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[Spaghetti]

Is it at all possible that a Shenmue 4 or 5 could be produced? How is Shenmue 3 expected to sell? How did the first two games sell?

They want to sell a million of Shenmue III, which is doable. Quantic Dream's games sell more than that, Life is Strange sold more than that, etc.

First Shenmue sold pretty well actually, over a million worldwide when there weren't a whole lot of Dreamcasts sold. I think someone likened the attach rate to something like Skyrim. Second didn't sell great, but I think that can be easily blamed on it releasing after the Dreamcast was pronounced dead, and how the game was delayed and only released on Xbox in North America.

Can a Shenmue IV and V happen? Sure. Making Shenmue III happen was the hard part. The series now has renewed relevance and can hopefully attract a bunch of new fans.

 

[Tricky I Shadow]

Definitely answered this survey and requested Shenmue HD.

Good job!

 

[LelouchViBritannia]

im pretty sure Shenmue 3 will sell over a million copies due to its legacy, hype and interest. Shenmue 5 will be the one with a big ?

Hopefully 3 gains enough fans to make several entries durable.

 

[Spaghetti]

I mean, the series revived itself after 15 years pretty much in the grave. It'll be finished one way or another, there's no real doubt of that now.

I dunno why our first reaction is to think negatively about it. I know Shenmue fans are well and truly used to the series being dismissed and downplayed, but we're in a different era now.

Shenmue was a million plus seller on the Dreamcast. It was one of the most groundbreaking games of the 3D era. It has a worldwide fanbase that never gave up hope after a decade and a half, and delivered the Kickstarter to triple record breaking success.

 

[DangerMouse]

Awww yeah. Looking fantastic.

 

[LelouchViBritannia]

Either way, we're getting another shenmue game

Im booking annual leave from life when it comes out

 

[Spaghetti]

Slightly higher res images. Not the full set, but definitely has the best of the bunch, IMO.

The sky looks like a painting. I wonder if that's the intended effect? It's a nice look, actually. Yu took up painting over the last 15 years at some point, so it's nice to see his current hobbies inform Shenmue III in the same way his past hobbies informed Outrun, Hang On, Virtua Fighter, and a good handful of the Shenmue mini-games/gambling games.

 

[ajim]

Slightly higher res images. Not the full set, but definitely has the best of the bunch, IMO.

The sky looks like a painting. I wonder if that's the intended effect? It's a nice look, actually. Yu took up painting over the last 15 years at some point, so it's nice to see his current hobbies inform Shenmue III in the same way his past hobbies informed Outrun, Hang On, Virtua Fighter, and a good handful of the Shenmue mini-games/gambling games.

Fantastic! Thanks, spaghetti!!

 

[Blunoise]

So how long will the PayPal last through?

 

[Jcgamer60]

Slightly higher res images. Not the full set, but definitely has the best of the bunch, IMO.

The sky looks like a painting. I wonder if that's the intended effect? It's a nice look, actually. Yu took up painting over the last 15 years at some point, so it's nice to see his current hobbies inform Shenmue III in the same way his past hobbies informed Outrun, Hang On, Virtua Fighter, and a good handful of the Shenmue mini-games/gambling games.

I really like the look of the interior. Everything else, not so much. Look forward to further progress of the game of my dreams.

 

[Spaghetti]

So how long will the PayPal last through?

Nobody knows at this point. It definitely won't end before the PC version is added.

A small interview with Yu went live yesterday but it has very few unique questions that haven't been asked already, so I didn't post it. Apparently a few more are due to go live soon, so watch this space.

 

[bman94]

Looks gorgeous. Maybe one day I 'll eventually get a gaming PC and could play this game. I wish Sega would go on ahead and release a HD release of Shenmue 1 & 2.

 

[KageMaru]

It was one of the most groundbreaking games of the 3D era.

This part can't be stated enough. Looking back at the old GDC video, it's amazing what they accomplished for the time and partially explains why the game was so expensive.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzEt6yZPVcY

 

[Spaghetti]

This part can't be stated enough. Looking back at the old GDC video, it's amazing what they accomplished for the time and partially explains why the game was so expensive.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzEt6yZPVcY

Custom tools for pretty much every aspect of the game too, if I'm reading some of Yu's comments right.

An admirable amount of work. It must be a huge relief working on this with the UE4 framework where you've got basically everything Shenmue needs to feel like Shenmue "under one roof" so to speak.

Anyway, here's a comparison video of the Shenmue II to Shenmue III environment by Shenmue Dojo user Esppiral: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9h5vlYdzbA


There's clearly some fine tuning that needs to be done with the exteriors but that interior is spot on completely.

 

[Shin-Ra]

Promising start, hopefully Ryo and Shenhua's updated character models meet the artistic quality of the originals.

And SEGA provide the proper Shenmue logo.

 

[Arcane0ne]

Looks amazing,now only needs good character models for perfection.

 

[Spaghetti]

Promising start, hopefully Ryo and Shenhua's updated character models meet the artistic quality of the originals.

And SEGA provide the proper Shenmue logo.

Looks amazing,now only needs good character models for perfection.

Via Gameblog

Yu Suzuki: "I received many, many, of various opinions about the faces of Ryo and Shenhua. I think people who waited 15 have kept their original faces in mind, I hope to get close to that. I still work a lot and I'll show you soon their new faces, which more resemble the original idea."

Some spotty Google translation, but we'll be seeing them soon. The Kickstarter tends to update towards the end of the month, so we're in for an Easter surprise I think.

 

[Cindi Mayweather]

Another TS footage (with 4k res): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaEQs0Y6Smo

Best video yet. Holy shit, I can't believe how big Bailu is. It's way bigger than I was expecting.

Sooo where's the arcade? This village doesn't look like it has electricity.

They have electricity. At least, Shenhua does.

Arcade should be in the bigger town.

 

[Spaghetti]

On the subject of Bailu Village's size, it bodes well for Choubu, which was always said to be the largest environment (or at least most Shenmue-like) in the game.

Size isn't everything though (heyoooo). I'm hoping the design philosophy that gave Hong Kong, Kowloon, and Dobuita its numerous hidden nooks and crannies returns for Choubu. Something on the scale of the

Spoiler

duck racing sidequest line

like in II would be incredible to find.

 

[LelouchViBritannia]

More screens

 

[epmode]

It's weird that they often avoid posting direct feed screens/video in backer updates.

 

[Spaghetti]

It's weird that they often avoid posting direct feed screens/video in backer updates.

I think you mean low res in regards to images and videos, everything posted on the Kickstarter has been direct feed.

It's not a huge deal at this stage. but they'll probably start getting it together as development goes on.

 

[LelouchViBritannia]

Who wants to see some more Niao sun (Chojun)???

Such a mysterious character

 

[Spaghetti]

Who wants to see some more Niao sun (Chojun)???

Such a mysterious character

Helllll yes. Everything I've heard about her seems super interesting.

The theory that

Spoiler

she and Ryo form an alliance against Lan Di has always seemed like it could be an awesome plot twist. Especially with the inevitable betrayal coming...

 

[Die Squirrel Die]

Who wants to see some more Niao sun (Chojun)???

Such a mysterious character

I love any excuse to post this video.

On the one hand I desperately want to see what she looks like in all her UE4 glory, on the other hand. I honestly would be quite happy for them to go on an extended media blackout for at least another year. As long as they say they'll be doing it before hand.

 

[Shadowman16]

Who wants to see some more Niao sun (Chojun)???

Such a mysterious character

Me. I remember her character being on the first issue of the UK official Dreamcast mag, and since she never appeared in either Shenmue 1 or 2 I always wondered who she was... Can't wait to see what they do with her in this game.

On the subject of Bailu Village's size, it bodes well for Choubu, which was always said to be the largest environment (or at least most Shenmue-like) in the game.

Size isn't everything though (heyoooo). I'm hoping the design philosophy that gave Hong Kong, Kowloon, and Dobuita its numerous hidden nooks and crannies returns for Choubu. Something on the scale of the

Spoiler

duck racing sidequest line

like in II would be incredible to find.

That side quest was one of my favourite things about Shenmue II. The number of cool steps required to unlock it (which were worth doing just for the bonus fights). I do hope something similar is done for Shenmue III as well

 

[Krejlooc]

This is the best thing they've shown, because it has that signature AM2 look. It's about the use of greens, blues, and reds in the image composition. I've never seen any other company do it like they do. Look at the floor by the table - it has this odd hint of green, or the wall to the right which has a splash of faint red across it. AM2 games have been this way going all the way back to VF2, and it's terrific that they keep that up.

 

[MrCunningham]

Anyway, here's a comparison video of the Shenmue II to Shenmue III environment by Shenmue Dojo user Esppiral: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9h5vlYdzbA


There's clearly some fine tuning that needs to be done with the exteriors but that interior is spot on completely.

I honestly still like the look of the interiors of Shenmue II. Even though the lighting is done with lightmaps and isn't as realistic as Shenmue III's, I do like the warm orange glow that evenly covers over everything in Shenmue II.

Shenmue III looks alright so far, though. UE4 really does give them a huge advantage to so a lot of things that would have been impossible on the Dreamcast. I feel like if it was being developed at Sega, they would be using the Yakuza engine/ tool chain.

 

[Spaghetti]

I love any excuse to post this video.

On the one hand I desperately want to see what she looks like in all her UE4 glory, on the other hand. I honestly would be quite happy for them to go on an extended media blackout for at least another year. As long as they say they'll be doing it before hand.

I can totally see a scene like this happening in Shenmue III. Those trees are unmistakably Gulin-like, and Yu did say they were playing with snow effects in UE4...

That side quest was one of my favourite things about Shenmue II. The number of cool steps required to unlock it (which were worth doing just for the bonus fights). I do hope something similar is done for Shenmue III as well

The Eileen and Izumi fights are almost my favourite fights of that whole game, and they're hidden in some obscure little sidequest. That's what is completely awesome about that game.

This is the best thing they've shown, because it has that signature AM2 look. It's about the use of greens, blues, and reds in the image composition. I've never seen any other company do it like they do. Look at the floor by the table - it has this odd hint of green, or the wall to the right which has a splash of faint red across it. AM2 games have been this way going all the way back to VF2, and it's terrific that they keep that up.

100% right about that "AM2 look". The caves in Guilin and the more illuminated quarters of Hong Kong in Shenmue II totally just exude that look, in the green highlights especially. It's not like a filter though like say, Fallout 3. It's like a glow that reflects on surfaces and objects. Even now I'm kind of impressed how those glows can light up on Ryo's jacket.

I honestly still like the look of the interiors of Shenmue II. Even though the lighting is done with lightmaps and isn't as realistic as Shenmue III's, I do like the warm orange glow that evenly covers over everything in Shenmue II.

Shenmue III looks alright so far, though. UE4 really does give them a huge advantage to so a lot of things that would have been impossible on the Dreamcast. I feel like if it was being developed at Sega, they would be using the Yakuza engine/ tool chain.

Have they confirmed Yakuza 6 is still using propitiatory tech? I know a lot of people thought it was using UE4, but I'm not so sure personally.

 

[Shadowman16]

Have they confirmed Yakuza 6 is still using propitiatory tech? I know a lot of people thought it was using UE4, but I'm not so sure personally.

They've not confirmed it one way or another from what I've read. They've been pretty coy with the title lately bar the fact that the recent demo was basically just a tech demo. I'm assuming the game is due out around December, so I bet we'll start hearing more about the game in August, then TGS and then get a ton of info in the next couple of months leading up to its release (like the last few Yakuza games released). I'm quite excited by the fact that in a year or two time (assuming Shenmue III gets delayed to 2018) I'll have whatever new Yakuza game is released that year AND Shenmue III to play!

 

[MrCunningham]

Have they confirmed Yakuza 6 is still using propitiatory tech? I know a lot of people thought it was using UE4, but I'm not so sure personally.

The Digital Foundry playthrough of the demo more or less suggests that this is not UE4. It really does look like Sega's own in house engine given how some oi the new features are being implemented.

Even watching this video, there are still things in Yakuza that remind me of Shenmue. Especially the character walk/ run animations and the way that the camera pans behind the player when moving. So much of the combat still has imprints of Shenmue in it. This is really what Shenmue would look like if it was still being developed at Sega.

 

[Spaghetti]

The Digital Foundry playthrough of the demo more or less suggests that this is not UE4. It really does look like Sega's own in house engine given how some oi the new features are being implemented.

Even watching this video, there are still things in Yakuza that remind me of Shenmue. Especially the character walk/ run animations and the way that the camera pans behind the player when moving. So much of the combat still has imprints of Shenmue in it. This is really what Shenmue would look like if it was still being developed at Sega.

I think it's more down to Yu Suzuki's influence on Nagoshi than Shenmue on Yakuza, Nagoshi was Yu's protege and collaborator on a good few titles. Yu was the producer on Daytona USA, and Nagoshi was some kind of producer/supervisor on Shenmue, etc.

Good job on Sega for investing in some in-house tech, though I hope they put it to use on more than just Yakuza. As for what a Sega produced Shenmue III would look like, probably best not to dwell on something that'll never happen now.

Then again, if Shenmue III is successful enough maybe Sega will renegotiate with Yu and Shibuya Productions to assist in development of a sequel. I'd take great pleasure in Sega eating yet another another serving of humble pie over ignoring Shenmue. First it was Ryo appearing in All Stars Racing getting the game a lot of attention (and subsequently topping the most wanted character poll for the sequel), then it was the Shenmue merchandise selling fairly well (and continuing to do so apparently, with ongoing deals for statues, figures, clothing, vinyl records, and licenced artwork happening), and finally a triple record breaking Kickstarter appearing on the biggest stage in gaming.

 

[HF2014]

Dont want to get bash, but it look like a last gen game. Hoping they will improve the visual, really...

 

[Spaghetti]

Dont want to get bash, but it look like a last gen game. Hoping they will improve the visual, really...

Well, they're still in the prototype phase with another 22+ months of development left.

But really, it's not like people think these screens are the cutting edge of graphics, it's just that they're establishing a look and an atmosphere that heavily reminds a lot of players of the Dreamcast games, and that's getting people excited.

 

[HF2014]

Well, they're still in the prototype phase with another 22+ months of development left.

But really, it's not like people think these screens are the cutting edge of graphics, it's just that they're establishing a look and an atmosphere that heavily reminds a lot of players of the Dreamcast games, and that's getting people excited.

Its great that it look as something we remember from Dreamcast, im just expecting it will be better still. Its a prototype, wont judge the game for its visual really, just hoping it could look better. If it look like this in 2018, fans wont mind, but i,pesonally hope fo an improvment. Well see!

 

[Spaghetti]

Its great that it look as something we remember from Dreamcast, im just expecting it will be better still. Its a prototype, wont judge the game for its visual really, just hoping it could look better. If it look like this in 2018, fans wont mind, but i,pesonally hope fo an improvment. Well see!

Fingers crossed. I'd love the game looking good too, but as long as they get the atmosphere right I'm not going to worry too much about polygon counts or fancy shaders.

Either way, it's interesting to see the game come along. These new screens are an advancement over the ones from last year, or even January.

The demo next year can't come fast enough. I thought I'd abstain from playing it, but I'd like to give my genuine feedback on the demo to help improve the final game.

 

[ShenmueDojo]

Unreal 4 vs Dreamcast Assets Comparison (Shenhua's House)

 

[MrCunningham]

I think it's more down to Yu Suzuki's influence on Nagoshi than Shenmue on Yakuza, Nagoshi was Yu's protege and collaborator on a good few titles. Yu was the producer on Daytona USA, and Nagoshi was some kind of producer/supervisor on Shenmue, etc.

Good job on Sega for investing in some in-house tech, though I hope they put it to use on more than just Yakuza. As for what a Sega produced Shenmue III would look like, probably best not to dwell on something that'll never happen now.

Yeah, that is probably where the influence still comes from. It's still not confirmed that it is Sega's in house tech, but it really looks that way watching the Digital Foundry video. Something about it doesn't seem like UE4 to me, while the Shenmue III demo looks very much like a UE4 game.

But I still get this feeling that deep at the core of Yakuza 6's engine, there's still remnants of Shenmue's engine. To me, I can still kind of see it. The only Yakuza game that I have ever played at this point is Yakuza 5, and it is a fantastic title. But I did have deja vu of Shenmue while playing it at times.

First it was Ryo appearing in All Stars Racing getting the game a lot of attention (and subsequently topping the most wanted character poll for the sequel), then it was the Shenmue merchandise selling fairly well (and continuing to do so apparently, with ongoing deals for statues, figures, clothing, vinyl records, and licenced artwork happening), and finally a triple record breaking Kickstarter appearing on the biggest stage in gaming.

I think it may have been Sega of Europe that pulled some strings to get Ryo into All Stars Racing. Sega of Japan really had very little involvement with both of those titles as the development was helmed entirely by Sega of Europe. The first Sonic All Stars Racing didn't even see a Japanese release and Transformed was released two years after the NA and EU releases.

I get the feeling that SOJ still buries their head in the sand when Shenmue gets brought up. But I could be wrong.

 

[Cindi Mayweather]

Sega making their own tech is probably had given their dire state right now. Could be seen as a waste of money.

 

[Tricky I Shadow]

Unreal 4 vs Dreamcast Assets Comparison (Shenhua's House)

 

[Jack The Nipper]

This is the best thing they've shown, because it has that signature AM2 look. It's about the use of greens, blues, and reds in the image composition. I've never seen any other company do it like they do. Look at the floor by the table - it has this odd hint of green, or the wall to the right which has a splash of faint red across it. AM2 games have been this way going all the way back to VF2, and it's terrific that they keep that up.

Somewhat yes but I sort of prefer how it looks on the original.

 

[ajim]

Haha my feelings exactly

 

[Tricky I Shadow]

Haha my feelings exactly

I....I think it's the wonderful music that does it for me. It's so nice. ;_;

 

[openrob]

Can a Shenmue IV and V happen? Sure. Making Shenmue III happen was the hard part. The series now has renewed relevance and can hopefully attract a bunch of new fans.

I mean, now they will have three out, this means they can reuse a lot of assets and programming for sequels right?

Not just character models, but like, walk animations, menu systems, fight engine, music, etc, all within the same engine that will be used. This, I suspect, means a sequel could be made much quicker.

Spoiler

Although I suspect he may release them episodically

 

[Spaghetti]

I mean, now they will have three out, this means they can reuse a lot of assets and programming for sequels right?

Not just character models, but like, walk animations, menu systems, fight engine, music, etc, all within the same engine that will be used. This, I suspect, means a sequel could be made much quicker.

Spoiler

Although I suspect he may release them episodically

It depends how much more support the sequels would get. If a major publisher or funding body got behind them, then they might start from scratch on a lot of things. If not, then they've already got a base to work with and refine. Either way we'll likely see continuing improvements from game to game.

Can't agree with that last part though. If releasing in episodes was ever on the cards they would have factored it into the business model presented in the Kickstarter. It's clear they budgeted and have been developing the game as a full singular release.

 

[Tricky I Shadow]

 

[Spaghetti]

Heh. All this reminds me of is the dumbass Kotaku contributor article that thought the placeholder design on the box was final.

 

[Die Squirrel Die]

Unreal 4 vs Dreamcast Assets Comparison (Shenhua's House)

I wonder if Kid Nocon worked on this (the Shenmue III part not the comparison video). It really gives me similar vibes to his fan remakes.

 

[IbizaPocholo]

Unreal 4 vs Dreamcast Assets Comparison (Shenhua's House)

Fantastic.

 

[Spaghetti]

I wonder if Kid Nocon worked on this (the Shenmue III part not the comparison video). It really gives me similar vibes to his fan remakes.

His Hazuki Dojo video gave me the same vibes of "this is Shenmue" as the video of Shenhua's house, but who knows? Could be some unsung hero in the dev team we don't know about, but it most likely probably is Kid Nocon.

Watching the comparison video again, I hope when they start refining the look they bring up the vibrancy in the green tones of the grass even at sunset. Guilin really has a... specific type of vegetation and a really strong green look. I guess that's all the rain they get coupled with very fertile ground.

I've actually been watching a few travelogues of people who went to Guilin, and it's pretty amazing how well they capture the look of the location on Dreamcast. Doesn't surprise me that Guilin has become a tourist spot for Shenmue fans as much as Dobuita Street has.