SEGAbits Shenmue III Hype Train! Update: Funded but lets go further!

[Barry the Nomad]

I hope Yu Suzuki is active over the next 31 days. Greg Johnson was all over social networks, making new vids and talking to fans. Other kickstarters, however, seem content to post the info and leave it. I hope it isn't the case here.

[JRcade19]

Are they doing this again? I think he said once that the 3rd game was to be bigger than the first and second. The game was suppose to be about a small town kid's grand epic journey.

From the KS page

We are balancing our ambitions for a grand sequel with the pragmatic realities of developing a game of this scale. It will not be easy, but I have dreamed of making this sequel for 14 years – it is time to bring Shenmue back!

[Draikin]

So, yes, I'm a bit worried that Ys NET, a developer that made one mobile game half a decade ago is the one developing the game.

It'll certainly remain to be seen whether they're up to the task. But realistically, they're going to be assembling a new team anyway. The lead programmer for the Shenmue series, Takeshi Hirai,  is also the CEO of Neilo, Inc, and they just announced that they're recruiting staff for Shenmue 3. This could really go either way, but realistically speaking, $2 million is nowhere near enough to make Shenmue 3 and I think they know it. They'd probably need closer to $10 million. We'll see, all we can do is hope that the people onboard have enough experience to see this project through, despite the fact that they haven't really created any AAA games for the past decade. The Unreal 4 engine seems like a good choice though.

[George]

@JRcade19

Confirmed: Fans will complain. I figured it wasn't going to be as great as Shenmue 1/2, You can't don't it like it was done with SEGA, especially when these guys where all in their prime.

SEGA-AM2 in the 90's was a one in a lifetime group of developers. Yu Suzuki was brilliant but the whole team should get credit for all the hits they created in such short time periods.

[Team Andromeda]

You're just never happy, are you TA?

Happy its not a mobile game, that do you?

Higher-ups at Sony loved them some AM2 games growing up,

AM#2 or SEGA aren't making the game and if SONY had such respet for Yu Suzuki not only would they be funding Shenmue III themself's they would have Yu Suzuki and his Studio as part of ther 1st part or as a In-House studio.


I'll be far more happy of SONY was funding this game as 1st party and Yu Team have some 100 or 200 staff working on the game . 

[George]

This isn't getting me confident..

[Moody]

I think Suzuki of all people realizes just the kind of thing he's undertaking here. He sounds like he's spent a LOT of time thinking about this and seeing if it's truly the right thing to do, I have faith he knows what he's doing. I doubt he'll be able to assemble the biggest, greatest team ever constructed to create what will surely be the second coming of video game Christ, but I think he'll make a good game.


I think most of all, they know they're going to make more money than their base goal is.  Possibly even more than their last stretch goal. If I were Suzuki, I'd think the same thing looking at stuff like Mighty No. 9 and Bloodstained.

[JRcade19]

Admittedly these are pretty much the worst stretch goals I've seen in a KS I'll give you that.

[CrazyT]

Great news. The dream is alive. Never donated a kickstarter and this is gonna be my first one. A pc version makes me really happy.

[Tad]

I get the feeling Sega will be watching this closely. Mainly due to the sheer amount of money it's making and they'll promptly release 1 and 2 for steam.

As for the team making it, it's a tall order for such a big game. That does concern me given the fact they haven't really worked on much and the work in progress shots we've seen look off at the moment. However, it's far too early to say and more importantly, screw it! I want Shenmue 3!

[George]

While people here say that Sega isn't funding so they don't have a say, they do since they own the IP and can pull it. It's licensed by them and I assume they worked out a deal that would benefit them. Sega of Japan, Sony America and Yu Suzuki working out a deal. The whole Mark Cerny and Yu Suzuki talking Shenmue 3 kickstarter at the Developer awards seemed to be true.

[Berto]

Still in this E3, SEGA seems more care about Hatsune Miku than Shen Mue 3.

http://gematsu.com/2015/06/hatsune-miku-project-morpheus-tech-demo-playable-e3

[Tad]

Not to be an ass, but Sega really are ran by simpletons aren't they?

I'm pretty certain if I drove them to a target range, loaded the gun and aimed for them they'd still shoot their own foot.

[George]

Sega actually lost very little in the consumer division this year even with those Sonic Boom bombs. They lost a shit ton of cash due to Shenmue and Dreamcast.

You have to know that just because we like something it doesn't make it mainstream. I don't see shame in Sega not funding it. It won't be made in the same attention to detail that the first two had.

[CrazyT]

I think people need to get their expectations in check. While im very excited, I think this project is mostly to conclude the story. All the gameplay may be dumbed down or scrapped together (IE the fighting mechanics). I think i'd be cool with that. But i wouldnt be surprised if many people loved shenmue for the whole package, not just the story alone.