Sega are “actively pursuing” Shenmue HD remasters

After registering emblems for Shenmue HD and Shenmue Remastered earlier within the yr, it was wanting doubtless that we might be getting prettied-up variations of the primary two Shenmue video games on PC in some unspecified time in the future. Now Sega have admitted they’re engaged on making it occur.

“It’s one thing we’d like to make occur, one thing we are attempting to make occur,” Sega Europe’s government vp of publishing John Clark tells MCV. “I believe we wish it to occur as a lot as anyone on the market. Yes, it’s a severe job and it’s not a job that we’re not engaged on, if that is smart. It’s one thing we’re actively pursuing.”

‘It’s not a tast we’re not engaged on’ sounds suspiciously like ‘we’re engaged on it’, would not it? Elsewhere within the interview, Clark says the record of potential PC ports they need to make is “nearly similar” to the group wishlist. 

Original Story January 6, 2017: Sega Europe have registered the domains ‘ShenmueHD.com’ and ‘ShenmueRemastered.com’, igniting fan hopes that they’re engaged on an HD remaster of the much-loved authentic Shenmue and/or its sequel. The registrations could be discovered on area title search web site whois; listed here are the data for ShenmueHD.com and ShenmueRemastered.com.

Fans have been clamouring for Shenmue remasters for a while now, particularly since Shenmue III was confirmed, and Sega have entertained the concept. Last August, Sega’s European boss Jurgen Post said “we are looking into it”, which lends some credence to the concept that it is occurring.

Remastering the early Shenmues presents a lot of challenges. Both comprise many references to real-world merchandise, which implies renegotiating the related licences or eradicating the references. Then there’s the truth that they’re merely very outdated – it’s not as straightforward as slapping a bunch of higher-resolution textures on just a few fashions.

Perhaps the area registrations imply Sega has overcome these challenges, having been internally eager on the concept, or maybe they’re simply defensive. But with Shenmue III due on the finish of the yr, now’s the right time to launch a remaster of its predecessors.

Given how outdated the primary video games are – and but how well-known – remastering them can be an important alternative for Sega to seize a brand new viewers. That contains us on PC: Shenmue I used to be unique to Sega’s Dreamcast console, whereas its sequel additionally went to Xbox. A remaster would give lifelong PC avid gamers their first style of a number of the most influential video games in historical past.