(Dec - Jan)
Page: 1 , 2 , 3
Shenmue II
Shenmue II is the sequel to the smash hit Dreamcast game Shenmue. The Shenmue saga starts off in 1986 where Ryo Hazuki arrives home to find his father at the hands of Lan Di, a man who knows a rare form of Chinese Martial Arts. Lan Di is after a mirror that Ryo's father owns, and he won't tell Lan Di where it is, so Lan Di duels with him and kills him. Now Ryo is off to avenge his father's death by finding Lan Di. Shenmue 2 starts off with Ryo arriving in Hong Kong, China, in pursuit of Lan Di. The game features as its main selling point besides its great plot its original and unique gaming system called FREE, here is how Sega them selves describes it.
Go wherever you want to go, see whatever you want to see,
investigate whatever you want to investigate
In this world, the passage of time is both realistic and true.
A refreshingly cool morning breaks and transforms into
a warm, sunny afternoon. The beautifull sunset of early evening
fades slowlyinto a quiet and still night.
When it rains, it rains. When it snows, it snows.
At times it forever continues.
Here, life is meaningful.
There are people here who take daily walks in the park,
who work hard everyday to make a living, shop owners
selling their goods, children playing, housewives gossiping,
everyone living their own unique, everyday lives.
Yes, this world is a real world.
Meet and interact with numerous people.
Learn and develop through a variety of experiences.
A compelling and majestic production that will engulf your
entire existence.
~FREE~
But why was it cancelled:
As with so many other games rumors were the first hints. Months before its release in the US rumors began popping up across the net. Not many believed it until the blow to the heart of every Dreamcast owner came in October 2001. When the Charles Bellfield, Vice President of Strategic Planning and Corporate Affairs for Sega of America said the sickening news. Later that year in November Peter Moore, President and COO (Chief Operating Officer) of Sega of America, released this apology letter.
"To our Sega fans,
First, I want to thank the legion of loyal Sega fans for their unwavering enthusiasm and support over the past years - your dedication has truly been invaluable.
As you all undoubtedly know, this year Sega is transitioning from a hardware manufacturer into a platform-agnostic third party publisher. During this change, Sega has had to make some very difficult business decisions, including the cancellation of Shenmue II for Dreamcast in the U.S. market.
I realize that this announcement is a difficult one for many people to swallow, and I sincerely apologize. While I cannot detail all of the reasons that led up to this decision, I can tell you that it was made with the long-term interests of Sega fans in mind. No matter how difficult it seems, I want you to understand that any difficult choices that are made during this transition time are based on one bottom line: ensuring the longevity of beloved Sega franchises, including Shenmue. Sega is working hard to make the necessary decisions to drive our business forward while at the same time continuing to support our loyal fans.
Although the company may be changing -- we are still Sega. Although the ride has sometimes been rocky, our promise to our fans is this: We will continue to push the boundaries of gaming with new content and technology. We will continue to deliver new and innovative games. We will continue to put out the games that no one else can. We will continue to be Sega and bring you only the best that gaming has to offer.
Bear with us - the ride is going to get a lot smoother...
Best Regards,
Peter Moore
President & COO, Sega of America"
It�s hard to admit there were some real reasons to not releasing Shenmue II on the Dreamcast. The main reason it was done was to keep Sega's second most popular and profitable series going (second to Sonic) along with the company as a whole. At that time they were millions of dollars in dept and it was pilling up even after stopping the Dreamcasts production. But what many don't know and is based on what Sega executives have said is that the other factor was Microsoft.
The rumor (backed up in some ways from what Sega execs have said) states that Microsoft paid money to Sega to have Shenmue II an Xbox exclusive. And this may have been mixed up with the fact that Microsoft offered and did pay for the marketing costs for Shenmue II when it came to the Xbox. But its likely this was money that was paid separately to Sega for no reason other then to get this smash hit game on there new system and to help its sales of the system and their games. In the end it appears Sega was almost paid off by Microsoft, with the Dreamcast doing poorly at that time Sega can't pass it up to save its dept filled corporation and make more money.
The following are pictures from the game:
