Made some gifs of my favourite moments (also included them in my Shenmue history articles):

http://i.imgur.com/C2FZ9m4.png

Today is the 15th anniversary since Shenmue was released in North America on the Sega Dreamcast. (December in Europe) To commemorate this day we are sharing a special video that goes behind the scenes in the making of Shenmue. Back in the late 90's NHK aired a TV program on the development of Shenmue at SEGA. They spent 6 months with Yu Suzuki as he was developing Shenmue on what would be Sega's last home game console. English translation provided by Switch .

Making of Shenmue: Youtube | DailyMotion | Vimeo

Available Captions/Subtitles: English, French, Spanish, German, and Portuguese.

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

Greetings everyone. Today, I thought id update you all on the Shenmue Gaiden project. Everything is going according to plan and we're making great progress. It's certainly a very ambitious project, but i'm confident we can all make it a reality.

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

http://i.imgur.com/NsmXXW3.png

Shenmue Gaiden currently has two types of models, original and new. The upcoming demo will contain the original models, whilst the full game will contain the new detailed versions. These new renders take time unfortunately. Here's a sample of both types.

http://i.imgur.com/EtlN19o.png

The image on the right is the newer model. It has improved lighting, textures, details and special effects. Esspiral continues to improve and his work is simply amazing. I wish I could show you more :)

http://i.imgur.com/BA0DjKD.png

Fully animated weather has now been implemented into Shenmue Gaiden. Currently, only rain is functional. Expect more in the full game.

http://i.imgur.com/d6JmoEJ.png

Although this is a still image, the rain particles are fully animated when playing. This effect gives the game a more professional a authentic feel.

http://i.imgur.com/9uUtQUX.png

We now have the original Shenmue Modder, LanDC working with us. LanDC will be composing music for the title. I've heard a few sample tracks from him already and they sound GREAT!!!. Check out his latest public Shenmue remix below.

http://i.imgur.com/N0DBZvI.png

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sH7gkAC0dQU

In addition to this, we've also been given some other great amazing music for the project. Samples to come in following updates.

http://i.imgur.com/g9XBb1X.png

I'm happy to say that after some testing, Characters will now be able to blink and have their mouths move when speaking in a conversation. Here is a prototype shot of one of the characters.

http://i.imgur.com/BZ4uKDm.png

http://i.imgur.com/PUKK8w2.png

During certain periods of the game, you'll be able to freely explore various areas. To do so, we've implemented a world map containing the playable areas of Guilin. Simply choose an area which you wish Ryo to visit and you'll be taken there instantly. Pick carefully, as each area will have different sub stories.

http://i.imgur.com/7V0h5PV.png

http://i.imgur.com/D15nNTQ.png

Throughout the game, you'll be given the option to spend more time with certain characters. You'll be given a ton of choices to choose from when engaging in conversation. Choose wisely. Each choice will alter the character's response and perception of you.

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


http://i.imgur.com/K1N3dpo.png

We now have a sample script for those who wish to do voice acting. Please record as many characters as you'd like and upload your demo reel to youtube or email them directly to [email protected]

DOWNLOAD THE SAMPLE SCRIPT HERE
http://www.filedropper.com/shenmuegaidensamplelines



http://i.imgur.com/432rOpt.png

Finally, we'll be posting a new help thread in the community section. This thread will be use to request specific help from everyone. We can't make this project fully without your input. Please help as much as you can. Link to follow.


That's Novembers update for you. Please give us your feedback, suggestions and questions. If you'd like to help out on the project, please send us an email. [email protected]

Thanks everyone.

River of floating Sakura petals.

It Appears SCE is backing up the development of Shenmue 3. Shenmue is a Sega IP, are there any plans to support this effort?

Shenmue is of course an important IP, not only to Sega, but also to the many games it has influenced. It was the first of its kind in the go anywhere, do anything open world style games. On top of that Mr. Suzuki had a very strong desire to make Shenmue 3. モノ作りは本当に作りたい人が作るべきで、それが鈴木裕氏を中心としたクリエイターだということです。Of course Sega is interacting with Mr. Suzuki even now. We will continue supporting him concerning Shenmue 3 as well.

I can't figure out a way to phrase that one sentence into English that doesn't sound moronic. Someone help a brotha out.

Article: http://games.qq.com/a/20151116/029040.htm
Dojo Gallery: http://www.shenmuedojo.net/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=141

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNkaLCzL6Z8

https://youtu.be/48dIc0y-jcg

http://upload.anqu.com/20151116/1447652246319186.jpg

http://img1.gtimg.com/14/1428/142847/14284763_980x1200_0.jpg

http://upload.anqu.com/20151116/1447652177874069.jpg

http://upload.anqu.com/20151116/1447652184101773.jpg

http://upload.anqu.com/20151116/1447652188116270.jpg

http://upload.anqu.com/20151116/1447652196918824.jpg

http://upload.anqu.com/20151116/1447652203247916.jpg

http://upload.anqu.com/20151116/1447652234940736.jpg

http://upload.anqu.com/20151116/1447652240379005.jpg

I've added in English captions onto the video.

For the Chinese parts I've used the translation provided by Hyo Razuki.

Cedric Biscay has been interviewed by France Live.

Here's the video (in French) :

http://www.francelive.fr/france/france- ... kr0FY6G_h4

Hello.
I’ve been lurking around the dojo for a while and figured I’d finally chime in.
My name is Jordan and while I’ve known about Shenmue for almost ten years I never really got in to it until just recently. Please forgive me; this is going to be a very long and unusual post, however I am willing to do whatever it takes to prove the claims I’m about to make here.
Those of you who frequent gaming magazines and sites might know me on YouTube as genuinescorruption. Despite having been completely blind since birth, I’ve been a gamer at heart for almost my entire life. My childhood dream was to complete Ocarina of Time and in 2008, a group of diehard fans helped make that a reality by writing me step by step directions to navigate the game’s complex world. That combined with the game’s very well done sound work (which allowed me to know exactly where enemies were in relation to me and defeat them) made it possible for me to actually beet the game. I recently listened to a YouTube let’s play of Shenmue one and found myself completely immersed in the story. Researching the mechanics, I came to wonder if this game might actually be mostly playable (limitations of past technological eras often end up being accidental accessibility features).
I was wondering if someone would be able to elaborate on the navigation. The fact that you move Ryo with the d-pad instead of the analogue stick sounds really promising. If the analogue stick just controls the camera, can’t you just keep the camera behind you at all times so that if you push up on the d-pad, Ryo will always move north? Is this navigation structure anything like it is in either Pokémon or Final Fantasy X?
Do you think you can hypothesize on how much help would actually be necessary in order for me to complete this game? From what I can tell, the motor cycle race would be extremely hard, as would the forklift sequences (but they’re mostly optional)? There seem to be some pretty good auditory landmarks in some places to help verify your whereabouts (like Tom with his music, something that sounds like a marry-go-round in one place, etc.) which is more than can be said about many of the games I’ve played. Oh, and then there’s the stealth sequence…the footsteps on those guards are not only loud, but directional!
I’m planning on downloading this game and trying it out this weekend to see if I can make any progress on my own. Are there any other pitfalls you think I should know about?
Thank you very much for taking the time to read this. Speaking of which, in case you’re wondering how I’m able to read your responses or otherwise operate a computer (a common question I get asked on the internet), I use a program called Jaws which translates written text on screen to speech and allows me to navigate GUIs. It’s developed by a company called Freedom Scientific (http://www.freedomscientific.com).

Kind regards,

Jordan.

I'm currently uploading the video the Dojo's Youtube channel. Switch will be translating the Japanese segments with Yu Suzuki. Thanks goes to peter 蔡 and Baidu Tieba (Chinese shenmue fans club) for sharing the video with us.

Peter 蔡 has responded to my request to join the dojo forums. He says he'll be here tomorrow.
Hello everyone, I am so happy to be here :D :D :D . Shenmue dojo is very famous in Chinese shenmue fans club. Today another member or myself will share some pictures about the conference, such as the gifts and paints.

Monaco Hebdo interview
http://www.monacohebdo.mc/16513-shibuya-productions-leve-plus-de-6-millions-de-dollars

"I made a lot of advisory work in video gaming and animation because they are interesting sectors for me. My idea has always been to create my own contents."

"Shibuya is the name of the most busy place of Tokyo so the most cosmopolitan. We know that Japanese people are not that attracted by the international. But Shibuya is a neighbourhood where a lot of things happen. And we work a lot with Japan. That's why I wanted to associate this image with my company."

"I moved to Monaco because the Principality is pretty well-known in the world, especially in the US. It's also much easier to meet decision-makers in Monaco where the network is rich and tight at the same time. In Japan, the Principality is especially known for the Formula One, its luxury goods and tourism. "

"We work also on 26 Astroboy episodes of 26 minutes each. The name will be Astroboy Reboot"

"We are a young company. But in 2014, we will be the company which made Shenmue and Astroboy Reboot. Thus, the eyes turned towards us will be more interested. But starting off with these two big releases (Astroboy is planned for september 2017), we earn reputation and reliability. And a lot of time."

"The real revenue will be in two years. If all goes well, it should be around 5 million euros."

"The network is the origin of everything. This is what makes possible all we're doing. Since 15 years, I build my network in Japan."

"To raise confidence, you need time. In Japan, there is a lot of codes you have to comply. My chance is that, very often, people get bored and look for China instead... where they usually fail. It's been 10 years since we talk about China as almost an Eldorado. But who really managed to establish itself in China ?"

"I played a lot of games, especially Japanese games. Shenmue had a deep impact on me. I spent sleepless nights on it. There was also Shenmue 2. But with the Dreamcast disappearance, Shenmue III never happened.

"I don't know how to draw, nor write a story or a program, neither animate... However, I know how to connect people and generate a network, especially in these sectors."

Shibuya Prod work with 4 employees. The company's role is to outsource its productions, notably in Japan, Bulgaria, United States and France. To fund a project, convince co-producers is needed. These co-producers are usually studios that employ 100 or 200 people to, for example, create and program a game.

"Sega did nothing with Shenmue. The idea was to make Shenmue III and create a huge buzz around this game".

"The budget is about several million euros, funded widely by Shibuya Prod's own funds."

"At the moment, no Mac version is planned. I can't tell you exactly but Sony put less money in the project than Shibuya".

"We target to sell one million copies. This is not what we need to earn money but that's my goal."

About piracy : "But I still have faith in the true players, those who want beautiful packaging and look to gain a beautiful object. But I keep dreaming. Those who usually hack will continue to do so. For a game sold 60 euros, the packaging is 2-3 euros. Piracy is cultural. In Japan, downloading is still less common than selling CD.

"Our productions need teams of 150-250 people. It's still far from Disney"

Biscay has the advantage of knowing everyone since 10 years. As he worked already with them (the right owners of Astroboy), the young boss decides to opt for audacity. He asked if they would let him make a "reboot". Surprise: he gets a "yes" in minutes. In three months, the first contract is signed. Which is pretty amazing since, in this kind of business, negotiations sometimes last 2 or 3 years before reaching a signature. "This is why I love Japan. There, everything is a matter of trust. However, if we betray the word, you're dead, can pack your bags and return in Europe."

Then everything is on track and Astroboy becomes a 9 million euros budget funded by co-producers : a Japanese one, two TV channels and Shibuya Productions. Caribara Productions (based in Paris, Annecy, Liège and Montréal) takes charge of the animation.

Other project, this time focused on cinema : "Lily and the magic pearl" by Anri Koulev, directed with Bulgaria and co-produced. The story is written by the poetist Valeri Petrov (1920-2014). Ben Cross (Star Trek 2009) is one of the dubbers. Biscay : "I want to offer a more confidential production, an auteur cinema which would never happen without our help."

"On the technical plan, the animated film is the neighbor of gaming. However, about the funding, it's very different. It's not the same intermediaries neither the same partners or the same mounting methods for budgets. Video games are still the most profitable : the potential gain is greater than an animated film. With television, it's difficult. Whereas with the cinema, when you see the complete success of The Minions..."

"We have already a big project for 2019. But from 2017, we hope to do one release per year at least."


http://i2.wp.com/modogameur.fr/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Affiche-MAGIC-francais-small.jpg?resize=852%2C600

Modogameur interview
http://modogameur.fr/interview-cedric-biscay-organisateur-du-magic/

Q : Can you tell us more about you ?
CB : Above all, I am passionate of Japanese animation and video games. In order to work in these sectors, I founded two companies. The first in Nice in 2002 (2003 in Japan), specialized in advising between Europe and Japan. The name is Shibuya International. The other in 2014 with as primary goal the creation of video games and cartoons and whose name is Shibuya Productions. The latter company has the distinction of being located in Monaco and Japan. I also give courses in Master video games at the École Polytechnique de Nice-Sophia Antipolis.

Q : Do you think that Magic can become an event as not-to-be-missed as the Paris Games Week ?
CB : If you believe the articles following the 2015 edition, the MAGIC is already a must-see event in regard to its guests, the cosplay contest and video game creation competition endowed with € 100,000. We have to work hard to go even further. Our event offers free entrance with a broad focus on the conferences and round tables, we have no plans to expand the stands and to welcome tens of thousands of visitors. Our aim is to always offer more quality for true fans. That year we had notably Yuji Naka (Sonic), Yoshitaka Amano (Final Fantasy), Shinji Hashimoto (Kingdom Hearts), Eric Chahi (Another World), Alain Damasio (Remember Me), Frederick Raynal (Alone in the Dark), Viktor Kalvachev (Blue Estate), Philippe Buchet (Sillage) without forgetting Yoichi Takahashi (Captain Tsubasa) who comes to France and Monaco for the first time.
The 2016 edition will announce the presence of Buichi Terasawa (Cobra), Yu Suzuki (Shenmue) Kavinsky (Drive), David Lloyd (V for Vendetta), Didier Tarquin and Christophe Arleston (Lanfeust) to name a few."

Q : Your favorite mangas and games ?
CB : So much to say ! But ok, the first that come to mind are Dragon Ball Z, Cobra, Death Note, Hokuto No Ken, Saint Seiya, Hikaru no go and many others ! About games : Shenmue, Enemy Zero, Bio hazard, Radiant Silvergun, Zelda Ocarina of Time, Virtua Fighter 4, Sega Rally , Super Mario Kart, F-Zero, Street Fighter Zero 3, Uncharted 2 … this is it I can not stop !

Q : How did you selected the prestigious guests for this second edition ?
CB : I must admit that it is mostly the likes of the team. We refuse to take the easy path and don't try to follow current mainstream topics for example. Most of our guests are not into a promotion logic but come to share a good time with their fans. The undeniable advantage is that it provides a greater depth to exchanges with the public. Similarly, we do not accept pay dedications or other system that would encourage our visitors to pay for the right to photograph or signature.

Q : What are your ambitions for future editions ?
CB : We would like to pass on two days because we are beginning to refuse a lot of opportunities because of too short time we have now. However, our will is to remain a free admission event, we are not financially able to do so now. We have to find more sponsors because remember that MAGIC is an event that we fund entirely by this means.

Q : Have you never thought about exporting the Magic outside Monaco to do big conferences like Japan Expo or even Paris Games Week ?
CB : For now this is certainly not news, but we do not exclude any serious track. I myself implanted Japan Expo in Marseille and Montpellier MIG, we want MAGIC retains its specificities. With us all guests are VIP!

UPDATE: I've finished adding translations of Yu Suzuki's talk for the first half, completing subtitles for the whole video.

The first half mainly covers content that has been seen before at the 2014 GDC, but it was still interesting to see this second take on it. One thing that is new is the slide explaining how the characters' moves from Virtua Fighter were mapped across to some of the main characters in Shenmue.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNkaLCzL6Z8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHwxjwISgKo

Most interesting parts :

(5:10) About MAGIC 2016 in February
There will be a progress statement. Normally, we have the ambition to show a trailer... well rather a teaser I'd like to clarify, with the first true reliable images so we're ambitious. At least, we'll see new things like images, explanations about the game, story, etc.

(16:29) About Yu Suzuki
He's very nice, infact we are basically great pals, that's the reason we work together as well and he's a very humble person ( note : Cédric stresses this point during the video because not all the creators he knows are friendly in the gaming/anime universe and sometimes act like divas ). I think he is humble because he did everything that was possible to do in the sector of gaming. I was always fascinated when he showed me photos of him with Spielberg or Mickael Jackson but with calm, not as someone like a stalker. And you know what, it was those people who were happy to be pictured with Suzuki because his games provided them a lot of fun and they wanted to collaborate with him. So he doesn't boast at all about it, he's really supercool, we get on very well, and above all, we often drink good wine together. He likes wine, so I do. It's generally the common lot of our discussions (laughs).
Question : Which wine is his favorite ?
Cédric : Well it's a bit of expansive wine (laughs). He enjoys the really great wines, the Château Margaux, etc.
Q : And Romanée-Conti, and goes on...
C : So, yeah I admit we didn't reach this level together yet but we drunk some Château Margaux from his own wine cellar.
Q : His Tokyo-based wine cellar, isn't it ?
C : Yeah, a mini wine cellar in his office at his home but I will say nothing because I own a wine cellar in my office too so I refuse to make fun of him (laughs).


(18:35)
C : The production is progressing well, we're not late at all, it's still planned for Christmas 2017 as we decided. You know, a big interest is there, it's a traditional month for the players. Ok there are other moments in the year but it's usually better to release a game at Christmas.

Q : Since when you're working on Shenmue III before the announcement exactly ?
C : I admit we're not talking a lot about things like that, I don't want to be already impolite but (laughs) it's kind of confidential.

(19:51)
Sega is the IP owner. So for us, making Shenmue III is a huge risk because we don't own the IP. If you own the IP, that means you make a big return on investment. In our case for example, our return on investment will only be from the sales, period. We will not see the money generated by the goodies for example.

I think there are 200 000 big fans.

About AAA status
(Shenmue III) will not be Call of Duty but it will be a really good PS4 game and will easily meet the current PS4 standards.

My hidden goal was $5 million (for kickstarter).

(23:45)
What I anticipate is that Sega releases Shenmue I & II HD. Of course I must make clear that's not official but just what I wish. For me, it's the only viable way for selling well Shenmue III, so beyond the fans network. We also thought about doing a little manga or animation based on Shenmue I & II story but that's nothing compared to remake Shenmue in HD version. About the question you ask me about the hype, while it did not influence us, I think it can for others. I have the feeling that now everybody is interested in Shenmue, for example, at the companies level, to release related goodies.

Q : When was your first encounter with Yu Suzuki, how, and around which wine you seduced him ?
C : Basically, I was interested to meet him. I met him in Tokyo thanks a common friend. Then we talked about a lot of things, firstly Shenmue of course as a fan but I'm also fan of Virtua Fighter so we had a lot of common things to talk. I also bring him to an event in the south of France, then the Anime Game Show at Monaco in 2013 where the official discussion about Shenmue seriously started out because before this moment, it was really impossible as Sega didn't want to let the IP at all. So we're become real friends and we met again several times at San Francisco. We also did together the GDC , the Napa Valley as you mentionned wine. So we indeed drunk all the great American wines while discussing about how to find fundings for Shenmue III. Well it looks quite simple but you know, I do my business since almost 15 years in Japan, you can't meet Yu Suzuki so easily but thanks my job, the doors open a little more easily.

Q : Indeed, a bit like the Jet Set. The hardest part is to get in, and you did it.
C : I would say rather the Jet Set of Gaming (laughs)


(40:08)
Q : How many people are working on Shenmue III development, currently and actively ?
C : Well, our friend Suzuki didn't allow me to talk. He said to me "Don't talk about it, they will discuss again, etc". So sorry I can't answer your question (laughs).

Q : But it's a lot of people, isn't it ?
C : Yes of course, it's a video game so there is a minimum. Moreover, since the annoucement in June, we received so many requests from people who want to participate in the developement, that never stops ! There are even developers who want to work FOR FREE, it's insane. Then it smoothed down a little. For the Shibuya Production mail, I receive personally only 3 or 4 emails per week while in June, it was crazy, they were dozens and dozens of people per day, phone calls with "We want to participate in Shenmue III". [...] There were Australians, Japaneses, Ukrainians... they weren't random guys in their garages but true studios !

Q : Can we suppose that the team, although mainly Japanese, is pretty international ?
C : The team is essentially Japanese but with indeed some foreigners who live in Japan, who speak Japanese. You know that if you don't speak Japanese, it's very complicated... well I'm saying but I don't speak Japanese (laughs), but if you're working among a team, it's difficult.


(41:57)
Q : Will the PC version be optimized compared to the PS4 version ?
C : Good question, I would say "Yes".

(56:15)
Q : Outside the kickstarter, will a physical version be available ?
C : Yes absolutely.

(59:10)
Q : Will the PS4 and PC versions cost a different price ?
C : No at the moment but it's something that can change for multiple reasons. But at the moment, no.

People calm down. :)

There will be an update before the end of the year, I'm pretty sure about that.

If not about Shenmue 3 development (As others, I can easily live with it as far as we know development is on track and goes smoothly. The China conference news are more than positive from this point of view) at least about the Slacker Backer campaign.

Cédric Biscay stated several times that PC rewards will come before the end of the PayPal campaign and there are no reasons so far, not to trust him.

Beside that... I still have some hopes about a Playstation Experience annoucement/update.
This would be a perfect time to give a few more info, about Shenmue 3 or (from the most optimistic angle) even Shenmue HD and give the PayPal campaign, a final boost.

Pretty much this. No need to ask for strict updates on the dot, they are not being performance managed. I'm sure something will be shown at PSX, that's just around the corner.

Why would you do an update now when you can go with more glitz at PSX.

A few weeks ago Jibbs.

Corsi and Boye's flew to Tokyo, but I can't remember if it was Shenmue specific, or what the nature of the trip was. But they did say they were having dinner and checking up on the Shenmue 3 development. Some also speculating that it was to arrange some sort of announcement at PSX at the weekend.

I completely forgot this. Tbh, I'm 10x more intrigued by the team identity rather than what the game currently is.

Probably some japanese programmers and artists :P
I have a theory, and this is unsubstantiated, but based on Yu asking Cedric not to talk about the staff for Shenmue 3:

It was not a reference to the size of the team. It was instead the makeup of it. I think Sony may be providing a few bodies from Japan Studio (if I recall Japan Studio is a very fluid team who can often end up working on many projects anyway and aren't assigned to specific teams).

In a wilder version of this theory, Cerny himself might be doing some consulting, and SEGA may be providing a few people from AM2.

The reason this couldn't be talked about is because it would of course stir up the "OMG SONY FINANCING SHENMUE 3 YU LIED SCAM SCAM SCAM" headlines again.

I wish. I mean... I wish all of that.

But problably, it's some japanese programmer / artist (Which is not bad anyway :mrgreen: )

Cedric has said there are some internationals working on Shenmue 3, all of them can speak Japanese, citing it's impossible to work such project without understanding the communication from the director.

Japanese staff are easier, cheaper to hire than Western staff since the wage/salary expectations in Japan are much lower. With all the slow downs in Japanese gaming companies, I'm sure plenty of good talent has gone to work in Shenmue 3.

Kiske wrote: Call me names (well, possibly after The PSX 2015 ) but when I look at their faces, I can't help but think they know.



Do they know we know they know, I don't know

You know they know we know. How could you not know?

As a Kickstarter backer, I believe Paypal backers should also get the same rewards. There are a number of reasons why someone might not have backed with KS - such as an unaccepted credit card. These potential backers should not be left out due to something beyond their control. If it brings in more funds for Shenmue 3 by offering these KS "Exclusives" to the Paypal crowd, then it's a no-brainer. I have no problem with it and cannot understand why anyone else would.

PS: Still can't get over how beautiful Guilin looks so early in to development...

I've been tweeting and retweeting over the past 5 hours and I even got a friend to donate a third pledge of $60 :)

Sega's twitter pages will be flooded by now (going by the live feed), with tweets that are honest and passionate about how much the HD releases are wanted.

I couldn't be more proud of the Shenmue community! =D>

Exactly!!! This game will be an experience where YOU determine how long it becomes. I'm getting angry, so if I drop some language here, apologies in advance...

But I bet anyone on here any of mine, fuck it, and your prized possessions David, that there will be people on here who blaze through the story and if it lasts 2 hours, come on here and bitch about how short it was. How we didn't raise enough money. How Yu is out if touch. How the KS was a failure etc. All because they are negative dicks. They love seeing things fail.

FYI, if anyone wants to know... If you play Shenmue 2 with a new game plus (giving the ability to hit B to skip cutscenes), then the game can be completed in 2:47:00 glitchless. The world record for glitched is just under 2 hours. So is Shenmue II a short game? Never heard one person say that in 12 years, in fact, the opposite is more the opinion.

Some scans via the Sega forums of Suzuki talking about the Tower of Babel tech demo back in the day:

http://web.archive.org/web/20150728031612im_/http://img269.imageshack.us/img269/1272/66172420.jpg

Does anyone know anything about the boat demo mentioned in the image above?

http://web.archive.org/web/20150728031611im_/http://img269.imageshack.us/img269/2554/41771333.jpg

http://web.archive.org/web/20150726030635im_/http://img269.imageshack.us/img269/8164/80223411.jpg

http://web.archive.org/web/20150726030635im_/http://img269.imageshack.us/img269/9079/65354330.jpg

Also, never noticed this line of text in the paragraph about the PayPal Campaign - "Delivery of rewards/perks are subject to best efforts and not guaranteed." - so buying stuff via paypal might not be guarenteed? o0

I wouldn't worry.

English version :

Delivery of rewards/perks are subject to best efforts and not guaranteed.

Japanese version :

またリワードは、責任をもって皆様にお届け致します。

From the Japanese version, the message is a bit different : Regarding rewards, we're taking responsibility and will deliver/send them to everyone. (quickly translated, but you get the message)

There's no mention of "not guaranteed" or "are subject to best efforts".

I don't see them earning money without sending the proper rewards. Don't worry. ;-)

The January 1999 edition of the Dreamcast Magazine contained a multi-part feature on Shenmue. This first installment is a translation of Part 1: the Shenmue Premiere event, and the remaining parts will be coming in future posts. While reading the article, you can really feel the breathless excitement that surrounded the original game before its release.

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

Background to the article : as part of the build-up to the release of Shenmue, and following on the heels of the Shenmue Premiere event that had been held the previous month in Yokohama, the Japanese Dreamcast Magazine ("DoriMaga") published this 16-page special report covering various aspects about what could be expected with the as-yet unreleased Shenmue.

The feature consists of these parts:
Part 1. Shenmue Premiere Event (this post)
Part 2. The World of Shenmue ( here )
Part 3. The Hero and Other Characters (future post)
Part 4. It's Magic! Special Effects and Production (future post)
Part 5. Interview with Yu Suzuki (future post)

Related links :
1. Project Berkley article translation (Nov 1998)
2. Shenmue Premiere Event video (short version, English subtitles) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QM2bkUm1eT8



PART 1: Shenmue Premiere Event, 20 Dec 1998

http://i.imgur.com/jMCinwCt.png http://i.imgur.com/MuqhZQXt.png http://i.imgur.com/CPZ9CnFt.png http://i.imgur.com/9pV5ODft.png

Special Report! Two Hours of Quivering Emotion
Yu Suzuki Finally Removes the Veil from his Latest Release.

Ever since the title of the game was announced, Yu Suzuki's latest game Shenmue has been wrapped in a shroud of secrecy. It is of a mind-boggling scale and employs graphics of the highest quality which are rendered completely in real time. Together these define a new genre: FREE. Our super magazine feature is a must-read!

Shenmue: Heating Things Up in Yokohama!!

On Sunday December 20th, a day blessed with fine cloudless weather with a maximum temperature of 13 degrees Celsius, a stream of fans arrived from early in the morning to attend the Premiere Event for Yu Suzuki's latest creation, Shenmue, hosted at Pacifico Yokohama. The event, held 3 times in total over a day that was filled with excitement and applause, was a huge success.

The densely-packed two hours flew by in an instant. It included an orchestral performance, eye-popping images and demo gameplay on actual consoles, and left the attendees quivering with emotion. The event drew together all the attractions of Shenmue. We followed proceedings from before the start of the presentation, so let us share with you a taste of that atmosphere.


http://i.imgur.com/7wQwvSbm.png http://i.imgur.com/irvgERzm.png
Left: The line of attendees who arrived early in the morning grew before our very eyes. The person at the front of the line had been there since 6AM. Right: A "handshake event" was held, featuring former Managing Director Yukawa & Hiroshi Fujioka .


http://i.imgur.com/9OG6u5Xt.png
The bustling first-floor lobby was decorated in Christmas colors, with photo sticker booths and merchandise for sale. Top officials from SEGA also gathered here!


Opening with a 30-minute, Four-movement Orchestral Performance!!

Premiere Event: Scene 1

The attendees were shown one after another into the scenically-situated Pacifico Yokohama event center. At the bell announcing the start of the performance, an image with the word "RPG?" was displayed on-screen for 1 minute 20 seconds, as previously seen at last autumn's Tokyo Game Show and elsewhere. After that, the main theme of Shenmue quietly began to play. Most amazing to the attendees must have been the length of the orchestral performance - fully thirty minutes. The orchestra was situated in front of the first row of seating, and played all four soothing movements of the Shenmue theme. Accompanied by a harmony of light and images, it drew the listeners into the world of Shenmue. Already the attendees were captivated by this opening, which set it far apart from a mere game event. Following this, the two event presenters made their entrance together with Yu Suzuki!


http://i.imgur.com/KGpLCyUm.png http://i.imgur.com/0CwdFqcm.png
Left: A large number of developers and guests, as well as SEGA employees, wait impatiently for the curtain to rise. Attendees filled the seating to the third floor. Right: The orchestral performance lasted for a whole thirty minutes! However the soothing Shenmue composition made you lose sense of time.


Reiko Chiba and Shigeaki Saegusa in MC roles!!

http://i.imgur.com/pw5KuhJt.png http://i.imgur.com/qSqPibot.png http://i.imgur.com/WTObOKHt.png
Left: Taking on the role of MC for this event was Reiko Chiba . Being an expert gamer, she also made insightful comments. Center: Composer Shigeaki Saegusa also took the stage. Not long ago, he resigned as an external director of SEGA due to his many other commitments. He was superb as master of ceremonies. Right: Fulfilling Yu Suzuki's promise to show "plenty of images", more than 70 minutes' worth of Shenmue material was shown, together with detailed commentary. The entire audience was overwhelmed.


Everything you need to know about Shenmue original merchandise!!

There is already a rich line-up of Shenmue related items. We'll reveal the splendid take-home goodies that are on everyone's lips, as well as the merchandise in the sales area!

This is the Shenmue merchandise that was available in the sales area. Fittingly for the season, calendars were popular sellers, but there were also some gorgeous limited-edition items. And the quality of the official brochure must be seen to be believed.


http://i.imgur.com/4M7LkB8m.png
From the top left: calendar (2500 yen), original print signed by Yu Suzuki (limited batch, 50,000 yen), poster (4 types, 1500 yen each), notepad (300 yen each), mouse pad (600 yen each), figurine (expected price 2000 yen each, on sale from March 1st), plastic folder (350 yen), telephone card (1000 yen), premiere event limited-edition ball-point pen (limit of 1000 pens, 2000 yen each), ball-point pen (200 yen), CD single (price to be determined), mug (800 yen). From January 18th (Monday) this merchandise will be on sale at places like SEGA Freaks Akihabara branch, SEGA Freaks Fuse branch, Joypolis (Tokyo / Shinjuku / Yokohama / Fukuoka branches).


These splendid items were handed out for free to attendees of the premiere event. You too can receive them (excluding the Christmas card) by attending any of the events to be held in 5 cities across the country. Also we have a special give-away of 10 sets to DoriMaga readers!

http://i.imgur.com/sUFHfWhm.png http://i.imgur.com/KiOEuiim.png http://i.imgur.com/CQ3c4KFm.png
http://i.imgur.com/DuYRLFtm.png http://i.imgur.com/oFCmGDtm.png http://i.imgur.com/ozPQhcct.png http://i.imgur.com/7DZIznEm.png
1. 3-fold pamphlet: the background color sets it apart from the official brochure that was on sale, being a different color. Perfect for showing it off! 2. Music CD. The CD contains 2 songs: the main theme and Shenhua's theme. 3. Tattoo stickers: these include the Shenmue logo, the game title and emblems. 4. Christmas card. This was included only at the Yokohama event, and was a Christmas card of Shenhua. 5. Notepad: a handy notepad. The game title (in Roman characters) is written on each page. 6. Shenhua figurine: the prize item must be this Shenhua figurine. Height 15cm. 7. T-shirt: A black T-shirt with the Shenmue title at the front, and Phoenix emblem at the back.


Premiere Event: Scene 2

Live demonstration on a Dreamcast!!

After showing in succession a Making Of Shenmue video, an eye-opening clip introducing the characters, and images and commentary about Magic Weather, the venue heated up further. Toward the middle of the event, actual gameplay was demonstrated on Dreamcast consoles, including Quick Timer Events and a gambling scene. Each scene had been prepared separately on one of 4 Dreamcasts and various aspects were demonstrated. Following that, a video was shown with a message from Bajiquan master Lian Zhi Wu.

http://i.imgur.com/NWDqnv4m.png
During the demo play, a QTE chase scene, a battle, and a gambling scene were exhibited as well as Magic Weather. Game designer Mr Okayasu also made an appearance.

Live streaming to the internet!

Live internet streaming was set up for each of the three events held on the day, and they were broadcast to the world. Dreamcast users were able to view an abridged "newsflash" edition.

http://i.imgur.com/jZJHNnlt.png
Mr Oshii, who attended the second event. "I wasn't interested in the computer graphics, but I'm glad I was able to meet a girl like Shenhua", he commented.

Premiere Event: Scene 3

Actors for the main characters also took the stage!

As the presentation neared the end, the actors for each of the Shenmue characters took the stage and addressed the audience.
http://i.imgur.com/IPfzc7sm.png
Hiroshi Fujioka was the last to enter the stage. "I'm greatly moved", he proclaimed.

Character: Ryo Hazuki ( Masaya Matsukaze )
http://i.imgur.com/iQwLzbnm.png
"I had a heap of lines, so it was tough", says Matuskaze, who plays Ryo. Shenmue is fully voiced!

Character: Shenhua Ling (Hazuki Ishigaki)
http://i.imgur.com/tbYevpZm.png
Ishigaki, who plays Shenhua, already has quite a fan following. Her slightly ditzy (?) personality went down well with the attendees!

Character: Wuying Ren (Takumi Hagiwara)
http://i.imgur.com/VY6iSRcm.png
Yu Suzuki spoke favorably of Hagiwara, commenting "He performs the role of Ren elsewhere, just by being himself". He's cool, but underneath a fine young man?

Character: Iwao Hazuki (Hiroshi Fujioka)
http://i.imgur.com/kXDvumPm.png
Fujioka had considerable stage presence. His smart, suited figure made a striking impression.

Premiere Event: Scene 4:

Director Yukawa will be participating in further premiere events nationally in 5 of the largest cities throughout the New Year!!
http://i.imgur.com/MSoDVyrt.png
"Shenmue is amazing. It will sell well and I will return as managing director", laughed the former Managing Director Yukawa, who was last to be introduced. Going forward, he will also be making appearances throughout the country.


The two-hour presentation reached its finale in the blink of an eye. At the end, videos shown included an extraordinary scene of ducking and weaving through a forest - unbelievably, the graphics were rendered in real time! With attendees feeling extremely satisfied, the event began to wind up. The guests who were introduced together with Director Yukawa differ at each of the three event showings: at the second one was Mamoru Oshii , a grandmaster of the anime world, and CG creator Daizaburo Harada; at the third was actress Kaoru Sugita made an appearance. I wonder if the attendees felt a bit lucky?

For those people who weren't able to attend, the same presentation will be held in various cities in the New Year, so if you are a Dreamcast owner then you should definitely go. We'll be covering them in a future edition!

Shenmue: presentations coming soon to 5 large cities!!

Two showings will be held at each venue. First: 1PM - 3PM. Second: 4PM - 6PM.
Jan 9, 1999 (Sat): Osaka Welfare Hall, Osaka [2500 people per event]
Jan 10 (Sun): Fukuoka Sun Palace, Fukuoka [2500 people per event]
Jan 15 (Fri): Hokkaido Welfare Hall, Sapporo [2500 people per event]
Jan 16 (Sat): Sendai International Center, Sendai [1000 people per event]
Jan 17 (Sun): Aichi Labor Hall, Nagoya [1500 people per event]


It's Time to Reveal the Truth of Shenmue!
Future Parts

Part 2: The World and Areas of Shenmue
Following our report in Part 1 on the Premiere Event, we will look at all the things about Shenmue that have until now been covered with a veil of mystery - taking each in order, one at a time. "What I wanted to make is a single, real world" -- we look at this surprising concept and examine a number of the latest Dreamcast images backing it up. It's now time to reveal the world that Yu Suzuki has spent three years creating.
http://i.imgur.com/hp1VHz6.png
The world of Shenmue, of which a large number of images were shown at the Premiere Event. The fact that even these represent only a small part of the huge world is nothing more than remarkable.

Part 3: The Hero and Other Characters

His name is Ryo Hazuki -- the main character, who travels Shenmue's astonishing world and space as the player's alter ego, is a completely new character who has been made especially for the game. We look at the characters, so full of charm, and the actors behind them... Watch out for the full-scale action modelling that brings the characters to life without any use of video clips.
http://i.imgur.com/POmp9E7.png
The hero of Shenmue, Ryo Hazuki, who was revealed for the first time at the Premiere Event venue, along with this poster. The movie scene which brought this illustration to life left a vivid impression!

Part 4: It's Magic! Special Effects and Production

Two types of "magic" have been cast on the huge but finely-detailed world: "Time Control" and "Magic Weather". The introduction of these two new technologies gives the world of Shenmue an unprecedented realism. This means that even for the same room or place, every player will see something different!
http://i.imgur.com/LECcxhH.png
"Magic" has been cast on Shenmue to make you feel as if you are there. We delve into the secrets.

Part 5: Interview with Yu Suzuki

On a certain day in December, an urgent press event was held just for members of the magazine industry, in order to uncover all the mysteries surrounding Shenmue, from its concept to its origins. We look at a number of new facts that were revealed which have not been spoken about at the Premiere Event, as well as a message from Chinese Bajiquan grand master Lian Zhi Wu.
http://i.imgur.com/ORIHxL6.png
We'll cover the themes of Shenmue, including its main catch-phrase "Keep friends, those you love, close to you", and reveal new facts for the first time. In this last part, Yu Suzuki speaks!

Because I clearly have too much time on my hands right now, here's the daily progress of the Slacker Backer campaign since November 2nd (the earliest data I have). Dates in capitals indicate precise amounts for that day, all others are averages due to the totals not being updated on the website.

http://s17.postimg.org/mx2el0dtb/Slacker_Backer_Per_Day.png

It's a gradually positive trend overall, but the next stretch goal won't be reached at the current rate of incline. That will only happen with a significant shift in gears during these final days, which is not unthinkable but would certainly be helped by some last minute additions/changes to the campaign.

Nice topic! I made up an achievement list for a Shenmue HD on XBLA a couple of years ago already, in 2011 to be exact. It even had the numbers of how much each achievement is worth but I decided to get rid of them here.

It might not be the most creative or funniest list but a very realistic approach of how an actual achievement list could be constructed. You know, covering all the bases and have the player try out everything the game has to offer with some coming naturally as the story progresses and others being a challenge but entirely possible with practice.

Darts Pro
Finish a Darts 7 game with a score of 500 or more

Neo Darts Pro
Finish a Neo Darts game with a score of 400 or more

Endless QTE
Reach 100.000 points at Excite QTE 2

Prize Fighter
Reach 250.000 points at QTE Title

Winning Run
Earn 7.500.000 points in Hang-On

Squilla Killa
Earn 7.500.000 points in Space Harrier

Cool Gambler
Collect 1000 tokens at the slot house

I won!
Win the 1st , 2nd or 3rd prize at the raffle

Sega Collector
Get one of the toy capsule consoles

Music Freak
Buy all cassette tapes

Master of all arts
Learn all the martial arts techniques

Training always pays off
Train a move to the maximum level

Clean getaway
Win a fight with full health

Photo album of 1986
Find and get all photos

Walkie Talkie
Talk to every shop owner in town

Around the clock
Reach a total playtime of 24 hours

Half a marathon
Run for a total of 21098 meters

Target locked
Lock on to a total of 100 objects

As strong as a hundred men
Defeat a total of 100 enemies

Blockhead
Collide with walls or objects a total of 200 times

Fast reflexes
Reach an average QTE reaction time of 0,99 seconds or less

Now that's an achaivement
Do something you thought would be impossible

Secret achievements

All good deeds shall be rewarded
Helped the old lady in Sakuragaoka

Welcome to the city
Reached Dobuita

Billards Pro
Sunk the ball in one shot at the MJQ Jazz Bar

A tattoo on his arm
Found Charlie

A kitten named...
Gave the little kitten a name

Mysterious letter
Recieved the letter to Iwao

Quencher
Gave Wang something to drink

104 Directory
Used the telephone directory to find out where area 61 is

Earth and Sea
Reached the harbor

An old friend
Made friends with the homeless man at the harbor

Heaven, Dragon, Earth, Comrad
Met Master Chen

The secret of the Hazuki Dojo
Found the hidden basement of the Hazuki Dojo

Got it!
Found the phoenix mirror

Destination Hong Kong
Bought a ticket to Hong Kong

Damn punks
Learned about the Mad Angels

Working man
Found a job at the harbor

Grand Prix
Won the forklift race

Hats off to the hard working man
Delivered all crates on a day at work

The Mad Angels are after you
Caught the attention of the Mad Angels

You're not getting away this time
Defeated Charlie at the harbor

Who's the boss?
Found out who's the leader of the Mad Angels

Can I use your motorcycle?
Reached the harbor in time

All your fault
Saved Nozomi from the Mad Angels

You and what gang?
Defeated Terry's entire gang

Heegh
Defeated Chai

Departure on a new trip
Completed the game

That should be Awesome Japan job to make sure that only Kickstarter backers can vote... If there is a way.
It appears to me anyway that the second round for the poll is only rethorical.
Every sane KS backer will understand that more funds means a better game. In the end, everybody wins with exclusive rewards remaining in the "backers" family.

Edit. Well... trolls. Are they really so many? Thinking yes sounds a little bit paranoid to me.
There's a way, but it's probably not possible via survey monkey. When Double Fine did their kickstarter for broken age, the documentary videos were hosted from Vimeo and set up so that they would only work when embedded or linked from kickstarter pages. From a technical standpoint, it's a matter of checking the referrer to see where they clicked the link from.

Last I checked the Twitter poll, it was very much unanimous towards allowing the Kickstarter rewards via PayPal. I'm all for it, but my reasoning is not even from a money standpoint. (Although that's a plus.) I'm in favor of it because they did promise Paypal for the people who weren't able to pay directly via Kickstarter. I think those people who would have paid on KS but couldn't deserve the same rewards because they wanted to pledge but could not. I know especially for people outside the US that it's easier to pledge via paypal than kickstarter. That, and we're still over 20 months away from release at this point. It's very much a pre-order at this point, and so funding can still make a big impact on project scope.

I suppose trolling is a possibility, it happened throughout the entire kickstarter with some of the limited rewards like the jacket having it's pledge removed minutes before the campaign ended. It could go either way though, because there were backers in the comments on KS who sounded pretty angry about the idea of offering "exclusive" rewards to people later. It does seem more likely for trolls to vote no though, if they want to see the project get less money. I don't think a result of no would have much impact on the funding though, we've already seen that the amount they've gotten via Paypal is very little compared to kickstarter. Most slacker backer campaigns don't make much, and I don't think additional rewards will make a huge difference.

I do think the add-on / upgrade system will make a somewhat more impactful jump to the level of funding than just regular PayPal pledging did. I personally am waiting for it; I pledged a fairly decent amount on Kickstarter, but I could probably add a few hundred more at this point.

$6,498,224 ---> $6,498,724 (I pledged $500)

http://s21.postimg.cc/wj4inbu0n/6point5.png

Despite the recent announcement of an extension to the Shenmue 3 Slacker Backer campaign beyond its original deadline of December 31st, fans have already now pushed the total raised above $6.5 million, unlocking the Ragdoll Reactions stretch goal. The next stretch goal currently awaits at the $7 million mark.

In response to the campaign's extension, the Winning Can Raffle has also been extended into the new year, allowing fans to win rare Shenmue prizes through continued Slacker Backer participation.

Honestly, I think the lack of a massive budget will be a sort of test for Suzuki. For the first time, he will be working without significant financial resources in the form of an independent gaming studio to produce something of value.

If he is the radical financial thinker some say he is, he'll be able to produce something that blows away the previous two games on time and below budget.

What makes me confident about his abilities in that field so far is how responsive he has been with regard to the community, i.e., the hiring of Kid Nocon. That shows that he is willing to bring in people that (a) have a real connection to both it [the community] and the series, (b) have a real handle on the Unreal 4 engine and (c) have shown that they are able to do amazing things while lacking in financial resources.

I'm currently working on the Guilin music compilation video. Aiming to get it done by the end of the month.

Kiske wrote:
Beeing a martial arts master doesn't give you the ability to fly.

Wrong

Fan art of Niao Sun:



Source: https://twitter.com/r_wuying/status/683898350744121344

I find their interpretation of the poll results dumb, but what frustrates me the most is 90%+ of the time, they are the cause of the negativity surrounding Shenmue 3.

Im gonna go ahead and say it, something needs to be done about this company sooner rather than later. There's been too many mistakes and errors that have had a negative impact on Shenmue.

Im 100% certain the KS could have reached 7 - 8 million if AJ didn't continuously screw things up. I mean we've turned a blind eye several times to their nonsense and given them chance after chance, but lets be real, this will happen again and again, im certain of that.

Research past media reports and analysis videos and you'll see they are the cause of most of the problems.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1121020

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnvy0yzgVWc

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

These guys are getting paid good money to do a relatively easy and amazing job in its own right, but they still fuck up. They are responsible for media relations, communication and the campaign itself, yet they make no attempt to promote the campaign, no attempt to gather further support, no attempt to communicate or make exclusive deals with media outlets to gain further interest, etc, etc.

We, the fans have done everything since Shenmue 3 has been announced. We've promoted, we've used our youtube friends to spread the word, we've created new campaigns, made exclusive deals with companies such as first four figures, Corey Marshall, etc etc etc. Some of us have been keeping the dream alive over on other message boards and damage controlling like crazy to clear up doubts and confusion. Doubts and confusion that shouldn't have been there in the first place.

You have to ask yourself, why are we doing everything??? We all have jobs, study etc, yet we still find time to continuously push Shenmue 3 for the greater good, for free i might add. It comes from passion and Love. These guys dont do anything, and its their full time job????

Awesome Japan clearly have no real interest in the project. The sad fact is, they'll be able to take full credit for the most successful KS ever and they didnt do fuck all to help.

Maybe this situation is a lot more complex, but as a backer who has placed around $1000 into the project, im unhappy with the way things are going. Personally, if i was apart of the project in a more executive manner, like cedric or Sony, Id fire these guys as soon as possible, or pay their contract off, so that they could be replaced by a more competent team.

#SaveShenmuefromAwesomeJapan

We can expect a new update in the coming times as AJ sent me an email :
Hello Yokosuka,

Thank you very much for bringing this to our attention.

We will do our best to clear up this misunderstanding as we are certainly not retiring any existing Paypal rewards.

Thank you very much for your support and for keeping an eye out for us.

Best regards,

Oscar &
The Shenmue 3 Team

Could you slip in a new screenshot or something related to Shenmue III AJ ? That would be too bad to make an official update to thousands of backers just for this. :)

"those Exclusive Rewards will not be made available on the PayPal page as originally promised."

Is it me or a lot of media interpreted wrongly this AJ's sentence ? I don't remember AJ stated any promises about making the Kickstarter exclusive rewards available for Paypal backers.

1.) We will have to expect that some of those who backed the PayPal are probably not well informed about the nature of the situation and will be induced by the Anti-Shenmue Gaming Media and Troll Brigade to ask for refunds.

I know it's a sad thing to see happen, but we have to look at things for what they are.

2.) As some people said, as much as we have to blame "Awesome" Japan for all of this, we have to call to task the people behind the series as well.

I mean, it is clear that Ys Net and Shibuya Productions are signing off on many of the things AJ is doing and it would be foolish and immature to ignore that. Thus, it is their responsibility to go over what they have approved of to avoid something similar from happening again.

3.) At the risk of sounding redundant, the best thing for the people behind the series to do now would be to offer unique rewards for the PayPal backers. It will shut down the perception that they intended to do this all along, assuage hurt feelings and stop the current Anti-Shenmue attacks.

The biggest problem here is the poor wording AJ have used in there kickstarter update, which has made people who aren't in the know like us, think that what they're actually saying is as bad as it reads. So everyone spreading the false information has literally read that line as non of the rewards will be offered to Paypal backers. As in, everyone who has already backed using the Paypal site can just wave bye to their money and they won't even get the game. That's the way the information is being spread around at the moment. I tried to correct every comment on that Polygon link, because the response from users was so naive it's untrue, but unfortunately I guess some automated system banned me for "spamming", so non of my replies have stood.

It's a shame this is happening, because it is truely damaging, it's not just this one news website, and it's not even the others, it's the combination of them all, and the users that are reading this misinformation who then in turn spread it aswell. This is literally a complete fuck up by AJ, and it's crazy that it hasn't been corrected by now. Everything seems to take them so long. Why are they allowing the game, and the campaign to be shat on like this, the internet is full enough of trolls in general, but feeding them something like this to farm off, and not trying to stop it, makes them seem plausible.

I know it's disgusting the way these sites and news outlets work looking for clickbait, and right now I wouldn't expect them to report any good things about the project, or if AJ had corrected the misinformation, I wouldn't expect them to make a big headline about it, they're only looking for the negatives of course...I don't know if this particular story is fixable right now - but they haven't even tried as of yet which is making the whole situation rather stressful, watching random people bash the game series based on something that isn't remotely affecting the quality of the game.

Awesome Japan is the real life Asia Travel Company.

Dear Members,

In light of the recent controversy regarding the active PayPal Slacker Backer campaign and the respective polling that was conducted, we at the Dojo feel that it is important to set the record straight and to provide the community at-large with an accurate briefing on what has transpired.

Following up an initial earlier poll that was posted via Twitter, a second poll was conducted which was open to all backers of the Kickstarter campaign which terminated many months ago. This poll, which ran from 12/24/2015 to 1/01/2016, asked participants whether or not Kickstarter “Exclusive Rewards” should be made available for the Slacker Backer campaign. While the results of the polling and the responses from the over 15,000 participants were rather mixed, it was ultimately decided that the “Exclusive” Rewards would not be made available on the PayPal page as originally stipulated.

Following this announcement within the Kickstarter Project Update #51, there was much confusion and uncertainty regarding the status and validity of the entire PayPal campaign. It was postulated by some that all backers of the campaign would not receive the rewards they thought they confirmed with their contributions, with some going further to state that the backers would receive no rewards at all. This could not be farther from the truth and is a gross misrepresentation of what has been announced by Awesome Japan & YS Net. To be clear: ALL EXISTING PAYPAL REWARDS (ARE) WILL REMAIN INTACT AND ARE NOT AFFECTED BY THE RECENT POLL. THIS LATEST POLL ACTED MERELY TO ASCERTAIN WHETHER REWARDS THAT HAD BEEN OMITTED FROM THE ORIGINAL KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN SHOULD BE INCLUDED ADDITIONALLY IN THE PAYPAL CAMPAIGN. NO REWARDS ARE BEING TAKEN AWAY FROM ANY BACKERS; ONLY NO ADDITIONAL REWARDS WILL BE ADDED FOR THOSE WHO HAVE OR INTEND TO CONTRIBUTE VIA PAYPAL.

It is important to note that Awesome Japan has in-fact addressed this issue directly to fans who have inquired about their methodology. In a response to this inquiry they stated: “…While the votes in favor of removing exclusivity marginally outnumbered those against, they did not represent a majority opinion in the poll. The poll numbers do show that there are also many backers who do not wish to give up their exclusive rewards. We feel that the logical conclusion to these results is to leave exclusivity as it is because there was not enough support to justify making an exception to go back on our original promise.” While there have been instances in which Awesome Japan has presented developments regarding Shenmue 3 in a rather unclear and ambiguous manner, they nevertheless have proven to be passionate and dedicated towards the greater project and all of us in the community should continue to vest our confidence in them. As with any project with this scope and unprecedented magnitude, there are bound to be mistakes that will occur and it is essential for all us to remain united in our cause and to not pass rash judgment on them or on fellow community members; such conduct will only serve to impede the proper release of the game that we have waited over a decade to have in our collective midst.

We as a community have persevered through much over the past few years, which makes what we have achieved in the past 6 months that much more remarkable and inspiring. However, we must recognize that our journey has not yet concluded and that there is still much we can contribute towards the realization of our dream of having Shenmue 3 become a reality. A major part of this contribution is to facilitate a community which is open and embracing to all who find value through the experience of Shenmue and the sharing of what the series represents to each of us. Let us not forget about the diversity in perspective and point of view that exists within our community and let us coalesce these outlooks to make our voices heard in fruitful ways.

Thank you for your time and as always: Keep Friends.

The Shenmue Dojo Staff

This is getting completely out of hand now, i'm seeing more and more clickbait news sites and people talking about how no one is receiving their rewards if they backed via paypal. Everyone reading and watching these stories are taking this as the truth and spreading their own hate towards the game. It's really getting on my tits now. Just seen this video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfEvJ3VYQPs - and while I don't want to give them views and clicks, these videos need down votes and comments to correct the false bullshit they're getting in gamers heads. We're going to have a really poor launch if every new potential player writes the game off without playing it because of all the "bad" things they heard about it while it was being made. If you do go on that video and see my comment (username TheSkillJim), upvote my comment aswell so it gets higher up for people to see.

Last Yu's thought about open world : http://otakumode.com/news/55c62e97887d92a516b043ae/Interview-with-Yu-Suzuki-Producer-of-the-%E2%80%9CShenmue%E2%80%9D-Series?page=3
When Shenmue was released, we didn’t use the term “open world.” At the time, digging deep into multiple subjects at the same time would have caused imbalances in the budget, so delving into one subject at a time was mostly common sense. The reason for that is that if you divide 10 resources for 10 subjects, you can only get a performance ratio of one. However, if you put 10 resources to one subject, you can dig 10 times deeper, achieving an accordingly higher performance, and this is why games at the time shared the theory of delving deeper into just a few themes. However, by applying the above-mentioned automatic programming method, you can raise the performance per subject above one, which disproves this theory.

Otaku Mode journalist : This way, the program covers for human costs.

S: Exactly. For instance, even if it’s made with few resources, if you can get good performance by making free use of the program, you can make it possible to enjoy a taste of 10 different themes in one game. Taking the army knife used on mountains as an example, there was a theory stating that since all of its available functions are crude, you would be better off having just one knife. But the improvement of technology caused all the qualities of the knife to improve, thus prompting a change in our sense of value. This is a similar situation. Shenmue was the first in the game industry to have crossed that boundary of values.

At that time, I said, “Let’s improve the degree of freedom and increase the number of options,” and I often used the word “free” as opposed to “open world.” At some point, “free” became “open world,” and putting aside whether it’s the same thing with what I had in mind, the genre for which Shenmue had first set in motion expanded, and games such as the Grand Theft Auto series appeared on the world market. I was told by many game creators, “We were able to create an open world game thanks to Shenmue,” and, “It influenced me, thank you,” so not only I am happy to have made it, I am also immensely grateful to everyone who helped in expanding the concept of Shenmue.

Reminder about Dobuita size (keep in mind that Choubu will have vertical places like Kowloon-like buildings)
http://i.imgur.com/9HdnTAH.png
http://media.moddb.com/cache/images/mods/1/28/27950/thumb_620x2000/15.jpg

Yakuza 4 map :
https://i.imgur.com/WFguNf1.jpg

The aesthetic of Choubu (a mix of Kowloon and Fenghuang) :
https://i.imgur.com/FZGw3ps.jpg

Pictures from real life Guilin (you can even see pictures of the Shenmue II cave) :
https://500px.com/search?tag=Guilin&type=photos

Google maps to visualize what 2km x 2km could mean lol, by observing a familiar place :
https://www.google.com/maps/ (right click on the map and click on "measure distance" to draw a line)

Not sure if it's readable but what is written about Steven Spielberg and multi CPU usage on the powerpoint ?
https://i.imgur.com/cH2ms7H.jpg
Quite a few words were too blurred to be legible but here's a summary based on what I could make out or guess.

As you said, it looks like this slide was part of the talk event by Yu (& Takeuchi) in March 2015 on the topic of being a game developer.

"Open World: breaking new ground / Steven Spielberg"

Steven Spielberg once visited Sega and AM2, around the period when he was preparing to launch GameWorks. During the visit, Spielberg asked me for his autograph since his son Max was a fan of Virtua Fighter. One thing Spielberg said, rather sheepishly, that particularly left an impression on me was, "Kids prefer games to movies!".

Games should be designed so that children can play them time and again without growing bored. Interactivity plays an important part in this. Having characters/monsters moving in predictable patterns should be avoided.

Recently, games have much larger game fields through the use of external servers and databases. This will greatly expand the potential of open-world games even further. They will allow a huge number of people to be supported, even more than with MMOs, and who can participate from anywhere, at anytime. It will allow for more realistic worlds to be created. It will open up a new world of entertainment. If there are 100,000 players participating then effectively you have a 100,000 multi-CPU game.