- Joined
- Sep 3, 2018
- Favourite title
- Shenmue
- Currently playing
- Strider (2014)
As we all know in a recent IGN interview Yu Suzuki has stated that he wants to make Shenmue IV more accessible to a wider audience. The question becomes how does he balance bringing in new fans while keeping the current fanbase happy. If Yu were to go the casual route, there's the risk of losing what makes Shenmue unique. On top of that, it might drive away your more hardcore fans while not appealing to casual audiences anyway. If this scenario plays out, then the franchise is essentially dead.
However, the opposite approach is just as risky. If Suzuki plays it safe, then Shenmue is not going to appeal to a wider audience like the Ryu Ga Gotoku games. The series will become stagnant for which no future publisher would want to invest their money in. Which unfortunately means Suzuki would have to go down the crowd funding route again. There's also the middling reception Shenmue III received when it tried to appeal to the contemporary fanbase.
So how should a potential Shenmue IV play out? How should Suzuki balance the needs of the fans with a larger potential audience? Also if Shenmue IV does go down a more casual route will you still support the series? Personally, I will standby this series to the end, but I can only speak for myself.
However, the opposite approach is just as risky. If Suzuki plays it safe, then Shenmue is not going to appeal to a wider audience like the Ryu Ga Gotoku games. The series will become stagnant for which no future publisher would want to invest their money in. Which unfortunately means Suzuki would have to go down the crowd funding route again. There's also the middling reception Shenmue III received when it tried to appeal to the contemporary fanbase.
So how should a potential Shenmue IV play out? How should Suzuki balance the needs of the fans with a larger potential audience? Also if Shenmue IV does go down a more casual route will you still support the series? Personally, I will standby this series to the end, but I can only speak for myself.