So much unused stuff. Really nice video, James, feels a bit like David letterman with a special guest - just that the special guest is Shenmue 2... =)


Also loads of unused sounds, music, ambient tracks and such. Ziming did an excessive cataloguing of the music tracks.

Personally i also like some ideas that "disappeared" due to time and money limitations, but in "What's Shenmue" you can still find an example of the original idea of what I'd call "Adaptive music" in English. The main FREE track exists in 3 versions and as far as i know it was originally intended to become more agressive the closer you get to your current goal, like it starts with light drums and the theme changes to moderate and then extreme drums in that musical piece to make the pace more intense. Some concepts like these were brilliant and even though they were dropped the game itself is still intense. But good to know they were there...

I'm very busy lately and I don't have access to my Pc as much as I used to, but I got some spare time to say Merry Christmas Shenmue dojo ;-D

http://i.imgur.com/TanqX9G.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/VKwR8EJ.jpg

Edit, I wasn't happy with the results so I changed his hat. ^^'

http://i.imgur.com/A8ElaFw.jpg

I was messing around Shenmue's ambient sound in hope I could find and isolate the shamisen tracks and I found one very interesting file.

http://www.mediafire.com/download/zzeaf651b52wah8/shenmueambient.mp3

It sounds like something that's supposed to come out of a radio or TV, like a weather report or commercial where someone is talking in Japanese. It's really low quality and hard to understand but maybe someone here can make out what the guy says?

I converted all the sound effects from Shenmue and What's Shenmue to DSF with Master Kyodai's gui took and packed them all together. To play these I recommend Winamp with the dsf plugin. I have tried it on foobar 2000 and they didn't play for some reason.

The archives contain every single sound file that got exported. That's over 3800 for What's Shenmue and over 9000 (no meme intended) for Shenmue. Since it includes everything it's unsorted and there's a great amount of empty sound files for the dsflibs that start with "F1".

Shenmue:
http://www.mediafire.com/download/0o5x2bmyye1hou5/ShenmueSFX.rar

What's Shenmue:
http://www.mediafire.com/download/cfbvc9ra4cy7dlc/WhatsSFX.zip

I found a few intersting things just by randomly listening through the files, like Virtua Fighter battle sounds, some guy humming (during the Jimmy chase QTE) and a doorbell, barcode scanner beep and cash register sound for the Tomato Mart.

SHENMUE MODDING/HACKING KNOWLEDGE

"Creating, collecting & preserving knowledge of hacking & modding Shenmue games."

Resources:

⋅  Dreamcast Information
⋅  Miscellaneous
⋅  Shenmue_I
⋅  Shenmue_II
⋅  Shenmue_IIx
⋅  What's_Shenmue
⋅  Links

Credits:

⋅  Giorgio
⋅  shengoro86
⋅  Switch
⋅  IlDucci

I found this on my Twitter feed,



Amazing!

I have a really hard time getting into anime from... well, just about the past 10 years. Something about the "newer" style of things just doesn't appeal to me as much as older stuff does. So I've been trying to get even more exposed to stuff from the 80s and 90s as of late.

Came across this 1993 OVA called Cyber City Oedo which is pretty goddamn cool. Just finished the last episode. It's not a long series at all; only three episodes, clocking in at about 45 minutes each. But in so many ways, it exemplifies the kind of stuff that turned me on to anime in the first place: a very lived-in, "hard sci-fi" world, tons of brightly-lit futuristic cityscapes in what seems like a practically perpetual nighttime, and a collection of violent characters doing shit you'd never have seen in western animation at the time.
It's the work of Yoshiaki Kawajiri, so obviously it has fantastic animation and design work. Tonally, it's very much a manly-man's anime, despite one of the main characters looking like just about the most feminine 80s rockstar imaginable.
Just a warning, the English dub is pretty fucking stupid. In an attempt to make it seem even harder-edge, I guess, the localization team felt the need to litter the dub with a ton of out-of-place obscenities that aren't even in the original dialogue. And given the generally stiff quality of English dubs at the time, it just comes off like it's trying waaaaay too hard.
Case in point:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2Q6AwrGUkQ

Yeeeeeeaaaaaahhh... watch the Japanese track if you decide to give the show a try.
Or watch it in English for a laugh. Probably entertaining either way. :lol:

When he drops it..... ohhh the tingles. He gets it! Huber Hype!!!! (2.43 if you dont want pre hype)

One of the proudest things i have ever seen. Thank you Yu for acknowledging the community!

http://shenmue.link/us-en/

https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtf1/v/t1.0-9/11257739_10153420809657269_2528854018526807156_n.jpg?oh=351e42785ac7ecc01a2f6154d23a4a3a&oe=55EF7B4D

https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xft1/v/t1.0-9/11427699_10153420809742269_1983519829995904545_n.jpg?oh=154735bd0cc38a9ee7f034253475872c&oe=562931AD

https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xft1/v/t1.0-9/11407240_10153420809772269_8740303766061667830_n.jpg?oh=d55e840d450ec04ee88159c2d6d86db5&oe=5630EE1F

https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xft1/v/t1.0-9/11391322_10153420809812269_6660361130253710408_n.jpg?oh=c9726a1c2ad98f59c44362d88f4edb36&oe=5632ED2D

https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xft1/v/t1.0-9/11391571_10153420809862269_5843973390018055457_n.jpg?oh=0ac732c7c832b1b8ccbc1c549cf09a66&oe=55FC6091

Well, fuck , guys. I still can't believe this is actually happening. It was around 3am here when I saw the news and watched the trailer, so I was already in bed watching it on my phone, and I was utterly speechless, before cheering and proceeding to be extremely hyper, leaving my boyfriend extremely confused (though he understood once I explained - he's heard me witter on about Shenmue enough times!). I can't believe after all this time it is finally a reality. I was 14 years old when Shenmue II came out...now that I'm a 28 year old with actual responsibilities and stuff, I could only really afford a $29 pledge, but I knew I had to pay at least something. Like many others, I'm not entirely sure about the way Ryo and Shenhua look, but I'm sure this is only something they quickly knocked together for the trailer and they will look more like their old selves in the final game.

But yeah...I kept daydreaming about the day when this would happen (even faintly when I was beginning to lose hope), and now it's actually here...Yu, you magnificent bastard. You can tell how much he cares about us as fans, and in this day and age that is truly refreshing. I've been very cynical about gaming in general lately,, this current generation failing to excite me really, but obviously I must get a PS4 now (I don't think I'll ever have a PC capable of running it in this lifetime!). I'm already getting excited about posting here again and being a part of all the pre-release buzz, where we will no doubt analyse every screenshot and trailer we receive to death and back. And now I can finally play through the first two games without getting depressed :P

It's been a hell of a wait guys, but hopefully it will be worth it. We only went and fucking did it!!! :mrgreen:

http://www.mediafire.com/view/6siygr66m2te2qr/i-wf0702_004.jpg#
http://www.mediafire.com/view/bp8911gv5b7y5a3/i-wf0702_005.jpg#
http://www.mediafire.com/view/zhehbcn73zhkp9a/i-wf0702_006.jpg#
http://www.mediafire.com/view/bf1trmgz7tejf1m/i-wf0702_007.jpg#
http://www.mediafire.com/view/6md3ql10x1ppiw6/i-wf0702_008.jpg#
http://www.mediafire.com/view/6iot4869ui62rdr/i-wf0702_009.jpg#

thanks to kurushii for the scans.

Famitsu Translation by Axm and Switch

Feature Story
- Ryo Hazuki is coming back -


Shenmue III has set off
The fundraising campaign has started on Kickstarter


E3 2015 is being held in Los Angeles from June 17th till 19th (Japan time). Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) press conference was held in June 16th, a day before E3 starts, and a game creator Yu Suzuki announced the new “Shenmue 3.” He also revealed his campaign using the crowd-funding site “Kickstarter” to raise funds for this game.
It’s been 14 years since the release of Shenmue 2. What will this eagerly-awaited Shenmue 3 be like? Why did he chose Kickstarter?--- I have asked the executive produce Mr.Suzuki. (Interviewer: Famitsu chief editor Katsuhiko Hayashi)


Finally setting off the official sequel “Shenmue 3”


---The impact of the name of “Shenmue 3” is so great and it surprised me when I first heard it. Well, it’s been 14 years since Shenmue 2 was released. Why make Shenmue 3 now? Would you give us the accounts on how it started?
Suzuki: I have been always looking for the way to launch Shenmue 3, so it is not like we just started this project. Although it’s been more than a decade since Shenmue 2, there are many enthusiastic fans still existing and when I attend autograph sessions abroad, they always come ask me “When is Shenmue 3 coming?” For example in France, 80% of people who come to my autograph sessions are the Shenmue fans. The rest of 10% are Virtua Fighter fans and the other 10% are Hang-on fans or so. There are fans who still manage fan communities. Every year around March and April, the rumor “They say that they are making Shenmue 3” comes out and it reaches me.. haha.


---The eagerly waiting voices turn to rumors.
Suzuki: Yes that’s right. But slowly the fan’s voices have changed to something wistful. They say “It can be just a novel, so please give us the sequel story at least” or “Just manga is fine. We want to see a new “Shenmue”.” Those voices made me think that I should push the project forward somehow for the fans, no matter if I couldn’t make a full-spec game.


--- And for the means to make it happen, you chose Kickstarter. Why?
Suzuki: About three years ago, one of the fans who has experience using Kickstarter suggested me using it for the Shenmue project. That is when I first learned about Kickstarter, and started researching it. If it comes to really making the game, I have to make sure it satisfies my fans. So I couldn’t go like “OK I’m doing this with Kickstarter!” I seeked other ways,--- for instance finding a partner, but I couldn’t find one that meets my requirements. After careful consideration, we decided that Kickstarter is the best way to set off, and we were able to announce it finally in 2015.


---So you were just saying that you wanted to make the sequel, but really you have been working on it already for a long time.
Suzuki: Yes. Strong feedback after the Shenmue lecture at GDC 2014 also pushed me into coming this far. Sega agreeably licenced it to me and SCE also supported us by saying “We will support you if you are making Shenmue.” I knew that announcing the Kickstarter project at SCE’s conference is a very remarkable thing and am so happy that many people still support Shenmue this much.


---The title “Shenmue 3” is very direct and has no twist.
Suzuki: I couldn’t think of any other name. Shenmue 1, 2 and 3. It is not a spin-off. It comes to PS4 and PC.


---Its an eagerly awaited official sequel and fans will be definitely delighted. What is the goal of the Kickstarter funding?
Suzuki: 2 million yen at the very beginning.


---It must be easy to raise 2 million if it is for Shenmue.
Suzuki: However, 2 million is the very least amount of money you need for a game to come to exist. If it’s just 2 million, it will be more likely a very story-driven based game. If we can raise more, it will be more realistic for me to be able to do what I want to do. I want to try something new.

--- Just like you.. Your stance of “making something new” has never changed.
Suzuki: Yes. I will do my best to make a new Shenmue.

--- We will talk about this “New Shenmue” later. What are the pledge rewards for donating to Kickstarter?
Suzuki: I would like to adopt everyone’s opinion into the game to the extent that I can. For example if there are two designs of one character, then I will ask everyone to vote for each of them. I will provide the participation privilege for that kind of voting. Also while Shenmue 3 is under development, I will prepare a trial-demo so they can take a sneak peak of it.

--- So you are creating Shenmue 3 with your fans?
Suzuki: I think every one of the people who invested in this project has a leading role in it and I hope each one of them enjoy it. Please visit Kickstarter’s Shenmue page to learn more about the pledge rewards.


F: Next, I would like to ask about the key content of Shenmue 3. What kind of story developments can be expected in Shenmue 3?
YS: At the end of Shenmue 2 Ryo visits Guilin, said to be the most beautiful region in China. The area is famous for landscape paintings, and it has a river called the Li river. Shen Hua’s house is located on a tributary of the river. The story of Shenmue 2 ends at the point where Ryo reaches Shen Hua’s house, and the story of Shemue 3 continues right from there.
F: So, Ryo and Shen Hua will make an appearance, continuing from the previous part.
YS: For people who have played the Shenmue series, those familiar characters will appear as they were.
F: Will the setting be Guilin?
YS: Yes. For example, visiting a town(s) in the Guilin area, or going back to the mountains. Also infiltrating the Guilin chapter of an underground organization, the Chi You Men.
F: It could be said that Shenmue is the originator of open world gameplay, and has influenced many games since, but for Shenmue 3 what direction do you plan to take the open world model?
YS: When I created Shenmue 1, I was aiming to create exactly what is now called an “open world”. Being able to stop freely at any location you wish, advancing if you wish to move the story forward, or just standing still if you prefer. Back then, we called the system “FREE”, but in time it came to be referred to as open world. In Shenmue 2, with advances and technology and techniques, the open world was expanded even further.
F: In Shenmue 2, it was possible to walk through many towns over a wide area of Hong Kong, wasn’t it.
YS: Actually, at that time, I had decided that for Shenmue 3 I would delve in more deeply.
F: More deeply?
YS: Yes. People might expect that the open world would be made even broader, but in contrast to that, I will focus on depth. For example, for the case of 100 characters, splitting the development budget among them would limit the elements that could be incorporated into each character.
F: That’s true, it would make it harder to create each with detail.
YS: However, if we reduce the number to 10 characters, a lot of possibilities are opened up. The amount of conversation could be increased 10 times, or detailed A.I. provided for each character. As a result, conversations could be much richer. As an example, in Shenmue 3 the person that Ryo will speak with most is Shen Hua, so I want to portray her with depth. I envisage an approach where, by settings parameters for Shen Hua, on-going conversations with her will influence events such as changing her attitude, or changing the way that quests relating to her unfold.
F: I see. I think a lot of support for Shenmue comes not from just the realistic towns, but from the realism of the people inhabiting it. From what you have described, this realism will be further increased, and the world will feel even more “human”.
YS: Yes. In Shenmue this time I will be focusing particularly on digging down further on such internal aspects.
F: This is your vision for the new Shenmue, isn’t it.
YS: Of course, that’s not to say it will not be open world. Stretch goals will allow the town(s) to be expanded. However, what I would like to try first is to develop something that everyone has not anticipated; a deep Shenmue world.

F: I can’t wait to see this new Shenmue. Speaking of Shenmue, apart from its open world, its QTEs and minigames made it special, didn’t they.
YS: QTEs were originally included so that even people who were poor at battles could enjoy them. I’m happy that various games have included QTEs since then.
F: QTEs also had their origin in Shenmue, didn’t they.
YS: This time, I would like to show new QTEs; ones which can played by anyone, and which have carefully-crafted event sequences. In addition, I’d like to change the nature of free battles. (I will think of a different name, as I don’t want to call them free battles). I’d like to make a battle that is won by making the correct decision, rather than by correct timing of pushing buttons.
F: I believe Shenmue was made with the concept of being a game that can be enjoyed by any player, and this new system feels to be in keeping with that.
YS: Also this time I am planning a “technique scrolls” system. Ah.... maybe I have said too much (laughs).
F: Not at all, we’d like to hear more! (laughs)
YS: For example, with the free battle it is tough to practice and input the various commands required, so simply by obtaining a technique scroll you can apply the technique to help you win a battle. In the case of a QTE, the new technique could be unleashed during the QTE. I would like to make it so that a technique can be used to your advantage in battle just by obtaining a technique scroll. Furthermore, I’d like to make that technique scroll connect with various elements within the game.
F: Could you explain a bit more with respect to “connecting with elements”?
YS: Shenmue has had a number of ways you could play around, such as mini-games and gambling spots, but I have always been thinking about how to connect these together in some way. Of course, they are connected in the sense that you can take a part-time job to earn money, then increase that amount by gambling, then buy weapons... but not that kind of connection, something much closer. If the stretch goals can be reached and more detailed elements incorporated into the open world, this will allow technique scrolls to serve as the pivot for connecting together the various side games. That’s the kind of direction I would like to take it.
F: I see. So various elements of the open world will be connected together in a more natural way. Apart from that, are there any other elements that you are keen to include in Shenmue 3?
YS: One particular part of Shenmue that fans seem to have fallen in love with is the forklift part-time job, which is extremely popular. So I really want to include it in Shenmue 3 too, but how can you operate a forklift deep in the mountains of Guilin (laughs). I haven’t stopped thinking about how to find some way to include a forklift (laughs).

F: Please tell us about the development set-up for Shenmue 3.
YS: This time, the main development company is Neilo. The representative for Neilo, Takeshi Hirai, worked as the chief programmer for Shenmue and has a good understanding of Shenmue.
F: Since Shenmue is an open world game, I had thought that working with an overseas development company that is experienced in open world games would have been an option.
YS: Yes, that may have been an option. However, the main distinguishing characteristic of Shenmue is its culture. I believe that users overseas also have taken interest in the culture and customs of Asia. People have said they appreciate it when Ryo says “Thank you” for the smallest thing, for example. Someone who has worked all along on creating Shenmue understands that kind of culture and values.
F: So this time, development will be using Unreal Engine 4, won’t it.
YS: I have been looking at various engines for Shenmue 3 for the past 3 years, but the colors of Unreal Engine 4 are closest to those I envisage for the world of Shenmue. Although that’s a pretty broad statement, given that it’s a technical topic. The feeling of slight dampness in the air, the skin colors, the feel of materials etc were closest to my ideal.
F: Apart from the Neilo staff, are there others participating who have worked with Shenmue before?
YS: Yes, of course. I wanted to build up the team with past members as I believe that gives the fans some reassurance. Among others are scenario writer Masahiro Yoshimoto, and Kenji Miyawaki who is in charge of the character designs.
F: Given that this project is coming to life 14 years after the previous release of Shenmue, everyone must be very surprised.
YS: Mr Yoshimoto has been active in the world of television, and reacted with surprise saying “With television, producing something new with a theme that is 14 years old is unheard of”. But Mr Yoshimoto told me that he made many discoveries through his experience with Shenmue. Later on, I plan to release a video with comments from Mr Yoshimoto and the rest of the staff, so please watch out for it.
F: We are looking forward to seeing it. The fans are sure to be happy.
YS: I have gathered together quite a few of the original key members who gave Shenmue that special feel. I’m sure this will bring a feeling of both reassurance and nostalgia.
F: By the way, it may be a bit impatient to ask, but do you already have in mind how things will progress after Shenmue 3?
YS: Of course, I have that in mind. But first and foremost, I’d like to put primary focus on Shenmue 3.
F: When is the planned release date for Shenmue 3?
YS: I’d like to release it by the end of 2017.
F: That’s quite some way off, but we can’t wait. From speaking with you today, I can really appreciate the challenges that you are taking on of producing a new Shenmue. Finally, do you have a message for all the fans who have waited all this time for Shenmue 3?
YS: The fans have told me over the course of 14 years how they wanted part 3 to be made, and I have always told myself that I had to find some way to make it. And now, through the crowd-funding of Kickstarter, at last I have been able to make a start on the Shenmue 3 project. In order to bring about a Shenmue 3 that incorporates a perfect blend of both a Shenmue that everyone desires, as well as a Shenmue with the new challenges I want to take on, everyone’s effort is needed. Thank you so much for your support.

Picture captions:
1) This image shows the figures of Ryo and Shen Hua walking on a mountain path. Note that Ryo has changed clothes from the leather jacket he wears in the first and second parts of the series.
2) Using a telescope, Ryo observes buildings below a cliff. According to Yu Suzuki, before Ryo lies the enemy’s camp, which Ryo is searching for a way to infiltrate.
3) Shen Hua and Ryo, drawn by Kenji Miyawaki who is in charge of character design for the series. Shen Hua, the main heroine, did not appear much in the first and second parts of the series. In Shenmue 3, she will surely take a principle role.
4) Niao Sun, one of the leaders of the underground organisation opposing Ryo, the Chi You Men. Although her existence has previously been revealed, she has not made an in-game appearance until now.

Wow omg I gotta pick up this famitsu locally right now!
This is the magazine cover.

http://www.famitsu.com/images/000/081/061/5580f83924151.jpg

http://www.famitsu.com/news/201506/18081061.html

It just came out today.
Need to find it here in Japan somewhere and buy a few of them!

BYE

Wow, my Internet was down for the last four days and i couldn't watch about Shenmue 3. I came here just to be sure that Shenmue 3 is real and yes it is. I can't describe how i feel about it: full of happiness and tears in my eyes. What for a nice, very nice E3 was this. I hoped every year for real News and no fakes and here it is. Oh god, i can't wait for buying this game for the PC (!) and for playing it. I will enjoy it. The newer Character models are good, it's okay. The Mainpoint is that the original story will tell, Suzuki wrote 14 Years ago. Best E3 since 2004, best year since 2004 in where many good games was surprisingly released. No rumors about Shenmue 3 and Sony let the Story goes on. What for a really good E3. :D

I was actually at the Sony Press Conference (I got on camera giving Yu Suzuki a standing ovation when he came on stage).

I'm so glad it's happening. I actually knew something was up with Shenmue a few days before E3 but I couldn't say anything for various reasons (and I kept pestering my sources trying to get new information). Once the announcement was made and the Kickstarter exploded, I told the French Sony PR that they should really try to get SEGA to release Shenmue I & II Remastered.

Seeing how much money the Kickstarter has gotten, I wouldn't be surprised if some eyes have been opened up at SEGA HQ.

Starting up in a few minutes.

I feel guilty now, Peter...

I feel like I need to explain who I am now.. I'm not a casual Shenmue fan. My brother and I are 35. We are identical twins and we help lead a school just outside Guilin in Yangshou where we teach poor kids English in helping them get scholarships to achieve better education.

This was inspired by Shenmue. My Avatar is of me laying on a raft on the Lijiang river just outside Guilin.

I've been there from the beginning like most of you. This will be a great experience in my life that I will treasure until I die.

EDIT:

You can find us on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/VolunteerEnglishTeacher?fref=ts

A lot of the pictures are of my brother and I.

Here is me with the kids.
http://i.imgur.com/b8Bc9z0.jpg

Post it on reddit, facebook, twitter, share it on forums. We need to kill this misinformation.

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/vi ... -Shenmue-3

This is an interview with Yu Suzuki from the japanese site 4gamer.net published 2015-06-19.
Here translated by me.

Original article: http://www.4gamer.net/games/305/G030593/20150618126/

Among other things it brings up interesting new information about the 5 million dollar stretch goal; the character perspective system.

There is also a slight spoiler of a character that might appear, so those of you who want to play the game totally spoiler free should maybe avoid reading this.

here we go.

-- Thanks for being here.
YS: Thanks for having me. before jumping into questions I just want to make clear that Shenmue is a Kickstarter project and the scope and contents depend on the stretch goals.

-- Yeah, looking at the Kickstarter stretch goals there are the rapport system and skill tree and other added.
YS: We add more stretch goals so as more people pledge the scope of the game will get bigger. So as of now I can’t talk in detail about the mechanics of the game. What I’m able to accomplish will very much depend on the funds we can gather. I want to avoid telling too much and end up betraying those who have paid.

-- Under those circumstances, what do you want to do with Shenmue III?
YS: I want to show the relationship between Ryo and Shenhua in more detail. Even further than previous games.

-- It’s kind of hard to imagine how that would work.
YS: Maybe so. I want to to challenge myself, but new things are hard to get people to understand and therefore harder to gain support for. That’s one of the reasons we have prepared stretch goals like larger map and mini games.

-- So you made easy to understand stretch goals first.
YS: As more money comes in, the world of Shenmue III gets larger, and the game becomes more complete. But if it becomes a question of what game has the largest world, the game with the largest budget has a sure advantage. When it comes to Shenmue III, I want to ensure that there are other parts to enjoy besides just the open world aspects.

-- Can you give us any examples?
YS: At 3.2 million dollars there is the rapport system stretch goal. Actions and conversations will affect the relation between Ryo and Shenhua in subtle ways. The way Shenhua speaks and cooperate etc. will change.

-- It seems like the story could change depending on the relationship.
YS: Let’s just say that it depends on the budget. Making statements like that is just asking for trouble (laugh).

-- I get it (laugh). Could you explain the 5 million dollar stretch goal; the character perspective system?
YS: That is where the player will take control of characters like Shenhua and Ren instead of Ryo.

-- At a certain point in the game will we be able to change characters freely?
YS: I can’t talk about details yet, so I will just say that it’s not necessarily like we are letting you control the other characters exactly like Ryo.

-- So it’s not like you can just change characters at will.
YS: The personality of Ren and Shenhua is different from Ryo, so even if they see the same thing the reactions would be different. When you played as Ryo it was his decisions, but playing as Ren and Shenhua would make it very interesting.

-- Hearing that makes me even more interested (laugh).
YS: I’m unable to describe it any more until the 5 million dollar stretch goal is reached, so I’ll stop here for today.

-- By the way, will the story end with this part.
YS: To tell the truth, the original story is too long to end here. So I decided against trying to fit it all in to Shenmue III.

-- Which means that after the Shenmue III project has been finished we have to wait for the the next part.
YS: First we have to do our best to make Shenmue III a solid game.

-- Let’s leave the appearance of Shenmue III and talk about the backend. Can you tell us why you chose to use Unreal Engine 4?
YS: It’s because it’s easy to use and fits with how I imagine Shenmue to look. There are like rendering tendencies for the different engines, and the base colors of Unreal Engine 4 added with “dampness and scent” makes it Shenmue.

-- Are the colors you imagine the same as with the first two parts?
YS: Of course. Shenmue had that air humidity feeling well presented and it had a smell too. That’s what I aim for with Shenmue III.

-- So you’re saying that if you take a scenery out of the game and look at it you’d be able to say “That’s Shenmue!”?
YS: Yeah, That’s what I want to do. But the promotional video we made for Kickstarter felt dry. Kind of ended up like the Californian humidity level (laugh).

-- Your idea of the exact colors or the “scent” of the graphics, is it hard to convey that to the developers?
YS: It it very very hard to explain it. It’s like trying to explain what a melon is to someone who only has seen watermelons and mandarins. Well, you can say the size is about in the middle, but trying to explain the taste is very hard.

-- With that said, do you have members from the former parts working on Shenmue III?
YS: Yes. So we have the original members that kind of know what Shenmue is about.

-- After fifteen years, it’s quite the thing to bring everyone together again.
YS: I think so. Everyone has gone independent or changed their positions, but even at this stage when the scope of the production isn’t set in stone they have gladly offered to join. That’s really heartwarming.

-- It feels like the relationship is deeper than what you could expect from work colleges.
YS: That’s because Shenmue was a project that was more than just work. Ten years after the development of Shenmue II we had this get-together and more than 100 people came.

-- That’s amazing. I’m not sure if I would call that just a get-together.

-- The level of creativity in the games you have created is often very high. Is there any secret to this?
YS: No. I never play games outside work, so I don’t get that influenced by other games. Maybe that’s the reason.

-- I had this idea that you researched other games thorough and tried to make something different, but I guess that’s not true then.
YS: Yeah. it easier to just make something from zero (laugh).

-- So maybe If someone from the media like me hear an explanation for a game and say “Is it like the mechanics from that other game?” you might not be able to get it?
YS: I’m sorry, but I guess that’s true. Well, maybe I have to study the trends in the most popular games.

-- By the way, this is the first in a long time that you get to work on a game this big.
YS: Yeah. It feels like it was a long time ago I got this invested in a game.

-- It’s not like you totally left the game industry, but what do you think of the game industry in Japan looking from a bit afar.
YS: The game engine Unity came out and made it easy for just one person to make his own game, which is a good thing. It wouldn’t be healthy if only big budget games were able to survive. It’s good that the market has expanded with more alternatives. But it’s kind of sad that a majority of games that make money are small like games for smartphones.

-- Do you feel like more effort should be made in making titles for the consoles?
YS: Yeah. Before, Japan was said to be number one in game making. It’s sad that the knowledge that had amassed during that time wasn’t used better.

-- Many of the people during that time went over to make games for smartphones.
YS: It’s not like games for smartphones are necessarily bad, but what’s characteristic of smartphone game making is that the development cycles from start to finished tend to be fast. It might be good for business, but I’m not really satisfied with that. If you compare to cars there’s the really popular cars that sell well. They make a lot of money for the company, but if they don’t develop their flagship model their technical advancement will suffer.

-- In USA there is still a lot of money spent in games for game consoles and PC.
YS: Yeah. That kind of rich content helps activate the whole industry. I hope the industry in Japan gets back on track like before...

-- Oh, the interview got very negative suddenly. Could you maybe give a word of encouragement to the young developers of today or people thinking about making games?
YS: Today is different from before. It’s possible for anyone to make games now. Before it was impossible to make games if you didn’t know how to program, but now there are tools for that. It’s also possible to study game development, and it’s easy to learn from the internet. Living in this age you shouldn't think too hard and just try for fun, go in the direction that feels best for you. Begin with having fun creating.

Comments:
The character perspective system means taking control of characters other than Ryo. He literally says “レンやシェンファ” which means characters “like Shenhua and Ren” so it could be for other characters too. (Edit: Or it could be just an example of characters. Like Thief said: "It could mean that characters like Shenhua and Ren (as in main supporting cast characters) are playable. Ren could have merely been used as an example." Thanks Thief! )
But it’s pretty much as close of a confirmation that we can get that Ren will show up in Shenmue III in one way or another. There is a concept art image of him riding a horse so it’s maybe not that unexpected, but we can be fairly sure he will show up in part 3 and not 4 or even later. Horses were also pretty much confirmed in Yu Suzuki's Reddit AMA so the concept art could very well be of an event happening in Shenmue III.

http://i.imgur.com/2v22lQB.png

Shenmue fans worldwide are being called together to give the Shenmue 3 Kickstarter a boost on July 3rd!
By pledging just $30 each we can bring those stretch goals ever closer to reality!
#30onthe3rd #SaveShenmue

Links: Shenmue 3 Kickstarter | $30 on the 3rd Forum Link | News Archive

http://i.imgur.com/R9dPCjn.jpg

Dear Members,

As many of you know, last week was a week that will go down in history for our community. After 14 years of waiting and hoping, it was revealed by Yu Suzuki himself that he is finally in a position to move forward with the creation of Shenmue 3, albeit with a bit of a caveat. Through the announcement of a Kickstarter campaign , Suzuki-San as asked us the fans to help bring his dream, as well as ours, to life by backing and supporting a campaign to help fund the development of the project. While there are various entities supporting this project, Suzuki-san himself has stated that that the fate of Shenmue 3 now rests in our hands and that our actions as a community will dictate the capabilities his team will have in creating the game and to ideally meet its full creative potential.

If you have not already done so, please visit the campaign website and take some time to consider the extent to which you would be willing and able to support this project; note that there are a range of pledge levels with corresponding reward tiers for every single level of backing. As the campaign progresses, there will also be added levels of support to coincide with stretch funding goals as they are introduced. All of the funds that are pledged will be allocated to and utilized SOLELY by YSNET to develop the game.

Contrary to a lot of the dubiously sourced misinformation that has been circulating in recent days, Sony will NOT be funding the entire budget for the game nor will they subsidizing the development costs for YSNET. While Sony will provide various technical investments in conjunction with marketing and promotional support, this project will remain firmly in the directorial hands of Yu Suzuki and his staff. While it is true that there are a number of backers for Shenmue 3, we at this time do not know the scope of how these other entities are involved with the project. All that we can establish for now is that we as a community are in fact the primary patrons for the development of the game and that the responsibility of making Shenmue 3 the strongest game it can be ultimately resides with us.

Over the next few weeks leading up to the conclusion of the Kickstarter campaign, we will be introducing two specific social-media based initiatives to promote the backing of the Shenmue 3 Kickstarter and the series as a whole. The first initiative, #30onthe3rd , is a continuation of our monthly tweetathon #SaveShenmue but with a twist. On 7/3/2015, we encourage everyone to who is able to increase their pledge amount by $30 and post a corresponding tweet as a sign of solidarity within the community. The 2nd initiative, #10MillionToShenmue3 , is a hashtag campaign to be disseminated across all social media platforms to highlight the need for additional funding for Shenmue 3 in order have it be the project that Yu Suzuki has dreamed of creating. In a recent interview, Suzuki-san stated that at a $10 million funding level Shenmue 3 would feature a truly open world that would follow in the lineage of the previous installments.

The time has finally come for us in the Shenmue community to support the series that has given us so much over years. We are now in a position where we can directly impact and influence the creation of Shenmue 3 and give Suzuki-san our direct input While the task at hand may seem daunting, if we come together and collaborate our efforts we will attain the game that we have wanted and deserved for so long. Thank you all very much for your support and we would not be in the position we are in now if it was not for your perseverance and dedication for the series against all odds. We have truly made it.

Keep friends,

The Shenmue Dojo Staff

http://i.imgur.com/CcArwc4.png

Yu Suzuki has made an official statement on the funding and budget of Shenmue III through Kickstarter. He addresses the outside funding the game will receive through Sony and Shibuya Productions, as well as exactly where the Kickstarter money will be going. Reiterated in this statement are his ambitions to reach $5 million for the character perspective system, as well as the overall $10 million goal.

Links: Statement | Shenmue 3 Kickstarter | News Archive

Suzuki's face tell a story...

That was a horrible job done by Awesome Japan. They should be fired immediately.

Technical issues.
Poor attitude. Guy in the red shirt looked like he was on drugs.
Translator didn't take notes while listening.
Questions unprepared and because of that stream ended early.

Just horrible. I'm ashamed by association that these people are handling this project.
So awkward the whole thing. We got some decent info out of it but nothing that couldn't have been done in a simple pre-recorded interview.

Hi everyone, I'm working on a translation of Yu's replies from today's Twitch.

I'll post it up as soon as it's done.

Awesome Japan are fucking shit, and are not promoting it at all, so it's tanking.

The twitch stream is what happened, a killing blow to our chances of getting new people to pledge.

And people say we shouldn't get mad at Awesome Crappan...

it's probably because any fan of the series has already backed, or is waiting for alterations to the method of payment, like paypal, or maybe the inclusion of some different rewards.

Like you say, the added rewards where snapped up in minuets, showing people are ready to throw more money at it IF you give them a reason to.
Apart from PS4 physical fans, them who know about it 90% have backed it.
The thing with Shenmue is the fans are hardcore and been on it for the last 14 years, or are now 30+ with families or other interests and don't play games anymore, haven't heard about it, but would back it if you could reach out to them.

There was like what? 51 places added for grab bag stuff?
if they just got 1000 unique individual frames or art pieces (even unique s copies if sega wont let them go) from the making of shenmue at $1k each im sure that would be 100k easy money.

alot hinges on the new reward tiers and Paypal. Both of which they need to hurry the fuck up with.
I mean estimated delivery date is like 2017, just put up whatever and say disclaimer 'final product may vary' and your covered if you cant nail it, just get shit on that backer page.
You just don't have time to fuck around with a 30 day Kickstarter.
No paypal is like turning down free money, I wonder if its just because Yu is not familiar with it?

It's clear they did not plan this out, it should have been $5m start target, but hindsight is always 20/20 and easy to say.
It will be what it will be now.
I don't feel they are well versed in the actual shenmue product line.

Physical PS4 is down to sony I'm sure, they didnt want to do a disk press because of profit margins, and now they are probably trying to negotiate who pays for the disks and how many @ how much.

Also great podcast link Ziming, really nails my thoughts exactly about not quite awesome Japan, out of their league for this game and project.

I dont see why SEGA cant at least give a shout to the game on the official sega twitter. It's still their fucking IP and will have SEGA in the credits. fuckers.

Will Suzuki go through this again for shenmue 4 ? fuck knows, but it cant be good working with some of these idiots, when you come from places he has been.

Im at the $500 tier, I will drop more with the new tiers, but you can easily fleece more money at 10k like do 2 fucking dinner sessions?????????
I would pay 5k for a copy of the scripts, im sure there would have been loads more grab bag takers but you update the fucking campaign at 4am GMT when I'm fucking asleep? fuck you too.

$25k drive in / with Yu suzuki's Ferrari355 for 1 hour
$5k 20 min video conference with Yu Suzuki
$15 signed picture of Yu Suzuki's pets
fucking anything is better than nothing

Whoever got a dinner and Script PLEASE SCAN THE FUCKING THING INTO A PDF

Missed opportunities. Theirs, not just mine.

I mean I thought about this for shenmue online and this is a bit of a taboo subject, but make the game have a online section like shenmue passport, and in there you can get limited edition capsule toys and moves for REAL MONEY

play capsule toy machines for 円100 a turn,
lucky hit? sure, Vending machines that give you RNG luck up and a chance to get wining cans, collect 5 winning cans to trade for a ultra rare scroll move or gold dural,
chinchiro? sure, gamble away and win big (altohugh touchy laws and server locations...) bypass this with tokens exchange, that can be used as in game currency that can be redeemed for prizes.

play classic YS games outrun, after burner hang on ect in the arcade for 円100 a play! compete for high score!!!!
its away of making back money and funding shenmue4
shit, you could even release this asap and use it to fund shenmue 3 AND give people something to do while waiting for shen3, could have a chat room and private channels simple IRC XDCC or something, anything to take peoples money they WANT to fucking give it to you.

and it would be totally seperate for the off-line no DRM kids muh gameplay ect

and where is the official fucking forums already.

Jibby wrote: To be fair, at least Awesome Japan are quite good when it comes to responding to user messages.

Horseshit. I emailed them on Kickstarter, after no response, sent them an email to their website, after no response I sent them a tweet to their Twitter account and....... no response.

Yama says it's ok for me to keep streaming the Dojo twitch. So I will be doing that. Again, 10 pm est.

I stream it every night on Twitch! And the official Shenmue 3 Twitch was scoping us out while I played!

I'll be taking on the task to tweet our most requested question on the Dojo's Twitter during #YouaskYu.

In this older topic http://www.shenmuedojo.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=48183 some suggestions have been made already but not a whole lot.
We need more input on this and we need it fast to get the question out in time. So far asking about if we will get both dubs and fully voiced NPCs is the top pick from the old thread but not by much.

Please leave your most requested question here. Doesn't matter if you already tweeted it yourself.

A follow-up blog post from Ryuji Iuchi (translated to English) is posted here:

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=48196&p=1100498#p1100498

Here's a post that Ruji Iuchi put up on his blog yesterday which I've translated. It adds some more background to his experiences with Shenmue I and II. Thanks to Ziming for pointing it out.

Shenmue 3
2015/07/02

After around 15 years, I'm honored to once again get involved with the sound for Shenmue 3.

I'd like to talk about some things I didn't have time to mention in the video clip. (Sorry for the long post).

I feel very honored to be able to participate in this project, and be able work to compose pieces together again with Yu-san and all the other wonderful creators.

The impression that sticks with me most from working on the previous Shenmue games was being able to work together with the wonderful music staff - such as Yuzo Koshiro from Ancient Corp, who I greatly respect and who invited me onto the project, and Takenobu Mitsuyoshi from Sega - and to actually meet face-to-face with them at the company.
I believe that my experiences from that time made the foundation for what I am today.
Being able to have the chance to work together with them again is one of my dreams.

I had a lot of discussions and conversations with the sound staff, headed by the sound leaders Miysuyoshi-san and Takagi-san, and even used to sleep overnight at the company.
I remember the nap room, the kiosk and the nearby park well.
I was also able to observe the other sound people working, and I really learned a lot. The way they edited the voices and sound effects seemed like magic to me...

As I spoke about in my interview, Hayato Matsuo's magnificent orchestral arrangement, Iori's beautiful vocals, the timbre of the Chinese fiddle – these left a strong impression on me. (Iori let me join her on stage, at the piano!)
And this will sound like a fanboy, but I was secretly delighted to be able to watch Toshiyuki Watanabe at work on a recording! ^_^

By the way, with Shenhua's theme, initially I asked one of the sound ladies from another department to gently hum it for me, in a way that's "like it's wrapping around you".
For the preliminary version of Wish, I had a lady from the Shenmue sound team sing it.
And Mitusyoshi-san kindly provided the vocals for the final versions of the Tomato Mart and Bob's Pizzeria songs...!!

I realize how lucky I was to be on the same floor as the sound staff from other departments, and to be able to mix with lots of people who had composed the songs that used to be played at the video arcades I visited as a kid.
(We went out a lot for drinks and to play billiards ^_^).

I'm sure that even with a 2-hour program {video} I wouldn't be able to finish expressing my feeling of gratitude with Shenmue 1 and 2 towards everything and all the people who helped me. But I'm afraid I'm no good at speaking in front of people or a camera... ^_^

I'll put in my every effort, poor as that may be, on the music side to produce pieces that everyone will be pleased with and will be able to enjoy for a long time.

Thank you very much.

P.S. I was in two minds as to whether to state this, but – I'm not the composer of the song from the Kickstarter movie although people have been attributing to me... Credit is to the composer of that song.

Ryuji Iuchi

Crying.... yep. Just like i was when Shenmue 3 was announced.

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j290/PeterC2005/Shenmue%203%20dinner_zpsnssnyjmg.png

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j290/PeterC2005/Mobile%20Uploads/Screenshot_2015-07-03-17-11-23_zpsfisfrbbt.png

I'M GOING TO MEET YU SUZUKI IN MONACO!! FUCK!!

Thanks for the messages guys. Grab a cup of tea and chill, i will be explaining a few things.

Firstly i have been trying to get more dinner slots added for the better part of 2 weeks now. I missed out on the last Japan slot, which has turned out to be fine! But it did bum me out when it was taken, mostly because i have always wanted to visit Japan, and also meet Matt and also David. So after that slot went, it was logical to at least let someone know that, "hey i have $10,000 i want to give you. Please take it and throw out an extra plate of chow.... all i want to do is meet Yu Suzuki".
So with that in mind, i took to twitter, and just got in contact straight away with Cedric Biscay. To my shock, he tweeted me back with come cryptic comments, with a non confusing positive vibe off of them so things looked good.

As time went on, i was worried about being forgotten, so i decided to post pictures each day of my Shenmue collection, with hashtags mentioning i wanted another dinner and i had $10,000. Just to keep the idea public. But this morning when i woke up i was feeling very negative and was talking to Ziming on chat. I had more or less given up hope this morning, PLUS, i had sold some of my gaming treasures which seemingly had turned out for no reason. One item i sold in particular was a Halo Reach signed poster by the original Bungie team. The last game and the last time they were all together! I expected maybe $200 would be a good auction total for it, but i got a message from a guy in the UK and after a lot of questions about the condition he was happy to buy it for £100. A bit of a loss, but i didnt mind that too much. But this morning he was messaging me complaining he wanted half of his money refunded because i didnt have no caps on the sides of the poster tube and also no bubble wrap in the middle! It was common knowledge he said! I couldnt find a big enough tube for the size of the Poster, so i bought one in a graphics shop which didnt come with caps so i just taped it up well. The poster was fine when it reached him, but this was "not the correct way to send it", and it "wasnt up to his standard". I told him where to go, actually expecting me to refund him half, and have him own a Bungie signed Halo reach poster for £50! So for the first time ever in 8 years of being on ebay, he left me full negative feedback! Fucking asshole, i would punch him in the face repeatedly if i ever seen him.

So i was bumme dout about that, and to be honest not looking forward to the updates, but when it hit... man it was like Shenmue 3 all over again! When i seen Monaco and LA dinners announced i freaked the fuck out and hit it straight away. Even before making the update topics here as the news hadnt broke. I happily chose Monaco because its closer to me and will help with the cost of the trip. Plus after years of discussing Cedric and Shibuya Productions, i knew thats where they were based, and then i thought of how Yu was confirmed to appear at the Magic Monaco convention in 2016 to preview Shenmue 3! I also thought about meeting David Deville at it, and was thinking about asking him to attend with me, but he is already going to Japan with Matt, plus my friend has now shown interest in going, which he can rightfully do since he has backed me with a large amount of my pledge.

So now the dust has settled i am now buzzing and cannot wait to meet Yu. As some of you have said, for me personally it is literally life changing. It means i will now not be emigrating to Australia in November as planned, and i will be focusing my life on gaming. More so than i have ever done. Its more than just a hobby. Its a passion, and you only live once. Why should i not embrace my love for the gaming industry. Now i have no major outgoings, i can focus on buying a lot more games, and developing opinions and perhaps writing some articles and reviews etc. I would say also, since i have a lot of time, and 2 jobs, i can save up and possibly do the Shenmue pilgrimage to China and Japan sometime in 2017!

So thanks for all the love guys, it truely is felt and appreciated! :heart: :heart: :heart:

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

Hey everyone, my brother and I decided to contribute $20,000 for the making of Shenmue III. We spent many hours thinking about whether this is a good or bad decision. We spent $10,000 in 2012 to get our school off the ground and that went a long way. Because of our initial $10,000 pledge, the school received an amazing amount of attention in China, social media and gaming websites. I'll reiterate, We are not wealthy! This was a hard decision. We could have given $20,000 directly to building the school and it's programs but we feel that this pledge will lead to more exposure and support than what we could do through other mediums.

For those who don't know our school yet. We are called The "V.E.T. Program" (Volunteer English Teacher). You can find us on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/VolunteerEnglishTeacher?fref=ts&ref=br_tf We teach children and young adults English to help in their educational and career pursuits. Many of these kids come from small villages in the Guilin area and may not have an opportunity to learn elsewhere. You can go to the "about" section on the Facebook page to learn more.

We really need help in reaching our goals. We would love for you to like us on Facebook. We will eventually look outside ourselves and setup a way for donations to be made but we didn't want to distract from the Kick Starter or be overbearing donation hunters.

We decided to make the second $10,000 pledge a character in the game. We don't want to be a character attacking Ryo though. We are going to try and ask Yu Suzuki to let us have one of our Volunteer Chinese teaching assistants be a character in one of the villages. They deserve to be recognized for their hard work. They are volunteers and many of them come from poor rice farms.

We are also hoping that since we will be listed in the credits as a special sponsor that it can have our school with a logo and a website rather than our names.

I don't think any of this would be asking too much. I think it would help get attention to the school. We would love any assistance in helping us achieve this. We also would love to have Yu Suzuki come to the school some day but we won't don't want to be greedy.

Please, help our little school!
http://i.imgur.com/GS7Iwrq.jpg

Much better! Thanks Ziming.

A few of us have been trying to keep that thread and physical PS4 thread near the top of the pile as the more exposure we can get the better until the end of the KS campaign. Judging from the comments there's a lot of new Shenmue fans which is fantastic news.

Huge thanks. On behalf of Shenmue GAF, you did a wonderful job punching up the look of the original post.

As there are hardly any online synopsis that tells the plot of Shenmue in detail, I have written a detailed synopsis for Shenmue 1 & 2 for ppl who are new to Shenmue. Hope this will help the series reach out to more ppl.

Shenmue 1 Synopsis:
http://shenmuesaga.blogspot.sg/2015/07/shenmue-synopsis.html

Shenmue 2 Synopsis:
http://shenmuesaga.blogspot.sg/2015/07/shenmue-2-synopsis_4.html

last few days we've gone 84k > 83k > 67k....... in daily pledges. if it drops anymore than this we won't hit 5 million, its unlikely we will have a surge at the end if you actually look at previous kickstarters and what caused the surges at those times.

we need Awesome Japan to do something to keep the momentum up to at least maintain what we are taking in, we ain't gonna beat bloodstained at this point.

This is the time when you wish SEGA had already released Shenmue 1 & 2 HD on Steam. :) But they haven't. Hope soon they will.