The Shenmue 3 announcement at the Sony PlayStation Press Conference was undeniably one of the highlights of this year's E3. At first it was unclear if Sony was providing Shenmue creator, Yu Suzuki, with a platform to announce the Kickstarter or if it was collaboration between the two.
Yesterday there was speculation the latest entry in the Shenmue franchise may come to the Wii U, but the chances have since been significantly lowered with Sony's director of third-party relations, Gio Corsi, explaining Suzuki and Sony's goal has been met:
We hit our goal in under 24 hours.
In 2014, Sony met with Suzuki at the Game Developers Conference during the same year a post-mortem on Shenmue's development was presented. With the major stepping stone always funding, this is where Sony agreed to come to the rescue of Suzuki.
According to Corsi, after extensively researching the demand for a future entry in the franchise that originally started out on SEGA's Dreamcast, Sony came to the conclusion it should use Kickstarter to measure interest in a new Shenmue game.
We said 'the only way this is gonna happen is if the fans speak up'...we thought Kickstarter was the perfect place to do this. We set a goal of two million dollars, and if the fans come in and back it, then absolutely we're going to make it this a reality.
The remainder of funding for Shenmue 3 appears to be coming out of Sony's pockets, with Corsi displaying plenty of excitement about the Sony and PlayStation partnership:
Sony and PlayStation is definitely a partner in this game…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.
At the time of writing Shenmue 3 has already reached its goal and is now close to $US3 million. It is scheduled to arrive on PlayStation 4 and PC in December 2017 with other platforms currently in the dark. The chances of a wider release appear slim now given the fact Sony is involved in the project.
Tell us in the comments if you think Suzuki's Shenmue revival has a chance of making it to Wii U.
[source kotaku.com.au, via kickstarter.com]
Comments 81
Tick Shenmue off the Wii U list too. Move along. Nothing to see.
Sooo.... kickstarter for Metroid Prime 4?
@DoctorWily Sorry, I think the makers of Metroid Prime are busy with ReCore on Xbox.
Personally I think this is exciting as it hopefully means they won't need to cut corners at every opportunity. They'll treat it more as a marketing thing for good PR than a project that needs to turn profit like any 3rd party would do.
I think Kickstarters for Nintendo games would be good too. They're clearly not going to make another F-Zero anytime soon as they don't think it will make money.
By assistance, only partial payment? Why not produce the whole damn thing? Why the whole kickstarter approach? This whole E3 has been nothing but a waste of time in my opinion. Sony needs to set its goals closer and have its killer titles on more promising dates (we don't want another last guardian scenario), Microsoft needs to look for better ventures and invest in more risky moves (make Rare do something) and Nintendo needs to come clean if it still wants to produce content with the Wii U or not.
If you think this E3 was a wonderful year, then you're piss out of luck. This year, I thought I would never hear this coming from a show floor meant for AAA development, "It's gamers who are funding game developers for a project that they will eventually buy because publishers don't want to."
Stop patronizing, people, and maybe one day these companies will get all of their collective **** together.
I thought the straw-clutching in the original article stating that Wii U 'had a chance' of Shenmue III was pretty funny to be honest.
@Liam_Doolan Stop trolling =0p Game developers are allowed to move on you know! You should know that Retro Studios (a subsidiary of Nintendo) are in control of the latest Metroid entries. That's like saying 'Sorry, no Doom, because they're too busy making the Oculus Rift'
@sikthvash It was a joke, ease up.
https://youtu.be/D2xgu4QnYA0?t=32
Yeah they are helping but wouldn't it be Suzuki's choice whether or not it makes it to other platforms? Nintendo helped development on Bayonetta 2 but if Platinum wanted to bring it to other platforms then they need the ok
I would have got the PC version anyway. Technically it will be the best. Wii U is too underpowered for these type of games, I think.
This news was the jawdropper of my E3. I have sat on the fence with PS4 this whole gen and was only prepared to get down if a sequel to Red Dead was announced - this announcement came totally out of left field! I am keen to back the kickstarter in anyway I can as this is one game that NEEDS to get made - allegiances aside, Shenmue is without doubt a hall of famer in the pantheon of video games. However I don't own a PS4 or powerful PC...depending on the given launch date for NX, I will see whether I manage to get a PS4 in time to properly make the most of this generation that's rapidly passing me by - I can only justify purchasing one new system and Holidays 2017 might be the big one for Nintendo...on the topic of a WiiU release, I now see this as slim to no chance - Sony have grabbed a real coup with a potential exclusive. I cannot believe any of the other top publishing houses underestimated the demand for Shenmue 3?! This game could have been made years ago as a Nintendo exclusive had the big N really paid attention to what's been trending for ages all over relative gaming sites. As to whether Suzuki would bother coding a port for Nintendo? If NX is out by then, then a Wii U version is out of the question. A lot might depend of NX's early momentum should a port come out for that...
@link422007 Rares got a brand new non kinect game Sea of Thieves
And I found it rather dicky of sony "we'll make Shenmue 3 if you fans kick in 2 million first" It's not like the Shenmue fans (on all systems) have been campaigning for the series and offering to fully fund it via kickstarter for the last 10 years (kickstarter being a fairly recent addition) or anything.
The funny thing is they've already said Shenmue 1 & 2 HD can not happen as Sega owns them entirely. it was reported a few years back that 1&2 Hd for 360 was all ready made and waiting to go but sega wasn't sure it'd make money. So its possible for MS or Nintendo to jump in and "save" the HD twin pack snatching it away from Sony whilst completely confusing everyone
@abe_hikura I know right? And Shenmue fans, tormented by the cliffhanger ending of the last game are salivating at the mouth while Sony laughs all the way to the bank.
And people go for this "muuuhhh PS4" bandwagon. How sorry am I to see people be conned to invest in something they will buy for another time because the publisher doesn't want to and still expect the money from the sales.
@link422007 Nobody is being conned. Everyone is happy to throw money at this. This is a shining example of a game that would never get made without crowd funding and all backers are happy to show how badly they want this. This average amount per back for the first 12 hours was well over $100. People didn't just give enough to get themselves a copy, but wanted to give as much as they could.
I think it's pretty clear nintendo don't want games like this on their hardware.open worlds and non linearity are popular in the wider gaming community and we all know how nintendo refuse to "directly compete".even their 3d games play like 2d ones this gen.they think linearity makes them different and eshop aside you'll have to go multiplatform if you want to do something other than pressing right on the d pad/control stick.
I already assumed the chances were at 0%, frankly, so this just confirmed that for me. Oh well. I'll wait for the PC version and if my computer can run it, I'll play it that way, or look into the necessary upgrades to make that happen. Stoked that it exists, but puzzled as to why they're even pretending on the Kickstarter that there's a shot of it coming to other systems, unless they have an extremely odd deal going on with Sony.
On another note, the look of Ryo here puts me off pretty badly. He looks nothing like his Dreamcast version and it really puts me off for some reason. Hoping that as development kicks off things will look way better, but puzzled how they let him be shown on the big stage like a weird generic white dude version of himself that belongs in a fan game, or like someone tried to recreate him in another game with a character creation tool and settled on that as being close enough.
Not a game not made or paid by Nintendo has a chance of making it to Wii U.
as long as it goes to pc I'm happy. the game looks seriously beta but either way ill get the finished product.
Did you really think a Wii U version was possible? No serious 3rd party title will ever be on the Wii U again. It's over. And with the horrible E3 digital event we had, you can be sure we will have even less. No 3rd party would take a risk like porting Shenmue III to the Wii U when Nintendo themselves destroyed the only little momentum they had managed to get for the Wii U.
This is the game that is pushing me off the fence and into getting a PS4. Love Shenmue and it's reveal was easily my most hyped/stunned reaction of E3.
Although I thought a stretch goal was possible (in the previous article), the realization dawned on me that by the time this comes out, there's a huge chance the Wii U won't even be around anymore.
If the game is only just starting, it should be at least another 3 years before release. If they release the 1st 2 episodes to build anticipation, I would by a PS4, but for people who did not play them, releasing them might be a bad idea, so these were very early open world games (I would say not the open world we know in games today).
Most Shenmue fans are gone. It is pointless to actual care about Shenmue as the games should have continued release on Dreamcast. I mean why bother with this anymore.
This Kickstarter thing is getting out of hand. Now Sony "needs" it too? What's next, government Kickstarters to pass laws or to arrest someone? "If enough people wants a serial killer to get arrested, we need to reach the goal of 5 million US Dollars to know if there's interest in the people for the criminal to be stopped".
I hope the bubble bursts soon.
I'll wait for the cut scenes to be on YT. I'm so disappointed in Yu Suzuki now.
Shenmue 1 on Dreamcast, Shenmue 2 on Xbox, and Shenmue 3 on Playstation? I guess it is a good idea to release Shenmue 1-3 again on the same platform, given that some people may not have played it before.
You know what could have been a better way to see if there is interest in the sequel? To release the first two as downloadable games and upon the sales figures, determine if the release for a sequel could be profitable enough. If Kickstarter would have existed in the 80s, Coca-Cola would have made one to re-release the Classic after the New Coke fiasco instead of taking the hit. The people are not speaking, they are making things for big companies easier.
@RegalSin I'm still alive and I love Shenmue.
@Tender_Cutlet I love it too but I don't feel it's OK for a company like Sony to ask for my money before it's even developed. It's like a ransom. Pay 3 million or we won't make games. I'm a consumer, not an investor and if I were I'd be expecting my share of profits, not just a copy of the product.
@OMC79 Fair enough. Isn't the beauty of Kickstarter that you can choose to invest (in exchange for perks and rewards)? Given this title has swept past it's starter mark and now will get made, aren't you free to sit back and pick up a copy at release for the RRP? Noone's forcing you to part with more than you want to in order to get this made. You are right though, anyone with internet access should have been able to conclude there was an appetite for this game. Sony for one really didn't need to push the kickstarter approach.
I love Shenmue a lot but I found this KS so fishy. If Nintendo can fund Bayo 2 Sony could easily fund Shenmue 3, without any KS to force people to show their interest with their wallets. If they are helping, why on PC too and not a PS4 exclusive? How comes the backstory, something that is a must for games so old and on different consoles, is a stretch goal and not even part of the initial package? Yakuza 3 had it for the first two games.
I am afraid this will finish the Shenmue tale but not live to the standard of the other games.
@sinalefa
Suzukisan said at the conference it had been his goal to go via Kickstarter since learning of it 3 years ago. Shenmue is his baby, not Sony's. Sounds like Suzuki has a point to prove to those obstructing him at Sega and this is a very high profile vote from the public with their wallets. Sony would obviously have been happy to have costs subsidised.
A PC version is approved because there is no direct competition with the Playstation (and the console market).
Sega has a stake in the rights to the original two games, they wouldn't just give them out to Suzuki and Sony for free - the stretch goal of the back story covers these prospective costs.
@sinalefa I'm afraid of that too, what would be the motivation for them to make a good game if they already paid for it? It might as well be like that Waterworld arcade game Milhouse plays in an episode of The Simpsons. The game just have to be finished so they won't give you any refunds.
@Liam_Doolan I know, hence the smiley face / troll comment, but perhaps should have stopped there dude! ^_^ I guess we can all look forward to Sakurai making games for Microsoft / Sony now as Nintendo literally broke his hand during Smash Bros. development for not having a Subspace Emissary follow up.
@Tender_Cutlet Sega relinquished the rights for Shenmue about a year ago. If people like IGA or Suzuki would have remained independent (in the case of Inafune that was not possible, though. Unless he sold his company but if he did, he'd have money so it would be te same), I'd be OK with the crowdfunding stuff, a little disappointed but it will be OK. The least they should do is return the money or something more than just sending you the "perks" they originally promised. Kickstarter needs some sort of regulation when things like this happen.
@OMC79 I think after 14 years of frustration that Suzuki has enough motivation to make this work! Sega threw $100m at him to make the original and that result didn't disappoint the players.
Remember this KS is led by Suzuki himself - the more he raises, the more he can personally invest in the game and the less overall control Sony will have on the finished article - which is a ray of hope for Xbox and Nintendo fans!
@Tender_Cutlet Sega threw those $100m at him, not the people and we didn't give him money so that Sega could threw that money. And if now he needs more money to get the control of the game from Sony, we will be paying ransom now for real. It gets worse by the minute.
I suppose in the next days we will see a Kickstarter from Microsoft to release the XB360 backwards compatibility because poor old MS need to know if there is enough interest from fans.
@Peach64 So, if I were to say that Metroid Prime 4 was going to be made by crowdfunding, published by Nintendo but not funded while you see Tanabe on the video saying, "If you don't fund this game with x amount, this game won't ever be made", you're still saying it's okay?
If you're a publisher, it's on or not at all. I know that people wanted Shenmue 3, but to be backed up by a big name publisher AND STILL ask for money? That's asking for exploitation of the worst kind just like how Nintendo does it with Amiibo.
@Phil_Kavadias Stranger things have happened.
Don't take it for granted, but Sonic the Hedgehog is on Nintendo.
@OMC79 Would you rather a Shenmue 3 completely funded (and therefore controlled) by Sony? Yu Suzuki is a businessman, Sony is a global corporation - suzuki needs all the help he can get to retain his influence on the project. I for one am happy to help. And i don't think Microsoft will do that.
@link422007 At least with the Amiibo you are paying for a finished, already-invested-in product. A worst kind of exploitation was Capcom's DLC scam for SFxTekken. That was also paying ransom for something you already have.
@Tender_Cutlet Yes, for it will more honest. I wouldn't be paying someone who could have gone to a bank or any game company and get the investment with the help of his rep. If it would have been a regular joe who wanted to get his game done, he wouldn't be that lucky, he would really need any help for he'd be kicked of the bank by security personnel and the best he'd get in a game company is as a janitor. Businessmen don't go in the streets with a hat or a tin can so regular people throw money in it so their investors finally put the money in.
That's not the way Capitalism works, not even the way Communism or Socialism work, even in a cooperative, the employees get their equal share of the earnings, not the finished goods.
Shenmue coming to Nintendo,...no. This article is reaching.
I had only ever play the original so I'm not all thrill about Shenmue 3 but yeah if Sony wants part 3, then let em. As long as the story is complete, it'll make those who started with the original two happy. Shenmue was originally going to be Dreamcast's saving grace against the PlayStation 2, hard to believe the series is in the hands of its once competitor.
Have any of the Shenmue games ever came to Nintendo consoles? No? Then what's the point of this?
"Significantly Lowered" is an understatement...
@OMC79 I sense you feel high profiles like Suzuki aren't deserving of support via KS. In fairness to him, we are talking about a AAA game here and not an Indie title that could cost less that $100,000 to make., I don't think any developer has the personal fortune to fund such a project from their own pockets. As for the honesty of this all - what's dishonest about (for example) offering $100 in exchange for a $40 game and over $60s worth of merch of collectable value to a fan of the franchise?
@retro_player_22 It won't make me happy as I don't have a PS4.
Shenmue came out in 1999, the Playstation 2 in 2000.
@Tender_Cutlet If we are talking a AAA game here and the guy and the game have a rep, there are many rich, vastly rich investors that would be more than willing to back the game. I rather pay those $100 for a $40 game and the $60 of goods after it's released, at least that way I'd have the chance to read the review or even play it to chose whether to buy it or not. Instead of making things easier for Sony to save them some bucks, buy a PS4.
@TwilightAngel 48 hours ago no Shenmue game had ever been associated with Playstation.
@Tender_Cutlet It's not like Sega, if they still had the rights to Shenmue, has a preferred console, you know, they no longer make consoles. 48 hours ago, most gamers under 21 never heard about Shenmue, maybe that's more relevant.
@OMC79 If there were a queue of said rich businessmen ready to back the revival of an old gaming franchise then I'm sure they would have made progress these past years. Given Sega's stance and even Sony's approval to test the water with KS, I'd summise that not many moneypeople share my confidence in the project!
I think you and I are going to have to agree to disagree on our perspectives of this!
@OMC79 I've seen the old news you refer to, this was Jan 2014 for the American rights to allegedly Shenmue Online. I understand that Sega of Japan renewed their trademark of the franchise name in summer 2014. Don't think they'd let all this happen without a piece of the pie!
@Tender_Cutlet At this point, is obvious you are the kind of fan that would sell his soul to get more and don't respect himself as a consumer. Go sell your house to get this game done if you want. As you've just stated, now your making things easy not only for Sony, but Sega as well. If helping them is what you crave, go ahead. I hope you really, really get what you are pre-paying for, but you probably won't mind anyway.
Now you're just out to hurt my feelings. Why so?
Can we still have a Limited Dreamcast port stretch goal for backers only? XD
@Angelic_Lapras_King #dreamlivin'!
The important thing is the game is getting made. For me it is irrelevant how it gets funded. I think this is a huge coup for Sony. I suspect there will be many, like me, who will be seriously considering investing in a Ps4 (albeit in a few year's time when it get released.) Sadly, there has been nothing this e3 which has made me want to buy a Wii U
@RegalSin
The huge reception this game is getting says contrary to your opinion.
Anyway this is the big elephant in the room for NIntendo fans, and I think sooner or later Wii U owners will need to switch to Xbone, PS4, or a high end gaming PC. For me, it'll be PS4. Sony has shown they are serious about stepping up their game and are buying exclusives left and right.
@OMC79 Right, wrong example my bad.
I bet if freakin' EA would ask for a crowdfunding scheme for something like Command and Conquer, they would quickly demolish it as a money grubbing scheme. LOL
@Tender_Cutlet Sorry, hurting your feelings it's not what I wanted. As someone who works hard for the money, I look for my own welfare first before my fan needs. As much as I've also wanted the conclusion for so long, asking for money to the fans and then getting a big investor like Sony and still asking for money after that, makes me so angry at both Sony and Yu Suzuki that now I just stick to the cliffhanger of Shenmue II forever.
@Tender_Cutlet Given how sucessful the Kickstarter has been so quickly, a Dreamcast AND a Vita port could be likely. XD
@Angelic_Lapras_King Vita: very likely. Dreamcast: wake up and smell the beginning of the new video game crash, you're just dreaming too much. They don't want their own money to be spent on the development of a game for current consoles, I don't think they want to spend their hard pledged money on older consoles. Making a DC version these days is like making an SF II version for the 2600 back in 1991. It was weak even for Shenmue II, it needed 4 giga discs while the XB just needed 1 DVD.
@Angelic_Lapras_King in theory, as the DC ran on a windows engine, they could do a watered down version of the PC version...might need be on 8 discs to hold all the info though!! Without a modern sizes RAM it would be difficult for the DC to handle all the data that needs be preinstalled onto the PC...
People hyped for Shenmue 3 probably never played the previous entries. Those games are so slow and boring, with a lot of cinematics.They tanked for a good reason. If you haven't played them download a Dreamcast emulator and judge it by yourself.
Also funding an AAA game through kickstarter is shameful. Sony have no excuse. They're destroying the original kickstarter purpose and open the door for other big publishers
@dAvecaster My thoughts exactly. Except I ovepaid for a WiiU at launch!
@bitleman some, by no means all. The originals didn't tank, they just cost more to make than was possible to recoup from the Dreamcast's meagre install base - Sega didn't profit, and the rest is history. Other than that you're entitled to your opinions on the game - FYI Sony isn't doing the kickstarter, Yu Suzuki is. YS Net.
@Tender_Cutlet
When you can't recoup your cost it's called tanking in my book dude
Also sony confirmed through a Gio Corsi interview they're actively participating at the development through their third party studio that also developed RE Revelations 2 and Borderlands 2 on Vita. It's a shame to fund an AAA game through a kickstarter. It's not even debatable at this point. If any other big publisher did that the hate campain would be huge.
@bitleman It happened for Deep Silver for Bloodstained and Mighty No.9, same situation, maybe worse for Bloodstained.
@OMC79
Thoses games aren't AAA by any stretch of the imagination. They're small games from genre no one want to see on next gen consoles if you look at the sales of their games.
Also it's sony we're talking about. One of the biggest worldwide publisher. Once again there is no excuse
@bitleman I disagree. The development of Shenmue was the gaming equivelent of an Elton John birthday party - a massive, extravagent vanity project; a chance for Sega to flex theIr muscles and show everyone just how far ahead of the rest of the industry DC was in 1999. It was never about profits. You are judging the game from the perspective of the modern industry and not from its place in time.
@bitleman Agree. Those are not AAA, but have a similar hype and excuse for the crowdfunding. Isn't it amazing how naive are those who support those games even after their backing of companies, this one is just too much. It's freaking Sony, dam*it!
Sorry to rain on some people's parade but Shenmue II was a commercial flop. I love the game and I really wanted to see the conclusion, but the truth is that even after 3 years or so of the successful DC release, the XBOX release bombed. If Sony is involved, it is about the profit.
It's possible, especially if it ends up becoming a stretch goal.
@RegalSin er? 'Most shenmue fans are gone' ?? The game was the fastest game to $1 million, and then to 2 million. It's the first game I've ever backed, what on earth are you on about?
@luke88 meet @OMC79; @OMC79 meet @luke88. 🍻
"Significantly lowered"?
You guys are a joke. Let's put this straight: not happening.
Nice to meet you @luke88.
@Tender_Cutlet Your passion for Shenmue is amazing. You even think now that I said there were no fans left. There is not even an O in @RegalSin.
Are fans still alive and well? Sure there are. Are they willing to even sell their mothers to see the sequel? You better believe it. Is it OK to give money so a multi-billionaire company won't risk its money? Common sense says no, but fan logic says: come and take my soul.
Crowdfunding is now a joke. Now is at the service of the poor multi-millionaires that are so attached to their money. Poor millionaires, let's give them our money so they won't have separation anxiety. It feels more like crowdblackmailing now.
@OMC79 @Tender_Cutlet A pleasure to meet you both. I understand the debate surrounding this kickstarter; it does seem contrary to the 'spirit' of kickstarter itself. However, the second I heard about it I lost all self-control, it was frightening. I'd have fought, till death, any man, woman or child that tried to stop me backing the project. I don't have even own a ps4 or a pc.
@Tender_Cutlet I'd follow you through the gates of hell.
I wonder how much ps4's will be by the time Shenmue comes out, hopefully fairly cheap.
@luke88 hehe you make me chuckle. I don't own a PS4 either yet but I share your desire to back this project. Hopefully a PS4 slim will be under £200 second hand by late 2017.
@Tender_Cutlet ha, good good. Yes I'd certainly stretch to that, hopefully they'll be a nice backlog by then as well.
Its great to Shenmue get this kind of treatment. Would have been nice to see it come to Wii-U. Oh well hopefully my buddy who has PS4 will get it so I can go see it. I'm a big fan of the original.
No one should be surprised, but... sad.
@luke88 those hollywood kickstarters are rigged. SEGA at anytime could do an Shenmue but they want it to sell.
Shenmue does not need support it needs people who will go outside and purchase the thing. Shenmue was also suppose to have like sixteen games in it. Honestly this is kinda lame.
Shenmue comes before Virtual Fighter series. Virtual Fighter is 1990's. Also Shenmue taking apart is really some typical martial arts movie.
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