got burned out, stayed away for a couple years, and then just recently played through Yakuza 6 and LAD Gaiden: Man who Erased His Name, both of which I thought were great.
There are so many Yakuza games I have yet to play - Yakuza 3, 4, and 5, the two main LAD games, the two Judgment games, and this one. By the time I've finished them all, I'm sure they will have released eight more, heh.
I'm glad RGG turned the corner. It's a great series. I owe GAF for that discovery - all the people laughing about it made me give it a shot.
That's another thing I appreciate about Yakuza, btw - the fanbase is friendly and easy going. Fans of other games can get Very Serious sometimes about their beloved game, and very defensive about criticism, but Yakuza fans aren't that way (at least I haven't met any). They are a friendly, lighthearted group who like over the top melodrama, punching people, and having a laugh.