Report: Shenmue Creator Still Wants To Do Shenmue III

15 responses to “Report: Shenmue Creator Still Wants To Do Shenmue III”

1. 

   Spruppet

   March 5, 2013 at 7:29 am

   This’d be awesome. Granted I don’t think Kickstarter will raise a billion dollars or whatever a game as complex as a Shenmue one would need, but if it could convince Sega… I would meet the target on my own (with armed robbery if I had to)

   Reply
2. 

   signorebravo

   March 5, 2013 at 7:53 am

   I think this is a good initiative and some consumer fan funding could possibly kick the game into development. Obviously the game (Shenmue 3) would benefit being published on the PS3, XBox 360 due to their installment base – but it would be the graphical power of next gen’s PS4 and the Xbox 720 where it would deserve a ‘send off’. I’d be willing to fund up to US$200 for the game, granted I receive a copy on my choice of hardware… Would a game like Shenmue cost a minimum of 30 million to make…? Or more…?

   Reply
   1. 

      Spruppet

      March 5, 2013 at 10:24 am

      Shenmue 1 cost $47 million at the time. IGN said both games combined cost more than $70 million, without a precise figure. Given that was 12 years ago, with upscaling and the same scope it’d probably be a new record for game development (like $1-200 million). So they’d have to scale it down a bit if it got to that stage (or lose a boatload of money).

      Reply
      1. 

         hyperthx

         March 5, 2013 at 2:01 pm

         I don’t reckon. At the time Suzuki and AM2 were pushing the limits in R&D. Wouldn’t cost all that much now to upgrade & rebuild the Shenmue 2 engine, or even better, just modify the Yakuza 5 engine that Sega already has 🙂

         But to get that Shenmue ‘feel’ Suzuki & AM2 do need to use the Shenmue codebase.

         Reply
         1. 

            Spruppet

            March 5, 2013 at 2:47 pm

            Well, they might be able to modify the latest Virtua Fighter engine (6? Is that being worked on?). Or even integrate the two. It’d probably be a development hell situation, but maybe they learned their lesson after Shenmue 1 and 2 and Online. Ok, probably not

            Reply
            1. 

               ashuramgs2sub

               March 5, 2013 at 4:21 pm

               While I would love for this to happen (I saved pocket money for years just to buy a Dreamcast for Shenmue and Sonic Adventure), I just don’t think it will. Sega has effectively wiped their hands of the series, Yakuza is going great guns for them, and Yu Suzuki sadly hasn’t done anything of note since 2003, with a bunch of cancelled games to his name. Sega has had plenty of opportunity to throw out a quick HD port of either or both games (particularly with their recent push with the rereleases of AM2 and Dreamcast games on Live Arcade and PlayStation Network) to gauge the popularity of the series and has chosen not to do so. Heck, Ryo Hazuki was REMOVED as a character in the latest All-Stars Racing game, which is a pretty good indication on where Sega sits on the franchise.

               I think we’d be more likely to get a reboot of the series this long after the last title in the series, and in many cases it would be likely to be a worse option than not getting a sequel at all. Either way, I think Shenmue is sadly as finished as it ever will be.

               *EDIT* This was supposed to be a standalone comment, not a reply to someone else. Weird…

            2. 

               hyperthx

               March 6, 2013 at 11:21 am

               Yeah, Sega was actually supposed to be releasing Shenmue HD & Shenmue 2 HD – don’t know what happened. Probably stuck in the XBLA certification gauntlet!

            3. 

               ashuramgs2sub

               March 7, 2013 at 11:27 pm

               I think people jumped the gun on that, actually. I’m pretty sure people kept asking them about Shenmue ports when the Sonic Adventure 2 and Jet Set Radio ports were announced, and a Sega rep basically said that while they had nothing to announce, the fans had been heard and to keep their eyes peeled for future announcements from the company, which people read as “OMG Shenmue ports are happening!”.

            4. 

               hyperthx

               March 8, 2013 at 8:27 am

               Last I heard, they games were already converted
               http://www.edge-online.com/news/shenmue-hd-finished-year/
               That was 2012 though :/

3. 

   dnr

   March 5, 2013 at 9:44 am

   HD remake of 1-2 then a 3rd game would make my year 😀
   I spent months playing Shenmue 1, i collected EVERY toy, and spent so long in the arcades playing Space harrier.
   never got to play 2 i refused to continue without my save converted over 🙁 but if i could play through all 3 on the same console i’d be sold, even if it cost me a couple hundred.

   Reply
   1. 

      hyperthx

      March 5, 2013 at 2:03 pm

      Search for Shenmue 2 PAL on Ebay. The Dreamcast version 😉

      Will cost you AU$120+ though…

      Reply
      1. 

         dnr

         March 5, 2013 at 2:09 pm

         Could be completely worth it, i still have my VMU with save data (i actually have it backed up on 4 seperate VMU’s just in case) 😀

         Reply
         1. 

            hyperthx

            March 5, 2013 at 2:31 pm

            Yeah, you can transfer your saves too – haven’t been able to test it myself (yet) but the top Shenmue Fansites say it’s a go 🙂

            Reply
4. 

   hyperthx

   March 5, 2013 at 2:05 pm

   Even better. Offer the manga as a Kickstarter bonus for top bids!

   We need the game man! THE GAME!

   Reply
5. 

   hyperthx

   March 5, 2013 at 2:06 pm

   F*ck Shenmue Town!

   Shenmue is already in a town 😛

   Reply