by Wanderin' » Tue Dec 07, 2010 4:00 am
Time's are certainly a changin'. It's been a long long time since Suzuki has sat down for a candid interview with any western games journalist. However, although I too anticipate reading this long-awaited interview just like everyone else here, the first article posted has already hinted at what the immediate future of Shenmue may hold for all of us.
When asked about how Shenmue Gai/World would tie into the larger core Shenmue Saga as a whole, 1Up mentions that there is a "major update" being planned for Shenmue Gai that would bring the social game's story and events up to speed/into the Shenmue 2 timeframe. And that Suzuki suggests that "If after the [update] the game is still popular, I have the story beyond Shenmue II," said Suzuki. "So I can include that, as well. That's the plan."
This fact, coupled with the other fact that YS-Net is apparently a "five man company" (also quoted from the article) suggests to me that Suzuki really isn't in any kind of position to be daydreaming of/planning a 'grand-scale' core Shenmue saga sequel (Shenmue 3) that he has mentioned in passing recently.
Now, this post is not meant to rain on anyone's parade or to subject anyone to any kind of negativity regarding the possibility of a Shenmue 3. Instead, these current developments in the Shenmue world - I actually kind of hate to say it -now ultimately test whether each and every one us Shenmue fans can stand true as dedicated fans of the saga.
What could I possibly mean by that? Well, for years we have discussed how Suzuki could finish the core Shenmue saga. After much deliberation, debate, and tears (well, mostly my tears...) many of us agreed that we ultimately really wouldn't mind what format the conclusion to Shenmue came in (even though most of us long for a proper 'grand scale' Shenmue 3 game), so long as it did materialize.
Now that alternative format has actually materialized in the form of the social network game Shenmue Gai/World. I know that many of you refuse to accept this and continue to hold out for the proper grand scale Shenmue 3 console game that we were promised so many years ago - but this is what I mean by how this current situation tests out dedication. Even though Suzuki is currently demonstrating very much enthusiasm for having Gai become a success and present more of the Shenmue story to everyone, shall we continue to push him (often rather unfairly, considering what little game making capital and resources he honestly owns currently) for a proper Shenmue 3?
On the other hand, should we all commit ourselves to supporting Shenmue Gai with every last effort that we can contribute? After all, since Shenmue Gai is very easy to develop, and it isn't that hard to have Dojo members fluent in Japanese to contribute translations of Gai's expansion update stories, the conclusion to the core saga's story is really just that close to being revealed to us all via Shenmue Gai story updates. Think about that - regardless of whether a proper Shenmue 3 ever comes out, we could have the rest of the core saga's story really much sooner than you think.
Food for thought, my friends, food for thought. By the way, regardless of how this turns out, I'll still be here with everyone waiting for every comment Suzuki makes about Shenmue with much anticipation. Cheers!