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Yu Suzuki has told MCV@gamescom that he’s very pleased to be working with Koch Media on his upcoming title, Shenmue III. “They’re the good ones,” he said.
The deal, which was announced last week, will see Koch Media’s publishing arm Deep Silver publish the physical and digital editions of the title worldwide on PS4 and PC when it releases in the second half of 2018.
“I knew they were good when I was working at Sega, who also has business with Koch Media. We had been hunting for partners, and I’d been hearing from other people as well that Koch Media was a publisher we could trust. They have a very good track record as well, so we decided to see the people at Koch and we came over to the region to see them. Finally, we inked the contract.”
Obviously, I feel a responsibility to the players and I feel the pressure, but I’m happy [the kickstarter] was a success
Yu Suzuki, Ys Net
Suzuki also said he sees this year’s gamescom as a great opportunity to update his fans about the game’s development. “The project is moving well. Having so many backers is a good thing, so I’m really pleased to have such a good Kickstarter result. Obviously, I also feel a responsibility to players and I feel the pressure, but I’m happy it was a success.”
He’s also pleased by the recent resurgence of Japanese games in the west:
“It’s good news,” Suzuki said. “I’m really happy that people think that way, and I’m happy to know our game will be welcome. I hope this trend is a reality and not just a couple of games. If the entire Japanese gaming industry is really becoming better, I’m very happy to hear about this.”
Suzuki is also hoping Shenmue III’s momentum will help to convince Sega to re-release the first two games in the series. “The Shenmue I and II IP is owned by Sega, so I’m sorry to say I’m not in a position to comment on anything about this, but let’s ask them to make it! That’s what I’d like to say. I will say this to them as well!”
