What Would It Take For Shenmue 3 To Release Today?

GP writer Jared discusses what it would take for SEGA to develop and release Shenmue 3, and why it hasn't happened yet.

[majiebeast]

3 million preorders.

[Yi-Long]

...

Seriously, for all the quality games Sega have delivered throughout the years, it must be one of the DUMBEST companies ever when you look at all the really bad decisions they've been making all this time.

[NukaCola]

This game was announced ages ago and then just cancelled. Why not just HD polish the data we all know is saved somewhere and just make it digital download.

[Thantalas]

It's been a long time since the original games were released. More people need to know about them. Sega should give them a HD update, which if they still have the original art assets shouldn't take too long. Then release Shenume 1 for an inexpensive price on Xbox Live & PSN. This way a lot of people will be willing to give the game a try and becoming familiar with the game. A month later release Shenmue 2.

Then hopefully the customer purchases and media reviews would have nurtured a new consumer base that is willing to try them. So when Sega announce Shenumue 3 there will be a worldwide audience eagerly waiting for details!

[AngelicIceDiamond]

I agree an HD release would be great for Shenmue fans I bet they'll get allot of DL's too. Sega needs to do something with this IP. Instead of trying to pretend it doesn't exist.

Another game I wish they would release in HD is the Otogi series also. And maybe a Otogi 3?

[Yi-Long]

... YES, they should absolutely be made, IF they're done the way a HD-remake SHOULD be made, thus really putting their best effort into it to make it the very best Shenmue 1 HD and the very best Shenmue 2 HD they can.

However, if it's just yet another very lazy HD-port, and without the original Japanese voices, then those remakes could actually HARM the reputation of the series, instead of building excitement for a 3rd game.

So IF Sega is gonna bring out HD-remakes, then they really have to put their best effort into it. If not, they might as well not bother, as far as I'm concerned.

There was some news a while ago that these HD-ports or HD-remakes were actually already finished, and Sega was just dragging it's feet about releasing them...

... which sounds to me like they already decided to do just a lazy HD-port, instead of giving it all the love and attention it deserves.

(which would be yet another one of those very bad decisions by Sega in a very long line of bad decisions)

[jc48573]

when people stop buying games by trend. you know, people buy shooters because it's popular.

[MaleManSam]

It would need my money, and I am willing like a dog in heat!

[MoveTheGlow]

They're saying it could be a "watered down" version, but I don't think it needs to be - it could just be a more efficiently-produced version.

Imagine if you had a beautiful 2D Shenmue produced by the guys behind Mark of the Ninja, or even Vanillaware (Muramasa). Then you could have a great art style while maintaining a ton of detail in a real-ish Japan/Hong Kong/wherever world, and when a fight comes up, you'd have one heck of a great 2D fighting system.

The only big expense that would remain from 1 and 2 would be voice acting.

[Kos-Mos]

Who wants to play an old video-game series with a different team involved? Think of what they would do with Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy VI if they were to make a sequel. *shivers*
An old gem can`t be resurrected.

The truth is always stronger than opinions.

[tiffac008]

All I can say, is Sega should stop killing their beloved franchises.

Remake them, revive them. If need be have a 3rd party publish and localize them.

[gazgriff2k12]

A kick starter

[Max-Zorin]

Not only do I want to see Shenmue 3, I want to see Power Stone return as well.

[ShaunCameron]

Power Stone is Capcom's IP.

[DigitalRaptor]

People don't understand the conditions of the gaming market, that much is clear. You're expecting Sega to place down a huge budget on a sequel to games that lost them money and contributed to their downfall as console manufacturers.

It's not that i don't want to see Shenmue 3, it's just after all this time, I'm not blinded by my intense love for the series.

The best move would be to re-release the games via PSN, XBLA and Steam. the problem there lies in the fact that XBLA games don't allow games bigger than 2GB. Shenmue games are almost double that, and the only option there is to exclude XBLA, or release as collection on disc, which is more risky.

So bugging Sega for HD remasters of S-I and S-II is smarter than petitioning for a sequel that they are apprehensive (and rightly so) to produce. Kickstarter is a good suggestion if anything though.