Sega of Europe registers a pair of online domain names that tease the possibility of the originalShenmuegames being remastered for current-generation consoles.
BeforeShenmue IIIwas announced at E3 2015,Shenmuefans went over a decade without any hope of Sega continuing the franchise. NowShenmue IIIhas broken Kickstarter records and is well on its way to launching later this year. BesidesShenmue III, however, fans of the series may have even more to look forward to in 2017, such as HD remasters of the originalShenmuegames.
Fan siteSega Nerdshas discovered that Sega of Europe has registered online domain names forShenmueRemasteredandShenmue HD, suggesting that the first game, and possibly its sequel, are being remastered for modern consoles. At the time of this writing, Sega has yet to release a statement on the matter, but ifShenmueremasters are in the works, fans should be able to expect an announcement soon.
While it seems like Sega is prepping for an announcement ofShenmueremasters, it’s worth noting that companies register domain names for games that never materialize all the time. It’s really a way to protect the domain name just in case the company decides to create the game in the future, so it’s possible thatShenmueremasters aren’t in development at Sega right now at all, but rather Sega of Europe is covering its bases.
It’s true that domain names are often registered by game companies as a precautionary measure, but even so,Shenmueremasters seem like a distinct possibility.Sega has already expressed interestin remastering the first twoShenmuegames, and the impending release ofShenmue IIImakes it an opportune time to re-release the originals. If that weren’t enough,Shenmue III’srecord-breaking Kickstarter campaignproves there’s an audience for theShenmuegames that would likely jump at the chance to purchase remasters of the original titles.
For now, though, fans will want to take this news with a grain of salt.Shenmueremasters may seem likely, but as previously stated, the domain names could be nothing. While fans wait for clarification from Sega, they at least have moreShenmuedeveloper updates to look forward to, includingnew gameplay videos, as promised by series creator Yu Suzuki.
Those interested inShenmueremasters may want to pay attention to anyShenmue IIIupdates that come to light over the next few months. Especially now that theoriginal game’s directoris on board with the project, there’s a chance an announcement forShenmueremasters could come during an upcomingShenmue IIIpresentation.
