Yu Suzuki: We Can Obtain Shenmue License From SEGA

I’m going to be upfront with you, I’m at the point where I pretty much want to give up on Shenmue III ever happening and settling with the excellent Yakuza brand that has graced many PlayStation platforms. Shenmue and Shenmue II being two of the greatest titles to hit Sega’s Dreamcast may just be the fate of the series.

…I may have to change my stance on the issue now.

According to a video interview with French fansite Shenmue Master, Yu Suzuki stated that the IP of Shenmue belongs to Sega, but it is possible to obtain the license in order to make Shenmue III. This little tidbit of information gives some hope to those like me who have become tired and lacking in motivation. I would most definitely like to see Shenmue III happen, and perhaps the first two games brought back out to serve as a catalyst in building the user base back up. Back in the day, making games that were $40-$70 million dollar budget games was just a super hefty risk and, combined with numerous factors, didn’t quite offer a promising future for Shenmue. Let’s just hope Sega would be willing to make that compromise for the sake of those who want to see the continuation of this franchise.

You can watch the interview below. Warning, the subtitles are in French.