Shenmue III shows Sega's newfound cunning
Fan letters mix with AM-2 newsletters as Suzuki manages hype
Now that Sega is freed of its hardware shackles, a new level of contrite business acumen abounds at the firm's Japanese HQ, with a new-found software-centric spin machine hard at work throughout the working day.
You may have read all over the Internet for several weeks that Shenmue III, AM-2's masterwork adventure sequel, had gone into development or that it had been confirmed in Yu Suzuki's regular AM-2 newsletter. Sega has no doubt enjoyed this level of attention to its most expensive gaming project of all time, (some analysts put the cost of Shenmue to date at well over $100 million) and has fuelled the fire somewhat, with a mixture of red herrings, such as the Outrun II announcement and a wall of silence that, in fairness, isn't really necessary.
Only yesterday, several Japanese sources pointed towards a posting on Sega Japan's official site that spoke of various details, taken by some to be the words of a staff member at AM-2. As it transpires, this was nothing more than a fan letter to the team, making various requests for content for the third game.
One must ask oneself, why would Sega post such a letter? To gauge opinion? To cause a kafuffle? Probably both.
Speaking directly and exclusively to us some time ago, AM-2 chief Yu Suzuki said, "Preliminary work for Shenmue III is underway, though nothing technical has been completed. Art and design has been going on for some time."
As to whether development proper has now begun is a mystery, though the general feeling is that Sega Japan has exquisitely generated a feverish level of anticipation for the essential third instalment of Shenmue. Indeed, it would be fair to argue that a game announcement has never been so openly longed for as this.
There's something Shenmue-shaped brewing in the depths of AM-2. Given that the game's official website has just had a makeover, and Sega's management of the information flow, expect something in the next few months…
You may have read all over the Internet for several weeks that Shenmue III, AM-2's masterwork adventure sequel, had gone into development or that it had been confirmed in Yu Suzuki's regular AM-2 newsletter. Sega has no doubt enjoyed this level of attention to its most expensive gaming project of all time, (some analysts put the cost of Shenmue to date at well over $100 million) and has fuelled the fire somewhat, with a mixture of red herrings, such as the Outrun II announcement and a wall of silence that, in fairness, isn't really necessary.
Only yesterday, several Japanese sources pointed towards a posting on Sega Japan's official site that spoke of various details, taken by some to be the words of a staff member at AM-2. As it transpires, this was nothing more than a fan letter to the team, making various requests for content for the third game.
One must ask oneself, why would Sega post such a letter? To gauge opinion? To cause a kafuffle? Probably both.
Speaking directly and exclusively to us some time ago, AM-2 chief Yu Suzuki said, "Preliminary work for Shenmue III is underway, though nothing technical has been completed. Art and design has been going on for some time."
As to whether development proper has now begun is a mystery, though the general feeling is that Sega Japan has exquisitely generated a feverish level of anticipation for the essential third instalment of Shenmue. Indeed, it would be fair to argue that a game announcement has never been so openly longed for as this.
There's something Shenmue-shaped brewing in the depths of AM-2. Given that the game's official website has just had a makeover, and Sega's management of the information flow, expect something in the next few months…
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