So recently Andy Chalk wrote an article on PC Gamer:
http://www.pcgamer.com/shenmue-3s-development-is-being-funded-mainly-by-sony/

Noting that it was wrong I hit him up on twitter stating:
@AndyChalk you left some misinformation in a post you made about Shenmue and Sony's involvement, it hurts us on the kickstarter.

to which he replied:
@hazuki_ryo88 [email protected] if you'd like to elaborate.

So I did, here are the following emails

Please not there is a TLDR; at the bottom

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hello,

Thank you for taking the time to respond to my tweet.

On the following link you describe the funding for shenmue 3 as being funded by sony in many areas
http://www.pcgamer.com/shenmue-3s-development-is-being-funded-mainly-by-sony/


Now there have been multiple post and tweets from various people involved with the kickstater that have made corrections to the announcement. The following will be examples of these.

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Sony's president of worldwide studios Shuhei Yoshida provided a little more clarity on the relationship."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."

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-06-22-yu-suzuki-needs-usd10-million-to-make-a-truly-open-world-shenmue-3

-------------------------------------------------------------------

So I want to switch gears a little bit. I want to talk to you about Shenmue and crowdfunding. That was announced onstage on Monday and it's at about $3 million now. So let me ask you: Why did Sony PlayStation decide to allow that crowdfunding announcement as opposed to funding it?


Ah, no, no, no. It's a very exciting project and there are lots of PlayStation fans asking for it. But it's a Sega IP and of course Suzuki Yu-san is the creator. So somehow Suzuki-san was able to work out with Sega to allow them to Kickstart the project. And because we liked the project, our third-party relations team struck a deal to help Kickstart the campaign at the E3 conference. That's great PR.

http://www.engadget.com/2015/06/17/an-intimate-chat-with-sony-playstation-shuhei-yoshida/



-------------------------------------------------------------------

@Cedric Biscay

Sony is providing various supports, including marketing and investment, to YSNet. However, Sony is just one of many backers of #shenmue3



-------------------------------------------------------------------




Shoe
‏@DanShoeHsu

@RussDCA Haha, That Kickstarter money is going to the developers, not Sony. Also, Sony isn't funding all of the game.
-------------------------------------------------------------------

User Actions
Following

Cedric Biscay
‏@CedricBiscay
@FullReactiveEye SONY will not get any money from the KS, they will help to finance the PS4 version and will also help for advertisement.
------------------------------------------------

Game watch interview

First Kickstarter goal reached! Interview with Yu Suzuki on Shenmue 3
-- Is there anything else you can tell us?
YS: Since we made the announcement at the PlayStation conference, I am frequently asked whether SCE will be providing funding support. I haven't been able to speak on this until now, but: they will be providing some funding support with respect to development costs. To go further on this topic, we also have other funding planned in addition, but even with that added on, the funding would not have been enough. The funding shortfall is the reason that we started Kickstarter.
----------------END---------------

This is the information and proof that I have about where the funds are going. I am respectfully asking that you edit or take down your post to PC gamer. For us who are working hard to make the Kickstarter reach all of its stretch goals post like this hurt our efforts. Thank you for taking the time to reach out and I hope that this finds you well.

Thank you again,



---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Malygris <[email protected]>
Jun 24 (3 days ago)

to me
Hello!

Actually, I said in the original post that Sony is "footing the bill," based on the comment by Gio Corsi, Sony's director of third party production and developer relations, that "we hit our goal in under 24 hours," the emphasis being on "we" and "our." Since the Kickstarter launched, nobody has been willing to say how much Sony is putting into the game, but in a Kickstarter update posted earlier tonight, Ys Net said Sony is supporting production, marketing, and publishing, which when you get right down to it, depending on how broadly you want to define "production," is pretty much everything. And yet still, there are no hard numbers. Nobody is willing to say how much Sony is putting into it.

Between Sony's refusal to say how it's actually involved in the project, the vast disparity between what the original Shenmue cost and what the Kickstarter is asking for, and the sudden movement of the goalpost from $2 million to $5 million - which Ys Net is suddenly kicking around as the minimum required to really make the game - it's just not reasonable to take Sony's word that everything is on the up-and-up. And there's certainly no clarification to be found anywhere; if anything, there's just more and more obfuscation and double-talk.

For the record, I'm not saying you shouldn't back Shenmue 3. But I think that an awful lot of important questions have gone unanswered, and a lot of Sony/Shenmue fans are way too willing to go along with that.

Andy


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jun 25 (2 days ago)

to Malygris
With the newest update from Yu Suzuki himself saying

"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."

This information clearly states where the money is going. I agree that we do not know dollar amounts of what sony will be doing and helping with in many other areas but your post makes it seem as though it is covered. If this information is not enough for you then I don't know what would be. All I am looking for is to help the kickstarter reach the highest goals that it can. The post that you made hurts us and gives the impression that no one really needs to help out because the $2 million goal is completed and that sony will take care of what ever is left.

I am coming to you as a fan of gaming and someone who actually cares about this game. Was it the most professional way to get a game funded, Most likely not. Has it stirred somethings up.Yes. You may not support what has been done and yeah many people rushed out to give money, but this means a lot to us. I want to do what is right and help this out the best I can. Please take a look at your article again and if you find that it gives information that is not correct please revise it.

Thank you for listening

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Malygris <[email protected]>
Jun 25 (2 days ago)

to me
But using the Kickstarter money "purely for Shenmue 3's development" says nothing about Sony's involvement. Saying that Sony isn't getting any of the Kickstarter funds is meaningless too: The more money the Kickstarter brings in, the less it has to put into the game. If it has a $20 million budget and the KS earns $10, Sony (or outside investors) pays $10; if the KS earns $3 million, then those investors pay $17 million. The more successful the Kickstarter is, the less it costs Sony; it is literally found money.

Development budgets aren't something that are typically discussed publicly, especially not by major publishers. But going cap-in-hand to the public with a Kickstarter campaign, with a goal that's nowhere near what's actually required to get the job done, and then moving the goalpost by talking about a much higher amount as if it's the "real" goal, raises a LOT of questions. Why won't Sony answer them?

Andy


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10:17 AM (0 minutes ago)

to Malygris
You have abused your platform and putting your opinions out as fact, and it's not. To say something is shady, when it is done with multiple kickstarters, is the poor wording and show lack of facts. A company's finances are theirs to disclose, and to even have Yu Suzuki come out multiple times saying this is going to development, that sony is taking care of marketing and porting. Andy I don't know how many times you have made a video game or created whole new concepts but Yu Suzuki has done it many times. I trust him with my money because he has been in this business for a long time. I trust him that when he says sony is not contributing to the cost of development, because he has shown integrity. Note that he never had to say anything about his relationship with sony on this project (because many games never say who all made the game possible). I would have still have backed them, because I love this game and I always will. You need to get off this "evil conspiracy" about sony there are no questions that need to be asked here about funding. I would be embarrassed to go from developer to developer asking how much their games cost and who supplied them with what money. That information is not any business of mine, nor should it be yours.You paint this picture of Yu Suzuki "cap-in-hand" begging to get this game made. Yet all he did was go out and say if you want the game fund it and it will happen

I know that you are not going to change what you are saying but understand what you are saying is wrong and because you put this hate speech out there stating wrong "facts" does nothing but take away from what the real goals are. For someone who is at PC gamer and writing articles it doesn't seem like you did the proper work. What appears to have happened is you wrote something that would get attention. You are basing this off your option, not fact yet you present it as such. It is a pity that you would stoop so low. It is a truly disappointing day when someone will bash something because they don't understand just to get some clicks.

Please feel free to respond, however this will be my last reply plee to do the right thing has turned into a debate and I will not feed into it.


Thank you.


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


TLDR; Andy Chalk is abusing his platform to down shenmue and is prompting us to ask questions about sony's involvement because he is stating Yu Suzuki is walking out with hat in hand asking for money to make the game. After giving him multiple facts about the information that has been release about the funding he still feels there is a conspiracy of sorts between sony and yu suzuki.