HOLY FUCK! 1600?! First time in a long time the community even some of the vets who are more known for being distant in these things contributed. Awesome.
Don't be so surprised. There's a world of Shenmue fandom outside the Dojo's walls. One thing I hope people take from this experience is that different groups should be working together a lot more often, instead of the insular, almost tribal attitude that some people seem to have.
Earlier in this thread, when Ryo was struggling to pick up steam, someone asked "where are those Twitter guys now?" - referring to fans who participate in the monthly Tweetathons. But the question could just as easily be asked every 3rd of the month - where are those Dojo guys now? While some members of this site embrace it as a proactive movement towards Shenmue III, others seem to look down their nose because it didn't originate at the Dojo. But we are all one fanbase, we shouldn't be thinking in terms of us and them within what is already a niche community. I post wherever I can - here, Shenmue 500K, Shenmue UK, and of course Team Yu. If I had more than even a cursory recollection of my French lessons at school, I'd be joining the conversations at Shenmue Master as well. Integration and co-operation makes us all stronger, as this All-Stars Racing petition has proven. No single website or group could have done it alone, and I hope that resonates going forward.