Shenmue 2 drops from sight

[10.05.00] » With troubles plaguing developer AM2 and Sega's webpage mum, the future of Yu Suzuki's second gift looks grim.

   When development of Sega's epic Shenmue proved to be too ambitious in scope, producer Yu Suzuki decided to split the project up into multiple chapters: Chapter 1 would come first as Shenmue, Chapters 2, 3, 4, and 5 would follow as Shenmue 2, and the remaining 15 would be developed and released at a later date. But following lackluster Japanese success of the first installment and new happenings within Sega, the future of Shenmue 2 is now in doubt.

   For starters, head Shenmue director Keiji Okayasu quit AM2 last month, quickly following the departure of a close colleague. Sega has also failed to make any mention of the game on the release date section of its Japanese webpage, even within the "release date undecided" category. Additionally, all mentions of "Chapter 1" in the Japanese version have been nixed in the U.S., and the game was nowhere to be found at Sega's glitzy CyberClub gathering held earlier in Japan.

   When asked to comment, gamers.com reports Shenmue developer AM2 asserted that the game is still in production and "will definitely be released... We will make a formal announcement once we decide the release date." While heartening, even firmer assurance was given in July to fans worried about the future of Mother 3/Earthbound 64. A month later, the game was cancelled.