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[Elfforkusu]

Well, lack of competence with budget control didn't help, costing $70m and all.

This was a much easier argument to make before every other dev studio ran into the same problems. Think of all the devs that have closed due to budget problems over the last decade. Shenmue was ahead of the curve in that respect, but it's proved to be closer to the norm than an anomaly.

 

[Die Squirrel Die]

I will double my pledge to $200 for ps4 physical. Not sure what the issue is. Cost?

Could be licensing. Even if everybody has the best intentions there could still be issues around publishing a physical PS4 version between, Ys Net, Sega and Sony, that don't exist with the freer PC market.

Also maybe since Sony's involvement was dependent on the KS meeting its target they couldn't make promises about a physical PS4 version before it did so, and then it did so right in the middle of E3, when the people involved at Sony are probably at their busiest.

 

[clutch.as.it.gets.]

Who will be the publisher? Sega or Sony?

 

[ArisenDragon]

This is still going strong. Hope we can hit 5 million and beyond. Hopefully they add more incentives and rewards.

 

[Elfforkusu]

Can we get a thread title update from the mods? Would be nice to have the progress shown, and maybe something more than "funded".

 

[GodzillaDB]

Write me down for the requested $60-100 PS4 physical edition. I'm still a little stunned that it doesn't already have this available with Sony partly backing the production. Both Bloodstained and Mighty No. 9 have set a new standard for high-profile Kickstarter campaigns from my perspective. Even the developers for Retro City Rampage were able to provide physical copies down the line so I don't know what the hold up might concern unless it's still being negotiated.

 

[Snaku]

As long as it came with two backup cases for when one inevitably breaks...

Yeah, my PAL Shenmue II cases are a wreck, they're barely holding together. I keep the discs in a custom DVD case.

 

[Aki-at]

It seems from that translated interview that Kickstarter is the route the Yu Suzuki decided was best, he weighed it up for 3 years but was not able to partner with a company that met his criteria.

My guess is he wanted to create what he envisioned would be Shenmue, not some market tested product that most big publisher's would insist he goes with.

 

[Ghost_Messiah]

Write me down for the requested $60-100 PS4 physical edition. I'm still a little stunned that it doesn't already have this available with Sony partly backing the production. Both Bloodstained and Mighty No. 9 have set a new standard for high-profile Kickstarter campaigns from my perspective. Even the developers for Retro City Rampage were able to provide physical copies down the line so I don't know what the hold up might concern unless it's still being negotiated.

Hoping to God they add one man just for the positive and profound effect it'll inevitably have on the campaign. A PS4 physical version would give this a massive boost.

 

[IrishNinja]

Have to be at a meeting soon, so this was all I managed in that time.

it's a great image to use, well done

 

[Boke1879]

In a Dreamcast style jewel case.

GOD YES

 

[zeshakag]

To touch on the physical disc thing:

Do all developers have to ship their discs in the "standard brand" case? I would love to get another double decker cd case. Now realizing I'm kind of a chump because those cases definitely influenced my purchasing decisions back in the playstation 1 era. "Oh, a single disc rpg? Must not be that good." As a kid, it made me push through games because I thought a multi disc game was always worth giving a fair shot. Played through Lunar 2 despite me not liking it that much in hindsight.

 

[Rebel Leader]

Have to be at a meeting soon, so this was all I managed in that time.

when you get back can you change the url to bit.ly/saveshenmue


----

I think they can add something to the tiers : Behind the scenes of Shenmue 3 DVD

 

[mattp]

am i alone in thinking, even a box with the ps4 code inside would be better than nothing?
at least you can put it on your shelf

id pay extra for that

 

[celsowmbr]

Even if he added the other villages, they're just that...villages. I'm going to miss the metropolitan areas from I and II.

But Ryo's journey is taking him 'deep into enemy territory', so undoubtedly the locations are going to be more and more rural.

From Kotaku:

While Shenmue II offered a bigger map compared to the original Shenmue, Suzuki has said that for Shenmue III he is looking to make a smaller, more detailed world. “Ever since [Shenmue II] I always had decided that ‘for the next game, I’m going to go much deeper.’” Suzuki said. Suzuki has said that he is looking to focus on giving the characters far more depth in how they act as they inhabit the world of Shenmue III and how they react to the player’s decisions.

 

[mattp]

sounds like he wants shenmue 3 to be more like shenmue 1

sounds good to me
there's some stuff i like more in 2, but 2 lost a lot of that unique feeling shenmue 1 had

 

[Rebel Leader]

am i alone in thinking, even a box with the ps4 code inside would be better than nothing?
at least you can put it on your shelf

id pay extra for that

I'm ok with this but also not ok with this..

 

[GavinGT]

sounds like he wants shenmue 3 to be more like shenmue 1

sounds good to me
there's some stuff i like more in 2, but 2 lost a lot of that unique feeling shenmue 1 had

I just want to shuffle through drawers, take down wall hangings, flip light switches, and find batteries again.

 

[Oriel]

There's been a lot of talk about Sega having it done already, but I find it hard to believe they're sitting on a full HD remaster.

I would like to believe the uncompressed data files for a remaster are sitting on some Sega server at their Tokyo HQ. Wishful thinking on my part though.

I never played Shenmue, but something bothers me..

Why wont Sony fund entire game, and instead KC campaign is used for funding?

I mean, why is Shenmue different then any other recent game made by Sony (financially speaking)?

Is this some complicated contractual story?

It's not really Sony's game to throw money at though really. Yeah I know other Sega games like Bayonetta 2 got funded by outside parties but really Shenmue is pure Sega, it's the very essence of the company condensed into game form. They should be funding it 100% but are so afraid of getting stung again they instead choose to play it safe and rely on bankable titles like Total War, Football Manager and Sonic.

 

[Brigandier]

Just put $300 down on this KS.

Would like to see Yu and the KS team clear up a bunch of questions and clear up the confusion about sonys involvement as that is stopping a lot of people from pledging.

I think they should add more tiers aswell....

Really hope enough is raised so that Suzuki can make the game he wants to make.

 

[BoboBrazil]

The PC physical copy and no ps4 physical copy thing makes no sense. They really have it backwards.

 

[Die Squirrel Die]

So I'm about to go to bed, but I just wanted to post this. At 14:00 BST on Thurs the 18th I started tracking the hourly figures for Shenmue 3. At that time the total was $3,165,501.

12 hours later at 02:00 BST on Fri the 19th the total was $3,258,048. That's an increase of $92,547 over the course of half a day.

I started keeping a track of this because when I looked at this thread earlier in the day I saw people were starting to freak out because the amounts weren't jumping up every few seconds or minutes. So I wanted to get a sense of how the actual increases were going. While there have been fluctuations in the rate of increase (and even a decrease when people were messing around with pledge trolling) there's been a more than decent increase in that time.

So people need to maybe relax a little bit. I know there are worries about the Sony funding being misintepreted, that they aren't adding tiers and the stretch goals are vague but breath. The funding continues to tick up and they've still got 4 weeks to continue tweaking the campaign.

 

[RiZ III]

I'm glad sega is not publishing this. They have no idea how to market. So many great ips have gone to waste because their marketing department is run by fools. I'd much rather this be handled by Sony.

 

[Ghost_Messiah]

Quite the fascinating article on Eurogamer if anyone fancies a read. They touch upon the mysterious budget issue:

That $2 million target on the Kickstarter tells only a sliver of the story, of course, even as it's been rapidly met and Shenmue 3's on target to become one of crowdfunding's biggest success stories. It's a token amount, likely requested by investors before they unlock their own funds, and when it's all combined there's every likelihood that the infamous $70 million it took for Sega to bring the original game to market will be met. Factor in slimmer overheads and the fact that Suzuki's team will be able to lean on existing technology rather than having to create their own and the questions over budget fall by the wayside. Other questions, though, remain.

 

[TheBear]

Just curious about the "trial version' in the $100 tier.

First it says it's a 'trial version', and then it says 'Be the first anywhere to play Shenmue 3.'

so.. will it be some early access jank or the actual whole finished game, just before it is released at retail?

 

[Oriel]

Yeah, my PAL Shenmue II cases are a wreck, they're barely holding together. I keep the discs in a custom DVD case.

Thankfully I was able to keep both Shenmue games in their original packaging. I also liked the box it came in. But all my other DC games were moved to DVD cases along with sleeves and manuals. The cases were crap and fell apart even with little pressure applied.

 

[maquiladora]

Quite the fascinating article on Eurogamer if anyone fancies a read. They touch upon the mysterious budget issue:

This is baseless speculation. Yu Suzuki said himself in a translated interview posted here earlier that the crowdfunding will make up most of the budget. Sony's involvement is being blown out of proportion.

 

[J2 Cool]

I wish Shenmue got posted on FB's sidebar. It should have been, considering it made 2 mil in a day, but instead Last Guardian and FFVII made it with less tweets. That would have been the best advertisement, done massive business for shenmue.

 

[GavinGT]

Quite the fascinating article on Eurogamer if anyone fancies a read. They touch upon the mysterious budget issue:

I think he's just pulling that out of his ass. Suzuki just said this in Famitsu:

- As far as money goes, he expects the game's investment will primarily come from individual backers, so he wants them all to be happy with the finished product. Doesn't sound like Sony and others are giving them all THAT much.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=168899118&postcount=6043

I expected better of Eurogamer. $70 million? Are you fucking kidding me? This sort of shit could have a real impact on the campaign.

 

[batfax]

Jeez. It's ridiculous how much baseless information is getting posted about this thing's funding. Maybe after E3 hype settles down everyone will stop trying to just throw news around and actually look into things first.

Anyway, did I miss something or do we not know yet what the deal is with the rapport system?

 

[Azelover]

Why are we not at $5,000,000 yet ladies and gents?

It reached the goal. Naturally, the pace is gonna slow down now.

 

[Elfforkusu]

I think he's just pulling that out of his ass. Suzuki just said this in Famitsu:



http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=168899118&postcount=6043

I expected better of Eurogamer. $70 million? Are you fucking kidding me? This sort of shit could have a real impact on the campaign.

Can't sweat it too much, just need to call them out on their fictional "reporting".

Maybe we can get a retraction! (lol)

 

[_StreetSonic_]

Why are we not at $5,000,000 yet ladies and gents?

PS4 physical copy needs to be offered apparently.

 

[Night Hunter]

Btw we just crossed the 72h mark with 3.275 million in pledges.

I'm completely broke right now but will pledge as much as possible toward the end of the campaign.

 

[ispendtoomuchmoneyongames]

I'm at the $29 mark now, but I'd definitely bump my pledge up for a physical PS4 copy. They'd get a ton of money just from people who have already pledged bumping their pledges up for that.

 

[Jo Shishido's Cheeks]

A LE version in a Dreamcast style case is such a great idea.
Somebody please ask for it during the AMA!
Even if they can't provide a retail disc, just an empty case for us to put our eventual disc in would be cool.

 

[Ludovico]

Count me in as another who'll bump their pledge for PS4 physical.
Currently at $29, and I'm really hoping to see not just a physical disc tier, but also add-on items outside of the tiers themselves.

 

[breakYODAy]

Just curious about the "trial version' in the $100 tier.

First it says it's a 'trial version', and then it says 'Be the first anywhere to play Shenmue 3.'

so.. will it be some early access jank or the actual whole finished game, just before it is released at retail?

I take this to be something like an extended demo, rather than early access.

 

[celsowmbr]

Spoiler

Just Do It !

 

[Jo Shishido's Cheeks]

Spoiler

Just Do It !

Analogue sticks need to be the 2 mirrors

 

[hydruxo]

Two legends

https://twitter.com/yu_suzuki_jp/status/611707696174108672

 

[Rebel Leader]

Spoiler

Just Do It !

I have an idea now for a new tier



A limited edition(so limited it can be numbered) PS4 with shenmue logo covering the entire ps4 and not just the removeable plate signed by the whole team

Shenmue 3 comes pre-installed

 

[~Kinggi~]

Two legends



https://twitter.com/yu_suzuki_jp/status/611707696174108672

shiiieeeeeeet

 

[celsowmbr]

I have an idea now for a new tier


A limited edition(so limited it can be numbered) PS4 with shenmue logo covering the entire ps4 and not just the removeable plate signed by the whole team

Shenmue 3 comes pre-installed

I think this will be a reality, but not in kickstarter, but a future PS4 2017/18 version

 

[fedexpeon]

The PC physical copy and no ps4 physical copy thing makes no sense. They really have it backwards.

It makes sense to me.
KS=PC funding right now.
Afterward, Sony will release a retail copy for the PS4 and will send you an email if you want to change it to PC or PS4 copy...I hope.

 

[Sectorseven]

I'm wondering if for the physical release they'd have to put down an advance on a huge number of copies which they're afraid of being unable to sell.

 

[Mubbed]

- He wants to make 'free battles' (which are likely to have their name changed) less about pressing buttons at the right time and more about making the right decisions.
- He also wants to make them less about practising and inputting commands and more centred around the Technique Scrolls, so obtaining and using those is enough to win battles. These Technique Scrolls will ideally connect a number of different elements in the game together in a natural way.

I think this is the most worrying aspect about the upcoming title. Hopefully we can sway his opinion to not compromise the complexity of the combat system.

 

[Thaedolus]

So I was playing Shenmue today, and had to wait for the bars to open up for the sailors to come out. I started playing Space Harrier. Mehh, I liked it back in the day but wasn't doing anything for me now.

I went over to the Hang On machine and immediately fell in love. I remember back in the day being really put off by these kinds of racing games, but somehow I got hooked. I don't know if I was playing with the dpad before or what, but man it was fun, and super impressive for a game from 1985. Anyway, I blew a thousand yen before the time to go sailor hunting came up and wasted a good 4-5 hours of in-game time.

I was glad when they added the time skipping feature in Shenmue II, but hitting up the arcade to kill some time was really a neat touch in part I.

 

[SuperCambot]

Can someone post one of those line charts showing funding rates of various Kickstarter campaigns with this one included? I really seems this one started super strong but lost steam quickly.

 

[Varion]

I expected better of Eurogamer. $70 million? Are you fucking kidding me? This sort of shit could have a real impact on the campaign.

They really need to get on top of this and address it in some way, because even just looking at official sources the message has been kind of inconsistent so far.

On one hand you've got Suzuki in Famitsu definitely suggesting the focus is on the Kickstarter money rather than major companies like Sony investing, and then on the other you've got Gio Corsi making it sound like their involvement is major with quotes like "We set a goal for $2million, and if the fans come in and back it, then absolutely we're going to make this a reality." Boyes' quote could admittedly back either side up, considering he just says that they're providing *some* funding 'and "from a marketing perspective... we're going to get behind it in a big way," .Which makes it sound like Sony's support will be more on the marketing side of things than actually funding the game itself.

No matter how you look at it $70million reads like made up nonsense, though. He'd be able to make far more than a minimal story-focused game with that kind of money. Never mind the fact that, as has been stated by various people repeatedly in this thread, the original alone didn't cost $70 million. And with a sequel likely being cheaper to make now than then, why would investors give him $70 million? Especially with the likelihood they wouldn't get a good return on it?