Support NeoGAF

[moltonasty]

I realize no publishers (especially Sega) want to fund this game. But the Shenmue community is so die hard and dedicated, that I really think this game would get funded extremely fast, even with a budget in the millions. Personally, I'm not even that wealthy, but I would absolutely contribute at least $1000 for Shenmue 3. I love the series that much, and I think a lot of other Shenmue fans feel the same way. What's preventing a kickstarter for this game? I know Yu Suzuki even mentioned that he was interested in it. Those sailors aren't going to find themselves goddamnit!

 

[Famassu]

The budget would be in the tens of millions. A budget in the millions gets you something like Pillars of Eternity (which looks great, don't get me wrong), which is far from what a game like Shenmue would need if you didn't want it to be 1-2 hours long.

 

[kazebyaka]

Shenmue has no fans

 

[McDougles]

Why won't some people let it go?

 

[RibbedHero]

Didn't the last game cost $100m+? Can't see Kickstarter raising anywhere near those funds.

 

[VeryGooster]

Let it go

 

[Tucah]

Shenmue is the very definition of a vocal minority and the budget required for the scope and scale of a game that would satisfy Shenmue fans would never be able to be covered by Kickstarter.

 

[DietRob]

Because it's a subpar game.

 

[Currygan]

it would probably get to 150k tops

 

[edornob]

There should be a kickstarter for Final Fantasy VII Remake before Shenmue 3

 

[Whompa]

Because diehard 10 dollar donations won't get within miles of 50-60 million dollars.

 

[injurai]

To even make a fraction of what StarCitizen has, they would have to essentially sell in-game property. SC is earning most of it's money from the same group of backers we buy a hundred dollar ship every month or so when they release a new package.

 

[Seraphis Cain]

Broken Age got what, $3 million? And that game is MUCH smaller in scale/scope than Shenmue 3 would be. Shenmue 3 would have to get double that or more. Shenmue fans are dedicated, but I doubt even they could come up with the kind of cash that would be needed to make 3 a reality.

 

[Kandinsky]

Because it's a subpar game.

Seriously, it's barely a game, and a boring one at that.

 

[Vulcano's assistant]

Because it is a AAA game by design? at least a AA.

 

[DietRob]

Why don't you kickstart yourself a trip to Japan it would be much cheaper and ultimately isn't that what all these irrational fanboys of the game want anyway?

 

[bigkrev]

Why won't some people let it go?

Let it go

.

To make anything like the original Shenmue today, it would take 10s of millions of dollars

 

[gngf123]

Budget for Shenmue: $70 million, equivalent to $95 million in today's money
Highest amount of money ever raised by crowdfunding: $39,732,085

This doesn't account for the increase in development costs, and it doesn't account for the masses of money that Star Citizen (mentioned most funded game) had put into it before the kickstarter.

I wouldn't mind betting Sega doesn't think there are enough fans to get close to the sort of money they need.

 

[theechrisfox]

Maybe because its already in the pipeline

Spoiler

as Wii U exclusive

.

 

[Mr-Joker]

Doesn't Sega own the Shenmue IP? Because if so it would be silly for a big company to use Kickstarter to fund a game, especially one that has a very small fan base.

Let it go

 

[Vitor711]

Let it go

*slow clap*

I don't care, what Sega fan boys say
Let the storm rage on.
A lack of Shenmue never bothered me anyway

 

[RubberJohnny]

Shenmue cost $50 million with DC graphics, good luck Kickstarting that.

 

[Atolm]

Aside from the reasons mentioned, most publishers and investors don't take Kickstarter seriously as a way to fund anything AAA related.

 

[biggersmaller]

I would throw $25 at a Shenmue project. I doubt there are 2 million people who feel the same, however.

 

[Omikaru]

It would be the biggest Kickstarter goal ever, and it would fall horribly short of it.

Look, I love Shenmue, and I think Kickstarter is a great model for funding games, but even if Shenmue had enough fans to potentially turn a profit on a modern day release, I don't think the entirety of those same people would blindly funnel money into Kickstarter on a game that they won't get for another 2-5 years.

Most people like to pay money and get something immediately, which is why Kickstarter is only good for more niche and smaller budget releases.

 

[Famassu]

Didn't the last game cost $100m+? Can't see Kickstarter raising anywhere near those funds.

Not really. AFAIK they spend that much in the planning, preparations, development etc. of not only the two released Shenmues, but also in preparation of the future installments of the saga. It's like.. imagine how Peter Jackson & Co filmed the whole LOTR trilogy (mostly) at once, so they needed to make preparations for the sequels while they were preparing & filming the first film, but in Shenmue's case they never got to Shenmue Saga's Two Towers or Return of the King, but some money had already gone into them. It also cost that much because, IIRC, they were developing such an ambitious saga while development tools & methods for its kind of cinematic, open games were still in their infancy, so that inflated the cost of development, too.

 

[BigDaddyFatSack]

Because it's a subpar game.

/thread

 

[honeymustardn]

Budget for Shenmue: $70 million, equivalent to $95 million in today's money
Highest amount of money ever raised by crowdfunding: $39,732,085

This doesn't account for the increase in development costs, and it doesn't account for the masses of money that Star Citizen (mentioned most funded game) had put into it before the kickstarter.

I wouldn't mind betting Sega doesn't think there are enough fans to get close to the sort of money they need.

Do bear in mind that it does not need to be the same scale as the first or second game and also would need nowhere near as large a marketing budget. I'm sure they would also be able to manage the budget in a more intelligent way as well.

 

[Goldmund]

There's more to a game than funding and viability. Who would actually want to work on it? I'm talking about the producers, executives etc. It's not just a lack of funds, it's a lack of will. We'd need people who don't really understand what they want to want it.

 

[JimmyRustler]

Because even Yu Suzuki probably know that it is going to fail miserably. It's been over a decade since the last Shenmue. Let it go.

 

[ComputerMKII]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Not_invented_here

This, applied to funding.

 

[Jay Sosa]

Shenmue has no fans

pretty much.

Seriously, it's barely a game, and a boring one at that.

elaborate, please.

 

[MSMrRound]

because you can't just slap kickstarter to anything.

I want Valkyria Chronicles 4 for PS4/Vita, but I know that it's close to impossible...and SEGA definitely wouldn't put it out on Kickstarter just for the fun of it. Same with Shenmue.

 

[bigkrev]

I would throw $25 at a Shenmue project. I doubt there are 2 million people who feel the same, however.

Kickstarter takes 5%, Amazon takes 5%, Uncle Sam is taking at least 15% (its probably a lot more, but my 5 second google search turned up nothing), creating and shipping out rewards is going to be a percentage...

They would need to raise 100 million at a minimum IMO on Kickstarter to make Shenmue 3

 

[Lactose_Intolerant]

Plus a company doesn't want to seem like they don't have money.

 

[moltonasty]

Why won't some people let it go?

Let it go

NO. Ok, maybe after this year I'll let it go. But shit, I really love this series, and 2 ended on a big cliffhanger.

Because it's a subpar game.

Maybe to you. But even if it was actually a subpar game (it's not) that has nothing to do with the question I'm asking. A game could be pure trash, but if people are willing to pay for it, then there's a reason for it to be made. Let's say there are 1 million Shenmue fans, who are each willing to pay $50 (basically the cost of buying the full game). That would be $50 million. I certainly think Shenmue 3 is doable with $50 million, especially since the reason the first one cost so much was all the new tech behind the game. Even at $20-30 million I think this game is doable. Fuck, make it a 3ds game for all I care. The graphics aren't that important, it's more about the gameplay, characters, and story for me.

 

[miDnIghtEr20C]

Meh. The game was ok back in the day on my dreamcast, but damn was that thing boring after a while. I couldn't stand running back and forth and back and forth to the same places over and over and over again. It was a cool concept, but if a new one comes out, I hope it's not as boring.

 

[Castef]

I realize no publishers (especially Sega) want to fund this game. But the Shenmue community is so die hard and dedicated, that I really think this game would get funded extremely fast, even with a budget in the millions. Personally, I'm not even that wealthy, but I would absolutely contribute at least $1000 for Shenmue 3. I love the series that much, and I think a lot of other Shenmue fans feel the same way. What's preventing a kickstarter for this game? I know Yu Suzuki even mentioned that he was interested in it. Those sailors aren't going to find themselves goddamnit!

Simply because it would NOT make sense.

You can't propose Shen Mue 3 in 2014 without re-launching the whole saga in some ways.

 

[Augemitbutter]

Aside from the reasons mentioned, most publishers and investors don't take Kickstarter seriously as a way to fund anything AAA related.

after the kickstarter fiascos, nobody should take them seriously.

 

[scytheavatar]

Because Yakuza already exists as the spiritual successor of Shenmue and people still care about Shenmue only because they can't play the Yakuza games.

 

[Takamura-San]

I hope they do.

The KS won't break 50k.

 

[USDF]

Because it's a subpar game.

No .

 

[Dragoon En Regalia]

Just because it cost ~$70 million back in the day over a developed period of several years with full salaries doesn't mean that will apply today. Not that a new Shenmue wouldn't be costly, especially if they're going for some kind of voice acting, but there's no need for Suzuki and company to update the visuals to modern-day technical standards. Were they to go for a clean look with emphasis on character acting, I'd be perfectly fine with donating lotsa dough.

My suggestion to Suzuki is that he release the story as episodic content, rather than try to squeeze in the rest of the chapters into one game. If he tries to develop a new Shenmue like in the olden days, that won't get anyone hyped up to pay.

 

[Shalashaska161]

Yu Suzuki should just get permission from Sega to write a Shenmue book or something. The series is dead as a videogame, but the story can be completed through another medium.

 

[moltonasty]

Meh. The game was ok back in the day on my dreamcast, but damn was that thing boring after a while. I couldn't stand running back and forth and back and forth to the same places over and over and over again. It was a cool concept, but if a new one comes out, I hope it's not as boring.

I found the idea of doing "boring" daily tasks like going to work pretty cool and immersive. Made the game feel very much like I was part of that world. Certainly with what devs know now, they could add things to spice up the "boring" parts.

 

[sixteen-bit]

$100MM goal?

 

[RottenTanuki]

More realistic to Kickstart the story of part 3 in written or manga form.

 

[2San]

To even make a fraction of what StarCitizen has, they would have to essentially sell in-game property. SC is earning most of it's money from the same group of backers we buy a hundred dollar ship every month or so when they release a new package.

This surprised me with all the hype the game got. People are suddenly fine with this crap?

 

[Canis lupus]

Shenmue 3 would get ~5 million in kickstarter and another 5 to 10 million from post kickstarter funding. Sega can allocate 15-20 million from their own pocket and the budget would be a respectable ~30-40 million, more than enough for the type of game. I reckon Yakuza doesn't even have half of that.

 

[DietRob]

No .

Yes .

Maybe to you. But even if it was actually a subpar game (it's not) that has nothing to do with the question I'm asking. A game could be pure trash, but if people are willing to pay for it, then there's a reason for it to be made. Let's say there are 1 million Shenmue fans, who are each willing to pay $50 (basically the cost of buying the full game). That would be $50 million. I certainly think Shenmue 3 is doable with $50 million, especially since the reason the first one cost so much was all the new tech behind the game. Even at $20-30 million I think this game is doable. Fuck, make it a 3ds game for all I care. The graphics aren't that important, it's more about the gameplay, characters, and story for me.

I see where you are coming from but this is based on the premise that the people who say they are fans of it would actually buy it. That's not really the way it works. If you went by the internet and people self professed love for bacon one would assume that all the bacon in the world would be sold out at all times. That's not how it works is it? The reason it's not being made is that it's not a sound business investment. 3ds game I'll give you maybe that could happen but even then how many of these people that say they love it would actually buy a 15 year old game?

edit: brb, gonna go make some bacon and eggs now, fuck.