Shenmue III should be releasing in less than 6 months. Where's the hype ?

[Iwao]

The hype did exactly what it needed to do at the time. People just wanted to see those three games announced on the stage over the actual finished products. It was the opitimy of hype.

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This is patently untrue and disingenuous. Of course people want to play these games.

What you are referring to is "announcement hype", and it just so happens that 2 of these games people didn't believe could ever be started products, let alone finished products. They could have been revealed at separate conferences and people would still be hyped. One game was hyped a lot post-reveal and has already released in 2016 - most critics (and I'm assuming fans) were happy with it. The 2nd now has its chance to get people hyped with a proper showing that will be in a few days and a few more months of proper marketing. The last one... who knows when Square Enix will decide to sort that project out and get it into our hands.

Many of us want to play them all, not just be shocked at a conference.

 

[julian]

I gave him my money. Now I'm just waiting for them. I've avoided reading or watching any of the updates.

 

[Spaghetti]

Yeah. Hype sucking money pits 90% of the time.

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I sense we're not going to get a productive discussion out of this.

 

[Arthoneceron]

People are cautious, because kickstarted games these days have problems. Also, the games are pretty old, the newest game is from 2001.

I can relate with the people hyped for this game, since I'm a fan of Beyong Good and Evil.

 

[Iwao]

Yeah. Hype sucking money pits 90% of the time.

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I think you are aware that a Kickstarter means that the game cannot be made - at least not to its desired potential - without being announced earlier than you would expect from a traditional game development project. So yeah, it was announced very, very early because... it had to be. Most times when games are announced, they are in a ready state to show something that is impressive enough to get people hyped and somewhat reflect the final quality. A lot of the time, they have already been in development for 2 years or longer.

Shenmue III's announcement was made on the strength of its franchise name and the name of its legendary creator and some of the original team coming back to help make it. Not on the strength of it being ready to show something that reflects the quality you expect to get when it launches... years later. I think deep down, most people who have been mocking Shenmue III's early footage know all of this to be true and that it's a reality of the nature of the project.

 

[Nuclear Muffin]

Shenmue 3 is not releasing this year.

 

[Lant_War]

Shenmue 3 is not releasing this year.

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It was originally releasing in 2017 after the Kickstarter in 2015. It perfectly could release this year.

 

[Giant Enemy Crab]

Nuclear Muffin
I think almost the same. But that wouldn't be a bad sign for me.

 

[Iwao]

Shenmue 3 is not releasing this year.

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You're basing this on...?

In a few more days, I think you and others should be able to make a more informed judgement about this based on brand new footage, its first proper gameplay showing along with impressions from the press, and not just based on a hunch given little information we know about as of right now.

 

[Spaghetti]

the marketing kick-off is literally a week away

 

[pswii60]

I think very few people are going to buy this game and the majority of the fans are 25+ years old or even more, true fans are hyped but this is not something that might appeal to a mainstream audience.

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Why are people over 25 not a mainstream audience!?

 

[Shadow2222]

Shenmue 3 is not releasing this year.

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They have been extremely confident about the August release date. One of the heavy investors that is extremely involved in the Magic Conference which the game will be showing at in one week, Cedric Biscay, has been retweeting people saying they can't wait for the game to release in August. I doubt he'd be doing that unless he was very confident.

 

[Celine.D.Sykes]

Your posts in this thread, in a forum you can ignore entire threads, are some of the saddest I've ever read here. The fact that you hate something this passionately and let it take this much of your mindspace is quite frankly pathetic.

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That's because you don't think out of your small box.

I find the subject of Shenmue, the cult surrounding it and its fans passionating (in a bad way). I wouldn't lose time speaking about it if I didn't. The games in themselves though... you know my opinion on them by now.

You can dislike a franchise, but still like discussing about what surround it, even if it's negative. It's quite mind-numbling some of you don't understand that point. Or don't want to, it's easier to dismiss it at something else, like "pathetic hate". It's the same thing with Patcher. People genuinly hate him and yet, every threads about him go about 10 pages easily. How do you explain that going by your logic ? You can't. The reality is, people like to talk about things they like AND dislike/hate. I'd even go as far as saying that people like to discuss about things they hate more than the opposite. The fact that some try to dictate what we should say about a game or a franchise on this board because they can't stomach negativity toward a product they identify themselves (and their well-being) with, is the only pathetic thing I see.

They have been extremely confident about the August release date. One of the heavy investors that is extremely involved in the Magic Conference which the game will be showing at in one week, Cedric Biscay, has been retweeting people saying they can't wait for the game to release in August. I doubt he'd be doing that unless he was very confident.

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I can't see the game releasing in August, unless it's in an episodic format or ship in a very bad state.

 

[Spaghetti]

They have been extremely confident about the August release date. One of the heavy investors that is extremely involved in the Magic Conference which the game will be showing at in one week, Cedric Biscay, has been retweeting people saying they can't wait for the game to release in August. I doubt he'd be doing that unless he was very confident.

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In fairness Cedric has stuck to what the established release window has been previously, and then had the rug pulled with a delay, but the actual important factor is that Ys Net and Deep Silver are pulling the trigger on starting the promotional campaign and press previews.

 

[scare_crow]

That's because you don't think out of your small box.

I find the subject of Shenmue, the cult surrounding it and its fans passionating (in a bad way). I wouldn't lose time speaking about it if I didn't. The games in themselves though... you know my opinion on them by now.

You can dislike a franchise, but still like discussing about what surround it. It's quite mind-numbling some of you don't understand that point (or don't want to, it's easier to dismiss it at something else, like "pathetic hate"). It's the same thing with Patcher. People genuinly hate him and yet, every threads about him go about 10 pages easily. How do you explain that going by your bland logic ? You can't. The reality is, people like to talk about things they like AND dislike/hate. I'd even go as far as saying that people like to discuss about things they hate more than the opposite. The fact that some try to dictate what we should say about a game or a franchise on this board because they can't stomach negativity toward a product they identify themselves (and their well-being) with, is the only pathetic thing I see.

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No, no. You can't discuss something unless you're expressing breathless positivity, don't you know that??? Anything less than glowing is just pure negativity!!!

 

[Spaghetti]

the irony of a user with a literal straw man for a display picture making a strawman argument

 

[MikeE21286]

I'm just fatigued over it honestly. It'll be what 4 years since the reveal. As a kickstarter backer I'm just kinda meh on it now.

 

[bell wood's jet cola]

No, no. You can't discuss something unless you're expressing breathless positivity, don't you know that??? Anything less than glowing is just pure negativity!!!

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Saying the game being made is deleterious to the industry and people are wrong for wanting the game is pretty much pure negativity. And then hoping the game fails so people stop wanting more Shenmue? Maybe there's just a language barrier that's making what they're saying unduly harsh. I dunno. Seems like pure negativity to me either way.

 

[House_Of_Lightning]

I think you are aware that a Kickstarter means that the game cannot be made - at least not to its desired potential - without being announced earlier than you would expect from a traditional game development project. So yeah, it was announced very, very early because... it had to be.

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Well, I made my comment because, even with Kickstarter, Shenmue III probably wasn't going to happen had Sony and Deep Silver not stepped in, right?

Their KS goal was 2 million. They raised what, 6 million? No real game would have been made with that amount. Certainly not Shenmue III.

And that's been my KS experience. Games announced years before they're ready to be revealed, much less released, and me losing interest in them by the time they finally come out.

I got a demo for A.N.N.E. the other month after years of backing it. Haven't even downloaded it.

 

[GhostTrick]

No, no. You can't discuss something unless you're expressing breathless positivity, don't you know that??? Anything less than glowing is just pure negativity!!!

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No one's asking for breathless positivity. Just, you know, actual arguments.

 

[GhostTrick]

Well, I made my comment because, even with Kickstarter, Shenmue III probably wasn't going to happen had Sony and Deep Silver not stepped in, right?

Their KS goal was 2 million. They raised what, 6 million? No real game would have been made with that amount. Certainly not Shenmue III.

And that's been my KS experience. Games announced years before they're ready to be revealed, much less released.

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Sony's role in Shenmue III happening has been minimal save for the E3 stage... Which benefited both parties here.

 

[Spaghetti]

I'm just fatigued over it honestly. It'll be what 4 years since the reveal. As a kickstarter backer I'm just kinda meh on it now.

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Games take time to make. Especially games that reach over triple their initial funding goal, and then get a publisher cash injection six months into full production.

Well, I made my comment because, even with Kickstarter, Shenmue III probably wasn't going to happen had Sony and Deep Silver not stepped in, right?

Their KS goal was 2 million. They raised what, 6 million? No real game would have been made with that amount. Certainly not Shenmue III.

And that's been my KS experience. Games announced years before they're ready to be revealed, much less released, and me losing interest in them by the time they finally come out.

I got a demo for A.N.N.E. the other month after years of backing it. Haven't even downloaded it.

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I'm not too sure what your point is. It's kind of an implication the Kickstarter was a stunt or...?

Sony aren't funding game development, and Deep Silver didn't join the project until Summer 2017.

 

[TeHi & BuSp]

I don't need a new Shenmue episode because we have Yakuza series

 

[Iceman]

If every game that comes out this year is a new Shenmue then it still wouldn't be enough Shenmue.

 

[dimasok]

It looks underwhelming

 

[Spaghetti]

I don't need a new Shenmue episode because we have Yakuza series

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You say that like nobody who ever played Shenmue ever touched Yakuza in their lives.

One is not an adequate replacement for the other.

 

[TeHi & BuSp]

You say that like nobody who ever played Shenmue ever touched Yakuza in their lives.

One is not an adequate replacement for the other.

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No... i say it for me.

 

[Sharivan]

No... i say it for me.

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Have you ever even played a Shenmue game? Yakuza is NOT a replacement for Shenmue, they aren't even that similar.

 

[Spaghetti]

No... i say it for me.

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And that's fine but it's a bad comparison.

 

[Iwao]

Well, I made my comment because, even with Kickstarter, Shenmue III probably wasn't going to happen had Sony and Deep Silver not stepped in, right?

Their KS goal was 2 million. They raised what, 6 million? No real game would have been made with that amount. Certainly not Shenmue III.

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I've no idea about that, but it was certainly pitched to the big 3, and with Shuhei Yoshida / Mark Cerny being friends to Yu Suzuki, I'm sure it being on the E3 stage had a lot to do with PlayStation. Sony is not investing in the development of the game though. The game's production was already well underway by the time Deep Silver came in with a proposition about being the game's global publisher. Shenmue III has always had more investment from partners than what the Kickstarter raised, and they've been very clear about that.

I can't see the game releasing in August, unless it's in an episodic format or ship in a very bad state.

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Like I originally responded to you, this is conjecture and nothing more.

The marketing kick-off starts next week where people will see an updated build, proper gameplay for the first time and we'll get gameplay impressions that I suppose could go either way depending on whether you're a fan of Shenmue's quirks or not. We've already had a cover feature and impressions from EDGE that seem to praise what the new entry has going on. I suppose you're basing the bolded on a combination of very old footage?

 

[TeHi & BuSp]

And that's fine but it's a bad comparison.

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For me Yaluza series is the natural evolution of Shenmue...obviously a better evolution.

 

[Celine.D.Sykes]

I'm not too sure what your point is. It's kind of an implication the Kickstarter was a stunt or...?

Sony aren't funding game development, and Deep Silver didn't join the project until Summer 2017.

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Isn't in an established fact that Shenmue 3 Kickstarter was a marketing stunt to see if the game could draw enough attention ? You can't fund an open world like Shenmue with a kickstarter campaign.

Also, you're wrong : Sony is funding the game. There's no indication that Sony funding isn't going to development.

https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2018-11-23-shenmue-3-dev-declares-usd7-1m-crowdfunding-total

While $7.1m is a huge amount for a video game crowdfunding effort, it's not a huge amount in relative terms for a high-profile video game budget. But Ys Net will have support from other companies, including Sony and publisher Deep Silver.

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https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2017-09-08-sitting-down-with-shenmue-3-and-yu-suzuki

Thankfully, that partner came in the form of Deep Silver whose partnership was made public at Gamescom last month. With the additional funding in place, Suzuki tells me "We originally pitched a scalable game since, as you know, Kickstarter has stretch goals and now, after finding a new partner with Deep Silver, we're able to scale up based on the original plan. I'm fully ready to make the game with a larger scale featuring open world elements." What of the original Sony partnership then? Suzuki adds "Sony is also still supporting us. Sega too, in fact! I shouldn't forget about them."

Click to shrink...

 

[J75]

Oh boy... Why do these threads always end up being a shenmue bashfest.... 😔

 

[Sharivan]

For me Yaluza series is the natural evolution of Shenmue...obviously a better evolution.

Click to shrink...

Again, have you even played a Shenmue game?

 

[TeHi & BuSp]

Again, have you even played a Shenmue game?

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Yes and your insistence is out of place.

 

[Charamiwa]

I'm used to seeing gratuitous Shenmue hate over the years (even worse since people discovered Yakuza, for some reason) but hating on the game, its legacy, and its fanbase because people talked about it insead of your friend's game 4 years ago is definitely one of the most surreal yet.

 

[Iwao]

Also, you're wrong : Sony is funding the game. There's no indication that Sony funding isn't going to development.

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Your argument is: they could be, so they are, so you're wrong?

Support comes in different forms. Marketing, basic technical support that PlayStation provides for all developers within its ecosystem that I'm guessing is scalable depending on the affiliation. Development budget doesn't necessarily fall under that. Might not even be commercial support. Now, if Sony was funding development, I think it'd be hard to argue that we wouldn't know about it. What games that Sony has funded have they ever been coy about?

 

[Celine.D.Sykes]

Support comes in different forms. Marketing, basic technical support that PlayStation provides for all developers within its ecosysytem. Development budget doesn't necessarily fall under that. Now, if Sony was funding development, we'd know about it. What games that Sony is funding have they ever been coy about?

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Read again, it's clear as day he's speaking about financial support.

Words from Yu Suzuki from Shenmue Kickstarter :

"Sony and Shibuya Productions have been wonderful partners because they believe in Shenmue and want to see the best for the fans and the game," Suzuki writes. "Their investment in (and support of) Shenmue have helped to realize a sequel that will stand proud with its predecessors. While it is not business practice to discuss the specific details of such arrangements, I can say that with their assistance on the production and marketing end, and in Sony's case with some publishing support as well, Ys Net is able to use more of the money we collect through Kickstarter purely for Shenmue 3's development."

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Sony is helping in production, marketing end and also publising support. What do you think production means ?

Words from Gio Corsi, from Sony :

We said 'the only way this is gonna happen is if the fans speak up.' We thought Kickstarter was the perfect place to do this. We set a goal of two million dollars, and if the fans come in and back it, then absolutely we're going to make it this a reality.
Sony and PlayStation is definitely a partner in this game, and it's going to be run through third-party production. We're going to help Ys Net get the game done, we're going to be partners on it the whole way, and really excited to see this thing come out in a couple of years.

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https://www.pcgamer.com/shenmue-3s-development-is-being-funded-mainly-by-sony/
https://www.polygon.com/2015/6/24/8842103/shenmue-3-budget-sony-kickstarter-yu-suzuki
https://kotaku.com/sony-is-helping-make-shenmue-iii-1711819045

 

[Sharivan]

Yes and your insistence is out of place.

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Ok, my apologies, I didn't mean to be rude. I insisted because a lot of people make similar comments to yours without having played both series. They are just mindlessly repeating what someone else said. It is strange to me that someone can see Yakuza as an evolution of Shenmue when they are so very different experiences but if you see it that way, fair enough I guess.

 

[Spaghetti]

Isn't in an established fact that Shenmue 3 Kickstarter was a marketing stunt to see if the game could draw enough attention ? You can't fund an open world like Shenmue with a kickstarter campaign.

Also, you're wrong : Sony is funding the game. There's no indication that Sony funding isn't going to development.

Click to shrink...

They're a marketing partner. It has long been established Sony has less skin in the game than Shibuya Productions, who are only a small to medium sized French company.

Receipts:



I've been following every single piece of information about this game since it was announced, and I keep this shit on speed dial. So no, it's not an established fact. Horse's mouth beats press conjecture on a vague comment. Yu Suzuki says SEGA are supporting the game too, and they 110% have no fucking money in the game. Their support came in the form of licencing the IP and handing over development materials + the original source code.

So in conclusion, you're wrong. Thanks for playing, goodbye.

For me Yaluza series is the natural evolution of Shenmue...obviously a better evolution.

Click to shrink...

Subjective opinion is fine, but Yakuza doesn't even touch one of the core pillars of what Shenmue does in terms of life and world simulation aspects. You are factually incorrect about it being an evolution.

 

[Iwao]

Read again, it's clear as day he's speaking about financial support.

Click to shrink...

"As clear as day", except in nothing he actually says? I think the best argument you have is that Sony is a marketing partner on the game for the PlayStation 4 version of the game, but you cannot argue with confidence that they're funding the game's development.

 

[aspiring]

Well there are too many haters. I for one am super pumped. Have my tattoo booked in right before it comes out as well. Cried when announced it. And will cry when playing it and will cry when i finish it

 

[GhostTrick]

Isn't in an established fact that Shenmue 3 Kickstarter was a marketing stunt to see if the game could draw enough attention ? You can't fund an open world like Shenmue with a kickstarter campaign.

Also, you're wrong : Sony is funding the game. There's no indication that Sony funding isn't going to development.

https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2018-11-23-shenmue-3-dev-declares-usd7-1m-crowdfunding-total



https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2017-09-08-sitting-down-with-shenmue-3-and-yu-suzuki

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Sony's involvement here is peanuts. They provide as much as they'd do with a partner indie. They dont publish the game. They dont handle the marketing. Their involvement is minimal here.

 

[Spaghetti]

"As clear as day", except in nothing he actually says? I think the best argument you have is that Sony is a marketing partner on the game for the PlayStation 4 version of the game, but you cannot argue with confidence that they're funding the game's development.

Click to shrink...

Honestly I don't think it's worth responding to that poster much more over this. They've been posting in bad faith basically since the start of this thread, and clearly has some kind of axe to grind with this game and its fans.

On the record we know Sony has less money in the project (if at all ANY relating to development) than Shibuya Productions, who had less money than the Kickstarter total - and both parties relinquished publishing on PC/PS4 duties when Deep Silver got involved. I'm sure they'll keep insisting the Kickstarter was a stunt, though.

 

[Virtua King]

Oh boy... Why do these threads always end up being a shenmue bashfest.... 😔

Click to shrink...

Yeah, it's really strange to me how many people hate and want to see this franchise burn. It's not hard to just scroll on down to a different topic.

 

[Celine.D.Sykes]

They're a marketing partner. It has long been established Sony has less skin in the game than Shibuya Productions, who are only a small to medium sized French company.

Receipts:



I've been following every single piece of information about this game since it was announced, and I keep this shit on speed dial. So no, it's not an established fact. Horse's mouth beats press conjecture on a vague comment. Yu Suzuki says SEGA are supporting the game too, and they 110% have no fucking money in the game. Their support came in the form of licencing the IP and handing over development materials + the original source code.

So in conclusion, you're wrong. Thanks for playing, goodbye.

Click to shrink...

I added many sources and your only argument is "Sony can't fund the game because another company fund it more" ? That doesn't make any sens and is just a poor argument overall. Even the tweet you linked confirm Sony is one of the investor behind the game, you know that ?

Honestly I don't think it's worth responding to that poster much more over this. They've been posting in bad faith basically since the start of this thread, and clearly has some kind of axe to grind with this game and its fans.

Click to shrink...

Bad faith with sources and quote backing exactly what I said ? Lol sure. You know more about what's behind the game than Polygon, Kotaku, PC gamer and other famous medias outlet, even some that directly interviewed him ? You're convincing no one. You just don't want to admit you know less about the game than you think you did.

 

[Sharivan]

Sony was only going to help out with publishing on the PS4 version nothing more:

As to Sony and Shibuya's involvement, he adds "while it is not business practice to discuss the specific details of such arrangements, I can say that with their assistance on the production and marketing end, and in Sony's case with some publishing support as well, Ys Net is able to use more of the money we collect through Kickstarter purely for Shenmue III'sdevelopment."

Click to shrink...

https://www.wired.co.uk/article/shenmue-iii-kickstarter-funding-clarified-yu-suzuki

The only major investors besides the Kickstarter are Shibuya and Deep Silver. Sony is NOT funding this game.

 

[Deleted member 17210]

Oh boy... Why do these threads always end up being a shenmue bashfest.... 😔

Click to shrink...

Lack of repercussions. Trolling is done in a way that falls under "just expressing an opinion" so it's not technically against the rules.

 

[Celine.D.Sykes]

Sony was only going to help out with publishing on the PS4 version nothing more:



https://www.wired.co.uk/article/shenmue-iii-kickstarter-funding-clarified-yu-suzuki

The only major investors besides the Kickstarter are Shibuya and Deep Silver. Sony is NOT funding this game.

Click to shrink...

You missed the "as well" part. Sony is helping in all the things previousely mentioned AND the publishing part as well.

As to Sony and Shibuya's involvement, he adds "while it is not business practice to discuss the specific details of such arrangements, I can say that with their assistance on the production and marketing end, and in Sony's case with some publishing support as well

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"Their" is referring to Sony and Shibuya. Crazy we have to explain that, it's clear in itself, you just have to read.

 

[will0wis]

Yeah, it's really strange to me how many people hate and want to see this franchise burn. It's not hard to just scroll on down to a different topic.

Click to shrink...

To be quite fair, it's hard to ignore a thread where even the people who are part of the small bubble that actually wanted this game to exist are worried about hype not being there so close to release... Hard for those who like it and especially hard for those who don't.

I'm not on either side, but I admit it's pretty funny to watch people getting really upset about things being said about an unreleased game.