Shenmue Online cancelled, Shenmue 3 not happening as Sega’s franchise dies

6 August 2007

Posted by:Ferry

Back in February 2006, Shenmue creator and veteran game designer Yu Suzuki, confirmed that the mysterious Shenmue MMO venture Shenmue Online (that was announced in 2004) was still in development: “The story will be finished through games.” Later that year at the China Joy 2006 game event Sega unveiled new info in an Shenmue Online trailer and gameplay videos that you can watch below.

Sadly that’s the last we’ll see of any Shenmue games, since Shenmue Online has been canceled and will more than likely never see another sequel like Shenmue 3. Seganerds reports that ever since the game didn’t show up at China Joy 2007 it’s continued development has been questioned.

It’s now been confirmed by Kikizo staff saying: “As for Shenmue, I would have to say at this stage, it is worth forgetting about. If all the fans get any rich relatives together and channel it though Dojo perhaps we could buy rights, hire Suzuki (he’d likely say yes) and independently make the game under license from Sega at no risk to them. That is the only way it will get made at this stage I think.”

The following words must’ve been really hard for the Shenmue fans to say: “To clarify, what I meant was I wanted to get clarification on something I heard a couple of days ago, which is that yes, Shenmue Online is f*cked and Suzuki’s status is, once again, up in the air, which counts Shenmue III totally out of the picture right now. This is confirmed, it seems.”

Wow double-sad news! Now I have to go tell some friends who are fans of Shenmue and Shenmue II.

Shenmue Online 2006 video Part 1:

Shenmue Online 2006 video Part 2:

Full video of Shenmue Online originally found at Ameba.

Categories: Features, Interviews, News, Retro News, Videos

Alex

Edit: That petition doesn’t exist any longer. My my. The outlook is bleak, isn’t it? I understand that Shenmue II is the most or is one of the most expensive games ever made. It cost 70 million USD to produce and its sales weren’t too great despite the Shenmue series’ attainment of such fierce and devoted fans. Unfortunately, I think we will never see a sequel game. Keep your hopes up for a book if you like but if I were you I wouldn’t even get too optimistic about that.
Gav

any feelings i have regarding this matter have already been expressed in this thread……
anything i wanted to say has already been said….

im angry and disappointed……

id like to think, he kills Lan di, gets the girl, returns to his fathers dojo to take his place……

guess we will never know…..what a shame
Hebz

The one thing I thought I could see the way through, without it getting boring, without some major franchise ruining it, the purity of Shenmue was what made it so excellent, the fact no matter how many times you played it, it never seemed to get old or get boring. Both of the Shenmue games were masterpieces in their own rights, the comment about “the golden compass” was right. the new gamer generation will never know what shenmue is, they will never experience such an addiction, such heartbreak at seeing the third installment postponed and eventually scrapped.

its as if there is no point in playing a game anymore, if they can do this to something so brilliant, they can do this to any game.

i was willing to buy a ps3, xbox360 and a wii, just so i could be ready for its release. i dont think i’ll bother, i’ll stick with my reliable dreamcast and keep playing the first two forever.

that old quote “you can never have too much of a good thing”, in this day and age you can’t have enough of a good thing.
john

why don’t they make the last game like the old dreamcast graphics might make them save a few dollars or pounds.

I need to see the game why do this to me sega ?

i supported dreamcast to the end and i still got a dreamcast i got a mega cd megadrive a master system

shenmue 3 needs to be made i can’t take it anymore i played the game for the dreamcast days and from then i been hooked it needs to be made.
AXXO

shenmue 3 got to be made i have lost faith in sega why do this to your fans
Paul

Sega have barely done a thing right since the Mega Drive (Genesis). This is further proof. What an incompetent company. Poor Yu Suzuki… hopefully he’ll at least release some books.
shilamounainai

imagine a blu-ray disk with shenmue 1,2 and 3 in it.
http://www.shenmuedojo.net Ziming

A real Shenmue 3 character.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCE1hCeMBu8
http://videogamesblogger Big mc

yo came out with the game already part 1 and 2 was the S$%t come out with part 3 already
DANTE13

OH Come on I have been waiting for shenmue 3 for a long time we just want the last one YOu cant have the ending on shenmue 2 and just forget about it We want shenmue 3!!