Shenmue 3 a possibility?

Posted January 5, 2012 by Lewis Denby in News.

Shenmue creator Yu Suzuki has discussed once more his desire to make Shenmue 3, suggesting that it might be possible to acquire the rights to the series from publisher Sega.

Could there be a Shenmue 3? That’s what a great number of fans of the series would like to know. It’s more than ten years now since the second game in the series appeared, and while talk of a second sequel has been widespread at various points since then, publishers Sega have never given the go-ahead to a third game.

But Shenmue creator Yu Suzuki is still eager to do more with the series – and, now, he’s even talking about acquiring the IP rights from the reluctant publisher.

Sega would still techncially own the series, Suzuki explained in a video interview with French Shenmue fansite ShenmueMaster. but he claimed that he could ‘obtain the license’ required to make a Shenmue 3. He hasn’t done so, though, nor does he have any immediate plans to.

But the first two games cover only five chapters of the Shenmue saga, and the designer claims to have written key story points up to chapter 11. Moreover, Suzuki says a third game would contain his favourite moment within that tale.

Whether Sega are likely to allow Suzuki to license the IP is another matter, though. The first two games were praised for their storytelling and their cinematic direction, but they were slow and meandering experiences, and didn’t do anywhere near as well at retail as they did in reviews.

It’s worth holding out hope, then – but perhaps not getting too carried away.

If anything else surfaces, you’ll be able to catch all of our Shenmue 3 news right here at BeefJack!

Tagged as Sega, Shenmue, Shenmue 3, Yu Suzuki