While Sega-Sammy notes that Suzuki has "retired" from his role as Creative Officer of the AM Plus R&D department, he'll still have some influence at Sega. The developer will continue on as manager of that group, in a role that GameSpot, by way of Sega reps, says is of "diminished capacity."

Suzuki's employment at Sega was called into question last year, when Sega of America boss Simon Jeffery indicated that the creator was no longer working for the company. Jeffery later corrected that, placing Suzuki in a Creative Officer role.

While Shenmue fans should really have given up hope of seeing Shenmue III a long, long time ago, we'd have to think that those still holding a candle for a third chapter should extinguish those hopes. Yes, Suzuki is still a Sega man, but it seems his creative influence is becoming increasingly, let's say, selective.

Yu Suzuki retires from AM plus [Sega Nerds]
Shenmue creator steps down at Sega [GameSpot]

Like arcade game players getting chipped — as in getting some sort of motion controlled implant. While interviewing Suzuki for Arcade Mania, he told us about his interest in new ways of interacting with games:

In Medicine, you have artificial heart devices, or people that have some sort of chips in their bodies, to be able to keep track of vital signs. So, it doesn't have to be a scary thing, but you could put a sensor here (points to his arm). You know, a bit like in The Matrix.

It's not really something only in the future, some people already have them, chips in their bodies. If for some that would be a bit too scary, then you could also do something more simple, like using wristbands or a pendant. So using devices like these for sensing would be good I think. I think that for arcades games I want something that's a bit futuristic.

In Arcade Mania, he also talks about things like the possibility of using cell phones to control arcade games and what "realism" means in arcade cabinet design. In an industry where so many of the pioneering game creators have moved on or have become complacent, Suzuki still seems fresh with innovative ideas for Japanese arcades.

[Pic]

In Jeffery's defense, the man isn't in human resources. And no one wants a second visit from Sega of Japan's correction ninja squad. They'll cut ya.

Jeffery: Yu Suzuki Still With Sega As 'Creative Officer' [Gamasutra]

Jeffery says of Suzuki's status that "Last I heard, he was doing some online stuff in China", saying that the Space Harrier and Virtua Fighter creator is "kind of his own man right now." Suzuki's recent projects, the arcade game Psy Phi and MMO Shenmue Online never made it to final production stages.

There's obviously much more to the Jeffery Q&A and, as you may be aware, we're fans of the frank Sega exec — and not just because he kept hope alive for a System 16 compilation. The entirety of the interview is worth your while.

The Evolution Of Sega: A Conversation With Simon Jeffery [Gamasutra - thanks, Jay!]

Shenmue fans now have the power of the BBC (Scotland... *cough*) behind them. While the rest of us may be ready to face the reality that the series is deader than Ryo's dad after appearing on two different consoles, both regional failures, the Beeb is ready to keep hope alive, in the form of the Shenmue III Appeal...

...the ultimate campaign to force the games industry into finishing the glorious story that was started by Yu Suzuki all those years ago. With the influence of videoGaiden, the power of the British Broadcasting Corporation, and the collective multimedia might of gamers everywhere, how can we possibly fail?

What do we want? We want closure. We want Ryo Hazuki's story to be told to its end. We want to see ambition rewarded. We want a straight "Yes." No other answer will do.

That's Rab Florence, voice of irrationality. His counterpart, Ryan Macleod, is obviously clued in to the overrater disaster that was Shenmue. Or maybe he just knows that today's Sega shouldn't be handling something this epic. I dunno, any Shenmue fans out there clamoring for more?

Keep your eyes on the BBC starting November 5th for more. Michael McWhertor

The BBC videoGaiden Shenmue III Appeal [via Press Start]