ININ has acquired the publishing rights to Shenmue 3 five years after its original PS4 release, and it promises “the story is far from over” for protagonist Ryo Hazuki et al.
In a press release following yesterday’s surprising news, the firm said: “This exciting transfer coincides with two momentous milestones: the 25th anniversary of the Shenmue series and the fifth anniversary of Shenmue 3. We have exciting plans to celebrate these anniversaries, ensuring that this beloved series continues to thrive and inspire. Keep an eye out for upcoming announcements as we unveil our vision for the next phase of Shenmue's legacy.”
Writing on Linked In, ININ bigwig Dennis Mendel added: “Let’s make sure that this beloved series continues to thrive and will continue to inspire future generations just as much as it has inspired us who grew up with Dreamcast.”
It’s worth noting, ININ has only acquired the publishing rights to Shenmue 3, and the intellectual property as well as the two Dreamcast originals remain owned by SEGA.
Our guess is that the publisher will probably port the threequel to more platforms, including Nintendo Switch, and will probably release a fresh batch of physical special editions under its Strictly Limited Games label.
It’d be cool to see Shenmue 3 getting a fresh round of exposure; we ultimately enjoyed the game, even if we did have issues with its pacing and structure. With the story not really progressing, though, what we really need is for Yu Suzuki to find a way to make Shenmue 4.
[source linkedin.com]
Comments 9
Great! I hope other platforms will be able to find some sailors, too!
IYKYK
"the story is far from over" does sound like more than just a port the way that is worded.
Wishful thinking I know but Shenmue 4 and a season 2 of Shenmue: the animation please.
I'm feeling like a replay of the original game is due soon. It's been a few years.
@Dange It does but I think they're exaggerating. They only have publishing rights to Shenmue 3 as this stands. Maybe they can negotiate with SEGA and work something more out, but I remain sceptical.
Of course, I sincerely hope I'm proven wrong!
(I've been playing Shenmue 2 a little bit again recently and it's still absolutely brilliant.)
I like the idea of more DLC for Shenmue 3 to get the ball rolling.
I like the idea some have of going back to the low res clunky look of the dreamcast games and cranking out the rest of the story on a shoestring budget while feeding graphics nostalgia more.
We'll all be long dead before Ryo gets his revenge.
They better not end the story with yet again another sequel bait with Lin escaping cause that final fight ANNOYED me to no end lol would have been great if Ryo managed to atleast land one blow to show how much he grew but alas...
LEEEEEETTTT'S GOOOOOOOO!!!!
On the surface this is great news. But PLEASE just make sure we don't wish it was over. If you are going to do it, do it right.
This has me hopeful that Shenmue 4 still has a chance of being made 🤞
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