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[Three]

For all we know, right now, some rich dude paid a ton of money and requested that Shenmue III have CoD elements and ISA.

Yes, very constructive.

Possibly. It is however currently unknown. For all you know, I am bank rolling this game... and maybe I am!

For all we know God is the majority backer and Shenmue III is actually a ploy to fund Black and White 3.

These concerns are very strange. Kickstarter does not grant you artistic control. it does not grant you to the books of the project. It allows you to get whatever is promised in the tier you invested/donated in. If I pay for an an off-plan flat in a highrise I don't get to say how they build the thing, I don't get to tell the construction company to open their books. I pledge my money to get whatever it was I was promised when I pledged.

Yep. Kuchera wrote both articles.

Thanks Jigorath.

 

[Vena]

Pledge $1,750,000

1 backer [All gone!]

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER SET - "NOW I'VE GOT CREATIVE CONTROL!"

Never designed a game before? Now you can! Get full creative control over the development of Shenmue III, want a socially connected farm game with micro transactions? Nothing's off the table for you, Yu-san and the team promise to implement every decision you make no matter how fitting or realistic it is to achieve. At Ys Net we're only interested in short term financial gain, making a game that lives up to the legacy of Shenmue that could be successful to the wider video game audience just sounds too hard.

Includes the $500 reward

Estimated Delivery: Whenever you say
Ships anywhere in the world

You deserve a cookie. I got a good laugh out of this.

If I pay for an an off-plan flat in a highrise I don't get to say how they build the thing, I don't get to tell the construction company to open their books. I pledge my money to get whatever it was I was promised when I pledged.

If you're the majority backer of a project, that would be more akin to being the majority owner/buyer for the high-rise. At which point... yes, you do get to say how you want it built.

 

[Ambient80]

Fucking lol.

 

[Littlefang]

Shenmue fans are aware of how much the previous games cost to make. The moment they see the $2 million target is enough to get them to say "That can't be just it." Now, that Kickstarter was launched at Sony's E3 conference and the only platforms mentioned are PS4 and PC. It's clear that Sony is (or will be) throwing some muscle behind it themselves but they want some sort of assurance that Shenmue fans have their money where their mouth is.

If fans are so bothered that Sony didn't immediately announce their backing at the conference, they can still withdraw their support since the campaign is far from over. I would be agreeing with you if that happened after the KS campaign is over and those who have problems with that could no longer withdraw their support. So again, where is the problem?

The problem is that we don't know how much money Sony is throwing behind this. For all you know the budget from the game is the money expected from the kickstarter and Sony is throwing in an extra $2 million for the project. There is the potential that this kickstarter is over promising because it's asking for so little.

They sure are, but it's kind of remarkable to question something that is the norm in the industry. Budgets are rarely disclosed, and when they are, they often happen after the release of a game in some sort of press release. We're not privy to that information.

Even if they wanted to disclose it, they most likely couldn't anyway, as they'll need to iron out the details with investors before starting pre-production.

It's also not the norm to ask people to fund your game for you.

I'm confused about where you draw the line. Because that's how most major video game Kickstarters work. Either they already have investors and are looking to Kickstarter to fill a small gap in development (a relatively small percentage of projects) or they have investors who are interested, but hesitant, and use the Kickstarter to secure additional funding.

There is literally a laundry list of Kickstarters who have done this.
Yooka-Laylee - Only asked for £175k. That will not even remotely fund a multi-platform 3D platformer. Even the £$2m total raised won't cover it. So they obviously have some other investors you don't know about.
Shadowrun - Same thing. Already had outside investment.
The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 - Published by Nordic.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance - Kickstarter was <10% of the budget. Used to drum up investor support. Published by Tru Blu Entertainment.
Mighty No. 9 - Asked for significantly less than budget. Published by Deep Silver.
Among the Sleep - More than half of the budget came from outside sources. Published by Valve, Sony and MS.
Camelot Unchained - Mark Jacobs literally admitted that the majority of the game's budget would be from outside investors contingent on a successful Kickstarter. This is pretty much identical to Shenmue's situation.
Divinity: Original Sin - Kickstarter was only about 1/5th the total budget. They commented about how the Kickstarter made their publishing partners more agreeable to their design ideas - specifically making the game turn-based instead of real-time action.
Torment: Tides of Numenera - Had investors before the Kickstarter. Used the Kickstarter to garner more investors.
Wasteland 2 - Co-development deal with Obsidian contingent on successful Kickstarter. Published by Deep Silver.
Elite: Dangerous - Kickstarter less than 1/8th total budget.
Star Citizen - Holy shit at the number of cooperative companies and investors working on this.
Pillars of Eternity - This Kickstarter literally saved Obsidian from closure. And not because of the $4m pledged to the game, but because they were able to secure new investors to keep the company running.
Grim Dawn - Crate Entertainment has repeatedly said that the Kickstarter funds were not enough and they were constantly looking for more investors.

Like seriously, where do you draw the line between all of these?

I can accept a kickstarter for a game that has the support of a large developer behind it if it is clear that the kickstarter is going to make up the bulk or a critical component of the funds. (E.g. I'd be okay with Yooka Laylee because they have been upfront with what the money is going towards in the game and how it is crucial for these extras to be developed). Of course I do have qualms with large publishers turning a significant profit for kickstarted games, but clearly people don't seem to have a problem with this.I just don't understand why it's okay for a developer to ask people to back a kickstarter and not disclose how much funding the game actually needs. It's a problem that kickstarters ask for less money than what is needed for the game to be developed. Asking for $2 million to make a game of this calibrate is just being unrealistic and yes Yu has stated that there will be outside sources backing as well, but will the money raised be enough for the game to be developed?

 

[Hex]

Who fucking cares.
Polygon continually finds new ways to show what a shit site that they are.
The game will get made, people will get what they paid for with the Kickstarter...what is the drama?
Why do so called shit sucking "internet journalist" wannabes always have to try to make drama?
Oh right, because sheep will always give weight to their opinion and click their links and make money for them and treat them as some kind of celebrity who thinks for them.

 

[Three]

If you're the majority backer of a project, that would be more akin to being the majority owner/buyer for the high-rise. At which point... yes, you do get to say how you want it built.

Kickstarter is not the majority owner of anything. Buying the most off-plan flats does not get you to say how to build it. You missed the point, as an off-plan buyer you should not expect artistic control over the entire building nor for the construction company to open its books. Why do you expect that with kickstarter?

 

[border]

After Broken Age, Spacebase, and Godus I'm actually surprised that people are so belligerent and dismissive about any skeptical questions people might have about the project.

How dare you question this master game designer? He is a treasure!

 

[Hex]

It's also not the norm to ask people to fund your game for you.

So fucking what?
It might become the norm so that players can actually see games which might never see the light of day otherwise.
Are you a gamer or are you some kind of person who just sits on the internet reading about games and watching them on youtube while other people have the fun?
Any true gamer does not give a damn and are happy that these games get made.
If they need to do a kickstarter to cover their end and Sony covers their end, so what?
Do you honestly think some of these game kickstarters coming up are ONLY being funded with what people donate?
Are people that naive?

 

[CaviarMeths]

Polygon must be having a rough E3 if they have to write clickbait.

No kidding. Biggest video game event of the year with tons of news to publish, and this is the shit Ben chooses to write now. Even if this topic really was near and dear to his heart and isn't just clickbait, it could have waited a week until the real news settled down.

 

[ICPEE]

The budget is a fart in the wind

 

[Jigorath]

The problem is this whole thing has quickly turned into a very black and white issue where if you have even the slightest problem with how Sony presented the project, that automatically means you don't want gamers to have Shenmue III.

No it hasn't.

 

[RichiRamjag]

The problem is that we don't know how much money Sony is throwing behind this. For all you know the budget from the game is the money expected from the kickstarter and Sony is throwing in an extra $2 million for the project. There is the potential that this kickstarter is over promising because it's asking for so little.



It's also not the norm to ask people to fund your game for you.



I can accept a kickstarter for a game that has the support of a large developer behind it if it is clear that the kickstarter is going to make up the bulk or a critical component of the funds. (E.g. I'd be okay with Yooka Laylee because they have been upfront with what the money is going towards in the game and how it is crucial for these extras to be developed). Of course I do have qualms with large publishers turning a significant profit for kickstarted games, but clearly people don't seem to have a problem with this.I just don't understand why it's okay for a developer to ask people to back a kickstarter and not disclose how much funding the game actually needs. It's a problem that kickstarters ask for less money than what is needed for the game to be developed. Asking for $2 million to make a game of this calibrate is just being unrealistic and yes Yu has stated that there will be outside sources backing as well, but will the money raised be enough for the game to be developed?

You don't need to know nor do you have the right. Kick starting is a person donating money to a project they would like to possibly see come to fruition. It doesn't make you an investor, it doesn't grant you insider information. It's a donation. Seriously, get off it man.

 

[Zombie James]

After Broken Age, Spacebase, and Godus I'm actually surprised that people are so belligerent and dismissive about any skeptical questions people might have about the project.

How dare you question this master game designer? He is a treasure!

Now, now, Molyneux's had a history of bullshitting long (long) before his Kickstarter shenanigans.

 

[Vena]

Kickstarter is not the majority owner of anything. Buying the most off-plan flats does not get you to say how to build it. You missed the point, as an off-plan buyer you should not expect artistic control over the entire building nor for the construction company to open its books. Why do you expect that with kickstarter?

I am not talking about Kickstarter. I am talking about the group/company/people funding the bulk of the project, not the 2 mil. That's who I am talking about in terms of having control.

What my original point was about was about why we should care who said influential person/thing is... I think you may have missed my point somewhere in all of this. If you're asked to contribute and you put money towards a thing, you should be invested in knowing who is making/has control over said thing (that would be where kickstarter comes in). (I have never backed a project, for example, where within I am not given at least a general break down of goals, design aspirations, and budget estimates. I will usually back all the way up to beta-access to have some semblance input/feedback on the project I am in part paying for.)

I don't disagree with the idea that the kickstarter backers are the flat owners, but even in that scenario your analogy falls to pieces because buying a flat in an under construction high-rise... gives you privileges in seeing the design forecasts of the building (features, levels, etc) and it would be on record on who is paying for such a gargantuan construction.

 

[Dizzy]

lmfao, no surprise polygon is trying to shit on the parade here.


After 14 years of hype and fanboy dreams...Shenmue 3 is FINALLY a reality. Yet some people insist on spinning this in the most negative light possible. Welcome to videogames ladies and gentlemen.

 

[Hex]

No it hasn't.

Sony has a stake in the game.
If they did not publicize the game it would not have made its money anywhere near as fast.
I think people really need to think about their priorities and what REALLY bothers them about this.

 

[RichiRamjag]

After Broken Age, Spacebase, and Godus I'm actually surprised that people are so belligerent and dismissive about any skeptical questions people might have about the project.

How dare you question this master game designer? He is a treasure!

Whoa man, you're comparing Yu Suzuki to Dirty Pete? Blasphemy!

 

[DeepEnigma]

Now, now, Molyneux's had a history of bullshitting long (long) before his Kickstarter shenanigans.

Oh yes, considering Fable was just a fable.

 

[DICKS AHOY]

After Broken Age, Spacebase, and Godus I'm actually surprised that people are so belligerent and dismissive about any skeptical questions people might have about the project.

How dare you question this master game designer? He is a treasure!

Spacebase wasn't a kickstarter game, it was an Early Access game. Broken Age (and Massive Chalice, if we're going to go after Double Fine in general here) also at least came out with mixed to good reception.

Oh yes, considering Fable was just a fable.

I wish people would stop being so Black & White about Kickstarters..

 

[ZettaiSeigi]

The problem is that we don't know how much money Sony is throwing behind this. For all you know the budget from the game is the money expected from the kickstarter and Sony is throwing in an extra $2 million for the project. There is the potential that this kickstarter is over promising because it's asking for so little.

I still fail to see why you're more concerned about this than those who have been waiting for the game to be made for 14 years. Since when did publishers and developers disclose to the general public the budget of any game they're making prior to finishing and releasing it?

You are too concerned for something that is clearly not yours. Let Yu Suzuki and YsNet worry about that. It's their game to make. Shenmue fans just want to play it. Whether it lives up to their expectations is their concern, not yours. If you really want to get into the nitty gritty of making video games, then work in one or set up your own studio.

 

[Pathfinder]

Sony has a stake in the game.
If they did not publicize the game it would not have made its money anywhere near as fast.
I think people really need to think about their priorities and what REALLY bothers them about this.

Lots and lots of people have already expressed what bothers them about this. And, believe it or not, almost none of it has to do with the name of the company that ended up saving Shenmue.

 

[InsaneLuchador]

How is this a problem? We're essentially donating money to a private company. They can be rolling joints with it for all we know. Just close your eyes and hope for the best or don't contribute

 

[DeepEnigma]

No kidding. Biggest video game event of the year with tons of news to publish, and this is the shit Ben chooses to write now. Even if this topic really was near and dear to his heart and isn't just clickbait, it could have waited a week until the real news settled down.

Gotta get that ad revenue while the topic is dropping like it's hot. Since they are probably being killed by other sites and their coverage.

I wish Polygon would be more transparent about article release agenda, since it is clear as day to the rest of us.

How is this a problem? We're essentially donating money to a private company. They can be rolling joints with it for all we know. Just close your eyes and hope for the best or don't contribute

And that is what people fail to understand in the business world. We are not donating to a 501c3.

 

[Jigorath]

Lots and lots of people have already expressed what bothers them about this. And, believe it or not, almost none of it has to do with the name of the company that ended up saving Shenmue.

So what is bothering you about this?

 

[Sojgat]

After Broken Age, Spacebase, and Godus I'm actually surprised that people are so belligerent and dismissive about any skeptical questions people might have about the project.

How dare you question this master game designer? He is a treasure!

Preview of new Polygon article?

 

[Littlefang]

So fucking what?
It might become the norm so that players can actually see games which might never see the light of day otherwise.
Are you a gamer or are you some kind of person who just sits on the internet reading about games and watching them on youtube while other people have the fun?
Any true gamer does not give a damn and are happy that these games get made.
If they need to do a kickstarter to cover their end and Sony covers their end, so what?
Do you honestly think some of these game kickstarters coming up are ONLY being funded with what people donate?
Are people that naive?

See but that's just the problem. Clearly the game cannot be funded through just the kickstarter, so where is the rest of the budget coming from? If you think Sony is throwing $50m into this project you are absolutely insane.

You don't need to know nor do you have the right. Kick starting is a person donating money to a project they would like to possibly see come to fruition. It doesn't make you an investor, it doesn't grant you insider information. It's a donation. Seriously, get off it man.

If you ask people for money, they have a right to know where that money is going. A situation becomes a lot more complex when you take money from people without giving them a real outline of what they are getting. And it's fine if you are okay with this, but people need to understand that backing a kickstarter is not a guarantee that they will see the final product. By asking you to go through kickstarter to get a game that you want, they are asking you to give up some of the rights that you have as a consumer.

 

[Elfstruck]

Look at the title, then look at who wrote it. No surprise lol...

 

[Sakura]

The problem is that we don't know how much money Sony is throwing behind this. For all you know the budget from the game is the money expected from the kickstarter and Sony is throwing in an extra $2 million for the project. There is the potential that this kickstarter is over promising because it's asking for so little.

Don't you think the guys developing the game would know around how much they need...?
The kickstarter says it is continuing the story. Nothing on the page suggests they are overpromising.

 

[DidntKnowJack]

Yes, very constructive.

You're right. I should have given the scenario that 'someone could be turning Shenmue into Call of Duty' the respect it deserved.

If you were joking, nevermind. But it sure didn't sound like you were.

 

[Coxswain]

Since when did publishers and developers disclose the budget of any game they're making prior to finishing and releasing it?

Since they started asking for people to contribute directly to the development funding for the game before they even begin making it, tying specific additional features to the level of funding that people can produce, and using language in their pitch that suggests that the project is financially unfeasible without those direct contributions.

Edit:

Don't you think the guys developing the game would know around how much they need...?

Considering that Shenmue 1 managed to have a budget near $50 million in an era where $10 million was considered a huge budget for a video game, from a company that definitely did not have the spare funds to be pissing away on dream project boondoggles, it's a pretty valid concern.

 

[PBalfredo]

Now, now, Molyneux's had a history of bullshitting long (long) before his Kickstarter shenanigans.

Whoa man, you're comparing Yu Suzuki to Dirty Pete? Blasphemy!

Yeah but is Yu Suzuki above reproach considering Shenmue previously held the title for most expensive game made due to poor management and over ambition?

 

[Stinkles]

Clickbaiters hate him. Click here to find out why.

 

[Ivan Amiibo]

here's your transparency-- your $100 bought coffee for 5 days and paid a guy to come up with a preliminary idea about how to animate a kick. there's your transparency.......mo'fucka.

 

[DeepEnigma]

Yeah but is Yu Suzuki above reproach considering Shenmue previously held the title for most expensive game made due to poor management and over ambition?

That was proven false.

He was a victim of circumstance not once, but twice.

It more than likely won't happen again on a console/PC that is already 2-100 times the install base of the previous platforms he was forced to release on.

here's your transparency-- your $100 bought coffee for 5 days and paid a guy to come up with a preliminary idea about how to animate a kick. there's your transparency.......mo'fucka.

I dunnno why, but I laughed hard. Maybe cause I pictured it all.

 

[RichiRamjag]

Yeah but is Yu Suzuki above reproach considering Shenmue previously held the title for most expensive game made due to poor management and over ambition?

For what the finished product was, I could care less. I wish more games had some over ambition. This was the reason why I've not forgotten shenmue since the first time I booted it up on dream cast and asked about the four wu du. No one is above reproach, but comparing him Pete is a stretch, plenty of ambition, but his final products don't reflect it.

Me personally? It felt kind of underhanded and sneaky. They bring the poor guy out on stage in front of all those people and let him beg for Kickstarter funds to save his game. Then the next day they proclaim that they're helping fund the game after all.

It would have been much more honest to come right out and say they want to use Kickstarter to gauge interest in a Shenmue sequel. I think people would have been more receptive to that.

The guy wasn't holding out a cup and dressed like Oliver Twist. I think that both he and the fans have little complaint with the end result.

 

[Pathfinder]

So what is bothering you about this?

Me personally? It felt kind of underhanded and sneaky. They bring the poor guy out on stage in front of all those people and let him beg for Kickstarter funds to save his game. Then the next day they proclaim that they're helping fund the game after all.

It would have been much more honest to come right out and say they want to use Kickstarter to gauge interest in a Shenmue sequel. I think people would have been more receptive to that.

 

[DeepEnigma]

Me personally? It felt kind of underhanded and sneaky. They bring the poor guy out on stage in front of all those people and let him beg for Kickstarter funds to save his game. Then the next day they proclaim that they're helping fund the game after all.

It would have been much more honest to come right out and say they want to use Kickstarter to gauge interest in a Shenmue sequel. I think people would have been more receptive to that.

You totally negate the fact that WE were the one's asking for the game for 14 years. Not some poor guy begging.

Fuck man, give the guy some credit. He isn't a damned peasant.

The way you paint the picture sounds rather juvenile for a large corporation and a well respected designer. That is NOT how it was perceived to rational thinkers.

They did tell us 12 hours later. And most on here who used critical thinking already knew what was going on by the very time stamps of posts during the conference. Just because you chose to ignore the constructive reasoning, and rather jumped on the silly end of the spectrum is something YOU need to work on, personally speaking.

 

[Zen_Arcade]

See but that's just the problem. Clearly the game cannot be funded through just the kickstarter, so where is the rest of the budget coming from? If you think Sony is throwing $50m into this project you are absolutely insane.



If you ask people for money, they have a right to know where that money is going. A situation becomes a lot more complex when you take money from people without giving them a real outline of what they are getting. And it's fine if you are okay with this, but people need to understand that backing a kickstarter is not a guarantee that they will see the final product. By asking you to go through kickstarter to get a game that you want, they are asking you to give up some of the rights that you have as a consumer.

And if the people are willing to give that money without having these details, you shouldn't be concerned with what those people are doing with their money.

The bolded only actually really matters when it's your money you're talking about. If a bunch of people want to give their money to this company without having these details then it doesn't really matter if they're giving that information or not. It's none of your business.

Again, if you have a problem with them not giving these details don't give them money and you don't have to worry about it. But right now you're literally arguing on behalf a bunch of people who don't care if they have these details or not. So what you're saying is kind of a moot point.

 

[Sakura]

Edit:
Considering that Shenmue 1 managed to have a budget near $50 million in an era where $10 million was considered a huge budget for a video game, it's a pretty valid concern.

As has already been said by many people, this isn't Shenmue 1.
Witcher 3 had a development budget of 32 million dollars. That game is larger in scope than Shenmue is. Now while you can say wages in Poland are less than those in Japan, Witcher 3 most likely had a larger development team than Shenmue 3 will.
Developing Shenmue 3 on a budget of 20~30 million dollars is not outside the realm of possibility. A large part of many games' budgets is marketing.

In any case, don't fund the kickstarter if you are not confident.
I don't see the big deal. Nobody is forcing any body to spend money on it.

 

[Vena]

You're right. I should have given the scenario that 'someone could be turning Shenmue into Call of Duty' the respect it deserved.

If you were joking, nevermind. But it sure didn't sound like you were.

Indeed it was tongue in cheek, but you'd probably still disagree with the crux of it.

 

[Pathfinder]

You totally negate the fact that WE were the one's asking for the game for 14 years. Not some poor guy begging.

Fuck man, give the guy some credit. He isn't a damned peasant.

The way you paint the picture sounds rather juvenile for a large corporation and a well respected designer. That is NOT how it was perceived to rational thinkers.

I'm just saying, that's how it looked to me. And Sony knew what they were doing.

 

[Three]

gives you privileges in seeing the design forecasts of the building (features, levels, etc) and it would be on record on who is paying for such a gargantuan construction.

No it won't because it doesn't legally need to. If that were the case you could get the names of other off-plan buyers too. All you get to see is what you were promised when you initially invested and that does not even include final design unless final design was agreed before.

Forget the analogy even, the other question is how does knowing the budget address your fear that the majority backer might want Call of Duty elements in it? In fact what stops Yu from wanting COD elements in it? Would knowing the budget change your fears? Do you basically want to know the entire game exactly before it is made? why do you expect creative control? then don't donate on kickstarter. Why are you making a big deal of something that has been this way for a long time. Why are these concerns such a big deal now?

 

[RichiRamjag]

And if the people are willing to give that money without having these details, you shouldn't be concerned with what those people are doing with their money.

The bolded only actually really matters when it's your money you're talking about. If a bunch of people want to give their money to this company without having these details then it doesn't really matter if they're giving that information or not. It's none of your business.

Again, if you have a problem them not giving these details don't give them money and you don't have to worry about it. But right now you're literally arguing on behalf a bunch of people who don't care if they have these details or not. So what you're saying is kind of a moot point.

This is what I find annoying. All these bleeding hearts speaking for me, the donater. Saying that I have the right to this or that and that Sony should give us refunds. It's simple, the information is out there, people can cancel their pledges or keep them and they chose to keep them up.

 

[PBalfredo]

That was proven false.

He was a victim of circumstance not once, but twice.

It more than likely won't happen again on a console/PC that is already 2-100 times the install base of the previous platforms he was forced to release on.

????

Proven false? What are you talking about? It comes straight from the horse's mouth

"The biggest challenge we encountered was project management," Suzuki said. "By the end, we had 300 people [working] and no experience on such a large project. At the time there were no project management tools...so instead we made a job order sheet that was a list of action items in Excel. Because we kept testing, the items did not decrease. At one point we had 10,000 of them.

"It's frightening to think we managed this project basically by pushing around pieces of paper," Suzuki said.

And what does the install base of PS4 have anything to do with Shenmue 1's enormous expense?

 

[DidntKnowJack]

That was proven false.

He was a victim of circumstance not once, but twice.

It more than likely won't happen again on a console/PC that is already 2-100 times the install base of the previous platforms he was forced to release on.

Not to mention this is the man who brought us not only Shenmue, but Outrun, Virtua Fighter, Virtua Racing, Hang On, F355 Challenge, After Burner, Space Harrier. Even if he went over budget on one title, especially one as forward thinking and groundbreaking as Shenmue, I'm willing to give the man the benefit of the doubt. This isn't just a guy who made a few video games, he's a fucking legend.

Indeed it was tongue in cheek, but you'd probably still disagree with the crux of it.

Fair enough. I can accept that.

 

[Vena]

No it won't because it doesn't legally need to. If that were the case you could get the names of other off-plan buyers too. All you get to see is what you were promised when you initially invested and that does not even include final design unless final design was agreed before.

Forget the analogy even, the other question is how does knowing the budget address your fear that the majority backer might want Call of Duty elements in it? In fact what stops Yu from wanting COD elements in it? Would knowing the budget change your fears? Do you basically want to know the entire game exactly before it is made? why do you expect creative control? then don't donate on kickstarter. Why are you making a big deal of something that has been this way for a long time. Why are these concerns such a big deal now?

I want to know the budget? When did I say that?

I want to know who is funding said budget.

 

[RichiRamjag]

????

Proven false? What are you talking about? It comes straight from the horse's mouth



And what does the install base of PS4 have anything to do with Shenmue 1's enormous expense?

I think he means there is a higher potential of a return of investment due to the failure of the dream cast.

 

[Littlefang]

I still fail to see why you're more concerned about this than those who have been waiting for the game to be made for 14 years. Since when did publishers and developers disclose to the general public the budget of any game they're making prior to finishing and releasing it?

You are too concerned for something that is clearly not yours. Let Yu Suzuki and YsNet worry about that. It's their game to make. Shenmue fans just want to play it. Whether it lives up to their expectations is their concern, not yours. If you really want to get into the nitty gritty of making video games, then work in one or set up your own studio.

Why is it wrong to be concerned about what is clearly becoming a change in the industry? I think this kickstarter is shady and therefore I am calling it out on being shady. I think it is a problematic approach to throw money at a kickstarter without a clear understanding of where that money is going.

Don't you think the guys developing the game would know around how much they need...?
The kickstarter says it is continuing the story. Nothing on the page suggests they are overpromising.

Our ambition is to deliver a Shenmue experience that will draw in newcomers to the series and reward diehard fans with its deep story and rich gameplay.

No, we cannot make an open world game for $2 million. Shenmue will be produced using both the funds raised from the Kickstarter and through other funding sources already secured by Ys Net Inc. We are very sorry, but due to contractual obligations, details of outside investments will not be disclosed.

Both of these points in the kickstarter indicate that they desire to make a complex game that will exceed the funds of the kickstarter. So I'd imagine they have a certain vision in mind and if they are unclear in what the budget will be, it's possible that they will not be able to secure the entirety of the funds needed to create what they had in mind when they created the kickstarter. And yes, it may not be any of my business if the project does not have enough funding, but it is still my opinion that any developer that is obtuse about the budget of their kickstarter game is doing something dishonest.

 

[Hex]

See but that's just the problem. Clearly the game cannot be funded through just the kickstarter, so where is the rest of the budget coming from? If you think Sony is throwing $50m into this project you are absolutely insane.



If you ask people for money, they have a right to know where that money is going. A situation becomes a lot more complex when you take money from people without giving them a real outline of what they are getting. And it's fine if you are okay with this, but people need to understand that backing a kickstarter is not a guarantee that they will see the final product. By asking you to go through kickstarter to get a game that you want, they are asking you to give up some of the rights that you have as a consumer.

Who cares.
You know where the money is going, it is going into the game. It is going into marketing.
Since when did people become so interested in a game's budget to such a degree?

 

[DeepEnigma]

????

Proven false? What are you talking about? It comes straight from the horse's mouth



And what does the install base of PS4 have anything to do with Shenmue 1's enormous expense?

I am talking budget numbers. There is a lot of false numbers out there.

Install base has a lot to do with it, because they would have more than likely made money if it wasn't released on the DC to die with only 10 million worldwide console numbers, and then even worse, the sequel, in Japan, on the OG Xbox.

PS4 and PC will have a much larger market for sales, than what he had to deal with back then. As well as better management with engine platforms and Sony in the mix.

I wish people would stop being so Black & White about Kickstarters..

I see what you did there.

Who cares.
You know where the money is going, it is going into the game. It is going into marketing.
Since when did people become so interested in a game's budget to such a degree?

Since it is only coming out on the PS4 and PC (not two of the other consoles), and Polygon tho.

This article probably would not exist, nor #concern, if it was on all platforms.