Nintendo and Sega discussing the future of Shenmue ?

[Yokosuka Martian]

I do agree it's quite odd. An announcement like that would be on Famitsu magazine or something like that. Feels like a troll.

[Let's Get Sweaty]

To be fair, the Reddit user says:

Despite the magazine about fashion in general, it covers all forms of entertainment time to time. Fox example, last year Mr. Satoru Iwata discussed future of MOTHER series with Mr. Itoi in Brutus.

That's a pretty hardcore gaming topic, so it's not unthinkable that if this magazine is a very successful one in Japan, then it might just get the scoop. But you're right, we do need to know more.

It has about 48k followers on Twitter, but we don't know how that compares to similar magazines over there. Here's how Wikipedia describes it:

a well-respected magazine published in Japan by Magazine House. A popular magazine, it had a circulation of 88,543 as of May 2009 with a target audience of 20–50 year old trend-conscious males.

So it's not playing to the same crowd as, say, Cosmopolitan, which is probably what we all imagined when we read "fashion magazine."

I'm not saying I believe it yet. Just trying to weigh up the pros along with the cons.

[MiTT3NZ]

Well, it's not exactly an announcement, it's a rumour based on the testimony of an apparent "insider", and sources usually work with one publication, not multiple.

As a football fan though (especially a City supporter) I know that, "insiders" and "close, trusted sources" tend to be people who work in or around the area of the clubs/companies they are providing information on, but more often than not don't actually work directly for (if at all) for said club/company.

Even then, most of the time it's second, third, or fourth hand hearsay that could've been heard at any part of a conversation. They could've only heard what has been underlined...

"Paul who works maintenence said about those Shenmue tweets. I swear, some of these freaks are doing things that are borderline harassment."
"Yeah, I heard about that. They're even tweeting us at the moment. As if Nintendo are gonna call SEGA up and talk about resurrecting Shenmue to release the third instalment on the Wii-U?"
"Innit. Doesn't make any sense. They need to get a life."
"Ah hurd dat!"



...minus the blatantly western colloquialisms, obviously...

[Yokosuka Martian]

Well if that's true then they are aiming at the right demographic, seeing as most Shenmue fans would be in their 20s by now.

[Peter]

I an not sure, i thought the Wii was aimed at families and kids. I couldnt see a kid picking up a DS and sitting playing Shenmue I and II

[Yokosuka Martian]

Don't forget Pete I wouldn't consider Bayonetta 2to be a family game either but they snatched up that licence

[Let's Get Sweaty]

Nintendo's trying to appease both "hardcore"/"mature" gamers and "casual"/"family" gamers with the Wii U, hence the two versions of the console. Black Ops 2 will be available at launch.

[MiTT3NZ]

Maybe so with a Wii, but I can hardly see the Wii-U having the same impact. The main appeal of the Wii was that... "non-gamers" (mums, grandparents, etc.) don't like controllers, so the motion control system worked for them. Replace that with a controller that has a touch screen though, and the fact that it has a screen doesn't change the fact that it's a controller, so they're less likely to want to buy it.

So... in summary, whilst the Wii was a decent system for families and parties, the Wii-U is obviously a "proper" console aimed at gamers. Either that or Nintendo have taken an almighty gamble which is bound to fail in the West if they're aiming at the same demograph and sales figures as it's predecessor.

But if this console is aimed at gamers, and is supposed to be Nintendo's return to form (as their acquisition of the Bayonetta 2's exclusivity - amongst other things -suggest), then it would make sense that they would capitalise on the Shenmue franchise's blindly loyal fanbase, as well as the various media sources that have a peculiar interest in the series' checkered history, in order to boost the popularity of the console and turn what is currently seen as "another gimmicky Nintendo system" (by many including myself) as an absolute must-have machine.

As a market stall owner who cleaned my Shenmue IIx disc said to me though "Every time a new console's announced, so are rumours of Shenmue III being an exclusive for it." Happened with the Xbox, PS3, Wii, 360, and now it's happening with the Wii-U. Even XBLA's had suggestions, so I'm not feeding into this whatsoever. Just another rumour for another platform. The same will happen with the PS4 and the next Xbox. I'm actually surprised it hasn't been rumoured as a PSVita game yet.

[QWERTY]

Maybe so with a Wii, but I can hardly see the Wii-U having the same impact. The main appeal of the Wii was that... "non-gamers" (mums, grandparents, etc.) don't like controllers, so the motion control system worked for them. Replace that with a controller that has a touch screen though, and the fact that it has a screen doesn't change the fact that it's a controller, so they're less likely to want to buy it.

Er, not sure about that. Tablets and smart phones are fucking huge, with everyone. Ninty have pulled off another inspired plan with this console imo, they're riding on the crest of the wave of touchscreen technology before Sony and Microsoft and you can be sure both of those companies will follow suit just like the way they did with Kinect and Move.

[Rakim]

Either this is super new or bullshit. I can't find any other mentions of this article.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brutus_%28magazine%29

That's the magazine it was supposedly published in.

EDIT: finished the transcription from the previous page

それがWiiのUのベヨネッタ2の成功発表後、任天堂はゲーマーに、今シェンムーシリーズの将来についてセガと交渉中で聴いている私たちのインサイダーによって報告されています。このような状況では、シェンムーIIIは国際的出版社と資金提供者として任天堂と同様のWii Uに来ることが可能です。

日本では1999年後半に来ている最初のゲームは、コストはクリエイター鈴木裕が報告したように、4700万ドルの周りに推定される。

Xbox用2003 - シェンムーIIはドリームキャスト用の2001年と2002年に公開されていました。なぜなら財政問題のため、セガは自分でシリーズを継続する予定はありません。任天堂は世界を通じてファンに待望の続編を提供することにより、大きな助けとなることができます。

任天堂の独自のGCN - また、それはドリームキャストの終了後、ソニックアドベンチャー2が非セガプラットフォームでリリースされる初セガゲームがあったことを非常に記憶に残るのです。

If you google quoted portions of the article no Japanese sites come up talking about the story. I think we've been had once again.

[Bluecast]

Nintendo been riding the touch screen wave since 2004 before there was a wave. They also tried it in Udon in the 80's and had plans for it in Wii. Also don;t forget thet had Dynamic Zan,They own the Fatal Frame series, Pandoras Tower,The Last Story and Xenoblade,Disaster Day of Crisis . So they are not afraid of different kinds of games.

[Axm]

Interesting but from a totally off the radar source. If its not Famitsu or direct from Sega its just abit of fun discussion.

[MiTT3NZ]

Maybe so with a Wii, but I can hardly see the Wii-U having the same impact. The main appeal of the Wii was that... "non-gamers" (mums, grandparents, etc.) don't like controllers, so the motion control system worked for them. Replace that with a controller that has a touch screen though, and the fact that it has a screen doesn't change the fact that it's a controller, so they're less likely to want to buy it.

Er, not sure about that. Tablets and smart phones are fucking huge, with everyone. Ninty have pulled off another inspired plan with this console imo, they're riding on the crest of the wave of touchscreen technology before Sony and Microsoft and you can be sure both of those companies will follow suit just like the way they did with Kinect and Move.

Yeah, except that:

1) It's still a control pad.
2) Nobody's talking about it.

[Bluecast]

Someone must know about it when across the US over 2 million preoders and sold out

[MiTT3NZ]

We're talking about casual gamers, who before the Wii were non-gamers. It's a point about the demograph/target audience, not the figures sold.