They can already start on the game, and take in money through the development cycle ala RSI but without the bling ships.
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Jimquisition (June 22nd, 2015) - Shenmue 3: The Good, The Bad, And The Iffy
- Thread starter L~A
- Start date
They can already start on the game, and take in money through the development cycle ala RSI but without the bling ships.
Jim Sterling
Member
Your wager was that the people contributing to the Kickstarter know what they're getting into.
You really, reeeeally wanna take that bet?
Reminder: it hinges on PEOPLE on the INTERNET knowing THINGS about STUFF.
Think hard before you put your chips in the middle.
GAF, a place that considers itself full of informed gamers, has shown time and time again that overall it has NO IDEA how much games cost to make. Extrapolate that to the internet at large and.....LOL.....just LOL
After seeing the updated video, you bring up a great point Jim 
. The fact this Kickstarter is so big will lead to other games getting public views, leading to more games getting Kickstarted as an result. It was also really nice seeing the words "Kickstarter" on the Sony stage; really shows how big of a platform it has grown into over the years.
My existing thoughts regarding the negativity and iffy parts of what Sony and the Shenmue kickstarter are still present; found it funny that you also said that it wouldn't be shocking to see Ubisoft pulling a 'Beyond Good and Evil 2' kickstarter.....I honestly see that being one of the next 'dream' games Sony shows off next E3 :l.
Like I said, this is very un-traveled water, so I hope things go well and publisher don't get to greedy.
Will close off saying that I agree with Jim's statements regarding the 'requirement' of 5/10 million for the 'full' Shenmue 3 experience. I completely understand that making games is very pricey and a huge investment. But, the Kickstarter should of been 5 million instead of 2 million than; the core vision of the game could of happened regardless if the game reaches 10 million or not than.
. The fact this Kickstarter is so big will lead to other games getting public views, leading to more games getting Kickstarted as an result. It was also really nice seeing the words "Kickstarter" on the Sony stage; really shows how big of a platform it has grown into over the years. My existing thoughts regarding the negativity and iffy parts of what Sony and the Shenmue kickstarter are still present; found it funny that you also said that it wouldn't be shocking to see Ubisoft pulling a 'Beyond Good and Evil 2' kickstarter.....I honestly see that being one of the next 'dream' games Sony shows off next E3 :l.
Like I said, this is very un-traveled water, so I hope things go well and publisher don't get to greedy.
Will close off saying that I agree with Jim's statements regarding the 'requirement' of 5/10 million for the 'full' Shenmue 3 experience. I completely understand that making games is very pricey and a huge investment. But, the Kickstarter should of been 5 million instead of 2 million than; the core vision of the game could of happened regardless if the game reaches 10 million or not than.
LiquidSolid
Member
Is there a source for this? I thought it was $47 million for just the first game.
This is only tangentially related to the video, but what is it you like about We Happy Few?
I love the premise, the art design, and the whole style of the project. But I've seen some extended gameplay videos and it sadly seems like just another kinda-clunky kinda-buggy crafting/survival game. I know that you end up playing a lot of clunky survival games so maybe you can explain what it is that sets We Happy Few apart. I find myself still strangely wanting to back the Kickstarter for a pre-alpha build, almost purely on the strength of the game's story/setting.
At some point you have to get your budget locked in to plan and schedule things appropriately. Extra money at a later date can help for minor/parallel features but unless you want delays and reworks (sometimes big ones), after a certain point major features are locked in and budget constrained.
To be fair, I assume most of the "clunk" and "bugs" will find themselves out of the game with more development and refinement.
I'm not believing this whole $47m for both games line that keeps being trotted out.
$70m was widely publicised around the first game coming out - it was even in the Guinness book of records.
At that time SEGA was a publicly floated company, it would be illegal for them to pretend they'd dropped $70m on that game when they hadn't.
The $47m figure didn't make the public domain until 2011(?), ten years later and around the time Suzuki was trying to find someone to help him make Shenmue 3. Now, in this scenario, Suzuki is much more likely to be lying/fudging the numbers. He's trying to secure funding for his project vs a company that could be prosecuted for lying.
Anyone actually have any evidence of this $47m claim that isn't just Suzuki claiming it to be true?
$70m was widely publicised around the first game coming out - it was even in the Guinness book of records.
At that time SEGA was a publicly floated company, it would be illegal for them to pretend they'd dropped $70m on that game when they hadn't.
The $47m figure didn't make the public domain until 2011(?), ten years later and around the time Suzuki was trying to find someone to help him make Shenmue 3. Now, in this scenario, Suzuki is much more likely to be lying/fudging the numbers. He's trying to secure funding for his project vs a company that could be prosecuted for lying.
Anyone actually have any evidence of this $47m claim that isn't just Suzuki claiming it to be true?
It's not comparable. What do you sell to the Shenmue fanbase that would approximate the stuff in Star Citizen? It's a single player game designed to be played from point A to point B. That also means that the game design is far less modular, and you can't easily just tack on extra bits of content to increase the game's scope over the course of development.
They may find some way of increasing pledges after the Kickstarter finishes, but to point at Star Citizen and be all "see, they did it" is just silly.
Cool vid Jim, was a good take on the issue while simultaneously saying that Shenmue isn't part of the potential problem (apart from the messaging). You are totally right saying that companies can (and will probably try to abuse this) but hopefully its a really obvious case when this occurs that we can easily avoid. It's a topic that needs addressing.
Jim Sterling
Member
The fact it's in pre-alpha and already plays better than a lot of FINISHED Steam games has me very hopeful when it comes to technical aspects of the game. They have a significantly strong base from which to build, and with a release date planned for 2016, there's a lot of time to get it better.
This is also by the same studio that made Contrast, so they're already proven to make high quality productions. This is a vastly different type of game, yes, but I like it when studios have something proven under their belt.
Outside of that, the premise of the game, the aesthetic style, and the way they plan to weave its stories together have me very excited. Yes, it's another survival game, and possibly a clunky one, but it's one I could instantly start playing and find entertaining video content in, right from the beginning. I can't get that out of most survival games.
this data is kind of false, that was the development costs of the entirety of project berkley (shenmue 1&2 on saturn and dreamcast) so 4 games using 2 engines and 2 toolsets.
LiquidSolid
Member
Yeah, that's what I was asking about. What the source was for it covering the entire project, rather than just the first game.
Watched the video, Jim makes some good points.
But I still don't see any of the issues of a big publisher like Sony helping fund someone using KS. I've seen a lot of people throw around the argument that Sony is a major company, they have money. They shouldn't be making their customers take a risk. They should take all the risk. Well first off, this isn't Sony's KS, and it's something Yu wanted to do. But anyways, even so, companies absolutely have to look out for their own interests financially. This idea that they have money, and thus should take all the risk, is pretty crazy and IMO nonsensical. There is a reason that no company has been willing to back Shenmue, and that's because it's high risk. The % of people that actually want it, are small compared to most games and the audience size. So it's not worth the AAA budget investment.
This game can only happen, because of this. Because Yu is willing to take his game directly to those small % of fans, and letting them pay for it. I see no problem with Sony then coming and also offering support. Because they could only do this, in this format. So I'm failing to see where a big publisher helping out in this specific scenario, makes them "shady", "scummy" or "unethical". I'm being open to others perspective on this, and I'm just not seeing it.
I see a lot of projected "what ifs"....like what happens if other Publishers start abusing KS. And that could happen. And if it does, people should not support it. They should be openly critical of it. Ultimately, KS has allowed a lot of things to happen on its site, without caring. And if they don't care, then it is what it is. Don't use the site. People have the right to spend their money how they see fit, and take the risks they want to take. Expecting Sony to just back this whole thing and not have fans do the KS, is silly, because Sony would not have backed the project at all, if it wasn't for Yu doing this as a KS side project. Is what it is. Shenmue is a dead franchise to the larger consumer market. And it doesn't make sense to fully fund this kind of project.
Anyways, I appreciate Jim updating things. He brought up some good points:
* They weren't up front with how everyone was involved in the backing, as well as where they expected most of the money to come from.
* The original $2 million goal makes sense in that, most KS will set a goal they KNOW they can make something with. But they have stretch goals that will make their full project how they really want to make it. Well, maybe it makes sense to just set the original goal as to what you ACTUALLY NEED to MAKE THE GAME YOU WANT. (I get why they set it low, so they can get actual funding. And then try to work around it. But this still seems dodgy, in terms of WHAT you are actually giving your backers in the long run).
What I'll say is, while I think the KS has been a mess, and run poorly. I don't think people should have become a mob, and tried to launch an anti-campaign against the KS, without knowing more info. Media should not post assumptions, unless they actually know either. They have responsibility. Asking questions is fine though, and that is their job. Yes, the KS being ran poorly shares in the blame. And people had the right to be critical and ask questions. But becoming a mob and acting without information, is bullshit.
Ultimately, Jim brings up a lot of concerns about big Publishers abusing the system. But again, it's really on KS to control their own site. And it's also on consumers, to decide whether they are going to give their money to a system that is being abused (if a slippery slope happens on KS).
However, I don't think Sony's involvement here, will be the beginning of that slippery slope. I don't agree with people at all, that Sony is acting unethical. This a franchise/game that is dead, and not worth the risk to publishers on a financial level. But it has a very intense/passionate fan base. So this is the only way this game could get made. I see no issue with Sony allowing Yu and his team to go through KS, and then help out with marketing/funds for their KS ran project.
Also, while I think it's true that: I. We are getting Shenmue, and it couldn't have been done without it. And II. People have the right to spend their money how they see fit. < While I think those things are true, it doesn't exempt something from criticism. I just personally don't see the issue with how Sony is acting within this project. And if other major Publishers also acted in a similar fashion, I actually wouldn't have an issue. I wouldn't want like EA to start a KS. But if a creator had a rights to a franchise that was high risk, and had a small audience, I would have no issue with that creator running his KS and taking that title directly to fans, and then someone like EA helping out with marketing.
But I still don't see any of the issues of a big publisher like Sony helping fund someone using KS. I've seen a lot of people throw around the argument that Sony is a major company, they have money. They shouldn't be making their customers take a risk. They should take all the risk. Well first off, this isn't Sony's KS, and it's something Yu wanted to do. But anyways, even so, companies absolutely have to look out for their own interests financially. This idea that they have money, and thus should take all the risk, is pretty crazy and IMO nonsensical. There is a reason that no company has been willing to back Shenmue, and that's because it's high risk. The % of people that actually want it, are small compared to most games and the audience size. So it's not worth the AAA budget investment.
This game can only happen, because of this. Because Yu is willing to take his game directly to those small % of fans, and letting them pay for it. I see no problem with Sony then coming and also offering support. Because they could only do this, in this format. So I'm failing to see where a big publisher helping out in this specific scenario, makes them "shady", "scummy" or "unethical". I'm being open to others perspective on this, and I'm just not seeing it.
I see a lot of projected "what ifs"....like what happens if other Publishers start abusing KS. And that could happen. And if it does, people should not support it. They should be openly critical of it. Ultimately, KS has allowed a lot of things to happen on its site, without caring. And if they don't care, then it is what it is. Don't use the site. People have the right to spend their money how they see fit, and take the risks they want to take. Expecting Sony to just back this whole thing and not have fans do the KS, is silly, because Sony would not have backed the project at all, if it wasn't for Yu doing this as a KS side project. Is what it is. Shenmue is a dead franchise to the larger consumer market. And it doesn't make sense to fully fund this kind of project.
Anyways, I appreciate Jim updating things. He brought up some good points:
* They weren't up front with how everyone was involved in the backing, as well as where they expected most of the money to come from.
* The original $2 million goal makes sense in that, most KS will set a goal they KNOW they can make something with. But they have stretch goals that will make their full project how they really want to make it. Well, maybe it makes sense to just set the original goal as to what you ACTUALLY NEED to MAKE THE GAME YOU WANT. (I get why they set it low, so they can get actual funding. And then try to work around it. But this still seems dodgy, in terms of WHAT you are actually giving your backers in the long run).
What I'll say is, while I think the KS has been a mess, and run poorly. I don't think people should have become a mob, and tried to launch an anti-campaign against the KS, without knowing more info. Media should not post assumptions, unless they actually know either. They have responsibility. Asking questions is fine though, and that is their job. Yes, the KS being ran poorly shares in the blame. And people had the right to be critical and ask questions. But becoming a mob and acting without information, is bullshit.
Ultimately, Jim brings up a lot of concerns about big Publishers abusing the system. But again, it's really on KS to control their own site. And it's also on consumers, to decide whether they are going to give their money to a system that is being abused (if a slippery slope happens on KS).
However, I don't think Sony's involvement here, will be the beginning of that slippery slope. I don't agree with people at all, that Sony is acting unethical. This a franchise/game that is dead, and not worth the risk to publishers on a financial level. But it has a very intense/passionate fan base. So this is the only way this game could get made. I see no issue with Sony allowing Yu and his team to go through KS, and then help out with marketing/funds for their KS ran project.
Also, while I think it's true that: I. We are getting Shenmue, and it couldn't have been done without it. And II. People have the right to spend their money how they see fit. < While I think those things are true, it doesn't exempt something from criticism. I just personally don't see the issue with how Sony is acting within this project. And if other major Publishers also acted in a similar fashion, I actually wouldn't have an issue. I wouldn't want like EA to start a KS. But if a creator had a rights to a franchise that was high risk, and had a small audience, I would have no issue with that creator running his KS and taking that title directly to fans, and then someone like EA helping out with marketing.
From my understanding, all Sony is doing is the following:
-Advertising Space (highlighting the game at E3, advertisement, ect)
-Console Support (helping the Shenmue team work with PS4 tech)
-Some funding? (Giving X amount toward the final product....but likely 500,000 at most I guess)
Wasn't "Tales From Suzuki's Ass" the source for the $70m figure as well though?
The only real known atm is Sony said they would be funding money to market the game.
Sony are providing marketing and PS4 production support, but they're not pouring millions upon millions into development.
Sony isn't publishing, YsNet is self-publishing (well, digital download versions, PC has a physical one, but that might be for KS backers only).
Well, if the Kickstarter failed/fails, no game would be made. No idea if Sony or other investors have any deals like "we'll give you x% on top of the final KS money".
Edit: here's a good summary with sources.
Night Hunter
Banned
As we never got a specific amount from Sega, 'Tales from Suzuki's ass' is definitely a better source than 'Tales from everyone else's ass'.
It's crummy that he answered a reddit question specifically asking how much he can do with a certain budget?
John Bender
Banned
I'm so shocked seeing you here....
Sorry, but get over it.
We know what your point is.
Littlefang
Member
Jim has managed to articulate everything I've been trying to say much more eloquently than I have been able to. I think like everything regarding the games industry that it can only be a good thing to keep an open dialogue about the decisions developers are making.
I remember an article years and years ago talking with someone from sega that had that figure or close to it (like 2005-ish?) so it's not that new. I think they also estimated something like 29 million for Shenmue 1 and slightly less for 2.
It's hard to say really since both games were developed in parallel along with the pre-production and some of the assets for the future chapters as well.
Jim never called Sony unethical, or scummy. He brought up concerns about other Publishers abusing the KS system later down the line. He brought up that the whole KS campaign has been run poorly, and hasn't been up front like they should have. He's been critical/skeptical of Sony's involvement.
But he never said Son'y actions were unethical or they were being scummy. He also didn't take a stance that, Sony should be taking all the risk for this project, and their existence as an outside source for help, for a creator taking the game directly to the fans...is unethical. A lot of people (including yourself), were fervently arguing that since Sony has money, they should be taking all the risk, and that it was unethical for fans to share in that risk. Despite the fact that, this is Yu's project, he's taking it directly to his fans (since this game doesn't have the audience to get funded by any company in conventional ways), and Sony is acting as an outside source of help/funding on top of that (with the KS being the bulk of the funding). If you are still critical of that, that's totally valid. But I just can't see your view of Sony being scummy or unethical. I'm sorry.
I don't see where Jim said that Sony were being scummy for doing this.
He's reasonably raised concerns about big Publishers getting involved, and how KS could be abused. But yeah.
UncleSporky
Member
People are upset at having this dropped on them, and you consider an acceptable response to be "well, you didn't ask earlier," followed by a smug grin?
Not only that, but this is still not information contained anywhere in the Kickstarter itself. If you didn't read the AMA (or somewhere referencing it), then you'd never guess that $10m is any sort of goal for the Kickstarter at all.
Yeah, I think Yu Suzuki should be criticized over this. I'm glad that Jim brought up these points (especially the part where he brings up the way it needed $10 million far past the $2 million goal set).
I wish criticism was more focused on KS campaign itself, the people running it, and not Sony. I feel like that's become a distraction (although I think people asking how much they were funding, and what their role actually was in it, was 100% legitimate/valid).
Says so in the FAQ that 2million isn't enough for a full open world Shenmue game, although it is vague
I think that criticism came from the way Sony presented the game and their unclear level of involvement at first.
I mean, no one was going to fund it. Yu essentially made a choice to take the project to his fans, since no major company in their right mind, would take the risk of funding this projected based on the limited % of fans that actually want this. He also approached Sony, and all they were willing to offer was marketing and limited funding.
I think the entire thing was a mistake in terms of how it was presented. Sony thought they would win points for their conference, and they did. But the reality is, they weren't willing to take the risk and fund this project themselves. But Boyes at the conference said "this was their project"...I thought that made pretty clear in the conference.
My only thing is, I get people asking questions. Fine. They should. Especially when the KS is being vague. And Sony should have been upfront. I mean even during their E3 conference, Boyes had said was THEIR PROJECT...and clearly stated that to separate it from being a Sony project. So they really should have been more up front in the press/pr immediately after.
But that said, I think there is a difference between asking questions, and becoming a mob, and saying Sony are being unethical and scummy and holding the game and fans hostage. Asking questions before action, is not that unreasonable. And I still think that all of that, became one big distraction, and is still a distraction, as I think there IS some things that we need to be critical of from Yu Suzuki and his team (how they are running the campaign etc.)
Also to be fair, but rewatching the presentation at E3, Adam Boyes opens with "This is THEIR project"
I actually just edited my post and said that very same thing lol.
But you are right. Boyes had said at the E3 conference as clear as day, this was their project. "Let's help them get this funded". It was presented as Suzuki's side project. I mean, I still think it was fine for people to ask questions. Even people pledging, have the right to know how much Sony is actually funding, and what their role in it is. But I still think people overreacted and has a fervent focus on Sony, and that became a big distraction. And that is unfortunate. Unfortunate for people that want the KS to do well. But also unfortunate for the legitimate criticisms that should be addressed from Yu Suzuki and his team. I think there is absolutely valid criticisms to be had of this project (especially how he revealed the $10 million goal, as well as people knowing 100% what they will get at $3-5 million). I know people have a general idea, but I think they needed to be more upfront and clear on all of this stuff.
joecanada
Member
how long has the star citizen kickstarter been going / going to go on for?
I think if the developer was smart they would start work and then at say 6 months in, flood the internet again with "look at this shit we made" videos and keep the kickstarter going... seems to be working for star citizen.
Then the trailers come out, characters, maybe some initiatives "kickstarters of over 1,000 dollars get to be henchmen in the game".... there's a million things I could think of to drum up interest as they go... and this is just off the top of my head.
That line was probably lost in the hype. I'm not sure if many even heard it right.
I'm giving you a virtual high five then !
I'll admit i was part of the original kerfuffle as after all what i've read, I thought sony was indeed giving part of the funding as there was no way that Shenmue 3 could be built on 2 million. Only later when it calmed down and I saw I was wrong. In a way, I almost regret Sony isn't backing it but I guess ethically it's better that way
I'm giving you a virtual high five then !
I'll admit i was part of the original kerfuffle as after all what i've read, I thought sony was indeed giving part of the funding as there was no way that Shenmue 3 could be built on 2 million. Only later when it calmed down and I saw I was wrong. In a way, I almost regret Sony isn't backing it but I guess ethically it's better that way
I have no issue with people being critical of Sony. I don't agree with them. I don't agree that Sony being involved is a problem. But I just struggle when people are saying Sony are being unethical, and scummy. When people are saying the game and fans are being held hostage. Some of the uproar against the KS campaign, got absolutely ridiculous. And so much of that focus was on Sony's involvement.
And while I can understand questions being asked (because it was important to know what Sony's involvement was in it, and what they are actually funding, what role the KS fans actually had in all this in terms of their money being pledged)....I just didn't understand the people focusing on Sony as being this evil unethical company, and this KS being the prime example of a Corporate Evil and them abusing their consumers. All of that came off as really immature and ridiculous to me.
Now, I think people like Jim are making very valid points about the problems with this KS campaign. Very valid problems that I think should be voiced and addressed. But I again think Sony is becoming a distraction. Especially when a lot of these problems, are a result of Yu Suzuki and his team, and how they are running this. Because this is their project ultimately.
As far as Sterling's concern about Sony and Publishers being involved with KS, sure. I don't agree with folks with regards to Sony and this project. But I can see the concerns and why they are bringing it up, and fearful of the slippery slope that could exist further down the line. If Sony was fully funding this project, or this was Sony ran KS, then I would be more on board with them, in their concerns.
Glitchesarecool
Member
The SC kickstarter ended a while ago, and the last update on that page was in 2013. Not sure what you're trying to get with that point. It was crowdfunded through other means during its development, which might not be the case for Shenmu3. I haven't heard of any other measures for gathering revenue once the kickstarter ends, other than the theorized input from Sony.
It's also a bit of a different situation because the games are completely different.
AstroNut325
Member
I've been really supportive of the Shenmue kickstarter but I agree with Jim on his points regarding the lack of sufficient details upfront. I strongly feel that it was a very controversial move to disclose the scope of the game in an after-the-fact AMA. Yu Suzuki should have included the details pertaining the scope of the game since the very first second of the Kickstarter.
In regards to the abuse of Kickstarter, I don't agree.
In regards to the abuse of Kickstarter, I don't agree.
Littlefang
Member
My issue with what Sony would be doing in particular by supporting a kickstarted project is that they aren't guaranteeing an end result. That's what I am spouting when in particular I am addressing Sony as not being entirely ethical with their decisions. I mean it's certainly good business sense, but what would you call what Sony is doing? I don't think that Sony should be required to fund a project that they don't support, but it certainly isn't fair to tote them as some moralists for having an investment in a project. You seem quite quick to dismiss the other points of my arguments while honing in on a particular point. I will admit that scummy wasn't my own word, I was parroting what other people were saying in a few of my posts. Personally, I don't see anything wrong with asking your fans to put their money where their mouth is, I just don't think Kickstarter is the right avenue to do this.
Okay I went back and I looked for the post where I called Sony scummy. Here is my initial post regarding this point specifically. Then this is where I specifically call Sony scummy which would only apply to them now if they were funding a brunt of the kickstarter which isn't the case. But again my issue stands that a large publisher should be going through an avenue where they guarantee the consumer a final product instead of one where they don't. For most developers Kickstarter is the only option and therefore, it's acceptable for them to ask consumers to take this risk, but Sony has other options.
What's written in the FAQ section is as follows:
That doesn't at all read like "if we don't get to $10m you can kiss your open world Shenmue goodbye". That reads as "what we're getting from Kickstarter is only part of the funds". If Shenmue III requires $10m to be what he wants it to be, then that should be one of the goals, making it clear to those pledging what happens if (when) it fails to reach that amount. The highest stretch tier listed shouldn't be less than half of what is required to make the game you're causing your fanbase to expect.
That's not the case, though. Suzuki merely said for the game to reach its full scope and be a complete sandbox, they'd need 10 million. Certain fans are the ones saying 10 million is necessary. Disclosure: Not a Shenmue fan, never played either of the games, but I did back it because I would like fans to see have the best game they could have.
And those that had heard it perverted it into the "Sony is scummy and lying" narrative, when the "Sony is backing Shenmue 3" stories broke.
The problem is that nobody knows what "open world" Shenmue means in this regard. Does it mean similar to the previous two entries? That the FAQ makes it's first question "Can you make an open world game for just $2 million?", makes it sound like that's the case, rather than open world meaning the game suddenly becomes Fallout. If "open world" means like the previous two games... then what does $2m (or even the original highest stretch goal of $4m) get you?
D
Deleted member 125677
Unconfirmed Member
Thanks for an interesting video, Jim Sterling, and thanks even more for taking the time to discuss it with us knuckleheads on the internet.
Kickstarter is certainly changing, it has become serious big business. From a utility for independent developers to fund projects without publishers footing the bill, to a way to bring back established franchises of big publishers from the dead, to..?
I share the concern that this method could become some sort of standard advanced market gauging that big publishers turn to whenever they have doubts about projects, and that everything not GTA or CoD have to go through an obligatory round of crowd funding before green lights are given (Exagerrating a teeny tiny bit here, but you get the point). Nothing intrinsically wrong with that per se, I guess?, but it certainly changes the whole spirit of Kickstarter as a project.
It's hard to have a discussion in principe about it though, when the case at hand is so tremendously laden with emotions. Our feels, our feels. Shenmue is the lost arc for video game nerds on the internet. So we should perhaps just rejoice in the fact that Shenmue 3 is a thing. At least a while?
Kickstarter is certainly changing, it has become serious big business. From a utility for independent developers to fund projects without publishers footing the bill, to a way to bring back established franchises of big publishers from the dead, to..?
I share the concern that this method could become some sort of standard advanced market gauging that big publishers turn to whenever they have doubts about projects, and that everything not GTA or CoD have to go through an obligatory round of crowd funding before green lights are given (Exagerrating a teeny tiny bit here, but you get the point). Nothing intrinsically wrong with that per se, I guess?, but it certainly changes the whole spirit of Kickstarter as a project.
It's hard to have a discussion in principe about it though, when the case at hand is so tremendously laden with emotions. Our feels, our feels. Shenmue is the lost arc for video game nerds on the internet. So we should perhaps just rejoice in the fact that Shenmue 3 is a thing. At least a while?