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Gaming News Outlets take notice of Shenmue 3's Epic Game Store backer frustration

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Shinobido Heart

Shinobido Heart

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Dec 23, 2017
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www.dualshockers.com

Shenmue 3 Developers Refuse Refund Requests From Fuming Backers Over Epic Games Exclusivity

Shenmue 3 is an Epic Games Store exclusive, and Kickstarter backers (who paid for Steam keys) are not happy as they are denied refunds.
www.dualshockers.com www.dualshockers.com
"When Shenmue 3 was revealed at PlayStation's E3 2015 Press Conference, there were many long-time fans of the series that were tearing up out of excitement. Today, many of those same fans are raging for a different reason. Following the reveal that Shenmue 3 would be moving to an exclusive PC distribution Epic Games Store, backers who funded the game on Kickstarter nearly a half-decade ago are being told to accept the code change. Even worse, any request for a refund based on the change in distribution is being met with a flat denial."
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"This decision has been proven to be quite controversial already, especially since Shenmue 3 was largely funded on Kickstarter by backers who were expecting to receive Steam keys for the game. The Shenmue 3 Kickstarter page was immediately updated to acknowledge the game's Epic Games Store exclusivity, where the developers attempted to provide an explanation."
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www.theverge.com

Some Shenmue 3 Kickstarter backers want refunds because it’s an Epic Games Store exclusive

Shenmue 3 developers previously promised Steam keys.
www.theverge.com www.theverge.com
"The game's Steam page is still live, and its publisher could theoretically still distribute Steam keys to backers and sell the game through Epic more generally. However, the update specifically mentions requiring Epic's software. We've reached out to Deep Silver to confirm what's going on."
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"If Shenmue 3 is now an Epic exclusive (it'll also be on PlayStation 4), that will undoubtedly upset many of its PC fans. Though the Shenmue 3 Kickstarter campaign never promised which marketplace its PC version would be available on (it's always said that backers can choose a "Windows PC" version of the game), its system requirements have frequently mentioned requiring Steam. A Kickstarter community update on June 4 still lists Steam as a requirement, so it could be that Shenmue 3 is simply launching on both platforms simultaneously and isn't an Epic Games Store exclusive."

Update: Commenters have kindly shown us screenshots of a recent Kickstarter survey that asked which version, Steam or PS4, of Shenmue 3 backers would like to receive.
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This is a train wreck.
 
ev0

ev0

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,425
Shinobido Heart said:
www.dualshockers.com

Shenmue 3 Developers Refuse Refund Requests From Fuming Backers Over Epic Games Exclusivity

Shenmue 3 is an Epic Games Store exclusive, and Kickstarter backers (who paid for Steam keys) are not happy as they are denied refunds.
www.dualshockers.com www.dualshockers.com

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www.theverge.com

Some Shenmue 3 Kickstarter backers want refunds because it’s an Epic Games Store exclusive

Shenmue 3 developers previously promised Steam keys.
www.theverge.com www.theverge.com

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This is a train wreck.
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I love how the PC Gamer one tried to play it off and it's the only headline not painting it as potentially negative. Then had to post a correction. lmao
 

lupinko

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Oct 26, 2017
6,154
Pretty shitty for them to do that to backers. There's no shenmue 3 without them.

I backed a PS4 physical copy.
 

Deleted member 2254

user requested account closure
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Oct 25, 2017
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Good, let 'em feel heat. This project has been absurd from the start, asking for change on the stage of a multibillion company's conference, and as soon as they realized people are willing to pay (duh) they struck deals left and right, proving crowdfunding was never needed in the first place. Now they kick the original backers (probably the biggest fans of the franchise that waited almost 2 decades now) in the balls again. Very bad all around and they deserve to get heavily criticized for this.
 
Igniz12

Igniz12

Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,437
PC gamer can't go two steps without tripping all over their clown shoes. Or maybe they are pioneering early access articles.
 
Zips

Zips

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Oct 25, 2017
3,913
The articles are one thing, but I'm noticing that a lot of the user comments are still going with the "it's just another launcher, what's the big deal" mindset.

I think that, above all, is kind of a problem that people still believe that's the "only" thing wrong here.

I don't know if it's willful ignorance or if it's because some outlets (maybe even some in the OP, for instance) tend to, let's just say, they tend to paint incomplete pictures about this whole issue.
 
Rosebud

Rosebud

Two Pieces
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Apr 16, 2018
43,583
KS should make a rule about this kind of crap

I really don't understand the Epic strategy, in general stores want to please their costumers and not piss them off.
 
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TheZynster

TheZynster

Member
Oct 26, 2017
13,285
If they never would have sent the option out literally in the last couple weeks asking PS4 or steam this would not be as big as it would be. But because the company physically asked if you wanted a steam key to basically fuck you, this seems enough for a lawsuit for those who can't get a refund
 
TheMadTitan

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Oct 27, 2017
27,233
TheZynster said:
If they never would have sent the option out literally in the last couple weeks asking PS4 or steam this would not be as big as it would be. But because the company physically asked if you wanted a steam key to basically fuck you, this seems enough for a lawsuit for those who can't get a refund
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Would a lawsuit work though? Kickstarter isn't a preorder service, it's pretty much crowdsourced investments. I don't think "launching on Epic instead of Steam" can be the basis of a successful lawsuit revolving around defrauding investors.
 
Jawmuncher

Jawmuncher

Crisis Dino
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Oct 25, 2017
38,500
Ibis Island
TheMadTitan said:
Would a lawsuit work though? Kickstarter isn't a preorder service, it's pretty much crowdsourced investments. I don't think "launching on Epic instead of Steam" can be the basis of a successful lawsuit revolving around defrauding investors.
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Shenmue Fans would find a way if they REALLY want to take it that far.
I wouldn't put anything past them, crazy devoted.
 
GhostTrick

GhostTrick

Member
Oct 25, 2017
11,312
TheMadTitan said:
Would a lawsuit work though? Kickstarter isn't a preorder service, it's pretty much crowdsourced investments. I don't think "launching on Epic instead of Steam" can be the basis of a successful lawsuit revolving around defrauding investors.
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It could because of the Fangamer surveys, which are considered as orders.
 
Sailent

Sailent

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Mar 2, 2018
1,591
The least they could do is give the game away in the platform which people pre-ordered the game from.
 
DongBeetle

DongBeetle

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Oct 25, 2017
8,017
No one will comment on this. The game will simply quietly bomb on PC like Metro and that'll be the end of Shenmue at least on PC
 
Welfare

Welfare

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Oct 26, 2017
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Shenmue 3, a sequel to a niche franchise back in the early 2000's, only exists because the very vocal fan base wanted it for over a decade, and someone thinks it's a smart move to piss off those same people?

Game isn't even guaranteed to sell much more than who initially backed it anyway so I guess the money made is meant to be more than what Shenmue 3 would do on Steam. Wonder how a Shenmue 4 will do on Kickstarter now.
 

Deleted member 2254

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Hucast said:
It's so sad. They saw money and understood the language. Little did they know that shortsightedness was going to be their doom. Oh yu suzuki
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When a passion project meets lucrative exclusivity deals. Skipping Xbox One that Sony money, skipping Steam for that Epic money, making sure to screw with the original backers in the process. It's very plausible they'll end up with more money this way, and that the deals brought them more money than what they would have lost with shipping to all platforms. But with a niche game like this, they gotta wonder if they'll sell enough to warrant post-launch support, sequels, etc., and signing deals like these is not gonna help in that.
 
Cecil

Cecil

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Oct 25, 2017
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I don't expect any news outlet to do any proper coverage of this. The idea that people can have legitimate concerns when developers going back on their promises and announced version, after already taking money for it, seems to be to difficult to grasp.

I wish people writing about would do their actual job and research it. To investigate and reflect when people are upset, instead of lazily defaulting to "vocal minority" and "just another icon".

But I don't expect it. I saw RPS article covering the Epic exclusive announcement of Untitled Goose Game, and the tone of that article was so disappointing, considering what RPS has been before.
 
Doskoi Panda

Doskoi Panda

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PC Gamer is not sus at all no sir I can't even imagine how you could possibly think that mhmm not even a little
 

Deleted member 12790

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New information -- looks like DeepSilver is walking this back:


This page went up 2 days ago, after the announcement that the game was EGS exclusive, and then it updated just a few hours ago to include this:

unknown.png
 
Shadoken

Shadoken

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Oct 25, 2017
4,206
An exclusivity deal is what killed Shenmue II , its just weirdly ironic that III will also suffer the same fate.
 
Shadoken

Shadoken

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Oct 25, 2017
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Krejlooc said:
New information -- looks like DeepSilver is walking this back:


This page went up 2 days ago, after the announcement that the game was EGS exclusive, and then it updated just a few hours ago to include this:

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Interesting , I wouldn't be surprised if they gives backers both Steam and EGS keys. And then be like "Hey you technically did get your Steam copy"
 

Deleted member 2172

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That PC Gamer article & headline is embarrassing, jesus. Journalistic integrity thrown out the fucking window.
 
Cecil

Cecil

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Shadoken said:
Interesting , I wouldn't be surprised if they gives backers both Steam and EGS keys. And then be like "Hey you technically did get your Steam copy"
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They are allowed to do so, but based on the Phoenix Point case, they will not be able to do so until after the exclusivity period ends.
 
elyetis

elyetis

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Oct 26, 2017
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DongBeetle said:
Won't help until they let backers have their preferred platform
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I -sadly- wouldn't expect more than what happened with Phoenix Point ( I think ? ), them giving their backer the Steam key they were promised/told/sold... but only after the 1 years exclusivity deal.

I'm not even sure valve/Steam would actually allow them to give us steam key with a non-delayed release date, when they never opened the preorders on the game's steam page.
Chaz said:
That PC Gamer article & headline is embarrassing, jesus. Journalistic integrity thrown out the fucking window.
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Seems to be the norm when it comes to EGS, you should hear what was posted by the biggest french videogame website months ago.
 
Hucast

Hucast

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Mar 25, 2019
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If you want your money back, changing it into the ps4 version and selling it seems like the best bet. Demand probably aint that high for the shenmue franchise, but i'll get some money back
 
eonden

eonden

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Chaz said:
That PC Gamer article & headline is embarrassing, jesus. Journalistic integrity thrown out the fucking window.
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When you organize an event heavily partnered with a company and you dont know if a game is exclusive to it during the event:



(This was their first article about it)
 
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