DSOGaming reports on Shenmue 3 being available on Steam November 19th after a year of Epic exclusivity.

After almost a year Shenmue 3 has finally received an official Steam release date. According to Ys Net, the title will be available for purchase through Steam on November 19^th. That’s exactly one year since the initial release on Epic Games Store. So after a year of exclusivity Steam users will finally get their chance to play the game.

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OnlySP reports on the release date for Shenmue 3 DLC Battle Rally.

The first big update to Shenmue III will release on January 21, 2020.

The DLC, titled ‘Battle Rally’, will provide different activities while contestants fight each other in battles through a course. Additionally, three characters will be playable: the main protagonist Ryo Hazuki, the treasure-seeking Wuying Ren, and Ryo’s sparring partner Wei Zhen. Finishing in first place will result in the player winning prizes.

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RPG Site has reviewed Shenmue 3:

Shenmue III Review

Let’s get this out of the way: Shenmue III is for Shenmue fans. It’s not a starting point for the series, and the short recap video does not do much to catch people up on this somewhat standard tale of mystery and revenge. Shenmue III is obviously a love letter to those who have waited for decades to see the series return and the continuation of Ryo Hazuki's story.

So, is Shenmue III the triumphant return that series fans have been waiting decades on? Not really, unfortunately, although the target audience will still get some enjoyment out of this title.

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Characters are as stiff as the lines they deliver, and they possess this uncanny valley quality to them that makes watching them move and interact with the world somewhat unsettling. Children look like caricatures of themselves, Ryo walks as if he’s bound to the tank controls of old PS1 titles, and Shenhua is pretty but seems unable to express any emotion on her face at all.

Shenmue III is a game of half-measures. It ultimately delivers on its promise of the continuation of the Shenmue story for fans that have been waiting on it for years, but that doesn’t mean it delivers on that promise well. Shenmue III could have been so much more, or at least tried to wrap up Ryo’s tale, but instead, we are left with another cliff-hanger. Deep Silver and Ys Net delivered a game that works but is as unambitious and dull as Ryo’s dialogue.

Score: 3/10

OnlySP checked out Shenmue 3:

Shenmue III Review — The Never-Ending Fetch Quest

The original Shenmue holds an important place in video game history. Once the most expensive game ever developed, the 1999 classic had a strong influence on the open-world games that followed, pioneering NPCs with daily schedules, quick-time events, and blending RPG elements with the mundanities of everyday life. A sequel quickly followed but, despite warm critical reception, the title did not sell well enough for the series to continue. A strong cult following for the games remained, however, and in 2015 a Kickstarter campaign brought Shenmue III back to life. After countless delays, publisher negotiations, and an unpopular Epic exclusivity deal, the game has finally been released. After 18 years of waiting for the resolution of Shenmue II‘s enormous cliffhanger, this painfully faithful sequel is sure to please die-hard fans of the series, but the dated gameplay mechanics and stiff performances are unlikely to bring any new fans to the franchise.

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Shenmue III runs about 20–30 hours long, depending on how deep one dives into the mini-games, and does not provide a conclusion to the series. If the title had been released on the Dreamcast 18ish years ago, as was originally intended, it would have probably looked much like it does now. Similar to how Ryo is eternally stuck in 1987, Shenmue III is trapped in 2001, when having an open world with many NPCs was more important than filling that world with anything interesting. The game tells a high-stakes plot at a snail’s pace, with terrible writing and acting. The clever combat system of the previous games has devolved into a button-mashing mess. The title does have moments of brightness: the actual story beats are great, the setting is fascinating, and it features the best forklift simulation on the market. However, with such incredibly dated gameplay, only the most ardent fans will enjoy Shenmue III. Even then, it is easily the weakest link in the franchise.

Score: 2/5

Wccftech has reviewed Shenmue 3:

Shenmue III Review – Nostalgia-Drunken Master

It’s hard to believe I’m actually reviewing Shenmue III here at the tail end of 2019. Shenmue and its first sequel were hugely influential games, establishing the framework countless other open worlds have been built upon, but unfortunately, they were also ahead of their time. The first two Shenmue games just didn’t connect with early-2000s audiences, at least not to the degree needed to cover their bloated budgets. Shenmue creator Yu Suzuki spent years struggling to revive the series, but it was all in vain until the advent of Kickstarter, where Shenmue III managed to amass a whopping $6.3 million from fans (still the most successful Kickstarter campaign ever for a single video game).

Of course, as we’ve seen before, a lot of Kickstarter cash doesn’t always translate into a great game. Does Shenmue still have something unique to offer players in 2019? Or does the master no longer have what it takes to compete? Time to put this old warhorse to the test…

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Is Shenmue III dated? Absolutely, but the game proves that, like most genres, open-world adventures still have a thing or two to learn from the past. Shenmue III isn’t always as player-friendly as it could be, but its lively, uniquely-handcrafted world is truly absorbing. Here’s hoping this isn’t the end of Ryo and Yu Suzuki’s epic journey.

Pros

• Very pretty in its own way
• Plot builds to a satisfying climax
• Missions are varied and engaging
• Densely-packed level design
• Plenty to keep you busy
• Genuinely relaxing
  
  

Cons

• Ungraceful combat
• Quick time events still not great
• Will we ever see the end of this story?

Score: 8/10

Shenmue 3 has been released on the Epic Games Store:

Thank You Message From Yu Suzuki

Hello Everyone,

November 19th is finally upon us! So today, our happy, game-creating uncle, Yu Suzuki, would like to give a special thank you message ^_^

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For us it has been an incredibly short four years, for everyone waiting for the day it has been an incredibly long four year, but here we are!

We honestly cannot thank you enough for all the support you have given through thick and thin. We hope you will be there with us as the journey goes on!

From all of us at the Shenmue III project team

DSOGaming reports on an in-engine trailer for Shenmue 3 which shows environments and characters.

YsNet has released a brand new in-engine trailer for Shenmue 3. This trailer is in Japanese and most of you won’t understand a thing. Still, it packs a few new in-engine sequences that some of you may find interesting.

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@DSOGaming A TGS trailer for Shenmue 3 which shows off the mood.

Deep Silver has released the Tokyo Game Show 2019 trailer for Shenmue 3. This trailer shows off the visuals and the animations from the game’s latest version. The trailer also showcases the game’s world, so we strongly suggest watching it if you are fans of the series.

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A new trailer for Shenmue 3 provides a brief glimpse into the world of Shenmue.

Germany, August 21, 2019 – Deep Silver and Ys Net today revelead the official Shenmue III  gamescom Trailer. The “A Day in Shenmue” Trailer gives a short glimpse into the detailed world of Shenmue III and the thrilling fighting system which let’s players fully control Ryo’s Kung Fu! Shenmue III will release on PlayStation®4 and PC November 19 2019.

Shenmue III is the eagerly anticipated sequel to Dreamcast classics Shenmue (1999) and Shenmue II (2001). The brainchild of award-winning game director, Yu Suzuki, Shenmue set out to combine action gameplay from his arcade classic Virtua Fighter with RPG mechanics to weave a long-form epic for home consoles. Commonly known as one of the most ambitious game projects in history, Shenmue captured the imagination of players from around the world with its unique setting, intimate and cinematic character-focused story, realistic battles, and fun mini-games. Many of the features pioneered in Shenmue is now commonplace in modern games, including open world and Quick Time Event gameplay. Shenmue III was officially announced on stage at Sony’s E3 2015 press conference and simultaneously launched on crowdfunding platform Kickstarter, breaking two Guinness World Records upon raising over $6 million dollars. The game is currently in development at Yu Suzuki’s independent company, Ys Net, located in Tokyo along with many original Shenmue team members.

A new trailer and screenshots for Shenmue 3 from Twinfinite.

While the objective is the same, Suzuki-san has never seen the same playthrough twice with different playtesters. If he had to summarize the game in one punchline, he’d say that “Shenmue III is a mirror of yourself.”

He also showcased new screenshots, design sketches for the original Shenmue, and a couple of videos.

In the screenshots, we get to see Chai, Lan Di, and the “Panda Market” in the first town. Incidentally, the village really exists. We also take a look at the arcade which will include playable games.

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A new update for Shenmue 3 addresses the refund question and promises Steam keys at a later date for those that want them.

Update On PC Version Rewards

Hello   Everyone,    

Regarding the recently announced Epic Games Store exclusive, all of us here at YSNET, Deep Silver and Epic are taking the matter with utmost concern and would like to clarify the circumstances leading to the decision and offer backers options for moving forward.

As noted in the updates and survey at launch, we had originally planned for PC distribution through Steam. Taking publishing and sales considerations into account, YSNET and Deep Silver agreed to our partnership with Epic Games Store on PC version distribution. As a publishing partner, Deep Silver has greatly contributed not only to sales and marketing, but to scaling up the game so there is more Shenmue III to begin with. Also, Epic Games has been with us from the start of the project when we adopted Unreal Engine 4 for development, and have given us their support throughout the development process.

In response to backers who have requested Steam keys for their rewards, we discussed offering the keys on the day of release. However, coordination with the sales policies of the involved companies was untenable, and as a result we are not able to make a day one distribution option for Steam keys available.

That we are not able to offer Steam keys for Kickstarter rewards at the time of the game’s release is a great disappointed and inconvenience for those backers who were expecting to receive them. We deeply apologize for the unrest caused by the announcement.

Response Policy

The team would like to offer the following:

Version Availability

a. PC Physical: Package (Disc) ＋ EGS Key

b. PC Digital: EGS Key

c. PS4 Physical: Package (Disc)

d. PS4 Digital: PSN Voucher Code

*If selecting either the PC Physical or PC Digital version, an option to also receive a Steam key one year later will be available. Backers must manually select this option in the survey to receive the Steam key.

**If you had previously selected PC and want to change to PS4 or vice versa, you may do so.

Survey Implementation

We are currently working on the necessary changes to the backer survey system. We ask for your patience as there will be a short wait while the preparations are made. Once the survey changes have been implemented, there will be an announcement here in the updates with details and notice of the survey response period. (Changes to your shipping address may still be made through the backer survey up until shipping begins.)

Concerning Refunds

Along with Deep Silver and Epic Games, we have agreed that should the above proposal not be acceptable to backers, refund requests will be honored.

Details concerning the refund request process will be announced in a following update. We ask for your patience until that time.

*In the case rewards within your reward tier, such as in-game content, have already been created and implemented, a full refund may not be possible.

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GameRevolution reports that Epic exclusivity for Shenmue 3 will be assessed by Ys Net's and Deep Silver when they get back from E3.

New gameplay and trailer video for Shenmue 3.

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Approximately 13 minutes of Shenmue III gameplay!

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Shenmue 3 gets another gameplay trailer, this time full of punching and kicking as our hero takes on a band on drunken thugs. Revealed at the PC Gaming Show 2019, Shenmue 3 will also now be an Epic Game Store exclusive.

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@Engadget Shenmue 3 has been announced as an Epic Store exclusive.

Surprise! The PC version of Shenmue 3 is now an Epic Games Store exclusive. That means the crowdfunded sequel, which was originally unveiled as part of Sony's E3 press conference in 2015, won't be sold through Steam or any other PC-centric storefront. "In looking for the most enjoyable experience on PC, it was decided together with Deep Silver after much discussion that the Epic Games Store would be the best distribution platform option," developer Ys Net said in a Kickstarter update. For now, it's unclear if backers who wanted the Steam version will be offered any kind of refund, or forced to accept the Epic Games Store version.

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@PC Gamer Another delay for Shenmue 3 sees the launch date pushed back to November.

A three month delay is relatively minor, especially when it's been preceded by nearly two years of prior delays, but dropping it square in the middle of the holiday season is an interesting move. That's when everybody is buying games, but it's also when everybody's releasing them, and it's easy for the ones that don't have serious big-name cachet—and, all due respect to the fan base, that includes Shenmue 3—to get lost in that rush.

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IGN has the first gameplay preview for Shenmue 3.

Suzuki tells me that he sees player freedom and everyday life as the two most important features of Shenmue, and everything he showed and explained to me about the game could be connected back to those two main themes.

“I haven’t done proper research, so maybe I shouldn’t say this, but Shenmue III might just have more voiced dialogue than any other game to date,” he said. “When we brought the script to the translation agency, they were astonished by its volume.”

"Shenmue III might just have more voiced dialogue than any other game to date” - Yu Suzuki

Anyone who has played the original games knows the incredible amount of dialogue they contained, but Suzuki believes there’s even more of it this time. That makes the fact that Ryo will no longer be able to talk to every character feel like a positive thing rather than something to worry about. By giving up on the ability to interact with characters who won’t do much more than show you the way to your next destination anyhow, Shenmue III should be able to add additional depth to the characters who really matter.

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VG24/7 share their impressions of Shenmue 3.

Despite taking Ryo to a more rustic, countryside-based setting, Shenmue 3 is just as densely packed as its predecessor. When the demo reaches a town, there’s a range of NPCs throughout. Suzuki says that the Choubu region in the game has over 500 NPCs. Talking to them is the same old Shenmue fare – it’s not so much focused on choice as world building, each conversation offering up a little context if not clues as to how to further progress.

One thing that’s changed, Suzuki says, is that shops will now be more plentiful in Shenmue 3 and stock a far wider range of items. He explained that in past games there were fewer stores but you could have longer, in-depth conversations with their owners. In this game, owners aren’t as fleshed out but the shops themselves are.

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@DSOGaming A new gameplay trailer for Shenmue 3.

Ys Net has released a brand new gameplay trailer for Shenmue 3. According to the trailer, the gameplay footage showcased here is from a WIP version and does not represent the quality of the final game.

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Gamingbolt shares some info on Shenmue 3 combat, setting, story and more.

The game, according to Suzuki, will start out slow. Ryo will find himself in a remote Chinese village, where residents will be wary of him, seeing as he’s a stranger and looked at as a “city boy”. NPCs, as such, won’t be receptive (or even responsive) to Ryo in the beginning, and players will have to build up relationships with them individually and over time to gain their trust, following which they’ll be more willing to speak with him and help with out in situations. Until Ryo gains their trust, he’ll have to rely on being accompanied by Shenhua, who is someone the villagers are more familiar with, and thus more willing to speak to. Each villager will also follow individual day and night cycles and schedules, similar to previous Shenmue games, while there’s also a dialogue system in place.

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DSOGaming reports on a new screenshot for Shenmue 3 that shows the character of Lan Di.

It’s been a while since our last look on Shenmue 3, right? Well, good news for all Shenmue fans as Shibuya Productions has released a brand new screenshot from this highly anticipated title, showing off the in-game 3D model of Lan Di.

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Shenmue 3 now has a Steam page.

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The brainchild of award-winning game director, Yu Suzuki, Shenmue is commonly known as one of the most ambitious game projects in history, which captured the imagination of players from around the world. Shenmue established the open-world format for action RPG games. An awe-inspiring world with an immersive story, featuring cinematic sequences, a realistic fighting system, and entertaining mini-games, Shenmue garnered acclaim and adoration all over the world.

Shenmue III sees the eagerly anticipated continuation of the epic story-driven saga. Take control of Ryo Hazuki, a teenage martial artist, determined to unravel the mystery behind his father's murder and to exact revenge on the killer.

Explore a vibrant, colourful open world, meet intriguing characters and endeavour on a cinematic adventure which will take you further into enemy territory and deeper into the mystery of the Phoenix Mirror.

The release date for Shenmue 3 has been announced as August 27th 2019 at Gamescom.

Shenmue 3 is officially launching August 27, 2019 #gamescom2018 pic.twitter.com/tqTMKm0Ge3

— Nibel (@Nibellion) August 21, 2018

Gematsu reports that Shenmue 3 will be adding an AI battling system.

The crowdfunding campaign for Shenmue III has reached $7 million with its Kickstarter and Slacker Backer campaigns combined, which has unlocked the “AI Battling” expansion to its battle system, developer Ys Net announced.

Here is an overview of the system, via Ys Net:

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Gamerant reports that Shenmue 3 will require 100GB of hard drive space to install.

Shenmue fans have been waiting almost two decades to get their hands on Shenmue 3, but we’re getting closer to that dream becoming a reality. In fact, development has progressed far enough for the developers to announce the minimum requirements for the PC version of Shenmue 3, and apparently the game is going to require a whopping 100GB of free space to install.

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System Requirements for PC Version

• Minimum:OS: Windows 7x64, Windows 8x64, Windows 10x64 (64-bit OS Required)
• Processor: Intel Core i5-4460 (3.40 GHz) or better; Quad-core or better
• Memory: 4 GB RAM
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti or better (DirectX 11 card & VRAM 2GB Required)
• DirectX: Version 11
• Network: Broadband internet connection
• Storage: 100 GB available space
• Sound card: DirectX 9.0c compatible sound card
• Additional Info: Requires Steam Client to activate.

DSOGaming reports on a SEGA announcement on twitter. Shenmue 1 & 2 will be coming to PC, PS4, and Xbox One.

SEGA has just announced that the first Shenmue games, Shenmue 1 and 2, will be officially coming to the PC in 2018 in one package. According to the publisher, both games will feature Japanese and English voice overs, the choice of classic or modern controls and more.

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@GameRant New screenshots for Shenmue 3 have been released.

During a conference at Magic Monaco, series creator Yu Suzuki showcased four new images of Shenmue 3. The images show off Ryo Hazuki and other characters, including a close-up on a young girl’s face, which may alleviate fans still worried about the facial expressions in the game.

After all, it would be understandable to remain concerned following Shenmue 3’s previously released teaser trailer. Shortly after the trailer’s release, the development team released a dev diary in response that showed the continued work on the facial animation. Hopefully the recently released images do much to alleviate these worries for the crowdfunded game.

Check out the new Shenmue 3 images right here:

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@Gematsu A new character has been revealed for Shenmue III and its production is being aided by Lakshya Digital.

Eurogamer talked to Yu Suzuki to discuss how Shenmue 3 is coming along.

...

So how many people are working on the game then? Suzuki is vague but notes that "I can't tell you the exact number but it's far fewer than I had back at Sega but I can say that some people that worked with me on the original Shenmue are involved."

One aspect which separates Shenmue 3 from its forebears is its core technology. The bulk of Suzuki's work with AM2 was built using bespoke code designed specifically for each game but, with Shenmue 3, YsNet has embraced Unreal Engine 4. Suzuki tells me "Unreal Engine is a great fit for our approach because we can prototype very quickly. To me, this is a valuable feature. In my case, I take on a lot of new challenges and rely on a lot of trial and error. I need to be able to quickly see the results and try out new ideas. I feel that the concept of the Unreal Engine and my approach to developing the game is a good match."

Compared to previous projects, he tells me "because I started coding previous games from scratch, I knew pretty much everything about the program. In the case of a game engine like Unreal, however, it's a kind of 'black box' so it's more challenging to fine tune everything at a lower level. I'm working to find the best way to utilize the engine which means sometimes adjusting the game scenario or plan itself to better accommodate the tools set. Overall, though, I think it's a really good engine."

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Wccftech reports that Shenmue 3's gameplay will not change much in comparision to its predecessors:

Shenmue III Will Be 70% Like The Original and 30% New; Game Design Scaled Up with Deep Silver

Shenmue III was recently confirmed to be published by Deep Silver for PC and PlayStation 4 in 2018.

At Gamescom 2017, series creator Yu Suzuki also stated that the game will last around 30 hours of gameplay. During the convention, he was interviewed by several publications, including Metro GameCentral where Suzuki revealed that Shenmue III won’t be much different from its predecessors in terms of gameplay.

I don’t think it’s necessary to change the basics of the gameplay. If I change it too much the existing fans will be very upset. Although I am always making up new ideas and things to add to the game, which can be a problem for my team who are trying to implement these ideas.
At the moment we are trying to keep it to 30% new and the keep the other 70% of the game similar to the original. But the design is constantly changing and I am always coming up with new concepts that we can try to add to the game if there is the opportunity.

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@TechRaptor Shenmue 3 is not in the same market space as other open world RPGs according to Yu Suzuki.

Shenmue 3 Won't Compete Against Other Open-World Games

The current-generation of consoles is currently filled with huge sprawling open-world games, but the developers behind Shenmue 3 said its game won't directly compete against those titles.

Aside from being the most expensive video game developed during its time, Shenmue was the most ambitious, revolutionizing the open-world genre with a living, breathing world. Non-playable characters would have their own daily routines based on the game's day-and-night system, and the open-world environments were filled with activities to partake in.

Speaking to GamesCentral, director Yu Suzuki believes Shenmue 3 remains a ‘unique' game in a time where gamers are not accustomed to playing story-focused games with few action elements.. Due to the team's budget constraints, Shenmue 3 won't compete against huge open-world games and will instead focus on other elements that aren't money-hungry on resources. "I believe the open-world of Shenmue is very different from the other open-world games that exist," said Suzuki. "Although Shenmue was the first open-world title it is still very unique and so we can focus on other things that do not depend solely on money. So I think there is a lot of playable and very unique elements in the open world that mean I don't need to compete against other big open worlds."
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This Shenmue 3 teaser shows off the world of Shenmue.

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The first teaser of Shenmue III is built from a small slice of an in-development build of the game, and it delivers small peeks in new look of main characters, new characters, and feels of Shenmue world.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...

Shenmue 3 will be published by Deep Silver.

New Partner!! ＆ gamescom 2017 Update #3

Hello Everyone,

We have a major announcement today concerning our new publishing partner, and follow up details for gamescom.

Deep Silver Partnership Signed

The Shenmue III project has signed a global publishing contract with Deep Silver, the game division of the German company, Koch Media. Game fans may already be familiar with Deep Silver, as they are a trusted brand who has helped many Japanese game titles find their audiences around the world.

We are proud to have gained a wonderfully reliable partner to make sure Shenmue III reaches all its fans all over the planet.

Please see the press statement here.

(To be released at 4pm August 17th JST)
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Farflame spotted the June Kickstarter update for Shenmue 3:

June Report

Greetings Everyone.

First things first,
We would like to express our gratitude for the many comments we received on our previous report. From constructive criticism to kind words of encouragement, we were touched by every single one of your comments. Yu Suzuki and the entire Shenmue III Team are more determined than ever to bring to the Shenmue III that will live up to your expectations.

Gamescom 2017 plans!
We will be attending Germany's mid-August gaming event gamescom 2017! While we are still working out the details with our partners, we plan to show our newest movie clips, share the latest updates and even make some new announcements.

Title logo change
Yes, Shenmue III has updated its title logo. Taking your comments into consideration, Yu Suzuki and the team gave the title logo another hard look and decided to update the logo with this design.

Characters in development
We have been hard at work developing the inhabitants who will set the stage of adventure in Shenmue III. Here's a sneak peek of what to expect!

[...]

PCGamesN reports that Shenmue 3 has been delayed until the second half of 2018.

Project director Yu Suzuki - the creator of the original Shenmue - delivers the news in a new video on the project's Kickstarter page.

"I know you are all eagerly anticipating the release of Shenmue III, however, we unfortunately must delay its release," he says. "We are moving ahead with a plan to release the game in the second half of 2018. Details will be revealed in the backer report later this month."

PCGamesN reports that Shenmue 1 and 2 could be released this year:

Shenmue 1 and 2 remasters still due this year according to further leaks

Rumours of high-definition remasters of Shenmue and Shenmue II were strengthened over the weekend, as Rice Digital, an online blog and retailer, say “a trusted source” close to the USA branch of developers Atlus has confirmed that they’re in development. Atlus are a subsidiary of original Shenmue publishers Sega.

 

Rice Digital’s source says both games “may be released together rather than separately” as episodes one and two, with a targeted release date later this year. It's worth noting that Rice Digital have been accurate with leaks from Atlus before, revealing in April last year that the developers would publish King of Fighters XIV a few days before they announced it.

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@PCInvasion they report that SEGA has registered multiple domains for Shenmue HD indicating a possible remake of the first Shenmue is at least being thought about.

SEGA (Sega Europe, specifically) have registered multiple internet domains with variations on the theme of a Shenmue remaster. The urls ShenmueHD.com and Shenmueremastered.com have been confirmed by Shenmue Dojo, while SEGA-focused site TSSZ notes Shemnuegame.com (sic) was also registered in September 2016.

The deliberately incorrect spelling on that last one is apparently because somebody else already owns Shenmuegame.com. SEGA are presumably covering as many bases as they can.

That’s as far as the news goes for now, with no official announcement made. Domain registrations don’t confirm anything on their own, so we’ve contacted SEGA Europe for further comment. We’ll post an update if we get any definitive word back.

Shenmue 3 is currently in development for the PC, so if any kind of Shenmue remasters really are happening there’s a chance they might come PC-wards too. Then everybody can experience the joy of raising an abandoned kitten and being swindled by a travel agent on PC.

One year after Shenmue 3's Kickstarter, the developers only have a few words about the game's development.

One year after launching its successful Kickstarter campaign, developer Ys Net and its head Yu Suzuki have released an update on how development of Shenmue III is going. It doesn't answer a lot of questions, but it is something.

According to Suzuki, the team is creating a prototype build for the game began back in January – which he points out is when the project really ramped up. He continues, saying both the game's battles and facial expressions are starting to take shape, leading to lots of cheers from his team. "It makes me feel it will turn out to be a good game," Suzuki says in the video.

The creator closes by asking fans to continue their support of Shenmue III. Not explicitly saying it, but potentially asking for more backing via the game's still-running PayPal campaign.

Shenmue III was announced last year alongside its Kickstarter campaign at Sony's E3 Press Conference as a joint production between Ys Net and Sony. It was met with large fanfare, meeting its funding in full in under 13 hours,and the developer has opened a second crowdfunding effort (the aforementioned PayPal campaign), as well as having been relatively quiet regarding the status of the game, its funding, and which backers would get what rewards.

No release date has yet been provided for Shenmue III, which is assumed to be still early in its development cycle, though its crowdfunding pages point to a December 2017 launch. Sega has recently shown an interest in re-releasing the first two games in the series.


Our Take
Suzuki has an uphill battle in front of him, one it may be hard to win. It seems to me that having such a long-awaited, highly-anticipated game comes with a big pro and con. The pro, perhaps most obviously, is the game stands a good chance of being successful, and one could surely argue that it already is. The con, however, is that Suzuki is facing a lot of expectations, from a lot of people. One year after Kickstarting his game, his approach seems dicey, at best. Being this secretive with a game people have invested a lot of money and time into could end up being to his detriment. It'll be interesting to see how this shakes out, and I wish the best for Suzuki and his game, but, as of now, I have my reservations about how good this game will actually be.

In Kickstarter update #52 you can see some very nice screenshots:

Hello Everyone,

Today, Shibuya Productions is holding the Monaco Anime Game International Conferences (MAGIC) where Yu Suzuki will be giving a presentation on Shenmue III and unveiling some new screen shots (work in progress, of course!), which we have for you right here!

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Thanks Eye!

The developers of Shenmue 3 have tried to explain why their Kickstarter rewards won't go to those who backed with PayPal.

Shenmue 3 developer Ys Net ruffled some feathers recently when it decided not to extended backer rewards that had previously been offered as “Kickstarter exclusives” to PayPal supporters. It was a strange move on the face of it, because the studio claimed there was a “strong response” from people who wanted to maintain exclusivity, but the results of two polls it conducted in December indicated the opposite: There were more people who wanted to open up the rewards than there were who wanted to keep them exclusive. But the majority of respondents said they didn't care one way or the other, and that's where things got tricky.

“Since the launch of the Paypal campaign we have received numerous requests to remove exclusivity from certain Kickstarter rewards and make them available for the Slacker Backer campaign as well,” a representative explained in an email. “We held the poll as a method to gain more accurate insight on backer opinions concerning this matter since we could not be sure that the requests we received represented the opinion of the vast majority of the backers.”

Ys Net's “foremost consideration” was upholding the promise it made during the original campaign, he said, and so it would only be willing to change that position if the majority of its backers supported doing so. That wasn't the case.

More information.

Kickstarter Update #48 and an abridged version of Mr. Suzuki’s talk at CHUAPPX:

CHUAPPX Expo Review & PayPal Rewards Poll

Greetings Backers,

There are two items on the agenda today. The first is question for you regarding the availability of Kickstarter rewards on PayPal and the second is a recap of Mr. Suzuki’s lecture at CHUAPPX Expo.

KICKSTARTER REWARDS ON PAYPAL Rewards labeled as “Kickstarter Exclusive” have not been offered on the PayPal site because we felt it was unfair to offer them after the Kickstarter had ended. There have been many requests, however, for certain rewards like the S3 World Telecom to be offered on the PayPal site. We would like everyone to weigh in and tell us what you think. If there is a strong consensus either way, the rewards will either remain as Kickstarter Exclusive, or will be offered on the PayPal site. Keeping our promise to you is very important to us; but at the same time, the PayPal site was set up precisely because fans could not back the Kickstarter and they feel they should not be penalized for that.

We have tweeted a poll so you can vote on the question. Please let us hear what you think! CLICK HERE for the Tweet Poll. 

Next up, we have an abridged version of Mr. Suzuki’s talk at CHUAPPX. [...]

Seganerds: Interview with co-producer Biscay

Teamyu: Interview with Yu Suzuki

Shenmue Dojo: Interviews with Biscay (translated to English)

Naomi Daniels writes about the causes of Open World Fatigue caused by sandbox games like GTA and the possible solution for this problem.

[...]

In a genre that increasingly has grown to the point of causing fatigue in players, known for its large worlds and emphasis on letting them do what they please, certainly there’s enough room for a story-based take on the genre that stresses the personal. While many argue that Shenmue’s time has passed, I argue we need it and games like it now more than ever, and thankfully we’re getting it. While other games do their hardest to not tie themselves to the mundane or the everyday, the Shenmue series is fantastic purely because it ties itself to the everyday and most human in all of us. If Shenmue III replicates even a quarter of the magic of the originals, it’ll be something special.

We need more games like it. Sometimes, maybe bigger really doesn’t necessarily mean better.

On a Tumblr fan page for Shenmue 3 a community interview with Yu Suzuki (with some really short answers) can be found including pictures and an (apparently) exclusive piece of art,

Team Yu asks:

1) How has the revival of Shenmue after fourteen years affected you personally, and your outlook on life?

YS: The continued support of fan’s heartwarming messages and videos over the past 14 years have been one of the most moving experiences of my life. As a game designer I couldn’t be more proud.

Shenmue Dojo asks:

2) Will we be seeing any aspects from Shenmue Online in Shenmue 3 and what exactly?

YS: We do not expect to. We consider Shenmue 3 a sequel to the Shenmue series in the purest respect.

3) There is a cinema (theater), in the game named “New Yokosuka”, was there any time during development to make this cinema accessible to the player?

YS: Honestly I don’t remember since I made the game around 17 years ago. But if we did make a theater, I think someone naturally requested being able to enter.  

And there is also this Kickstarter progress report, about map testing:

n this phase of the development, the major work being done is the map testing. Map testing will define the different areas to make sure they are neither too big, nor too small to get to that Goldilocks zone. This consists of looking at the layout of a certain space, and experimenting to make necessary alterations. For example, an outside area may feel too open. That space may be reduced by 20%, and the number of people there increased from 10 to 16, to affect the proper consistency and density of the area.

All elements in the following screen shots are still in testing. Objects are being used as place holders, like the men in black suits, and Ryo is also an older model. Backgrounds and buildings are also still in the development stage and will see reworking. Shots for the two battle scenes were taken at angle to avoid spoilers as much as possible.

Thanks Eye.

Two interviews with the director and producer of Shenmue 3 Yu Suzuki:

ShenmueDojo:

Yu Suzuki's interview : A New Shenmue (2015)

1) David : Hello Yu Suzuki. Today is September 14th and 2 months have passed since the end of the Kickstarter's campaign. Could you tell us how you've felt during the campaign ?

Yu Suzuki : Many people asked me how it was during E3 so I'd rather talk about what happened after that, the development and so on. That's what is the most interesting to me. The game's budget has been decided with the Kickstarter and we're working on it accordingly. We're currently testing the Unreal Engine 4.

2) David : 14 years have passed since the release of Shenmue II. If you had to think about it, was there anything that could have been improved in the previous games ?

Yu Suzuki : When I was making Shenmue II, my goal was to make it better than the first one. Of course, there are many things that could have been better. If I had to provide an example, that'd be the use of time. How long you had to wait until the next event.

In Shenmue Yokosuka, the player had no other choice but to wait until the next event occured. The concept was to add many different features for the player to enjoy while waiting for the said rendezvous. After the first Shenmue was done, people provided their feedback and many of them were frustrated having to wait, that's why I've decided to add the « Skip Time » feature in Shenmue II. By using it, you could skip time and jump to the next scene.

3) David : During the trailer of Shenmue Online, we could see Shenhua summoning a Phoenix to fight Lan Di. Is it linked to the original story of Shenmue ?

Yu Suzuki : This is a story I made up specially for Shenmue Online. So no, It has no link to the original story.

I would like to ask you some questions regarding Shenmue III and the Kickstarter campaign if you don't mind.

4) David : You've planned to add scenes from the first 2 games « Story Digest » in Shenmue III to describe the story. Are you going to use the previous games original scenes or do you plan to recreate them under the Unreal Engine 4 ? Is there any chance you're going to add Chapter 2 « the boat » in it ?

Yu Suzuki : The boat chapter won't be added. Regarding the « Story Digest » we're thinking about the best way to add it.

5) David : A fan has made a suggestion and wanted you to hear it. Is it possible for Ryo to hold a camera and take some pictures that the player could save in the inventory ?

Yu Suzuki : Ryo holding a camera doesn't match with his style and the way he is. However, the fact that the «player» himself is taking the pictures sounds like a nice idea. To be honest, I already thought about it before, so if that's possible, I would like to make this possibility happen.

[...]

Dual Shockers:

Shenmue III Interview: Yu Suzuki Talks Gameplay, Tech, Romance, PS4, PC, Frame Rate and Much More

We smiled, laughed and even cried when legendary Shenmue creator Yu Suzuki announced Shenmue III on Sony Computer Entertainment’s stage at E3, and during my latest trip to Tokyo, I had a chance to talk with the man himself about the game, and on what we can expect in the future.

Suzuki-san talked about many interesting factors like gameplay, what kind of romance we’ll find in the game, the relationship with Sega, the platforms, technical elements like the use of Unreal Engine 4 and the tentative frame rate on PS4, and he even gave some uplifting details on how a talented fan like Nocon Kid joined the team behind the title.

Without further ado, you can check out what he told me just below.

Giuseppe: First of all, thank you for your time. We are very honored to be able to ask you some questions in person. How is development going?

Yu Suzuki: It’s going very well. We’re currently testing the Unreal Engine 4. We’re also undergoing testing for maps of the three areas that will make up Shenmue III.

G: How is the process of improving the character visuals since the early prototypes proceeding?

YS: They are being improved. Also, the person who originally created Shenhua, is collaborating with us on her character. Thanks to him, Shenhua is looking a lot cuter.

G: Will there be many new main characters introduced in Shenmue III that never appeared in previous Shenmue games?

YS: Yes, of course there will be.

G: Do you have any hints about those characters?

YS: There will be many new characters. There are the four main bosses. There will be Lan Di from the previous games, and two more fighters. One of those is an extremely beautiful and sexy, but cruel woman. I briefly introduced her image in Shenmue II, but in Shenmue III she will have a proper and extensive role. The last one, on the other hand, is strategist using more cunning than head-on fighting.

[...]

Yu Suzuki is interviewed by Eurogamer about Shenmue 3, the events leading to where we are now and that more money would be welcome.

Shenmue 3's Kickstarter has been, by any reasonable measure, a success. Within 102 minutes of going live, it had raised $1m - earning itself a world record for being the fastest game to break that barrier via a crowdfunding platform. By the time the campaign finish, with $6.3m pledged, Shenmue 3 had become Kickstarter's highest-funded video game project. Despite those numbers, though, and despite that success, there have been concerns for Shenmue 3. The original games were grand, sumptuous productions with a reported budget of $70m at the time - raising the question of whether Shenmue 3 can match fan expectations with relatively limited means.

"Kickstarter's not the only source of money," says Suzuki. "There's also funding from Sony and Shibuya Productions. Before we started Kickstarter, we had goals set around the budget - so if we only got $6 million, we'd create Shenmue 3 based upon what we could do with that $6 million." During Tokyo Game Show, the option to back the game via PayPal was announced, another revenue stream for Shenmue 3. "We're still trying to gather funds. Obviously, the more money we have the more we can do. Even if we don't get as much budget as the previous games, we'll still make this game."

Can Suzuki make the game that he wants, though, with the resources and technology at hand? "I could do with a bit more money! The game itself doesn't have to be gorgeous visually - a lot of the money these days goes into the graphics. If we perhaps compromise on the graphics and put more into the story, we can make a good game. The most important thing, to me, is that the game's interesting, and that it's something people want to play."

Thanks Eye.

For those who missed the Shenmue 3 Kickstarter campaign, which raised $6,333,295, there is now a new change to throw money at Ys Net for the development of the game.

“There are so many people told us they could not pledge on Kickstarter, or could not make the deadline, and have asked for a PayPal page for another opportunity to contribute to Shenmue III,” the studio said.

“The Slacker Backer period will continue through December 31st. While the full game will be completed as promised with the use of the funding collected on Kickstarter, any additional funding collected here will go towards reaching the Stretch Goals to make the game even bigger and deeper.

“The three month window was set to allow a long enough time to for everyone who wants to support Shenmue III to do so, but short enough to keep the release date on track. The PayPal page will feature a selection of rewards from the Kickstarter campaign including the Trial Version and the Collector’s Edition.”

Over at otakumode there is an interview on Yu Suzuki in which they discuss the kickstarter and how Shenmue 3 is progressing.

TOM: Please tell us a few things about the contents of Shenmue 3. First, about the story, what are you going to change and and what do you want to keep?

S: Right now, I aim on making production as effective as possible with the budget at our disposal. Since it will be a sequel in the Shenmue series, we will continue in the steps of its predecessors, having about five to six basic paths depending on the circumstances.

TOM: A game that requires thinking.

S: You think about what to do next and how to decide. Shenmue isn't about competing on who has better timing or skills, if anything it tests your ability to make decisions. For example, you can go that way because a person said so or you can outwit the person and go the other way. I want to create a similar system where thinking takes precedence in battles.

TOM:And that's what makes it similar to the previous Shenmue games.

S: That said, it won't feel good enough without some refreshing action. Not only will the player's decisions be properly reflected in battles, they will also feel good to fight. I want to build them in motion capture and show gamers something properly made.

S: Another thing is "technique scrolls." Although I haven't decided on how to include them yet, ordinary move scrolls could be available at weapon shops, players could get them as a gift, pick them up, get them as a prize for completing a quest, or receive them in the end after an event, it doesn't matter. Players would get their hands on them in various ways, and I intend to make them in a way that the techniques could be pulled off in a video animation without practicing, except for the master techniques which will require a certain amount of practice.

S: The skill tree system will also be connected to the technique scroll system. Just like a tree spreading its roots and branches, if you master every technique in Category A, the tree will be completed to the last leaf, and you will finally be able to learn the master move. However, in Category B, where you didn't master the general techniques, the tree won't grow, which means you won't be able to learn the master technique. This is the way this system works.

The Kickstarter for the open world action adventure Shenmue 3 is over. With 69.320 supporters and $6.333.295 amassed the campaign is the most funded Kickstarter campaign ever.

Congratulations!

With only a bit more than two days to go in the Shenmue 3 Kickstarter campaign, Ys Net released a very short trailer.

The campaign is at almost 5M$ now.

In a change of earlier plans, Shenmue 3 backers now have the opportunity to get a physical copy for the PS4.

Hello backers, Shenmue fans & PS4 gamers!

The Shenmue 3 Kickstarter proudly announces the addition of the PlayStation 4 Physical Copy Reward.

This is one of the most requested items on the list, and we are very happy to be able to include the Shenmue 3 PS4 Kickstarter Backer's Edition as a Reward. If you are a Shenmue fan and PS4 gamer, this is the reward to have to commemorate the occasion!

PS4 Physical Copy Reward Details:

All backers pledging for a $60 Reward tier or higher, will have the option of a PS4 Physical Copy as their platform choice.

After the Kickstarter finishes, a survey will be sent out to backers in these tiers to confirm your choice of platform. Choose one of the following:

1. PS4 Physical Copy

2. PS4 Digital Copy

3. Windows PC Physical Copy

4. Windows PC Digital Copy.

Backers who have pledged for a PC Physical Copy will not need to adjust their rewards if they would prefer a PS4 Physical Copy instead.

Just a reminder, the Shenmue 3 Kickstarter will be offering only one copy of the game per backer (Trial Version excluded).

Thanks to all the backers for your comments and suggestions to help make this happen. Please keep your feedback coming by sending us a message through the "Contact me" button on the project page.

Following the announcement the Kickstarter got another boost. Now it's at almost 4.5M$ with 10 days to go.

Yu Suzuki revealed more details about Shenmue 3 in a Twitter Q&A. silicinera posted a summary:

Were there originally 16 chapters in the Shenmue saga or were there 11? please elaborate as to why some say 16 and some say 11.

It is 11 chapters, but with branched story line, it will be more than 11.

At $5 million, exactly HOW open world will Shenmue 3 be, compared to Shenmue 1/2?

I’m expecting something similar to Dobuita in terms of scale.

Will you be disappointed if the Kickstarter doesn’t raise $10mill for that ‘open world experience’?

No I won’t. I am grateful I have another chance for a new Shenmue. I will do everything I can within the budget.

The Kickstarter is at almost 4.3M$ with 12 days to go.

Thanks Couchpotato!

In an article at PC Gamer, the author explains why he is excited about Shenmue 3.

Shenmue 3 is happening, and it’s coming to PC. As a fan of the series, I can’t believe I’m typing those words. But there’s a very strong chance you don’t give a shit. The first two games were only ever released on Dreamcast and Xbox, and there hasn’t been a new entry in the series for 14 entire years. Why should you?

There’s every chance this new game, which is being funded on Kickstarter and by Sony, will be a disaster. A pale imitation, cynically fueled by nostalgia. But if its creator, Sega legend Yu Suzuki, manages to conjure up even a little bit of the magic of those first two games, it could be something special. I want to believe.

We don’t know much about Shenmue 3 yet, and all that exists is some (admittedly dodgy-looking) concept footage. So instead of speculating about what the game might be like, or what I want to see in it, I thought I’d look back and tell you why I love the series so much, and why its return could be a wonderful thing.

As you can see in the headline there have been already 13 updates to the Shenmue 3 Kickstarter page. The latest one clarifies the project funding to a certain degree.

There have been many questions concerning Shenmue 3’s budget and what outside sources will be added to the money collected through Kickstarter. I apologize for not having been more forthright in this area and would like to take this opportunity to help clarify the situation.  

Ys Net and I have been putting in many long years trying to find a way to bring back a sequel that so many fans have waited so long for. After learning of Kickstarter, I knew it would be possible to get Shenmue 3 started. Wanting to make the best game possible, I also knew that I would have to look to more traditional means to obtain all the funds that would be needed to create the game I had envisioned. [...]

Mr Suzuki posted some interesting infos in his Reddit AMA. Here's a brief excerpt:

wonkah666
When creating Shenmue 3, will you use any assets at all from 1 & 2? Or do you have to start all over from scratch because SEGA still owns the first two games? 

Yu_Suzuki
The assets from 1 & 2 will get a lot of use.

GuppyBerkley
Love your work! You are a pioneer in this industry! As for my question:
How much game elements/features will we be missing in the game if the campaign doesn't reach the $5 million mark?

Yu_Suzuki
I will say this: if we reach the $5 mil mark, one of the things I really want to do with Shenmue 3 will become a reality. At $10 million, it will truly have the features of an open world.

 The Shenmue 3 Kickstarter is currently at 3.5M$ with 25 days to go.

You didn't really believe a AAA title like Shenmue 3 could be made for 2 million dollars, did you? As it turned out, the Kickstarter was meant to prove there is indeed sufficient demand for a new Shenmue game. On that condition Sony agreed to co-finance the game. As you already know, Ys Net's Kickstarter campaign succeeded within a day. So Sony is officially on board now. Kotaku has some infos:

With Shenmue III, the rest of the money seesms to be coming from Sony. How much? No idea.

"Sony and PlayStation is definitely a partner in this game," said Corsi, "and it's going to be run through third-party production. We're going to help Ys Net get the game done, we're going to be partners on it the whole way, and really excited to see this thing come out in a couple of years."

In an interview with Engadget Sony Playstation's Shuhei Yoshida revealed this whole PR stunt wasn't their idea:

So I want to switch gears a little bit. I want to talk to you about Shenmue and crowdfunding. That was announced onstage on Monday and it's at about $3 million now. So let me ask you: Why did Sony PlayStation decide to allow that crowdfunding announcement as opposed to funding it?

Ah, no, no, no. It's a very exciting project and there are lots of PlayStation fans asking for it. But it's a Sega IP and of course Suzuki Yu-san is the creator. So somehow Suzuki-san was able to work out with Sega to allow them to Kickstart the project. And because we liked the project, our third-party relations team struck a deal to help Kickstart the campaign at the E3 conference. That's great PR.

Yu Suzuki's company Ys Net secured the necessary license from Sega to make a new game in the classic Shenmue series. He hoped to finance Shenmue 3 through crowdfunding, and he was right. The Kickstarter campaign took off with lightning speed. After only 3 hours 1.36M$ had been pledged. A short time later the funding goal of 2M$ was reached, so Shenmue 3 will definitely be made.

Shenmue 3 is the true sequel to the classic open world action RPG games, Shenmue and Shenmue 2. Created for modern platforms (PC and PlayStation 4) and built in Unreal 4, Shenmue 3 will continue the legacy of Shenmue.

Here are a teaser from Sony's E3 show

and the Kickstarter pitch

Current status: 2.8M$ of 2M$ (funded), 36k backers. Only 700k$ more and Shenmue 3 will get a skill tree system. ;)

Thanks Couchpotato!