Sega took an egg-beater to the hearts of Shenmue fans late last month when they had the audacity to mention Shenmue III was a possibility.  The deciding factor?  Well, they don’t want to pay for it, so they need a hardware manufacturer to support the project in exchange for exclusivity.  I guess they weren’t too happy with the sales of the previous titles and don’t feel like taking a chance.  With the story already completed and someone else funding them, Sega’s profit potential would be substantial.

I always hate when the financial politics behind games become apparent, but I suppose that’s just part of the process.  From a marketing standpoint, the fact that the series has maintained such a following 10 years after the first title’s release is saying a lot for its potential in the current generation.

Is this passing comment by Sega and my air-tight logic enough to entice one of the three console manufacturers into stepping up to the task?  That sounds doubtful to me, but that doesn’t mean I can’t dream.

Roy rumor, sega 1 comments