What if Shenmue IV happens but is not Directed by Yu-san?

If it meant the difference between a new Shenmue game and not one at all, then i'd say yes, but Suzuki must be involved somehow. It's been mentioned that a lot of the groundwork has been done so theoretically could be done without Suzuki, but I would feel uneasy. It would be like a band getting back together with none of the original band members!!

The anime will be interesting, because Suzuki - whilst heavily involved - isn't directing this, so am curious to see how Sakurai does this.
 
What if Sakurai directs the next game(s) plot from Suzuki's script with Okayasu and Suzuki producing and sub-directing gameplay? I'd be down!
 
What if Sakurai directs the next game(s) plot from Suzuki's script with Okayasu and Suzuki producing and sub-directing gameplay? I'd be down!
That's sort of my hope in that some of the anime team come on board for the final games.
 
Sakurai is the director of the Anime right? Well at least juding from the footage I have seen about the anime that guy seems to understand at least the visual essence of Shenmue. See him working on Shenmue according to the script from Suzuki and Suzuki as a producer might be indeed a good thing.
 
Edit: (I was wrong and thought Yu Suzuki hadn't directed Virtua Fighter 4, which he did)
 
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If the design documents and story documents are good and Yu Suzuki can supervise, I think getting a younger director who's more in tune with modern gaming sensibilities would be wonderful. Yu would of course have ultimate power in deciding whether or not something is in the spirit of his vision (in my ideal situation).
 
Sakurai is the director of the Anime right? Well at least juding from the footage I have seen about the anime that guy seems to understand at least the visual essence of Shenmue. See him working on Shenmue according to the script from Suzuki and Suzuki as a producer might be indeed a good thing.
I've pointed this out before, but the main dude who storyboarded Shenmue 3 is also a big figure at the studio that's making the Shenmue Anime. His IMDB page isn't updated yet, but I bet we'll see him in the credits.

Born in 1960, Toshihiko Masuda is one of the major directors at Telecom Animation Film. He joined with Telecom in 1980 as a in-between animator and became a director in 1983, taking over Hayao Miyazaki's unit after he left to go work at Topcraft to do Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. Masuda is known for his wacky and fluid animation, and is the one who set the style in Telecom's western productions in the '80s and '90s.



LATE EDIT - looks like Dojo was on top of this in 2016 -
 
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Interesting question. I think ultimately I would be okay with this but it wouldn’t be my preferred option.

Ultimately this has always been Suzuki’s vision, I think what is vital is he has talented support folks than can flesh out his ideas and make those concepts into cohesive gameplay, scenario and writing scenarios in the final game.
 
I'd be fine with Shenmue IV with Yu Suzuki in an advisory role, if it came to that. I think the gameplay pillars and story outline are well established where someone can take the reigns and make it feel like a true Shenmue game. All games are hugely collaborative efforts anyways, so the team on the original games likely brought some new ideas to the table and it wasn't just 100% created by Yu Suzuki.
 
I mean, from some of the interviews I've read, it seems like he took a step back from the director role about halfway through production of the first two anyway.

And honestly, if he were to do it again, I reckon it'd benefit the series, as the team would be focused on "the vision" he set out or whatever.

He has some pretty wild and bold ideas, and his team must absolutely kill themselves tryna make it come to fruition.

It'd actually be kinda fun to see an alternative history where Suzuki was in charge of Lionhead, and Molyneux got Yu's team.
 
Ideally, while Suzuki is alive, no. In reality, if Suzuki is retired or no longer here then yes due to the lack of options and not being able to control such an event I'd accept what comes and just pray that it doesn't fall into the hands of a Nagoishi or Druckmann, etc. If a loyal lover of Shenmue who has the same vision and more importantly the same energy as Suzuki took it over, I'd be concerned but at least comfortable under the circumstances.
 
In theory everything could've been great, in reality we got Metal Gear Survive...

Shenmue without Suzuki could risk the same, in the best case scenario it would become a poor's man Yakuza game.
Even some "fans" were trying to force it to become a "Life is Strange" kinda game.

Suzuki involvement is mandatory, being it the producer, the director or both.
Metal Gear Survive was a cash grab by the people that had something against Kojima so the circumstances were different
 
I’d be happy with it only if Yu were happy with it. If he chooses to pass on the torch, so to speak.
 

I’d say give it to Swery, but his games are as difficult for the masses to appreciate as YS’s these days! Swery was a big Shenmue 3 booster.
 
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