The Shenmue III Publishing Torch Has Passed to ININ Games | Community Video Selection

Although several days have passed since the announcement caused a flurry of excitement in the Shenmue community, we could not let it go unmentioned on the blog any longer: with the blessing of YS Net, ININ Games has assumed publishing rights for Shenmue III!

The YS Net Press Release

It all started with a rather inconspicuous news entry added on 19 November 2024 to the YS Net official site, simply titled "Notice Regarding Shenmue III Publishing Change". This linked to a press release  document that announced the immediate transfer of publishing for Shenmue III to ININ Games, stating:

"Following the previous collaboration on Air Twister, this will deepen the relationship between ININ Games and YS NET. Known for their commitment to celebrating beloved titles, ININ Games is excited to shepherd Shenmue III into its next phase.

This collaboration marks the beginning of a new chapter for Shenmue III, with ININ Games working closely alongside YS NET to honor the series' legacy while ensuring its accessibility to even more fans around the world".

 

The ININ Games Press Release

A couple of days later, an online article by Gematsu quoted a press release from ININ Games. After noting the significance of the transfer date coinciding with the 25th anniversary of the Shenmue series and the fifth anniversary of Shenmue III, the release continued:

"We at ININ Games are honored to carry the Shenmue torch forward during such a significant moment in the series’ history. As we reflect on two decades of innovation and passion, we remain dedicated to preserving and sharing the journey of Ryo Hazuki with both long-time fans and newcomers".

 (Note, there had been some initial confusion about whether the rights were for the complete franchise, but it was later clarified to be just Shenmue III).

The timing, on the 5th anniversary of Shenmue III, suggests that the previous publisher, Deep Silver, had publishing rights for a period of five years from its release. In addition, the mention of ensuring "accessibility to even more fans" suggests that the exclusivity to Sony's PlayStation platform has now also ended.

Further Announcements Imminent

The ININ Games Press Release also speaks of "exciting plans":

"With this transfer, the story of Shenmue is far from over. We have exciting plans to celebrate these anniversaries, ensuring that this beloved series continues to thrive and inspire. Keep an eye out for upcoming announcements as we unveil our vision for the next phase of Shenmue‘s legacy."

Similar announcements were made on social media, with a message from Dennis Mendel ("Developing Business and Publishing" at parent company United Games Entertainment) on Linked In recognizing the strong community base and promising further announcements in the near future:

"We'll have some news to share about this soon enough. As usual, we are infinitely grateful to all our fans for their support, and count ourselves incredibly lucky to know the Shenmue communities are now included".

The ININ Games English-language website (but not yet the Japanese version) also echoes that there is more to be announced soon:

"We have exciting plans to celebrate these anniversaries, ensuring that this beloved series continues to thrive and inspire. Keep an eye out for upcoming announcements as we unveil our vision for the next phase of Shenmue's legacy."

About ININ Games

Who are ININ Games? They are a publishing company founded in 2019 in Berlin, Germany, with, according to their Linked In company profile, around 11-50 employees. Their stated objective is to "act as a cultural bridge between Japan and the West" and to "give games the attention they deserve but don’t get anywhere else".

The company may sound familiar to Shenmue fans as they are the publisher of YS Net's most recent game, Air Twister. Their name, their website informs us, derives from the Japanese word 委任, meaning "mandate" (which implies a pronunciation of "ee nin").

Steam Store

One immediate noticeable change to be found is that the Shenmue III Steam page has now been updated to reflect the change in publisher:

The Lead-Up

It seems that discussions around the handover of publishing rights for Shenmue III had been going on for "some time" in order to bring it about:

Not only has ININ Games worked with Yu Suzuki to publish Air Twister, but they have never been shy to show their positivity towards the Shenmue franchise in the past. Below is their response in June to news of Yu Suzuki's continuing search for a partner in order to make Shenmue IV (see the interview with Yu Suzuki carried out by Shenmue Dojo & Phantom River Stone earlier in the year).

And of course, they fully embraced the opportunity to mention "sailors" at the time of the announcement! It is so great to see a publisher that not only has passion for the franchise but also such engagement with the community.

What Might Be in Store?

Speculation is rampant among the community about what the announcement may mean for Shenmue III - from potential ports of Shenmue III on additional platforms, to an enhanced / extended version - not to mention merchandise. Even more exciting is whether this could lead on to a new entry in the franchise. There is a fast-growing thread on the Shenmue Dojo forums with ideas, hopes and predictions from the community!

As more news is promised soon, we should not have long to wait to see what the initial plans will be. This may be timed to coincide with the 25th anniversary of Shenmue's release in Japan, on December 29th. Perhaps we may even hear something more today - December 4th, Shenmue Day.

Response from the Community

The following post on X from Bill Black (Voice director for the English voice overs for Shenmue III) expressed his happiness at the announcement:

"This is fantastic news, I cast & directed the US English voice over for Shenmue 3 in 2018-2019, it is good that it will receive more exposure.  Well done Yu & ININ." (Post on X)

Many fans would also love to have Eric Kelso's original English voices of Fuku-san, Ren and Guizhang from the first two games, made available in Shenmue III in an official form - something that should be simple to do as Eric has already recorded all lines and worked with the community to make them available for free as a mod. Eric has let ININ Games he would be more than happy for this to happen, so fingers crossed something may come of this, if an updated version of Shenmue III is being considered:

"I’ve already done the voices of Ren, Fuku-San, and Guizhang for the Shenmue III Mod thanks to Shenmue Dojo. I’d be happy to have them put into the Definitive Edition!" (Post on X)

To finish up, enjoy a selection of discussion & response videos from the community to the news, which provide addition context and perspectives on what this news could mean for the franchise.

Exciting times ahead!

Shenmue Dojo (James & Matt)

AM2 Podcast (Andrew)

Adam Koralik

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