Greetings backers!
Today we have something very special indeed for you.
Throughout this campaign, many people have voiced their concerns that newcomers to the Shenmue series may feel alienated. Currently, there is no easy or convenient way to play Shenmue I and II without original Dreamcast/Xbox hardware and that's something we'd like to change.

We don't have the budget to fund fully fledged HD remasters of the first two games. But we're not going to let this stop us from bringing new fans a way to enjoy Shenmue I and II.

After much hard work, we proudly present to you: Shenmue HD: The Choose Your Own Adventure novel!

https://i.imgur.com/G2vwAUj.png

A Story Retold:

Shenmue HD: The Choose Your Own Adventure is a complete retelling of the original two games in interactive novel form. Story and progression awaits you with every page turn. Much like the original video adaptation of the game, you can directly control Ryo's decisions and effect the way in which the story plays out.

https://i.imgur.com/WrGntty.jpg

New Features:

Shenmue HD: The Choose Your Own Adventure will also include extra features that were not previously available in the original games. An example of this is the ability to save anywhere in Shenmue I with the included 'Save Anywhere' bookmark!

https://i.imgur.com/mKn1IXo.png

Modding API:

And finally, here's something all you modders and hackers will love. For the first time EVER , an official modding API will be available for Shenmue I and II. With this powerful and flexible API you can do almost anything; from tweaking the story to your liking, to using our advanced 'book engine' to make something completely different. The possibilities are endless. The only limit is your imagination!

https://i.imgur.com/WqH7NS0.png


That about wraps up our special announcement. We hope that you're just as excited as we are for Shenmue HD: The Choose Your Own Adventure .
Be sure to catch us at E3 this June where we will have a playable demo available for the public to enjoy.

Many thanks for your continued support:
- The Awesome Japan Team and YS.NET



As always Dojo, have a great April!

Saw this didn't have a dedicated topic so I thought I'd knock one up.

You can find the video here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bieq9pEjPgA&t=

Yu is quite coy with his answers, but there are bits and pieces in there that intrigued me.

In particular, Yu mentioning how events may play out differently depending on your dialogue choices. Would have liked to have asked a follow-up if that kind of branching design applied to other stuff like success and failure at fights and QTEs; like Shenmue II.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z04hUT23RiQ


***Trailer at the end of the video***

Will run in 1080p
PS4 & XBOX ONE - Physical release
Dual control scheme - updated & classic
Both audio dubs - English & Japanese
New user interface
Release - by end of 2018

Topic discussion

http://1000logos.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/YouTube-logo-500x277.png

It wasnt planned to go live for a while, but with the announcement of Shenmue 1 & 2 HD, it seemed fitting to get it out there.

Its still a work in progress, with Shenmue videos and playlists being added daily, as well as sections to come. Whats important about this new Youtube channel is that every video that isnt created by us, will be owned by YOU! We wont be ripping and uploading your content. Its YOUR content. YOUR efforts, and YOUR attention a viewer should get to give their thanks and likes.

There will be verious sections fleshed out over the coming weeks, as well as Shenmue streams starting back up again very soon! But for now, head on over give us a like and subscribe, and stay tuned for lots more Shenmue content coming soon!

LINK - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjvnGvNdVyOcXkYanOfmRoQ?

Three Words: Silent Hill Collection.

I would never get rid of my original games just because HD editions exist. They're hardly ever actually completely a definitive version. For every one Shadow of the Colossus & ICO HD Collection, there's about 5 Silent Hill HD Collections.

Try and not get too disappointed. The images we have been getting from both Shenmue and Shenmue 2, both in-game and cutscene, have all been a mix of full screen, 4:3 bordered, and 16:9 bordered. It's a little confusing, so it's best to hold off until we get more information from Sega on why exactly this is. The images could just be showing the options the user has at their disposal. We just don't know yet.

It will not conclude the story. Too much to fit in one game only.
It has been confirmed by Yu Suzuki himself.
http://www.ign.com/articles/2018/03/01/ ... r-a-sequel

We can only hope they'll make the next game(s).

Erm no, it's nothing to do with what you or I or any normal consumer thinks. It's about retaining a certain level of professionalism with a major company and brand like Microsoft and Xbox that you should be working with. Not just that, in keeping with their standard content, but they should maintain a balanced view on the two consoles for their large audience. It's nothing to do with being "triggered" or "offended" (god I get bored of reading those accusations about everything in media). No one is either of those things. No one "raged for days". It's about professionalism. You might not get that, but you also, I'm going to guess, don't run a huge major media company.

I can laugh at it and I find it funny, because actually I'm a Sony and Playstation fan and don't own any Xbox consoles, but it's besides the point.

Just teased on the Sonic live stream, Aaron Webber of Sega, (Sonic social media guy) asked fans for franchises that people would love some merch for on the Sega Store. NiGHTS Into Dreams was also teased, but Shenmue caught my attention.

Apparently around the launch of Shenmue 1 & 2 new merch "may" be added to the store, with a jacket heavily teased.

Whilst this is awesome, and will pick up any and all of the new official Shenmue merch, this'll be what...the 5th "official" Shenmue jacket - if you include the $2,400 fangamer jacket on the Shenmue 3 slacker backer campaign. Previously there were 3 iterations of the jacket on Insert Coin Clothing - Hoodie, Faux Leather, and Bomber.

Here is the clip from the stream revealing the tease -

https://clips.twitch.tv/CuteAltruisticFoxDatSheffy?tt_medium=create

Why would anyone want to rush through the first game with a Time Skip feature anyway? It felt like it was forced in Shenmue 2 due to reviews and/or feedback from the first title.
Personally, the Shenmue games were an experience to be soaked up. I had no issues wandering about waiting for a shop to open, or a cutscene to activate. It's one of the things I love most about the franchise infact.
Shenmue rewards with patience. That may upset some of todays gamers, but the formula shouldn't be changed to suit them.

https://i.imgur.com/wkDRgXz.jpg
As you state in your final sentence, the slow pace of the game might not appeal to, and may even irritate, today's gamers and those who simply didn't play the game around the time of release. And you're 100% correct: the game should not be changed in order to suit them.

It was a design choice, not a flaw, so they'll just have to deal with it and instead of scratching their heads thinking why do I have to wait for things to happen?! , they should be thinking about what they can do within the world in order to pass the time. It's not like the world is devoid of anything to do, unlike many open-world games released over the past five or so years which present little more than a pretty backdrop peppered with animated assets, but that's a mindset they'll just have to step out of through dabbling in what's on offer in Shenmue .

There are lots of modern games that don't appease and buy into the 'modern gamers want everything handed on a plate' trope and feature "archaic" style mechanics, albeit in a different manner to Shenmue. Demon/Dark Souls, Volgarr the Viking, Nier Automata and Xenoblade Chronicles X to a lesser extent. I'm sure there are others. Timing and schedules are a core mechanic of Shenmue and it is part of its charm. If a couple of 14 year olds brought up on a diet of CoD and cliched cinematic action games don't 'get it' or understand why they should have to wait 10 or 20 minutes (and subsequently find other things to do) for a shop or bar to open, then honestly f*** them.

Plus, and I'm not taking a hard stance on what dt3 should do one way or the other, but sometimes being forced to do things you wouldn't normally do makes for a more enjoyable experience in the long run.

Definitely agree! With a time skip it's so easy to just agree with it to move the story on, but the beauty of Shenmue lies in the mundane. You'll find ways to pass the time by chatting to random NPC's, and have unique conversations with certain character at different parts of the game. You get to appreciate NPC's and Ryo as a character through their interactions, tid-bits from NPC's lives and profiles, back stories, and just general interesting exchanges. This game is more than just a story with a means to an end, so i'm personally against a time skipping option, it just makes it too easy for people to just say "yes" even if it's optional. Like in Shenmue 2, it asks you if you want to wait or not, but it's just so tempting to just press "wait" so you end up missing alot of those added interactions with the other characters that Yu originally added.

I wouldn't be too concerned that Suzuki isn't involved. It's not like they're making any changes to the actual game. They might be giving it a bit of a polish, but Suzuki's vision itself remains untouched. Remastering a game is a pretty generic process that he probably wouldn't be able to offer much to.

If they were doing a full remake though, then that would be a different story.

I can re-confirm. Unless Yu Suzuki has changed things, we're going to face Lan Di.

A good question.

Part of me thinks we're getting a swerve where Ryo can put up a fight, but can't actually beat Lan Di.

Trying out the new control scheme.

I get along fine with the classic controls, but I'm interested in seeing what they've done.

As per Gameblog's Romain, who noticed Shenmue III also now had a retail listing on Amazon FR; https://twitter.com/RomainMahut/status/988419535014367233

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dbetx48WAAI_7FG.jpg

Pretty sure the white on black placeholder cover has appeared before, but what appears to be new is the provisional PEGI rating.

In order to get a provisional rating, the publisher has to pay a fee, fill out a questionnaire about the game's content, and allow PEGI to play a portion of the game and review video sequences. From what I can gather, this happens when the publisher is moving forwards with the retail process (pre-orders, etc) and looking to get games certified by platform holders.

Not that it means a whole lot, but I've gone back through a few games Deep Silver have distributed and saw they had a provisional rating within 6-8 months of release.

Safe to say the wheels are turning in the background, though.

Fingers crossed!

That said, with Shenmue I & II coming by the end of the year, I would be more than okay with a reasonable delay in order for Yu San to polish Shenmue 3.

I'm not really sure I get what the writer of that article is trying to say with that example.

Is he suggesting doing away with the detective game elements and open-ended quests? I'm not sure it'd actually be Shenmue without it, and it'd be a fucking travesty if it was replaced with mini-map "run to marker, then run to other marker, then maybe have a fight" quest design. You'd miss out on so much world building through the incidental dialogue that comes with investigating, not to mention never really learning or paying attention to the game world layout.

Take asking in one of the Lucky Charm quarter electronic shops about the Heavens in II. The owner will get the wrong end of the stick and think Ryo is a gang member looking for protection money, and threatens to get Xiuying. Suddenly the reason why the Heavens stick to Aberdeen becomes obvious; they want to steer clear of the martial artists in Wan Chai. It's easy to miss, but the fact it's there is incredible. Shenmue rewards the player for being curious with these little bits and pieces about the world, the story, and the characters.

The way it ends makes me think they're asking for Yakuza with a Shenmue skin, and with no disrespect intended to that series which is great for its own reasons, but I cannot think of anything worse for Shenmue III.

It's a really reductive argument, and ignores a lot of what else builds up Shenmue as a whole, and that (surprise) people can still enjoy Shenmue as-is in 2018.

Not the biggest article that I was expecting, but there's a smallish blurb in the latest issue of the Official Playstation UK Magazine -

https://i.imgur.com/sEI1Tnp.jpg

Full Page:
https://i.imgur.com/LvtwTX4.jpg

Full Spread:
https://i.imgur.com/rJNRpyy.jpg

Saw this posted on Twitter:



So if you're looking for a game that's either a masterpiece or a mess, PC Gamer's cutting insight has you covered.

If there is still going to be a trial version of the game I like the idea of doing what they did with Shenmue 1, where it had no bearing on the actual story, or spoilt the game, just a completely separate entity to familiarize with controls, style of the game. I guess if it is like What's Shenmue...they could be a potential "spoiler" in terms of seeing a location already, or a QTE where someone like "Jimmy" is changed to "Yukawa", but on the surface, i'd actually be happy to play that, especially if it helps with "testing" or fan feedback.

I wouldn't have minded a time skip in the original just to make replays a little quicker, but to be honest if first time players can't find something to do or somewhere to explore in that downtime, the series probably isn't for them.

Even in II where we do have the time skip feature, if a player decides to absolutely not engage in any of the side activities or learn the game world layout; they're getting a lesser experience as a result and that's completely on them.

"If you can't handle me at my looking for sailors, you don't deserve me at my Yellow Head building" - so goes the worst/best meme.

I'm pretty glad how the community has handled this without much fuss.

Seems most of the saltiness is coming from game journos and games forum/Twitter posters looking to be a bit edgy.

First you complain that the game doesn't look good enough for you, then you complain that they're taking more time to improve it.

Absolutely impossible to please. You cannot have it both ways.

Never expected it to release this year, at this point it felt like an antiquated target date that was obviously not going to be met. Better to get the announcement out of the way now so we can rejoice to an HD release date sooner than later. HD this year, S3 next year. It's a perfect scenario. S3 deserves all the polish and development it can get.

Sorry for the double post but:

https://i.imgur.com/Ii4ygCX.jpg

I love how this looks so much. So many details in this one shot, on both the environments and the characters.

The Guilin mountains in the background, the basket drying on the roof, the wing chun dummy, all the statues outside the house, the foliage, the drying rack, the electricity wires hanging slackly from the pole (which has gone askew thanks to subsidence in the ground), the little girl playing in the dirt, the old man doing martial arts warm ups (and check out his patchwork clothes, including a hole in his shoe!), the treads on Ryo's shoes...

This is Shenmue. 110%.

After 24 hours of conflicting rumors, Sega Europe confirmed on Twitter that Shenmue 1 & 2 HD will be released on PC, PS4 and Xbox One on August 21st!

https://i.imgur.com/IHj8Nto.png

The digital version is now available for pre-order from the relevant stores based on your region.

https://i.imgur.com/BYO0sqh.png
https://i.imgur.com/xNvd3hn.png
[img]blob:https://imgur.com/26f15150-85a9-439b-a733-3e8764f5c354[/img]

You can watch the trailer below!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zc_2D4GsWME

Sega have also released an updated FAQ:

Sega have released an updated FAQ:

Which version of Shenmue II did we port?
For technical reasons we started with the Xbox source code and data. This has the advantage of some additional features missing from the Dreamcast version:

Snapshots system
Filters
Texture mip-maps to improve anti-aliasing
As some community members will know, the Xbox does have some graphical differences to the DC version which will also be present in our version.

What features have we added?
As well as the herculean effort of porting the code to the new platforms, there is a huge number of things we have added:

Choice of Japanese or English speech in both games
Saves can be carried over from Shenmue into Shenmue II on all platforms
Saving anywhere in both games
HD resolution rendering
Updated UI
New post processing effects for both games
Full controller support and configurable mouse and keyboard for PC users
Full Achievement support for both games on all platforms

What does Modern control scheme mean?
Modern control scheme means we have enabled use of the analogue stick instead of the D-Pad for movement of Ryo, as well as adding full mouse and keyboard support for PC users.

Will the games run at 60Hz?
Throughout the engine, game code and scripts there are hard coded assumptions about a fixed 30Hz frame update rate, so the game needs to run at 30Hz.

Is the game 4:3 or widescreen?
Gameplay where the player can control the camera is 16:9.

Cutscenes are letterboxed in their original formats.

Can the emulated arcade games be played?
We are pleased to announce that all the arcade games in the original are fully playable in the new release!

Who do we have to thank for this incredible work?
The amazing team at d3t.

Thank you to Sega and the community for helping with all of this. ;-)

Answers to the questions we have had for a while now are answered as in depth as Adam can explain, including why the cutscenes are in 4:3, what type of audio is being used, which builds of the game are being used and more. Check it out in the video below, and keep the negativity to a minimum please. Bear in mind these games, along with Shenmue 3 were regarded as a sheer miracle a few years ago.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUnc1PfTZM0

Im more concerned about the animation thats going to be applied to these graphics. From what they've shown, they've proven they don't understand animation basics.

Oh, really? What do you think is more likely... that the professionals working on Shenmue III somehow have landed this job without understanding animation basics? Or that a consumer who has been shown work-in-progress footage doesn't understand what they're seeing in regards to the overall game development schedule?

Yu doesn't even play other games, for the precise reason that he doesn't want to be influenced by them and start following trends. While that may mean he has to reinvent the wheel on occasion, it at least ensures that everything we see is a "Suzuki solution" to whatever design challenge the game poses.

D3T is a capable outfit filled with professionals.
The problems/ shortcomings that are mentioned in various threads have nothing to do with them as a team, or their work ethic.

Let’s face it: everything comes down to the budget.
Sega most likely did not “break the bank” for these HD ports/remasters. Had they added another zero on their check, then we could have gotten 16:9 cutscenes/ 4K gameplay/ online forklift racing/ What’s Shenmue/ Passport features/ updated textures/ etc.

So, let’s not be too harsh. It’s a discounted collection that you can get in the US for about $25. Besides, they could always make further improvements to the collection via future patches.

The good news: the game is selling well beyond expectations, which will undoubtedly have a positive effect on the franchise in the future.

https://i.imgur.com/y5zyDMp.jpg

The Shenmue Dojo streams are back! For fans and viewers of the Shenmue Lounge, it's Peter that will be firing up his Dreamcast for one last ride with the original Shenmue before Shenmue I & II hit modern systems!

Tune in weekly - Thursday 26th July @ 9pm BST / 1pm PT / 4pm ET / 5am Japan :)

You can catch the stream on your platform of choice -

Twitch: https://bit.ly/2hLEfFt
YouTube: https://bit.ly/2KkVPuP

See you on Thursday! :king:

Really incredible stream tonight! Boggles the mind that SEGA popped their head in for a bit to say hello; love the fact that they've been so active with the community lately. Fingers crossed they come back again soon!

Can't wait for next week!

Unbelievable. I can't believe Sega were in chat. My jaw is still on the floor. Fair play to them, they really are reaching out. Sega in the Shenmue Dojo stream. That's insane to me. Inspires me more to get this new site out ASAP!!

Honestly I wish Shenmue 2 never had time skip, theres so much more to do and see than the first game.

I agree. But I disagree with it being needed in the first game too.
Personally I could never understand someone wanting to willingly progress things forward. A lot of the charm was in moving at the pace of the world around you. Shenmue rewards with patience. It's almost like the game is teaching the player the same thing that Ryo is having to learn.

couldn't agree more. You truly needed kung fu to master the harder fights and CQTEs. Literally serene as a polished mirror to stay meditative in my breathing and concentration for CQTE and later QTE. Even for Excite arcade game haha (amongst other examples cannot think of off top of mind for the moment).

Hello Backers!

With the combined Kickstarter and Slacker Backer campaigns, we have reached the $7M stretch goal! Having reached this goal, the Battle System Expanded: AI Battling will be included! Thank you so much for your support!!　　

Battle System Expanded: AI Battling 　　　

This control system lets you automatically unleash the perfect technique in response to the opponent's positioning and distance. R&D for this system is based on Yu Suzuki's concept for players who are not used to fighting games or for those who want a full immersion battle experience. This battle system is highly compatible with, and will be an extension to the current battle system.

https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/assets/021/987/714/72ca8373a797ad46bd2a4a87a6529b12_original.jpg?w=639&fit=max&v=1532329681&auto=format&q=92&s=d118ecd2b624e0a620ca15f7e5d8eddc 　　　　　　　　

The Slacker Backer and Fangamer upgrade & add-on campaigns are still underway, so don't miss out! 　　　　　　　

And please make sure to get your survey in! Thank you!!

Add-on & Upgrade Announcement

The Toy Capsule Box Set is now available through Fangamer! Get the Ryo, Shenhua, Chai and Forklift set as either an add-on or upgrade. Alright! Have some more fun!

https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/assets/021/958/714/09bac5285162339db42863e34bbcd8ca_original.png?w=639&fit=max&v=1532050438&auto=format&lossless=true&s=34056e97970d29a097208c4f6328d7aa

Survey FAQ

We have received many inquiries concerning the survey for the following which we would like to address here.

*Please note that policies and implementation may change without notice depending on applicable quantities and content.　　　　　

Name Credit Input

There are three fields in which to input your name for name credit rewards. The first is English only and is required. The second and third are optional and accept other languages.

If you choose to enter your name in the second or third field in a language other than English, these optional names will take precedent.

*This will not apply if there would be a systems conflict or if deemed to be against public decency.

Concerning Pictures, Images and Text

Below is the list of prohibited content for survey responses. Should the dev team deem that survey responses contain prohibited content, or if responses are unfit for development or sales of the game, content may be edited or deleted.

*For example, offending text will be replaced with asterisks (***). Offending parts of images will be edited or deleted, or in some cases the content will not be displayed in the game.

· Content that infringes upon copyrights, trademarks or other rights

· Content that engages in slander, discrimination, or violations of human rights

· Content that is contrary to public decency

· Content where religious or political activities are included

· Content containing personal information

Game development will move forward based on your responses to go out to fans all around the world. We thank you in advance for your understanding and cooperation.

PC & PS4 Physical Version Disc Data

We would like to address the many inquiries concerning the physical version disc data. Development is moving forward to have all necessary data to play the game contained on the disc. Please rest assured that the disc will not be just a prompt for an internet download.

*An internet connection is a planned requirement for the purposes of game updates and reward activation.

That's the breaking news! The team would again like to thank you all for your wonderful support! See you next update!

---------- General Information ----------

Shenmue 3 Backer Survey

Backer surveys are now underway. For information on your survey, please see the email sent to you by Fangamer. Shenmue 3 can only be completed with your responses! Thank you for your cooperation!!

Please complete or make any necessary changes to your survey by these dates.

・August 13 (MON) 2018: Last day of Slacker Backer campaign, reward upgrades and add-ons

・September 30 (SUN) 2018: Surveys close

　　　　　　　
Choosing the PS4 or PC platform

We have a few notes to consider when choosing your platform. Also, if there would be any major changes in the requirements for either the PC or PS4 versions, the platform selection question of the survey is scheduled to remain open.

Choosing your PS4 region

Your PS4 region will be decided with your "Country" selection. Please note, if the disc region differs from PS4 system region, the unit itself, PlayStation™Network online services or DLC may not function properly.

System Requirements for PC Version

Minimum:

OS: Windows 7x64, Windows 8x64, Windows 10x64 (64-bit OS Required)

Processor: Intel Core i5-4460 (3.40 GHz) or better; Quad-core or better

Memory: 4 GB RAM

Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti or better (DirectX 11 card & VRAM 2GB Required)

DirectX: Version 11

Network: Broadband internet connection

Storage: 100 GB available space

Sound card: DirectX 9.0c compatible sound card

Additional Info: Requires Steam Client to activate.

*Game is currently in development so system requirements may change without notice. We thank you for your understanding.

Fangamer and Third Party Use of Personal Information

YS NET has a written contract with Fangamer to carry out the backer surveys. Fangamer is a formal representative of YS NET to help process and fulfill all backer's orders through the surveys. Personal information is handed over and treated in accordance with the privacy policies of both companies for the purposes of conducting the surveys and reward delivery only. We thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

YS NET Privacy Policy
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https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ysnet/shenmue-3/posts/2241883

Looks beautiful!!!

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