Yu Suzuki Talks About Shenmue and Possible Future of Series
by William D'Angelo, posted on 04 January 2012 / 1,030 Views
In an interview at Shenmue Master and translated by Spong, Yu Suzuki discusses Shenmue the franchise he created. The original was released on the Sega Dreamcast in 2000 with a budget of $47 million which was the most expensive game of its time. Shenmue II was released in 2001 for the Dreamcast and was later ported to the Xbox once SEGA dropped out of the hardware race. Since than fans have been waiting for any news that a third installment is in the works.
Suzuki who left his position in SEGA late last year still has hope that Shenmue III will one day become a reality. However he did explain that, "Shenmue's license is an IP that belongs to SEGA... We can obtain the license from SEGA."
Suzuki also hinted at what may occur in the next installment in the series. "This is the person who has trained with Iwao [Hazuki] in the olden days in China," Suzuki said referring to a picture of an unknown character standing with Ryo Hazuki's Father. "Then, in the story that will take place after Shenmue II, he will become a "key" character!"
