Sega's top brass have acknowledged the overwhelming reader response to CVG's 'Would you buy Shenmue 3?' feature - and told fans that their dream may not be dead yet.
Our 'Debate' article generated over 100 comments from readers earlier this month - with many more on CVG's Facebook page and around the web.
The president of Sega West, Mike Hayes, noted the reaction. He told CVG:
"While at present we have no plans for the franchise [on next-gen consoles], the response to CVG's question has certainly shown the Shenmue legacy ignites a lot of passion among fans. Never say never..."
So there you have it. There is a light, and it never goes out.
Meanwhile, Sega is preparing a new Shenmue for iPhone and PC.
Shenmue City will act as a 'side-story' to the original Dreamcast classic. It will be free-to-play, with in-game items to buy.
Sega is yet to slap a release date on the title - or hint that it will ever make its way outside of Japan.
Comments
26 comments so far...
Joe_Slap on 2 Nov '10 said:
*sigh*
Miss_Wacy on 2 Nov '10 said:
make it happen, i still remember finish the 2nd game many years ago on xbox, dying for a sequal, cliff hanger ending on 2 lol
laminated0 on 2 Nov '10 said:
YES! There is still a glimmer of hope left!
Triffic on 2 Nov '10 said:
Clearly I've come to the wrong place... I was looking for a place where sailors hang out.
djs88 on 2 Nov '10 said:
We can only hope! SEGA need to get their act together and re-release the first two games on PSN/XBL
martinawatson on 2 Nov '10 said:
He must of read my sonic the hedgehog swapsi suggestion
ParmaViolet on 2 Nov '10 said:
It's the same thing they've always said.
As much as I'd love to see it, I can't see it happening and - the longer we wait for an announcement - the more unlikely it becomes. There are tons of new gamers that probably don't know what Shenmue was - so, I think Sega should re-release the first two and put them on PSN/XBLA. They'll get a much better idea of how much the third is wanted that way. Also, it's not as if they could release Shenmue 3 and expect people to go hunting for the originals on Dreamcast, is it?
burnsyboy2004 on 2 Nov '10 said:
Thats a polite "no" then unfortunately
Just f**k off SEGA you clueless assclowns, and concrentrate on Sonic 7,000,234 which no person will buy.
churchy on 2 Nov '10 said:
Don't stop believing, come on sega! Just do it already! Make this boy's dream come true!
gilly83 on 2 Nov '10 said:
i remeber reading once shenmue would need everyone that had a DC to buy it twice to make any money.. so i dont see sega wanting to make a new one..
Shame coz theres so many shenmue fanboys that want it myself including
El Mag on 2 Nov '10 said:
I did my part, brought the first one twice and the second for the dreamcast and the xbox. They won't ever do a 3rd though, unless they do a Capcom and hand it to a rubbish western developer and they bash it out on the cheap. Ideally Sony or Microsoft would buy the exclusive to it and help fund it, though it's more likely Microsoft doing it with their bottomless money pit
Mirglas on 2 Nov '10 said:
Hoh! Iseewhatyoudidthere!
simonjrope on 2 Nov '10 said:
Yay, we have a LITTLE HOPE!!
_Marty_ on 2 Nov '10 said:
As Jean Luc Picard said...Make it so.
only_777 on 2 Nov '10 said:
If it does come out, I think I can say I done my bit!
BOBA-FETT 1985 on 2 Nov '10 said:
Fingers crossed,i hope they make shenmue 3.
shu72843 on 2 Nov '10 said:
Maybe it's Mike Hayes who answered us after a answer from his Big Boss(Hajime Satomi).
I hope Yu Suzuki will make great games without or with SEGA.
What do you prefer?No plans or Never say never'?
speedkingfox on 2 Nov '10 said:
whilst sorting shenmue 3 why not release proper versions of daytona, sega rally and scud race. surely they would make a fortune on live/psn as downloads or maybe put out all 3 on 1 ultimate sega race disk. anyone agree?
adamnaz on 2 Nov '10 said:
the slightest glimmer of hope we may see shenmue 3 is enough to get me excited, cant they just publish the 1st two games on PSN/XBL and fund shenmue 3 that way. I am sure the first 2 would be great sellers even as a re-release on this gen.
the dream still lives...
Noobsaibot on 2 Nov '10 said:
Did anyone ever think they'd see:
* Radiant Silvergun outside the ST-V or Saturn?
* Or NiGHTS?
* Or Duke Nukem Forever? (EVER!?)
* Or a true sequel to Outrun after 17 years?
Remember, whinge hard enough and even the most stubborn will have to pay attention.
As for Shenmue 3, If any console vendor (present or future) guaranteed it, THEY WOULD GET MY MONEY IMMEDIATELY! Take note MS/Sony/Nintendo (or even Apple). In addition, I would also personally hunt down and assassinate anybody who pirates it. 47-style. That's the Noobsaibot Guarantee.
potnoodle1 on 2 Nov '10 said:
We can but live and dream. Should the first two make their way to Xbox or PS3 I'll be first in the queue to buy them despite already owning the two on the Dreamcast. I'd even gladly pay £40 for them if would go towards funding the next Shenmue. Come on Sega, give us what we want!!
evileyecheese on 3 Nov '10 said:
i very much hope that sega can bring this industry back from the brink of profit led emptyness
however I fear there is too much preasure on them to perform in terms of sales
there is nothing i would rather see more than a dramatic return to form for a company that was once the undisputed home of origionality and innovation.
dont just stop with shenmue 3, we want a propper phantasystar 4 sequel too ohh and skies of arcadia
Joined 4 Shenmue on 4 Nov '10 said:
Well now - we've certainly opened Pandora's Box now, haven't we?
Gamers are fickle creatures, Sega/Mr. Hayes. I certainly sincerely hope that you did not make your comment about 'never saying never' about Shenmue 3 hastily or lightly - we Shenmue fans remember everything and anything written and/or said about Shenmue. Please do not take this comment as any kind of threat or disrespect, but as real fans who want real results, we WILL hold you to this statement for as long as we continue to fight for an end to the saga (ex. everyone remembers Mr. Adam Doree, yes?).
After all (and now I am not necessarily singling out Mr. Hayes now), if even after what was said about 'never saying never' about Shenmue 3 here is forgotten over the years and ignored, then this will just be another clear example of how Sega itself admits/is impressed by how ardent Shenmue fans are about wanting to purchase and buy a third Shenmue game (almost to no matter the costs) but blatantly ignores and neglects their fans wishes, thus further alienating and distancing said fans/customers.
On the other hand, I would like to single out Mr. Hayes for a moment here for some constructive criticism, if he would be so kind to offer me his time, attention, and respect but for a moment. As president of Sega West, I imagine that your job description involves some activities regarding how to move Sega forward as a company and propose gaming related ideas that would do so, yes? Well here it is: hundreds of thousands of Shenmue and Dreamcast era Sega fans who have desperately wanted, dreamt of, and wished for a third and final Shenmue game have been left out in the cold/ignored for 10+ years and will continue, I imagine, for decades to come (!) to do so. Many of these fans do exist in Japan, yes. However, many - if not certainly MORE of these fans are Western gamers (Europe, North America, etc.).
And all of these fans want the Shenmue saga completed and/or (dare I say it?) continued because we respect it dearly as an integral and honoured component to what USED to be Sega's seemingly limitless creativity, innovation, and optimism in game design.
So - if you'd all allow me to make one more pompous and pretentious (I apologize for all the ordering around and finger pointing that this post may appear to have, I assure you) suggestion - I'd say that you, Mr. Hayes, have one very important proposal to present at the next major Sega corporate direction meeting: the long awaited proposal for the development of Shenmue 3. Does that sound ludicrous for the president of Sega West to do so? Not really because hundreds of thousands of western Shenmue fans have just stepped forward to confirm their want for Shenmue 3.
But - this was and will never be about profits. Instead, this is about Sega coming back. You want to know why Shenmue fans have and continue to wait 10+ years for an end to the saga even though Sega continues to receive critical flak and negativity? Because we keep waiting and hoping that the old, innovative, and wholly creative Sega that had the balls to make something so monolithic as Shenmue will come back one day. Just as much as corporate Sega seeks success in financial markers, Sega's long time fans desperately seek for Sega to return to the creativity and innovation that it once was so well known for (especially during the Dreamcast era). Sega's willingness to commit to a properly developed Shenmue 3 would go A LONG way in returning Sega's credibility to its fans.
So - come on back with Shenmue 3, Sega. We've all missed you dearly and have dreamt so long for the one day that we might all be able to say "Welcome back, old friend. We've missed you."
AaronRider on 4 Nov '10 said:
What other game do you know of that you could collect figurines in capsules and then sell them to suppliment your wage from your beloved forklifting job?
Joe_Slap on 5 Nov '10 said:
The cost to make these games, altogether, can't even reach half the expenses of a Shenmue game. That's the problem.
I would even pay in advance to start the development.
Joined 4 Shenmue on 15 Nov '10 said:
If anyone at CVG is still checking this board, please, I implore you fine folks. Keep posting articles with regards to how much Shenmue 3 is being demanded for! Yu Suzuki's own recent press release for Shenmue City was nothing short of dissapointing and he himself cannot promise whether or not he will ever finish the series.
But, with just one simple article that you - CVG - were able to post, you actually caught the attention (no matter how pithy or inconsequential that attention actually was) of Mike Hayes, president of Sega West. This has all come to a head. No one is getting any younger and the window in which a third and final Shenmue game can still be relevant is rapidly dwindling.
We need to know now and Sega needs to honestly tell its long time fans who have waited the last decade now: will they or will they not ever make a Shenmue 3? This response is needed now because it has more far reaching ramifications than they may be aware of: Sega's longstanding fans who have waited for more than ten years for a third and final Shenmue have never waned in their interest in and willingness to pay for a final Shenmue and Sega has now gone on record of publicly admitting their awareness of this. If someone at Sega has enough courage to allow Suzuki to finally finish the series today, they would win back immeasurable respect and faith from said fans.
And if you think that statement was incredibly naive and baseless, then think about the alternative. If Sega just comes out and honestly tells us that they have no intention whatsoever of finishing the Shenmue series, then they will definitively alienate, distance, and ultimately lose every single fan who has waited for more than a decade with the company hoping that Sega would allow Suzuki to fulfill his longstanding promise, despite the fact that Sega (ex. Hayes) has gone on record in admitting that the company has always been aware of how much the game is demanded for. But - on the other hand, I and every other long time Sega/Shenmue fan would ultimately be satisfied if Sega honestly tells us that no more Shenmue will ever be made because that would be the definitive answer and we can all honestly move on away from Sega without any doubt whatsoever.
Want to make a change for once? Then add on the pressure - and every Shenmue fan could certainly use your help, CVG. We want an honest answer, Sega - sooner, and not later.