Shenmue Dojo

I could not help that it kinda rhymed so I had to

Seriously though, I'm really having a difficult time understanding Sega's thinking. Theyv'e released practically every high-profile Dreamcast game they had, yet they leave out the one that the most hardcore fans are waiting on the most. Are they doing it as some sort of sick joke, or do they also love that IP so they're saving the best for last?

Yokosuka Martian wrote: Well said Chris. I agree that I don't think we give some of the world enough credit. Now if that's enough that could translte into profit for Sega? We'll just have to see. It'd be interesting to realease that game in today's enviornment and see the reaction it gets.

Yeah I agree, it would be really interesting to see what response it gets. As for why Sega hasn't already re-released it, well, I agree with you, it is a bit head scratching. I had a few people say to me recently "oh, it's because Shenmue would be too much hard work to re-release, and when you consider the low sales of their other recent re-releases, who can blame Sega for not bothering". But that argument just doesn't really wash for me. It may sound arrogant, but this is Shenmue we're talking about! This is not Space Channel 5 or Crazy Taxi. There aren't many games out there that have garnered the type of reverence and almost mystique that Shenmue has. There's easily a big enough market to make a Shenmue re-release worth while, I mean, think of the internet hype alone! I maintain that Sega are either planning to do it, or if not, it's because they are trying their best to let it's legacy die and stamp out the embers of desire for a sequel.

Can't it really be that expensive to make it when most of the work is done for them?

Well, it would naturally require more work to upgrade than the other game's they've re-released, simply due to the size of it. But I think it would be more than worthwhile, and would easily make a nice profit (even just from us rabid fans), Sega must know this.

Yokosuka Martian wrote: Seriously though, I'm really having a difficult time understanding Sega's thinking. Theyv'e released practically every high-profile Dreamcast game they had, yet they leave out the one that the most hardcore fans are waiting on the most. Are they doing it as some sort of sick joke, or do they also love that IP so they're saving the best for last?

If they release 1 and 2 in HD pressure is on to finish the series. If the HD ports flop? Why would they sink money into it anymore? Which would again piss off Shenmue fans.

My solution, if any of us are terminally ill, we ask SEGA through make a wish

MiTT3NZ wrote: This is why I'm not a big fan of the petitions/campaigns. At this point, I just want to know "why not?" and what happened with Shenmue Online. On a level, we all know these answers, but if they're not gonna give us closure on the story, they need to do it for this whole eleven year (and fucking still counting) saga.

Stay tuned, MiTT3NZ. Something coming up in the campaign should interest you and everyone else.

While some may have faith in todays gaming audience, I do not. For the most part anyway. I don't think Shenmue is too slow or anything but I think a lot of the people today want instant satisfaction and would find Shenmue I too mundane.
Which is why I feel it would be smart to release it as a package deal, sort of like the episodic titles that TellTale does but on a much bigger scale with Shenmue I being episode one and Shenmue II being episode 2 but still the same game.

I also wonder if they would include the extra chapters that were going to be in Shenmue IIxbox, supposedly.

And why can't they make Shenmue III with the Shenmue Online engine? Looks good enough to me. haha

ShenmueTree wrote: While some may have faith in todays gaming audience, I do not. For the most part anyway. I don't think Shenmue is too slow or anything but I think a lot of the people today want instant satisfaction and would find Shenmue I too mundane.
Which is why I feel it would be smart to release it as a package deal, sort of like the episodic titles that TellTale does but on a much bigger scale with Shenmue I being episode one and Shenmue II being episode 2 but still the same game.

I also wonder if they would include the extra chapters that were going to be in Shenmue IIxbox, supposedly.

And why can't they make Shenmue III with the Shenmue Online engine? Looks good enough to me. haha

At least from what I saw in the fighting demo of Shenmue Online, it looked pretty bad lol. Shenmue 1 and 2 fighting had a really nice system to it, and Shenmue online had worse looking animations IMO

Personally, I can live without Shenmue III. There, I said it; and, honestly, that's how I have felt for a good few years now. It's not that I've lost all hope in it ever happening - rather, I've just come to realise that I can live my life just fine without it, as much as I still wish for it to happen. Ask me if that was my attitude seven years ago, however, and I'd have tornado kicked you through a wall.

As for the HD collection - that is something that I really want to happen. More than any other game that I'm looking forward to (or even hoping that will be announced, including Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes and The Witness, my two most anticipated games of the year), that is the one I want most. The reason why? Well, other than the fact that we'll be able to play Shenmue in beautiful HD (maybe even with uncompressed textures) with all of the accompanying upgrades, it's because a whole new world of gamers will be introduced to it.

Even if they don't do a physical release, think about the numbers: combined, all of the digital marketplaces out there total well over 150 million members (of which probably 70% are still active); granted, only a very small fraction of those people will even consider buying Shenmue, but there's 100% potential there.

The Shenmue HD collection (or each title, if they decide to sell them separately) could easily hit 150,000 sales on XBLA alone, so just imagine how many it'll hit combined with PSN and Steam, etc. The Metal Gear Solid HD Collection has sold over 1.5 million across all platforms as a physical release, with fuck-knows how many digitally. If Minecraft (a game that I'm really not a fan of) can clear five million sales on XBLA, why can't something like Shenmue? And, who knows, maybe it'll be a massive hit with people.

That, and it really can't be that hard remaster a game, can it? I have no hands-on experience in this field, but if it's simply a case of upgrading the graphics, applying in-game and controller-related upgrades, and the like, that doesn't sound all that horrible. Again, I can't say for sure.

So... yeah.

xx

It'd be like November 2000 all over again XD Maybe they can include some online functionality as well.

Yokosuka Martian wrote: It'd be like November 2000 all over again XD Maybe they can include some online functionality as well.

Competitive Free Battle and leaderboards would give the game a whole new edge. Not to mention, there are so many people obsessed with that illusive top-spot on the leaderboard that it would easily rack up a good many more purchases for that very purpose.

xx

... and showing off capsule toys