Yu Suzuki still holding out for Shenmue 3

Creator Yu Suzuki still hasn't given up on a third core Shenmue game, despite ten years of red lights from publisher Sega.

"Shenmue's license is an IP that belongs to SEGA. We can obtain the license from SEGA," Suzuki told fansite Shenmue Master, According to Spong's translation.

In the same interview, the director made reference to "the person who has trained with Iwao [Hazuki] in the olden days in China" become a "key character" in the "story that will take place after Shenmue II".

Suzuki's reluctance to give more than vague details regarding the shelved title has been taken by some fans to mean he still hopes to tell the story properly one day.

Shenmue 3 surfaces in rumours at least once a year, but is not believed to be in production; as Suzuki states, Sega currently holds the rights, and hasn't shown any interest in a new game so far. The Shenmue series is notable for its expense of development; critical applause; and commercial failure; a social spin off shuttered at the end of December.

Suzuki maintains a sense of humour about the whole thing.