How would you feel if the next game from YSNET is NOT Shenmue IV?

Peter

Peter

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So, Shenmue III was released over 2 years ago, and to this day we haven't heard of any sort of confirmation that Shenmue IV is in development. Of course it would be amazing if it was! Being shadow developed with no reveal at all (especially after all of the abuse they were served when they proved backers with in-development Kickstarter updates) would be excellent, but we know through fantastic interviews by @spud1897 that the last update was that they needed to source a publisher, for what could be conceived a risky investment.

Contrary to this, we know that YSNET still does have the lights on, and have been kept busy, so my question is how would you feel if tomorrow, next week, or next month... YSNET reveal a new game, that has nothing to do with Shenmue? What would you want it to be? What could it be? What platform could it be on? What if the plan was to go down this route, in order to self fund a Shenmue IV?

I personally feel this is 100% exactly what they are doing, simply based on the lack of Shenmue IV news or movement, yet still in their offices as well as being kept busy. It makes logical sense. If they are doing it... I wont lie, I would be super excited to see what it is. Anything's possible, and if it does turn out to be what happens, the possibilities excite me also. A mobile game with an addictive gameplay loop? In game purchases making YSNET megabucks to fund Shenmue IV themselves? A brand new addictive arcade game from the legendary Yu Suzuki? On mobile devices for ease of access?

We already know Yu-san has dabbled in this idea before with Shenmue Gai, the failed mobile game released for Yahoo Japan. However, Eurogamer also had an article pre Shenmue III Kickstarter, where they revealed that Yu Suzuki was planning on releasing a mobile game, Gan! Gan! Pirates, which you can head more on HERE.

What if YSNET are going down this route, ultimately to fund Shenmue IV? If no one wants to stump up the cash, why not generate it ourselves with the talent and resources we have?
 
Love for them to make anthying, really. If the next project wasnt Shenmue but makes a lot of sales to help further Shenmue budget/pitch--great! Multiplatform probably wisest move unless another Sony console exclusivity

Also, don't want Suzuki to have same fate of Kojima-- being forced to work on MGS way too long. Want Yu to be ahppy and make Shenmue how they wish; and want YSnet to be successful

Off topic I'd love them to finish or at least go further in story with the Anime--as long as we eventually get the games, as well. Gotta be a game, although not against learning extra plot and answers being teased in the TV show
 
Absolutely.

I am sure I am probably in the minority here, but if I was to be completely honest with myself, I feel I would be more excited about a brand new game being announced than Shenmue IV at this point in time.

A mobile game with a half addictive gameplay loop and in game purchases, would see me empty my bank account into it! Especially if I knew the IP was solely owned by YSNET, and the profits would go directly to them. Shenmue IV would be an even more possible reality than what it is now to me. Not to disregard the good the anime will do for the series. But I have my reservations about the anime, which are probably best saved for another topic (or not spoken at all since its just personal worrying/negativity).
 
I'd be happy. I want Yu Suzuki to keep developing games and I think it's a crime against humanity and decency Shenmue III's the only thing he's developed in nearly 20 years, if you dont' count some mobile games. Sure, not the ideal situation, but if his entire future rests on Shenmue IV he may have no future. He was the world's greatest arcade game designer for a good portion of his career. I simply don't understand how he couldn't;'t have dozens of great "mobile game ideas." Hell, if Sony's not got a direct line to him regarding the new VR headset that's a crime too.

I still find it strange/curious/interesting Yu Suzuki led that new studio's video at TGS--the one who's doing the game with Quiet from Metal Gear 5. I think there's something going on there. Our guess back then, of all the games they announced:

110industries.com

Red Goes Faster — 110 Industries

We are thrilled to announce that Red Goes Faster, a sci-fi racer offering a complementary contrast between exhilarating racing and an intriguing love-triangle-infused story, is heading to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and PC.
110industries.com 110industries.com

Keeping my eyes on that one for a while.
 
That's also a shout, but I guess in my mind, I wish it was just YSNET. Developing, and then reaping the rewards all for themselves. Especially with how messy Shenmue III was with its various hands in the pot, who the hell knows how that was divided up.
 
Sony's going hard on VR with the new headset, so I think there might be something there as well. Certainly he's a bit rusty when it comes to game design, but I'm sure he was already hard at work at "virtual reality" when he was still at Sega. I don't really care how old he is or how long it's been since he worked with a huge budget, he's still Yu Suzuki.

He had some VR things he was working on a couple years ago. Remember that Esports thing?

www.phantomriverstone.com

Yu Suzuki to Produce New VR Battle Game "VRSUS" | Tokyo Game Show

A blog on the Shenmue series of games from Yu Suzuki with a mission to translate articles, videos and updates for English-speaking fans.
www.phantomriverstone.com www.phantomriverstone.com

Unfortunately, I did some research a year or so ago and it seems whatever this is died shortly after they unveiled it at TGS. It appeared to have something to do with betting on "esports" via virtual reality. Maybe it turned into something else, though?
 
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I think the ideas are there, but the budget/team are not. That's why a mobile game, with the work already done would be a much better fit.

The sole image of Gan! Gan! Pirates actually makes me want to play it. That would be the scope of a game I would expect them to be successful with. Both initial, and with the built in infrastructure of upscaling. Like seriously, if that was addictive, with in app purchases, I would worry I would spend as much on this as I did the Shenmue III Kickstarter.

jpg
 
It's true, Suzuki should be let loose to create different games. His creativity is unmatched and it is a shame SEGA tried to bury him after VF4. So much time has been lost and I'm sure he has a ton of ideas in his head that he wants to start working on.

I'd be fine with a new game, but out of respect for the Shenmue fans, I'd like to hear a proper update on the Shenmue 4 project. Not the usual "I'd love to make it" response.

Saying all that though, I still think he's working on Shenmue 4. Especially since they were pitching it to publishers. His keyword for 2021 was "Sequal" and his comment for 2022 was that he has something to announce.

My guess is, everything will tie together towards the end of the anime season. Shenmue 4 announcement etc
 
I absolutely want YS Net to make more games and for them to own a large diverse catalogue of genres and franchises (both new and old) where they can let their creativity flourish instead of being shackled to Shenmue for eternity. Shenmue 3 felt like a breath of fresh air which I thoroughly enjoyed so much I've replayed it five times since launch. So I'd definitely support more games made by Yu Suzuki in a heartbeat - particularly his fantasy RPG idea!

But with all that said, I'm now going to sound selfish here and say that I would be slightly concerned if their next game isn't Shenmue 4. Only because by putting Shenmue on a shelf once again, there is the chance it could stay there if their newer games turn out to be more successful. I don't think we're ever going to get another renaissance period for Shenmue, so I'd hope for them to strike while the iron is hot (Shenmue Anime, Shenmue 3 groundwork) and wrap up the series as soon as they can before completely refocusing their attention onto other projects.
 
Peter said:
I think the ideas are there, but the budget/team are not. That's why a mobile game, with the work already done would be a much better fit.

The sole image of Gan! Gan! Pirates actually makes me want to play it. That would be the scope of a game I would expect them to be successful with. Both initial, and with the built in infrastructure of upscaling. Like seriously, if that was addictive, with in app purchases, I would worry I would spend as much on this as I did the Shenmue III Kickstarter.

jpg
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I totally forgot about this. Does anyone know what the gameplay consists/consisted of? I could never really find much more than this pic and the title screen...
 
www.droidgamers.com

Gan! Gan! Pirates from the creator of Shenmue coming to Android in September - Droid Gamers

The creator of Shenmue, Yu Suzuki, is currently working on a new game which will arrive on both Android and iOS later this year. Called Gan! Gan! Pirates, this is an ocean going pirate themed shooter that also combines quite a few social gaming elements as well.
www.droidgamers.com www.droidgamers.com

Droid Central seems to have the most info on it, and it's making me want it more and more. It also seemed to be ready to go, considering it was hitting the iOS and Android stores within 2 months of the written article, which is.... What lol.

"Following the standard arcade style shooter, you will be in charge of shooting away at enemies but instead of flying around in some futuristic ship or old WWII plane, you’ll be cruise the waters on a ship which will be doing all the shooting instead. While there will be social gaming elements involve, Gan! Gan! Pirates will also feature co-op multiplayer where you and other players can team up and help each other survive.

Of course if you are not of a giving nature you can also compete competitively against other players to see who gets to kill powerful bosses in the game. We are going to take a guess and say that if you win the chance to kill some of the bosses in this fashion that there are rewards for being successful.

As far as shooter games go, Gan! Gan! Pirates is certainly a little off the beaten path with the whole pirate ocean warfare theme. It’ll be interesting to see how it all works together. This game will land on both Android and iOS this September and will be a free-to-play. titles, supported with in-game purchases"
 
I'd be interested to know what happened to the VRSUS game he was doing. That got announced during Shenmue 3's development and then never mentioned ever again lol.

Otherwise I'm all for him doing something different, as long as Shenmue isn't forgotten about. Something simple with an arcade style hook would be amazing.
 
There was an article-been posted here many times-where Yu Suzuki talks about all the ideas he'd been working on since leaving Sega. It's such a shame he couldn't really get any off the ground, but maybe there's a clue here somewhere?

www.polygon.com

Two hours in Yu Suzuki's kitchen | Life in Japan — An 18-part look inside Japan’s game industry

An 18-part look inside Japan’s game industry: Night Cry, Scalebound, Final Fantasy 15, Street Fighter 5, Yu Suzuki, Vane, Summer Lesson and more.
www.polygon.com www.polygon.com

Still, he has ideas.

Showing Polygon some of his concepts that didn't make it to release for one reason or another, Suzuki pulls up a list of folders, documents and screenshots on an old computer.

One is a 3-D Space Harrier concept for smart phones. He describes a player sitting in an office chair holding a phone in front of them to simulate an arcade cockpit and using the gyro in the phone to control the game. He starts rotating in his chair to show how it would work. "If you don't have a chair that spins around, you can't really play the game, but it's a fun idea," he says.

Next he loads up a prototype of a massively multiplayer role-playing game called "Pure Breed," in which each player travels around as a human with an animal companion. Suzuki says he noticed a trend in Japan of dog owners who started to dress and look like their pets, and he thought it could be interesting to explore a pet/owner relationship where the two have similar tastes. The game's concept art features a Western, surrealist style with a taxi shaped like an alligator and a house floating in midair. Suzuki says he started on these ideas while working full time at Sega, but they ended up being too expensive. "I'd need to cut down the budget to make it happen," he says.

Next Suzuki pulls up one of his favorite concepts for a simplified touch-screen fighting game called "Psy-Phi." Unlike "Pure Breed," Sega promoted this one quite a bit before deciding not to release it because of a safety issue — the game's touch-screen technology produced too much heat and became hot on players' fingers.

Psy-Phi.0.jpg

Suzuki pulls up concept art of early arcade cabinet ideas for Psy-Phi, showing that it originally went by the name "Psychic Duel." The art shows giant touch screens, clear screens, even a curved screen. "I wanted to create the next Virtua Fighter, basically," he says. "But I feel like the idea was probably ahead of its time back then. It might be a perfect concept for games now, actually."

While running Ys Net, for the past three years Suzuki has also worked with developer Premium Agency as an advisor, and one of the concepts he's developed there was to turn Psy-Phi from a touch screen arcade game into a Kinect fighting game. He says the team at Premium Agency liked the idea, but because the company has investors, it can't decide what to develop on its own; the idea stalled before becoming much more than a concept.

As Suzuki scrolls through his files, other titles appear — a concept called "E V E"; another called "Extreme Gunners" — and it becomes clear that Suzuki has dozens of these. He even points to art on the wall of one idea based on a character his daughter drew.

"All of my concepts are like my children, so if there's anyone who wants to make them happen, I'm definitely open to that," he says.
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There's also that floating castle RPG/adventure game someone from this forum got to see concept art of in person. They said it looked like NiGHTS! That sounded as ambitious Shenmue so I doubt we'll ever hear about it. *sigh*
 
spud1897 said:
I'd be interested to know what happened to the VRSUS game he was doing. That got announced during Shenmue 3's development and then never mentioned ever again lol.

Otherwise I'm all for him doing something different, as long as Shenmue isn't forgotten about. Something simple with an arcade style hook would be amazing.
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I did a lot of digging and it seems most news/PR about it died around the same time it was announced. Never really went anywhere, but I still think it's possible it was moved into something else.

This is about all I could dig up:

Unfortunately, I think it's probably dead. The actual 'developer' hasn't updated their page in a year:

https://vres.io/#VReS-PV
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPsoKBQ9VFyd7dM_NMkqxvQ
Honestly, looking through this stuff the developer looks kind of shady.
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VReS is the world’s first decentralized game platform for VR eSports. We issue our own VReS cryptocurrency based on the Ethereum network. Using VReS tokens, players will be able to participate in eSports competitions, receive remuneration, and receive tips. Furthermore, viewers will be able to not only watch matches but also place bets on certain matches, and this will create economic incentives for players.
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Hmmm, I wonder if it's worth making a list with a little summary? Perhaps update the OP? You never know.
 
I'd take mobile games if they were successful and helped finance the main studio, but I'm guessing that shipped sail a while ago. Tough field to break into.

I've got it! Bring back Outrigger. It was ahead of its time! Make it F2P!!!!
 
Found an older thread where we discussed some of these:

Here's Yu on the pirate castle game that @Amir got to see concept art of in person!

Actually, I'm making what I want right now. I took all the best that was in Shenmue, all that “know-how”, dropped everything that I didn't like and was not interesting for me, and I'm making a new project. It will be a fantasy. Not China and not Japan, but a new fantasy world.

Here, I've already drawn characters for the game. I've drawn them myself. There are the protagonists, there is the sea, and there is a mountain and on the very top of it is a castle. It stands so high, to be able to see far away and watch for pirate ships that could attack the city. I like an artist Alphonse Mucha, and I decided to work in his style. Usually, designers are making all the illustrations for me, but this time I decided to draw them myself. This game already has a script, even the music.
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I wonder what he means by "dropping everything that I didn't like and was not interesting for me" from Shenmue. Maybe he really does want to move on?

Amir said this:

That Pure Beed MMO got pretty damn far in development. There was even gameplay footage, I was shocked.

The game based on the Alphonse Mucha paintings had some great concept art and I hope he makes it one day. Just hope he changes the logo from the one he showed, did not suit the game at all. He's a genius game designer but when it comes to logos... :p

There was a lightgun game where you shot pirates (I can't remember if they were zombie or skeleton pirates) on a ship, and it looked pretty much done to me, though I think we only saw a level. Looked about Chihiro-board/HOTD III quality graphics-wise. Think this was another game that got canned while he was at Sega. And saw that pirates mobile game he worked on that did get released. Guess he likes pirates :p There was a ship theme with that Alphonse Mucha game as well. Maybe he should work on a Skies of Arcadia sequel ;)

The man was obviously not sitting on his hands for years, he'd worked on a lot of projects, some which saw release, some which got very far, some which remained in the concept stage. The Alphonse Mucha-inspired one was at the concept stage but the one I wanted to see realised most.
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