Shenmue Rumors Hit Overdrive
As E3 is fast approaching it should come as no surprise that rumors are beginning to fly around, with fans eager to discuss potential games that could be showcased at the annual game conference. Perhaps the most significant so far came today through an apparent tease that Sega and Square Enix could be bringing back Shenmue.
Although it’s important to state that nothing has yet been confirmed from either Sega or Square Enix, so these rumors could be far off the mark. But it is intriguing none the less to consider that the series could be making a return to next generation consoles.
According to Japanese gaming site GamesTalk, they have seen several images that suggest that a remastered release of both Shenmue I & II could release for the PlayStation 4 and PC, with a further sequel to hit store shelves in the form of Shenmue III. Fans and the media have speculated for several years that the series could return, with many gamers expressing interest in remasters of the original games on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
The evidence comes in the form of the below image, which obviously is far from compelling:
Shenmue was the showpiece of the Dreamcast when it launched in 1999 and was designed to be the killer app that would entice gamers to grab the console. It was incredibly well received, garnering critical acclaim, but didn’t prove as successful as initially hoped. It is still one of the most expensive games ever made and was supposed to consist of a number of chapters across several games. However, only two titles were released in the series due to the large budget. Sega have since stated that they would not want to fund further entries in the franchise as the cost would be prohibitive.