Yu Suzuki attended the Toulouse Game Show 2011 and here is an absolutely fantastic interview with Yu Suzuki from the event, possibly the best I’ve ever seen! Yu Suzuki is maybe the most iconic person to have ever worked at Sega, Suzuki is the man behind some of Segas most beloved classics such as OutRun, After Burner, Space Harrier, Hang-On, Daytona USA, Virtua Fighter and of course the ill-fated Shenmue saga.
In this interview by videoxoc.com Yu Suzuki answers some of the most important questions any Sega or Shenmue fan cold pose and they are met with some great replies from Suzuki.
Hit the jump for highlights:
-When asked why he thought to implement features like splitting tracks and western environments in OutRun and the optional four camera options for Daytona USA (which are still used today) Suzuki says that he was influenced by scenery in Europe and America and it was extremely important to him to include a sense of realism even back then.
-When asked why the multi level terrain in Virtua Fighter 3 has never re-appeared in later iterations Suzuki says that it caused players to miss their strikes. It wasn’t as good for technical play so they went back to the traditional square arenas.
-Yu Suzuki is never tired of hearing people ask him ‘When will you make Shenmue 3’ in fact- it makes him happy and gives him hope! He also mentions that he hopes that one day when the circumstances are right he could make Shenmue 3.
-The scenes from Project Berkley that we didn’t see in Shenmue 1 or 2 are in fact scenes from further into the game. (Shenmue 3)
-When Suzuki made Shenmue he put a lot of ‘feeling’ into the game, he says that it brings him huge gratification that people have picked up on it and some even consider Shenmue to be the best game ever made. (Me included!)
– When asked if Shenmue Gai- the Shenmue game for mobile phones and apps will be closed next month (rumoured) Suzuki clears up the rumours, only the mobile phone version will be closed but the Smart Phone version will continue.
-Yu Suzuki has set up a new company independent from Sega which will mainly focusing on app games however he remains an advisor at Sega and he and Sega continue to have a good working relationship.
-Finally when pressed on the matter of Shenmue 1 and 2 being re-released on current or future consoles, with a broad smile Suzuki simply says ‘there is a possibility’.
Fantastic!
I have to commend Videoxoc for not missing an opportunity to ask such great questions! Well done guys!
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Awesome tidbits! I love how he loves to be asked about Shenmue 3, makes me want to ask him about it, to fuel the hope.
Right on, Yu. Right on with your bad self.
Loved every bit of it. Talk about Shenmue always gets me a bit teary eyed :P. Would be great if we ever got a remake of the first 2 games in HD. I think i’ve finished both 6 times in my life, I just don’t get tired of it.
Is his studio really focused on small app games?
I thought a while back someone interviewed him and saw some in-progress prototypes about full-blown games and that Suzuk is looking for a publisher.
Fantastic interview by the way.
he is the master
Lovely! Shenmue… unforgettable impressions & countless memories. HD versions of I+II would be fantastic… and more Shenmue titles! 😉
You have greatly overstated the significance of this interview. While it is nice to see after so many months this interview didn’t add anything new.
Did you not see the GDC Award induction interview of Suzuki with Mark Cerny cause that was the defining moment in his career. HIS COME BACK – and to be interviewed by a legend… :/
Remember when IGN, a few years ago, wrote that Yu Suzuki was not working at SEGA. Yet Yu Suzuki himself says he is and has a good working relationship with them.
Then I called out the article as bogus. Who was right?
I dont think I overstated how important it is, a lot of great questions were asked and a lot of things that needed clearing up were cleared up!
SHENMUE IS THE BEST GAME EVER!
I hope, someday I will see the 3rd episode.
(at least the HD versions)
F**cking hell you forgot the masterpiece that was Virtua Cop 3, he was director for it.
Much better then that Shenmue garbage.