My thoughts on how Shenmue III would be formatted

[Jibby]

Hey everyone, new here to the forum, so I thought I would post how I think they would do a new installment of Shenmue.

As Shenmue came out such a long time ago, I don't think it would be logical to release a standalone 'Shenmue III' as a majority of current gen console owners probably haven't played the first two games meaning they would not understand what's going on as as evidenced by the start and end of Shenmue II. (It being a direct continuation from Shenmue I)

Obviously there is the idea of HD remakes sold separately, however personally, what I think would be really awesome is if they just released "Shenmue". This would consist of the first two games and the new third one, but all back to back, one game smoothly transitioning into the next. I have reasons for believing this to be the best solution. For example, it would allow for the inventory to carry over a lot smoother (as opposed to having to pick a save file to import from), they could keep the gameplay mechanics consistent throughout the whole game and it would generally be more immersive for one game to smoothly transition into another.

However these are just my thoughts and I'm not going to deny that there are flaws in the concept, but I'd like to know what you think (Please go easy on me! I'm new )

[BlueMue]

The idea is quite nice, I actually had similar thoughts in the past. But there are massive problems with such a release concept of Shenmue III that ultimately mean that it will never be made in this kind of fashion.

First of all, fitting the entire saga into one game would make it ridiciously large. The play lenght of the story would probably reach a level where it would be considerd "too long" by the press. Of course it's essentially 3 games in one but I guess they would forgett about that.

Secondly, players would be very angry if they have to play through Shenmue and Shenmue II in order to get to the point where Shenmue III starts first. The pressure that would be built up could bring massive tension into the game but it would be so much that it could almost give you a heart attack lol. On a more serious note, the general gaming public out there wouldn't like this at all and it could hit the games reception in a very bad way.

And lastly, the name. Releasing it as "Shenmue" would more then likely kill any chances of the game doing good saleswise. It HAS to be called Shenmue III. If it comes with a different name then people won't understand what it is immediately and likely turn their heads. The name "Shenmue III" has the power to send an earthquake around the world and if the news don't say "Shenmue III" then the internet won't have the "near-death experience" that's needed to promote the game. The need to let the hype train roll!

Now I don't wan't to come off as negative towards you or the theory but that's how I see things. It just realistic as everyone knows how critical Shenmue III's situation is. If there's every gonna be a remake of all three game in 2030 or something then they could use this format safely.

[Jibby]

The idea is quite nice, I actually had similar thoughts in the past. But there are massive problems with such a release concept of Shenmue III that ultimately mean that it will never be made in this kind of fashion.

First of all, fitting the entire saga into one game would make it ridiciously large. The play lenght of the story would probably reach a level where it would be considerd "too long" by the press. Of course it's essentially 3 games in one but I guess they would forgett about that.

Secondly, players would be very angry if they have to play through Shenmue and Shenmue II in order to get to the point where Shenmue III starts first. The pressure that would be built up could bring massive tension into the game but it would be so much that it could almost give you a heart attack lol. On a more serious note, the general gaming public out there wouldn't like this at all and it could hit the games reception in a very bad way.

And lastly, the name. Releasing it as "Shenmue" would more then likely kill any chances of the game doing good saleswise. It HAS to be called Shenmue III. If it comes with a different name then people won't understand what it is immediately and likely turn their heads. The name "Shenmue III" has the power to send an earthquake around the world and if the news don't say "Shenmue III" then the internet won't have the "near-death experience" that's needed to promote the game. The need to let the hype train roll!

Now I don't wan't to come off as negative towards you or the theory but that's how I see things. It just realistic as everyone knows how critical Shenmue III's situation is. If there's every gonna be a remake of all three game in 2030 or something then they could use this format safely.

These are all very good points which I did not consider! Thanks for your input!

[Axm]

This is a strategy many of us have discussed previously. It makes sense and I fully support it ofcouse aslong as all major aspects from S1 and 2 are included in some fashion. Also calling it "Shenmue: The Complete Saga" or something to that effect easily takes care of anyone thinking it doesnt include Shenmue 3.

[Jibby]

This is a strategy many of us have discussed previously. It makes sense and I fully support it ofcouse aslong as all major aspects from S1 and 2 are included in some fashion. Also calling it "Shenmue: The Complete Saga" or something to that effect easily takes care of anyone thinking it doesnt include Shenmue 3.

Ah, sorry if this is considered a duplicate post then. And good idea with the titling of it.

[Axm]

No I dont think its discussed enough honestly. The more I think about it, the more it makes sense. It doesnt alienate new or old fans. It revitalizes the current games. It completes the series without question of a need for continuation. Infact though, If successful enough it could spark intrest in Yu Suzuki to write spin offs or spirtual successors.

[Jibby]

No I dont think its discussed enough honestly. The more I think about it, the more it makes sense. It doesnt alienate new or old fans. It revitalizes the current games. It completes the series without question of a need for continuation. Infact though, If successful enough it could spark intrest in Yu Suzuki to write spin offs or spirtual successors.

Yeah I agree. I think it's important to find the balance between creating a new Shenmue fanbase and appealing to the old. The problem I see with having HD remakes is that people unaware of Shenmue will see the work remake and instantly pass it off as not being a true 'next-gen' game - missing out on possibly two of the greatest games ever made.

[Let's Get Sweaty]

There are many practical reasons that make an all-in-one release an attractive option, but I fully agree with this:

It HAS to be called Shenmue III. If it comes with a different name then people won't understand what it is immediately and likely turn their heads. The name "Shenmue III" has the power to send an earthquake around the world and if the news don't say "Shenmue III" then the internet won't have the "near-death experience" that's needed to promote the game. The need to let the hype train roll!

"Shenmue III" carries a lot of weight. People who have never played the series and barely even heard of it won't recognize the word "Shenmue" on its own, but when they see or hear "Shenmue III" it will trigger a much stronger spark of recognition. That's the game they've heard everyone begging for. It's a single phrase, a collective sound, greater than the sum of its parts. "Shenmue III" is a brand in its own right and brings with it a lot more excitement and satisfaction than it would without that magic number.

[Jibby]

There are many practical reasons that make an all-in-one release an attractive option, but I fully agree with this:

It HAS to be called Shenmue III. If it comes with a different name then people won't understand what it is immediately and likely turn their heads. The name "Shenmue III" has the power to send an earthquake around the world and if the news don't say "Shenmue III" then the internet won't have the "near-death experience" that's needed to promote the game. The need to let the hype train roll!

"Shenmue III" carries a lot of weight. People who have never played the series and barely even heard of it won't recognize the word "Shenmue" on its own, but when they see or hear "Shenmue III" it will trigger a much stronger spark of recognition. That's the game they've heard everyone begging for. It's a single phrase, a collective sound, greater than the sum of its parts. "Shenmue III" is a brand in its own right and brings with it a lot more excitement and satisfaction than it would without that magic number.

Whilst I agree that the term 'Shenmue III' has become widely recognized, I still ask the question - will gamers who haven't played or even heard of Shenmue buy the third in the series. Even if they did, to fully enjoy it, they NEED to play the first two. Even if there is a summary of the previous two games, I can promise that it will NEVER come close to the experience of playing the first two for yourself.

If they want to sell Shenmue III well, they're going to have to either release HD remakes first and allow some time to pass before releasing a third, or do the idea suggested in the OP.

[Let's Get Sweaty]

I'm not disputing that. Heck, they can still release them all in one set and call it "SHENMUE III - including Shenmue & Shenmue II HD".

[mue 26]

It HAS to be called Shenmue III

Ah man, I had my heart set on "Shenmue Zero"...

[Jibby]

I'm not disputing that. Heck, they can still release them all in one set and call it "SHENMUE III - including Shenmue & Shenmue II HD".

Very true, although I suspect if a company such as Sony are going to bankroll it, they'll try and make a fair bit of money back by releasing Shenmue I and II bundled together, then III as a separate game.

[shengoro86]

^ If they call that "Shenmue Zero" I'll buy!

[chris1986]

It's a bit of a tricky one, I guess it would make sense to just release Shenmue 3 with movie clip explaining what happened in the previous games. Then have HD remakes of 1 and 2 available.

I would like the game to remade, from chapter 1, fully recreated with next--gen visuals and a slightly redesigned game world, even though it would change some things, places like the Kowloon walled city could be made much more better with the power of the new machines, and Guilin could also be made to look more stunning, but that's just my opinion. Obviously no changes to the story at all, with all the movie clips being recreated as accurate as they were on the original.

It's a big job and if someone is to take it on they have to be prepared to do it properly, I just hope they get working on the game with a crew that is faithful to the series and isn't just in it for the money, when stuff is made form the heart, you can definitely notice.

[spud1897]

I too would like to see a full re-boot of the series, if done correctly I do think it is the best option. Who says that they couldn't include an option to start the game where Shenmue 3 begins allowing previous players to finish the story while encouraging new ones to come aboard from the start.

However I think we will most likely get some HD releases and then after more bugging of people get Shenmue 3 years later.