Would YOU donate to a Shenmue Project? (& how much)

[Spokane]

No need to explain it now, I know its a great game series these days.

[Master Kyodai]

Let's say i would not blindly dump money into a donations box just because it reads "Shenmue" somewhere on it.

I would however donate if i am convinced that the outsome is likely to be in my favor and that it is very likely I would see "results" from this project. I hate Vaporware. I am not too keen on a Shenmue HD release. As cool as it was i think everyone who is halfway honest would admit it would be "second prize" compared to the real deal. Come on we all want Shenmue 3. Also i don't think a bunch of new textures would blow away our minds.

Another interesting question that already arose in Peters original post is the platform. True die hard fans will want it on the dreamcast, some will want it for their Xbox 360, some for PS3 and i personally would prefer a PC release. But please without Steam. Maybe someone would want it on wii or PSP? or even in 3D on 3DS? All cool, but probably not all realistic. Who could decide the target platforms? Realistically said - SEGA. Their game, their license and trademark. Maybe ask them? Just an idea?

And about being realistic - lets come back to that. Is it realistic to make Shenmue 3 without Yu Suzuki? Steal the story from the notebook in his nightstand? I think without his OK any shenmue 3 project might be seriously screwed.

And if we get back to the Shenmue HD remake - realistic without having SEGAs sources? Not that i say it's impossible, but keep in mind it wasn't the most expensive videogame without a reason.

I am by no means rich but even i might donate a few bucks if i feel such a project has realistic chances to succeed. Some details would need to be more clear before i get out my credit card and scream "Yay!". And i think if people know exactly what happens with their money they would be more likely to donate. I am sure if someone could get some official word from SEGA that they will make Shenmue 3 when at least X million dollars are donated it would be easier to find believers and donators.

[mue 26]

I hate Vaporware. I am not too keen on a Shenmue HD release. As cool as it was i think everyone who is halfway honest would admit it would be "second prize" compared to the real deal

But if we're being realistic about it, a downloadable HD Shenmue port is a completely vital step towards getting Shenmue 3. Being totally honest, I don't think we stand much of a chance of getting Shenmue 3 until the some sort of downloable re-realase comes about. It would be a great way of drawing more attention to the series and expanding the fan base as not everyone has a Dreamcast, and adventure games have come somewhat back in vogue. Do you think any publisher is going to drop Yu a bag of cash to make Shenmue 3 with before they test the waters?

True die hard fans will want it on the dreamcast, some will want it for their Xbox 360, some for PS3 and i personally would prefer a PC release. But please without Steam. Maybe someone would want it on wii or PSP? or even in 3D on 3DS? All cool, but probably not all realistic. Who could decide the target platforms? Realistically said - SEGA.

I don't think this is such an issue, as like you said it wouldn't be for us to decide. That's up to whatever publisher who get's behind the game and Yu, to decide what is most profitable or plausible.

lets come back to that. Is it realistic to make Shenmue 3 without Yu Suzuki? Steal the story from the notebook in his nightstand? I think without his OK any shenmue 3 project might be seriously screwed.

I don't think anyone was ever suggesting to do this, though.


If I am honest, there are many issues facing an idea like this. Questions such as: would anyone want to give a big corporation like Sega money? My personal answer to that would be no, I don't. Then who would we be giving to and would they even accept it? We need to be specific.

Also as I mentioned earlier there is a chance the HD remakes are already in production.

[Master Kyodai]

I hate Vaporware. I am not too keen on a Shenmue HD release. As cool as it was i think everyone who is halfway honest would admit it would be "second prize" compared to the real deal

But if we're being realistic about it, a downloadable HD Shenmue port is a completely vital step towards getting Shenmue 3. Being totally honest, I don't think we stand much of a chance of getting Shenmue 3 until the some sort of downloable re-realase comes about. It would be a great way of drawing more attention to the series and expanding the fan base as not everyone has a Dreamcast, and adventure games have come somewhat back in vogue. Do you think any publisher is going to drop Yu a bag of cash to make Shenmue 3 with before they test the waters?

True die hard fans will want it on the dreamcast, some will want it for their Xbox 360, some for PS3 and i personally would prefer a PC release. But please without Steam. Maybe someone would want it on wii or PSP? or even in 3D on 3DS? All cool, but probably not all realistic. Who could decide the target platforms? Realistically said - SEGA.

I don't think this is such an issue, as like you said it wouldn't be for us to decide. That's up to whatever publisher who get's behind the game and Yu, to decide what is most profitable or plausible.

lets come back to that. Is it realistic to make Shenmue 3 without Yu Suzuki? Steal the story from the notebook in his nightstand? I think without his OK any shenmue 3 project might be seriously screwed.

I don't think anyone was ever suggesting to do this, though.


If I am honest, there are many issues facing an idea like this. Questions such as: would anyone want to give a big corporation like Sega money? My personal answer to that would be no, I don't. Then who would we be giving to and would they even accept it? We need to be specific.

Also as I mentioned earlier there is a chance the HD remakes are already in production.

Is Shenmue HD REALLY required for Shenmue 3? Maybe. maybe not. It would be cool if SEGA would add Shenmue 1 & 2 into the "Shenmue 3 release", admittedly. But i don't think Shenmue 3 is "unthinkable without Shenmue 1 HD!". The first question would be "What is HD standing for?". Imho just better textures. Maybe some higher res figures, but the models themselves would already be a problem as the buildings are mostly "Billboard style".

I'm trying to think what SEGA would do and what they would think. They already have proven that a port to another platform is rather easy. Unfortunately Shenmue 2 Xbox is "not so HD". Why? Because that would have costed much money. and imho making it from scratch would cost MUCH MORE money. We could continue spinning this like "making it from scratch and looking DAMN good while keeping the original atmosphere" but i guess you know what i wanna say.

I've discussed with many people about why SEGA has so far released some old games as DLC but not Shenmue. Noone knows but SEGA themselves so we can only guess. But as they are a company earning money i think it's rather obvious - they think they could not earn enough money with it. And they already have some experience with making, porting, selling and licensing games, so i guess it's not completely unreasonable to think they are right.

So maybe a question that sounds tough and won't please many around here would be appropriate - What if it continues the typical Shenmue curse and looks great and we love it but sales are far below expectations? I think then we'd need to change our motto to "Shenmue HD was necessary to show SEGA that Shenmue 3 would never sell".

If i remember right some SEGA official said not too long ago when asked about Shenmue 3 that they would make it "if someone paid the development cost". SO call me a nitpicker, but why dump money in Shenmue HD first? I have serious doubts it will be a bestseller and that SEGA themselves have no plans for it makes me think that they will probably think similar.


And deciding for platforms WILL be important if you just wanna code a single line. If you pick an engine that only supports PC then SEGA would be like "Ahhhh no we prefer consoles, less piracy...". If you pick and engine that works on all consoles but has high licensing fees a production might be unreasonably expensive. If you develop exclusively for dreamcast there will be barely any target audience. and so on...

I'd personally like to see SEGA or Yu Suzuki in the boat. At least with a good "Proof of concept" (tech demo) and the honest promise to collect money for them it might not be totally unreasonable. Their support would mean much more donations because people will see it's more than some "let's see how far we get" approach.


But yeah although I am a pessimist i of course give my best wishes. Not like i waited for Shenmue HD the past 10 years, but after all the time anything with Shenmue in it is welcome. Besides Shenmue aerobics courses.

[ShOzO MiZuKi]

And deciding for platforms WILL be important if you just wanna code a single line. If you pick an engine that only supports PC then SEGA would be like "Ahhhh no we prefer consoles, less piracy...". If you pick and engine that works on all consoles but has high licensing fees a production might be unreasonably expensive. If you develop exclusively for dreamcast there will be barely any target audience. and so on...

Maybe it is possible that they are trying to hold off for the next gen consoles to release the original games via DLC or whatever other means. Considering this gen is kind of coming to an end, it makes sense that if they had any intentions of Shenmue III they may want all three of them to be released on the newer consoles..Maybe not just a thought.

But yeah although I am a pessimist i of course give my best wishes. Not like i waited for Shenmue HD the past 10 years, but after all the time anything with Shenmue in it is welcome. Besides Shenmue aerobics courses.

Lets get sweaty.

[shengoro86]

True die hard fans will want it on the dreamcast

Still do. Much more than any other console.

[Schiff]

Ready to donate

[mue 26]

Shenmue HD REALLY required for Shenmue 3? Maybe. maybe not. It would be cool if SEGA would add Shenmue 1 & 2 into the "Shenmue 3 release", admittedly. But i don't think Shenmue 3 is "unthinkable without Shenmue 1 HD!"]

I hear what you are saying, and I agree that S3 is not "unthinkable" without a DLC port, I mean anything is possible. But the fact in the not too distant future, if nothing happens to help drum up support and attention for the franchise and we still have no S3, then it will be pretty much unthinkable. Look at Sin and Punishment. Do you think anyone was realistically expecting a Wii sequel before the original got a downloadable re-release and become a surprise hit? And that re-release wasn't even in HD. The fact is that re-releasing old, cult titles in affordable downloadable form, can lead to a revitalization for the franchise. I'd rather put my faith in a downloadable re-release rather than sit here for another couple years praying for a miracle.

I'm trying to think what SEGA would do and what they would think. They already have proven that a port to another platform is rather easy. Unfortunately Shenmue 2 Xbox is "not so HD". Why? Because that would have costed much money. and imho making it from scratch would cost MUCH MORE money. We could continue spinning this like "making it from scratch and looking DAMN good while keeping the original atmosphere" but i guess you know what i wanna say.

Well if it's really so hard, just re-release as a straight up port just as plenty of other old games have been re-released.

So maybe a question that sounds tough and won't please many around here would be appropriate - What if it continues the typical Shenmue curse and looks great and we love it but sales are far below expectations?

Well, it's not like we have anything to lose, lol! Shenmue has achieved an almost mythological status among games and gamers in the years since it has been released and I think there would be many who would be very interested in playing the game at an affordable price on the console they own. Also as I have mentioned, adventure games have had somewhat of a resurgence in popularity of the last couple years, and I think as FPS fatigue sets in, that a Shenmue re-release could prove successful.

I think then we'd need to change our motto to "Shenmue HD was necessary to show SEGA that Shenmue 3 would never sell".

As I said though, we really have nothing to lose at this stage!

And deciding for platforms WILL be important if you just wanna code a single line. If you pick an engine that only supports PC then SEGA would be like "Ahhhh no we prefer consoles, less piracy...". If you pick and engine that works on all consoles but has high licensing fees a production might be unreasonably expensive. If you develop exclusively for dreamcast there will be barely any target audience. and so on...

Of course, console choice is important. But I just don't understand how that is at all relevant to this Kicktstart discussion. It's not like we would be demanding what console it would be made for. If this idea was to work, Yu would have to be on board to an extent, and it would all be up to him what platform he chooses, not us. But if the Kickstart was for a S1 and S2 re-release, which makes more sense than futilely attempting to fund S3, then this would be even less of an issue.

Who knows if this would ever work, though. It would require some serious organization.

[sylentknyte]

I havent donated to a single piece of fan-entertainment in my life, but an official Shenmue 3 fundraiser, headed by Yu Suzuki, would get my $20.

[el_clown]

Well if a Shenmue crowdfunding race would start by or with the endorsement from SEGA and Yu Suzuki, and believe me that is a huge IF, I'd be willing to donate $300+, it depends on my employment situation and family issues. However (and I don't want to be a party pooper) I insist there is something wrong here, games (and art) have to be funded by investors, and they are the same guys that make big bucks when the game (or any piece of art) is a hit and sells like pancakes. The problem of crowdfunding is that investors will never see a dime if the game/movie/whatever is a success, and the game won't be solely available for the people who invested (even if that would be the way to go clean), so I could be paying $500 for a game that the average Joe can buy for $50, and I'd do it gladly for Shenmue don't get me wrong, I'd be willing to be the patsy if that makes Shenmue 3 a reality; however I'd feel sad if that came to it, just my two cents here...

[mue 26]

That is true, and that's an inherent issue with crowd-funding and why it can't work for many games. There are only a slim few games that inspire any sort of significant crowdfunding and thus cut the publisher out of the picture, however I believe Shenmue is one of the, at least as far as a downloadable remake/port goes (obviously crowdsourcing alone would never fund Shenmue 3). Though, you obviously shouldn't part with $500 unless you felt comfortable in doing so, otherwise you could just leave it at $10 or $20.
Me personally, I would feel no saddness at all over giving Yu £100 (if I had the money), because I believe in his vision and the games he makes and Shenmue in general. If I shell out £200 and the average joe picks up the game for £20, I would feel no bitterness about that. In fact I'd actually feel happy, that I helped enable someone to experience the game. As a long time fan of the games, I would have no issue with paying more for it.

What I would have an issue with, however, is giving that money to Sega. Sega are a very profitable international corporation, and there is no way at all that I would want to help fund them, just because they have been unwilling to put the're money where they're mouths are, all these years. No, Sega could have funded the game themselves if they really wanted, and would not give money to them. So I guess that would be a problem lol

[el_clown]

Agreed mue, no hard feelings for my 500 bucks if that makes a Shenmue happen, it's just that... hei! Did you know that YS drives a Ferrari?... Am I the only one that feels that may be we are pushing too hard? Shenmue is owned by Sega, so no-matter-what they have the responsability to fullfill their duties and get the funding for a new Shenmue, as much as we have the responsability to pay for the full price of the game and support the games we like.

For example Yakuza is now a MUST export for Sega, and completely uncut. The sole reason they decided to go with Yakuza 4 uncut is not because fans were vocal about Yakuza 3's cuts and was a flop, it's because the game sold 3 times more that they expected. And since the fans (the same that paid for the crippled game) were vocal about the cuts, Sega decided to release uncut editions of its following Yakuzas (still no Black Panther...) wishing that more people would buy the game (the fans that already did and the ones that didn't because of the cuts). However if Yakuza 3 had done poorly, even with vocal criticism by the fandom, Sega would had stopped importing Yakuzas into the west. Is that simple, Sega is owned by Sammy, jeez! Have you read their financial reports? The bath in yen coins, almost solely for their bidding games and pachislots, they are a gambling company, no wonder they cannot understand the magic and wonder of Shenmue!

That being said, I love the idea of crowdfundrising for the sole reason of raising awareness and making people talk about Shenmue. Maybe Sega can see the potential moolah in the Shenmue franchise after all!

PS: (OFFTOPIC) For years there has been poor reception on Godzilla DVDs in the west, distribution companies always complain about the ridiculous fares from Toho for such poor titles. Well Criterion (for those who don't know they are the "Black Label" of art-house DVD and BD distribution in America) finally released Godzilla (the 1954 original with the 1956 US adaptation of King of the Monsters as an extra) in DVD and BluRay and its been the highest pre-ordered release in their 20 years of history... more than Kurosawa, Fellini, Bergman... Maybe something like that can happen to Shenmue if it is released and promoted through the right channels.

[mue 26]

Very true El Clown, I completely agree. In fact, like I stated that is my biggest problem with this idea: I point blank refuse to give away any my hard earned money to Sega just because they never wanted to risk their money on Shenmue 3. Sega could have done something by now if they wanted to, but they didn't. So I would never give my money for nothing to a company like Sega, who already have enough.

And yeah Criterion rocks!

[Master Kyodai]

Of course, console choice is important. But I just don't understand how that is at all relevant to this Kicktstart discussion. It's not like we would be demanding what console it would be made for. If this idea was to work, Yu would have to be on board to an extent, and it would all be up to him what platform he chooses, not us. But if the Kickstart was for a S1 and S2 re-release, which makes more sense than futilely attempting to fund S3, then this would be even less of an issue.

Who knows if this would ever work, though. It would require some serious organization.

Well as always - just the pessimists opinion, but i think the more details, the more "professional" this is pulled through the better the chances to get LOADS of donations. As pessimistic and sarcastic as I am I just try to think of some stuff to help making a real project out of it.


Imho if you just put "Shenmue HD" on kickstart and are like "Yay Shenmue HD, lets see how far we get" it is less likely to get loads of donations and attention than when you offer something people will believe in on the first sight. I think a kickstart project is a bit like love - if it's not "love on first sight" you're unlikely to keep interest in it unless you stumble upon it on a daily base.


Imho some project that is already very well planned and offers loads of details and maybe even a "proof of concept" or "tech demo", may it be videos, pictures or even a playable demo - is much more likely to interest people immediately and light that eternal flame of passion. I mean just posting a few sentences like "we are gonna make Shenmue HD, dunno which platform yet, but its gonna be cool" is something everybody can do. It would be quite important to underline the seriousness of the project with as many facts and media as possible so every fan will immditately be like "Hey wow that's what i always wanted". AT least i think it's much more likely people will donate money for something like that. It's important you form images in the heads of the people looking at this. If they don't think like "Wow, awesome!" within the first few seconds you are likely to lose them.

[mue 26]

Yeah, I can't really dispute anything in that post. But even if Yu Suzuki was on board (unlikely to ever happen) and even if we did get a tech demo (even more unlikely), do you really think the fans alone would stand a hope in hell of funding Shenmue 3?