Polygon Article: Two hours in Yu Suzuki's kitchen

[Axm]

The American video game website Polygon has published a new article featuring Yu Suzuki. This is just one of a 18 part series that looks into the Japanese game industry.

Polygon Article: Two hours in Yu Suzuki's kitchen

[Supa]

This interview makes me really feel for him. Must hurt to have suits constantly tell you that your own creations aren't worth spending money on.

Also, I love his mug.

[Axm]

Seems like he's really trying to focus on making one more console game before he retires.

[shenhua legend]

Good read, I have no hope to be honest, probably is safe to say that he will never make a big game again. I wonder if big companies percive Suzuki as a black hole when it comes to money..

[japalp]

I am happy to hear how he has been spending his time over the past 5 or so years. Sounds like he's not doing too much. I am surprised that nobody is giving him a chance on a console. I guess this shows how the industry has changed for the worse.

This article confirms my worst fear though - and that is that he is not very good at selling his ideas and agreeing to lower budgets. I really think someone would agree to finance a third Shenmue for a reasonable budget. I honestly believe now that it doesn't happen because he won't accept a budget below what he thinks he needs. He needs to figure out a way to advance this story for his fans.

[Henry Spencer]

The industry is just a real bad place for these "auteurs" at the moment if you're not in the right place or have loads of money to burn, henceforth why so many of them have flocked to mobile or indie.

[BlueMue]

It's really sad how such a brilliant mind as Yu Suzuki has to do boring buisiness tasks and doesn't really get to live out his creativity anymore. That picture of him with the Shenhua mug made be happy and sad at the same time.

[Yokosuka Martian]

Good read, I have no hope to be honest, probably is safe to say that he will never make a big game again. I wonder if big companies percive Suzuki as a black hole when it comes to money..

I don't see why that's fair. Hasn't most of his games besides Shenmue sold well?

[Supa]

Shenmue I even sold well...I think just Shenmue II and after is the issue. And Shenmue II was an obvious victim of circumstance.

Not sure how SEGA Race TV did, but Shenmue Online died a slow and horrible death and cost SEGA a ton of money as well.

[landorb]

Makes me think that Yu should be head hunted by Nintendo or another top games company. I mean, what good developer in their right mind would not try to hire this guy?
Perhaps Nintendo have already tried and Yu being pure SEGA could not accept; If you cut this guy in two you can guarantee he would read SEGA like a stick of rock through his middle.
I now believe that the SEGA of old really is gone for good. Let's hope that some other company buys SEGA and sets about exploiting (in a good way) what is the beyond doubt the strongest catalogue of IPs in all of gaming, and that's including Nintendo.

[TwiceFriedRice]

Is he cooking up Shenmue 3?

[shredingskin]

I don't like polygon, it kinda make it seems like Yu is out of his mind.

Sadly in Japan making games is EXTREMELY hard (expensive, corporative minset), he's one of the GREATEST game developers from HISTORY.

I understand that he want his vision to be complete, but sadly the games he wants to make would be a 2 year product by any indie company, with less than 200 grand (less if you talk to other countries). He's limited by his own, I totally understand that he's worth it, but he needs just to focus on GAMEPLAY, ATMOSPHERE and FEEL, he exelled on all those.

Fuck SEGA, Generations was great, Racings were great, but everything else...

[landorb]

Shenmue 3 will never be made to the standard we would hope for without funding from either M$, SCE, or Nintendo. M$ only spend money on safe bets like Minecraft and are unlikely to take a chance on Shen3. Nintendo are run like a religion; churning out the same old message and resisting change. They have enough cash to fund Shen3 many many times over. But they never will. Sony, on the other hand, are solid and dependable and are prepared to put cash into riskier games such as The Last Guardian and see them through to delivery (or not lol). They are also keen on providing their platforms with game changing exclusives - I remember how Tomb Raider 2 and Resident Evil 2 kicked the Saturn right in the nuts. I think Sony are the only realistic chance. Of course the best case scenario would be for SEGA to regain control of itself and make a return to its risk taking best, but as more time passes and SEGA's development structure and talent continues to be pissed up the wall by Sammy, this scenario is becoming less and less probable.