Why United Games Entertainment Is so Passionate About Shenmue IIIWhy United Games Entertainment Is so Passionate About Shenmue III – Original Article Published April 15th 2025
In a surprise move at the end of 2024, United Games Entertainment acquired the publishing rights to Shenmue III from Ys Net through its Inin Games label. We spoke to Dennis Mendel, Head of Business Development, about the deal and what it means for the company.
YSNET Net / Inin Games
In November 2024, Inin Games, a label of United Games Entertainment (Kirchheim / Teck in Germany), acquired the publishing rights to Shenmue III from Ys Net (Japan). Following their previous collaboration on Air Twister, this partnership will deepen Inin Games’ relationship with Yu Suzuki and his team. We spoke to Dennis Mendel, Head of Business Development at United Games Entertainment, about this partnership, one of the company’s biggest publishing deals, and the specifics of the brand. Plaion (Embracer Group) was previously Ys Net’s publishing partner for Shenmue III.
GamesMarkt: How did this deal with Ys Net come about? And which role has the previous collaboration on Air Twister?
Dennis Mendel: “It all started in 2022, when Ys Net announced that they would be working on a new game called Air Twister for Apple Arcade. Knowing that this comes from the legendary game creator who designed timeless cult classics like Space Harrier and Afterburner, we immediately reached out to Yu-san and his team to discuss potential ports to other platforms (i.e. consoles and PC Steam) and after the initial contact we visited Ys Net in Tokyo to discuss a potential partnership more in detail. That’s how we first met and how Air Twister became our first joint project.”
“Yu-san knows that I am a huge fan of his work in general and of Shenmue in particular so the ‘chemistry’ on both sides worked right from the start. Then last year Ys Net mentioned that they wanted to discuss ‘something’ with us and while I had no idea what it would be about, we gladly jumped into the call to find out more. Needless to say that I was more than excited when I heard that the topic was actually ‘Shenmue III’ and whether we would be willing and able to take care of this game. Well, and as we are having this interview now about Shenmue III, you can imagine the outcome of this conversation. ;)”
Dennis Mendal @ YSNET Studios
GamesMarkt: Does the partnership cover publishing on all platforms and in all markets?
Dennis Mendel: “Yes, we have been entrusted with the rights for all markets. While we first had to take care of the platforms on which the game already exists (i.e. PS4 and PC), we are also able to look into supporting other platforms.”
GamesMarkt: This must be one of the biggest publishing deals Inin Games has ever done, at least in terms of brand recognition. What do you expect from this cooperation for Inin Games?
Dennis Mendel: “It feels a bit like asking a father of several children whether this one specific child is the most talented one. π Being a publishing house that focuses on retro and retro-related titles, the term ‘biggest’ can be defined in multiple ways: Clockwork Aquario for example was not the best-known IP (due to the fact that it never got released in the arcades and was actually believed to be lost for nearly 30 years); but we managed to get a Guinness World Record with it which was a huge achievement for us. Then we have Ultracore, a game that is part of the history of one of the most critically acclaimed developing studios in the world, DICE. And then there are popular IPs like Wonder Boy or Bubble Bobble – games that entertained millions of people all over the world. They all are ‘big’ or let’s say important in their own way.”
“Sorry for digressing a little, but as I come from (game) science I always feel the need to point out how ‘good’ the game industry is at forgetting (and not properly preserving) its own legacy while focusing on titles that are popular in the here and now or that seemingly have a big name attached to it whereas the ‘old’ titles that inspired generations of game developers up util today are falling off the radar. ;)”
“But back to the question, you are right when specifically mentioning brand recognition: Shenmue remains a milestone in gaming history that was released during the Dreamcast era and thankfully the incredibly active fan community keeps the fire burning in today’s fast-paced world. This is in stark contrast to most of the other games in our portfolio that originally got released before the internet became widespread and thus were mostly documented in old media with not necessarily as much awareness today even though they would deserve it (not only but also from a game-historical perspective and when it comes to game literacy).”
“So for us as a company that strives to find the right balance between preserving/creating awareness for game history and funding our endeavors by collecting enough ‘fuel’ for our engines, the general awareness for Shenmue is definitely something that supports us in achieving our goals and to further spread the word about what we do.”
GamesMarkt: What makes Shenmue (III) so special? What makes it so appealing to you even five years after its release? Or is this more of a collaboration for the future of the franchise?
Dennis Mendel: “Shenmue gives its audience a very special experience, it captures the essence of the Zeitgeist of the early 2000s where it was the biggest AAA 3D game of its time. It pioneered what we today would call an open-word experience, coined the term ‘Quick-Time Event’ and offers an incredibly captivating story.”
“I think it is also safe to say that the series represents Japanese and Chinese culture in a way that no other game can offer. When I first visited Japan in 2002 as an exchange student, I had already completed the first two games on Dreamcast and even though I found myself in a country completely new to me with an everyday life quite different to what I was used to in Germany. But my first thoughts actually where ‘oh, this looks exactly like Shenmue’. π From Game Centers to Gacha (capsule toys) and drink vending machines, nearly everything felt new but also somewhat familiar and in my opinion this is exactly one of the USP that the series has to offer β the slower pace of the world and its inhabitants leaves you with a wonderful sense of nostalgia that can rarely be found elsewhere.”
“And still, there are many people that have never played the game although they almost certainly would enjoy the above-mentioned qualities, so we want to invest our resources in order to change that.”
GamesMarkt: What are your short and long term plans as a publishing partner for Shenmue III, if you can reveal or at least tease?
Dennis Mendel: “As indicated before, one of our declared goals with Shenmue III is to make the existing fans happy, but also to expand its audience. While we cannot say much at this time, we want to create a solid base for this beloved game series so it can continue to thrive and prosper.”
