It may be unfortunate and disappointing, but it's now official

In a statement made on their website, Sega of Japan have announced that the first chapter of Yu Suzuki's all important Shenmue has seen its Japanese release delayed until spring of next year. The title was originally scheduled for release on October 28.

The reason for the delay? The update at Sega of Japan's page seems to suggest that the developers are having some difficulty in implementing their (admittedly bold) vision for the Shenmue world, and that creating the individual personalities for the hundreds of non-player-controlled characters is proving to be quite a chore. It's also suggested that the game itself is undergoing some major modifications, although the information we have doesn't go into specifics on the matter.

For now, Sega's page suggests that Japanese gamers are taking solace in the fact that the North American Dreamcast launch has gone so well, and they're continuing to play games like Seaman, Let's Make a J-League Soccer Team and Soul Calibur. Will that be enough to tide gamers over? Possibly, but things are getting awfully tight.


Courtesy of IGN.com