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[Maligna]

Here are some things I'm concerned about in regards to Shenmue 3 that I think may be impeding it's success.

First of all, there needs to be a tier that's higher than $500. I know lots of people who would bump up their donation if given the chance. I think they are hamstringing their full potential here by having the max tier at $500.

If the fans fund the game and those funds go to the budget for making the game, and then those fans receive their copies that they are entitled to by being a backer... Who is left to buy the game at retail? Where does the profit come from? If we want Shenmue past part 3, then I think we should start a movement to get everyone who donated to still buy an extra copy (or two) on release.

And finally, I just read that Yu Suzuki said Sony is not really giving much money to Shenmue 3. We need to get the word out about this. I'm sure lots of people have now decided not to donate once they heard Sony was going to fund it, thinking the rest will be taken care of. If we want the best game we can get, we're going to have to fund it ourselves.

 

[maquiladora]

After the holy trinity has been announced, what are we left to make memes with now ;_;?

There's always Half Life 3 and Agent.

 

[yankee666]

YEAHHH!!!, I finally did it!!. After 14 years of waiting i cant believe i was able to "buy" Shenmue 3. So Happy!!!!!

I backed the $300 option btw

 

[Ingueferroque]

I'm a huge fan of Shenmue 1 and 2, but I don't recognize Ryo at ALL from his new design. I also thought the Kickstarter video was quite poor, and the quick tech-demo shown didn't strike me with confidence. Have they mentioned anything about this just being a very early test? What about Ryo's face?

 

[Maligna]

I'm a huge fan of Shenmue 1 and 2, but I don't recognize Ryo at ALL from his new design. I also thought the Kickstarter video was quite poor, and the quick tech-demo shown didn't strike me with confidence. Have they mentioned anything about this just being a very early test? What about Ryo's face?

They mentioned already that graphics and voices in the video are placeholders.

Check out the pinned FAQ post on this Facebook group.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Shenmue500K/

 

[ajim]

YEAHHH!!!, I finally did it!!. After 14 years of waiting i cant believe i was able to "buy" Shenmue 3. So Happy!!!!!

I backed the $300 option btw

High five mate! These are happy times!!!

 

[Ghost_Messiah]

Has anyone of the people who actually know shit about Kickstarter campaigns done an estimate how much this will pull in? Is it gonna be severely front loaded? Or is it just too early to tell?

It currently stands at 3.2 million. If we take the average of yesterday's pledge amount with today's expected pledge amount we're looking at an average of ~150K of pledges per day now for the remainder of the campaign. If we assume the last minute pledge boost will be around ~500K at the end of the campaign which to be honest is a conservative estimate - it'll likely be far more - using the current data we have with some quick and rough math we're looking at a final total of ~7.9 million.

This is presuming that the pledge speed and pace remains the same - the data used is almost entirely based on the last forty eight hours. If the campaign suddenly grinds to a halt as time wears on the total will be lower. If media attention stays consistent and support remains strong via updates then the ~8 million final total should be accurate. We'll likely be in a far better position to generate an accurate financial prognosis as the campaign drives forward. The great thing is that now the Sony E3 conference hysteria has died down the campaign still remains very strong.

Shenmue 3 is still the number one campaign on Kickstarter outpacing every other campaign by a significant margin. When all is said and done this will be the most successful videogame Kickstarter ever regardless of the project's final total. The fans were asked to step up and they stepped up - and that is something to celebrate.

 

[Acquiescence]

They mentioned already that graphics and voices in the video are placeholders.

Check out the pinned FAQ post on this Facebook group.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Shenmue500K/

Bit of a shame that they couldn't have prepared something better for their big showing at E3 though, even if it's just adjusting the character models to resemble how they looked in 2. Ryo looks diabolical in his current form!

 

[maquiladora]

New tier added.

Pledge $3,000 or more

RYO'S JACKET - REPLICA

Not just any replica of Ryo's trademark leather jacket. This is a Yu Suzuki approved replica of Ryo's trademark leather jacket. Yeah, you want it.

Choose your size! We will ask for your size in a survey later on.

Includes the $500 Reward.

 

[Upsidedown Fuji]

Maybe I'm in the minority here but this is how I feel as a Shenmue fan concerning all the drama building around the KS campaign.


I'm so conflicted about the mixed fan reaction to the KS campaign. Part of me is like, we're finally getting what we want, can't we just accept that gamers are never satisfied and easily attracted to needless overblown drama and give this thing a little breathing room? I'm worried negative word of mouth could really impact the campaign so early on in its campaign. Then, on the other hand, I'm like there's a lttle justification for being cautious when you compare this campaign to other successful campaigns that were more transparent. Discussion is good but it also seems a bit toxic in respect to such a fragile IP.

We're only 3 days in, there's plenty of time to improve some aspects of the campaign. People lamenting on physical console copies, PC digital release outlets, and just how far the KS money goes to actually improve things still have a couple of weeks to find out and then a couple more years before the game drops. Maybe the ambiguity around physical console release is that they still don't really know due to if this game will be released on competing platforms. Nothing definitive has been announced so it's a bit hasty to push for an answer this early. I'm under the impression YS and those working in the campaign had no idea the KS would be this explosively successful. They may be reeling to form new goals, new compromises, and better benefits to backers. Give it a little time maybe? I may be reading the overall mood of this slowly building backlash, but I want my baby to thrive. I have a theory that the campaign seems so amateurish because this game comes from a small Japanese company, from a country that does a good job of not following closely with the times and may not quite know how to be effective with a modern crowd funding campaign. Only time will tell I guess. This all seems amateurish and it is but is this really as bad as some make it out to be? Is getting the game made not enough after 14 years?

If it's that much of an ordeal for you, hold onto your cash but please don't kneecap the campaign just because you aren't onboard with how the show is being run. The fact there is an actual game bring being made is beyond what I could've even dreamt of, I want every aspect of this game and KS to succeed. It would be a shame if the most vocal of the gaming community's reactions turned off YS to making a game with fan input. Be grateful this isn't a friggin mobile game and Japan/Asia only like so many other things have been in the past.

 

[nny]

New tier added.

This is a good sign; hopefully more will pop up soon.

 

[Ingueferroque]

Bit of a shame that they couldn't have prepared something better for their big showing at E3 though, even if it's just adjusting the character models to resemble how they looked in 2. Ryo looks diabolical in his current form!

Combined with the video, where Ryo only talks when he is off-screen.. in an awkward way. It creeped me out! He reminds me a bit of Christian Bale.

 

[Yawnier]

New tier added.

Gooood.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Nice! They actually used one of the tiers I suggested a few pages back. That's awesome.

 

[Ghost_Messiah]

New tier added.

Thank God. And a backer for this tier already! Hopefully more tiers will be added as the campaign progresses. If Yu gets bombarded with "physical PS4 version please" tomorrow at the Reddit AMA and implements the idea in to the campaign that will almost certainly give the campaign a massive boost too.

At least they are listening. Also to those criticising Ryo's new design he looks much better in the Famitsu scans which are presumably screenshots from a newer build.

 

[Rymuth]

Nice! They actually used one of the tiers I suggested a few pages back. That's awesome.

Just saw the email!

You, sir, are a prophet! Did you send the list over to YsNet?

 

[Darksol]

Awesome, haha. If only I was loaded.

 

[ViciousDS]

Nice! They actually used one of the tiers I suggested a few pages back. That's awesome.

Nnnnnoooooo, I'm staying where I'm at lol....still waiting for ps4 physical

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Just saw the email!

You, sir, are a prophet! Did you send the list over to YsNet?

Hahaha, I did! Sent them the list earlier today but I'm sure they probably had this in the works before then... Maybe.

 

[Die Squirrel Die]

Thank God. And a backer for this tier already! Hopefully more tiers will be added as the campaign progresses. If Yu gets bombarded with "physical PS4 version please" tomorrow at the Reddit AMA and implements the idea in to the campaign that will almost certainly give the campaign a massive boost too.

At least they are listening. Also to those criticising Ryo's new design he looks much better in the Famitsu scans which are presumably screenshots from a newer build.

They still need to fix his eyebrows. Fake Ryo has baby eyebrows of weakness, Real Ryo has strong eyebrows filled with determination and courage.

 

[Erekiddo]

Who the hell would spend $3,000 on a jacket?!

 

[Varion]

New tier added.

Good that they're listening to requests for more tiers, at least. Can only hope there'll be more to come, especially as there's a gigantic gap between $500 and $3000. Curious how many will jump up to it, though.

LOL

Too funny! (link please)

Board rules say no scans, so I can't, sorry.

 

[Thaedolus]

Adding new tiers. See, they know what they're doing, we got this.

 

[Theonik]

FUCKING FINALLY.

 

[Boke1879]

Thank God. And a backer for this tier already! Hopefully more tiers will be added as the campaign progresses. If Yu gets bombarded with "physical PS4 version please" tomorrow at the Reddit AMA and implements the idea in to the campaign that will almost certainly give the campaign a massive boost too.

At least they are listening. Also to those criticising Ryo's new design he looks much better in the Famitsu scans which are presumably screenshots from a newer build.

People should definitely do that. Keep asking for a PS4 physical version. I won't be able to make it but that would easily get me to pledge 30 more dollars.

 

[Kazer]

Who the hell would spend $3,000 on a jacket?!

$10,000 or bust!

Glad to see Fangamer is getting involved with this!

 

[Loudninja]

Who the hell would spend $3,000 on a jacket?!

<_>

 

[NekoFever]

It's a really nice-looking replica but yeah, that's more than I spent on my car.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

RYO'S JACKET - REPLICA $3,000-

We have created this very special reward due to popular demand. If you were kicking yourself for missing the Original, this is your chance!

Not just any replica of Ryo's trademark leather jacket. This is a Yu Suzuki approved replica of Ryo's trademark leather jacket. Yeah, you want it.

The jacket and physical rewards are presented by Fangamer. We want to thank them for all of their hard work in making this superb collector's item. Their love for Shenmue really shows! Thank you so much!

Choose your size! We will ask you for your size in a survey later on. Ryo's Jacket - Replica will include the $500 Reward.

*The jacket shown here is a prototype. Actual reward may differ slightly.

*This reward will be added to the explanation and reward list in just a little bit!

About Message Replies

We are currently receiving an extremely high volume of messages and inquiries - over 10,000 messages, 4,000 comments and counting. If you sent us a message and have been waiting to hear back from us, we are very sorry for the delay. We may not be able to get back to all of you immediately, but we will read and reply to every message as soon as we can. In the meanwhile, please keep an eye out for updates on our FAQ section. We thank you for your patience!

 

[Theonik]

Even better, they seem to be working with the folks at fangamer for the replica so maybe they can also school them into how to run a Kickstarter.

Who the hell would spend $3,000 on a jacket?!

Show-off!

 

[Upsidedown Fuji]

Maybe I wrote my last post a bit prematurely. Living in Japan, ironically, puts me behind the curve for news. Seeing the new jacket tier and tomorrow's AMA on Reddit is very promising. I hope it helps unify support for this KS and above all the game.

 

[Erevador]

Who the hell would spend $3,000 on a jacket?!

Two people already!

 

[Persona7]

It is great to see this succeed.

 

[mgs2master2]

Nice! They actually used one of the tiers I suggested a few pages back. That's awesome.

Rip to the 10K gaffer

 

[Rocky]

Wow, it's now at 3.2 million and 29 days to go. If it keeps up like this, the whole game could be funded by Kickstarter, lol.

I really hope Sony releases ports or remaster of the first two. I've always wanted to play them but never had the systems they were on. I also don't want to have to track down the systems and games now, because prices are rising on them now.

 

[Erekiddo]

Rip to the 10K gaffer

Changing my pledge for 3 replica jackets and a nice dinner.

 

[Jo Shishido's Cheeks]

Who the hell would spend $3,000 on a jacket?!

Hahaha! Did you decide to keep the 10k one yet?

 

[Elfforkusu]

- 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.

This is news thread worthy.

"Yu Suzuki expects majority of investment for Shenmue 3 will come from kickstarter."

Implies that (1) publisher backing amounts aren't finalized, and (2) that he expects them to total < $2 mil.

 

[mgs2master2]

Changing my pledge for 3 replica jackets and a nice dinner.

Lulz my man

 

[maquiladora]

Two people already!

Three.

 

[Upsidedown Fuji]

Three.

Shenmue fans are ballin'. I wish I had that much loose cash on hand.

 

[ShogunDarius]

$10,000 or bust!

Glad to see Fangamer is getting involved with this!

they are?

 

[Nose Master]

This announcement got me excited because of the impossibility of it... but are people actually excited to play another Shenmue game? Only played the first, but it bored me to tears.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

they are?

Yep. From the jacket update:

The jacket and physical rewards are presented by Fangamer. We want to thank them for all of their hard work in making this superb collector's item. Their love for Shenmue really shows! Thank you so much!

 

[Erevador]

Three.

Four now. I love Shenmue fans.

 

[Acquiescence]

Nnnnnoooooo, I'm staying where I'm at lol....still waiting for ps4 physical

Have you put any money towards the project yet? I feel horrible for not pledging so far, since I'm practically duty-bound as a fan to help out and fund this, but I just can't plonk down any cash yet until I hear word about what the deal is with the lack of a physical PS4 version. PC but no PS4? What sense does that make? Something's up for sure, and Sony's involved somehow.

 

[NekoFever]

Shenmue fans are ballin'. I wish I had that much loose cash on hand.

15 years of savings!

 

[Ghost_Messiah]

Three.

Woah so the addition of a new higher tier pretty much just netted them an additional ~10K near instantly? Christ the passion of Shenmue fans man.

Also quick question to everyone; if I pledge now to this and input my card details I won't actually be charged until the end of the campaign correct? I'm definitely pledging before the end of the campaign but if the money doesn't actually come out for another month I might just bite the bullet now and show my support.

EDIT: Holy shit in the time it took me to write this post the new tier just upped itself to 5 backers. Amazing.

 

[brett2]

It's crazy that people are willing to spend 3K on a jacket but I still appreciate it

 

[Jo Shishido's Cheeks]

This announcement got me excited because of the impossibility of it... but are people actually excited to play another Shenmue game? Only played the first, but it bored me to tears.

One does not play Shenmue.
One lives Shenmue!