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Yu Suzuki interview on Shenmue

Even if they will never develop Shenmue III, they should do something with I and II, like in Vita or 3DS, but maybe 3DS can handle it, touch screen to open wardrobes and stuff should be great.
 
The magic-y element was always hinted at of course with the mirror, but the rest of the games were so grounded in reality and about the monotony of every day life that I really think I'd hate a Shenmue that gets too magical.
 
You have to either specify the rules about topics like this and close topics or let people shout out their wishes.
It's the same like in every Square topic "FINAL FANTASY VII HD plx ! " , there are similar other annoying topics as well but it's just natural sadly.
As I said I can understand it but getting agressive over it doesn't help either.

Its not out of the realm of possibility that developers actually come here to gauge interest in certain things. I'm fairly certain that Konami getting tons and tons of requests about Peace Walker on PSP and MGS on 360 is what lead to the MGS HD Collection existing. Same thing goes for the Ico/SOTC collection. So I like that people actually voice their wishes even if it can get repetitive.
 
Has the original plan of 16 chapter been scaled down or is he indicating they only have the story done up to chapter 11?

It would be a great theme for this long saga to start out for revenge and turn out to be something more.

Also <3 Yu. His current standing in the industry is a shame, that man should be allowed to develop what he wants.

Xbox version show different colour (too bright for my taste) and worse texture... the original dreamcast version still better. If i win the national lottery i pay the bill Suzuki san, I swear!

Is this true? I can see the gamma differences, but I thought the xbox version had better textures (probably better filtering really), better water, and better lighting. Is this wrong?

I played it on the xbox since it was easier than importing the DC version and thought it looked great.
 
Just give the Yakuza engine a bit of a workover and make Shenmue 3 with that, the games share enough similarities as they are. Those weren't superpopular at first yet they were profitable enough to crank out sequel after sequel, don't really think they'd need to sell 5+ million copies for Shenmue 3 for it to be profitable either. Don't people just want to see the rest of the story, mostly, so would fans really care even if the game played more like Yakuza than Shenmue 1 & 2?
 
Is this true? I can see the gamma differences, but I thought the xbox version had better textures (probably better filtering really), better water, and better lighting. Is this wrong?

I played it on the xbox since it was easier than importing the DC version and thought it looked great.

The loading times are better on the XBox version, so that's a big plus. But the lighting I don't know, on the XBox version the lighting seemed to come directly from inside the characters, while the warmer effect is nice it looks pretty unrealistic at times.
 
Even if remaking the first two Shenmues as downloadable retro titles on PSN/XBLA (or 3DS) would be technically and financially feasible, I don't think it would make sense if there's no real intention of wrapping up the series story-wise (via a third game or some changes to the second game's ending).

I mean, imagine if they release the first two games as they were on the Dreamcast, and they are only mildly successful, do you think Sega is going to leave those new players with the big cliffhanger forever, just as they did with the original fans?. That would leave some disgruntled customers and hurt Sega's image on the way...AGAIN.
 
Just give the Yakuza engine a bit of a workover and make Shenmue 3 with that, the games share enough similarities as they are. Those weren't superpopular at first yet they were profitable enough to crank out sequel after sequel, don't really think they'd need to sell 5+ million copies for Shenmue 3 for it to be profitable either. Don't people just want to see the rest of the story, mostly, so would fans really care even if the game played more like Yakuza than Shenmue 1 & 2?

Yakuza always made money in Japan, reason why they still put games out.
 
The Xbox version has the SHIT dubs so that's never the version you should play. Gimme the Dreamcast version with subs any day.

Playing Shenmue 1 with that dubbing is bad enough.
 
GAF, lets make a pact.

If one of us hit the big times, he/she funds Shenmue III.

After reading through this thread, it does not feel right.
If one of us gets really rich, we ENFORCE Duckroll to watch for the personal health and relaxation of every single developer who works on Shenmue 3. And he will be paid well for it. :P
 
Yakuza always made money in Japan, reason why they still put games out.
Yeah, and the structure of those games is quite similar with all the minigames, focus on running around somewhat small city/town-environments doing errands etc., so a Shenmue 3 that was a bit like that shouldn't be too expensive to make (maybe put less emphasis on the beat 'em up side where anyone who you even think about wants to pick a fight with you).
 
GAF, lets make a pact.

If one of us hit the big times, he/she funds Shenmue III.

I always assumed that any sane person would fund the series if they came into money. The pact should be to insist the original plan be followed, not cramming everything into one final game.

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GAF, lets make a pact.

If one of us hit the big times, he/she funds Shenmue III.

If i hit big, i'd be compelled to troll everyone somehow.
Like buy the Zelda IP and make it a Sony exclusive; buy the CoD IP and make it a turnbased rpg; pay the brightest minds in the industry, develop the most grand and immense game, and make it a PC exclusive, only compatible with Asrock motherboards, or something.

But i feel SEGA is already doing this with Shenmue, mobile game and all.
 
OP should be banned for making me sad :(

I want this game soo bad.

I just watched the interview video, and I am left with a cold and sad feeling. It pains me to see Sazuki-San talk with passion about something you can tell means a lot to him. But to know that it's future is dependent on the gaming population of today who are only interested in FPS games, and Sega who have lost any reputation for making quality titles.

Microsoft are probably the only company who could, and would probably be willing, to invest the money into realising this saga, but will want to exercise control over the final product.

Sony are probably the only ones who would offer the freedom for Yu Sazuki to form a team and explore his ideas. But they would add pressure and demand exclusivity.

Nintendo and the Wii-U is probably the ideal console for a Shenmue title, which focuses on the smaller motions, or opening drawers and examining/exploring objects, along with the prospect of motion controlled Martial Arts, which they would not support.

This really doesn't leave much opportunity for them to proceed with Shenmue III - unless Sega invests the money needed, gives Yu the support he needs, and give it their all!
 
GAF should just have a fundraiser to buy the IP from Sega and fund the game. It can't be that hard right? :(

The original game was the most expensive game ever developed at the time, costing something like $70 million. But this did include research for the entire series in China, developing the total story, the development effort for the Saturn version, and part of the cost for Shenmue II which was not included in Shenmue I
 
Wasn't Shenmue supposed to be 16 chapters? I'm sure that was the figure stated in magazines and websites around the time Shenmue 1 was being previewed.
 
http://shenmuedojo.net/new/extras/s2...dreamcast.html


A really interesting look at all the little tweaks between the DC and Xbox version.
The WTC poster one is kind of amazing. Some subtle and major differences there overal DC version seems to be more accurate/correct in most instances.

The original game was the most expensive game ever developed at the time, costing something like $70 million. But this did include research for the entire series in China, developing the total story, the development effort for the Saturn version, and part of the cost for Shenmue II which was not included in Shenmue I
The Story for ~2 more games is also done if they keep the old 4 chapters per game and accounting for Suzuki's interview. Cost shouldn't be that bad all things considered!
(yeah I know it's unrealistic)
 
The WTC poster one is kind of amazing. Some subtle and major differences there overal DC version seems to be more accurate/correct in most instances.
The Xbox one looks much more cartoony.

The Story for ~2 more games is also done if they keep the old 4 chapters per game and accounting for Suzuki's interview. Cost shouldn't be that bad all things considered!
(yeah I know it's unrealistic)

That 70 mill figure includes a ton of work for Shenmue 1,2 parts of 3 on Saturn then for 1 and 2 on dreamcast, if Sega where smart about it a new Shenmue could be made on a normal budget.
 
Just because Ryo loses his will for revenge doesn't mean that there can't be a fight between Ryo and Lan Di. All it means is that Ryo is significantly less likely to kill Lan Di.
 
It's cute how he (Suzuki) speak as if he's actually going to do the game.
Instead of "Ryo would've done this and that", he goes "Ryo will do this and that".
He also mentions the possibility of "buying the IP from SEGA", which is a desperate element of sadness.. :\
Fuckin' Sega, man.

Anyway, i lost hope years ago, and as i said many times before, i don't want a manga/book/anime telling me the story, just like i don't want an halfassed low budget game, to wrap up things clumsly.
 
they have to release Shenmue I and II HD with slight tweaks to get things going, otherwise there would be no point in continuing the story. they have to pull new people in desperately, since the last game came out so long ago.
 
It's cute how he (Suzuki) speak as if he's actually going to do the game.
Instead of "Ryo would've done this and that", he goes "Ryo will do this and that".
He also mentions the possibility of "buying the IP from SEGA", which is a desperate element of sadness.. :\
Fuckin' Sega, man.

Anyway, i lost hope years ago, and as i said many times before, i don't want a manga/book/anime telling me the story, just like i don't want an halfassed low budget game, to wrap up things clumsly.
It has happened before this generation, though the only example I can think off the top of my head is Rez.

Ubisoft tested the waters with BG&E, seeing as how popular Shenmue was/is, there is good reason to release the old games as DL titles.
 
Yu Suzuki Interview on Shenmue - Shenmue Master

Yu Suzuki allowed an exclusive interview entirely about Shenmue at Shenmue Master (French Shenmue fan-based website), and discussed a few things.

A few things to note:
  • He has written 11 chapters (Shenmue 2 ends at 6)
  • Ryo's will for revenge on Lan Di will disappear throughout the story (essentially confirms there won't be a big final battle between Ryo and Lan Di).
  • Shenhua has the ability to recall/link in with the memory of ancestors.
  • The Shenmue IP still belongs to Sega.
  • When asked what his favourite part of Shenmue was he responds "So far we are only at Shenmue II, I developed the story until chapter 11. It's in this sequel the part of Shenmue I care about most is hidden.

Nice to see this, if still a little depressing hearing that the part Yu cares about would be in the next game. He still talks apprehensively about the story, and talks as if a 3rd installment will come about, and doesn't let up many details about the story.


Yu can keep that shit for yuself.
 
Wonder why Sega doesn't do an HD re-release of Shenmue 1+2 on XBLA/PSN. They should release it, see how it does, then decide on Shenmue 3 after. I mean.. they released an HD Virtua On for christ's sake.

But, honesty, the Yakuza games do everything Shenmue did a lot better so if anyone is really hard-up for a Shenmue-like experience, they need to delve into that series. My only reason to play Shenmue 3 would be to see how the goddamn thing ends (or doesn't.. 16 chapters, good christ).
 
Wonder why Sega doesn't do an HD re-release of Shenmue 1+2 on XBLA/PSN. They should release it, see how it does, then decide on Shenmue 3 after. I mean.. they released an HD Virtua On for christ's sake.

My one hope when they announced their DC collection was that either Shenmue 1 or 2 would be included. =/

I'm going to take a wild guess that the DC collection bombed since we haven't heard of another collection pack?

They really should release both on XBLA/PSN, I don't even want any enhancements besides maybe making use of the right analog stick to look around.
 
I doubt Yu Suzuki would have gone all magic mumbo-jumbo, probably just a bit. There were suggestions it'd have gone in this direction, but the trailer for Shenmue Online probably depicted more magic as it fit into MMORPGs better.

So Shenhua could recall/link in with the memory of ancestors. That reminds me of Assassin's Creed. I expected many of Ryo's allies would have turned out to be the Seven great Sages, of the Big Dipper, secretly guiding him to what's left of the Qing Dynasty ruins, this would fit into the mythology too.

Ryo may have given up on having a vengeful persona, as Xiuying was trying to convince him, to break the cycle because Lan Di's father was killed by Iwao, but they probably would have been a fight against Lan Di, at some secret treasured gates in China. Ryo would likely beat him in self-defence and humiliate him with some crazy Chinese Kung Fu, which is the most appropriate way to win. Then Lan Di would be possessed by Chi You and Ryo by the Phoenix, and the real fight would begin.

But really I'd have been more interested in seeing how a free-roaming Guilin, its life and its forests would have been depicted with modern day technology.

A man can dream.
 
It has happened before this generation, though the only example I can think of from the the top of my head is Rez.

Ubisoft tested the waters with BG&E, seeing as how popular Shenmue was/is, there is good reason to release the old games as DL titles.

Yes, people buy and sell ips, but to think that Suzuki will buy the ip, and then have enough budget left, to actually produce a full, high quality ps3/360-level title, is absurd to me.
Granted someone wealthy would need to jump on the bandwagon (as you suggest), but i don't see the Shenmue brand being that interesting and easy marketable.
I might be wrong, but it's a title that can appeal to a very little batch of gamers, hard to produce (open world, with high production values) and the 3rd in a series, making it harder to get a new fanbase.
Ok, you can sell 1&2 HD, but not a lot of people are willing to play two old games (that requires quite the time investement) just to be able to play the third one.
The popularity is more due to the fanbase being very vocal and S3 being (at this point) a running joke, akin to Duke Nukem Forever or Half Life 3.

I don't know, but i don't see it as a low risk move, and we know these companies never take risks.
Oh, and Rez was far more easy to sell AND to produce (so is child of eden).
 
I'm going to take a wild guess that the DC collection bombed since we haven't heard of another collection pack?

They really should release both on XBLA/PSN, I don't even want any enhancements besides maybe making use of the right analog stick to look around.

Too bad it bombed, but the games they re-released were on the lame side. Why no Skies of Arcadia, Shenmue, Panzer Dragoon... or something that iconic. Instead what did they release? Crazy Taxi. Boring. Sometimes I wonder what the higher ups at Sega are smoking.

All the Shenmue re-release needs is an upgrade to HD visuals and a re-work of the control scheme, and BLAM. Just the fact that they release it at all will be a megaton and result in so much free press/fapping.
 
Yakuza always made money in Japan, reason why they still put games out.


Yakuza and Shenmue are the inverse when it comes to luck.

Shenmue 1
1999 - Dreamcast (a console that sold so poorly it died in less the 3 years)

Shenmue 2
2001 - DC version (The year the DC was discontinued)
2002 - Xbox (a console that never have a strong presence for anything other then shooters)

Yakuza
2005 - PS2 (the year that console reached 100 million units shipped, and a console known for RPG and adventure games)
 
I'm still wondering what "Killed at 'Meng Chun" means and what the Shenmue Tree was meant for. Possibly places hiding the treasure to bringing the Dragon/Phoenix to Earth. That's one of the reasons it's so annoying there will probably not be a Shenmue III, all the foreshadowing that will never go anywhere, left to dabble in fans' imaginations.
 
I'm still wondering what "Killed at 'Meng Chun" means and what the Shenmue Tree was meant for. Possibly places hiding the treasure to bringing the Dragon/Phoenix to Earth. That's one of the reasons it's so annoying there will probably not be a Shenmue III, all the foreshadowing that will never go anywhere, left to dabble in fans' imaginations.

From memory, Lan-di's father and Ryo's father travel around, learning from martial arts masters, them some bad shit went down, Ryo's father for some reason killed Lan-di's father.
 
Sega and Yu should take the IP to Rockstar San Diego and have STRONG stipulations about what the game would be (AKA: not typical Rockstar fare) and get it made for pretty (well, probably far less than a Yu-only made one) cheap with a decent return if Rockstar and Yu put in enough minigames/polish for it.

I mean Rockstar already has the LA Noire face tech and can do sandbox games as proven by GTA. They just need to work on their mini-game stuff which I'm sure Yu could help with.

Outsourcing it would probably be the best thing to happen for a Shenmue 3 to be made right now instead of hand-wringing and "oh, well... if it gets made" by Sega.
 
I wish I could play Shenmue again, but I'm not buying a Dreamcast for that.

Can't believe I actually sold my precious euro copy of Shenmue II. Original voicework and subtitles, the only way to play it.
 
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