Yu Suzuki no longer a Sega employee [update: yeah he is!]
by Justin McElroy 
{ Aug 12th 2008 at 10:30AM }
Original: If we had made games like Virtua Fighter, Out Run, Shenmue and Virtua Cop, we'd kind of hope that we could spend our later years with feet propped up in an expansive Sega office being fed peeled grapes by Amy Rose. But that's not the case for legendary Yu Suzuki who, according to a Gamasutra interview with CEO of Sega of America Simon Jeffery, is no longer employed by the company.
"Yeah. He's kind of his own man right now. Every now and again, he'll come up with an idea, and I don't think anything has come out of that yet, but we're still working with him," he said.
In other news, Shenmue Online confirmed for 2009! Wait, did we say confirmed? We meant "absolutely never ever going to happen so put your fan fic into a rocket and shoot it into space." Sorry about that.
[Via 1UP]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
theCardinal @ Aug 12th 2008 10:33AM
"[...] Amy Rose [...]"
You sure know how to get my anger up McElroy.
Tiptup300 @ Aug 12th 2008 11:44AM
WTF JOYSTIQ! You do not do that! Bad! No! You just made me gloriously happy...then you ripped my penis off, cut it in two, sawed it in half, ate it, vomited it out, ate it again, let it go through your digestive track, shit it out, blended it again, fed it to me, then attached it back. WTF!
samfish @ Aug 12th 2008 12:07PM
And it STILL worked!
samfish @ Aug 12th 2008 10:33AM
Oh well. Another dream officially dead and buried...
Jack of No Trades 85 @ Aug 12th 2008 10:38AM
I have some very fond memories of the first one on Dreamcast. lol, I loved working and using the forklift to gain money. It broke my heart when the game ended so fast.
LordChimp @ Aug 12th 2008 11:56AM
The forklift was always a pain to handle though. It does give me some fond memories of the game. :)
The Fatass of Kickassness @ Aug 12th 2008 12:33PM
Hey, yo, Jack, are you the same Jack from a few months back who stopped posting for a few months?
Jack of No Trades 85 @ Aug 12th 2008 1:03PM
Well im the same Jack from almost three years ago. I posted a few months back to talk to Killjebus.
Pureshooter @ Aug 12th 2008 10:41AM
Hmmm...maybe someone can buyout Sega and hire Yu Suzuki as a 3rd party to develop another Shenmue!!
(cries self to sleep)
FOXHOUND @ Aug 12th 2008 10:44AM
I hope he left on his own terms/wishes...
...though this immediately halts any and all enthusiasm I had about any Yu Suzuki created & inspired games from this point forth. SEGA will most likely have Ryo Hazuki venturing to White Castle, Jacky Bryant Hair Styling, or Virtua Cop Ticket Writer games produced from this point forth. :(
ZippyDSMlee @ Aug 12th 2008 10:51AM
Sega is still in business?
/b
WiNG [Life in a Game] @ Aug 12th 2008 11:01AM
On one hand, Shenmue brought us awesome storytelling and near-real-time gameplay.
On the other hand, it brought us quick time events.
All is forgiven, though, thanks to the ability to score tiny virtual plastic toys from a virtual toy dispenser!!!
Erluti @ Aug 12th 2008 11:07AM
The Die Hard Arcade game was rocking them before Shenmue... And that was also made by Sega. And they may not count as "QTE"s because they weren't always the same button.
Boffo the Sock @ Aug 12th 2008 1:31PM
I like QTE events though. When done right they keep the action moving in an entertaining way.
Erluti @ Aug 12th 2008 11:01AM
"In other news, Shenmue Online confirmed for 2009!"
Not cool. You made my heart skip a beat.
Tiptup300 @ Aug 12th 2008 5:42PM
At least your penis is intact.
juju187 @ Aug 12th 2008 11:02AM
a man with many talents, sega is in shambles if you ask me and he was just going to waste being there anyways.
best wishes to yu for many countless hours of gaming he has gave me.
Mr.ESC @ Aug 12th 2008 11:26AM
Virtua Cop was one of my favorite games form back in the day.
Well let's hope he starts his own company or something.
Zsavior @ Aug 12th 2008 11:27AM
Wow, wow, that hurt me deep real deep. Umm yea I got nothing. I think I will sit in corner hold myself and cry now.
AnujSuper9 @ Aug 12th 2008 12:02PM
Hm. That's a shame indeed. But I don't want Shenmue Online anyway, Shenmue 3 please. But not like that'll ever happen either.
Batzarro @ Aug 12th 2008 12:09PM
But...but...Shenmue 3?
Well, maybe he and Itagaki can get together and make a mix between DOA and Shenmue...
Wiinterfang @ Aug 12th 2008 12:17PM
Those are Dreamcast graphics?...Damn.
Ibere @ Aug 12th 2008 12:32PM
Sad news. If Shenmue 3 was almost impossible to happen with him in the company, now you can say it will never be released.
I bet Sega will launch a game called Shenmue 3 and all you do in it is play Lucky Hit.
j.howlett @ Aug 12th 2008 12:55PM
the last thing i remembr is sailing away as the snow fell thinking if i should go back to the save to take care of the cat. then i just played that big battle over and over.
eleefece @ Aug 12th 2008 12:57PM
What´s happening to sega!? are they nuts!?
Wiinterfang @ Aug 12th 2008 1:04PM
That's sammys fault, those douchebags lose millions with their pachinko machines every year and when they do, they just make Sega Shut down studios and fire employees, thus affecting japan economy, making those people have to rob banks and sell their bodies for some money, with all those hookers accessible for cheap nobody would want to have sex with their girlfriends making the Japanese race extint, without the japanese most american will feel short and sad and end up killing themselfs making the world an England Empire.
and that's why Sammy is the root of all evil.
eleefece @ Aug 12th 2008 1:11PM
Finally, the real culprits for the dreamcast death!!! (besides sony)
Ken Edwards @ Aug 12th 2008 2:01PM
Hey guys, are you following Kotaku on this? As in, following the fact that he has not been at Sega for a while now? I don't know why 1UP and Gamasutra are running this info now, but you don't have to shovel it. Really.
Maybe no one picked up on it, but this news is a couple years old. I am pretty sure there was a Kikizo Interview about Digital Rex and Susuki.
juju187 @ Aug 12th 2008 3:25PM
old? apparently he never left...
Ken Edwards @ Aug 12th 2008 4:50PM
Yep I guess so. Just saw the headline.
ScottG13 @ Aug 12th 2008 2:14PM
Sailors?
Purple Haze @ Aug 12th 2008 11:49PM
Can he please just hurry up and finish the Shenmue series.