I would say while it is not confirmed I want to provide a theory (following my previous post ) just for the thinking procedure that is being caused by it, but it is confirmed, therefore let us sum up what we already know, so as we will end up with a somehow close answer about what is that game Yu Suzuki is working on right now.
A while back, when Yu Suzuki was in Monaco, «Yu-san took a tour of Côte d'Azur on March 1st».
There, he met with «Go Nagai, a famous animator, and the tour guide».
http://i1004.photobucket.com/albums/af167/Kiyuu/Monaco2013_2.jpg
And what he wanted to do there...
As he wanted to stroll some old village with an ambience that would be suitable for a game , the guide took him to Dolceacqua . He liked the village very much and took a lot of pictures.
Some day , we might stroll an old village like this in some video game . ;-)
http://i1004.photobucket.com/albums/af167/Kiyuu/Dolceacqua38_-_Panorama_del_paese_vecchio.jpg (Text highlighting is mine)
This is all «according to the following facebook page in Japanese». I have put a comment there, where I ask if «this is the place were Yu Suzuki's next game is going to be?»
[ Source, by Kiyuu: http://www.shenmuedojo.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=48&t=45589&start=225#p1036674 ]
I'll restate my reaction:
Personally, these are the most inspirational news I have read lately. I automatically-associated them with the fact that Yu Suzuki did research back then for Shenmue and visit places regarding the game , like he (somehow) did now. It may be for something different to Shenmue , but it is good to know that Yu still has the spirit in him.
Source: http://www.shenmuedojo.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=48&t=45589&start=255#p1036847
Ergo! For one, we somehow know where the setting of this game is going to be and somehow what the style of this game is.
— And what you will do with the Shenmue-series now, if you had freedom to do whatever you want?
— Actually, I'm doing it. I took the best that was in Shenmue , all the « know-how » of the game, gave up all that I did not like and make a new project. Only this will be a fantasy setting . That is not China or Japan, but the new fantasy world . * shows the concept art *
http://translate.google.ru/translate?sl=ru&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=ru&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fdarkwren.livejournal.com%2F1506288.html&act=url
Let's see what this says:
- I have heard it before, but I believe this is *not* a spiritual successor to Shenmue. What I mean is, this is not like Mighty No. 9 of Keiji Inafune; that means, you will not see the protagonist of that new game as a similar figure of Ryo Hazuki, with the same attributes et cetera, nor his name will be exempli gratia Ai C No. 3. As Yu Suzuki says, that new game inherits only the «know-how», the formula, while keeping what is best and disregarding what he didn't like. In a few words, the open-world formula (and some other things of Shenmue's gameplay and systems) will be the same, but nor the story nor the characters nor the world, of Shenmue.
- Yu-san says «a fantasy setting ... new fantasy world». The word fantasy prevails. We have already conclude where Yu took inspiration about what this new fantasy world would look like, and this will be like "Dolceacqua". But, by fantasy, you could expect also something futuristic. Or, better, you could expect a world with a setting like e.g. the one that is being used in Pokemon X/Y; that is the world is called Kalos , but Kalos is inspired by / based on Paris, France.
UPDATE: http://youtu.be/9kKVMcRxpqo?t=5m33s
As we can see in this video, we have more serious reasons to consider that this new game project by Yu, would be an RPG . Shenmue wasn't exactly an RPG (as you remember its motto "RPG has changed"), but rather exactly a Full Reactive Eyes Entertainment game; we can even say that new project could be a mix between RPG and FREE.
A few questions to consider:
- What things do you think Yu Suzuki didn't like in Shenmue?
I have a hunch that Quick Timer Events is one thing...
- What do you think about Go Nagai?
I would speculate he will be the one responsible for the concept art of that new game and also providing his expertise on animations. Go Nagai Industries...
- Would Yu consider Kickstarter to fund that new game, like Inafune did, so as it would have the potential to come out on all major consoles?
Furthermore, new things could come out of this new interview of Yu Suzuki, by «russian magazine a "strana igr" and russian version of ign» (source: post )...
The following was taken from a user post at Shenmue500k.
https://scontent-b-dfw.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/1425791_615667625159302_1479971978_n.jpg
There is some stuff about some new fantasy rpg fom Yu, he only told that events wont happen in China or Japan, and he`s inspired art stile (desing) from artist Alphonse Mucha, and its far from announcement, and only scenery and music are made yet..
Yeah,its the exclusive interview for russian jornalists for that magazine.
There also was question about Shenmue 3, Yu said nothing new, but but journalists saw a folder named Shemue 3 on his laptops desktop. ...but we would need somehow to translate the interview of that magazine. Someone who can read Russian and willing to do it...
Also, I wonder if this , the «Relation» bit, has anything to do with that new project of his. It is clear that this slide refers to Yu's innovations and things that he have implemented in his games (like e.g. Network with Shenmue Gai, Virtua Fighter Cool Champ), but the Relation is set to 2015, therefore we may see a new innovative system of Yu on that new project and in 2015...