Shenmue III to be published globally by Deep Silver
Does this mean the game will now have a bigger budget?
SEGA and publisher Deep Silver have had a pretty close relationship over the past few years, so close in fact that Deep Silver now publishes nearly all SEGA and Atlus titles in Europe.
Today, we’ve via an Ys Net Kickstarter update that learned that Deep Silver has obtained global publishing rights to Yu Suzuki’s upcoming Shenmue III.
“We are proud to have gained a wonderfully reliable partner to make sure Shenmue III reaches all its fans all over the planet,” the update read.
While it doesn’t mean the game’s budget will now balloon to the likes of the original two games, this news is really good as it signals that Ys Net has been able to obtain some funds that will go towards the game’s development. Who knows if that will equate to a bigger, better Shenmue III, but it is one huge worry that is taken off the team’s shoulders now, so they can continue to focus on the game’s development.
Shenmue III is set for release in the second half of 2018 on the PlayStation 4 and PC.
See the full press release from Deep Silver below:
Deep Silver and Ys Net are excited to announce their collaboration to publish YsNet’s forthcoming, long awaited game Shenmue III.
The global publishing deal will cover the release exclusively on PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and PC: both physical and digital versions.
The current release date is scheduled for the second half of 2018.
“Shenmue is one of a few game franchises that have historical value whilst continuing to ignite passion across gamers. We are delighted to have signed this publishing partnership and look forward to utilizing our global publishing network to maximize the potential of this highly anticipated game,” said Dr. Klemens Kundratitz, CEO of Koch Media/Deep Silver.
Yu Suzuki, the director of Shenmue III and CEO of Ys Net added, “I am very pleased to secure this global partnership with Deep Silver, which is comprised of incredible men and women who have a deep passion for bringing Japanese titles to the rest of the world. Throughout this process, Deep Silver has expressed a deep passion for Japanese games, the Shenmue franchise and its fans—this gives me further confidence in Shenmue III and that we have found the best partner possible.”
“We are very excited for the continuation of Ryo Hazuki’s journey in Shenmue III, and are confident the game will deliver the story and gameplay PlayStation fans have been waiting for,” said Florian Hunziker, Vice President of PlayStation’s Third Party Relations & Developer Technology Group. “The global partnership between Ys Net and Deep Silver will help realize Yu Suzuki’s vision for Shenmue III—we are thrilled to see his spirit of innovation materialize on PS4.”
