When the third part of the Shenmue franchise was announced last year, it seemed inevitable that SEGA would cash in on the hype by announcing a re-release of the first two entries.

　　They're classic video games which we've all been desperate to replay on our latest devices since forever, but the house that Sonic built seemed somewhat hesitant.

　　Ignoring the rather outside possibility - if Destructoid is to be believed - that the port has been done for four years and SEGA just haven't bothered to hit publish, it seems that there are other difficulties that make releasing the original Shenmue titles difficult.

　　In the latest SEGA Central video, Dan Sheridan said that the company is very interested in revisiting the franchise, but it just isn't that easy.

　　With regards to Shenmue I and II HD, we would love to release these tomorrow. Sadly, its not as simple as porting the games to the current platforms, as we would need to ensure any HD remasters live up to the quality of the original titles. With games as immersive as Shenmue I and II, there are further complications, from licensed products that were included in the original games. That said, we would love to do it, and are currently investigating how to make it a reality.