Thanks. I think so. My next big game will be Rise of the Tomb Raider (PS4) a little less than two weeks from now. Hoping for a good story.
Oh, you're in for a treat! I watched my brother play it last Xmas, very pretty game! I liked the first game, but personally got a bit burned out on that type of genre atm so I still haven't gotten around it. Would rather play uncharted 4 as I enjoy the story/vibes more (although, I don't really enjoy much of the gameplay in 1-3) but I still don't have a ps4 yet. Playing yakuza 4 though atm and loving that, recently finished 3 and over the course of the game loved it! Was really happy about this as I couldn't get into the first one. I have 3, 4 and 5 and if I finish them by the end of the year I may pick up a ps4 sooner (before shenmue 3) for yakuza 0 launch or yakuza 6 (if it comes out). Hopefully we hear more at PSX w/ shenmue!

Message from all: is any of the yakuza spinoffs worth playing? Im new to this series and don't know much about it, but I have seen a zombies one in a store recently... thx!

Shenmue III makes the Guardian's list of the most anticipated video games of 2017:
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/jan/04/video-games-2017-guide?CMP=fb_gu


Shenmue 3 (Neilo/Ys Net; PC/PS4)

https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/f800f61628df018dcd7f17d60ce647b8ccb1133f/80_0_1200_720/master/1200.jpg?w=620&q=55&auto=format&usm=12&fit=max&s=a17ef24c424ab5968e761de2a36d2cd8

Sony almost broke the internet when this long-awaited close to Yu Suzuki’s adventure trilogy was announced at E3 in 2015. Following a total of $6m raised through crowdfunding, the game is hopefully on track for release late this year, following vengeful hero Ryo Hazuki to China where he continues the hunt for his father’s killer, Lan Di. But can it really live up to all that wild expectation?
Release: December

Good stuff!

If they release it in April they will announce it earlier then E3 of course!

That's what we mean. We don't think that the April date is real. Shenmue HD is a MASSIVE deal in terms of a remake. People have been wanting this for a long time, Shenmue 3 has a HUGE buzz around it, to the point where people who previously had no idea about the game are now interested. All this means Free Money to Sega lol.

Sega is only in this for the money, so they want to get as many eyes as possible on the announcement as that will translate into the most sales for them. The only "big" gaming conference that is coming up, which allows the most eyes (and makes the most sense) is E3. It doesn't make sense for them to just release a blog post, and be like... hey guys we are doing Shenmue HD. It will be covered by the media and will get some impressions but the only people who will pay attention will be the Shenmue fans. If they do it at E3 they will get so so so many more eyes and an overall much bigger press presence. The non Shenmue fans will remember it from the Shenmue 3 announcement and might be more interested now that they can actually play the first 2 games. People who don't know Shenmue, will see people losing their shit lol and will be more interested, much like what happened with the Kickstarter.

IMO, this is the only way that it should be done. E3 is the only place that Sega should announce for maximum impact.

Hands down I think this fan box art is one of the best (by Riccardo Favera)

Good analysis, Telekill, but I think you should double the sales objective (or halve the estimated benefit). Not the full $60 of a game goes directly to the developer. I think the platform holder (Sony) takes around $10 of any $60 game. Steam takes 30% of any game sold on its store (I reckon PSN will be similar). Retail takes its cut from any physical sale, etc.

But yeah, if the Shenmue III project sells decently, and with the technical groundwork laid out by it, I think it's quite likely we will see a Shenmue IV to wrap the story.

Yea it's small so this is still Bailu Village. Choubu is far bigger, with a harbour and stuff. Then Baisha will be the biggest area from what I've seen.

So it makes sense the landscapes and layouts are locked in, and it's now time to fill this world with content, like arcade machines, story elements etc. as seen in this video. So before people give off about how they must not have much designed or began work on this, that and the other, then please don't. Have faith. They are just fulfilling their KS pledge to give us updates, but at the same time, not show off the majority of the game.

And just for reference, if anyone's interested, they do seem to be clever with what is on their monitors because despite seeing them in their almost full form with placeholders, they have never once shown Choubu it Baisha in an update.

Yep and look really hard at the size of the character models in relation to the size of the area, and buildings. This game will not be a small game. Choubu is bigger than this, and Baisha is bigger than Choubu. Can you imagine walking down from that path on the left, just walking around this little area, listening to the sounds of the environment, interacting with NCPs.

This is fucking Shenmue 3 right there.

This is a really nice update. I'm really excited that this game is truly feeling like Shenmue instead of something half baked. I had doubts after the 15 year wait that they could capture the same magic but it seems with so many from the original two games returning that they have managed to do just that. I can't wait to play the continuation.

I will say that it's a bit disappointing to read in the update that they are "painfully aware" of our anticipation. To me that reads that too many of us have been annoying the dev team far too often; especially after the delay of the latest update. Maybe those contacting the dev team either directly or indirectly should tone it down a bit. At least until after E3.


I was talking to Joel last week and he said there are some "animated" fans but he appreciates the passion behind every email. He passes on every email to the YSNET team, which he is supposed to do, but he says the emails are nothing to what we have to contend with on the front line. Trying to keep all the Shenmue fan sites across the board afloat, in order, and temper expectations at the hardest times, like when there are no updates. Hence, the painful awareness. They want to update us, but they know they are so busy and have to be careful about what they can show. I mean if they are filling Baisha with story elements and scenarios then they can hardly run around with a camera for a Dev Video update if it's within their strategy to show the early levels of the game only in KS Updates.

Full translation (Probably not as accurate as it would be the other way round).

Q: Right now, you are producing Shenmue 3, which is still in development. How did things go with Sega and Sony to finally achieve this?

Cédric Biscay :To be fair, I would say it was possible in the first place thanks to the original author, Yu Suzuki. I know him very well and met him several times. At first, it was impossible to seriously consider a sequel to Shenmue 2, because the Licence owners (SEGA) didn't want to hear about it. Over time, we (Shibuya Productions) and Yu Suzuki wanted to work together on a game. So we launched a project who could not be completed in the end. At the same time, the situation about Shenmue 3 changed and Shibuya Productions decided to produce it. It's also at this time that we chose to work with crowdfunding, in order to check if the Community (fan base) was large enough and if it could help us funding the game.
Ultimately, the decision to make Shenmue 3 comes from Yu Suzuki and Shibuya Productions. Of course, SEGA allows us to use the licence, since they are the owners of the Shenmue franchise. Actually, Sony comes in a second phase, once they saw that everything was secured, that fundings were provided to support the project.
They (Sony) helped us a lot in terms of communication, in particular during E3 (2015) in Los Angeles, when we did the big announcement. And then of course, they will soon participate actively with the game marketing.

Q: So, Shenmue 3 will come out for PC and PS4, right?

Cédric Biscay : That's right, still planned for PC & PS4.

Q: And for Xbox One ? It seems to me they were disagreements on the matter?

Cédric Biscay : Not specifically disagreement, it's more that Microsoft showed late interest in having Shenmue 3 compared to Sony. Obviously, it's easier to want something when everything is easily accessible. We must remember that way before E3 in Los Angeles, everybody was thinking "Well, Shenmue 3 will never come out, it is a bit of a holy grail" or "the first two games didn't sell well enough so nobody will be interested in Shenmue 3". Truth is, from the moment we decided we would bypass/avoid those obstacles, a lot more people showed interest in being part of the adventure.

Q: Since we talk about Shenmue 3, do you have some exclusive news for us? Release date or story elements for example, etc...?

Cédric Biscay : It's not the right time for exclusive news. I'm always surprised that people ask me on a regular basis about the release date because actually, we gave one right from the start and it hasn't changed to this day. It's April 15 right? To this day, Shenmue 3 is still planned for a December 2017 release date. The situation can evolve but there are no contradicting elements at the moment. In any case, we are not running late with development. It doesn't mean we cannot encounter last-minute hitch or whatever. Anyhow, to this day, the development team didn't report any problem to me.

Q: There is also a rumour about HD remasters of the first two Shenmue and apparently, they should come out this year. Do you know if they will really come out this year? Real facts or fiction ?

Cédric Biscay : First of all, ever since the beginning of the project, this is what we would like to happen. Apparently, it’s something SEGA wants too. It’s only my personal opinion but there’s every chance that SEGA has an interest for those remasters, especially considering all the hype surrounding Shenmue 3. So, I cannot officially confirm the remasters, since I don’t work at SEGA, but it seems logical to me that those games come out eventually. What we would really like to see though, is those games released before Shenmue 3 comes out. This would help us a lot with the marketing but would also bring new players to the Series, because to be fair, start a Saga with the third episode isn’t very cool. If people have played the remasters first, it would be much more fun.

Q : About Shenmue 3 gameplay. Is it going to reach a wide audience, that is to say those who already know the franchise and the new comers ?

Cédric Biscay : That’s what we aim for. That’s what we included with Yu Suzuki in the game. Actually, what we really don’t want, is disappoint the fans. This is essential. And we don’t want to cut our self off from the gamers, this is as simple as that. Therefore, we try to balance things for everybody to be happy but not by making the game hard. It’s essential to keep everybody happy in the true sense of the word. We don’t want to diminish aspects to please others. We want everybody to be happy with the game, this is our goal.

I didn't translate the rest of the interview, since it's not Shenmue relevant.

Sorry folks, i couldnt resist...

Let's assume Shenmue 3 doesn't make an appearence at E3 (and backers don't get any "substantial" update by then), it will be more than necessary for YsNet to communicate very quickly after E3 about the game status.
Seriously, I see major shit storm over YsNet's heads and the Kickstarter thing if they don't fix the PR policy right after E3.

But again, that's assuming Shenmue 3 won't appear at E3. I'm still convinced something Shenmue related is going to happen, even if it's only a wishful thinking.

As I've said, why tweet this out when surely this would be one of the top secrets heading into the E3 conference. It's like Shuehi tweeting out a picture of him and Fumito Ueda weeks before the 2015 conference. Or Andy House tweeting out a picture of him and Kojima before last year's conference. It doesn't fill me with confidence.

I agree and disagree.

You saw the retweets and likes count. You are aware of the answers the tweet is getting.
Voluntarily or not, Gio's tweet is fueling hype for a "Shenmue" appearance. Unfortunately it could backfire and if Shenmue 3 isn't going to appear, 2 years after the glorious E3 2015 announcement... well, if I was Gio, I would refrain to post anything related to Shenmue and Suzuki-San so close to E3.

Himuro, please.... please don't take this the wrong way, but remember PSX just 6 months ago. You, among others, were a lot more venomous and toxic after the no show at that event. A lot of which, I took the brunt of. That was hard to take. You also were making threats, to go to the press etc. Again, don't take that the wrong way by today's context, but that's the facts. By all means, look forward to E3, and get yourself uber hyped if you want! Go nuts, but I'm asking you now, keep an open mind and as Jibby said, there could be absolutely NOTHING Shenmue related to come out of the Sony Conference, and the whole of E3. You are really building yourself up here, where everyone else is excited, but also voicing caution. Learn from the past. If there is a Shenmue no show, keep sensible and don't get negatively emotional again. That goes for everyone.

After PSX, lessons were learned, and anyone spouting garbage about going to the press, making claims of stolen money etc we will have a strict zero policy this time round. Temp bans will be issued without reasoning first if we feel it's beyond trying. Himuro, you are an example of that, where at the time you fly off the handle and throw the toys out of the pram, but then after a week or two, you apologise and things calm down once clarity sets in.

So this time, in the event that E3 is another PSX washout, by all means voice an opinion. But do it constructively and respectfully. Remember Yu and his staff are working 24 hours a day, sleeping at the office to get us out a game that's worthy of the Shenmue brand, on a shoestring budget. If they feel that E3 isn't the right time, respect that, and remember your 4 wude.

Shenmue III does have the advantage of having had a lot of pre-production work done prior to its current development period. I'm not sure if it's possible to quantify how much time that counts for in the overall process of bringing forth the completed game, but my impression is that it's a significant amount.

Sony E3 2017: 5 ways PS4 could beat Xbox Scorpio:

http://www.psu.com/feature/33058/sony-e3-2017-ways-ps4-could-beat-xbox-scorpio


Shenmue 1 & 2 HD

Now that Yu Suzuki has made his dream a reality and is chiselling away on Shenmue 3 for PS4, it’s about time SEGA did the obvious and let us revisit the original games in glorious high-definition. Ryu Hazuki’s revenge epic attracted only a niche audience upon its Dreamcast launch, so the chance for a wider circle of gamers to experience the cult classics via a PS4 HD update is an opportunity too good to miss out on. Sony’s press conference would be a great platform to announce the Shenmue HD bundle, given that Suzuki-san previously used E3 2015 as the stage to launch the Shenmue 3 Kickstarter. We know that SEGA has registered a trademark for Shenmue recently, and the latest rumors have suggested the collection is indeed real and being prepped for a launch in late 2017. Hopefully it won’t be long before we’re racing forklift trucks in the harbor and laying the smackdown Hazuki-style upon legions of punks in Hong Kong’s back streets.

Right before I play Shenmue 3?

Hard to tell but that will probably be me when I get a Shenmue 3 physical copy in my hands for the first time.

Peter wrote: The output of support and love across the Shenmue community today is what makes it great. No arguing over character models, look, direction... just Shenmue

Thankfully Suzuki made the announcement himself. I can't imagine the backlash if it were made by Joey lol

Already forgot about what's shenmue?

What's Shenmue was a video explaining portions of the game wasn't it? Didn't that come with one of the first issues of the Official Dreamcast Magazine; a video CD showcasing Shenmue?

Nope, What's Shenmue was Japanese Playable Demo which was given to players who pre-ordered Shenmue (was later given away with Famitsu).
From the wiki:

"What's Shenmue introduces the main characters and details what the game is about, before allowing the player to control the protagonist of the series, Ryo, around a portion of Dobuita. The ultimate aim of What's Shenmue is to find the then senior managing director of Sega, Hidekazu Yukawa. Once found, Ryo needs to chase him down the street in a series of quick time events, then defend him from a gang of "thugs" (before Hidekazu Yukawa wakes up in a room filled with unsold Dreamcasts to find it was all a dream)."

Full Playthrough from Adam Koriaik:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEmi2PaLaO0

Oh, I don't expect the backer demo before summer 2018 and it WILL be very small. I don't recall there ever being a playable demo of a Shenmue game as it's simply not that type of game. I expect the demo to be incredibly small; maybe only a small portion of a town (a couple blocks) with a couple mini games and a fight scene.

While I'll download the demo and burn it to DVD for safe keeping, I doubt that I'll actually attempt to play it. For starters my PC is about as powerful as an Xbox 360 (if that) and I don't want to spoil anything for when I play the full version on PS4.
Somewhere, What's Shenmue is crying in a corner.

But really, I think they may get the demo out for December if only to get some consumer feedback while they've still got 6+ months on the clock. We'll see how it pans out, but it'd be great if we got our hands on Shenmue III in some small capacity this year.

Actually, I'm keeping my fingers crossed it'll be one of the details covered in the update later this month.

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

I wouldn't pay much attention to Technophilz, everybody.

Listen to people who've actually seen the game and met Yu Suzuki + certain team members, like Peter.

Shenmue 3 had an amazing announcement back at E3 two years ago, but since then it was nothing but a disaster in almost every aspect, contrary to what we (the diehard fans) are trying to convince themselves with.

The Shenmue 3 project (probably due to budget constraints) has been left in the hands of noobs from the very beginning, it started with a horrible Kickstarter/marketing campaign done by AJ, then it has been turned into a guinea pig in the hands of noob mostly-unknown developers with almost no real experience whatsoever, and consequently, Shenmue 3 project is currently being used to "learn" how to use UE4 techniques and modern development tools.

Where are you getting this info or view? Shenmue 3 has been probably one of the better Kickstarter games I've seen and/or heard of given the communication of the team to the backers alone. Most people were anticipating a delay regardless that hopes tugged at the heart strings for the 2017 release. Also, Suzuki and his team are not noobs. They may have some newer developers added to the team of seasoned vets but saying that someone is a noob is to show disrespect and no one needs to be disrespected that is working on this title.

The biggest disaster in Shenmue history was that Sega decided not to release Shenmue 2 on Dreamcast in N. America. Shenmue 3 happening doesn't fit that bill.
Someone on the forum mistakenly thought a fan who'd just graduated from a school in Orlando, Florida, was one of the key members of the team and somehow that idea is still floating around the forum.

Cuz all I know is they're only hiring experienced developers/modelers according to their job resume requirements, and everyone they've publicly shown working on the game is experienced in some capacity, either with Shenmue itself or game design.

Trust will be important for Suzuki's next projects (including Shenmue 4)

Don't get your hopes up for a 4th Shenmue...

Shenmue 3 had an amazing announcement back at E3 two years ago, but since then it was nothing but a disaster in almost every aspect, contrary to what we (the diehard fans) are trying to convince themselves with.
...

So again, don't get your hopes up for a 4th Shenmue ....


Phil! So much doom and gloom! :lol:

It's not really that bad. Things take time and Shenmue 3 running well in UE4 with all the Shenmue combat, dialogue, story, animation, mini-games.. it all takes time to do well. Basically he's doing a Shenmue 2 size game with a fraction of the man power. The fact is second half of 2018 means he has the funds to keep developing for a whole year more. It's a good thing.

For me, this announcement I could see from a mile off, and for them to be forthright about it, it gives more me confidence they will make the game more solid and have better polish.

Oh, I don't expect the backer demo before summer 2018 and it WILL be very small. I don't recall there ever being a playable demo of a Shenmue game as it's simply not that type of game.

As well as What's Shenmue which has already been mentioned, there was also a Shenmue II demo released via UK Xbox magazines. It contained the game / story all the way to Queen St. So yeah, both games had demos released.

I've put up a blog post about the announcement on Phantom River Stone:
http://www.phantomriverstone.com/2017/06/shenmue-3-rescheduled-for-2018.html

I made a slightly fuller translation of Yu's comment from the video. The official captions are fine so far as meaning but I felt they lost a little bit of the nuance.
http://i.imgur.com/DWFOG0g.png

WADDYA BUYIN?



Right.

I am a huge avocate of communication so I am gonna try here and not get pissed off at what I am sure you would agree, is your repetitive posting on a semi regular basis where you give your opinion, which is mostly negative.

Instead of me waffling on myself, which I would be the frist to admit I am completely guilty of, I will start small. Can I ask you if there is anything positive you have an opinion of, regarding the past 2 years?

I have responses to your post, but that can come later. For now, I just want to see some positivity here from yourself, based on the assumption that the reason you are here, like the rest of us, is because at the end of it all, we have a love and a respect for this series and it's creator.

You're totally right Peter, my opinion was (and still is) mostly negative, and that makes me feel really sad and frustrated ...
Shenmue I & II not only changed me as a gamer, but also changed my entire life and my carrier as well, those two games taught me how to be as close to perfection as possible in every aspect, I appreciated how Suzuki-san back then went way beyond everyone else in terms of realism, audio/visual design, software engineering, code optimisation, etc ...
That seemed to have raised my expectations so high for Shenmue 3, that I won't feel satisfied with anything less that perfect, and I sincerely hope this is still achievable with the resources available for Shenmue 3 right now...

When the Shenmue 3 project was announced, I jumped off my couch with excitement and almost broke my leg, I backed up the project seconds after the Kickstarter page went live, and I never regretted it ...

I want Shenmue 3 to be the best game ever made, not only because it's my most anticipated game of all time, but also Shenmue 3 will most certainly determine the fate of this fantastic series, I could never forget how the commercial outcome of Shenmue I & II had affected the future of Shenmue and I don't want to ever relive that nightmare again...

I'm here simply because this Dojo is THE place to be for us diehard Shenmue fans from all around the globe, not only because I personally have a love and respect to the series and to its creator, but also because Shenmue to me is much more than the best gaming experience I have ever had, and guess what? We're finally getting a third one sometime in the future and maybe HD remastered versions of the previous ones too, which I sincerely hope it'll end up making all my negativity sound like total nonsense, and that will make me feel so happy that I was wrong all along ...

Ok cool. This is a good post which i can read and get an understanding of your thought process and where you are coming from. Im a little busy prepping tonights stream, but i promise i will respond to this.

yes but there is a limit to money so how are they going to pay for an extra year unless they are cutting elsewhere? how hard is that to grasp? anyone with any idea of budgeting knows how that works. so either they have a very big budget without any limitations (let's hope) or stuff will be cut from the game some way.

https://media.giphy.com/media/aKuFbrgGqoPte/giphy.gif

At this point I'd be shocked if we don't get a Shenmue III announcement this year if not at E3.

Huh?

Are you talking about as in Shenmue 3 actually happening? Because it is.
Are you talking about an update trailer shown at E3? I'd enjoy that but....
Are you talking about a simple couple screen shots or mention at E3? ...I doubt it without Yu being there.
Brainfart. I meant Shenmue HD.

http://i.imgur.com/e2x3CfQ.jpg

https://pending.me.uk/cd/bla_1503388800.png

http://abload.de/img/sequenz01_1lob47.gif

THE NEWS

~*~NEW~*~ 27th July - YSnet announces they will be hosting a meet n' greet session with Yu Suzuki in the entertainment area, and also confirms that an update with the "Latest news about Shenmue III" revealed in the business area will be available via Kickstarter and the Shenmue III website.

13th July - YSnet announces via the KS they will be showing the game in the business area of the event restricted from public entry ( please note, the update does specify that backers will be able to get the "latest on-site information" through games media outlets ), but are attempting to put together an event for fans attending the show via the public areas. It is also confirmed Yu Suzuki will personally be in attendance.

THE BASICS

YSnet announced in the June 2017 Kickstarter update that they will be taking Shenmue III this August to Gamescom in Germany, saying "While we are still working out the details with our partners, we plan to show our newest movie clips, share the latest updates and even make some new announcements."

Cedric Biscay has said via Twitter that Shibuya Productions, primary financier and one of Shenmue III's marketing partners, will not be the ones showcasing Shenmue III at the event, and that further details will be available "soon".

Sony, YSnet's other known marketing partner, have not confirmed a Gamescom presence but have recently hinted that a conference may be in the works for the show.

THE SPECULATION

Could YSnet be bringing a trailer to Gamescom? While it's impossible to know the style of the video YSnet will be using to show off the game, I think we can all safely assume Gamescom will end up being the most revealing look at the game we've had.

According to resident translator Switch, the plural "movie clips" in the English version of the update is intentional, as the author would have to check the meaning with whoever wrote the Japanese version; as apparently the language doesn't make a plural distinction. If we are to take it at face value that the English author followed this process, we can assume there will be more than one Shenmue III video coming out of Gamescom.

Shenmue HD has been rumoured for a very long time, but in the last year the anticipation has reached fever pitch with domain registrations, endless "insider" info, and SEGA themselves expressing a desire to make it. SEGA have kept Shenmue III at arm's length since it was announced two years ago, and we have no evidence the dynamic of this relationship has changed, let alone that Shenmue HD truly exists. So... keep expectations in check.

There are plenty of "cleaning house"-style announcements to make in regards to rewards fulfilment, pledge upgrades, and how long the Slacker Backer site will continue to be open for. Will they be part of the announcements made during Gamescom? Possibly. We can at least hope they are addressed in the KS updates following the event.

This thread is for discussion, speculation, and breaking news. HUGE news will warrant its own thread, but in most cases I will just change the title of this topic to reflect the current developments, and add a kind of newsfeed to the OP to keep people up to speed.

Big thanks to Kiske for the banner. Happy posting!

I will be there on behalf of the Dojo with live Twitter and Instagram posts throughout the event. Other sections of the community may be there also but it's still all being worked on at the moment, so more details will be revealed over the coming weeks.

Wow. Could you actually imagine if this happened to us? Just when you thought the Mighty Number 9 farce had died a horrible death, it's still continuing to fuck over fans. I mean check it out:

https://twitter.com/Isfet/status/889955595272560640

Gaf comedy thread - http://m.neogaf.com/showthread.php?t=1411284

The backers are being sent a flatpack box that they have to put together themselves! No physical game, and the manual for the game doesn't fit inside the box. Honestly, you couldn't make this up.
To add to the confusion, some people thought they were getting a physical game on top of their digital game, but it's on this point where the story gets more dark. If you read the MN9 $60 rewards tier, it doesn't say the backer would get a physical release of the game itself, just a physical game box! On the one hand, completely legal, on the other, absolutely ropey as fuck to the fans.

For all the flack the Shenmue 3 Kickstart received, I am thankful after seeing this, that there has been absolute clarity between digital game release and physical game release from the very beginning. Also that there were discussions with Sony during the Kickstarter campaign due to fan demand for a physical release to be included.

To be honest, I shat a brick when I read about this and went straight to the S3 KS page to see if there was any possibility of this happening with Shenmue 3. As much as we have love for the franchise and the team, I'm sure that's no different to the love the Mega Man fans had for this project and look what happened to them. In the context of rewards specifically, the $60 tier does state that it is a box only, and there was no physical game in existence at that point. Deep Silver wasn't brought in to publish a physical edition until long after the KS ended.

Thankfully, I really don't see any major issues (apart from possibly a timeframe on the rewards slipping). The physical copies is clarified, and I think it was the Twitch broadcast that said they were talking with Sony to manufacture them so we are in good hands. As much as the Shenmue 3 Kickstarter wasn't with a few minor bumps in the road (blown way out of proportion by certain media outlets), it's been very smooth sailing compared to the MN9 trainwreck.

There is a stark, night-and-day difference between the way Keiji Inafune and Yu Suzuki have conducted themselves through the years, both in their work and what they've expressed through the media. There might be some challenges but I have no worry that the Shenmue III rewards will be half-assed.

Personally I think the "reward" aspect of crowdfunding is way out of hand and should be dialed back because of all the logistical difficulties it introduces. If you believe in a project enough to contribute money to it, go for it. Don't view it as an opportunity to stock up on tchotchkes.

Compared to the Famicom Rockman box arts:



Much like MN9 itself; vaguely resembles what its supposed to be, but with absolutely none of the charm.

Oh man... I feel sorry for the fans that were expecting an actual physical release and got that instead. It really pays to read the full description of what you're paying for. Also, as with Peter... very glad that Shenmue 3 is obviously stating a physical copy of the game and not just some box.

Anyone able to link a picture of the MN9 box? Can't do Twitter while at work.
http://images.eurogamer.net/2017/articles/2017-07-27-00-48/mighty_no_9_box.png

It's quite frankly an embarrassment. Sure, the reward tier description literally states "a classic-style game box," without any mention of the game itself being included whatsoever, but that itself leaves a very sour taste.

Think of it as E3. YSNET will be on Sony's stage to show off all new stuff. You won't be in the audience for it since that's for press only, and most likely watch it on the internet. You then attend E3 in the days after, but you have the chance to meet Suzuki-san at a location at the event.

It's very generous of him. I bet Kojima wasn't walking about the public show floor after the Sony showcase in 2016, meeting and talking with fans.

While i think that Peter should calm down a bit, i understand how he feels.
That's modern age internet for you: an huge cesspool where every single dumbest person on the earth has a worldwide-reaching megaphone, a place where anyone can came anytime to dump their frustration without any thought or restraint, and everything it's about being the most XTREME!!! possible while pulling out the faster you can that super-witty-and-snarky hot take to show off how much you're cool and badass.
It sucks, but what can you possibly do about it? The internet is a very stressfull and often unbearable place, it kinda feels like having car exaust gases straight in your face sometimes honestly, and i think that the healthier thing to do every now and then is to take some breaks from it.

Game Watch published a very interesting interview with Suzuki-san, the interview took place during Gamescom 2017 and includes some really insightful and interesting information about Shenmue III, here's a short summary of it:


⋅  The released Shenmue III teaser footage is real-time in-game graphics.
⋅  All charterers models are temporary and subject to change.
⋅  Facial animations were initially implemented but have been removed about a month ago.
⋅  The teaser was especially made for Gamescom 2017, no further plans to show more of the game at this year's Gamescom or Tokyo Game Show. However, a full-scale promotion will take place next year.
⋅  Deep Silver will publish the game internationally, and they'll provide budget and promotional support. A publisher for Japan is to be decided.
⋅  Suzuki-san would like to continue the series in Shenmue IV if possible.
⋅  Suzuki-san is not interested in forcing the Shenmue story to complete in Shenmue III.
⋅  Shenmue III will take around 30 hours of gameplay to complete.
⋅  The fighting engine in Shenmue III is being built from scratch, and unlike Shenmue II it won't use the Virtua engine.
⋅  A system that allows phone calls with characters from Shenmue and Shenmue II is planned for Shenmue III.
⋅  Suzuki-san would like to bring as many voice actors from the previous games as possible, but some are retired now, he will audition a new voice actress for Shenhua.
⋅  OST from Shenmue and Shenmue II will probably be reused in Shenmue III.
⋅  The new partnership with Deep Silver is strong and it's aimed to improve the Shenmue III experience beyond what was initially planned on the Kickstarter.

Finally, Suzuki-san asks the fans to continue their support, and promises to do his best to make a good game out of Shenmue III.

I have a very strong feeling that 2018 will be the year of Shenmue ...

Update:
Switch has kindly translated the original interview

Here it is, a full translation of the GAME Watch interview. Enjoy!

http://www.phantomriverstone.com/2017/08/game-watch-interview-with-yu-suzuki.html

http://i.imgur.com/sCek1CHl.jpg

I'm gettin far too old for this shit. I haven't slept in 2 days and the amount of stuff that the human brain has to take in, I just can't manage at the moment. How people do this for a living I do not know.

I tried to keep up with the community as a whole these past 48 hours, but with being here and trying to update the Dojos social media it's been a hard task and I'd say live missed 90% of it all. I know about the negative backlash though. I think even Suzuki-san knows too. He keeps saying "environments good, character temporary". I said it on NeoGaf in a post I am far too tired to dig up. But seriously, criticize all you want. I am not blind to see the issues with the characters. But where is the patience. Where is the 4, Wude. You are not helping the already unwinnable position Suzuki-san is in. He is damned if he does and he is damned if he doesn't. The game is not ready yet and with any other normal game in development, so you shouldn't even see this stuff. But with every Kickstarter update, it's the same comments if they are not showing enough, we want more. We want a trailer. Really, you sure you want a trailer now at this stage of development? Ok here you go, and bam, it is still as bad a reaction as ever. It's an unwinnable battle the man has to face, and I feel sorry for him.

I literally don't know what to do anymore in trying to steer you guys towards the things I am seeing and the things I hear. It's a waste of time. I do honestly give up at this stage. Not singling out any one comment, its just gotten to the stage where I have no words anymore. The negativity has gone from critical to venomous and toxic. Hey, that's people's right, you are entitled to your opinion. My opinion of that though is just one of sadness rather than anger and confrontation now.

TwiceFriedRice wrote: http://kotaku.com/actually-the-shenmue- ... 1798323180

lol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

lol That is actually fucking hilarious! Very big props to this writer for her having the guts to do a counter article against one of her colleagues on the same site haha Classic!

Shots from Gameblog









more photos here: http://game.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/news/1077028.html

Sooo, how was the meet and greet?
I just got back after about three hours of driving (midnight here now). The meet and greet went smoothly I think and there were more people for the meet and greet than I had expected. Another interesting part was that I got to meet a few Dojo members and other fans from outside this place.

It was nice meeting you guys today wish we had more time to hang out.

Oh man, I'm still a bit exhausted from the trip and the whole event.

It was amazing to meet you guys! I was just too thrilled to have the chance to get together with other fans and to see Yu Suzuki in person, shake hands with him. I must've looked totally freaked out all the time. And then out of all the people they had to chose me, posing with Yu Suzuki, as the first picture in the article on that Japanese website... 8-[

I'll post some of my photographic impressions of the Gamescom compiled into a little video later today. Still trying to process all of this and catch up with everything here. I'm just so happy that everything worked out so nicely! =D>

An spanish website will put a full interview with Suzuki, but at the moment, they have a few highlights:

"I'm afraid of not meeting expectations". "Not only do we have a budget and a limited team, but nostalgia is a dangerous factor. People can remember the game much prettier or better than it actually was."


- Suzuki wants to make Shenmue 4 after Shenmue 3.
- The scope of Shenmue 3 will be similar to Shenmue 2.
- The game will be oriented a bit more to adventure instead of more action.
- About 30h of gameplay.

http://www.vandal.net/noticia/1350695945/suzuki-sobre-shenmue-iii-la-nostalgia-es-peligrosa/

http://www.vandal.net/noticia/1350695878/yu-suzuki-los-personajes-del-teaser-de-shenmue-iii-son-provisionales/