3-4 days after the end of the campaign, and not even a simple Kickstarter update.
Round of applause for Awesome Japan

...Dude, I wasn’t even hoping for a Paypal update at this point (that would be grossly overestimating things), just a simple congratulatory message, with perhaps a dash of hope and a twist of inspiration.
But nope!

Remember the 3rd guys.. that's "Shenmue day" for us and they know it and they too actively participated in it with us last time.
All bets on a Aug. 3rd launch of paypal . If not, no worries, it'll come when it comes.

If that’s what they’re planning, then they seriously need to reevaluate their strategy; the Paypal/latebacker options need to be out as soon as possible.

The only people who are aware of “$30 on the 3rd” are hardcore ultra fans; you can only squeeze that orange dry so many times.

...How the f*ck is Joel Tess sitting so close to Suzuki? They better be discussing Paypal, dammit!

...They've had their tiramisu. Now it's time for an update.

I don't find it to be non-wisdom. I think we take our friends and people who care about for granted. Ryo certainly does in I as he alienates all of them.

Eh, sure, it's not stupid advice, but my point is more that it's still kind of an obvious, not-exactly-spectacular line of dialogue. It's akin to "brush your teeth after every meal." Not everyone follows that advice, but it's still a really basic thing to say, and hardly fitting at all of being one of the most-quoted, most-remembered lines in a game.

Well, sure, outside of the Shenmue world, the line sounds like basic, straightforward etiquette; within the context of the game, however, it takes on a much darker meaning: that of a dying man's warning.

Ragdoll physics can look retarded at times…but I’m not too worried regarding the overall fighting system; it’s Suzuki’s bread and butter in a way, so I doubt he would f*ck things up on that front.

(Then again...I also doubted George Lucas could f*ck things up Star Wars- wise, but, as it turns out, a hiatus isn't always a good thing ;-) )

The point is: Nocon Kid is pretty awesome… even if he doesn’t speak d*ck.

“FINE! Just tell ‘em I had the f*cking shrimp scampi!”
- Cedric B.

Nocon Kid was most likely hired to work on the flashback scenes.

Re: the competition theory, it’s more valid than you might think. Especially if Sega ends up releasing “bare-bones” ports (if that), whilst Nocon releases his version for free on the internet (which he was considering).

Ideally, I’d love to have him gain experience working on S3, before integrating an official Shenmue [remaster] team…but since Sega doesn’t like money, I won’t hold my breath on this one.

On a side-note, I agree with Zoltor; it seems that certain JPN gaming companies are mentally stuck in the 20th century:
-Konami cancelling awesome IPs to make pachinko machines
-Sega selling merchandise exclusively to JPN market
-Shenmue Paypal officially focusing on the 5 retards who can’t use non-JPN internet.

Hiring an ultra-dedicated Shenmue fan with abundant Unreal 4 experience, whilst successfully/ legally binding him from releasing anything in the future that could be seen as competition.

Multiple birds with one stone; in other words, a good business deal.
This shouldn’t be hard to understand.

This is like, if Shenmue III the Gang Edition was considered canon to the Shenmue universe despite having nothing to do with the original creators, and then Shenmue III gets announced, and Yu is like,"yeah, any media related to Shenmue III besides the official Shenmue III is totally not canon and we are not going to pay attention to them or consider them as a part of our universe. That should be obvious but..."

and drops mic.


That literally makes zero sense.
Those books were internationally commercialized with Lucas’ approval. It’s not some fan project.

Anyway, like I said, canon is ultimately meaningless; Nothing prevents SW fans from picking and choosing their own timeline based on what they like. I’ll agree that it’s nothing worth arguing about in the first place.

Who cares what Lucas considers canon?!
The only true canon, as the fans recognize, is the Original Trilogy. From there on you can build your own SW timeline as you see fit.

The prequels are mostly crap (though Ep 3 is a guilty pleasure…even with the shitty acting, and stupid story turns). Some of the books were good, and some of the video games great (ie the force unleashed, which made me a SW fan once again).

I’ll definitely give Ep 7 its fair chance. It’s what any fan would do.

I can agree but there's no perfect game, there's always something lacking.

People were whining that Shenmue III wouldn't bring an ending, some were fine with it and wanted the full version. Same goes with graphics. Since Yu Suzuki said he wouldn't focus too much on the graphics part, people started whining. And now that we're talking about 30/60 fps when the game's development has just started, they still find a way to say something about it.

I will wait around one year or mid-2017 before judging. I don't even know if we could call Shenmue III an "alpha" as it is right now. So there's a long way to go. :happy:

And let's forget who Yu Suzuki is. I wouldn't even worry about Shenmue III being an "unworthy piece of crap". ;-)

I’ll certainly agree that it’s too early to judge the game. I mean…there is no game yet ;)
But…once again, after a 15-year wait, it’s all about hopes, wishes and dreams at this point, and vague announcements can certainly affect them all. The impact will just vary depending on the topic and the person.

Regarding Suzuki, sure, I would be more than inclined to believe in him as well…then again, the same applied to Star Wars fans back in ‘99. Sadly, anything’s possible after a long hiatus.

Realistically, in Shenmue 3’s case, everything will come down to budget and vision:
-Will Suzuki’s vision have evolved… or degenerated over the years?
-Can the very limited budget bring about something worthy of the title/legacy?

Yes, I really like the idea of ditching the English voice acting. But what the heck is the point of "revealing" stretch goals that have long been reached? :roll:

That's like saying: 4.7 million=Hiroaki Takeuchi returning. ](*,)

Seriously, ditch that lame-ass English dub already, and allocate those funds toward full voice-acting in JPN.

Would anyone here even have considered passing on Shenmue 3 had it been JPN-subbed only?!
…I think not.

Also, since we’re retroactively revealing the obvious:
$3.6M = Manabu Takimoto (original environment designer) returns for S3! ;)

Regarding your first question :
None of these tiers should count towards final game sales, since they’re directly funding development. Essentially, backers interested in Shenmue 4 should pick up a retail copy of S3.

Somewhat similar topic:
http://www.shenmuedojo.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=48851

This Slacker Backer campaign is a joke that was seemingly spawned from an afterthought.
Talk about wasted potential.

...and don't get me started on Awesome Japan.

Time heals all wound guys, this will pass. Keep the faith.

My faith in Shenmue 3 being an awesome game is unwavering :)

That being said, ignoring AJ’s incompetence hasn’t done anyone any favors. They’re literally the largest source of strife surrounding the project, and they’re bound to f*ck up again in the future if given the chance.

I suppose the only valid question at this point is: could things still be different if another company was to run the campaign tomorrow? …Or are we way past the point of making any real difference (aside from preventing future fiascos)?

I‘m not so sure anymore, to be honest, though if I were in your shoes I would definitely bring up the general topic of “AJ” with Cedric. Don’t be shy: you’re one of the game’s biggest individual backers inquiring over a legitimate concern. Nothing strange there. Unless you end up tripping on something whilst running up to him with your handshake out.

The initial goal was fine; one of the only true ways for the KS campaign to have raised more $$$ would have been to have had a quality company in charge of said campaign. Not Awesome Japan.

A quality company could’ve better sold the idea of a Shenmue revival to the general public, bringing in new fans along the way. Additionally, a Sega-coordinated Shenmue HD announcement would’ve also gone a long way … and could still very well bring the Paypal campaign/extension back from the dead in the future.

As things stand, no one aside from us dedicated superfans would’ve had any real reason to donate to Shenmue III in the first place, so, no, a $3M or $4M initial goal would not have changed anything in the long run, IMO, whereas a $10M minimum goal would've probably failed.

Great conference…but damn is that sketch F*CKING INTENSE!

^ Agreed, I don’t know why voice acting is even mentioned as a point of contention.
The actors were paid 15 years ago, and all of that quality [& questionable quality] voice acting is already owned by Sega.

Chalk up Sega’s cautiousness to licensing issues and fear of financial failure.
(Though, realistically, it wouldn’t exactly take a big investment to digitally release a bare-bones HD port full of Jet-Colas. I hope/ assume Sega has grander plans in mind ;) )

If you’re in no hurry to get the system now, OP, you might as well wait until the holiday season (if not longer) before making your purchase.
By then the standard PS4 will prob, have gotten even cheaper (with larger hard drives), and the Neo will have come out.

iyapol wrote: Seeing as we're all aboard the hype train, how funny would it be if Shenmue III was a no show at PEX? : )

Well, it would be a little funny. And then I would probably start cursing out Awesome Japan to make me feel better.

(It’s always their fault… even when it isn’t)

WTF.

Not even a simple teaser trailer showing off some environments and a Ryo model.
Actually…fuck that…not even a PC reward tier for the Slacker Backer campaign.

It’s hard not to be disappointed.

I sincerely hope they just delay the game for an extra year, especially if there’s so much stuff happening behind the scenes we’re not privy to.

Well...today sure sucked.
I didn't even get my singular announcement courtesy of Joel Tess.

Another case of miscommunication.
Perhaps we as backers will get a year-end update with some new footage/ screens, etc.

In any case, not having planned to capitalize on the PSX opportunity....is just....retarded.

I expect “something” substantial to be shown at E3. Whether it’s a full trailer, a playable demo, or just a minute-long teaser, it doesn’t matter. They need to show something at a big game show.

If they don’t do shit, then, at this point, they’re either not interested in game sales, or simply don’t care about generating extra funding for the project.
(spoiler: we lose either way)

With that said, as a backer, I’d appreciate getting a year-end update with some actual progress shown. A couple of environment screens; whatever. Something that caps off the year on an optimistic note.

PS- Shensun- please change the freaking title of this post. It reads like clickbait.
No one likes clickbait.

As long as they have a dual language option, I'm good.

I have Shenmue II on Xbox but I don't have Shenmue because I don't have a Dreamcast I'm waiting for Sega to release that Shenmue I and II HD!

You know, you’re actually a great example as to why we need the HD remasters.

How the freak are we supposed to get people to pledge $$$ when the first 2 games were last seen on a dead system 15 years ago? At this stage, it’s probable no one under 26 has even played the first game.

Get your asses moving, Sega.

The Room is a great movie for all the wrong reasons.
Having said that, I wouldn’t want a sequel anytime soon; being a one-time disaster is what makes the film so good, IMO.

With Shenmue, I have to wonder why some of you are masochistic enough to want not one, but three games filled with shitty acting.

I played S1 in English, and while the dub was atrocious, I can understand why some might be attached to those memories. Then again, nostalgia only works when relegated to the past. Wanting future installments to be filled with laughable acting is…something entirely different.

To each his own, I suppose.

We’ll definitely see Shenmue re-releases at some point. Whether they’re more or less bare-bones ports or not remains to be seen of course, but yeah- someday. Hopefully sooner rather than later, and ideally preceding Shenmue 3’s release (for obvious reasons).

Only thing bugging me is Sega’s complete BS excuse (“licensing issues”- GTFO with that sh*t. Jet Cola, bitches), which means that they either aren’t ready to make an official announcement just yet (hey hey!) ….or simply don’t consider Shenmue to be a priority in any way, shape or form (ie ‘you’ll get them when you get them’).

Either way, they're stalling. Let’s hope they don't disappoint.

can i watch this one or is the original one necessary? :-k

Watching the original should come first. Watch either the Director's Cut, or the Final Cut (the latter being Ridley Scott's preferred version)

Regarding Blade Runner 2049- everything looks amazing. They really found the perfect director in Denis Villeneuve. Full confidence in the flick....as long as Harrison Ford isn't his 21st century grumpy self.

Hot news. Sega is currently investigating the possibility of potentially thinking about considering a would-be release at some point in time.

And revenge.

I'd say it's obviously real. A 4-hr work day using money stockpiled in Yu's garage just sounds accurate to me.

Brilliant translation ;)

To be honest, in hindsight, the original Dec. release date seems all the more puzzling now.

I suspect that Suzuki & co originally low-balled the backer minimum ($2M), almost expecting to make an interactive movie of sorts. The backing then quickly took a legendary turn, with the team now tasked to meet an almost impossible release date. At this point…when do you announce a delay? Certainly not towards the beginning, as the “press” would have jumped all over it.
(I can see the “Shenmue Trouble: Suzuki asks for patience (and money)” headline already.)

All in all, I’d say the timing here was as close to “perfect” as possible.

Then again, perhaps they really did try to meet this impossible release date for the longest time (sleeping at the office/ etc/ etc), before finally giving in to reason and planning ahead accordingly. Who knows.

One thing is for sure: this entire KS has been nothing short of a fascinating experiment.
Whatever happens, it’s been one hell of an exciting ride. For everyone.

…Only thing missing now is that fabled HD remaster announcement ;)

I don't remember when and which exact words Yu said this but if the kickstarter had earned a little more than 2 million only, Shenmue 3 would have been closed to an interactive movie, or a very linear game at least. Way before this, releasing Shenmue III as a comic was even a possibility.

I remember this as well; we certainly dodged a bullet with the $2M 'game'.

A shenmue comic...Jesus...times were certainly desperate for a while.

In their defense, those head injuries were probably caused by consecutive hype trains that derailed ;)

Remember when everyone was universally wowed by Nocon Kid’s awesome remaster?
Had the Shenmue 3 team used a similar Ryo, this debate would be nonexistent.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CLfOOUqUsAAG0z5.jpg:large

It’s especially frustrating knowing that he’s on the team, and yet they’re choosing to go in a completely different direction…which is nowhere near ‘there’ yet.

I was really surprised to see such a long teaser at this point, especially given the big delay that was recently announced.

Still, WIP or not, it felt pretty surreal to watch the video.
It's incredible to see new footage after 15+ years.

Anyway, I think Shenmue fans are understandably happy… but I question how non-fans will take it. Are gamers used to watching incomplete trailers at game shows? Will they even give enough of a shit to realize that this is very much WIP footage? (Not explicitly labeled in the actual video)
It certainly is a ballsy gamble.

Shenmue 3 is a tricky one; everyone’s trying to find their pace, place and space in this crazy KS project.
Baptism by fire.

Assuming all ends well, Shenmue 4 should basically be a breeze development-wise.

I think the main difference may be the audio quality this time around. I remember the audio from the original Shenmue being terribly compressed and muffled, to the point where I switched TVs multiple times thinking it was that.

You're right, but that was only in the English version; the Japanese audio was perfectly crisp, sound-wise.

(Side note- I really hope they pull off dual language tracks this time around.)

Man this is all sounding really good.
Unreal 4 + Deep Silver's investment = we win.

^ That and full voice acting.
A mostly text-based Shenmue just sounds....weird.

Truth be told, I find it hard to believe that, in the 21st century, Suzuki & co wouldn't be able to include full voice acting in the final game. Sure, it probably cost an arm and a leg in the 90's, but come on. We live in a different century now, which should make the process much cheaper, easier and more convenient.

^ That's because this listing is for the retail product.

-If you want to help Shenmue 3, then pre-order a copy via the Slacker Backer
-If you want to fund Shenmue 4, then you need to buy the final (retail) product upon the game's release.

As Shenmue fans, we basically need to do both ;)

However, if Shenmue I and II were released as they were on the Dreamcast then I believe they'd get a perfect score of a 10/10 or at least a 9 or 8/10.

No they wouldn't.
It's a polarizing franchise. Always has been. Porting a 20 year-old game and leaving it 'as is' probably won't make anyone 'see the light' anymore than it would have back in 1999.

It's Shenmue...you either like it or you don't.