Shenmue 3 coming to next gen consoles? [Rumor]

Fans of Shenmue have been waiting over 10 years for a follow up to the classic game. In 2001, Yu Suzuki released a sequel to the original Shenmue. The 2001 adventure title saw player take control of Ryo Hazuki as he tries to avenge the death of his father in modern day China.

The game was heralded by critics as one of the best titles to ever be launched on the Dreamcast and Xbox. Shenmue was beloved by fans and has received a cult following since launching all those years ago.

Those fans have been clamoring for a sequel in the franchise for years. Shenmue II ended on a cliffhanger and gamers are still yearning to see where Ryo's adventure goes. Now, fans may soon be getting their wish.

The voice actor of Ryo, Corey Marshall, recently posted photos on Facebook that allude to the long awaiting follow up in the game. Two pictures posted on the actor's Facebook show him performing voice work at Sega Studios.

While the rumors may be music to Shenmue fan's ears, it may be a red herring. Marshall's photos may not be related to a full blown Shenmue sequel. The voice actor may be reprising his role as Ryo for the upcoming DLC to Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed. Ryo is reportedly a special character for Sega's version of Mario Kart.

Marshall's pictures add to already persistent rumors that a continuation of Shenmue franchise is coming in the next few years for next gen consoles. A few months ago, a photo of Suzuki and Mark Cerny was posted online. The photo showed the two game developers discussing the future of the Shenmue franchise at the Game Developers Conference 2013.

Other reports from earlier this year also detailed the possibility that Suzuki may be attempting to crowd source Shenmue III. The reports said that Suzuki was thinking about starting a Kickstarter for Shenmue III and a manga series based on the game.

In recent years, Kickstarter has proved a viable avenue for jumpstarting classic franchises. In April, a Kickstarter for a spiritual successor to Road Rash was created by developer Dan Geisler.