Shenmue Dojo

If this has been discussed before (I'll be surprised if it hasn't), then any links would be appreciated.

I just wanted to hear people's thoughts on the deal between Microsoft and Sega, which made Shenmue 2 exclusive to the original Xbox in North America.

How do you think it was handled by both parties? What did they do right? What did they do wrong?

How do you think it affected sales of the game in that market, and the position of the series overall?

If a similar deal was to be struck for Shenmue 3, then what, if anything, should be done differently?

Let's Get Sweaty wrote: If this has been discussed before (I'll be surprised if it hasn't), then any links would be appreciated.

I just wanted to hear people's thoughts on the deal between Microsoft and Sega, which made Shenmue 2 exclusive to the original Xbox in North America.

How do you think it was handled by both parties? What did they do right? What did they do wrong?

How do you think it affected sales of the game in that market, and the position of the series overall?

If a similar deal was to be struck for Shenmue 3, then what, if anything, should be done differently?

I thought it was a bit of a cock up.

1 it pissed off US Dreamcast owners most of who ended up just importing the pal version.
2 they should have ported both games over to XBox not just II with a movie[even more pointless with the 10 minute digest vid on Shenmue II's disc]
Not releasing it in Japan at the same time caused them to miss the boat and it could have helped them sell a few more consoles [think the series sold around 2M in Japan?]

But of course SIII was sort of confirmed for XBox

http://uk.xbox.ign.com/articles/384/384250p1.html

And I remember reading it was all but announced at E3 several years back and a trailer was even made.

As for the contract it could have been just what they said and MS may still own the rights to publish in the US?

In my humble opinion, I think the most basic good strategy to use, when you want to release a game as an exclusive one for your console, is to check what games are the most popular and/or best sellers, and then decide wisely what game of all of these would surely make consumers to purchase the console just to play that single game. Surely (especially nowadays), a new Shenmue game is one that would make consumers to purchase the console just to play it, but the problem is that they are not a lot of customers like these and I think that is why Microsoft's regional exclusivity deal failed.

That last point is proven in the recent poll the Xbox magazine has, where (almost) everyone knew about TS, but despite Shenmue 3 winning the poll, there are a lot of people that does not even know if Shenmue is a game that ever existed. So, all the efforts must be applied to make the game a popular one, in a way that consumers they will love it (emotionally, mentally attached to it) and that they will wait for a new Shenmue (preferably Shenmue III), like a baby waits the milk to be fed... I think Yu Suzuki's try with Shenmue Gai was one of those, but again it targeted mostly Shenmue hardcore fans (and only in Japan).

Something Shenmue-ish must arise again, that will attract mainstream/casual customers, in a way that will transform their raw and brutal gaming instincts, to ones that they will find meaning and usefulness to play a game that will uplift their darkened spirit to a calm and noble one, so they will begin to "keep their minds as clean as a polished mirror"... Shenmue will work on them, like Orpheus charmed the beasts by the music of his lyre...


Edit: Thank you, "Who Really Cares?", for pointing out! Now, I have organized the "wall of text" into several paragraphs.

Don't want to be rude but that's a bit of a wall of text which make its hard to read.

If Shenmue was released on the PlayStation 2, we'd have already seen the series properly conclude.

People say that but they have no proof, It could have easily flopped on that console as well.

Who Really Cares? wrote:
And I remember reading it was all but announced at E3 several years back and a trailer was even made.

I dont remember a trailer. Do you have a link to it?

As i said it was never announced meaning the supposed trailer was never shown.

hin Ishikawa, revealed in an online interview that not only is Shenmue III in the works but intimated that said Shenmue title will in fact make its way to Xbox.

Both funny and sad

Yep just think the series could have been finished years ago and we would be happy.