By 2003, Sega designer Yu Suzuki had already left a mark on the gaming industry worthy of induction into the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame. Best known as the creator of the Virtua Fighter and Shenmue series, Suzuki was until that point a prodigiously successful developer, responsible for many of Sega's biggest franchises.

　　Virtua Fighter was among Suzuki's biggest successes. Since the time of that AIAS honor, the designer has been out of the industry limelight, most recently appearing to promote Shenmue Online, the now-shelved massively multiplayer online role-playing game counterpart to his series of adventure games. So low was his profile that last year, Sega of America CEO Simon Jeffrey mistakenly told Gamasutra that Suzuki was no longer an employee of Sega at all.

　　Suzuki's retreat from the gaming world is apparently continuing, given that this week Sega parent company Sega Sammy announced that the designer has stepped down--the publisher used the word "retired"--from his position as a R&D creative officer with the company. However, he isn't departing Sega entirely.

　　A Sega of America representative confirmed for GameSpot that Suzuki will stay on with the publisher in a diminished capacity, continuing on as manager of the R&D department for Sega's AM Plus division. To date, AM Plus has released a pair of Japanese arcade games, the touch-screen fighter Psy Phi and the character-driven racer Sega Race TV.

　　Ferrari F355 was an eye-catching--but unforgiving--arcade driving game. The early part of Suzuki's career was marked by a succession of arcade classics including Space Harrier, Afterburner, and OutRun. However, the developer grew more experimental in later years, devoting time to projects such as the Ferrari F355 Challenge arcade game. The monstrous machine was eye-catching, with three screens to provide players with better peripheral vision, but its laser-like focus on simulating driving a single model of car in painstaking detail limited its mass appeal.

　　Then there was the wildly ambitious Shenmue series. Although it attracted a hardcore fan base, the first two Shenmue installments were not commercially successful, and a planned third game in the series never materialized. Although it has been more than six years since the North American release of Shenmue II, rumors of a new third game in the series pop up from time to time.

　　For more on the creator's work, check out GameSpot's 2002 video review of Shenmue II for the Xbox:

　　You need a javascript enabled browser to watch videos.

　　Click To Unmute

　　Shenmue II Video Review

　　10 Upcoming Open World Shooters In 2024 And Beyond

　　TEKKEN 8 – Official Kuma Character Gameplay Reveal TrailerEvery Major Video Game Of 2024MP5: The Most Slapped Gun In Games - LoadoutThe Hardest In-Game Decision Of 2023Firearms Expert’s MOST CURSED Weapons Of 2023SEGA 2023 | Official Year in Review TrailerZenless Zone Zero - Anby Character Demo Trailer | "Thunderbolt Silhouette"Genshin Impact - Official Cutscene Animation: "The Two Musketeers"Official Happy New Year from Square Enix TrailerHow Baldur's Gate 3 Stole A Zelda Expert's HeartTears Of The Kingdom Is A Technological Marvel

　　Share

　　LinkEmbed

　　Size:640 × 360480 × 270

　　Start at: End at: Autoplay Loop

　　Want us to remember this setting for all your devices?

　　Sign up or Sign in now!

　　Please use a html5 video capable browser to watch videos.

　　This video has an invalid file format.

　　00:00:00

　　HTML5

　　Auto HD High Low

　　Report a problem

　　Sorry, but you can't access this content!

Please enter your date of birth to view this video

　　By clicking 'enter', you agree to GameSpot's

　　Terms of Use and Privacy Policy

　　enter