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SEGA currently investigating how to make Shenmue 1/2 HD a reality

Nzyme32

Member
I find this whole discussion weird.

It is beyond obvious that Sega will have seen how the kickstarter was received and will have greenlit bringing Shenmue 1 & 2 to PC / PS4 / Remaster.

Sega will see money, and will take it. Simple.

Would not be surprised to hear the news at E3 or something
 

BigTnaples

Todd Howard's Secret GAF Account
I would finally get to see what the hype is all about.


I skipped Dreamcast. Had a bad feeling about it.
 
It's always licensing issues that hold these things up. It's likely that they would need to replace a lot of the in-game item that are licensed products. They did it in the American release by changing things like the soda cans from Coke products to generic ones.

Honestly, having actual products doesn't change the experience either way for me.

Either way, day 1. Both games and amazing experiences that more gamers should get to experience.
 

Lindsay

Dot Hacked
Do it and coordinate with the Shenmue 3 team to make the 1/2 save data readable by 3! I want my personalized notebook intact!
 

DavidDesu

Member
Shenmue features a bunch of Sega games and licenses. Many of which have appeared in numerous Collections over the years. What can be the problem here, really?

And these bloody copyrights issues stalling obvious things like this from going ahead... FFS! We need more reasonable rules here and agreements from the get go that allow licensed content to be used in future versions of the same game, not this re-licensing for each and every slightly different version on a new platform which appears to be how these things are done.
 

Schnauzer

Member
I haven't played since the DC days, but if you found one kind of boring. I personally had more fun in the arcade. Does the sequel pick up?
 

Pie and Beans

Look for me on the local news, I'll be the guy arrested for trying to burn down a Nintendo exec's house.
I still think its annoying lawyer stuff to do with the tech engines, not the 'licensed products' which were all edited out mostly in the English release anyway.

Its just a convenient smokescreen to hide behind so as to not reveal the kinda of crap real reason.
 

Estocolmo

Member
In many ways Shenmue has never had a fair shot.

It was released on a console with a fast approaching expiration date. Shenmue 2 was released on the Xbox, which didn't cater to Japanophiles, and didn't have the original game available. I think there has always been large group of people who were interested in Shenmue, but simply didn't have the right console to play it.

Finally bringing the series to the dominant platform (and hopefully PC) will give it a chance to reach anyone interested.

"Right platform"?

I just hope they release it on Xbox One!
 

Spaghetti

Member
I still think its annoying lawyer stuff to do with the tech engines, not the 'licensed products' which were all edited out mostly in the English release anyway.

Its just a convenient smokescreen to hide behind so as to not reveal the kinda of crap real reason.
If this was the case they wouldn't be talking about Shenmue HD at all, as it'd prohibit the re-release of the game entirely until untangled.

SEGA clearly want to preserve the Dreamcast originals as much as possible, which means trying to reach an agreement with the licencees of certain products featured in the game.
 

Spaghetti

Member
I wouldn't hold my breath seeing how Shenmue 3 is only coming to PC and PS4 and how Sony is involved.

If Shenmue 1&2 HD happen the Xbox One does have a chance but I wouldn't count on it.
Shenmue III and Shenmue HD are entirely separate in this regard, and the HD collection could easily make it onto Xbox as a result unless Sony steps in and fronts whatever bill needed to make the product licencing deals work.
 
Shenmue features a bunch of Sega games and licenses. Many of which have appeared in numerous Collections over the years. What can be the problem here, really?

And these bloody copyrights issues stalling obvious things like this from going ahead... FFS! We need more reasonable rules here and agreements from the get go that allow licensed content to be used in future versions of the same game, not this re-licensing for each and every slightly different version on a new platform which appears to be how these things are done.

Honestly, it would be better to just avoid licensed content like the plague. We'd have Crisis Core and Dirge of Cerberus HD by now if not for Nomura being an insufferable Gackt fanboy. Who the hell is Gackt anyway? All I know is that he is someone with no international relevance who singlehandedly ruined FF7. And from what I hear, licensed content in PSO2 is one of the things holding up its localization as well, along with some other bullshit like the publisher of the Chinese localization apparently binding them from releasing PSO2 on Steam for X amount of years (Apparently a lot of Chinese publishers see Steam as a major reverse-importing threat to their business).

Japanese copyright holders are the single most dogmatic ones on the planet. Never going to change. As discussed in one of the threads on music being removed from San Andreas's re-releases, anyone who tried to negotiate a permanent license for anything would be laughed out of the boardroom.

OT: To the guys saying getting PSO2 localized at all would be a victory - I ask of you all: Is there ANY late-localization (3 years+ from JP release) notable for being a success that is not named Final Fantasy or Metal Gear? PSO2's Japanese release was four years ago, and since then Capcom has capitalized on Sega's laurelsresting by pushing the Monster Hunter series in the west, eating up pretty much all the remaining unserved market share of the Coop Action-RPG genre Sega was ignoring.

If you ask me, the time to localize PSO2 was back when Monster Hunter was still a no-show in the west and everyone was still reeling from Diablo 3 being shite.
 

lupinko

Member
No way Sega can afford the licensing agreements to keep all the product placement in there.

I smell a moneyhat coming.

Weren't the product placements removed in the western versions?

And for Japan at least, Sega doesn't have an issue with licensing because the Ryu ga Gotoku series is proof of that.
 
Weren't the product placements removed in the western versions?

And for Japan at least, Sega doesn't have an issue with licensing because the Ryu ga Gotoku series is proof of that.

Well, for Japan, yeah.

There's a lot of Japanese rights holders who would NEVER agree to license something to be released outside of Japan though.
 

Spaghetti

Member
The full quote from the video (important parts highlighted, of course)

With regards to Shenmue and Shenmue II HD, of course we'd love to release these tomorrow.

Sadly it's not as simple as porting the games to the current platforms, as we'd need to ensure any HD remaster lived up the original titles, and with games as immersive as Shenmue and Shenmue II, there are further complications from licenced products included in the original games.

That said, we'd love to do it, and are currently investigating how to make it a reality.

Just so we're all clear what the licencing issue is, and that SEGA are actually trying to make it work.
 

Shadoken

Member
What the actual fuck? PSO2 being released in the West is a giant WIN for any fans of the franchise,which obviously you are not one of. Doesnt matter how late there are thousands of people who would jump on that.

Jesus ... Way to get defensive there. And I am a huge fan of the game , I have been playing every game in the franchise since day 1. But you clearly dont want to read my post and understand what I am trying to say.

OT: To the guys saying getting PSO2 localized at all would be a victory - I ask of you all: Is there ANY late-localization (3 years+ from JP release) notable for being a success that is not named Final Fantasy or Metal Gear? PSO2's Japanese release was four years ago, and since then Capcom has capitalized on Sega's laurelsresting by pushing the Monster Hunter series in the west, eating up pretty much all the remaining unserved market share of the Coop Action-RPG genre Sega was ignoring.

If you ask me, the time to localize PSO2 was back when Monster Hunter was still a no-show in the west and everyone was still reeling from Diablo 3 being shite.

THIS.

I want PSO2 here as much as the next guy , But I feel like it would sabotage the future of the franchise entirely.
PSO2 would be coming here 5 years late if at all it is going to come. And chances are we arent going to be getting the latest content from Japan.

The best course of action from SEGA would be to properly handle the next iteration of PSO/PSO2 and do a proper worldwide release.
 
Honestly, it would be better to just avoid licensed content like the plague. We'd have Crisis Core and Dirge of Cerberus HD by now if not for Nomura being an insufferable Gackt fanboy. Who the hell is Gackt anyway? All I know is that he is someone with no international relevance who singlehandedly ruined FF7. And from what I hear, licensed content in PSO2 is one of the things holding up its localization as well, along with some other bullshit like the publisher of the Chinese localization apparently binding them from releasing PSO2 on Steam for X amount of years (Apparently a lot of Chinese publishers see Steam as a major reverse-importing threat to their business).

Japanese copyright holders are the single most dogmatic ones on the planet. Never going to change. As discussed in one of the threads on music being removed from San Andreas's re-releases, anyone who tried to negotiate a permanent license for anything would be laughed out of the boardroom.

OT: To the guys saying getting PSO2 localized at all would be a victory - I ask of you all: Is there ANY late-localization (3 years+ from JP release) notable for being a success that is not named Final Fantasy or Metal Gear? PSO2's Japanese release was four years ago, and since then Capcom has capitalized on Sega's laurelsresting by pushing the Monster Hunter series in the west, eating up pretty much all the remaining unserved market share of the Coop Action-RPG genre Sega was ignoring.

If you ask me, the time to localize PSO2 was back when Monster Hunter was still a no-show in the west and everyone was still reeling from Diablo 3 being shite.

Do we know if that's truly the case in terms of CC and DoC getting HD remasters? I've never heard that. In terms of SE dealing with that situation, if either of those games were to turn a good enough profit, I'm sure they'd strike a deal. But only CC would maybe be worth the effort.

PSO2 licensing is different. It's pretty much how they make money off PSO2. The game is a walking advertisement in some respects, and while that's not bad at all, it's harmful for bring it over to the states. I wouldn't call it dogmatic - it's just how copyright owners work in terms of advertising their shit across seas.

PSO2 getting localized wouldn't even be that big of an issue since it's not like those hardcore fans waiting haven't already played the PC version. They'd have to aim for a new crowd of people, and there's quite a few people who have no idea what PSO is in the first place. Translation and server costs could be made up in a few months if whatever system they use to replace the Japanese licensing stuff worked.
 

Spaghetti

Member
Shenmue licensing is actually a complicated thing.

Rumors were that a certain engine uses a license that is stuck in hell..
Rumours that never went beyond one forum post, it has to be said.

It's already been confirmed that the licencing issue is with products in-game. There was either no engine licencing problems, or it has already been cleaned up.
 

Parakeetman

No one wants a throne you've been sitting on!
That sounds like a pain in the butt, especially since Sega isn't the size it once was. Hopefully Shenmue III is making the footwork/blood/sweat/tears involved in getting the licences sorted out worthwhile for Sega.

Investigating sure sounds pretty positive though, I actually think this might happen now.

Yeah that sounds about right.
 

clem84

Gold Member
No way Sega can afford the licensing agreements to keep all the product placement in there.

I smell a moneyhat coming.
Is that really the hold up? Do we really care about product placement??

Remove them if you have to Sega, just give us the games!
 

openrob

Member
Here's a reminder as to why it's not that easy to make

CHt5aFEWoAEWNBx.jpg:large

I feel like Sega don't even know why they aren't doing it and just read this post and concluded this was the situation lol. Like one internal guy was tasked to investigate why it isn't being made, he stumbled upon the above GAF post and reported it to managers like "I think this is the situation..." Now this one guy is still poking around to find out what the deal, browsing forums, catching people in the elevator and rummaging in the store rooms of Sega HQ

..meanwhile Sega just says that they are 'investigating it'
 

Spaghetti

Member
hopefully they can just reskin all of that stuff

Is that really the hold up? Do we really care about product placement??

Remove them if you have to Sega, just give us the games!
SEGA seems to want to preserve the Dreamcast games as closely as they possibly can, which is really admirable.

If they can't make it happen then they'll likely replace the licenced items with something else, but, it's worth a try to make the licencing work so this HD remaster is as close to the originals as possible.
 

clem84

Gold Member
Do it and coordinate with the Shenmue 3 team to make the 1/2 save data readable by 3! I want my personalized notebook intact!
Oh yes. This so much! This was the original idea behind Shenmue, to develop a character, the moves he learns, the items he picks up, that could transfer from game to game. It would be a huge incentive to pick up Shrnmue 1 & 2.
 

Ragnarok

Member
Good with a second analog stick, the game will probably be much more playable. I tried to play the DC version a while ago and the control is pretty damn rough. Had no problem with it at the time but 3D movement has gotten SO much better.
 

Theonik

Member
SEGA seems to want to preserve the Dreamcast games as closely as they possibly can, which is really admirable.

If they can't make it happen then they'll likely replace the licenced items with something else, but, it's worth a try to make the licencing work so this HD remaster is as close to the originals as possible.
That wasn't really the case in the past. Just look at the HD release of Crazy Taxi. They took out the offspring songs from the OST and also removed product placement like Pizza Hut.

I wonder what is actually the matter here.
 
Do we know if that's truly the case in terms of CC and DoC getting HD remasters? I've never heard that. In terms of SE dealing with that situation, if either of those games were to turn a good enough profit, I'm sure they'd strike a deal. But only CC would maybe be worth the effort.

PSO2 licensing is different. It's pretty much how they make money off PSO2. The game is a walking advertisement in some respects, and while that's not bad at all, it's harmful for bring it over to the states. I wouldn't call it dogmatic - it's just how copyright owners work in terms of advertising their shit across seas.

PSO2 getting localized wouldn't even be that big of an issue since it's not like those hardcore fans waiting haven't already played the PC version. They'd have to aim for a new crowd of people, and there's quite a few people who have no idea what PSO is in the first place. Translation and server costs could be made up in a few months if whatever system they use to replace the Japanese licensing stuff worked.

Honestly, I can't think of anyway they could without risking P2W. Are there (non-licensed) cosmetics in PSO2?

I'd imagine going the route Black Desert did in its English localization could work. (Buy2Play + Cosmetic microtransactions)
 
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