When Shenmue 3 was suddenly announced, the Shenmue series had actually been dormant for a very long time, and although three generations had been in the works for three years, it still seemed like an impossible miracle for longtime fans of the series who had long since given up hope of resurrection. Even so, Shenmue's story eventually moved forward — it wasn't over yet. But with Shenmue 3 underperforming, especially on the commercial side, the future of the series remains in doubt.
Fans of the series, though, seem to be expecting something new soon. According to Game Rant, 110 Industries, publisher of the action games Revenge on Me and Wanted: Death, may have hinted at a collaboration with Yu Suzuki, creator of Shenmue 4.
Hiroshi Suzuki was one of the guests at 110 Industries' last Tokyo Game Show, and the event attracted a lot of attention, especially considering that the two units didn't have much intersection before. In a recent Instagram post, when asked about working with Yu Suzuki to make Shenmue 4 a reality, 110 Industries replied: "Guess why he's on our TGS livestream. ”
If you don't think this is a "strong hint," the publisher then responded to a tweet about the rumor with a completely spontaneous reply to a simple "no comment," which has the effect of "no silver three hundred and two here." While these two responses don't prove anything specific, one might think that if the publisher wasn't involved in the project, they would simply choose to avoid talking about it.
Of course, given that there is no official confirmation yet, there's a good chance that nothing will come of it — but it's sure to give Shenmue fans some hope for the future.
If Shenmue 4 does become a reality, it may indeed require a new publisher. Shenmue 3 publisher Deep Silver said the game performed below expectations and was not a game with mass-market appeal. Hiroshi Suzuki himself has said that if a sequel is made, it may need to have a wider appeal than the previous one.