Is Sony Really Teasing Shenume 3 in this Japanese PS4 Ad?

Yes, it’s true. We’ve been hearing rumors about a new Shenmue for years. Obviously, as we haven’t seen that long-awaited sequel yet, those rumors never panned out.

However, the franchise faithful continue to hope. That’s why this video is making the rounds: On the surface, it looks like an ordinary, everyday PlayStation 4 ad for the Japanese market. But look closely at the 16-second and 25-second marks…

See the username on the screen? “Ryo H.” For those who are familiar with the iconic franchise in question, no further explanation is necessary. Now, the video is legit (remember, the PS4 soon launches in Japan) but that doesn’t necessarily mean Sony is purposely teasing Shenmue 3 for the next-gen console(s).

Perhaps it’s merely a tribute to the character, or maybe it doesn’t mean anything at all. Either way, you can bet that Shenmue fans are crossing their fingers and hoping against hope. The good news is that the rumor mill has been churning out more Shenmue-related info.

How badly do you want to see a Shenmue resurrection?

I tried getting into this series back in the Dreamcast days. I really did. It got such a tremendous amount of attention and everyone seemed to adore it. However, it never clicked with me. Maybe it wasn’t close enough to the PlayStation JRPGs I loved so well, or maybe I just didn’t identify with the atmosphere or gameplay. I still understand the fascination, though.