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
-"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."
-"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."
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
-"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."
-"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.
This is a train wreck.