When Sega inevitably announces the HD remasters...

[Esppiral]

SO no shenmue HD/remake then.....

[Zoltor]

Did Sega ever make any so called "big" announcement at all(not even about Shenmue, any major announcement that people outside of Japan, would give a crap about, to prove they are indeed trying to turn things around)? I haven't seen any big wave of excitement on Youtube or anything.

It very much feels like Sega was all talk afterall

[Kintor]

Did Sega ever make any so called "big" announcement at all(not even about Shenmue, any major announcement that people outside of Japan, would give a crap about, to prove they are indeed trying to turn things around)? I haven't seen any big wave of excitement on Youtube or anything.

Remember, I did warn you that any announcements made by Sega at the Tokyo Game Show would be directed at Japanese audience. In the end, TGS is the wrong venue to expect big international announcements, it's all about Japanese games. Still, Sega had a pretty good TGS this year. Yakuza 6 has finally been announced; plus Sega is also creating a next-generation remake of the original game call Yakuza: Extreme, which looks awesome. Furthermore, Sega's developers at Atlus are working with Vanillaware to make a new RPG called 13 Sentinels, which aside from some questionable character designs is showing a really beautiful art style, some people are already comparing it to Ghost in the Shell. As for Shenmue 1 and 2 HD, give it time, there are plenty of opportunities in the future for Sega to make such announcement.

[Zoltor]

Did Sega ever make any so called "big" announcement at all(not even about Shenmue, any major announcement that people outside of Japan, would give a crap about, to prove they are indeed trying to turn things around)? I haven't seen any big wave of excitement on Youtube or anything.

Remember, I did warn you that any announcements made by Sega at the Tokyo Game Show would be directed at Japanese audience. In the end, TGS is the wrong venue to expect big international announcements, it's all about Japanese games. Still, Sega had a pretty good TGS this year. Yakuza 6 has finally been announced; plus Sega is also creating a next-generation remake of the original game call Yakuza: Extreme, which looks awesome. Furthermore, Sega's developers at Atlus are working with Vanillaware to make a new RPG called 13 Sentinels, which aside from some questionable character designs is showing a really beautiful art style, some people are already comparing it to Ghost in the Shell. As for Shenmue 1 and 2 HD, give it time, there are plenty of opportunities in the future for Sega to make such announcement.

Then they shouldn't have claimed to the "western" audience that they have a big announcement to make at TGS(to make matters worse, they said this in a interview shortly after they admitted ignoring the western customers, and only releasing unfinished games outside of Japan).

Yea It's not the place to announce non-Japanese stuff(however it wouldn't hurt to state where things are going to be released), know what is the place to do so, E3, which Sega was completely absent as far as I can tell.

Yea they had a really good showing, but until proven otherwise, It's a sure bet that the only 2 games we'll be getting, is Persona 5(which is ATLUS, so that doesn't really count), and Yakuza.

I don't know, Sega is very allergic to money, so I really don't see Sega ever releasing even straightup ports of Shenmue 1, and 2, which is all we should be really asking for, but anyway yea, I don't see such happening.

[Kintor]

Then they shouldn't have claimed to the "western" audience that they have a big announcement to make at TGS(to make matters worse, they said this in a interview shortly after they admitted ignoring the western customers, and only releasing unfinished games outside of Japan).

Yea It's not the place to announce non-Japanese stuff(however it wouldn't hurt to state where things are going to be released), know what is the place to do so, E3, which Sega was completely absent as far as I can tell.

Yea they had a really good showing, but until proven otherwise, It's a sure bet that the only 2 games we'll be getting, is Persona 5(which is ATLUS, so that doesn't really count), and Yakuza.

I don't know, Sega is very allergic to money, so I really don't see Sega ever releasing even straightup ports of Shenmue 1, and 2, which is all we should be really asking for, but anyway yea, I don't see such happening

Nobody, least of all Sega, made any promises to western gamers about what TGS might bring. It would be foolish for anyone to do; TGS is the wrong place for that sort of thing. So, it's pointless getting mad at broken promises that never actually existed in the first place. The only thing that can be taken away from the TGS is the games being made for Japanese audiences; just as how games announced at E3 (an American event) may not ever make it Europe and the other PAL territories. It will always be a struggle to get games localised, especially in this modern era when the biggest games have hours of fully-voiced dialogue and text that need translating into multiple languages. Regardless, Sega’s efforts at TGS reflect the company’s ability to continue to recreate a diverse range of games, from smaller mobile titles to blockbuster AAA games all at the same time.

It should come as no surprise that Sega is keen to make even more Yakuza games; they are some of Sega’s best games in recent years and a favourite project of Toshihiro Nagoshi, Sega’s Chief Creative Officer. Yakuza 6 marks the franchises full transition to next-generation platforms, I can’t wait to see how the game looks when the first footage is officially revealed. While, Persona 5 also looks absolutely amazing, the extra months spent in development before launch will make the even better than it already is. With the way things are shaping up Persona 5 might just become one of the greatest games that Sega has ever created; a fine RPG ready to take its place amongst the likes of Phantasy Star IV, Panzer Dragoon Saga, Skies of Arcadia and Valkyria Chronicles. The games that Sega has shown at TGS bode quite well for the future.

With time Sega can release HD versions of Shenmue 1 and 2, it is simply a question of when not if. There was never any indication that Shenmue would be making an appearance at TGS in any official capacity. Yet all the Shenmue merchandise available at Sega’s booth shows a continuing commitment to the franchise, a renewed interest even, as today there is more new Shenmue merchandise being made then at any time since the discontinuation of the Dreamcast. When the time is right Sega will announce Shenmue 1 and 2 HD. After all, there are plenty of excellent industry events to make such an announcement between now and the eventual release of Shenmue 3 in 2017.

[Himuro]

Did Sega ever make any so called "big" announcement at all(not even about Shenmue, any major announcement that people outside of Japan, would give a crap about, to prove they are indeed trying to turn things around)? I haven't seen any big wave of excitement on Youtube or anything.

It very much feels like Sega was all talk afterall

Lol @ you thinking a historically Japanese focused convention giving a fuck about the west.

[johnvivant]

if we saw sega selling shenmue merchandise at a big event a couple of years ago we would all be ecstatic and out of our minds. we've been so spoiled recently that it doesn't seem enough but its actually a huge step for sega in the right direction.

they better not hang around with the development of the HD ports however, its imperative they release them before shenmue 3.

[Zoltor]

To Kintor: I'm sick of you, and some others referring to Persona 5 as being created by Sega, in no way, shape or form, is Sega creating it.

To johnvivant: Why should we be excited about them selling Shenmue merchandise at some super exclusive event, that next to no one will beable to buy such anyway. Atleast in the past, when merchandise was made, it was made with just Sega's permission, and anyone could buy such. People didn't have to fly across the world, pay who knows what(for entry fees/hotels rooms in Tokyo of all places, ect) to go to some dinky event in order to buy the merchandise.

Frankly I think the ship has already sailed on that, if they had any plans to do so, they would've announced it back when the Iron was still red hot. Also it makes all the sense to get such out before 3 comes out. You see a normal company without their head up their asses, and a company that actually likes money, would've thought this, "if the KS for Shenmue 3 ends up being very successful, we'll release ports of Shenmue 1, and 2.

However Sega doesn't think, let alone think ahead. I hope ATLUS fixes that joke of a company or better yet, absorbs Sega(It's the only way Sega will ever change for the better.

[fittersau]

Was the Yakuza 1 remake really the "big" announcement?

Which is ironically the big troll of the decade by SEGA.. Stating "We need to give our forgotten franchises so more love".. lmao.

This was obviously going to happen because Mr Toshi Nagoshi is on the Executive Board of SEGA. I've always maintained he's not a fan of Shenmue and sees it as a threat. While I'm impartial to Yakuza as a series, after playing 3, 4, parts of Kenzan, I've grown bored of it. The combat, the mini-games, even the hostess games are not particularly interesting. Story can be fairly non-sensical as well if viewed from a gaijin point of view and only really make sense if you understand bits of Japanese gangster culture. Compared to a deeper story with wider appeal and stronger game mechanic of Shenmue, Yakuza doesn't stand up.

I'd like to see Ryo beat Kazuma up one day. haha.

Bajiquan > Street Brawling


Having said that, I'm curious what Ys Net & Shibuya Productions was doing at TGS 2015. They didn't appear to get any promotional time. Japanese friends didn't report seeing Suzuki or Biscay at the event.

So maybe we are a bit harsh and jumping the gun and SEGA & YsNet are still negotiating the best time to announce the release of Shenmue 1 & 2 HD.

[Kintor]

To Kintor: I'm sick of you, and some others referring to Persona 5 as being created by Sega, in no way, shape or form, is Sega creating it.

You don't have to like it but sooner or later you are going to have face facts and accept Persona 5 as a full-fledged Sega game. Atlus, along with the rest of Index Corporation, is now part of Sega; as has been case since September 2013 when Sega picked-up the pieces in the aftermath of Index Corporation's bankruptcy. So much better, since Atlus has been able to flourish under Sega's oversight. Persona 5 has now emerged as the best game it can possible be, a compelling AAA game that is set to become of the greatest RPGs that Sega has ever made.

Anyway, as others have pointed out – more Shenmue merchandise being made is always a big deal. The souvenirs Sega has released this year at TGS might out last the memory of the show itself. Even the most jaded gamer must take a second to look and admire the truth, that Shenmue is once again getting recognition from Sega as a major franchise. Which in a real sense opens the door for Sega to release Shenmue 1 and 2 HD when the time is right. A lot can happen be now and the end of 2017, there are any number of points along the way when Shenmue 1 and 2 HD could be announced.

[Peter]

If anything the past 14 years should have taught you is don't get hyped about anything Sega has promised. Especially when it comes to Shenmue.

HD remakes? Someone quote this post the day they are actually officially announced and I will happily hold up my hands and say I was wrong and apologise. But I just can't see any remakes coming out before Shenmue 3. Yes, thank you Sega for letting Yu have the licence for the franchise, but that's it. There's no way they will spend a dime on any production of a Shenmue related game.

[Zoltor]

To Kintor: I'm sick of you, and some others referring to Persona 5 as being created by Sega, in no way, shape or form, is Sega creating it.

You don't have to like it but sooner or later you are going to have face facts and accept Persona 5 as a full-fledged Sega game. Atlus, along with the rest of Index Corporation, is now part of Sega; as has been case since September 2013 when Sega picked-up the pieces in the aftermath of Index Corporation's bankruptcy. So much better, since Atlus has been able to flourish under Sega's oversight. Persona 5 has now emerged as the best game it can possible be, a compelling AAA game that is set to become of the greatest RPGs that Sega has ever made.

Anyway, as others have pointed out – more Shenmue merchandise being made is always a big deal. The souvenirs Sega has released this year at TGS might out last the memory of the show itself. Even the most jaded gamer must take a second to look and admire the truth, that Shenmue is once again getting recognition from Sega as a major franchise. Which in a real sense opens the door for Sega to release Shenmue 1 and 2 HD when the time is right. A lot can happen be now and the end of 2017, there are any number of points along the way when Shenmue 1 and 2 HD could be announced.

Sega is non-existant anymore, the fact is, if they stopped making the Sonic, and to a lesser extant, Yakuza, no one would even of Sega these days.

Sega is not a developer anymore, all the skilled developers they have ever had, left long ago, and all they are, is some publisher that doesn't release stuff out side of Japan.

Sega might "own" ATLUS, but that's not the same thing as being considered the ones that create the games. It's also very obfious when Sega doesn't create somes, because X game doesn't suck to no end.

Do you know what Sega's idea of trying to revitalize/cash in on the Shenmue series is? A crappy mobile game(what a joke), and merchandise.

Do you not realize that the structure of Sega, is exactly the same as Konami, the only, and I mean the only thing different between the two, is they aren't assholes about it+they aren't about to leave a industry, just because their gambling machines make more money(they're completely different industries, It's beyond retarded to leave one industry if It's still profitable, just because another industry you're already a part of, is more profitable. As dumb as Sega is, I suppose we can be atleast thankful they aren't as dumb as Konami)

To Peter: Yea I 100% agree, I want to be wrong about this too, but you see, I believe in studying history, and there's nothing that indicates Sega would ever do such a thing, nor is there any signs whatso ever, that they are trying to change their ways, after they admitted their wrong doings.

[Kintor]

Sega is non-existant anymore, the fact is, if they stopped making the Sonic, and to a lesser extant, Yakuza, no one would even of Sega these days.

Sega is not a developer anymore, all the skilled developers they have ever had, left long ago, and all they are, is some publisher that doesn't release stuff out side of Japan.

Sega might "own" ATLUS, but that's not the same thing as being considered the ones that create the games. It's also very obfious when Sega doesn't create somes, because X game doesn't suck to no end.

Do you know what Sega's idea of trying to revitalize/cash in on the Shenmue series is? A crappy mobile game(what a joke), and merchandise.

Do you not realize that the structure of Sega, is exactly the same as Konami, the only, and I mean the only thing different between the two, is they aren't assholes about it+they aren't about to leave a industry, just because their gambling machines make more money(they're completely different industries, It's beyond retarded to leave one industry if It's still profitable, just because another industry you're already a part of, is more profitable. As dumb as Sega is, I suppose we can be atleast thankful they aren't as dumb as Konami)

You may not have notice it but Sega today is a larger and more powerful organisation then it has ever been. Granted, the structure of Sega is vastly changed from the Dreamcast days but such things are inevitable, given the rapidly changing world that we live in. Regardless, Sega has been able to survive and even thrive despite the great difficulties affecting the global economy and the game's industry in particular. Where everything from Pachinko gambling machines to children toys all contribute to Sega's bottom line, in addition to the numerous AAA video games that Sega continues to create.

As a matter of course this means that Sega has also had to reorganise and expand its in house development teams. Some teams have been consolidated, others have been greatly expanded, while entirely new teams have joined Sega thanks to numerous acquisitions. The end result is that Sega has numerous elite developers all over the world able to make games to cater to the tastes of local audiences. Sega’s Japanese teams make games like Yakuza (for consoles) and Chain Chronicle (for mobile platforms). Sega’s Western teams make franchise like Total War (for consoles) and Sonic Runners (for mobile platforms). All of which bring Sega both prestige and profits.

Looking towards the future Sega will continue to expand the company’s reach by acquiring new development teams wherever possible. Under Sega’s oversight Atlus will soar to new heights, Persona 5 will bring the whole Persona franchise into the mainstream where it can stand toe to toe with the likes of Final Fantasy. This is just the latest of Sega’s successful acquisitions and it certainly won’t be the last. With time these new development teams added to Sega will also make Sega games, just as is the case with Atlus now. As is a perfectly reasonable and natural part of a how a major organisation, like Sega, actually functions.

As for the Shenmue franchise, merchandise has and always will play a significant part in its success and ultimate survival. The strong sales of merchandise will also help to determine the viability of a franchise, paving the way for new games, depending on how well that merchandise is received by its target audience. Suffice to say, the presence of Shenmue merchandise at this year’s TGS is welcome news indeed. We may not have Shenmue 1 and 2 HD yet but more Shenmue merchandise always bodes well. The sale of this merchandise, along with all the other Shenmue merchandise we’ve seen in recent years, helps to encourage further support from Sega in the near future.

[Anonymous81]

You know, I've been giving this a lot of thought, rolling over realistic scenarios in my head with respect to a Shenmue 1 & 2 re-release, trying to be realistic rather than my usual purely optimistic, defiant of reality self. And I've been forced to conclude some unfortunate things, though I hope I'm wrong.

Sadly, unless SEGA (or a contracted second party) make significant changes to the HD remasters of the games, while I do feel it would expand the audience very slightly (and every little bit helps,) I feel it's extremely probable that the re-releases would receive generally poor reviews from the mainstream gaming press. We all love these games, but by today's standards they are idiosyncratic, slow, "boring" in many gamers' eyes, and most importantly, unintuitive to come to grips with and play.

Reviews would reflect this, no matter how much we all happen to love the games. So the mass appeal would be rather limited. And this might also further damage the prospects of Shenmue 3 to do well at release. Those who had never played the games before might conclude that since the re-releases earned poor scores, Shenmue 3 isn't worth their time either.

While I definitely hope for an HD re-release of the first two games just like everyone else, I think what would best serve the series would be some significant enhancements such as more modern camera control, better in-game tutorials, more convenient time passage in the first game, more convenient saving (no quick save deletion and multiple loadable quick saves,) and improved localization/translation. I know many here would loathe that, and I tend to agree actually, but without those enhancements, at least as a toggleable option, I don't see Shenmue 1 and 2 faring very well commercially or critically if released today. HD upscale or no.

Since it seems unlikely SEGA would invest in doing any of that, they might be better off simply releasing Shenmue 1 & 2 digitally, unaltered, in a low profile fashion. That way we at least get to see it displayed on our modern HDTVs, and get the classic experience we all want. Without the potential damage to the perception of the franchise as a whole, and Shenmue 3.

This line of thinking may be difficult for we passionate fans to accept - but the original games, released today, wouldn't necessarily appeal to virtually anyone but existing fans.

I'd love to be wrong of course.

[FlagshipFighter]

imo the first 2 shenmue games have aged a lot better than a game like FF7, and look at how many times that thing has been re-released.

the only things to consider changing imo would be to add better controls for analogue sticks and give the option to wait/speed up time at certain events in the first game. other than that they should give it the regular hd re-mastering treatment 1080p60, uncompressed sound, uncompressed textures, better skybox, and leave everything else the same.