So, shortly after those two important announcements, we met with the man behind Shibuya Productions, who is responsible to a great extent for the fact that the third installment of the series that drives us crazy is finally going to be a reality.
Cedric was waiting for us with a smile on his face, fully aware that we were still digesting the news that on August 27 next year we will have the game available, and that we had just seen new exclusive video footage that revealed a lot of things.
Because of this, although we had the interview already prepared, we asked for permission to insert additional questions because of the rabid news that had been presented to us, and he accepted without any problem.
I drafted the interview to a larger extent and passed it to the good Guillaume 'Ras' Bost. Guille is the one who keeps a good contact and relationship with Cedric, because - as you may know - although he's adopted by our country, he is of French origin and that makes things a lot easier when communicating with Mr. Biscay.
Without further delay, and acknowledging that for some reason or another we have taken almost two months to publish it, here is the promised interview:
INTERVIEW CEDRIC BISCAY GAMESCOM 2018 (08/21/2018)
"Let's start with Shenmue III. We know that you can not reveal too many details, but could you briefly tell us what state the development of the game is at right now?
Of course, though it's always difficult to answer this question. I know the answer, but it is not always possible to communicate it openly. What I can tell for sure is that today we announced the release date, on August 27, 2019.
This means the game is already in a state of advanced development. There are still a few months remaining to polish certain details and make the gaming experience even more interesting, and we are perfectly in time to do so.
About Magic Kyoto, which is some sort of Magic Monaco spin-off [laughs], we have relatively little information about the event so far. Would it be possible to give us some insight on it? Maybe some details, like the location where it will take place or any confirmed guest?
The truth is that Magic Kyoto is very similar to the first edition of Magic Monaco. It is an event that we have organized within a very short time and it's also modest in size. But it will stand out for its renowned guests, like in every edition of Magic Monaco.
I can tell you that Yoshitaka Amano, the famous Final Fantasy designer, will be present. And there will also be many other guests that will be confirmed later.
As for the location, it is another key point of this event. It will take place in the Toei Kyoto Studio Park, a film studio in which celebrities like Akira Kurosawa have recorded many films. It's a legendary place, part of the history of Japanese cinema, and organizing the Magic there is something really amazing. It's something we're proud of.
Last time we met, the HD versions of Shenmue I and Shenmue II weren't announced yet, but we know that you always had faith in Sega and trusted this could happen. How do you think the release of the remastered version of the first two games will affect the public concerning Shenmue III and the audience of the series overall?
I think it was absolutely necessary that the remastered versions would be released before Shenmue III, in order to generate a community as large as possible. Many young people did not know Shenmue I and Shenmue II, and therefore it would be difficult for them to live the experience of Shenmue III, considering it's a direct sequel.
Regarding the audience, there are always different types of receptions according to the profile of the audience. We have the old fans, who are super happy to receive a HD remaster, then there's the young people who are also happy because they will finally have the chance to play the first two games on their current consoles. And there's also reluctant people, like those who only play AAA games, and it is clear that Shenmue I and Shenmue II were AAA games back when they were released, but not anymore after all these years.
We all know that Shenmue is not a simple matter of graphics. There is really a unique background, a powerful story, and this adventure is something we want to pass on to new generations so they can understand that videogames are not just a matter of graphics.
Players from all over the world are now playing Shenmue I and Shenmue II on current consoles. Do you think it is possible that these players could keep their saved game when they start Shenmue III?
Well, this is a frequent debate, I've already seen it several times. I can not answer this question personally, but I understand that there is nothing planned in that regard. We can assume that this is due to technical limitations.
It's something that I would like to see too, but I can not give any answer about it.
We would like to know a little more about Magic Monaco 2019. We loved this year's edition and we will be present at the next one. Is there any detail that you could reveal to us in this interview? It seems that Kazuki Takahashi will be present?
Yes, that's right. He's the creator of “Yu-Gi-Oh!” We are very happy to have him, since it is always difficult for a Mangaka to come. They normally don't travel a lot. This is a proof of trust that honors us and it is once again thanks to Shūeisha and Shōnen Jump, the historical collaborators of Magic Monaco.
We will announce new guests soon, like some from the comics universe, but we will also try to do some interesting things regarding Shenmue III of course, as in previous editions of the event. And this time we expect to bring something that will make it worth the trip for the fans.
We know you can not give too many details about Shenmue III, but we really want to ask you: the last time you tried the game, what new sensations did it bring you compared to the previous time?
You know, the first time I played the game, I had to go through that moment that every fan of the series can imagine. It's about grabbing the controller and starting the third chapter of Ryo's story. I bet that you guys can create yourselves an idea of what I am talking about.
I am the producer of this game, but it was my vision as a Shenmue fan that predominated then, and that was enough to know that this is certainly going to be a great game.
One that will fit totally into the modern era and that will please both the Shenmue fans and newcomers to the series. This is what we really want with Shenmue III, bringing this experience to a greater number of players, and I am confident that the challenge is being fulfilled in every aspect.
It has been said in the past that the development of Shenmue III is a challenge with a certain number of risks. Do you consider that these risks have been decreasing within the progression of development? Or are they still present?
It is true that there were two types of risks when we started.
There was the risk of not reaching our own goals when developing the game, and there was also a purely economic risk, since we had no idea about the reaction the public would have after the announcement of Shenmue III, especially considering that there were no plans to remaster Shenmue I and Shenmue II at that moment.
Regarding the risk on a technical level, we have Yu Suzuki on board, which is a total guarantee of quality in the result. Shenmue is his baby after all and he is taking care of it, or that's what I see everytime I get a development update.
The second risk has been considerably reduced because of the announcement of the Shenmue I and Shenmue II remasters for current platforms, and I trust that this release will consolidate and enlarge the Shenmue fan community.
Cedric, your story is somewhat peculiar since you have gone from being a Shenmue fan, to become the producer of the latest game in the series. Inevitably, this must have revealed some insights into the story of the series to you. How have you experienced this transition? Has it been something difficult for you?
The truth is that I do not consider that I have gone from being a fan to a producer. Rather, I consider that I am a fan who is also a producer, simple as that.
Now, answering your question, it is clear that I have been completely spoiled regarding Shenmue III. The whole story has been revealed to me, which certainly creates a problem for my fan side because I won't be able to continue with the story now as I would have wished (laughs).
But on the other hand, there are some advantages to this situation, such as being able to play the game before anyone else and giving my opinion about what I see. And that is a really new experience for me. There's also the added fact that this is Shenmue. And that makes it something really extraordinary for me to live.
So there are many positive points in being a producer, but obviously I can no longer consider myself an ordinary fan, since my experience with Shenmue III has turned out to be something totally different.
So, do you consider that your producer side has not cast aside your fan side?
Exactly. I'm still a huge fan.
For example, I was recently in the offices, and as soon as I saw Ryo Hazuki's jacket, I took pictures of it for a while, because I'm like a kid with this kind of thing.
You have to know that for me, and even beyond its merits for technical performance, Shenmue is a series that symbolizes a golden age of video games. Or at least it does for me. I don't mean that there are no good games anymore, of course there are. But times have changed, and games have changed too. So I am personally quite nostalgic for that time which, in my opinion, led to the release of games like Shenmue I and Shenmue II, amongst others.
The fact of being a producer has also brought you closer to Yu Suzuki. Has this given you the possibility of getting to know some exclusive details about the development of the first Shenmue game, or the Sega Saturn version, or any other anecdote that you found interesting?
You have to know that I have been Yu-san's friend since long before I've been a producer.
And this can be something tricky, since he is the creator of the game, and don't forget that the role of a producer is to ensure that the development of the game is carried out in the right conditions. But thanks to our friendship, things work perfectly between us.
As for any details about the development of the first game, I will not give any concrete info today, but I admit that I know all the details about the development of the first two games, or so I think.
I have been working with Japanese people for sixteen years and I know many former Sega employees for example. So I am always informed of all kinds of anecdotes, like the Shenmue project for Sega Saturn and so on.
But Yu-san is not always the one who tells me. I've known many things for a long time, and I know that all this is part of the legend around the Shenmue series.
In fact, I hope that one day, all the information could be gathered and published in a book, for example.
That would be awesome!
You have been very important for the release of Shenmue III, and in some way, this has brought Shibuya Productions to the forefront. Do you think this will play a relevant role in the future of Shibuya Productions?
Shibuya Productions is a young company, founded in 2014.
Shenmue III has been our first big project, and it is true that this has put us in the foreground. I still remember that E3 when we made the announcement. Deep Silver wasn't even involved yet, so there were only two logos, the Ys Net one and the Shibuya Productions one.
I don't forget the Sony conference either, with all the people crying and applauding.
As for our expectations, after being producers of a game like Shenmue III, it is clear that we want to go further in the game industry and collaborate with other great talents.
In fact, thanks to the contest we organize every year at the Magic event, we have released some games like Epic Loon, released in July for Xbox One and Nintendo Switch and it will also be available for PS4 in September.
Of course, these are games way more modest than Shenmue III, but we hope to continue working both with these kinds of independent initiatives and also with more ambitious projects, as Shenmue III undoubtedly is.
After today's announcement, we already know that Shenmue III will be released in August next year. Now that the public has a final release date for Shenmue III, is there a chance to start talking about a fourth game?
[Smiles] It's way too early to talk about that.
What I can tell you is that, as of today, I am not involved in anything like a Shenmue IV project. I hope that someday it will be the case, who knows.
And I also hope that the fact of bringing back the series could arouse the interest of the mainstream public for these titles, and who knows, maybe even reawaken the interest of some former historical partners [smiles again].
We really liked the new trailer and the announcement of the final release date. Do you think that this announcement and this new trailer will be relevant to the public reception of the game?
I think the most important thing today, more than the trailer, was the announcement of the release date. It has been the most relevant aspect of this day.
And do you think it will have a positive effect on the way the public receives the game?
Yes of course. The trailer is awesome, but the most important thing for the public is that today, they finally know on which day they will be able to get the game they have awaited for so long.
Thank you very much again for your attention. The treatment towards us has been great. We wish you encouragement with all the projects you carry out and we appreciate the work you are doing.
Thanks to you for always being there supporting."
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And that's it. I hope you liked it.
My impression is that there is a lot of interesting material within it and Cedric Biscay did not leave anything out. He answered everything as much as possible, revealing many details.
Besides, I would even say that Cedric did not speak with anyone else during the whole Gamescom event, as far as we know. So this interview is, if I'm not mistaken, an exclusive SEGASaturno one.
I would also like to express my gratitude again to Ras, who undertook a huge journalistic task since he translated into French 'on the fly' my long and complicated questions in Spanish, and he behaved like a real professional. Note: Also thanks to Adrián 'Wesker' Cantador, who has reviewed the text both in Spanish and English languages, always giving a hand (and James Hamill for refined it the english version).
And of course, thanks to the organizers of Gamescom 2018, who gave us press accreditation and allowed us to attend the event and enjoy all the advantages that journalists have.
Kind regards and we hope to bring more content from Shemmue III, Shibuya Productions and Cedric Biscay soon!