Kiske wrote:13th May

$6,605,200 --> $6,605,887 (+$687, $687 per day)

72,387 --> 72,394 backers (+7) ($98.15 per backer)

17th May

$6,605,887 --> $6,608,141 (+$2254, $563.5 per day)

72,394 --> 72,418backers (+24) ($93.9 per backer)

Here is a translation of part of a Japanese magazine interview with Yu Suzuki that was published in the May 9 (2016) edition of the Bessatsu Shonen magazine. The article scan was obtained by Ziming.

(Original scans provided by Japanese Shenmue fan @da34ss on Twitter)

In this part, Suzuki talks specifically about Shenmue III, although it is pretty short.

Note: the rest of the article covers topics like Suzuki's background in designing arcade games, the gaming industry in Japan, and how RPG and text adventure games of the time were influences on his design for Shenmue etc. I selected the part below as a priority for translation since it relates most to Shenmue III and the other topics have been discussed in previous talks & interviews.

We Talk With a Gaming Legend!

Shenmue III, the Game the World Eagerly Awaits, is in Development!

http://i.imgur.com/rT9HyAhm.png

Game Creator Yu Suzuki Envisions
the Future for the Game Industry

Yu Suzuki developed the Shenmue series for the home console from 1999 through to 2001, and is a game developer respected by video game fans and game developers the world over. Reporter Ikeda from the MMR* investigation team has carried out this personal interview as Suzuki works with youthful enthusiasm on his latest game, Shenmue III. Suzuki speaks with passion about Shenmue III and the Japan game industry.

* MMR stands for "Magazine Mystery Reportage", a manga series involving investigation of mysteries and the unknown.

Interviewer Profile
⋅ Name: Ikeda
⋅ Reporter for the Weekly Shonen Magazine “Magazine Mystery Reportage”. During the 1980s he wrote under the pen name “Akira Hibiki” as a game journalist.

Growing Anticipation for Shenmue III

What Lies Behind the Veil of Secrecy?

Q: Getting straight to the point, what kind of game will Shenmue III be?
YS: With Shenmue III, I have taken a different approach compared to Shenmue I and II. Normally, a video game is planned around a pre-determined budget, but with Shenmue III money collected through crowd funding is allotted to the development budget, so I designed it so the design could scale flexibly to match. In addition to the open-world gameplay aspect (which I termed "FREE" at the time of the first game), I also prepared new and attractive features that could be incorporated elsewhere. In saying that, the creation of a video game that can be packed with open-world style elements will always be swayed by the development budget. Rather than there being say 10 mini-games to play in a certain town, an even greater number like 20 or 30 is more enjoyable, right? However, creating a game this way has a direct impact on the cost.

http://i.imgur.com/nuy3QURm.png

Q: The development cost of Grand Theft Auto, a game which popularized the open world concept, is said to have been over 10 billion yen (US$100m).
YS: Trying to compete directly with Grand Theft Auto and its vast difference in budget would be like a puny 10kg guy taking on a 100kg sumo wrestler. In which case, the video game fans may as well just play Grand Theft Auto, wouldn’t you say? (laughs)

Q: Trying to compete in terms of quantity would be a losing proposition, wouldn’t it.
YS: The story for the Shenmue series is made up of the 11 chapters that I planned out, with Shenmue in 1999 being Chapter One, and Shenmue II in 2001 being Chapter Two. Actually, my intention for Chapter Three has always been for a scenario that digs down into a single theme. Across the course of the first two games of the series, the player’s degree of freedom increases, their field of exploration widens and the scale of the game grows to having around 450 NPCs. By comparison, although Chapter Three will give the appearance of growing further in scale, it will focus on digging deeply down into one particular matter, just as I planned out almost 20 years ago. And I’m aiming to do so in a way that the fans will enjoy, placing importance on originality.

Q: What do you have in mind when you say “originality”?
YS: For example, when characters are talking to each other, it would be weird for them to stand almost touching if they’re meeting for the first time, right? In real life, they would maintain a certain distance between each other.

Q: Their personal space... That’s true, if someone you haven’t met before stands too close it’s threatening rather than friendly.
YS: Conversely, when you’re with someone with whom you get on well... when you are with your girlfriend, you’ll be closer together, right? So if we introduce a new “intimacy” parameter setting, for example we could set the distance between characters according its value. If the game contains many of these subtle but natural experiments then I think it will make for a much more believable world. It will give the game a more gentle feeling. Right now I’m working on overlaying these kind of subtleties.

Q: It makes me look forward to Shenmue III even more! And finally, actually there’s something I want to ask personally: I’ve heard that when deciding the name of the hero of Virtua Fighter, Akira Yuki, the “Yu” in his surname was taken from your name. If that is the case, how about “Akira”?
YS: Well, I took it from the pen name you yourself used when you were a gaming journalist: Akira Hibiki.

Q: What... really?!
YS: It’s true. Both “Akira” and “Yuki” sound cool, don’t you think? I think the name of the hero of a game should sound cool. Akira Yuki sounds way better than say “Torao Daimoji” (laughs).

Q: To me, Torao Daimoji sounds pretty cool too though. It sounds like the name of a heavy-set guy with chiseled features (laughs).

<End of article>

Giorgio wrote:Would be nice to read the rest of the article, because every time you have something new to learn from Yu's way.

Translation of the rest of the article is coming soon.

I wish we could get a clearer look at the image on the screen. I'm almost 100% certain it's meant to be just above Bailu Village (I think I can see the bell tower), but there's something on the horizon, and a building of some kind on the right.
Here's a composite of the screen image, with slight adjustment to lightness & contrast. Looks like the structure to the right could be a bridge of some sort.
http://i.imgur.com/1FRMY9A.png

I'm very glad that people find these kind of article/video translations of value!

Yu has so much worthwhile to share, it would be a shame for any section of the Shenmue community to miss out on any of it.

First of, none of the games you mentioned are like Shenmue. Back in the 90s and 00s gaming was more experimental and people in general were open to new concepts. Hell, new game genres were getting made during that period. Nowadays everything is either a FPS, an action TPS or a walking simulator.

Second, the amount of 2016 gaming "journalists" that played Shenmue back in the day is optimistically around 0,1%.
It's not a conspiracy to believe journos that never played Shenmue or understand the scope of it, when they hear YS say: "I would like more money to make Shenmue III bigger" or "I want to make Shenmue 4", their reaction is "evil dev that got record breaking money wants to rip off his fanbase".

So I'm not gonna be optimistic about it, I'm going to be realistic about it. There are plenty alternatives to the archaic major gaming news websites that deliver more substantial and informed content. But there are some exceptions:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0blSBgpRUg

Back in the 90's and 00's people were open to new concepts? What? Did you live in the same era as me? New concepts? You mean like Dreamcast games? The system that failed and ended Sega leaving the console business? Back then if your game didn't have killing people in it your game wasn't shit for the most part. Action was main currency in games and many games that drifted away from that frame work were extremely poorly received, especially compared to now. These days a lot of people are more open to slower games. Nowadays everything is an fps or a walking simulator? Walking simulators? You mean what Shenmue II disc 4 is? The statement that games now are nothing but fps' is hilarious and I don't even play games much anymore.

And those games are similar to Shenmue. Life Is Strange is a game that takes places in a modern setting and features very intimate storytelling and dull, everyday affairs. Games like Heavy Rain feature lots and lots of item examination and talking. All of those games are adventure games, which is what Shenmue ultimately is. Are they 1:1 exactly like Shenmue? No. But nothing really is. But they're close to the spirit of Shenmue than most games and very, very well received. I think Shenmue III, if it's good, will be as well. Let's be clear. Life Is Strange, a game where you play as a teenage girl who has to do homework, listen to her teacher talk about the history of photography is lectures, and talk to people about school and everyday stuff has sold over 1 million units. A game like that wouldn't have sold 1 million units back in the day. I guarantee it. Otherwise games like Grim Fandango and Monkey Island 3 wouldn't have bombed. The late 90's were tempered by excess. There was experimentation but it wasn't always rewarded. Action was the main ingredient to things back then, and the death of the Dreamcast made sure that certain niches remained niches, experimentation be damned. Games like The Sims were exceptions. In the 90's and early 00's a game like Life Is Strange or Heavy Rain would have never sold as much as they did. But they did, and people want more of that type of game. Shenmue was far ahead of its time, on the wrong systems, surrounded by games that didn't want to grow up.

There are people who haven't played Shenmue and work in the press but there's many in the press who have played the games for the first time in recent years and really liked it. Game Informer did a let's play and it was great. Other journalists and youtubers who had never played Shenmue played those games and love them. If you're going to be realistic you need to have facts. Everything you've said is a supposition.

Here are facts:

People are more open to different kinds of games now.

Shenmue offers a unique take on open worlds which will help it stand out.
The most backed game kickstarter of all time.

People are okay with slower games now. Turned based computer RPGs became almost universally action based in the 00's and recently crpgs have had a massive turn based revival. People aren't scared of turn based games anymore. People play a game where you do nothing but build shit with blocks. There's demand for slower games.

This will be the first time Shenmue is ever available on the most popular systems at launch.

All of this combined shows that, if this game is good or great, it will do extremely well. The only worry one should have is whether or not the game sucks, and I doubt it will.

That reminds me - I need to finish off translating the remaining parts of this article (if people find it of interest).

That would be amazing if you could! Thanks again switch! =D>
The translation of Part 2 ("The World of Shenmue") will be coming this weekend.

Update: Part 2 is now up, here .

http://i.imgur.com/dqJMVQj.png
http://i.imgur.com/UAA3ilM.png

Very happy with the update and for the 'new' incorporation to the team! With every upddate I can feel that it'll be a great game with the true Shenmue essence!

Could anyone translate the japanese subtitles of this picture?
I must say it's nice and helpful of them to leave hints of Japanese text in each video so that we can analyze them to death.

Anyway, the gist of the subtitle is:

"Occasionally, there are even times when the mountains along the Li River bring misfortune..."

I have no words guys. My mind and body have been stretched to the limits in Japan, from partying with voice actors, Sega staff and Shenmue 3 developers, the dinner with Yu-san, a Shenmue pilgrimage of all Shenmue pilgrimages and secrets galore (some not even Shenmue related!!!).......

Maybe I will try a full blog when I get home, but God knows when I will post again. My mind and body need a complete backup, reset, restart.

Rarely post here, usually a lurker but I saw this posted by a friend today. Trying not to think about Shenmue since III is still so far away but of course it's the first thing I thought of.

Today (1st October) I want along to a single-day event in Yokohama for Unreal Engine put on by Epic Games, with the venue being Pacifico Yokohama, the same conference center where Yu Suzuki held the Shenmue Premiere so many years ago.

A number of talks on developing with Unreal were held through-out the day by companies such as Capcom and Square Enix, as well as exhibition booths and even a stall selling Unreal stickers and other merchandise.

But the main reason I was there was for to get my hands on this Shenmue leaflet:

http://i.imgur.com/PxVuekYm.jpg

Positions being advertised:
http://i.imgur.com/YVGIAhal.png

And I'm thinking this looks like a new image...? (Or is it recycled?)

http://i.imgur.com/P8BB4Jz.jpg

I've put up a translation of the leaflet on my blog:
http://www.phantomriverstone.com/2016/10/shenmue-dev-team-expanding-leaflet.html

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Edit (Feb 1, 2017) :
Part Three of the interview translation is now ready.

Read the translated article here on the Phantom River Stone blog:
Part One: http://www.phantomriverstone.com/2016/12/yu-suzuki-interview-part-1.html
Part Two: http://www.phantomriverstone.com/2017/01/yu-suzuki-katsuhiro-harada-interview.html
Part Three: http://www.phantomriverstone.com/2017/02/yu-suzuki-katsuhiro-harada-interview.html
Part Four: Coming soon
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


A glimpse of a new illustration for Shenmue III plus some original images / documents from the days of working on "Virtua Fighter RPG" / Shenmue I & II.

These are from a new Japanese-language interview with Yu Suzuki & Katsuhiro Harada (from the Tekken series) published online at denfaminicogamer.jp.

Regarding an English translation of the Shenmue-related parts of the article, I am working on this and will post up a separate thread about it once ready.

For now, here are the Shenmue-related images from the article:

Shenmue III: Yu showing Tulou illustration
http://i.imgur.com/xKgKn6s.jpg

"Ren's hideout"
http://i.imgur.com/6MpzCny.jpg

"Pier at Langhuishan"
http://i.imgur.com/yrrcIkk.jpg

"Shelves at Tomato Convenience Store"
http://i.imgur.com/xEFglpu.jpg

"Suspension bridge"
http://i.imgur.com/81gT6IT.jpg

"Interior of Hong Kong restaurant"
http://i.imgur.com/0VyMrry.jpg

"Aberdeen"
http://i.imgur.com/TBj1Bds.jpg

"Hong Kong: Bird Street"
http://i.imgur.com/olmFaUD.jpg

"Part Time Job: Breaking Tiles" [translated version]
http://i.imgur.com/USrnUIb.png

”Fishing” [translated version]
http://i.imgur.com/rq3k7Rz.jpg

"Washing spot" [translated version]
http://i.imgur.com/v3Q5B3G.jpg

"Interior of the Yuki Dojo"
http://news.denfaminicogamer.jp/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/SCAN00801.jpeg

Article source: http://news.denfaminicogamer.jp/projectbook/virtua_fighter

4Gamer.net interviews annually celebrities from the gaming industry, asking each one questions on the retrospective of that year and future aspirations, and Yu Suzuki was one of the 149 celebrities interviewed this year. There are four questions asked for each celebrity, and here is Yu Suzuki's part of the interview, published on December 28:

*As Japanese is not my forte, I'll not attempt to translate the questions and answers word by word (Switch or Axm can absolutely do a better job than me). I'll do my best with my basic knowledge of the language and whatever software translator I can conjure up, so sorry for any possible mistakes on translating the following.

https://s27.postimg.org/7qboxp31f/4gamer_1.png

The first question is basically about what game most impressed Yu in 2016.

His answer was that because of the development of Shenmue 3, he didn't have time to play anything. But given what he saw in TGS, he liked the in-game colors from "Horizon Zero Dawn", the control mechanics from "God of War" and the UI and effects from "Assassin's Creed". Yu also mentions having ordered "Final Fantasy XV".

https://s23.postimg.org/893tnm7q3/4gamer_2.png

The second question is about Yu's opinion on the most impressive piece of entertainment released in 2016.

Yu answers that he has been focused on watching Chinese and South Korean period movies and dramas, because of Shenmue. He then cites the Chinese movies "Reign of Assassins" (2010) and "The Grandmaster" (2013), praising and repeatedly re-watching the techniques and sense of speed used in those action titles for research.
As for 2016, Yu mentions the Japanese blockbuster hits "Shin Godzilla" and the anime movie "Your Name", describing "Shin Godzilla" as giving off a sense of Japanese cultural pride and "Your Name" a representation of pure love in this day and age.

https://s23.postimg.org/rnz0tx3ff/4gamer_3.png

The third question asks of Yu to name a person or people that he's been following (in the news) in 2016.

He names Japanese table tennis player Jun Mizutani, and billiards players Jeffrey Ignacio and Naoyuki Oi.

https://s30.postimg.org/bc0kdpioh/4gamer_4.png

For the last question, it's asked what is Yu's aspirations for 2017 and a message for the 4Gamer readers.

Yu mentions Shenmue 3, as research and development advances, it reached the point where you can imagine the final image of the various elements coming together in the game. Yu has many things he'd like to share with us, like characters, environments and mini games, but he will do so in a gradual manner going forward in 2017. He asks all of us to continue supporting the project.

Source: http://www.4gamer.net/games/000/G000000/20161208073/index_8.html#ys_suzuki

So I've got some funds after my mother passed away so I transfered alot of it on my savings account.
Then I thought "you know, after a really shitty christmas i'm gonna treat myself." So I bought a new phone (because my current has deteriated performance) and well I still had 400 bucks leftover.
Then I thought:" mm might as well support shenmue 3 again and get me that trial version." so I ordered it.
So with 300 to spare I trained my eye on the Nintendo switch when it comes out next year, welp never mind that because I got the signed edition of shenmue 3 too. You know what? I feel alot better now!
Ps:
I didn't forget the dojo and what you guy's have given me so expect some periodic donations aswell.

I've made a blog post with some photos from last month's U.S. Kickstarter Reward Dinner which was held in San Francisco.

Thanks to attendee Chris Van Graas for use of his photos.

http://i.imgur.com/9TVWXR3.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/Z0Mxyr2.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/5mhLR4u.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/jjb1pMD.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/Yp8WIQ5.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/fTHJFcv.jpg

Click here for the blog post and a few more photos:
http://www.phantomriverstone.com/2017/01/shenmue-3-reward-dinner-in-la-with-yu.html

(Let's Get Sweaty, I'm counting on you to post up your wrestling meme image :) )

Yeah the event was terrible, the launch lineup is threadbare, and Nintendo remains the out of touch, idiosyncratic weirdo company on the block. That said... I still like a video game industry with a flawed, lost, at times maddeningly frustrating Nintendo making consoles in it, more than I do one where they've gone under like Sega.

To me, Nintendo is the last of the old guard. And as long as they're still at least making games I want to play... I'll be there. Breath of the Wild and Mario Odyssey are arguably their most ambitious games ever. That's saying a lot considering what they've done in the past imo.

It won't be enough to win back core gamers outside their established fan base, and this joycon gimmick certainly won't be enough to win over casual gamers. (I really, really wish Nintendo would recognize what everyone else does... that Wii was an anomaly, and they are NOT getting that "blue ocean" they garnered on it back. Those casual gamers have MOVED ON. They're never capturing lightning in the bottle twice.)

But, I'm a gamer, not a shareholder. All I care about are games, and they've already shown me three exclusives I consider must-have, and one non-exclusive that their platform will let me play on the go. (Which is great for me, because let me tell you... having a new Zelda game during one of my many hospital and/or dentist appointments? Will make life bearable, because I have anxiety attacks constantly at the doctor lol.)

So, I'm buying the thing.

But... do I think this might be the last console Nintendo ever makes? If they don't bring some MAJOR heat at E3... which I'm hoping they're holding back some games for ... and by MAJOR heat I mean more first party IPs people have wanted for ages, and MUCH broader third party support (right now the launch year lineup is LESS THAN WII U Had, that cannot bear repeating enough!) ... then... yes. Yes, I think it just might. Which, for all Nintendo's stumbles and flaws and failures, would be heartbreaking to me.

Every bit as heartbreaking as when the Dreamcast's failure sunk Sega. I hate those moments in gaming history. For all that we decry "gimmicks," time was, every console had a gimmick. Every console had its own spirit, feel, look, controller, and peripherals. Every console was its own animal. That's what a video game console WAS. It wasn't just another black box, PC-lite with powerful hardware that played mostly the same games, with just a smattering of exclusives here and there.

I feel that era has been on life support since the DC died... and while Nintendo's last few platforms have been abysmally painful at times, and shockingly out of touch... they've also felt like consoles used to feel to me. Quirky, fun, unique (even frustratingly different,) and while I know many won't agree, chocked full of exclusive first party IP I really enjoyed.

If we are witnessing the last desperate gasps of Nintendo as a platform maker, I won't applaud when they're gone. And I'll be very worried because while everyone assumes it would be a wonderful thing for them to go multiplatform... we all see how great that's worked out for Sega and its IPs.

ETA: The requirement to use a separate smart device for online functionality like voice chat and friends lists is just foolish on their part beyond words imo. I don't play online much with people so it doesn't affect me personally, but still. Wtf? It's meant to be a competitor to mobile devices... so naturally, they require a mobile device lmao. >_<

Sega higher-ups are part of Lan Di's gang! Proof below!



From the Nintendo Switch event last night. Clearly suspicious.

Because misanthropy, outrage, and trollishness are now the new normal in all areas of life, not just on the internet. It's just most prominent in online gaming discussions imo (present company excepted 99% of the time) because for some reason, gaming discussions have always incited enormous defensiveness and factionalism.

But yeah, it's everywhere. Look at the political climate. Look at any discussion, anywhere, about anything, online. It's disheartening and worrying, but there's little we can do about it sadly.

I also think the internet has changed how people communicate in not always healthy ways. It's cliche to say it, but interesting sociologically and psychologically, that people will say things to one another - and more pertinently, THINK In ways about one another - that they never would face to face.

The lack of nuance, social cues, body language, tone of voice etc. seems to make people online default to the worst possible, most defensive attitude toward absolutely everything anyone says. And the gamification of everything - likes, dislikes, followers, etc. trying to establish a digital presence - seems to encourage a territorial response in people. Like, this comment/webpage/account is my turf, and I want to get likes for it and if I get dislikes or people attack my turf, I have to defend it etc. (Not me personally, but it seems this dynamic happens constantly.)

I used to think the internet, because it connects the world, would be the greatest facilitator of better communication between different views and ideologies ever created. Now... I'm not so sure. Sometimes I fear it's fundamentally altering how people think about and empathize with one another.

There's a more benign, but still worrying, side to this too, though. Because it's mostly text on a screen, when people express concerns or criticisms of a thing/person/product/position/whatever, it gets default interpreted as an utter rejection or disdaining of its target, even if the reality is that there's a more nuanced opinion beneath the words that would read in person - because of tone of voice and other cues - more like, "I have these criticisms, but I'm not totally negative towards it either." Essentially, people just assume the worst, and then get defensive.

Second to lastly, some of it is also just that people are more conscious consumers now, and more aware of their own interests and needs, with many more options at their disposal. They also have more information about the history of a company and have more of an ability to play armchair analyst (and this happens with everything - people think they're authorities on everything now after reading about it for an hour on the internet) and so they're more cautious and wary and less willing to simply trust corporations whose job it is, ultimately, to extract money from them.

And lastly... while I dislike the word "entitled" and think it gets thrown around way too much... there is also just an element that we've all grown up for generations now without a world war, with declining rates of disease, longer life spans, supermarkets filled with prepackaged foods, and advanced technology at our fingertips and in our pockets that our ancestors couldn't even dream of in their wildest imaginings. In short... yeah, we're slightly spoiled and aren't always mindful of that or as grateful as we could be for what we have imo.

I think all of the above plays into the sense that everything is so damn contentious and filled with consternation and venom all the time online. But I also think that perception, likewise, is a product of us assuming the worst. I think things are actually less dire than we might assume based on the surface image it might give, again, because of the text on a screen + anonymity vs face to face dynamic.

For instance... I'm hyped as hell for Nintendo Switch and have one preordered. But I bet based on my lengthy posts about concerns I have about it, many would assume I must hate the thing and can never be satisfied. I think a lot of it is just that disconnect between thought, text, and real human interaction.

cactusjack901 wrote:Beyond that even; why should I go out of my way, to spend hundreds of dollars to play a game I've already spent over $100 on?

Because it's Shenmue.

I've translated the Tile-Breaking document in my latest blog post:
http://www.phantomriverstone.com/2017/0 ... enmue.html

January 18th

$6,701,078

73,658 Backers

They haven't even released any in depth game aspects, like mechanics, or musical styles and samples. Things like that are good, non spoiler, and can make a great update. The majority of last year's was... "nice".

2017 has to end these "nice" updates. I'd prefer no updates if they remained as surface updates.
Mm. I think we're all hoping for more substantial stuff this year, but it probably won't happen immediately.

I did some reading up on how UE4 prototyping works, which is a system called blueprints. Blueprints allows game designers to easily create the basis of their game using a node-based tool for utilities, so they don't have to rely on programmers to code functions before they can build the game. It's good for testing and understanding the scope of the full game early on, which is great for development and efficiency, but not so great for showing it off to the public.

Programmers and coding are needed for specific control over the engine to take it from a basic prototype to an actual video game. We know YSnet have been looking for programmers since that UnrealFest Switch got the leaflet from, so in the full production phase they're going to be building Shenmue III as we will eventually see it as a final product, rather than an internal prototype.

When we see it depends on when they started full production and how quickly they're making progress. I can't remember who said it, but a game developer once remarked that the last 10% of game development is what takes the longest, but we'll see.

Wisely they've avoided showing their hand too early and having the prototype colour the impression of the final game, or falling into the AAA trap of spending months on a polished vertical slice for a public showing when the rest of the game is still up in the air.

I hope I'm not making a leap of logic here, but in the context of development it makes sense for them to have made 2016 a year or "less" rather than "more".

I think the internet has just made everyone think their opinion is important.

I used to be a waiter and maître d' and you could spot the people who would go home and write a review about their meal on Trip Advisor a mile away. They thought they were a professional critic writing for a newspaper and didn't let themselves just enjoy the meal but spent the entire time trying to nitpick so they had something to write about.

I think most people now go into games looking for things to bring up on forums/twitter etc and don't just sit down and enjoy a game like they used to.

Also American culture seems to be slipping into the rest of the world due to the world becoming more open. Americans have always been seen as very extreme by the rest of the world, from food to politics it's always go overboard or go home. No one can just find a game ok anymore, if it got an 8.7 IGN are idiots for hating it and don't like good games because it didn't get a 10. If people love something they have to love it and everything about it and the same the other way round with hating it.

I don't think gamers as a whole are more negative these days I just think there are more platforms for people to think their opinion matters and the loud minority make it hard to hear the rest. There may be 50,000 online who complain Uncharted 4 is a stupid generic game but the game sold 8.7 million copies and most probably played it and never said a thing about it online.

Amir wrote:

Amir wrote:

Spaghetti wrote: January 18th

$6,701,078

73,658 Backers

23rd January

$6,701,078 --> $6,702,705 (+$1627)

73,658 --> 73,685 backers (+27)

25th January

$6,702,705 --> $6,702,984 (+$279)

73,685 --> 73,691 backers (+6)

27th January

$6,703,859 (+$875)

73,700 Backers (+9)

I've completed giving the Fishing and Washing documents English annotations.

http://i.imgur.com/rq3k7Rz.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/v3Q5B3G.jpg

Read my article at PhantomRiverStone about the documents here (any comments appreciated!):
http://www.phantomriverstone.com/2017/01/gachinko-fishing-washing-place-shenmue.html

I messaged YS Net on Kickstarter and they said there should be one at the end of the month!

January 31st Update:
Greetings everyone, we're already towards the end of the first month of the year! :O Crazy! I managed to get up to quite a lot of stuff done for here, though I'd never talk about it 'till it was done, just like sony and the other big boys, I like to shadow drop, I'm sure you would agree it's more fun to see results rather than talk-talk-talk of intentions, I sure do! xD Here's the rundown!

SEGA DVD/Blu-ray Stand:
I've been wanting a cool desk stand for my games for a while now. This month I thought I would take soem time/steps to designing one:
https://i.imgsafe.org/11bc397c17.jpg
https://i.imgsafe.org/11bc322edf.jpg
After the design/3D modelling phase was over, I was ready to start printing the pieces:
https://i.imgsafe.org/11bbb67e73.jpg
And through that journey, there were many setbacks and failures, that's the name of the game when it comes to product design, you can't let yourself get discouraged for too long, you must persist!
https://i.imgsafe.org/11bbc23965.jpg
And then we get to post processing and assembly to complete the final product. As a one-off personal piece, I'm happy, but going forth if I wanted to produce some more, I would think about improving some of the draft angles on the sides of the design as well as producing a more cost-effective+weighted piece. (I haven't printed the back part of the rack connector yet due to some work commitments with my machine and not being happy with its current state)
https://i.imgsafe.org/11bb883f3b.jpg

Coin Series - Poker/Chess Pieces:
I like iconography and appreciate good graphic design and art, especially from video games! I thought it would be cool to print a set of 5cmx5cmm study coin pieces.

I know for a fact we have splinter cell fans at the dojo! :D I'm sure you'll recognise that this is from SC Blacklist (the icons for each of the distinctive playstyles: ghost, panther, assault). Printed with transparent filament to give it a cool camo/armour effect. Been thinking to paint the middle icons gold)
https://i.imgsafe.org/11bc2d1ade.jpg
And a set I've very much been wanting to make, Valkyria Chronicles wooooh!!!1 Again, I just need to sand+paint the inner icon.
https://i.imgsafe.org/11bb20fdc0.jpg

I also produced two more wooden plaque engravings for my collection from stratch (only references): one based on a movie nobody's heard of, the other based on Asura's Wrath.
https://i.imgsafe.org/11bc5b8e6d.jpg

And finally, I produced some graphic design art yesterday for kazuma kiryu called 'the beast is unleashed' to covey his inner dragon spirit in a very altered beast/Bill Bixby sort of way. I hope to make an engraving of this as well! :-)
https://i.imgsafe.org/11bb066bbc.jpg

And that about wraps the month! Thank you for viewing, hope you enjoyed the journey, I knowthere is a distinct lack of shenmue this month but after i lost the files to my previous shenmue project I did loose a bit of steam in the stort term. I hope to pursue and complete it by the end of Feb but we shall see how things turn out. 'Please be excited' for the end of February, hopefully it will bring many new and interesting stuff. Hope by that time, we do get an juicy update for Shenmue 3! Thoughts? Love and Respect everyone! :-)

UPDATE: Apologies for the broken image links. Google, you've failed me!

Part Three of the interview is now up.



Read it here: http://www.phantomriverstone.com/2017/0 ... rview.html

Of course, i am hyped! I baked today a second time a physical copy. Now i baked two versions. One for PS4 and one for PC.

In Shenmue I & II Ryo gathered various pieces of information about the visit father made to Hong Kong & Guilin all those years ago, so I've tried to bring these together into a diagram showing some of these relationships and timelines.

The diagram includes some assumptions / guesses, which I talk about here:

Blog post:
http://www.phantomriverstone.com/2017/02/iwao-hazukis-china-visit-diagram-of.html

http://i.imgur.com/QvEB4lR.png

The character of Yuanda Zhu is quite enigmatic, as he seems to change what he says depending on who he is talking to. I don't think he has bad intentions towards Ryo, but I get the feeling he is hiding the true circumstances around the death of Sunming Zhao. It will be interesting to see how (or whether) this is developed in Shenmue III.

You can count one more contributor as from now !

6th February 2017

$6,710,485

73,765 Backers

For real, I'm probably going to buy up 10-20 PC keys for Shenmue III and do a giveaway on GAF.

For real, I'm probably going to buy up 10-20 PC keys for Shenmue III and do a giveaway on GAF.
I'm planning on doing something similar, only I'll do so through randoms I meet in online lobbies. I might be completely wrong in what I'm about to say, but I get the feeling giving codes out to random players grants a better chance of giving the game to someone who likely wasn't going to play the game in the first place, as opposed to doing so through a video game forum where people are more likely to know about it, whether through following or in passing, meaning less chance of the game not gaining an extra sale.

Spaghetti wrote: 6th February 2017

$6,710,485

73,765 Backers

7th February 2017

$6,711,400 (+$915)

73,773 Backers (+8)

I been doing some thinking about Shenmue 3 games people preorder on kickstarter or Paypal. Would that count as Shenmue 3 sales when the game releases?
Almost certainly not. Buy multiple copies at launch if you want a Shenmue IV!
Im also planning to do the same thing buy multiple copies for the game to sell better. I already getting 2 physical copies from Kickstarter and Paypal.

I contacted YS Net again and they said we should see a update at the end of the month!

I don't think anyone's posted this yet.
I've finally got the french book in the mail, despite having preordered it.
It's mostly text but it has a nice little photo section at the end, with pictures of real-site inspirations for the game that I thought I'd share:
https://imgur.com/a/eZK7Z

I'm impressed, Saturn emulation is alway so tricky to get playable. Still, can't beat playing Panzer Dragoon Saga on the original hardware:

http://imgur.com/wESElBR.jpg

http://imgur.com/mASkojA.jpg

Next to Snatcher and Knuckles Chaotix, Panzer Dragoon Saga is the pride of my collection.

I saw this copy on eBay from a local seller some years ago at a decent price. I jumped on it immediately; sold my entire collection of Magic the Gathering cards to cover the cost. It was worth it, Panzer Dragoon Saga is one of the greatest games that I've ever played and a true masterpiece on the Saturn.

With the game being scheduled to be released by the end of the year, backers rightfully expect by March either footage of the game in final stages or a delay with an apology.
You'll struggle to find any video game genuinely in its "final stages" 9 months away from a proposed release window.

Don't let promotional materials inform you of how advanced a game is, because I guarantee you 90% of the time it is smoke and mirrors. Case in point: Final Fantasy 15's 2013 E3 reveal. Looked pretty advanced, but it was all bullshit ginned up for a press conference and would take another three and a half years to release.

Don't put an arbitrary date on when you expect to see footage by either, because you'll likely just set yourself up for disappointment and anger.

What we want to see is coming, but it really is just a case of being patient.

Can't say I'm surprised.
I think when we finally see something, it's going to be a drastic leap from whatever we saw months ago. No point in sharing something that isn't representative of the final product at this point.

And they said development on Shenmue III is still going strong and they said they cant confirm if there will be a update at the end of the month. Im sure there will be though. What are your guys thoughts?

I added some scenic photos to match the music.

https://www.destructoid.com/rumor-shenmue-hd-remaster-double-pack-coming-this-year-421170.phtml?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

While Shenmue is iconic in its own right, Shenmue II impacted me in a big way . It came at a perfect time in my life, and has kept me waiting for a follow-up ever since. I hope this remaster project goes off without a hitch, and that all of the minigames, arcade machines and all, are intact!