Shenmue 3 on next-gen - report

By Tom Bramwell Published 24 August, 2005

SEGA declines to comment.

SEGA has declined to comment on a report stating that the publisher hopes to release Shenmue 3 on a next generation games console.

British site Kikizo claims that the game has been "close to finished" for some time, but held back to ensure that the entire series can appear on a next-generation games console.

It says that the reason for this is that SEGA wants to present the series in its entirety to a new audience. It goes on to speculate that Shenmue 3 could appear on multiple next generation platforms.

Yu Suzuki apparently had little involvement in the game's production, having written the script for the entire series some years ago.

Kikizo also claims that an announcement of Shenmue 3 for Xbox was nearly made at E3 last year, but was pulled after SEGA decided the console wasn't popular enough in Japan.

When asked about it this morning, a bemused SEGA rep said the company had no comment to make.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (30) Latest comment 5 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Teeth #1 7 years ago

    Entire series? Isn't it supposed to be about 18 chapters long?

  • Machiavel #2 7 years ago

    It seems unlikely that it's almost finished, which would suggest nothing much new from Shenmue 2. But wouldn't it be great etc.?

  • deaner #3 7 years ago

    So long as it's better than Shenmue2, I don't care what console it's released on.

  • dadrester #4 7 years ago

    So long as it's better than Shenmue2, I don't care what console it's released on.
    /cries
    /clicks ignore poster ;)

  • McGeeza #5 7 years ago

    I've driven the forklift truck. I've wandered aimlessly through woods and mountain passes. I've stroked cats for no apparant reason. I've put up with bad voice acting and wished I could choose the original Japanese. I've strangely missed the bad voice acting when I could only have the original Japanese. I've walked around a cave collecting sticks. I've been infuriated by 5 minute long intros to QTE which you can't skip if you f*** it up...

    Sega owes it to me to let me use my floating magical f***ing sword...

  • dadrester #6 7 years ago

    reading the 3 page articel over at kikizo i've become very worried about the fact suzuki is no longer at the helm. by all accounts on shenmue 1 and 2 he really did control everything. he was the auteur, and i'm worried that the series will loose some of the focus on detail that made it so great in the first place.

    as for holding back the almost finished xbox version... makes sense to me. shenmue's popularity lies mainly in japan, so why release it on the weakest of the 3 current gen consoles at the end of it's cycle when, if you wait a little while you could potentialy release it on mulitiple next gen consoles near(er) their launch.

    shenmue is a true killer app, and i'd be surprised if microsoft didn't snap it up as an exclusive, as long as development really is almost complete. they've been trying to break the japanese market since they released the xbox, to no (or little) avail, so this along with hinerobu sakaguchi's upcoming 360 rpg might help.

    [edit] ...that and Sega owes it to me to let me use my floating magical f***ing sword...
    Edited by 1 at 24/08/05 @ 12:50

  • Aretak #7 7 years ago

    I love Shenmue. I would give oral pleasure to a thousand men, one after another, if it would get me a third game.

  • McGeeza #8 7 years ago

    I could possibly put a word in.

    Where do you want to meet?

    PS: You are female, right? Actually, i'm not fussed either way.

  • Vin #9 7 years ago

    This thread is well dodgy...

  • Mr_Brown #10 7 years ago

    Excellent news. I'm glad they left it for next gen actually. Might pick up Shenmue 2 for Xbox now and complete it. Or just get my Dreamcast back. So long as its on Xbox 360 or Revolution I'll be happy. I don't want a PS3.

  • Tomo #11 7 years ago

    Aye, excellent news. Shenmue was amazing. Got Shenmue 2 sitting around somewhere too but haven't played it.

    Would gladly buy them all on a nextgen.

  • dadrester #12 7 years ago

    i reccomend you play the DC version of shenmue 2 if you can. rather than the xbox...

  • Domstercool #13 7 years ago

    I hope this is true. I love Shenmue and I'd love the able to find out the whole story.

  • Mr_Brown #14 7 years ago

    Yeah I have the DC version of both games...but its in storage. Just don't room for all my consoles.

    Anyone tell me if its the same voice actor who did the english version of Shenmue 1 who does Ryo? Shenmue voice acting was bad...but it was passable. Surely Shenmue 2 voice acting isnt THAT bad?

  • RabidMonkey #15 7 years ago

    I agree with McGeeza, the voice acting in the original was terrible but the sequel, with its native japanese acting, just felt alien to me. Plus the terrible voice overs of the original are, in my opinion, part of its charm.

  • bootsy_NL_30 #16 7 years ago

    The first episode of this game was amazing ! The combat and dragons lair action button set up was kind of ...well....crap! Maybe next gen will allow for some decent fights and maybe multiple plot lines.

    btw----having a button to skip dialogue or cut scenes is a god send all games should have it.

  • Feanor #17 7 years ago

    Anyone know where I can find some sailors?

  • mattius30 #18 7 years ago

    Mr_Brown - Ryo is voiced by a bloke called Corey Marshall. (and rather blandly, I may add) Though I do love the shenmue games and I'm desperate for the sequel - don't care what platform its on.

  • McGeeza #19 7 years ago

    "Surely Shenmue 2 voice acting isnt THAT bad?"

    I've no idea. I can't speak Japanese. Not sure whether xbox version had engrish voice over though...

  • bootsy_NL_30 #20 7 years ago

    classic text Feanor...Shenmue was full of that kind of stuff

  • tengu #21 7 years ago

    I really, REALLY hate speculative rumour-mongering stories like this when they're about something I'm really interested in. IF Sega were making Shenmue III, then they wouldn't keep it a secret until the game was 'almost finished', not with the amount of fan interest the series still has. They'd have been pimping this as soon as they started work.

    I'm not saying it isn't happening, I pray to God it is, I just don't believe for a second it's very far into production, if AT ALL.

  • freedumb #22 7 years ago

    'Let's get sweaty'

  • pac666 #23 7 years ago

    Please..Please...

  • ekko #24 7 years ago

    I prefered the Japanese voice acting to the English.

    As for Shenmue 3, I think it will be a disappointment, but I'm a pessimist.

  • The-Bodybuilder #25 7 years ago

    Please, don't mess with shenmue 3 news. I've been waiting years for this.

    I'm not a fan of the ps3 (so far), but if shenmue 3 is on it, then I'll definately buy it.

  • Galvanizer #26 7 years ago

    I'd love to see Shenmue III on PS3 or Revolution. Those will both be popular in Japan.

  • ABXY #27 7 years ago

    Come on, hurry up and bring it out.... tut tut.

  • zErOb_cOOl #28 6 years ago

    "classic text Feanor...Shenmue was full of that kind of stuff"

    Yeah and

    "Hey Mr, do you wanna play with me?"
    "Not right now, sorry"

    Gets even worse when soem kids ask you if you "wanna wrestle?" Dodgey for everybody involved.

  • tengu #29 6 years ago

    Thanks for the bump there sap.

  • The-Bodybuilder #30 5 years ago

    A little part of me dies every day.