SEGA has said that it is considering ways to re-release the original Shenmue and its sequel, indicating that a PlayStation 4 and Xbox One high-definition remaster could be on the cards after all.
Speaking during an interview with Marketing Week (via VG247), Jon Rooke, Marketing Director at SEGA Europe, said that the announcement of Shenmue III has once again fueled interest in the cult classic franchise, even though the game itself is still well over a year away from its release on PS4 and PC in December 2017.
“Yes, we want to innovate and back smarthphones and virtual reality but our key purpose is to go back to what the brand used to stand for,” said Rooke. “I think the buzz around Shenmue 3 shows that people love our legacy."
Rooke then confirmed during the interview that SEGA is actively looking at ways to re-release Shenmue and Shenmue II. “Over the next few years, we want to use engaging content and marketing to remind the public why they fell in love with Sega in the first place.”
The topic of a Shenmue HD remaster has been doing the rounds for some time now. At one point, Sony’s Gio Corsi revealed that the action-RPG was the ‘number one‘ requested title among PlayStation gamers to see a re-release at last year’s PlayStation Experience. More recently, creator Yu Suzuki said he planned to discuss the possibility of a re-release with SEGA, who holds the rights to the original games.
Shenmue was released on the Dreamcast in 1999 and received a sequel in 2001. Shenmue II was also released on the Xbox in 2002 after it was decided not to give the sequel a U.S. release due to SEGA pulling out of the hardware business.
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