GDC11: Shenmue 3 in the works?

Yu Suzuki, creator of cult Dreamcast action adventure series Shenmue, has said that Sega will probably allow him to create Shenmue 3.

Speaking at the 2011 Games Developers Conference in San Francisco, the Japanese game designer said he does want to make the long-awaited third entry in the franchise but it all depends on budget, reports Gamasutra.

Suzuki said: “Probably Sega will let me make it. I think. It’s simply a problem of budget.”

He also claimed that the original game cost $47m to produce back in 1999.

Suzuki added: “We spent it on development and marketing. Actually, where did we spend it again?”

Shenmue was released on the Sega Dreamcast console in 1999 to major critical acclaim, but sales of the title weren’t as strong. A sequel was released in 2001 on Dreamcast and the original Xbox.

Sega has recently released several Dreamcast games on Xbox Live and PSN, as well as a boxed compilation at retail, but has not confirmed that Shenmue will make a comeback.

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