Shenmue 3 Probably Not Happening, Yu Suzuki Leaving Sega [Legendary Video Game Developer Leaving Sega, Says His New Company YS NET Could Possibly Take Up Old Sega Franchises Though]

Posted on TFTS by Kevin Schram on Saturday, 25. June 2011 under: Computer/Console Gaming

If you were holding out hope for a Shenmue 3 or Shenmue Online after all these years, you might have your hopes dashed here. Legendary video game creator Yu Suzuki who was responsible for such arcade classics Hang-On, Out Run, Virtua Fighter, Daytona USA and Virtua Cop – as well as console epic fighting RPG Shenmue (and its sequel), announced in an interview that he’ll be leaving his position at Sega soon.

In an interview with Gamasutra’s Brandon Sheffield, Suzuki explained he was stepping down from the company to focus on other business:

Gamasutra: Let’s start with the obvious mystery. What have you been up to for the past 10 years or so?
Yu Suzuki: Well, in 2008 I established YS NET, my current company. I’ll be leaving my current job at Sega this September, and after that point I’ll remain on as an advisor. So I’ve formally been with both companies from 2008 until September 2011. With the new company, I’ve been doing pretty much what I personally want to do myself.

Suzuki said that since 2003 when Out-Run 2 was released for the Xbox, he’s been working with a new team called AM Plus, which has focused on arcade games for the Japanese market. The last game he showed publicly was Psy-Phi, which was later canceled by Sega.

Suzuki doesn’t mention the possibility of Shenmue 3 in the article, but he does discuss Shenmue Online, the cancelled MMO (not to be confused with the social networking game Shenmue Town). He said that had imagined a world with players “living together in the same world. It’s a town that players create as they enter the game and play it.” Or like any other MMO.

When asked about the possibility of Suzuki and his new company YS NET possibly taking up the reins and working on one of his old franchises (Shenmue, for example), Suzuki told the website that he would need to negotiate with Sega on a case-by-case basis.

So, Shenmue 3, not a complete impossibility, but extremely unlikely at this point,so it seems.

Source

kiddinger
hopefully Sega will work out a deal with yu suzuki, so they can put shenmue 1 and 2 on psn and xbox live, and allow yu to make shenmue 3 under sega’s name… i would think it might be more possible now that yu is somewhat independent and can work on his own titles, just needs to work out a deal with sega

whereislandi?
Yea, i’m thinking the same thing. I think he left so he could work full-time on his own games, like shenmue 3, and work out a mutual deal with sega to finally put it out. Let’s hope it finally comes to fruition.

gorechops
As much as it pains me to say this…. I don’t think we’ll ever get a shenmue 3. I was hoping he could at least release a novel or something or CGI to finish the story cus thats what matters the most to me at least.