Well we are up to Disc 3, she has just got a job at just the harbour. She's actually pretty into it, I'm impressed! And my god....she nearly beat Chai with beginners luck I'm not even joking, the fight went on for AGES and she kept catching him with uppercuts! And she has also come across a funny but of dialogue I've never hear before, she was talking to the young Liu-San in the barbers and he just said something like "I tell you what, my hands just ache. They ache every time I see him, I go walking every day and when I see him...I just want to cut Tom's hair, so bad..." :D

EDIT: I mean Chai in the arcade, first fight. The look on her face when she first saw him was priceless, she was disgusted by him haha!
It's Maeda-san ;-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJd764u8fMc&t=12m50s

I often wonder about Chai...What's the deal with him?

He has superhuman athletic abilities despite having the back of a cripple, floating from one rooftop to another with the grace of a bird.

Crackpot theory here but there are many hints that this creep isn't even human. Aside from his hideous demeanour and inhuman athletic abilities, he has been referred to "that thing" by Master Chen, Shinchiki-San asks "what the hell is he?", Ryo describes him as having red eyes and the manual for Shenmue not only questions how he came to be but his age is described as "unknown" iirc. He really is shrouded in mystery.

I don't know if I read a theory like this many years ago (most likely) or if it's something I've come up with on my own but I really do support the theory that he's some kind of chiyoumen experiment lmao. Or, he could just be a crack addict. That probably makes more sense...
This explanation is fantastic and makes a lot of sense: http://shenmuedojo.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=42921&start=20#p927994

someone remind me, how long passed between ryo's fathers death at the beginning of shenmue 1 and the end of shenmue 2?
Well, Ryo's father dies on November 29th, 1986, but the end of Shenmue II is not fixed and can occur at any time; even earlier if you finish Shenmue quickly and use the save import option so the dates match. If, however, you decide to go for a clean slate with Shenmue II , the game begins on February 23rd, 1987, with a fixed bad ending of June 31st, 1987, but that's still no indication of a fixed ending for the game.

Unless I'm not understanding the question? :P

Jesus, Pol, it took me fifteen minutes to scroll through those damn pictures!

Best Shenmue collection in history, though

To be able to interact with every NPC and fully voiced has always impress me a lot.
Even the dude who pushes the trolley around outside the harbour, who you can't usually interact with, is voiced. Unfortunately, he shares the same dialogue as the green dude who can be found wandering around the harbour and who Ryo later bitch-slaps in Asia Travel Company, but it's still awesome he was given placeholder dialogue at all :D

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-TlrizgYEM

How come you get $$$ from Fuku San at the end of Shenmue 1? What was the point cos you just lose all your money at the beginning of Shenmue 2!

Also why didn't Ine San put up a better fight against the home invaders? Little freeloader let Lan Di waltz in without even a fight and she went down like a punk.

Also why doesn't Ryo get fired if he refuses to move even a single crate on the forklift?

Also why don't we ever see Tom sell a hot dog?!

Also what would Lan Di do if, as a practical joke, the black suits cut off his ponytail and started playing keep-away with it?

Also does Master Chen wear a bra for his double D's?
1. A parting gift, perhaps? Fuku-san didn't know Ryo was going to get his bag snatched, otherwise he'd have put knuckledusters in the envelope instead of money

2. Lan Di disarmed her with such force, her weapon ended up in Hong Kong - and thus, a legend was born: Gun in Shenmue II

3. Ryo secretly snuck some chloroform into the ever-brewing kettle you see in the Alpha Trading Office, creating a Vapour of Forgetfulness (this move has been confirmed as an Arcane Technique for Shenmue III , by the way), affecting anyone in the room at the time

4. The Illuminati

5. Mo-cap that advanced didn't exist back then, hence why they vetoed it. Wouldn't be surprised if we saw this in Shenmue III with today's technology, however!

6. Those aren't double-D's - that's where Lan Di was hiding before setting off for Hong Kong. Master Chen is so hopped up on the chloroform vapour from #3, he doesn't even feel the ponytail nestling in his belly button

Not sure if any of you have ever heard of The Cutting Room Floor wiki before, but it's a wiki dedicated to unused and cut content from video games - including characters, weapons, locations, graphics, debug menus; everything - and it's pretty damn fascinating, especially when you stumble across something you had absolutely no clue about from one of your favourite games.

However, take a guess which game is completely missing from the site. That's right - Shenmue ! It's really surprising given the vast amount of content that was cut and/or ultimately unused in the end, and I think everyone will agree that the game(s) deserve a place on the website. As it's a wiki, absolutely anybody can contribute and edit content once they've created an account, and we have a great community of people dedicated to unearthing all the hidden bits and bobs in the game here at the Dojo, so why don't we take this on as a project of sorts? I'm game, for sure!

How about it? :D

I wonder if any of the Sega members have ever explored Nagai Industries before the release... damnish, is it me or it's just impossible to climb the stairs without Ryo doing absurd things ? Wow, I didn't remember having particular issue with this before. :lol: Otherwise, it's still super cool to explore so confined and realistic areas in a third-person view videogame.
I can't recall ever having an issue with the stairs in Nagai Industries. Trying to enter the door to the office and accidentally starting a conversation with Mr Strong McTough standing guard outside, on the other hand? #-o :P

MGSV: Ground Zeroes is a free game on Xbox Live this month, worth a punt?

I was thinking of returning to the MGS franchise soon with this Phantom Pain game, but since this is free and seems to be a prequel to PP may have a bash. Is it playable enough? 'cos even though it's free I don't wanna waste time downloading a few gigs for something that's just shite...
The main mission should take a first-timer around two hours to complete, but Side Ops, collectibles, and generally messing around for fun (the concept of which many of the game's critics seem to be sorely lacking) could see you pumping hours and hours and hours into the game. I've put around thirty hours into it myself.

As for whether it's a good game that's playable enough? Very much so. It's hands-down the best Metal Gear Solid in terms of control and playability; the open approach aspect to missions brings about a natural increase in difficulty, but only in the sense that it requires much more of the player than simply going from crate to crate to your mission objective. Instead, you really need to plan your moves carefully, keeping an eye on your surroundings from all angles, making sure to scope out and tag enemies with your binoculars, memorising their patrol patterns, etc. It's deceptively deep. The story (not plot, mind you, because all that is going to be explained in The Phantom Pain ) isn't all that fleshed out, but the events within the story are great. Oh, and the FOX Engine is a sight to behold, and it's only going to get better in The Phantom Pain .

Any bad points? For one, Kaz (your radio guy) doesn't shut the fuck up, and clumsily hand-holds you in a number of instances (a pet peeve of mine with games), which can get pretty annoying when replaying missions. The game was clearly rushed for release (I guess we can all blame Konami for that), as evident by the handful of bugs, glitches and occasional 'wonkiness'. By very recent standards of rushed products, however, Ground Zeroes is still an A+ compared to Assassin's Creed Unity and such. Other than that, it's a great game.

Have fun :D

I was watching at the E3 reactions videos for the xxxx time (makes me feel good when i feel blue :mrgreen: ) and I've came across this Michael Huber video. Man I love him!!!

Sorry if this video has already been posted many times, but maybe some newcomers didn't see it and really, it's awesome :king:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CAsWwI5Xv4
I still watch Shenmue III reaction videos every now and then, and the ones I love the most are the ones where they only have to hear the first few seconds of the music before exploding with joy :D

Aside from the GameTrailers one, these are some of my favourites:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGiTb0JVmHk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60NqgzO2KWs

Are these the images you're talking about, man?

http://www.segasaturno.com/portal/files/images/2/shenmue3_screen01.jpg
http://www.segasaturno.com/portal/files/images/2/shenmue3_screen03.jpg
http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/shenmue/images/c/c4/ZZZmiaovillage2.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20140118175545
http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/shenmue/images/4/4c/Bailuvillage.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20140118173105
http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/shenmue/images/8/8a/Bailuvillage2.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20140118173305
http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/shenmue/images/7/77/Shenmuebetaaa3_1.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20140119170733
http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/shenmue/images/1/17/Shenmue3_screen02.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20140120134028

damn, technology is sure a beuty, playing shenmue 1 on the bus today on my nvidia shield using reicast, what a day were living in.
How did it run, dude?
on the nvidia shield portable, aside from some visual glitches like ryos eyes are a little iffy and some textures here and there, it ran full speed, i did use one of the ''non stable'' reicast builds, ironically though it runs shenmue better than the current ''stable'' build. The alpha effects like dust in my experience feature a sorta greenish look to it, however it looks better than the null dc build i have on my pc since it there it kinda looks pixely and weird, overall is awesome. The triigers also work property as i can make ryo walk exacly how im holding the trigger. Havent tried the arcade games thought
Awesome! I've absolutely no experience with emulating Shenmue on anything before, but it's great to hear it's fully playable on a portable device :)

GYO6161 wrote: Even 4 months later, is so entertaining still seeing the E3 reactions...

They're fucking timeless, dude

http://i.imgur.com/alu8cci.jpg
If it really is the lighting making the model look different, that's some ninth generation shit right there!

Then again...

- Face looks much more defined and chiselled down, particularly the jaw
- The nose has a smooth slope in the second image compared to the prominent bridge in the first
- The hair has a slightly messier look compared to the Yamcha look
- The plaster on his face appears to have been smoothed out, given more depth, and an added blemish
- Thicker eyebrows (though that could be down to the lighting)
- The shape of the head has gone from a lemon to a curvier look

I'm 95% sure it's an updated model. It looks way more like the Ryo we all know and love.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/91CVpBwQYfL._SY606_.jpg
Plz let us know how you get on with it. It's popped onto my radar since I need an Elder Scrolls-esque fix and since this is their main franchise now making it take longer for the next ES game, I should be interested...
I was having a good time with it until an important NPC completely disappeared from the area he was supposed to be during a quest. I ended up finding him a few towns over just wandering around as if nothing was happening, therefore halting all progression of the quest, so I (rather stupidly) overreacted and uninstalled the game, but I instantly regretted doing so. Maybe I just got unlucky - some people have reported not running into a single bug, whereas others have been having similar issues, particularly where performance is concerned - but I'm going to give the game another whirl and try approaching things differently.

I was actually quite enjoying the game before the little niggles started ticking me off progressively more and more. There's still no reason for them to release a game in this state, and I really don't like how the whole "Well, it is a Bethesda game" has become like a free pass in regards to game-breaking bugs and issues.

Pretty much everything coming out is Amazing.. and most of it is PS4 exclusive or PS4 centric.
Id make my own list but its pretty much the same as everyone elses.
If it wasn't for Halo 5 and MC collection I would have sold my Xbox One(or never bought one in the first place), even though its still a great system.
Just whats the point when you have a PS4? The thing is a fanboy machine.
Nintendo better come out with something amazing to compete with the already guaranteed time I have dedicated to PS4.

And by the time Nintendo does really get the ball rolling with NX, Shenmue 3 should be near release. And then nothing else really matters anymore in life.
I remember watching the reveal of the PS4 back in 2013 and feeling something I hadn't felt about the video game industry in a very long time: excitement. That one press conference was enough to turn someone who swore by the Xbox 360 into someone ready to put money down on Sony's new console, and I haven't looked back.

The only thing keeping me tied to the Xbox brand at the time was Halo ; Halo 4 was the final nail in the coffin for me, and I honestly couldn't give a shit about Halo any more. The PS4 is still an extremely exciting console and the obvious choice when debating which eighth generation console to purchase. There's pretty much zero reason to get an Xbox One apart from the exclusives (kinda stating the obvious), and a few of them do look pretty promising.

Dude, Alaska must have insanely slow internet if it took nine-and-a-half years for that post to come through :shock:!

Seriously, though, it's a video game, so suspending your disbelief is part of the territory, really. I'm no scientist, but, looking at the way in which the girder falls onto Gui Zhang's leg, there appeared to be more than enough momentum left in the girder to get it the heck out of the way before it caused any serious damage.

The difference between the video you saw of the woman's foot being crushed by the car and the girder nearly crushing Gui Zhang's leg (apart from one being reality and the other not) is the car would have fallen flat onto her foot, whereas the girder bounced and was still on the way down before it was knocked out of the way.

Hope that cleared things up for you, dude.

A nice mix of story-related, optional, and miscellaneous Trophies/Achievements, please!

Story-related:

"THAT DRIVER WAS INSANE" - Speak to Yamagashi-san and gain access to Dobuita
"BAR FIGHT" - Throw down in the Heartbeats Bar
"THE WRONG ONE" - Find Charlie
"DISC 2?!" - Catch the bus to the harbour
"THE PLOT THICKENS" - Meet Master Chen
"THINK IT MIGHT BE CURSED?" - Find the Phoenix Mirror
"1... 2... 3... 39,634 YEN!" - Receive some help from Fuku-san
"PLEASE DON'T HURT ME!" - Chase down Jimmy
"I GOT YOU A JOB, MAN!" - Get a job
"THANK YOU, RYO" - Rescue Mark and learn about his missing brother
"LONG TIME NO SEE!" - Teach Charlie another lesson
"LONG ZHA"- Find out about the Mad Angels' deal
"IT'S T-T-TERRY!" - Find out about the leader of the Mad Angels
"I WON'T LET THIS GO..." - Rescue Nozomi
"WHO'S MAD NOW?" - Emerge victorious from the 70-man battle
"HE SHALL APPEAR FROM A FAR EASTERN LAND..." - Set sail for Hong Kong

Optional:

"...BUT MY EYESIGHT IS BAD, SO..." - Help the old lady find the Yamamoto residence
"I'M SO THIRSTY!" - Buy the delivery boy a drink
"HEY, HAZUKI!" - Take part in all Free Battles with Enoki
"IT'S SO WARM..." - Buy the homeless man a coffee
"SO SOLID" - Make it to Old Warehouse No. 8 without being spotted by the guards
"URGHCADE" - Beat Chai in You Arcade
"MEOW!" - Name the kitten
"ANCIENT HISTORY" - Learn the legends of the Phoenix Mirror
"WOULD YOU LIKE TO PRACTICE SOME MORE?" - Learn all moves from instructors
"HAPPY NEW YEAR!" - Head through Yokosuka on New Year's Day
"I WISH TIME... WOULD JUST STAND STILL..." - Meet Nozomi in Sakuragaoka Park

Miscellaneous:

"ESPECIALLY SINCE YOU BOUGHT MERCHANDISE" - Won 1st prize in any raffle
"PRETTY DAMN GOOD FOR A ROOKIE!" - Place 1st in the forklift race
"SPRING CLEANING" - Collect all items in the Hazuki Residence
"MEMORIES" - View all flashbacks in the Hazuki Residence
"MASTERED!" - Master all default moves
"PAY2WIN" - Acquire all move scrolls
"HEY, I KNOW THIS..." - Buy fifty capsule toys
"LOOK AT THE TIME!" - Stay up past curfew
"MERRY CHRISTMAS! HO, HO, HO!" - Speak to Santa
"WOW, MAN, YOU'RE PRETTY GOOD!" - Beat the high score in an arcade game
"AH, GOOD!" - Buy yourself a drink

---

I'll think of some for Shenmue II some other time :)

That's exactly what I ended up doing plus using the Chopper to drop smoke so I can sneak in there and fulton the walkers. Then I had to run the fuck far away from the mission area since trying to get a helicopter so close after blowing the radar was a big mistake.

I'm now at the philanthropic septic tank mission which is another Stealth Only mission. After getting spotted with NO checkpoint layed out around that area, I turned it off and watched Walking Dead instead.
Funnily enough, I had much less trouble with "[Total Stealth] Pitch Dark" (which I assume is the one you're referring to) than "[Total Stealth] Footprints of Phantoms", I think because once you get past Bwala la Masa, the vast majority of enemies located at the oilfield can be taken out from the hillside overlooking the oilfield with a sniper rifle (preferably with tranq rounds) with relative ease. You won't be able to take them all out from that location, of course, and time is of the essence, so bringing D-Dog or Quiet along with you to mark the enemies would be a good move; then you can move in, hold up the ones you've tranquillised, and start picking off the ones you weren't able to reach from the hillside. Fultoning yourself out of the mission area atop a materials container once you've completed your objective is a great way to make a fast getaway, too ;-)

What kind of equipment are you using, may I ask?

EDIT:

EDIT: Gotta agree with Kenny: Fuck Chapter 2 of MGSV. Still not finished the game yet either due to how fucking ridiculous some of the missions are in that Chapter, I just YouTubed the rest of the game since it pissed me off. Will go back and finish it one day just for the satisfaction of saying "I did it" but yeah, they just get silly with the difficulty in Ch. 2. The story blows anyway, so you aren't missing out on much.
Agreed. Worst plot/story in a Metal Gear Solid game to date, but easily the best in terms of gameplay and all that stuff. I've come to appreciate the ending in time, but so much of the story was akin to an overblown fan-fiction.

The parasites can fuck off for all I care - nothing more than pre-nanomachines used to justify the seemingly superhuman abilities of particular characters; and not only that, but their existence in the canon completely ruins the mystique of characters such as The End and The Pain, relegating them to being products of what are basically voodoo steroids (or some shit) instead of them simply being born with, or adapting to and learning to utilise, their abilities. Skull Face being Naked Snake's clean-up crew in the shadows during Operation Snake Eater was a big fuck you to the legend of Big Boss, too. They could have linked Big Boss and Skull Face in so many interesting ways, but instead chose to dampen the legend of one in order to shoehorn in the other to make the whole "Your Boss and I go way back" thing full-circle. Speaking of Skull Face, he really sucked in The Phantom Pain . Embarrassingly so. Also, Chapter 51.

Also, fuck Konami.

\:D/

They fucked up big time by making it too difficult on the Story missions. I expect getting into some trouble with Side Ops or choosing that difficulty, but shit not during the Story missions.

But the story itself is still the worst one. They try to justify the voice parasites as a legit thing but it's still the stupidest thing Kojima ever created. The new characters apart from Quiet are just forgettable or just not engaging enough. Even the existing characters are so goddamn boring. How do you single handedly fuck this up unless you stopped giving a shit?

When it's not being stupid hard, it's quite a fun game though. And I'll have to get back to you on my equipment, Shen. My loadloud is all non-lethal stuff.
Yeah, they went too far with the parasites. I get the whole thematic thing, but their execution within the story is so half-arsed, overused, and tiresome to the point of inducing a sigh. Remember how the game was supposed to be about race and revenge? Well, the revenge part may as well not have even been there as it came across in such a watered-down way. It went from 'We need revenge against Cipher!' to 'We need revenge against Skull Face!' to 'Vocal cord parasites!' to... well, a pretty damn good ending that had nothing to do with the themes - and was actually akin to Sons of Liberty 's theme of meme - but wrapped up the story nicely. I wish the real Big Boss' story went into more depth (most likely in the form of cassette tapes), but that didn't happen, unfortunately. All we really learned about the real Big Boss during the game was that he gave the greenlight to turn the medic into Venom Snake; that Zero harboured no ill will towards him, but the two were never able to reconcile because of their situations at the time; and that he spent the duration of his time post-coma setting up Outer Heaven in South Africa.

I have to slightly disagree with you about most of the characters not being memorable, though. Eli was awesome, but criminally underused, and they didn't even wrap up his story arc in the game itself because of the whole cut content thing. Apart from that, yeah, the rest of the characters weren't particularly interesting.

As a game, it's fantastic, but as a Metal Gear Solid game, it's a let-down.

johnvivant wrote: i hope in the future shenmue games we get to see Ryo perform his legendary 'flip on the horizontal bar'.
i bet Ryo is actually a really good gymnast.

Don't worry - if we don't see it in Shenmue III, someone will make a Gmod .gif of it for sure, so he'll be flipping for eternity

I kinda liked Miller's development but that was it really. What the fuck was the point of Code Talker, seriously? Dude is nothing more than a walking, talking plot device.

Worst Ocelot in the series easily. Was so disappointed in his "character". What character? So much potential wasted. Same goes for Eli - wasted and then they never resolve anything with him because "duh, run out of time" when they had 5 fucking years to make this game.

As for Skull Face - potentially worst main villain the series yet then I remember Hot Coldman in Peace Walker, who also sucked. So did Liquid Ocelot in MGS4. And the B&B Unit. As did Galvez and Paz in PW. It seems like Kojima has lost his knack for writing compelling villains.

Even if I hated MGS4, at least that mess was complete, this was just an incomplete mess.

Kojima really obviously stopped giving a fuck after he finished MGS3, since he was given death threats to make MGS4 and continued on that path of royally not giving a fuck until we have the mess of a story that is MGSV. Yes, I'm bitter.
Yeah, Code Talker's subtitle on his introduction should have been "An Old-Arse Walking Plot Device" instead of "A Wise Man Denied His Homeland." Basically, the parasites are a thing and they needed to include the dude behind them in the story, so Code Talker was born... out of complete necessity. Plopping in the stuff about The End being the first known person to be infected with parasites, as well as The Pain somehow picking them up, was bullshit, too. By that logic, they were either treated/infected with parasites on the battlefield or one picked them up and managed to infect the other, meaning they were most likely infected with the Russian strain. Then why were the rest of the unit, including The Boss (who presumably spoke in Russian to the team), not infected? Where did they even come from in the first place? (I kind of like the idea that no-one really knows where they came from, but isn't Code Talker meant to be some kind of amazing scientist whose research would cover this?) Seems like they just wanted to link past characters with the events in an attempt to interlink and tie things up. Interesting character; wasted potential.

Skull Face was the fucking man in Ground Zeroes , but they somehow managed to completely spunk him up the wall in The Phantom Pain . Such a flimsy, meaningless character in the latter.

Welcome to the Dojo, dude!

You could say this about many games that were amazing back in the day, and that's because times change, especially where video games are concerned. GoldenEye 007 , for example, is borderline unplayable in this day and age, but it was the fucking shit back in 1997 because there was nothing else like it. Nowadays, however, you have your super smooth, 60fps, action-packed first-person shooters with a typical control scheme that anyone can pick up and play without much of a hitch. Your typical gamer nowadays (i.e., someone who has only been playing video games for a few years, kids, or your casual gamer looking for a quick fix) would get bored of Shenmue within fifteen minutes, but that obviously doesn't apply to everyone, and there are many examples of people who picked up the game within only the past few years and had a great time with it. As you said, the typical gamer of today isn't looking for a great game - they're looking for something that will satisfy a very specific, predetermined itch, and a game like Shenmue will never be able to do that because it is designed in such a way that goes against the conventions of being adrenaline-soaked, constantly heavy on gameplay, and with a set, glistening goal in mind. It's a shame, but that's just the world we live in, and humans are the most ignorant species that walk the face of the planet, so there's just no winning :P

There's nothing wrong with disliking Shenmue - I know people who have played the game in its entirety but it simply wasn't for them - but if they're going to go along with the general consensus and criticise the game without even playing it for themselves, that's their own folly and their point is instantly mute. It's like people who used to criticise Metal Gear Solid for having a complex plot/story, but when you ask them if they've ever actually played any of the games, their response is, "Nah, bro, I just know it's shit, yeah?"

As for the media's treatment of Shenmue : it's the media; what do you expect? The majority of them are interested only in stirring up the pot and claiming those precious page hits in the fallout than doing anything commendable or worthwhile.

Yeah, but I thought it had a better presentation than pretty much the entirety of Phantom Pain in terms of story.

Which I find pretty fucking tragic.
Yep, Ground Zeroes is very much a no-nonsense, concentrated, condensed game compared to The Phantom Pain which is all nonsense in terms of plot.

I have the fullest confidence in Platinum to do a TMNT game justice. Of course, a full-on Rocksteady game would have been fantastic, but Platinum know what the fuck they're doing when it comes to making a great game, so I shall look very forward to this !

You can hate on the English voice acting of Shenmue II (or I) all you want, but there's no denying that that version of Delin is superior. I'd never played the original Dreamcast version until recently, and was surprised by how dull and depressing Japanese Delin is. Even his grunts suck in comparison.
Shenmue dubs have so much charm.... it really makes me happy shen 3 is getting dubbed. a sub only s3 would have sucked imo.
Well, I don't think it would be a case of sucking simply because it lacked an English dub - many of us played Shenmue II that way and it was fine - but having English voice acting is definitely a nice consideration, as bad (though mega charming) as it may be.

It really makes me wonder how good the voice acting in Shenmue III will be, especially now that video games have evolved astronomically since the early 2000s and good voice-over talent isn't so few-and-far between nowadays. Add the fact that the direction might not be so robotic and emotionless as it was back then and we might be pleasantly surprised. Heck, Shenmue III might even give the most unknown voice actors their big break.

*Kenshin Himura* wrote: The best version of this game, got it today.

Excellent game! I played it on Xbox 360, so I didn't get the 'full' experience, but I had a great time with it. One of the very few JRPGs I've played and committed to.

The only time Chai sounds a little sane, lol.
Awesome seeing this with subs even if its short.

I also can't help but notice that a lot of these prototype videos have higher quality sound effects even on a VHS source like this, like some sound effects sound clearer... i wonder if this is uncompressed audio data they were using for the promotion.
I would imagine so; they did the same with Shenmue: The Movie , did they not? I was always shocked by the difference in audio quality between the game and the movie. It was weird, but still cool to hear it presented in that way.

Awesome! Really looking forward to seeing the finished work, man

If you're looking for someone to rework the subtitles from the original, I'd be happy to chip in. The grammar and such isn't exactly the best job out there.

I've been going trough some hard ones, but every time life hits me hard, i just think of S3 coming and of those words from Tom, and i keep that smile no matter what life throws at me.
Yeah, i know this sounded corny but i wanted to say it anyways
His pickles are guaranteed to make you happy, too ;-)

Post your Shenmue confessions. That's all there is to it, really.

I have never managed to beat Chai in the You Arcade. I've simply accepted the mindset of 'He's going to beat me, but I'm going to get a few punches and kicks in anyway' every time I head into the fight. In a strange way, I like losing to Chai and having to head back to Dobuita the next day because, in my mind, it turns the run-up to confronting Jimmy into a 'Right, you are fucking dead ' situation.

GO!

MiTT3NZ wrote: I sexually abused Megumi at the shrine. The kitten watched. Yamagishi-san joined in.

So that's how Yamagashi-san hurt his backside...

I have never bought the homeless man in the harbor the can of coffee, i even once got him the soda.... oops, yep I'm terrible ik.
Funnily enough, the first time I ever met him, I had absolutely no idea the vending machines even sold coffee - a combination of my lack of concentration and how hidden in plain sight they are - so I must have spent what felt like minutes scrolling through the soft drinks wondering which one would 'count' as coffee before getting him a Jet Soda or something, which he wasn't very happy about. It was only after discovering them by accident some time later did it all make sense. Now I get him a coffee every time.

The first time I had to sneak into that 'old' werehouse no. 8 to speak to Chen took me like 30+ times.

I remember just how frightening it was getting chased by guards and getting caught.

That old bigger ended up having to give me a map, it was really embarrassing lol
Same here, dude. I used to fucking dread that part every time I played because I didn't feel as if I'd figured out the solution for some time, but I could do it with my eyes closed nowadays.

The first time I played the game, I was never able to help the old woman find that person's house, primarily because I didn't have a complete grasp on the controls left.
Again, same here. Even though I now understand Sakuragaoka is really small and has a really simple layout, back when I first played the game as a nine year-old, it felt like a damned city I was lost in.

The motorcycle race to the harbor, the Ghost Hall planks, but more than anything else, that damned QTE in the Izumi fight. Fuck whoever thought of that, even if it was Yu. I lost so many times because of that thing popping up just as I was about to finish her.

I don't think I've ever gotten that angry at a game besides maybe the Liquid fight in MGS or the vampire boss in YS.
VIVA... SAKURA... FESTIVAL! *pink onions rain down from the sky*

According to the list provided at GDC, FROM SOFTWARE is confirmed to be working on a PSVR exclusive....

I HOPE ITS ARMORED CORE: VR!
I have a feeling it's going to be Bloodborne: The Adventures Rom, the Vacuous Bastard in Dickhead Land , a game where you take the mantle as one of the troll-iest, most infuriating bosses in the entire game. PlayStation Move is mandatory and will work in perfect conjunction with the PSVR headset; swish the paddles around to command your force of kamikaze spiders to attack the hunter when he or she gets too close, clipping through Rom with flawless grace; stand up and thrust the paddles above your head to perform the meteor attack at the most inopportune of times; lay on your back and thrust your mighty pelvis to the sky to summon a barrage of icebergs from the depths of the lake; quickly huddle yourself into a ball and do a jumping-jack while screaming "RAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH" to perform Rom's explosion attack; and roll around on the floor, flailing about like a worm in vinegar to perform the head slam attack (hint: hold the X button to widen the size of the hitbox to truly screw over any pesky hunters).

Fingers crossed!

I know for some of you this constitutes a "sacrilege", but can you picture it? :-o

http://i.imgur.com/y1DzwgS.jpg
The lack of colour compared to Dreamcast/Xbox buttons is slightly disconcerting and odd-looking, but that's most likely because we're all so used to the aforementioned and anything else looks alien. We'd forget about the difference soon enough, though, but for the anally retentive who couldn't possibly bear to accept such a minimal change, however... well, that's their problem :P

I really, really, really hope they don't fuck this up.

But the first one was good, no? (With the exception of no campaign)

Sent from my C6603 using Tapatalk
Yep, the first one was (and, although I haven't played it for a long time now because the Xbox 360 doesn't get a look-in over my PS4, probably still is) fucking fantastic, but there's always that risk of the dreaded 'sequel syndrome'. Plus, there's going to be a single-player campaign this time around, so hopefully they haven't put so much work into that - the thing only a very small percentage of people are going to complete, let alone even play - that the effort put into the multiplayer suffers as a result.

If they can take the core of the first game and make everything about it even better - keep the way the game feels and plays (e.g., brain-dead A.I. grunts running around which can be killed for minimal Attrition points, keeping combat flowing nicely) exactly the same, but have at least ten more weapons (the first game had way too few), around five Titan variants, great map design once again, lots of customisation options, no microtransactions , etc. - they've got a winner.

Absolutely. I've always been active on the forums, ever since joining up as an angsty, naive fourteen year-old way back in 2006 ( :lol: ), but the lack of Shenmue III definitely provided a string that kept us all tied together; the hope that some day, one day, it would be announced. Even in the years running up to E3 2015, any mention of the game in the media would spark the forums right back up again - from Yu Suzuki saying he's looking into the possibility of a Kickstarter to SEGA acknowledging that people are interested in the series - but it was the reveal at E3 that sent us all into overdrive and even brought back a load of old faces who had long given up hope and completely ducked out of the forums for years. Now we know the game exists and is coming (I'd say there's a huge probability it'll be delayed into early 2018 because game development, etc.), I think that bond has only strengthened, and it'll only continue to grow come the immediate run-up, the actual release of the game, and, of course, the inevitable Shenmue IV speculation :)

It might sound sad as fuck, but I honestly feel at home here and I'd be pretty bummed if the forums ever shut down or died because of a lack of interest. It's a real comfort to me.

Hello, everyone. I know we already have the brilliant Shenmue 3 Kickstarter News/Information/Multimedia Archive thread, but I thought it would be a good idea to have a compendium of all the facts, information, and everything we currently know about the game in one easy-to-read contained thread. Perhaps the mods would like to consider this as a sticky?

Please feel free to add everything and anything you can that is relevant (as well as suggestions on how to improve the thread), and I'll update the original post whenever I can :)

(Some of the following information can be considered as spoilers, so read at your own risk.)

---

Story

- Yu Suzuki describes the game as "a kung-fu adventure that takes place in China" [1]

- The game's "key points," according to Yu Suzuki, are "romance, characters' life and martial arts." Where romance is concerned, Yu Suzuki would like to portray the differences between how men and women think [4] [39]

- According to Yu Suzuki, Shenmue III will begin from Chapter Six of the story's eleven planned chapters , and will "mark the end of this story," but will not be the end of the story . In a 2018 interview with GamersFlag, Yu Suzuki stated, "the end will be open for a sequel," suggesting Shenmue III might end on a cliffhanger [33]

- Shenmue III 's story begins the day after the conclusion of Shenmue II [9]

- Ryo, while still angry and thirsty for revenge, will grow and mature a lot throughout the game. Those he meets along the way, particularly where martial arts is concerned, will be largely responsible for this [5]

- The meaning behind the "He shall appear from a far eastern land across the sea..." prologue poem, as well as Ryo and Shenhua's roles in the prophecy , will finally be revealed [1]

- Yu Suzuki has stated he would like to keep Shenhua as "a mysterious character" [38]

- Ryo will not return home to Japan in Shenmue III [17]

- The game will explore and highlight the differences between Japanese and Chinese culture , particularly the way in which Ryo behaves in a foreign land having come from a different background, and how he and Shenhua interact with each other [8]

- Confirmed fighting styles (thus far) include: Hazuki style jujitsu (Ryo) , Fist-Dagger Mantis style (Niao Sun) , Nanquan (a master located in Choubu), and Bajiquan (Ryo and various characters throughout the game) [9]

Characters

- Confirmed important characters (thus far): Ryo Hazuki , Shenhua , Lan Di , Ren , Niao Sun , Chai , Shenhua's adoptive father, and two unnamed "main bosses"

- Confirmed minor characters (thus far): Ming Ming and unnamed minor characters such as an extremely muscular rival to Ryo (described as "a middle-level boss" who "uses an unusual style of martial arts") , the owner of Choubu's Bird Dance Hostel , the temple/shrine maiden of the Hall of Name Tags (described as "a tomboy, boyish type") , a young girl Ryo will befriend , an assistant who will play a role similar to that of Fangmei , a master of Nanquan , and an "eccentric" and "really powerful" martial arts master with "a humorous personality" [6] [9] [36]

- Nozomi , Guizhang , Ine-san , Joy , Fuku-san , Goro , and "other characters" from the two previous games are also confirmed , albeit in the form of telephone calls through the 'World of Telecom' service [6] [9] [16]

- There will be "four main bosses," according to Yu Suzuki. Lan Di and Niao Sun are the only named bosses at present, the latter of whom has been described as "extremely beautiful and sexy, but cruel." The only information pertaining to the two remaining main bosses is that one of them is "[a] strategist using more cunning than head-on fighting" [39]

Locations

- Confirmed areas (thus far): Bailu Village , Choubu , and Baisha [6]

- Bailu Village ( 白鹿村 , which translates as 'White Deer' ) is the starting area of Shenmue III and, where the player was only able to experience just a tiny fraction of the village, was also where Shenmue II ended, though the entire village will now be fully open and explorable . According to Shenhua, who lives in a hut on the very outskirts of the village, Bailu Village is home to around fifty inhabitants . Due to the village's proximity to water, players will be able to fish there . The initial quests here will start Ryo and Shenhua off on their journey

- Choubu ( 鸟舞 , which translates as 'Bird Dance' ), a riverside village situated on the banks of the Li River , will be the game's equivalent to Dobuita or Wan Chai , featuring numerous shops, stalls, amusements, hotels, shrines, temples, dwellings, and other buildings. Choubu resembles Kowloon in terms of its density and verticality . Choubu will contain approximately two-hundred NPCs (which is over three times that which was originally planned), one of whom is a master of Nanquan . Choubu has been described as the most Shenmue -esque location in the game [9] [17]

- Baisha ( 白沙 , which translates as 'White Sand' ) is a village, notable for its numerous tulous, which is home to the Guilin branch of the Chi You Men. Baisha will see a number of new gameplay systems introduced to players, including "a siege game reminiscent of the Warring Kingdoms," which will presumably see the player defending allies from external attacks and engaging in battle with enemies attempting to gain control of the village's buildings, as well as an infiltration mission into the Chi You Men's branch (presumably on a mission to rescue Shenhua's imprisoned adoptive father). It is also during this infiltration mission the player will take advantage of the new 'Character Perspective System' , allowing the player to swap between Ryo, Shenhua, and Ren, utilising each character's unique traits and abilities to achieve their goal

- Some of the specific landmarks and establishments that have been revealed are the Lake of the Lantern Bugs , the Temple of the Blooming Flower , the Bird Dance Hostel , and the Hall of Name Tags [13] [30] [31] [32]

Gameplay

- Shenmue III contains around thirty hours of gameplay [3] [9]

- The 'Technique Scroll System' , one of the game's confirmed new mechanics, consists of move scrolls comprised of three unique types - Normal, Advanced, and Arcane - the latter two of which are managed by a skill tree-like system, which fills as you learn new moves , and require a certain amount to be accumulated before use [9] [16]

- The 'Character Perspective System' , the second of the game's confirmed new mechanics, gives the player the ability to change the character they're playing as - with each character having their own distinct personalities, choices, and approach to the situation at hand - in order to complete their objective. Ryo's approach is that of fighting ; Ren's is that of using a weapon ; and Shenhua's is non-violent and tactical . This mechanic will feature in a single event [17]

- The 'Rapport System' , the third of the game's confirmed new mechanics, will see Ryo and Shenhua's relationship vary depending on the player's actions towards, and interactions with , her, therefore affecting how cooperative and/or warm/cold she is in return , dictated by two underlying systems: the 'Affinity Rating' and 'Cooperative Quest' [17]

- 'A.I. Battling' , the fourth of the game's confirmed new mechanics, will allow players to "unleash the perfect technique in response to the opponent's positioning and distance," meaning the technique will, upon activation, hand control over to an A.I. which will decide the best course of action instead of requiring calculated inputs from the player. The system is "for players who are not used to fighting games or for those who want a full immersion battle experience" [19]

- NPCs will be more akin to those featured in Shenmue II , meaning their scripting won't be as detailed, nor will their personalities be as unique as those in the original game, though other aspects about them will see improvement (e.g., cosmetic detail and facial expressions) [38]

- Regarding controls, Yu Suzuki has stated he is currently in two minds about how they will function; on one hand, he would like to "keep a similar configuration to the original game," but realises times have long since changed and is therefore considering more contemporary schemes [10] [12]

- In order to make the combat system simpler and visually different from the series' previous entries, a "Variable Speed" system is being incorporated into FREE battles. Specific details have not been revealed, but Yu Suzuki describes it as "new and fun" [11]

- Ryo will now be able to attack multiple opponents at once (a primitive version of this could be found in the first two games, in which the Ryo was able to grapple an opponent and kick away surrounding enemies) and perform combos in FREE battles [26]

- QTEs will return in a more modernised, dynamic fashion . The possibility of using specific sounds and colours to associate with inputs , as opposed to displaying the button itself on-screen, is under consideration [9]

- Training areas might be making a return for the first time since the first game [38]

- Progression of time will be "about the same system as the first two Shenmue ." This means one in-game hour is equivalent to four real-world minutes; one in-game day is equivalent to one real-world hour [34]

- There will be events in which a bear and a deer must be saved

- Regarding the size of the game world , Yu Suzuki states it will be "even richer" than the series' previous entries. Choubu, on its own, has been greatly expanded , by at least five times its originally planned size [4]

- A trademark of the series, attention to detail and interactivity (as well as examples of more subtle detail such as gestures and cultural dress style) will be in abundance [9]

- As was the case with the previous games, Ryo will return to his place of rest at 11:30pm . In Bailu Village this will be Shenhua's house , and in Choubu it will be the player's hostel of choice . Baisha's place of rest is currently unknown, though one can assume it will be in one of the tulous

- Regarding loading screens/times , Yu Suzuki has stated that, "[players will] start in a large area which will require some initial loading, but compared to before the loading situation will be much better. It's much faster now," possibly suggesting exterior-to-interior (and vice versa) loading will be seamless [10]

- For the very first time in the series, players will be able to change Ryo's outfit (and maybe even remove his bandage ) [17]

- The notebook will return, and has been updated with coloured divider tabs [17] [25]

- Forklifts will return in one form or another [9] [38]

- Capsule toys from the first two games will be returning, though it is currently unknown whether brand new capsule toys from SEGA franchises will be introduced. Those who pledged for the $700 tier of the Kickstarter campaign will have a 2D illustration of their face featured inside a small glass block , whereas those who pledged for the $1200 tier will have a Chibi-style representation of themselves featured as a fully-modelled capsule toy , as part of new in-game capsule toy collections [13] [17]

- Fortune-telling has been confirmed

- Purchasable move scrolls will be returning [23] [24]

- Arcade cabinets will be returning. So far, Excite QTE and Fighting Mania -like cabinets, as well as pinball machines, whack-a-mole, and a punch-ball boxing machine , have been seen [17] [25] [41]

- Lucky Hit will be returning [6]

- A turtle racing mini-game has been confirmed [1]

- A fishing mini-game has been confirmed [9]

- Many of the new mini-games will be more meaningful and connected to the game's world and progression [9] [26]

- Part-time jobs will be returning. Although wood chopping is the only confirmed job thus far , the presence of a warehouse in Choubu and Lucky Hit suggests job opportunities, too [9] [35]

- Ryo can earn money through various other means, including gambling and selling items (e.g. capsule toys and fish he has caught) [9] [17]

- Wild animals such as tortoises, ducks, and frogs can be found in certain areas. Chickens, dogs, cats, turtles, hens, pigeons, and "many more" can be found throughout the world, too, and there might even be the opportunity to care for a pet in a similar fashion to the kitten from the first game [2] [9]

General

- The game has a tentative release date of 2019 for PlayStation 4 and PC [27]

- In order to appeal to veterans of the series, Shenmue III will be comprised of 30% contemporary ideas/influences and 70% 'classic' Shenmue themes [12]

- The game will feature a short recap covering the events of the first two games for those who are new to the series. Flashbacks using scenes from the first two games will also occur throughout the story; Yu Suzuki is even considering making some of them playable , but is currently "undecided" [9] [11]

- Like its predecessors, Shenmue III will have a bad ending should players not manage to complete the game by a certain in-game date [40]

- Memories will play an important part in Shenmue III . One such example is that of an NPC who will recount a prior event , giving Ryo (and, by extension, the player) a more tangible, visual idea of what occurred before working to fit the pieces together [11]

- Save data from the first two games will not be able to be carried over into Shenmue III

- As of December 2017, almost all of the English voice actors for the main characters have been cast , with casting set to continue in early 2018 [8]

- Yu Suzuki would like to bring back as many of the series' past voice actors as possible. Shenhua (and Wong , if he features in the game) will have a new English voice actress due to Akasha Scholen's retirement [3] [9]

- Corey Marshall and Masaya Matsukaze will reprise their roles as the English and Japanese voices of Ryo Hazuki, respectively [28] [29]

- In a Dreamcast Ultimate interview published on 11/09/2017 , Corey Marshall stated he has been in contact with Yu Suzuki's team and his voice work will begin "soon." In March 2018, Marshall revealed he will begin to record his lines at the end of May [15] [37]

- Yu Suzuki would like to include both the English and Japanese dubs in each respective version, but is currently unsure whether it will be possible [17]

- Key members from the series' original development team are working on the game, including writer Masahiro Yoshimoto , character designer Kenji Miyawaki , composer Ryuji Iuchi , and programmer Takeshi Hirai [13]

- Shenmue III is being built in Unreal Engine 4 , which the team intend to push to its maximum potential , as opposed to the Virtua Fighter engine utilised by the first two games , due to the engine's ease with prototyping, efficiency, and its appropriate colour palette. As a result, the fighting engine is being built from scratch . Yu Suzuki is especially impressed with how far the capabilities of the engine have exceeded his expectations, particularly where graphical quality is concerned [3] [9] [10] [14] [16]

- Dynamic weather will be returning, and will be considerably improved over the previous games. "The lighting of sunsets and sunrises will be really beautiful," according to Yu Suzuki [39]

- Shenmue III utilises motion and magnetic capture technology for its animations, the former of which will be used in the most important action scenes [4]

- Yu Suzuki hopes players will really feel the visuals ; from the humidity in the air to the smell of the surroundings , complemented by the game's new art style [9] [14]

- According to Yu Suzuki, "The assets from [the first two games] will get a lot of use"

- As of early September 2017, map modelling and asset creation is at around 70% completion , whereas the lighting system is very close to completion [9] [16]

- Indian game development studio Lakshya Digital (whose past projects include titles such as Uncharted 2: Among Thieves , Bloodborne , Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain , WWE 2K16 , and Just Cause 3 ) will be taking care of much of the game's character art development . Yu Suzuki is very happy with what he has seen so far [13]

- The OST will consist of unused/returning tracks from the original games (of which just 20% were used in the aforementioned) and possibly some new material [3] [9]

- Shenmue III will feature numerous easter eggs [1]

- Yu Suzuki is considering the possibility of a Tomato Mart in the town of Choubu [7]

- DLC is planned , but no further details have been revealed [9]

- Shenmue III will have no online options, though no specifics were given as to the extent to what is considered 'online'

Business-related

- Following its reveal at E3 2015 on June 15th, Shenmue III was successfully funded on Kickstarter , reaching its initial goal of $2 million in a record eight hours and forty-three minutes, eventually ending in July with a total of $6.333 million (the most-funded video game project and sixth-most-funded overall on Kickstarter) pledged by 69,320 backers [18]

- As of July 23rd, 2018 , funding is at $7.063 million (pledged by 78,953 backers ) thanks to the Slacker Backer campaign [19] [42]

- Shenmue III will be published in PAL and NA regions by Deep Silver , who will be providing additional budget and promotional support, allowing greater budgetary stability and flexibility, as well as enabling Yu Suzuki to greatly expand upon, and truly realise, his vision and hire more freelancers for the project. (The game's publisher in Japan is currently unknown. ) Originally thought to be published by Sony , the latter's role has been clarified as providing support , while SEGA's role is limited to providing the IP and production materials from the series' previous entries [3] [9] [10] [12] [16]

- Contrary to popular belief and misinformation, poor research, and flat-out lies spread by the gaming press, Shibuya Productions is the main investor in Shenmue III , having invested an undisclosed amount in the project, and has a much greater role than Sony . (In fact, SEGA / YSnet / Shibuya Productions formed the agreement to use the Shenmue licence before Sony was ever involved ) [20] [21] [22]

System specs

(Placeholder and subject to change.)

Minimum:

OS: Windows 7x64, Windows 8x64, Windows 10x64 (64-bit OS Required)
Processor: Intel Core i5-4460 (3.40 GHz) or better; Quad-core or better
Memory: 4 GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti or better (DirectX 11 card & VRAM 2GB Required)
DirectX: Version 11
Network: Broadband internet connection
Storage: 100 GB available space
Sound card: DirectX 9.0c compatible sound card
Additional Info: Requires Steam Client to activate.

---

UPDATES LOG:

25/06/2018: Miscellaneous changes and updated the slacker backer pledge total

23/04/2018: Updated with information from previous interviews and talks, and separated information about characters into its own section

18/04/2018: Updated with information from a 2016 DualShockers interview

15/04/2018: Updated with new information from SEGASaturno's MAGIC interview

17/03/2018: Updated with new information from MAGIC 2018 and added more citations for older information

14/01/2018: Added citations to the majority of the facts. Incomplete, but this will be taken care of

23/12/2017: Updated with new information from Shenmue Master's Gamescom interview

16/12/2017: Updated with new information about the temple maiden and made some miscellaneous changes

28/11/2017: Updated the Slacker Backer amount

14/10/2017: Updated with new information from the Shenmue Master recap

28/09/2017: Updated with new information from the latest M! Games Magazine interview

27/09/2017: Updated with new information from the latest Official PlayStation Magazine interview

25/09/2017: Cleaned things up, updated the backer amount/count, and added more information

21/09/2017: Moved information about locations into their own category and added lots of miscellaneous information

17/09/2017: Included Corey Marshall's comments about voice work beginning soon as well as other little tid-bits

12/09/2017: Cleaned things up a bit and elaborated on some information

11/09/2017: Separated 'Story/gameplay' into separate sections and added some more information from the Fok!, Gamona, and Shenmue500k interviews

09/09/2017: Added some more information from the Eurogamer interview

03/09/2017: Cleaned things up a bit

28/08/2017: Added some more information from the Multiplayer.it interview

27/08/2017: Categorised the information so everything doesn't read as one long list

26/08/2017: Added and corrected some information in light of revelations from Gamescom 2017

20/12/2016: Added some more information, including Shenhua's adoptive father to the confirmed characters list, Nanquan as one of the confirmed fighting styles, and an update to the funding date
[***RESERVED***]

Some important ones:

. Sony's role is limited to marketing and publishing the PS4 version only of Shenmue III (Source: http://www.gameblog.fr/interview_948_shenmue-3-notre-grande-interview-de-yu-suzuki-et-cedric-bisc )

. SEGA's role is limited to providing the IP and production materials from the first games (Source: http://www.gameblog.fr/interview_948_shenmue-3-notre-grande-interview-de-yu-suzuki-et-cedric-bisc )

. SEGA/YSnet/Shibuya Productions formed the agreement to use the Shenmue licence before Sony was ever involved (Source: http://www.gameblog.fr/news/57133-shenmue-iii-pourquoi-la-ps4-et-pas-la-xbox-one-cedric-biscay )

. Shibuya Productions is the main investor in Shenmue III, and has a much greater role than Sony (Source: https://twitter.com/CedricBiscay/status/645483756371873792 )

Seeing how the "SONY/SEGA ARE SECRETLY FUNDING SHENMUE" lies are still put out there by the gaming press and the people who religiously take the media's conjecture as fact, I think it's up to us to put these real facts out there.
Thanks, dude! I'll grab what I can from the links and edit the original post :)

I fear a hd release would bomb, based on the terrible voice acting alone. it could work if they add japanese voices and english subtitles
I don't think it would bomb at all in terms of sales, but reviews are an iffy, though wholly irrelevant, subject when it comes to remasters because there's always going to be the complaint that the respective game doesn't hold up to today's standards. Well, no shit! Plus, the gaming press are divided on Shenmue ; some consider it to be a masterpiece, while others - the much more vocal crowd - will take any and every opportunity to shit all over it they can simply because they can.

Veterans of the series won't give a damn about the quality of the voice acting because we know what we're in for, while newcomers to the series would have to appreciate the fact the game came out at a time when performance and acting in video games was on the lower rungs of priority, and accept the game for what it is.

Can't wait to watch this when I get a chance

Fucking hell, I've never seen this cover before. Ryo's face is utterly ridiculous! He looks like something out of Jersey Shore

I would never claim to have had the worst upbringing (because I certainly didn't for the most part), but back in 2000, when Shenmue was released over here, I was slap-bang in the middle of a really shitty time during my life. I was being bullied on a daily basis at school; I felt terribly isolated and alien to my peers due to social anxiety disorder; my family was fragmenting and fucking up in ways that simply can't be put into words; and home life in general just wasn't stable or good. In fact, it was a down-right raw misery at times. The one sanctuary I had away from all of this, however, was video games. I started playing games at around the age of three, and while I adored them and they were a huge part of my life, the games I would play were all very A-to-B affairs; Metal Gear Solid , 2D platformers, fighting games, Tony Hawk's , point-and-clickers, etc.

Then, in (I believe) 1999, my older brother bought a Dreamcast, and some time after that came Shenmue . You'll hear this from plenty of fans of the game, but it was like nothing I had ever played before. There was an objective, sure, but the path leading to that objective wasn't a corridor; it was like a vast open field graced with a sense of freedom and being able to just live your life and go at your leisure. The very first time I played it, I didn't have a clue what I was doing; I was so used to pop-ups telling me what I had to do or obvious pointers directing me down the correct path. Shenmue had none of that; so much so that I had absolutely no idea what I was supposed to do or how to progress from the first instance where gameplay as handed over to you. (I even wasted an entire day because I got lost in the Hazuki house the first time I played :lol:) I eventually got to grips with what the game was about, and so the journey began.

It was during this journey that I started feeling things I wasn't feeling anywhere in the real world: a sense of place, meaning, importance, and a great sense of comfort and belonging. The game's world is designed to make you feel at home, and I honestly don't think they could have done a better job. Even though Ryo is very familiar with the locales and its citizens, you, as the player, aren't (at first), but you slowly start to familiarise with them as you progress further and further and spend more time around them, and you're able to form a connection with them. You start to make sense of things in your mind such as who would be the best person to ask about such-and-such and what the best course of action to progress would be, because the world makes sense. And when I feel like taking a break from going through the story? I can just say I'll do that later and focus on doing something else, whether it be training my moves, playing arcade games, or just conversing with the locals, whereas with a 2D platformer, for example, what are your options? Pause the game or turn off the system and come back later.

So, even though shitty things may have been happening in the real world, those things simply didn't matter as much any more because, thanks to the game, I knew I would greeted by all the things lacking in real life in the game world the second I stepped back in. I even started replicating Ryo's fighting style, pretending I was fighting against the bullies and emerging victorious. I never took it any further than my house, 'fighting' people who weren't really there, however, because I never plucked up the courage to actually fight back. As useless as hindsight is, to this day I wish I'd fought back and stood up for myself. I'm still eternally grateful for that slight spark of confidence it gave to me, though. Without Shenmue , I wouldn't have even had that, and I dread to think where I would have ended up. In all honesty, I think Shenmue saved me from doing something really stupid to myself, and for a video game to be able to help someone in that way is unbelievable.

Even to this day, when I'm feeling shitty, thoughts about Shenmue start to emerge in my mind. It's like my default happy place, and do you know what? It helps. It absolutely helps.

Thank you, Shenmue .