The publishing rights forShenmue 3have been transferred over to publisher ININ Games, opening up an array of exciting possibilities for the legendary franchise. News of the transfer comes five years to the day after the game’s November 2019 release, suggesting thatYS NET’s initial deal with Deep Silver and Embracer Groupwas probably for a fixed term despite the latter partially funding the game.
In a press release confirming the transfer, YS NET talked about how ININ would “shepherdShenmue 3into its next phase,” which should come as exciting news to series fans. At the very least, it seems likely that ININ will be releasing some kind of special edition, although there’s also a possibility thatShenmue 3could finally be coming to other consoles after half a decade as a PlayStation exclusive.
The situation seems eerily similar to that ofDeath Stranding, which was released just ten days prior toShenmue 3. Like the record-breaking Kickstarter game, it too was a PlayStation exclusive at launch, but whenthe publishing rights toDeath Strandingreverted back to Kojima Productions earlier this month, the Japanese developer struck a deal with 505 Games to publish the game on Xbox consoles.
Xbox and Switch Ports of Shenmue 3 Could be on the Horizon
While Xbox and Switch ports seem like the most likely possibilities to come out of YS NET’s deal with ININ Games, fans could also end up getting newShenmuecontent via some kind of director’s cut. In past interviews, Suzuki has talked about howa significant amount of content ended up being cut fromShenmue 3due to time and budget constraints: two things that may no longer be holding him back now that ININ has entered the fray.
It’s worth noting that this isn’t the first time that YS NET and ININ Games have worked together, with the latter agreeing a deal to publishSuzuki’s Apple Arcade gameAir Twisteron PC and console at the tail end of last year. Around that time, ININ expressed a desire to work on theShenmuefranchise if the situation ever allowed, so this deal may not come as too much of a surprise to series fans.
“Following the previous collaboration on Air Twister, this will deepen the relationship between ININ Games and YS NET. Known for their commitment to celebrating beloved titles, ININ Games is excited to shepherd Shenmue III into its next phase. This collaboration marks the beginning of a new chapter for Shenmue III, with ININ Games working closely alongside YS NET to honor the series' legacy while ensuring its accessibility to even more fans around the world.” - YS NET
Whatever ININ and YS NET have planned, fans will no doubt be happy to finally be receiving some concrete news aboutShenmue. The future of the franchise has been mired in uncertainty since the release ofShenmue 3andthe cancellation of theShenmueanime, so knowing that something is currently going on behind the scenes can only be seen as a good thing.
Shenmue 3
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The brainchild of award-winning game director, Yu Suzuki, Shenmue is commonly known as one of the most ambitious game projects in history, which captured the imagination of players from around the world. Shenmue established the open-world format for action RPG games. An awe-inspiring world with an immersive story, featuring cinematic sequences, a realistic fighting system, and entertaining mini-games, Shenmue garnered acclaim and adoration all over the world.Play as Ryo Hazuki, an 18-year-old Japanese martial artist hellbent on avenging his father’s death. In this third installment of the epic Shenmue series, Ryo seeks to solve the mystery behind the Phoenix Mirror, an artifact sought after by his father’s killer. His journey takes him to an immersive representation of rural China, brimming with activity and surrounded by beautiful landscapes. Ryo’s adventure leads him to towns and mountain villages where he can further his training, try his hand at gambling, play arcade games, and work part-time jobs while investigating those who know truth behind the Phoenix Mirror.
