Feel like making some general posts without specifically replying to anyone.
I played both Shenmue 1 and 2 when they were new in America. I thought the first game was a little hard to get into at first, but ended up loving it by the end. Number two is, in my experience, the greatest game I've ever played (what's with the dude who said Shenmue 2 is horrendous?). They're games you experience, warts n all. I'm sure they've aged and the voice acting & script are unquestionably bad at times, but I really didn't care about any of that.
I don't think it's even slightly possible these re-releases will negatively impact Shenmue 3. The only thing that will negatively impact Shenmue 3 is if Shenmue 3 is bad. These games being around for people to play can only help endear the series to newcomers and refresh the experience for series veterans. Now, if Shenmue fans don't put their money where their mouths are and don't buy the re-release, they will probably sink any chance of Sega showing continued interest in the franchise. That's where we need to hope for the best.
I don't think people have fooled themselves into loving this series. Shenmue 3 is still, to this day, the highest funded gaming Kickstarter and interest in these remasters was mostly driven by fans pestering Sega for years. This isn't some sort of series exclusively bolstered by mass delusion. Thousands of us played the games and loved them, and twenty years later we're still dying to continue Ryo's journey.