So you've never played it and proceed to judge it based on a parody video done in a completely different game and then proceed to judge those who like what you haven't played and judge based on a parody video done in a completely different game. Cool...
So thanks to this comment, I decided to at least get a bit more insight into Shenmue - had a look at a few Let's Plays of Shenmue.
I can understand where the love and passion for the game comes from - it's pretty much an insanely detailed virtual world... which is kinda pretty fucking cool. Albeit one that's spatially limited (i.e. not a proper open world style) and one loaded with a very anachronistic control system.
But I can also see why it failed so spectacularly - for all the detail and resources put into the game, it's not grab you by the collar immediately spectacular. It's very much geared towards a certain kind of gamer, and quite simply put, that kind of market just isn't big enough to justify the existence of a game with OCD detail on small inconsequential elements.
Which is a shame, because I'd actually appreciate a game like that myself.
As long as game development follows a closed developer/publisher model, I don't think we'll ever be able to see a rational justification for the kind of detail seen in Shenmue given how lacking in efficacy (for the amount of time it takes to develop) it is.
Maybe when VR and user developed content added on top of professionally developed games (ala Skyrim, Team Fortress 2, DOTA 2) becomes de riggeur in the industry, we might be able to see worlds with such breadth of detail again.
Still, from what I've seen of him, Ryo is a crappy character, and is as dumb as the parody voice overs suggest him to be.
