Shenmue Online - Your opinion

[Dreakon]

This can go one of three ways.

Good: SO is a success, Shenmue series gains a ton of new people in the community. Sega (or whomever is in charge) makes a ton of money and gives Yu the go ahead on Shenmue III.

Bad: SO is a moderate success. Some people leave the community, some new people join. Sega (or whomever is in charge) makes about at much as they are spending to develop the game/maintain the servers and Shenmue III is still a possibility, as it is now.

Ugly: SO is a failure, many current fans of Shenmue give up on the game due to some a bad release and very few people join the community. Sega (or whomever is in charge) does not profit from the game and Shenmue III has a worse chance of being made then it did.

It's up to whomever is in charge now to make this game quality. If it sucks, then I doubt Shenmue III will be made. If it's good and whomever in charge profits greatly, then I can guarentee you that Shenmue III will begin production. Sega (or whomever is in charge) needs to really work hard and make this game as good as humanly possible, continually update it so it maintains a good player base and ADVERTISE. Get people into Shenmue so they will buy this game and probably Shenmue III!

Personally, I will probably buy this game even if it sucks because I think real time Shenmue fighting would kick ass online.

No one knows anything right now, we hardly even have any idea what the game looks like nonetheless how it plays and its quality. Give it some time, read articles and look at pics so you can give some kind of educated opinion before claiming "IM NOT BUYING THIS, SEGA SUCKS!!".

P.S: I highly doubt 'Ugly' will happen, 'Bad' seems likely but if Sega (or whomever is in charge) does a damn good job and gets Shenmue Online's name out there so people buy it, I suspect a 'Good' is possible.

[RiGoRmOrTiS]

you're missing the more possible routes..

if they can change the original story and modified 150 scenes from Shenmue 1 and 2 to fit into shenmue-online (which is what he said he was doing) then there is nothing to stop them doing the same with shenmue 3's chapters and beyond. with enough changes I'm sure Yu could manage this. Of course this would invalidate the original story in shenmue 1 and 2.

If shenmue-online is a success Sega will most likely see this as an opportunity to dodge funding for the real shenmue 3. They will use the logic that the single player games didn't turn profit and this one did. So if Yu wants to continue the story he will have to modify the rest of the story to make it work in Shenmue On-Line. (This may have already been done with the new locations and the other 150 new scenes we currently know nothing about).

Now that I've explain how it may be possible for Yu to tell his story in a crappy, disjointed and totally un-epic way using shenmue-online, lets summarize.

If Shenmue-online fails, Sega will finally decide shenmue isn’t' worth pursuing and will dump the franchise. However if it succeeds Sega will see the online version as a scapegoat and may tell Yu to continue the rest of the story through expansion packs for shenmue-online. (el cheapo).

I see shenmue-online as the death of shenmue. I will hold my last tiny shred of hope until TGS. But if shenmue 3 is a no show and shenmue-online is all we get......well....that’s it.. I'll probably never get over it and the sickly depressing feeling I got when shenmue-online was announced with never subside for as long as I live.

Will Ryo ever “truly” get out of that cave? TGS will reveal all. Either all hope will be restored or the “very last” shred of hope will be annihilated in a blaze of shittyness..

[Dreakon]

I agree that if Shenmue Online flops, then Sega will probably dump the franchise. I doubt however that the story will continue through expansions. It's a possibility but I dont see how a MMORPG could expand a single player games story.

I believe if Shenmue Online is a success then Shenmue III will be made. But thats just my opinion...

[BostonsKing]

i liked shenmue b/c it wasnt a fantasy type game now i see peopel shooting fireballs, wtf is this

[Daikath]

Is there an internet petition yet to ask Yu to get rid of the magic? lol

[GP 68-99-08]

i liked shenmue b/c it wasnt a fantasy type game now i see peopel shooting fireballs, wtf is this

Yeah, I think a lot of people are of this opinion and I'm another one of them.

I agree that if Shenmue Online flops, then Sega will probably dump the franchise. I doubt however that the story will continue through expansions. It's a possibility but I dont see how a MMORPG could expand a single player games story.

I believe if Shenmue Online is a success then Shenmue III will be made. But thats just my opinion...

Yeah, that's probably correct. I don't like the idea or the style of game that SO seems that it will be, but I'll buy it alright, knowing it may help SIII if it sells well.

[Shenmue Master]

personally i would be exited but it's for the pc and i can't play games on my pc. i would rather have shenmue III

[Robert Frazer]

After regaling the trailer, I utterly, loathe, detest, despise, revile, abhorr, and hate the fact that I'm incapable of comprehending Japanese. Lord Yu! Enlighten me as to the glories of your craft, I implore and beseech you!
:(

(Incidentally, what miniscule particles of Japanese I do know were gleaned from the Japanese voice-acting in Shenmue II... I know can proclaim "Yes. OK." to everyone on the street when I visit Kyoto! Huzzah! ;) )

I am genuinely excited about the potential for the expansion of the Shenmue saga that Shenmue Online conveys, even if at present its commercial distirbution is being restricted to Korea and China. However, I have been extremely distraught, and eventually infuriated and angered, to witness supporters of the series suddenly possessing the ungrateful gall and audacity to petulantly and miserably mutter that it only portends failure and catastrophe for the series. The sheer, unremitting arrogance and ignorance of such opinions as those incontrovertible and prejudiced figures who are raving discordantly that "it must be bad as it's got fireballs" (incidentally - IT WAS A TRAILER, BY GOD'S GRACE! IT WAS INTENDED TO APPEAR VISUALY ENTICING, NOT EXHIBIT GAMEPLAY!) both astounds and appalls me. I find it despressingly reminiscent of the reaction to Phantasy Star Online Episode III: C.A.R.D. Revolution, where thousands of curmudgeonly and introverted gamesplayers threw the game back at the Sonic Team's faces on the sole basis of it being "Yu-Gi-Oh", even when it wasn't. :x (you can view this odious opinion being expressed very frequently at PSO World) For Sonic Team's labour and effort in manufacturing and sculpt a unique, individual title that sustains Sega's commendable dedication to excelling innovation to be blatantly insulted and scorned in this manner filled me with absolute and unremitting revulsion. Regrettably, I believe I can witness the tragedy of this inconsolable mindset in its incipient germination amongst the Shenmue community, as well.

To all of those who would see fit to condemn Shenmue Online before it has even emerged from its pre-alpha stage, I would urgently exhort them to remove their bigoted blinkers recognise this: the Shenmue saga is Yu Suzuki's magnum opus. All twenty-seven chapters of the project are his ardent, intense, and personal vision, and to scribe, illustrate, depict and dance the skeins of fate for Ryo and his compatriots is quite literally a labour of love for a man who is an undoubted royal Prince of the games industry. How could this revered and venerated nobleman of the Binary Order not approach any instalment of the series that is veritably his child without his utmost dedication, diligence, determination and devotion?

Apologies if the message above communicated itself as being rather blunt and abrasive, but this message is too important to risk it being ignored if I was subtle. To Shenmue gamers everywhere - recall the concepts of trust, faith, and loyalty. I have been a proponent of the True Way of Gaming that is Sega for over twelve years now, and Yu Suzuki has never disappointed me.

[Mad Dog Hidensetsu]

Well, i wont read it all. I'll just give my opinion.
Thats a weird idea, it can work out, just have to wait and see what happens, maybe will, maybe wont work.

The only thing that got me pissed at was the fireball, like one of the options above, and also the fact of the movement of the fireball being the same as Ryu's from Street fighter. (yea, the legs are not at the same position -_-)
The use of ki (chi) is not a problem, since on Shenmue 1 and 2 they already make use of it (or you think a single blow in the chest can kill a skilled fighter?).
Well... even so, lets wait. =\
That was somewhat of a teaser, right? Lots of things can be changed for the game.

Btw, did you see how Lan Di has expressions? O_O

[Mechanical Animal]

when i first saw ryo pulling a ryu, i dismissed the game without a single thought. this game has nothing to do with shenmue much like final fantasy XI has nothing to do with final fantasy. even if it does come out here, i wont buy, cause if this is the direction that the shenmue series is headed, i hope they do dump the series......

[ShenmueNut]

I believe we will see Shenmue III after Shenmue Online and I know if it comes out in the US, I will be buying it.

[KiD]

I would so much rather Shenmue finish the way it started... the unraveling story is very enticing and epic-like... it's just amazing and true art at its best... it's a real shame that such a beautiful masterpiece of a game has been ignored and "hated" on by many gamers

[luckyhit]

Ok, I know I'm the minority here, but I think all of us should be appreciative that there actually IS another Shenmue (Heck, maybe they won't even release it in the states and Europe!). Somebody else has probably already said this, but apparently it hasn't sunk in with the crowd.

Ever since the news got out about Shenmue Online, there only seems to be panic in the dojo about the magic in Shenmue, that it's not in the same format as the original shenmue series, blah blah blah. Come on people! Magic goes all the way freakin back to PROJECT BERKELEY! (BTW has anybody seen the red "berkley" -spelled wrong- graffiti around Dobuita? Probably) Shenfa powerin up some fireball and a huge chinese statue with blue flames... Not to mention the fact that Chiyou IS A FREAKIN MYTHICAL CREATURE. Then there's the sword and the glimpses of Shenfa's powers in numbuh two. Suzuki originally incorporated magic into the game!! Did the Korean and Chinese software companies come up with this? I think not. I think the magic will actually draw more people in. Remember people, this game is targeted for an Asian audience. Most of you, if not all of you don't have a good comprehension of Asian mythology. But for those who do, I think the game will be nostalgic, as was Shenmue I with everyday Japanese life which I experienced in my many trips to Japan (I'm half japanese ). Just remember, although you are potential consumers, any future Shenmue games will probably not be taliored for a Euro or American market. We'll be lucky if SEGA even thinks about spending the money to release the game in the states...

I am also pleased by the news that Shenmue Online will be on PC. With the exception of Morrowind, most American console gamers (ESPECIALLY those Halo-worshipping X box owners, which there are a substantial number of in the states) aren't interested in RPGs other than the Final Fantasy series and a couple other exceptions. Aside from bad press, that can also explain the lack of sucess with Shenmue I&II..... PC gamers just seem to be more inclined towards RPG's, but of course there are still a substantial number of fps freaks....

As much as I hate using catch phrases I think many of us can gain some insight from a couple:
"Don't knock it until you've tried it" and "Beggars can't be choosers"

[Cyberman]

I voted number 1, But is it also coming to Xbox as well?

[Fox]

I choose the second option. I'd rather just have a Shenmue 3. Why didn't they start that in the first place..... they knew we al wanted that!