Shenmue III - For Real This Time (Was "Yu Suzuki, a Forklift, & E3 - What Does It Mean?")

[Nz17]

On June 7th, Yu Suzuki was in Japan. By the night of June 11th, he was in Las Vegas, Nevada. On June 14th, he posted a photo of a forklift located in Los Angeles at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (https://twitter.com/yu_suzuki_jp/status/610110764704141312), E3, to his personal Twitter account (https://twitter.com/yu_suzuki_jp).

But what does it all mean? Does this have to do with a promise he made in 2014 about having a big surprise/announcement for Shenmue fans in 2015? Or is this all merely hopeful wishing on behalf of the denizens of the Internet who long for a sequel or a re-release of their favorite game series? Time will tell, and that time will be sometime this week during the spectacle which is E3. If anything is announced, I expect it to be announced at either the Microsoft booth/event, or in all likelihood given recent developments, SONY's booth/event. Only a few more days to find out...

Will it be Shenmue HD? Shenmue III? A Shenmue film? A no-frills Shenmue re-release on PSN, XBLA, etc.? A non-Shenmue project by Yu Suzuki? I can hardly wait to find out. :-D

[sfchakan]

Something something, something, snow ball, something, something, something, hell...


http://segafans.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/i-want-to-believe-forklift.png

[JSoup]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vx7ldTl7txQ

[sfchakan]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oB6DN5dYWo

[parallaxscroll]

Here's what it means.

http://i.imgur.com/PrWH5m2.png

Shenmue III has been Kickstarted for PS4 and PC.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ysnet/shenmue-3

Praise the Mirror.

[CDiablo]

Im going to be pretty upset if this doesn't come to XBOX. Since it's a kickstarter hopefully its a stretch goal, but I wouldn't be shocked if Sony paid handsomely to make sure that doesnt happen.

Edit: They are charging $30 for a digitial version, and there is no PS4 physical.......this reeks of indy game and not full game experience.

[Leo_A]

If they want my attention, I need a huge arcade right around the corner from where you start, that's stocked with many Sega classics that are all set to free play.

[parallaxscroll]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNt_Pc6IdMc

[The 1 2 P]

Im going to be pretty upset if this doesn't come to XBOX. Since it's a kickstarter hopefully its a stretch goal, but I wouldn't be shocked if Sony paid handsomely to make sure that doesnt happen.

While I wouldn't put it past Sony to have done that, what exactly is the point to having a kickstarter if someone already paid you a ton of money to make the game exclusive to their platform? They should have just said it's a Playstation 4 exclusive at the show. It may end up getting stretch goals for XBO and Vita or even a Wii U but they still won't be getting my hard earned money. I've never understood the appeal of Shenmue...or forklifts.

[BHvrd]

Im going to be pretty upset if this doesn't come to XBOX. Since it's a kickstarter hopefully its a stretch goal, but I wouldn't be shocked if Sony paid handsomely to make sure that doesnt happen.

Edit: They are charging $30 for a digitial version, and there is no PS4 physical.......this reeks of indy game and not full game experience.

As much as I loved Shenmue and REALLY want to see this happen I must agree. Especially considering the first stretch goal is 4 million for the second zone which is ridiculous and the other 2 zones have ? and I can only assume they equal at least 10+ million combined which is pretty ludicrous. So I seriously doubt there will be an additional stretch goal at all, though there better be something else if they want my support. I'm regretfully going to sit this one out for the time being.

[Tupin]

It has already gotten to 1.1 million. It's probably going to reach all of its stretch goals.

[kupomogli]

I'm interested, but unless the game gets a retail release on PS4, not funding it. I'll just wait until it's less than $10 and then purchase it digitally. I could get the physical version of the PC as I have a system that's powerful enough to play it I'm sure, because I'm rarely inclined to actually play them. Own hundreds, play less than a couple dozen.

[LaughingMAN.S9]

I'm interested, but unless the game gets a retail release on PS4, not funding it. I'll just wait until it's less than $10 and then purchase it digitally. I could get the physical version of the PC as I have a system that's powerful enough to play it I'm sure, because I'm rarely inclined to actually play them. Own hundreds, play less than a couple dozen.


This is shenmue 3. I've waited 15 years for this day....you're going to fund this game and you're going to like it!

[Nz17]

Hhheeeeeeeeelllllllllll yyeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh! :band:

This is exactly what I've been saying should have been happening for years: a KS-funded Shenmue 3. I'm glad Suzuki-san fought through the gauntlet which is negotiating in the Japanese business world to make this happen. It's a drawn out process where you must convince everyone you are their trusty friend and drinking buddy for the wheels of progress to even begin to move. All his sacrificing making who-cares mobile titles these last many years just to keep an expensive, dinky apartment in Tokyo for him to operate out of while negotiating to get this project rolling will all be worth it if the game gets funded. It's already at $1,625,048 the last time I looked - that $2M goal is in plain sight.

I really wish I had some spare money to contribute to this cause. Alas, it is all tied up in trying to found the inaugural G.A.M. Convention this year, and there's no time to spare to build up a Shenmue III fund in the meanwhile. But those pledge rewards are s-o-o-o-o good looking. I really wish I could pledge for the $300 or $500 ones. And that Shenhua capsule toy is extremely cute! Ugh, if only I could buy one for 100 yen!

[sfchakan]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLRWL0s0l10

Yeah, I don't care what platforms it's coming to eventually. They're putting it on PC and PS4 initially, which gives you two options as is. I would opt for a PC digital purchase over the PS4, as it's more likely that Steam will be supported longer than PS4 games on PSN.

...but there are physical copies available as reward tiers for the PC as it is. A lot of people want to see PS4 physical copies added.

Overjoyed to see this happening and love the fan reaction.

[Nz17]

I say there will be Physical Copies (Wait, isn't the acronym for that PC too? Tee hee hee!) for the consoles announced. Right now it is only palpable copies for Windows as it is much cheaper to make those than corporeal copies for consoles due to all the licensing and business overhead involved in the console world which isn't present in PC-land. But eventually before the end of its crowd-funding period, Mighty No. 9 made physical copies available for Windows, Mac, & Linux when it originally planned for only incorporeal copies, and this year that project announced tangible copies for multiple platforms. And Double Fine eventually partnered with a German publisher to have Broken Age released as a mass-market physical release around the world when originally there was going to be an embodied release only for KS and slacker backers. So I imagine that later on we will see PS4 physical copies of Shenmue III offered as a KS reward.

As for the other consoles? This wouldn't be the first time that SONY paid for a project to be a "console exclusive" of theirs - see Grim Fandango Remastered. But the question is how far the exclusivity goes. Is it a timed exclusive of a few months of lead time before eventually being released for the other consoles? We'll have to wait and see. But given that Shenmue III was only shown at SONY's E3 presentation, I expect the company did pay for limited exclusivity. But if SONY didn't pay for that and enough cash is raised through crowd-funding, I don't doubt we'll see other platforms as stretch goals or offered as new reward tiers. If nothing else, we might see ports to other consoles after the Windows and PS4 releases are finished.

[Gentlegamer]

Why was a kickstarter at Sony's show? That makes no sense.

If it's a worthy game, Sony can fund it fully.

[Nz17]

Why was a kickstarter at Sony's show? That makes no sense. If it's a worthy game, Sony can fund it fully.

Because in the future in which we live, "classic gaming" business models are dead in favor of unfinished, 1000 patches pending, DLC-laden, IAP-addled business models which aim to basically charge double for a game by charging once for the bulk and once again when you add up the costs of all of the DLC for a product which, when released to the world in a so-called "gold master" state, is in fact in what used to be considered an early internal beta state.

So when you want to release a game in the mold of a "classic gaming" business model, SONY takes one look at the super successful Kickstarter projects, licks its lips, and thinks to itself, "Why pay for development when the crazy fanatics will? Let's skip manufacturing and distributing physical copies which imbue people with first sale rights, go digital only to drive our distribution costs down to near-zero, and skip development costs by externalizing that factor to the most die-hard fans out there. Then we can just toss out an advertising campaign for the thing, have that as our only business cost, and reap all of the profits we can!" The company then turns to the hopeful game developer and offers a cash incentive to him if he can raise enough capital through a crowd-funding campaign in exchange for a time-limited window of console exclusivity.

But in lighter news, the $2M goal was reached by 5 A.M. Mountain Time this morning! It is sitting at $2,089,084 total as of this writing.

By the way, that means that Shenmue III set the world record for the fastest time a gaming-based Kickstarter project reached $1,000,000 in crowd-funding.

And for anyone saying that $2M for this game's development is too expensive, or that $10M for the "full Shenmue III experience" is too expensive, keep in mind that Shenmue I cost $47 million to make. Source: http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/33329/GDC_2011_Yu_Suzuki_Sega_Will_Probably_Let_Me_Make_ Shenmue_3.php

I think it is really cool that one of the $10,000 rewards for this project was the original, real-world Ryo Hazuki brown leather jacket worn by his Japanese voice actor to promotional events. That one got snatched up quickly.

By the way, sfchakan, what was that about a snow ball? :-P

[c2000]

The goal was already made. Hopefully it will double or triple.

[CDiablo]

What I dont get about the "testing the waters" theory is that at $30 the game needs to sell roughly 67,000 copies(digitally) to meet the $2 million goal. 67,000 is roughly %3 of the PS4 userbase, on top of that you have anyone who owns a PC. There is no way that this game was not going to be funded. 67,000 is peanuts in the videogame industry.

After looking at the S3 FAQ they have explicitly said that "Other platforms are not decided yet" under the question will you release on X1/WiiU/Mac/Linux. That being in the kickstarter leads me to believe Sony is likely paying for timed console exclusivity, which makes me feel better(I prefer X1), or they probably wouldn't even mention X1 or WiiU in the kickstarter. I'm still really upset that there is no physical release. Im not a big digital guy. I am not a big game collector that needs an ultra special edition........but I would probably pay upwards of $150 for for an ultimate collectors physical edition with resin Ryo statue or some garbage I dont need. The PC physical edition(probably a steam code and install disk) isn't going to cut it unless it requires no internet connection.

There is a good amount of discussion online about this being the future of a good chunk of gaming. Sell your game before it's made to a fanbase, then deliver whatever you feel like/can in the end. If the backers don't like the finished product, screw em', you already have their money. It's a slippery slope.

[sfchakan]

There is a good amount of discussion online about this being the future of a good chunk of gaming. Sell your game before it's made to a fanbase, then deliver whatever you feel like/can in the end. If the backers don't like the finished product, screw em', you already have their money. It's a slippery slope.

I wonder how many games people are willing to Kickstarter when you have people like Tim Schafer out there overpromising and under-delivering. Also, will consumers be fine with ponying up cash ~2 years in advance for so many games? I don't think that's the case for the majority of projects out there.

[CDiablo]

I wonder how many games people are willing to Kickstarter when you have people like Tim Schafer out there overpromising and under-delivering. Also, will consumers be fine with ponying up cash ~2 years in advance for so many games? I don't think that's the case for the majority of projects out there.

Kickstarters happen and fail all the time at the indy level. Historically any game that has a name attached to it (Schafer, Iga, Infanue, Suzuki) seem to not only get funded, but well funded past what they initially ask for. They are taking advantage of nostalgia and people are willing to pay until they get burned.

[The Adventurer]

Kickstarters happen and fail all the time at the indy level. Historically any game that has a name attached to it (Schafer, Iga, Infanue, Suzuki) seem to not only get funded, but well funded past what they initially ask for. They are taking advantage of nostalgia and people are willing to pay until they get burned.

People like to back a proven track record. That's not nostalgia, that's good business sense.

[JSoup]

People like to back a proven track record. That's not nostalgia, that's good business sense.

Yeah, that worked out real well for Double Fine backers, didn't it?

[The Adventurer]

Yeah, that worked out real well for Double Fine backers, didn't it?

Yes. Yes it did. I got exactly the game i payed for.

[kupomogli]

What I'd like to eventually see is Japanese developers that don't have faith in their product overseas, have a Kickstarter to fund localized physical or digital releases of the product. Yakuza 5 is being released in the west finally, but how long did it take? A long fu**ing time, and it's only because Sony really pushed in bringing it over as they're the ones localizing it, while Sega makes the comment about how they're doing it for their fans. Sega was bullshitting everyone who doesn't have the common sense to see through their lies.

A lot of Japanese publishers are starting to become more comfortable in publishing more games in the west recently, and imo it's mostly because of the success of the PS4 and many games being PS4/Vita or PS4/PS3. Namco Bandai published Graces F on the PS3 as a sort of test game and we've been getting every Tales game since, so that might have also caught Japanese publishers eyes. So this gen looks like Japanese games will return and be a major focus in western gaming, not as big as western games, but not be almost invisible like last gen in comparison to western titles.

Regardless how Shenmue 3 turns out, I think high profile developers having like IGA and Yu Suzuki having Kickstarters that have done so well are going to go a long way in showing that western gamers want more Japanese games.

[JSoup]

Yes. Yes it did. I got exactly the game i payed for.

Which game are we talking about? They've Kickstarted more than one.
And if you'd bothered to look at the easily accessible information that you as a supposed backer were given freely, you'd see that, no, you don't get what you paid for, in any of the cases.

[sfchakan]

Well, to be fair, Yakuza 4 only sold something like 140,000 copies in North America according to a google search I did. Is that enough to justify an English localization for a game that size?

Unfortunately, we're getting a digital release only here in the States. What a bummer.

[JSoup]

I'm kinda hoping between now and then the first two Shenmue games are ported. A quick search tells me that they are on system I don't own and a tad expensive to boot.

Edit: Also, copying this from Neogaf, but apparently Gio Corsi stated on E3 stream (http://www.twitch.tv/playstation/v/6249998 around 57:10) that Sony is personally helping with funding and development of Shenmue 3. So that probably nixes any chance of a 360 release, although not absolutely. Sony has helped fund games in the past that have gone multi-platform.

[Gentlegamer]

Because in the future in which we live, "classic gaming" business models are dead in favor of unfinished, 1000 patches pending, DLC-laden, IAP-addled business models which aim to basically charge double for a game by charging once for the bulk and once again when you add up the costs of all of the DLC for a product which, when released to the world in a so-called "gold master" state, is in fact in what used to be considered an early internal beta state.

So when you want to release a game in the mold of a "classic gaming" business model, SONY takes one look at the super successful Kickstarter projects, licks its lips, and thinks to itself, "Why pay for development when the crazy fanatics will? Let's skip manufacturing and distributing physical copies which imbue people with first sale rights, go digital only to drive our distribution costs down to near-zero, and skip development costs by externalizing that factor to the most die-hard fans out there. Then we can just toss out an advertising campaign for the thing, have that as our only business cost, and reap all of the profits we can!" The company then turns to the hopeful game developer and offers a cash incentive to him if he can raise enough capital through a crowd-funding campaign in exchange for a time-limited window of console exclusivity.

Sad but true.

[Tanooki]

Im going to be pretty upset if this doesn't come to XBOX. Since it's a kickstarter hopefully its a stretch goal, but I wouldn't be shocked if Sony paid handsomely to make sure that doesnt happen.

Edit: They are charging $30 for a digitial version, and there is no PS4 physical.......this reeks of indy game and not full game experience.

Sony NEEDS to do that. Nintendo could learn a lesson more to do that as well. That's the big problem these last couple generations on systems. They're f'd up port boxes with nothing original on any of them other than what their own 1st and 2nd party partners make. You used to be able to get a lot of unique titles when they'd court developers and pay them a sum to not do it elsewhere for a year if ever. Then it went to making it for any system a developer wasn't an anti-fanboy for when there was enough of a base to justify a title, and now it's just because of their screw ups f-Nintendo and put it on PC, PS4 and the One.

Sony learned that lesson well, look at them paying for like a large chunk of not only the Street Fighter V development, but also locked down any super, ultra, uber stupor super dooper revival X releases as well. SF is crack to 2D fighting gamers and it's just on PS4 or PC, and anything on PC easily ports to MS junk. If this is PC+PS4 now and you don't see within a week or two a stretch adding 'the one' on the kickstarter, Sony pulled one over on MS again which is funny.


I hate kickstarter, but damn that was a good point. Iga, Inafune, etc. The total blowouts and destruction of their goals and stretches into absurdity goes to show that this stupid myth the west hates Japanese games is bullshit. If people are willing due to a developmental track record to throw that much cash at a Japanese guys promised game to come, there's definitely a market beyond the dude bros fools who lap up all the call of honor madden woods sports games.

[Gentlegamer]

In other news, I decided to look into getting a copy of Shenmue II... I had seen it not long ago all over ebay for around $20 but passed it up because I hadn't played my copy of Shenmue yet, now it's $60+.

I guess I can hope there's a PC rerelease of the games in the future.

In the meantime, I really hate the modern video game climate.

[Leo_A]

Maybe we'll get those rumored XBLA/PSN conversions finally.

Isn't Yakuza in many ways a spiritual successor to Shenmue? I wonder how many of those that are excited about this, realize that there's a successful and long established franchise that has appeared in the intervening years that shares a lot of common elements that people loved about Shenmue.

[Gentlegamer]

Good point about Yakuza, I've never played it but it always sounded interesting to me.

In other discussions about localizing Yakuza games, I've heard the argument that there's no need for full English VA localization, the audience would be fine with English subtitles. I actually think I would be fine with that, too.

[sfchakan]

I would be fine with English subtitles. Especially if it meant more Yakuza games and not lagging behind multiple years with the localization.

[PreZZ]

The recent kickstarters like mighty no.9, bloodstained and shemue should send a strong signal to the old Japanese publishers. Stop fucking around and just give us the games we want, we are funding brand new IPs that are copies of your properties! Except for shenmue, but im intrigued to know how sega let ys net have the license to shenmue or how much it costed. Sad that sega is no part of it, but then again fuck them for all their bullshit cough*pso2*cough they treat non japanese consumers like shit.

[PizzaKat]

Shenmue was interesting but got boring at times. I haven't finished the 2nd but it was ho hum. I'm glad the 3rd will eventually be released for the fans.

[Nz17]

I'm not surprised that the prices of the earlier Shenmue games went up after this announcement. The same thing happened to the earlier Mega Man Legends games after the announcement of a new entry in that series. I'm glad that I imported a European Dreamcast copy of Shenmue II around 2005 - 2010 because that allowed me to continue my save from Shenmue I. Yes, I had to use a hex editor to alter my save file, but thankfully there's a homebrew Dreamcast app that lets you do that, and in fact there is a dedicated homebrew app just for switching the region of your Shenmue I save to carry over into the Japanese and European Shenmue II games. So if you're not too picky about platforms or just want to play Shenmue II on the superior console ;-) I'd say you should buy the Dreamcast Shenmue II . Sure they added the ability to take screenshots as snapshots in the Xbox port of Shenmue II, but if you import the European Shenmue II, you will get Japanese voice acting with English subtitles instead of the stilted American English dubbing found in the Xbox release.

***

It looks like the Shenmue 3 Kickstarter project has already completed its earliest stretch goals. Sure there are higher stretch goals for building bigger and better cities into the game and more cities, but there are also lower stretch goals for adding subtitles in various European languages. They have already fulfilled many of the stretch goals at 2.1 million dollars and so forth, but they are almost at 3 million dollars in funding now so they probably will make that $4 million stretch goal and beyond.

[The 1 2 P]

If this is PC+PS4 now and you don't see within a week or two a stretch adding 'the one' on the kickstarter, Sony pulled one over on MS again which is funny.

Paying to have a decade old franchise(that has never been profitable) on your system isn't pulling one over on Microsoft. It just means that Sony has another console exclusive on their system. As someone that doesn't own a PS4 I don't have a problem with this at all but I think Sony should have funded the whole project without the need of kickstarter. But I assure you Microsoft isn't one bit concerned with not having this game as an exclusive on XBO, especially since there's a chance it might eventually be released on it anyway.

[The 1 2 P]

What I'd like to eventually see is Japanese developers that don't have faith in their product overseas, have a Kickstarter to fund localized physical or digital releases of the product.

I like this idea as well. From Software should get started on making one to have Metal Wolf Chaos released on XBO as a download and retail release. I bet if they approached Microsoft they would probably help fund it too.

[otaku]

So glad I bought a copy of shenmue 2 for the xbox recently to replay for $20 cause I have a feeling the demand is gonna drive the price up. Wish I'd bought some Dreamcast copies to though - finally spotted a euro version of Shenmue 2 in the wild for $80 at a local shop. I look forward to replaying these even dated as they are but man remastered editions would be great alongside/prior to the 3rd game. The kickstarter has some great options and I hope I get a chance to help out soon (broke) little bummed it won't see xbox one release but oh well.

[sfchakan]

This Eurogamer article (http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-06-22-yu-suzuki-needs-usd10-million-to-make-a-truly-open-world-shenmue-3) helps clear things up a tiny bit more:


Speaking to Eurogamer's Oli Welsh last week, Sony's president of worldwide studios Shuhei Yoshida provided a little more clarity on the relationship. "I cannot talk about the specifics of the deal, but I can talk about the set-up," he said. "It's the third-party relations team's work. They've been supporting many indie developers - you've seen Adam Boyes or Shahid Ahmad showcasing indie developers over the last few years. When the third party relations team identifies some great indie game being developed they strike a deal so it comes on PlayStation first on console, or something like that.

"There's a variety of ways of support, including financial support. When the game's not being funded at that point, the developer has to come up with some funding themselves, for third party relations team to help - because third party relations is third party relations - if we fund the project then it's first party! It's my job! There's a great difference. If Suzuki's Kickstarter is successful [and very quickly after our conversation it was], SCEA will add funding and other support."

[Nz17]

Thanks for the clarification. So basically, Suzuki gets funding (Kickstarter backers), SONY gives more funding, SONY gets a limited exclusivity window, Suzuki is afterwards free to target any other console/handheld platforms he wishes. Meanwhile, all "PC platforms" (Windows, Mac, Linux, etc.) are available to Suzuki and co. as they see fit.

[The 1 2 P]

I still think Sony should have funded it from the beginning and added another exclusive to their stable. But this is the way they wanted this partnership and they know best what works for them. Now it will be interesting to see if this does indeed come to other systems as part of a future stretch goal.

[sfchakan]

I wouldn't count on an Xbox port any time soon.

[Nz17]

Here is some clarification from the man himself as posted in a Kickstarter update:


There have been many questions concerning Shenmue 3's budget and what outside sources will be added to the money collected through Kickstarter. I apologize for not having been more forthright in this area and would like to take this opportunity to help clarify the situation.

Ys Net and I have been putting in many long years trying to find a way to bring back a sequel that so many fans have waited so long for. After learning of Kickstarter, I knew it would be possible to get Shenmue 3 started. Wanting to make the best game possible, I also knew that I would have to look to more traditional means to obtain all the funds that would be needed to create the game I had envisioned.

Sony and Shibuya Productions have been wonderful partners because they believe in Shenmue and want to see the best for the fans and the game. Their investment in (and support of) Shenmue have helped to realize a sequel that will stand proud with its predecessors. While it is not business practice to discuss the specific details of such arrangements, I can say that with their assistance on the production and marketing end, and in Sony's case with some publishing support as well, Ys Net is able to use more of the money we collect through Kickstarter purely for Shenmue 3's development. It is also important to note that your funds are going strictly to Ys Net for development of Shenmue 3 - Sony and Shibuya Productions are not seeing a cent of your Kickstarter dollars.

The outpouring of support from all of you, the backers, has been so inspirational. I cannot thank you enough. Having reached our funding goal, I am excited to say that the Shenmue story will go on, and our journey with Ryo and Shenhua will continue. Fans will be able to enjoy the sequel they have waited so long for, and newcomers to the series will be introduced to a unique gaming experience.

Of course, like with any Kickstarter, additional funding will only help us make a better game. On top of everything Shenmue 3 will already bring, the Stretch Goals that I have laid out will add extra quests, events, and new gameplay systems that will make the game even more immersive and take the series to the next level. At the $5 million mark, there will be an all new gameplay feature I would be excited to be able to add to the Shenmue legacy. If we should make the $10 million Stretch Goal, a much larger, completely open world will be yours to explore.

Even if these Stretch Goals are not reached, Shenmue 3 will already be a sequel true to its name, and one we can all be proud of. It is my hope though, that together we can make this Shenmue just as revolutionary as the first two were.

I understand this statement may by late in coming. Going forward, we wish to be as open as possible concerning the game's development. I would like to again ask for your cooperation and support in helping make Shenmue 3 the best that it can be.

I'm calling it now: I believe this fundraiser will garner $6 million dollars by the end of their Kickstarter period. It's already sitting at $3.6 million and is steadily climbing.

Also, as written in the YS Reddit AMA (https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/3ahcwf/i_am_yu_suzuki_new_posting/), it seems there will be horse riding and sword fighting in Shenmue III.

[Baloo]

Tried playing the first one this past week for the first time. Game is a snoozefest with a lot of plot problems. Plays like a tech demo. Killed any excitement I might've had over this new one.

[Gentlegamer]

Tried playing the first one this past week for the first time. Game is a snoozefest with a lot of plot problems. Plays like a tech demo. Killed any excitement I might've had over this new one.

I heard if you keep playing you get to play perfect versions of classic Sega coin-op games like Hang On.

[Gameguy]

Tried playing the first one this past week for the first time. Game is a snoozefest with a lot of plot problems. Plays like a tech demo. Killed any excitement I might've had over this new one.
Glad someone feels the same way I do. Just when I was finally starting to get into the game after a lot of stupidity and slow plodding, the game switched to night to abruptly stop any progression. I sold the game and my Dreamcast after this.


I heard if you keep playing you get to play perfect versions of classic Sega coin-op games like Hang On.
The best part about Shenmue is playing other Sega games that aren't Shenmue.


One of the dumbest parts I know of in Shenmue, time 1:30-2:40.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJd764u8fMc&t=1m30s

You ask around for a tattoo and agree to join a gang, later the gang member finds out you were just using him for information. Strangely, this gang member isn't angry at all about this, just slightly disappointed that you didn't join him. Nicest gang member I ever heard of. When you combine this type of stuff with all the horrible voice acting, it's all just some horrible B movie that's trying to be taken seriously.

[celerystalker]

I only played the original in Japanese when it was brand new. I really enjoyed it at the time, but my understanding of the story was very loose due to the language barrier, so I didn't pick up on a lot of nonsense stuff even having completed it. I bought the US version at launch and still haven't gotten around to it...

[Leo_A]

I bought the Xbox sequel years ago when it was cheap for the arcade games, especially Hang-On.

Can I play that while ignoring the base game? Doesn't sound like something up my alley outside of the arcade games.

[Baloo]

I bought the Xbox sequel years ago when it was cheap for the arcade games, especially Hang-On.

Can I play that while ignoring the base game? Doesn't sound like something up my alley outside of the arcade games.

Yes you can. Just walk into the arcade and play.

[Nz17]

So what do you think of the announcement of the PS4 physical copy reward level for this Kickstarter project which was recently revealed?

[megasdkirby]

I will soon pledge. I will just wait a bit to see if a better edition on PS4 becomes available. If not, then physical PS4 version it is.

I still believe he should use the extra money to finish the game instead of expanding areas. I dont want to wait another 14 years to see how it ends, of ever.

[Nz17]

"About that day..."

"You mean the day Shenmue III was funded?"

"Yeah..."

Well, here's the final tally: 69,320 backers pledged $6,333,295.

With that much money and all of the stretch goals which it unlocked, the final game should include:
the cinemas from Shenmue I & Shenmue II (They'll be like the recap included with Shenmue II.)
Japanese dubbing
English dubbing
Japanese, English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese subtitles
a rapport system (i.e. Some characters will remember what you say and how you act and will react to you differently in the future based upon this.)
skill tree system (basically like skill trees in other modern games)
Baisha village super-expanded with much more content and many more buildings
5 mini-games
an infiltration mission
an additional quest
a battle event
the character perspective system (???)
the battle system expanded
advanced free battle added
Oh, and Shenmue III set an all-time Kickstarter record for the most money raised in the video games category for a single project. Go world record!

[megasdkirby]

It better end the series. I dont want to wait another 14 years for the conclusion.

[Nz17]

Um, it's been confirmed Shenmue III won't end the series. Yu Suzuki has been talking about how if S3 is a success, then there will be a Shenmue IV and Shenmue V.

[Leo_A]

That doesn't mean that this can't conclude their story-line, does it?

If there's another Shenmue release, it could be set between previous games, perhaps be a prequel, or not even feature Ryo.

Not saying that this would be the case since I simply have no way to know. But this series could certainly continue while this existing story-line is brought to a conclusion in Shenmue 3.

[sfchakan]

He's said previously that he hoped there would be Shenmue III and at least IV in order to complete the storyline properly.

As someone who's completed the first two, I really wonder what he has in store. I thought the pacing in the second game was far better and made for a higher quality playing experience. Pushing it out to 5 total games is a recipe that could easily lead to disappointment if it doesn't deliver.

I guess we'll see!

[Ogreatgames]

It means Shenmue 3 is coming, according to the kickstarter that was launched!

[oceanfr]

Cool, looking forward to the game.

[otaku]

He's said previously that he hoped there would be Shenmue III and at least IV in order to complete the storyline properly.

As someone who's completed the first two, I really wonder what he has in store. I thought the pacing in the second game was far better and made for a higher quality playing experience. Pushing it out to 5 total games is a recipe that could easily lead to disappointment if it doesn't deliver.

I guess we'll see!

I agree pacing in 2 was far better. I hope he manages to do these games as well as 2 and gets it all wrapped up in a couple games we can all afford to support cause the support is needed (and to some extent there of course)

[Nz17]

About that update... the update when the news was shared?


Q: How is the production progress going?

A: Please take a look at this diagram. So far, we have finished the composition, story, planning and the game flow. We will be advancing to the next development step soon.

Q: Can you tell us more about the composition stage?

A: Shenmue III is based on the 11 chapters created 17 years ago, and each chapter is set in different regions. For example, the first chapter was set in Yokosuka, second was set in Hong Kong and so on. However, we cannot finish with just one chapter in one region, so I had to restructure the story to fit within the scope of Shenmue III.

Q: What is the story stage about?

A: We had to rethink the storyline to make a more coherent flow, such as writing additional stories and making other changes.

Q: What about the planning stage? What is going on in this part?

A: Since we now know the amount of the funding from the Kickstarter campaign, we can plan the overall budget for development. So I have mapped out the game project to fit that budget scope at this stage.

Q: After the plan is written and ready, what happens in game flow stage?

A: It is about placing various cut scenes, events, battles, and quests in order. We have just finished this stage few days ago, and we will be working on the actual game development now.

Q: What other plans will be upcoming?

A: I will promise that I will be updating you about the progress of the development at least once a month. This is what we have for now.

Q: Is there anything big coming up on your schedule?

A: I am thinking about seeing the 2015 Tokyo Game Show which will be held in September. Also, I am planning to travel to China this October to both attend a game show called CHUAPP×2015, and also to do some location scouting for Shenmue III's development.

Q: Lastly, do you have any stories you could give that occurred during development so far?

A: One night, I went to a Thai restaurant with the development team after work. At that restaurant, a man approached me and asked to shake hands. He said he was a fan, and we had a brief talk. He also happened to be in the game industry and we began to hit it off. We talked some more to find out he really knew his job, and on top of that, he was an exceptionaly good person. I was so impressed, I asked him to help with the development. I couldn't help but feel Shenmue's unique gravity to bring interesting things together.

Source: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ysnet/shenmue-3/posts/1336892

[segarocks30]

This is a major thread bump, but I'm so damn excited for Shenmue 3. It stinks big gaming media had to drum up some skepticism for the Kickstarter gig and whanot without really knowing the facts, but I proudly pledged the $250 for the collector's edition. 100% worth it to me as a huge fan of the first two games. Hope we see a I and II re-release in HD on the current gen consoles as well, but that's probably asking a bit much.

[Nz17]

I proudly pledged the $250 for the collector's edition.

Now here's a man that puts his money where his mouth is! $250 isn't just a sneeze in the wind!

[kai123]

Now here's a man that puts his money where his mouth is! $250 isn't just a sneeze in the wind!

Thank goodness for people like him. I will reap the benefits of waiting until something actually comes out. I just can't do it. I don't preorder unless their is some sort of cash discount for doing so like Best Buy. I am not an investor and I don't see getting the game as a justified reason for me to hope that something comes from my "donation". I play the wait and see on it and hope for the best. What can I say that hasn't been said a million times. Gamers seem to bitch and moan that their wallets are being milked to death and the devs are to blame but we know who is really at fault. I await the fruits of the labor your money is generating.

[segarocks30]

Haha, gotta support what you love, right? I basically screamed like a little girl when the E3 announcement was made, I'm honestly shocked I didn't spend an ill advised grand on some of the other crazy collectible packages they were offering. I completely understand people being hesitant to do it though.

[kai123]

You do you booboo but I just can't get so hyped to pay more for the exact same game as everyone else and to pay for it so early in advance with zero guarantee of anything even coming out.

[CDiablo]

First screenshot here. (https://twitter.com/MagicMonaco/status/689855032762748928) Looks like Shenmue.

[SparTonberry]

You do you booboo but I just can't get so hyped to pay more for the exact same game as everyone else and to pay for it so early in advance with zero guarantee of anything even coming out.

More elitist shennigans here.
So, they're continuing to accept donations for the game development.
The attitude among those who donated during the Kickstarter (towards late backers being allowed to receive rewards, which apparently they aren't) ranges is between "NO! Them's MY toys!" and "don't care 'cause I'm getting my rewards".
For the rewards, by capsule toys, are we talking the same kind of capsule toys that come from those dollar machines? Can't spare more of those, Sega? :P But whatever. People who donate that much are probably concerned with the game funding than a cheap toy.
But if we're talking not getting a copy of THE GAME ITSELF as part of a donation (at an appropriate level), that's pretty low. "Gee, thanks for funding us making the game. We hope you'll pay again to play the game when it's finished."

[Nz17]

An update: https://www.segalization.com/2017/08/22/shenmue-3-message-yu-suzuki-screenshots-reactions-kickstarter-backers/


Shenmue 3: Message from Yu Suzuki, More Screenshots and Reactions from Kickstarter Backers
Draikin August 22, 2017 1 Reply

Yu Suzuki has provided a few comments regarding the latest Shenmue 3 trailer and the game’s new logo, on both the official PlayStation Blog and the Kickstarter page. You can read the comments below, as well as find a batch of old and new screenshots of the game. I also looked into the comments from Kickstarter backers on the latest update.

Message from Yu Suzuki on the PlayStation blog:

Hello PlayStation fans! This is Yu Suzuki, director of Shenmue III.

It’s hard to believe so much time has passed since we debuted the game at Sony’s E3 2015 press conference. Since then, the team has been extremely busy developing the game in Tokyo, but now it’s time to come up for air.

To coincide with Gamescom 2017, we are happy to share the news that we have inked a publishing partnership with Deep Silver! From the early days on the project, the team at Deep Silver really impressed me with their deep passion for the series and their desire to work with us to deliver a proper sequel that all fans will love.

To celebrate the news, I would like to share with you a teaser video built from a small slice of an in-development build of the game. As you will see, the latest chapter in Ryo and Shenhua’s journey begins with a beautiful set piece in China. You’ll also see that we’re aiming to significantly upgrade the game’s visuals, and you may also notice a new character during that quick glimpse of our new battle gameplay…

I’m pleased to be able to offer a small peek into what we’ve been building thus far, and I am looking forward to the opportunity to show you more as we get closer to our 2018 release.

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, to all those who have supported me and the team. I will continue to work hard to deliver the best possible realization of Shenmue III.

Yu Suzuki

Regarding the logo, Yu Suzuki had this to say on Kickstarter:

I really wanted to bring home the Shenmue logo because this belongs to all of you, and I know how passionate everyone feels about it. As the result, I felt the design should come more from the heart. So, with more than a bit of trepidation, I took brush to hand. I believe we have reached a design that will please, but let me know what you think!

Needless to say, backers had a lot to say about the first teaser trailer and the new logo. Reading the reactions from the backers, what stands out is that just about everyone is asking the team to go back to the previous Shenmue 3 logo. Below you can see both the old and new logo.

Regarding the teaser video itself, most seem to agree that the environments look good, but the character models and particularly the lack of facial animation is something that many feel needs to be updated. The characters’ faces have an overly plastic look to them and their eyes don’t move, giving them an awkward doll-like appearance. That said, I’d argue that gameplay, storyline and voice acting are far more important aspects of the game. And it’s those that I’m personally more worried about, as we really haven’t seen anything from the game in that regard. Until then, it remains difficult to judge what we can really expect from Shenmue 3. Hopefully, we’ll get updates and video footage more frequently moving forward.

Below is a set of high-resolution artwork, provided with the update on the Sony blog. Again, it looks to me that they’re using a shader that is making the game look way too dark. In several of the screenshots showing the environments, a lot of detail is lost in the darker areas because of this. It’s an effect I’ve also seen in games like Mass Effect 2 (where it could be reversed on the game’s PC version by tweaking the Unreal Engine’s settings), but here it’s far more exaggerated. Hopefully this is something they’ll dial back in the future builds of the game, as it really serves no purpose.

[gbpxl]

Wanna try a game of Lucky Hit?

[Koa Zo]

Yu Suzuki Special Interview | Then, Now and Tomorrow | Shenmue 3 (https://youtu.be/AZ84uxIQBr8)

of note, Suzuki mentions the fights will not be like Virtua Fighter timing based, but rather puzzle-choreography based. An example he referenced was a players decision to use pick-up an item and attack with it will be a piece of the puzzle choreography.

Shenmue Dojo clarifies in the comments:

Switch's Phantom River Stone blog has an analysis up for the video, including some clarifications about Yu's comments in Japanese that didn't come across as directly as they could in the English subtitles.
Which matches with Yu's comments at Gamescom that Choubu alone could have an NPC count of 200.

Similarly, "puzzle game" is a bit of a translation goof, and is actually "thinking-style game", which is the same phrase Yu has used at Gamescom and (I think) in interviews even earlier than that about the combat. It's obviously not referring literally to puzzle games, but was likely used to evoke a sense of strategy Yu has talked about before in regards to the new combat (splitting enemies into smaller groups, knocking objects and other enemies into each other for an advantage, etc). PhantomRiverstone Article (http://bit.ly/2C5qPvu): http://bit.ly/2C5qPvu

[Nz17]

That sounds fairly remarkable and interesting! I'm looking forward to the game more now. I just hope that development doesn't take too many years. Mr. Suzuki is known for letting his ambitions get away with him.

[Nz17]

Hello Everyone,


MAGIC 2019 was held yesterday and along with it came a new trailer release! See the latest Shenmue III trailer here now!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4isLvZIINs
How was that? We know we have not put up a development report for a while, but please rest assured that production is steadily moving forward, and we hope to share more info with you very soon!

MAGIC is presented by Shibuya Productions and their CEO, Cédric Biscay, a co-producer of Shenmue III. The event which is five years running hosts “conferences and round tables with famous international authors, game designers, producers, writers and illustrators”, as well as gaming, manga and cosplay contests. For more information, please see the official MAGIC site.

Everyone here on the team is giving it their all and we all thank you for your support!

The game's currently listed release day is August 27, 2019 for PS4 and Windows.