Shenmue is one of those franchises that simply must be resurrected, or so says the faithful, never-say-die fanbase.
Unfortunately, after Shenmue 2 released all the way back in 2002, the series has gone dormant. Every generation, the fans beg for a sequel but each time, they’ve been disappointed. That’s why, at this point, they’re happy with any response.
So, even though a “very nice” doesn’t sound like much, to the fans in question, it’s a pretty big deal. It started with the following Tweet: As you can see, some of those dedicated followers came together to spell out, “Thank you Sony for listening to us. Please #Save Shenmue.”
In response, Sony Worldwide Studios President Shuhei Yoshida tweeted:
@Shenmue_Dojo @giocorsi @amboyes very nice!
— Shuhei Yoshida (@yosp) January 13, 2014
Well, okay. So it’s not a confirmation of Shenmue 3. It doesn’t even imply that such a project could exist. If we want to be cynical about it, it doesn’t mean anything at all. Remember, part of Yoshida’s job is to respond to the PlayStation community, especially when that community addresses Sony. Therefore, it’s hard to get excited over a simple and possibly obligatory “very nice.”
Still, there might be hope…
On the flip side, Sony does have a reputation for listening and reacting to gamer requests. If Shenmue 3 could exist, nobody would be surprised to see it on the PlayStation 4. At least, I wouldn’t. Another big reason for this possibility is that unlike Microsoft, Sony is more willing to take risks. They’re more willing to either bring back dormant IPs, or create entirely new IPs that may or may not resonate with a mainstream audience. Remember the Twisted Metal reboot?
The bottom line is that if enough Shenmue fans come forward, I’m willing to bet that Sony will at least consider the possibility of a sequel on the PS4. That’s nothing to sneeze at, ya know.
