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To address some opinions I've read in various places, I think if you're keen on it then you should buy it, as with anything, but don't let anyone make you feel obliged to "support the franchise" by paying nearly $200 for something you don't particularly want .
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Buy it if it appeals to you at the price, but don't feel like you're "not a real fan" if it doesn't.
I think (like Let's Get Sweaty said) that in the back of a lot of Shenmue fans head there are these thoughts: "If I will buy the statue, then Sega will see how much I am willing to pay just for an inanimate statue. Therefore, Sega will see how much more money (compared to that for the statue) I am ready to pay for Shenmue III when they will make it. So, that will convince them to make it."
I am not saying that is a bad or a good thought (that is something each one must judge for him/er-self), but just to point out that does not guaranteed anything about the game. It may support the idea that F4F will make a Lan Di statue, too (for those who would love that to happen), but that will remain just for the statues.
I get the "sending Sega a message" thing, but it's possible to send the wrong message as well, encouraging Sega to just milk blindly loyal fans for profit on licensed merchandise without ever having to invest in the game itself.
This is just what I am thinking lately. That Sega will sniff out that there are some fans out there that will do anything to see a Shenmue III to come out in light. So let's do something about it. Let us find something profitable! That is it! Collectives, figurines, statues, cards, whatever, just produce some stuff with Shenmue on it and let the money flow!
Sega is just a corporation. Feelings (especially ours)? I am not really sure that they care about them (maybe only when they lose money), but I know that they are trying to survive as every other corporation (and that particular one has a hard job on it).
The thing that they revive Sega characters from the past in stuff like these (a recent example is " Sega Japan All Star card packs, inc. Shenmue ", but also "Sega All-Stars Racing", "Sega All-Stars Tennis" et cetera) is an indication to me that this is what they are heading for. That they are investing on their golden past to save their rusty present.
That is why they are saying "Never say never for a Shenmue HD", because "while you are not saying never, we are going to take your money (based on your nostalgic feelings for the game), and squeeze you all the way down, until the real thing will(?) come".
There is not hate about Sega (I would say it is just apathy towards it), nor that negativity has taken over the place, but I am trying to see things as they are and the truth itself is always positive in logic [despite that sometimes it is not in feelings (but better to be logic)].
P.S.: They even use Alex Kidd [a hero from "Alex Kidd in Miracle World" (= the only real Alex Kidd game) back in '86] to make their profits...
Ok, enough with my rant...
As for the statue, I chose "None", because:
1. I am a poor student
2. It is too expensive
3. I do not like to collect inanimate stuff (especially when they are that expensive...)
4. Despite being the best figurine of Ryo until now, I do not really like it (especially its head)
5. Last but not least: for the reasons I rant about above, that is I will feel like a victim or a slave of Sega and I do not want to be a slave to anyone or anything
Warning: I am just and only talking about myself in the reasons above (why I am not getting the statue). I do not necessarily point to anyone else (and of course you do not need to share the same opinions with me). Thank you for your understanding.