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Yu Suzuki Steps Down at Sega
Yu Suzuki, the pioneer of numerous videogame franchises, has stepped down from his role as R&D creative officer at Sega.
According to the latest Sega-Sammy investor report, the revered game designer has “retired” from the key role. Suzuki, 50, remains at Sega in a somewhat diminished capacity; acting as the R&D manager at Sega’s AM Plus division.
AM Plus has yet to release a title outside of Japan, with the group having developed two arcade titles, one of which was the long-delayed arcade touch-screen game Psy-Phi.
Suzuki's name is synonymous with Sega's, and is responsible for the birth of several iconic franchises that brought the publisher wealth and fame. Having joined Sega in 1983 as a programmer, Suzuki quickly exhibited a prodigious talent in understanding how to design arcade games that both attracted audiences and pleased players.
The arcade release of OutRun made his career, yet the list of Suzuki’s creations read like a Desert Island Games collection; Afterburner, Space Harrier, Shenmue, Virtua Cop and Virtua Fighter.
By 2003 he was still active in game production, both adding final tweaks to the applauded Virtua Fighter 4, as well as overseeing the unsuspectingly triumphant sequel to OutRun. In the same year he was honoured with an induction into the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame.
Since receiving the honour, Suzuki has not been involved in the production of any key releases. In recent times he has been best known for working on and promoting Shenmue Online, the unreleased online role-playing game.
Yet Shenmue Online, like its creator, has slipped under the radar in recent times. The game looks unlikely to ever see a release, and furthermore, the Shenmue series itself looks likely to remain incomplete.
If Shenmue is to be Suzuki’s legacy, then the games’ loose-ends are perhaps fitting tribute to an arcade maestro who, in the traditions of coin-sinking, always left the audience wanting more.
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Subscribe To Edge Magazine / Corrections / Terms & Conditions / Privacy Policy
Copyright 2006 - 2009 Future Publishing Limited, Beauford Court 30 Monmouth Street Bath, UK BA1 2BW
England and Wales company registration number 2008885
this just does not feel good.
as a loyal sega fan, it really saddens me seeing someone high profiled as yu suzuki leaving sega.
so is this why outrun online arcade does not get a patch to improve online gameplay ? and i'd loved to see a add on giving us the outrun 2 tracks, and the 5 missing ferrari's that where in outrun 2006 coast to coast :-)
God-F*ck-Damnit Yu!!! Don't GO!!!! You're the last thing left from my beloved yet sinking SEGA *snif*...
Yu Suzuki will be missed. I hope he is remembered for all his contributions to gaming.
I don't want to live in a world where gamers don't know what a Space Harrier is.
I also want my ending for Shenmue, but more than an ending, I want the 3 games on 1 console, it fits the wii philosophy perfectly, QTE would be better performed with remote and nunchuck, besides I think if Wii have received so many crappy ports, why not from a master piece? wii owners have the best version of RE4, Okami, Bully, Scarface, Godfather, DBZ budokai tenkaichi and others, thanks to its unique control,why not Shenmue on wii? with a good promotion it would sell pretty well. See nintendo´s example: all 3 metroid prime with a wii version, all 3 pikmin, those for people who didn´t enjoyed the first 2 parts on gamecube, due to the poor sells, but now with almost 50 percent of market, shouldn´t be an insane idea. If Yu Susuki doesn´t want to do it, it´s ok, but Sega can decide if publishing, at least, the first 2 games on the wii
He owes us Shenmue 3 so he better pony up before he disappears.
Suzuki-san, 1988 Games wants another Shenmue! If not in game form, then at least as a movie. :^)
Why do you want to see the 3rd Shenmue?!
I want to end the series, there's been no definitive ending and of course i want one
For F**** sake...
I want the last one in the Shenmue series, get your ass out of Sega Yu and get the good games flowing