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[Vulcano's assistant]

I don't think that argument is a strawman.

It's just an illustration that games do indeed look better from prototype to final.

Yeah but it is a straw man when it implies that everyone who criticized it in any way was precisely denying that the game will improve. Of course it seems easy to make them look bad by putting words in their lips they never said.

 

[Spaghetti]

Altogether this is a very enlightening thread to the reason why game PR people usually keep us in the dark and feed us shit until the product is nearly ready to launch.

Certainly explains why bullshots and pre-rendered trailers were big last gen.

 

[Spades]

So I'm not the only one who think it looks bad.

Not at all. Lots of rose-tinted glasses here it seems.

 

[Spades]

Wait some people are disappointed with the graphics? Lol

Wait, some people are saying this looks amazing?

(Works both ways).

 

[Spaghetti]

Yeah but it is a straw man when it implies that everyone who criticized it in any way was precisely denying that the game will improve. Of course it seems easy to make them look bad by putting words in their lips they never said.

Given some people are clearly ignoring the title saying prototype and a few misinformed armchair game devs are saying graphics are finalised early on (which they definitely aren't, else we'd have no downgrade controversy ever), it's not totally putting words in mouths.

I see where you're coming from, as hyperbolic statements never really add anything to the conversation, but it isn't totally unjustified to say people aren't seeing the big picture here.

 

[Rembrandt]

Altogether this is a very enlightening thread to the reason why game PR people usually keep us in the dark and feed us shit until the product is nearly ready to launch.

Certainly explains why bullshots and pre-rendered trailers were big last gen.

What else are people to do with these photos besides talk about how they look? Even with the knowledge of it being a prototype...

At some point, some fans here are gonna have to deal with criticism rather than acting like everybody is out to see the game fall.

 

[pixelation]

Looks like what i'd imagine it to look like on a current gen Dreamcast... that's a good thing.

 

[Diablos54]

Wait, some people are saying this looks amazing?

(Works both ways).

Considering this is a kickstarted game (3rd and not final one in the series) from a niche series last released 2 generations ago I'm going with yes it does look amazing

 

[StrawberryJam]

Looks real pretty. Can't wait for my first Shenmue!

 

[danwarb]

Looking very good right there, Yu and the team.

EDIT: Can't believe people are actually complaining about the graphics. This isn't a AAA game with a Destiny budget on in-house tech to leverage like Ryse or The Order. Stop being so self-entitled and crying over nothing, the game looks great.

Hahaha yes it is so daft.

This looks like a new Shenmue, and that is amazing. Hope they get the faces right.

 

[KTallguy]

Progress is great!

Edit: As long as the game nails the atmosphere and art direction, it doesn't have to look as good as Uncharted 4. C'mon guys.

 

[Shadoken]

Yeah but it is a straw man when it implies that everyone who criticized it in any way was precisely denying that the game will improve. Of course it seems easy to make them look bad by putting words in their lips they never said.

Not really , some people were even claiming the game is going to fail based off these prototype screens.

 

[Vulcano's assistant]

Not really , some people were even claiming the game is going to fail based off these prototype screens.

Yeah you are right that there are quite some trollish comments here. Like the "looks like a dreamcast game' and what not, but i stand by my gut reaction that the first image looks fan made, although I know the game won't look like that at release, and i think there are a few others that simply expressed just that.

 

[Spaghetti]

What else are people to do with these photos besides talk about how they look? Even with the knowledge of it being a prototype...

At some point, some fans here are gonna have to deal with criticism rather than acting like everybody is out to see the game fall.

It's just the attitudes of some people who think they know the full story from three compressed screens that irritates me and makes me understand why game PR is so restrictive and controlling of media.

It's not like I'm picking up every negative comment and going "NO U SHUT UP". I'm not blind and I know the game doesn't look *that* good right now, but I also know it's a prototype that only really started getting made in October, and I can see what kind of atmosphere they're going for with the location. It doesn't have to be a binary choice of being madly in love with the screens or hating them completely.

At least the overly positive posts are, well, positive. Drive-by shitposts looking down on people who are excited are just fucking more of the same dour, joyless "I hope this thing you like is bad" attitude that has totally poisoned the well of "gamer culture".

 

[HStallion]

Wait, some people are saying this looks amazing?

(Works both ways).

For a crowd funded game that started development last year? Yeah it looks pretty good so far for a game that is nowhere near release.

 

[damien1928]

Could be ps1 graphics i would still be hyped

 

[jhmtehgamr20xx]

Yeah you are right that there are quite some trollish comments here. Like the "looks like a dreamcast game' and what not, but i stand by my gut reaction that the first image looks fan made, although I know the game won't look like that at release, and i think there are a few others that simply expressed just that.

They're trolling b/c it's a Suzuki game and by proxy see is as a Sega game, and it's popular to bash on Sega apparently. Just look at some of the trash people considered posts in some of the previous Sega-related threads :/

 

[openrob]

Just to make it clear, the REASON that fans here think this is beautiful is not becuase 'the graphics are amazing WOW' crap. No.

Spoiler

I mean of course it's not amazing, high fidelity graphics. It is a bloody prototype!

We are happy becuase it shows us the locations, the general atmosphere of the art style and environments. Becuase the game concept is very appealing. When we say "This is beautiful/amazing" This is what we mean.

Focusing purely on textures, resolution etc is very immature, and not at all why these screens are exciting.

 

[Jack The Nipper]

Doesn't look great but I never expected it to. Character models look a bit strange. Wish they could get a decent art direction for it but that's alright.

 

[PdotMichael]

Altogether this is a very enlightening thread to the reason why game PR people usually keep us in the dark and feed us shit until the product is nearly ready to launch.

Well, it's indeed the job of PR people to present something that looks like the final product.

The prototype screenshots just don't look that good from a technical nor art direction point of view.

 

[orthodoxy1095]

Looks better than I thought it might. And this is the prototype.

Count me as a happy camper.

 

[Laevateinn]

Given some people are clearly ignoring the title saying prototype and a few misinformed armchair game devs are saying graphics are finalised early on (which they definitely aren't, else we'd have no downgrade controversy ever), it's not totally putting words in mouths.

I see where you're coming from, as hyperbolic statements never really add anything to the conversation, but it isn't totally unjustified to say people aren't seeing the big picture here.

I'm of the opinion that it would be best if YsNet (and by proxy AJ) went dark until E3 next year but since this is a Kickstarter game the majority of backers would riot if they didn't get some assets or news at least once a month. Crowdfunded games are really outside of the traditional PR cycle and until we start getting huge crowd funded titles more regularly, the majority of gamers won't understand why a game 2 years out doesn't look finished. Such is life.

Just to make it clear, the REASON that fans here think this is beautiful is not becuase 'the graphics are amazing WOW' crap. No.

Spoiler

I mean of course it's not amazing, high fidelity graphics. It is a bloody prototype!

We are happy becuase it shows us the locations, the general atmosphere of the art style and environments. Becuase the game concept is very appealing. When we say "This is beautiful/amazing" This is what we mean.

Focusing purely on textures, resolution etc is very immature, and not at all why these screens are exciting.

This is where I'm at. I really want to get a glimpse of the locations that this will take place in. Shenmue is all about the realistic world it conveys and these previews don't really say "look at our awesome textures and shaders" it says "look how quaint this village is going to be." It really looks like a place you can get to know Shenhua in. This is something to be excited about for sure.

 

[Spaghetti]

Well, it's indeed the job of PR people to present something that looks like the final product.

The prototype screenshots just don't look that good from a technical nor art direction point of view.

That is not the point I was making, and you know that.

Even in your own statement you highlighted the contradiction I was pointing out.

You concede it is a prototype (which is a fact), but then deem the screens bad (which is subjective but a valid choice), but then don't really recognise what a prototype is. For some reason it always comes to a binary choice, good or bad. Never "I know it's a work in progress and would look unsatisfactory as a final product, but I see promise if it improves".

Given there are people in this thread who say the game will be bad based on three low-res prototype screens, again I say it is no wonder that game PR strictly manages what they release or uses slight of hand like bullshots to make a game look better than it actually is, or even will at final release.

 

[PdotMichael]

That is not the point I was making, and you know that.

Even in your own statement you highlighted the contradiction I was pointing out.

You concede it is a prototype (which is a fact), but then deem the screens bad (which is subjective but a valid choice), but then don't really recognise what a prototype is. For some reason it always comes to a binary choice, good or bad. Never "I know it's a work in progress and would look unsatisfactory as a final product, but I see promise if it improves".

Given there are people in this thread who say the game will be bad based on three low-res prototype screens, again I say it is no wonder that game PR strictly manages what they release or uses slight of hand like bullshots to make a game look better than it actually is, or even will at final release.

Using another extreme doesn't really work as counter-argument. It's also funny that you want to call out people for exactly doing that.

I'm not sure why anyone would release subpar screenshots of early prototypes. Either they should indeed hire some PR guys or the devs think that this state of the game is okay and presentable.

 

[Alienfan]

Looks like an early Xbox 360/PS3 game in all honesty - glad people are excited about it though!

 

[Kwansu Dudes]

Looks good to me, but I'm blinded by nostalgia I guess. Can't wait to see how it turns out come Christmas 2017

 

[Respawn]

Looks better than most games this gen. Yu Suzuki I'm going home.

 

[stuminus3]

Not at all. Lots of rose-tinted glasses here it seems.

Away and shite.

 

[Spaghetti]

Using another extreme doesn't really work as counter-argument. It's also funny that you want to call out people for exactly doing that.

I'm not sure why anyone would release subpar screenshots of early prototypes. Either they should indeed hire some PR guys or the devs think that this state of the game is okay and presentable.

What part of my position seems extreme to you? It's about as middle of the road as you can get. For the most part I'm only asking people use their head in thinking a little harder about what a prototype is supposed to be and look past just graphics to see the promise in these screens.

Why would they release screens in this state? Well, are you unfamiliar with Kickstarter? Part of the Kickstarter experience is following the development of the game, and its already been said that KS games work outside the traditional PR cycle. Disappearing for a year and a half and only returning with near final materials isn't going to win any favours either.

Are you under the impression these screens were meant to win anybody over? This is a "here is our progress" display not a marketing campaign.

 

[Blackleg-sanji1]

Using another extreme doesn't really work as counter-argument. It's also funny that you want to call out people for exactly doing that.

I'm not sure why anyone would release subpar screenshots of early prototypes. Either they should indeed hire some PR guys or the devs think that this state of the game is okay and presentable.

Because they are showing their fans who funded said game how development is going and would hope they would be smart enough to understand this isn't final?

 

[celsowmbr]

- Xbox 360 graphics?

- Witcher 1 ?

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V

 

[Zedox]

I hate people.

Go Shenmue, looks awesome.

 

[shinobi602]

This is why studios never like being transparent with game development. SMH.

 

[Spaghetti]

This is why studios never like being transparent with game development. SMH.

I dunno, I think there enough sensible people in here to know that the deal is with these screens and judge them accordingly. The more devs who let us peek behind the curtain the better, because the manufactured sausagemeat style picture of development people have now will only get worse if we're only subjected to traditional PR cycles.

The Double Fine documentary for Broken Age is one of the best looks inside the highs and lows of game development out there, and I personally think it made me more sympathetic to how hard it can get.

 

[Danlord]

This is why studios never like being transparent with game development. SMH.

I hope that developers who see this kind of response from some of the GAF community ignore them and will continue being as transparent as some are right now. I've been following Hellblade pretty closely and the response from their prototype stuff was just as toxic really, and I hope that developers will still continue to share their work in unfinished states, because I and I'm sure many here do appreciate that work.

 

[Kelsdesu]

Man Street Fighter 4 is such an ugly game. Looks fan made or something. I think it will be a big let down.

SMH .... Some people dont understand what prototypes mean , this game literally just started development last year.



Thats right , no amount of hatorade about Graphics or Kickstarter scamming people is going to affect that. As long as the gameplay and story is there its all good.

That prototype actually looks like the new KOF.

 

[Shadoken]

That prototype actually looks like the new KOF.

Ouch lol..

 

[King Gilga]

Looks real rough, not good at all, but not judging, still super early.

 

[SketchTheArtist]

I'd be happy with a Shenmue 3 looking like the old Dreamcast games. Anything more refined is just an extra for me.

I'm just glad we're getting a sequel.

 

[DOT DASH DOT]

At the end of the day, this game is being funded by the fans for the fans, and I guarantee the actual fans will be over the moon and then some, when it's actually released, so people shitting all over it doesn't really matter, if it's top end graphics they want, Shenmue won't ever be the kind of game that they'll buy! No one is derailing this Shenmue train!

 

[synce]

Looks way better than expected

 

[SolVanderlyn]

mmmmm dat oriental rain

 

[davidwhangchoi]

show some faces =)

 

[Trickster]

I'll have some what you all are smoking. Those screenshot don't look good at all.

Granted it's still early so it'll probably look better later. But right now, in those screenshots? Game looks ugly.

 

[cj_iwakura]

I wanna see the receipts faces.

 

[LifEndz]

Yet another game that Gaf hype got to me and now I want to play it. Never played any of them, so I hope they can release some sort of HD remaster of the first two games, but it sounds like that's not very likely based on what some of you are posting.

 

[Spaghetti]

Yet another game that Gaf hype got to me and now I want to play it. Never played any of them, so I hope they can release some sort of HD remaster of the first two games, but it sounds like that's not very likely based on what some of you are posting.

Hm? A HD remaster is a lot more likely than it has been in recent years. I wouldn't be worried about it not happening unless it doesn't show up as late as E3 2017.

 

[Tricky I Shadow]

Ugh, this thread is pretty frustrating and disappointing to read through. I expect better from you GAF.

 

[injurai]

They managed to capture the Dreamcast IQ.

 

[watchdog]

Looks fine. It just looks like a game that's early in development. It can only get better from here.