See, this is what I am talking about. This is not a shop selling items. It's not "a sale". It's a reward. For donating money to go to funding for Shenmue 3. The only reason you should be pledging, and getting a reward in return. You all are now expecting rewards based on the monetary value that it seems to represent. But it doesn't represent thay at all, it's a figure thay someone is comfortable to donate to make Shenmue 3. At best it's a slight incentive, but at the end of it all, your pledge should be for the purposes of Shenmue. Not what item you want to buy.

Yeah, that's not how it really works and you know it.

No one is expecting to get full "pound per pound" tiers, but it's good for the people that get rewarded with cool things they actually want.

And I know it??? No, I know that the money I have donated is for Shenmue first and foremost. Anything I get for that is an added bonus, or a reward. So don't tell me what I know and what I don't know.
Some of you have been posting for days with nothing but complaints and whining about how awful AJ are and the rewards being inadequate. How about being happy thay Shenmue 3 is being funded, a game that we have been waiting for for a decade and a half?? Or being optimistic that Yu will do a great job with whatever figure he ends up with, both with the funding inside or outside the Kickstarter? All the Shenmue 3 forum has been dominated by is rewards talk and negative hype. It's tiresome and non supportive of a forum dedicated to supporting Shenmue and it's fans. Some of the posts we have read have been embarrassing, and it's a shame some "fans" are clouded by what they feel is right, when it's Yu Suzuki who will have made the decision to give all of these ideas thus far the go ahead to be made available.

Here's an interview with Nagoshi about Yakuza Kiwami.

The masterpiece born from antithesis to the world of the gaming is reborn again after 10 years

Ryu Ga Gotoku Kiwami is based on the first game in the series which came out in 2005. Please talk about the details that lead to this decision.

Nagoshi: I always had the feeling that I'd like to make the first Ryu Ga Gotoku again one day. However, I was always wrapped up in making the latest game in the series, and the timing just wasn't there. Now that we're sitting at 10 years after the first game came out, if we're ever going to do it, now's probably the only time.

The time has come, I suppose, huh?

Nagoshi: When we start working on the new games, we always look back on what we've been working on before, but I've always keenly felt our limitations when I look back on the stuff that came out on the older systems. The hardware specs from back then are nothing compared to what we have now. Not only that, but our skill level was still rather wanting. As a result, to put things bluntly... "Man, those games are terrible". Still, when I think about how "terrible" those games are, there's another aspect to consider, and that's how much we've grown as developers. If we could ever go back and do Ryu Ga Gotoku over again, we'd be able to make something absolutely wonderful. And with the opportunity to do so becoming more and more possible, we eventually struggled on to make the big reveal.

The subtitle for the game is Kiwami (Extreme). What kind of meaning is included with that?

Nagoshi: Because we're using the game engine for the latest game, Ryu Ga Gotoku Zero, we're able to take the fruits of what we've cultivated over 10 years and apply it to things like Game Modes and controls, making the quality the best... the extreme. "Kiwami Quality" is the meaning behind attaching Kiwami as a subtitle.

So, is it good to think of this as a remake?

Nagoshi: Obviously, the main thread of the story will be the same as it was in the original game. However, we've skillfully constructed extra scenes which will complement the original. Moreover, since our last representation of Kamurocho was the 1980s version from Ryu Ga Gotoku Zero, we couldn't use the data from that game and had to rebuild Kamurocho all over again. Because of that, it has the feeling of making a brand new game from scratch.

On top of making a new game, you've probably been revisiting the 10-year-old Ryu Ga Gotoku multiple times during development. What's the number one impression of the game you've been left with?

Nagoshi: Ryu Ga Gotoku was really made as an antithesis to what was going on with game development at the time. During a time in the industry when everyone was looking westward, the market for Ryu Ga Gotoku was limited to Japan and targeted strictly at adult males. We gave absolutely no thought to targeting a female audience. Our CERO rating was D (17 or above), so there was a lot of "stimulating" expressions in the game. The story was low-down-and-dirty drama lived out by real flesh-and-blood characters... I think it's for these reasons the game really stood out like an odd duck. The first Ryu Ga Gotoku Game really focused on the end goal and cut out a lot of the surplus, coming across as a really sour-looking game. Thinking about it now, we really managed to put up a fight with the game in that condition. I can look back on some of our decisions and be amazed that they turned out so well.

Ryu Ga Gotoku was originally introduced under the name Project J. Can you still remember that feeling 10 years later?

Nagoshi: The core of the series hasn't changed. However, as time marches on and the series grows larger, our female fanbase has increased in size, not to mention the fact that we're getting lots of fans from overseas. We're grateful for the fact that a large amount of opinions are being expressed about the series. However, if we just blindly accepted and implemented every viewpoint, the heart of the series just wouldn't beat as strong. From this, for the past 10 years, we've been very selective in adopting the suggestions we've been appreciative to receive.

What was impressive about the scenario in the first game was the participation of the author Hase Seishu.

Nagoshi: Back then we just started writing with the big question mark hanging over our heads about how well our script-writing abilities would hold out. However, as we went along, it was clear that there were some parts we just wouldn't be able to get done on our own. Because of that, it really worked in our favor and the game's favor to borrow the professional power of the actors, actresses and the author. We received a lot of harsh criticism from Hase Seishu-san, and I really felt our incompetence shine through. However, receiving that criticism was an important step in continuing into where we are today.

This is probably why the story is being expanded this time, huh.

Nagoshi: While there can be no denying that the story was completely wrapped up back when it first came out, I always had the thought that we could have really evoked some more profound feelings. You know, really add some of the drama we couldn't completely hash out last time. I was always going to be writing a section of the scenario for this release, but the thing I really wanted to add was the drama involving Nishikiyama. There was just so much we didn't sketch out about his backstory during the first game, and now would be the best time to do it. This was my first proposal, and the next thing I wanted to add was more of one of the series' most popular characters, Majima Goro. I wanted to establish his connection with the main character Kiryu after the events of Ryu Ga Gotoku 0. There's lots of opportunities to add big, new episodes, and making cuts to scenes and adding new ones makes it easy to understand "Oh, that's the way it should be!" We can really assemble a well-put together and easy-to-follow drama.

Nagoshi just announced that Japanese actor Takeshi Kitano will be in Yakuza 6.

New 8 minute japanese trailer for Yakuza Kiwami:

I think the game is really built with the side-stories in mind, to be honest. You're supposed to be dipping into them as you go along. Keeping up with them, the 10- to 15-minute cutscenes that pop up in the main story end up feeling like rewards. So far I've been more than happy to sit through and enjoy them every time they come along.

https://goo.gl/maps/FJ1aEbJj44k

This is the building according to Google Maps. Looks suitably humble. I'm pretty sure it's the right building, the narrow rectangle structure of the building seems to mimic what we've seen in pictures of the YSnet offices, but I could be wrong.
It's just behind that one, not visible directly from Street View. Actually Dojo member abaww went to visit it last year. Here's the thread with some photos he took of the exterior:
http://www.shenmuedojo.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=48767

Yu Suzuki mentioned during his MAGIC Monaco presentation that his development studio for the project is located in Gotanda (also in Tokyo, a few minutes away by train).

When the Shenmue saga is finally finished it would be so amazing to go on a tour of all the locations. Dobuita to Hong Kong to Guilin and beyond.

Would you be interested in any contributions? I've written a series of articles on Yu Suzuki and Tetsuya Mizuguchi on Medium which I've shared here: https://medium.com/@MoosaviAmir

You know what would be an awesome spin off for yakuza? A cyberpunk themed one. We have had modern, feudal and zombies I think it would be awesome if the next spin off was a futuristic gritty one.

A very exciting update! It is so cool to see actual in-game footage in creation before our very eyes.

Switch! We need you lol. Very interested to see what the post-it notes say on the bottom of his screen.
I hear your call!

Actually I've just written a quick blog post about the video, so I'll extract the relevant part.

⋅ Note 1 is titled "MVN Development" with some notes underneath. One looks like it might say "fly". Aha! That makes sense. MVN Studio is the name of the software used to develop with Xsens, the 3D motion tracking technology being used in Shenmue III.
⋅ Note 2: looks like business contact details, having a phone number, the name of a shop, name of the contact and an email address.
⋅ Note 3: is a single word with the number 1 after it. Er... I hope it's not a password as that would be bad security practice! (I won't give it here just in case).

P.S. As you can see from my updated signature, I've just launched a blog where I'm planning to post my Shenmue translations / updates etc.

Here's the link to my full post with some observations about today's video. Enjoy!
http://www.phantomriverstone.com/2016/09/kickstarter-update-59-observations.html

Super Fantasy Zone

I just love this little shooter on the Mega Drive. It looks great, sounds beatiful and is just a lot of fun to play.
It can best be described with these three words: colorful, hectic, joyous.

Even though I've known this game for years and always enjoyed picking it up for a quick fix I never managed to beat the whole thing without level skip. I beat each stage individually but never in one run and I always did it on Easy.
It's really a shame because but that's a thing of the past because I did beat it on Normal and I think I did quite well.

I got the whole playthrough on video. So if you're interested, take a look.
It seems that I also have the only playthrough on Youtube that is captured from real hardware, let alone in 1080p60.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GM-rI4o3yuY

I finally finished off the last Terminator movie Genisys. It was alright, it was kind of a different take on the original movie through the first half then went in another direction during the second half. Arny returns, and thats all good, but the time travel chronology and sense of the whole Terminator time line kind of gets thrown out the window, or its some kind of reboot. They re-do certain scenes from the original terminator, which was a fun throw back, but its kind of a jumbled mess once everything is said and done, but the action is solid, also Emilia Clarke is hot in it. It is worth a watch at the very least.

Kill Bill 1 and 2. Saw they were added to Prime this month and figured it had been a while since i have seen them, so why not? especially since I ahve been on a Tarantino stint the last year or so anyway. Kill Bill are decent Tarantino flicks, but no Pulp, Reservoir, Jackie, or Django. Still definitely has that original flare to them that Tarantino is known for and definitely worth multiple watches.

Mad Max: Fury Road. Man did this film have character, what a deep deep and extremely developed world, it adds alot from what was built on the first 3 films. The story was alright at best, but the vehicles and costumes and locations and shots used and visuals were just top top quality, I see now why it got so many nominations at the Oscars this year. Shame the story couldnt keep up with how great everything else was, still a solid film all in all, and especially awesome for people like me who like well done weird films that arent afraid to buck the norm and show shocking/unusual things on screen. I also thought it was awesome that they cast many parapalegic/special needs (assuming it wasnt just CG edited or well done make up), very cool to get these people on to the big screen.

Barry Jones without a doubt.

Guang Ji Wang. Yes, he can seem kind of annoying but you gotta admire his ability to handle a drink or two.

And because the English VA for his brother Guang Yan Wang in Shenmue II is awesome.

I like Barry Jones. "We met in Sapporo last year"

Well to a certain extent Shenmue does feel less like a game than Shenmue II. They were going a more unique way when they made the first entry in the series. The changes to the pace and the reduction of the mundane in Shenmue II made it more enjoyable overall but they also made it come closer to a traditional game while doing so.

Talking about the setting is a difficult matter. Shenmue is meant to have a familiar feeling city and a fixed location you can call home while Shenmue II is meant to throw you in a foreign enviroment with ever changing life conditions. Of course everyone can have their preferences but I don't think it's fair to say that one or the other setting is better. I could only rate how well the games manage to pull of their respective feel and to me the slight winner here is Shenmue II.

In specific points, this is where Shenmue has the upper hand
- Weather effects
- Importance of time (and how you go about to make it go by)
- NPC routines
- Free training
- Ease of counter attacks (the timing in II is so strict that for a long time I thought they were gone)
- Kitten
- Forklifts
- Telephones
- Online features of the Passport Disc (too bad it's so hard to access the stuff)
- Raffle and winning cans

There are only a handful of things missing from Shenmue II that go deeper into the details of the game, like the items that don't carry over or were made into capsule toys since they lost their purpose or how the camera can be moved during fights.

I generally look at this series as a one whole thing, but for fun, what did you enjoy more about shenmue II more than Shenmue I?
great question. shenmue 2 is bigger, more positive. dobuita expands to hong kong and guilin. ryo makes friends in another country, friendships are formed that will last. ryo gets closer to his goal. explores the world.

Sent from my SM-G390F using Tapatalk

What I'm about to post here might seem a bit biased compared to what I wrote in the topic regarding the first game since it's going to include a lot more stuff. I do like Shenmue II quite a bit better than Shenmue and I think it's well known how often I have been speaking up for it in the past. But there is just so much refinement in Shenmue II that needs to be mentioned so I'm trying to make this my definitive "what's better" post.

As mentioned in the other topic I do feel that the changes in Shenmue II made it more streamlined wich leads to it becoming more (even if only slightly) of what's typical for a video game. Some of the things I'll mention here are very much doing that but I think that they make the overall experience more enjoyable, especially when you replay the game multiple times.

I'm not going into the story or the characters and how they are written. Shenmue II obviously has a lot more to offer in that regard but I think it's unfair to compare the two games here. The first one was only ever intended to be the opening chapter, almost just a prologue of the whole saga so naturally it's not as full and rich yet.

- Much bigger game world
- More NPCs
- More dialogue options
- More things to collect and play with
- More secrets and sidequests to discover
- More gameplay elements that always introduce something new (rock smashing, leaf catching, etc)
- More instances of failure leading to a branching path instead of a retry
- More fights, more QTEs
- QTEs are more varied and inputs better represent fighting actions
- Better cinematography, better action scenes
- Overall more refined graphics and a more vibrant look
- NPCs blink and have more natural looking mouth movements
- Drastically improved sky box
- Larger and more diverse soundtrack (it's extremely hard to say if it's better overall)
- Better Jukebox music (that I can say for sure)
- Money plays a bigger role and comes with lots of ways to earn and spend it
- Costumizable move set (at the expense of having some moves at the same time)
- Improved camera respone for zooming and especially turning
- Faster capsule toy animation
- Enemies have life bars
- Submenus that make the overall menu less cluttered with items
- Shenmue collection easily allows access to fights and minigames
- Maps and leading NPCs (I just wish there was a way to turn off owned maps)
- Cutscene skip option (after clearing the game and also after fails)
- Time skip option
- Save anywhere
- Uninterrupted disc swap

"More" really is the keyword here as Shenmue II simply has more to offer in just about every aspect. Shenmue II simply is a game of a much bigger scope. In order to reach this goal it made some sacrifices in areas that made Shenmue groundbreaking and unique but I feel that this is a good thing for Shenmue aswell. It makes it worth to always go back to it, just for the different feeling between the two games. I really hope I have cleared this up for me now...

I liked Shenmue II better because it gave me a better sense of adventure as a "stranger in a strange land", compared to the first one, where everything was feeling more like an intimate experience, just not as intriguing.
So it was mainly a matter of locations and storyline for me, I guess.

Is this who i'd go for or who I ship for Ryo?

All the girls are weird in Shenmue, so I don't have a waifu, but I want Ryo to be with Fangmei.

Edit: No scratch that, I want Honey-San to be my waifu.

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.

http://i.imgur.com/fdu3a4f.png 　

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!
　
http://i.imgur.com/zTUR20E.png
A strong-willed girl, she seems...
　
http://i.imgur.com/SR3y6ID.png
Be on the lookout for shirt button projectiles!
　
http://i.imgur.com/MRuzLd9.png
My, what lovely facial hair you have...


Thank you as always for your continued support. We look forward to showing you more soon!

Link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ysnet/shenmue-3/posts/1907628

Gamescom booked.

"I'm not giving up." - Ren

"Do you know a guy named Charlie?"

"I know Charlie Chaplin, but he's no longer with us."

Be they funny, serious, sentimental, or otherwise, what are your favourite lines of dialogue in the game(s)?

Here's a few off the top of my head:

Jimmy: "Please don't hurt me! I have a wife and kids!"
Ryo: "That's your problem. [I still don't have the ticket I paid for!]"

-

Terry: "Let me invite you to hell."

-

Any of the conversations with Nozomi outside Aida Florist before Ryo is set to have lunch with Tom.

-

Goro: "Musta had me a bad egg this morning; gotta hit the can, my man! Oh, I hope I can make it in time, ohhhhhh!"

-

Tony Abrams: "Gimme something tough so no-one'll mess with me!"

"Hey, my lunch!" - Mark

Serious:

"Stand up, I'll allow you to die like a warrior" - Lan Di

There's a flicker of respect there, which is unusual considering Lan Di's very personal reasons for killing Iwao. Pretty interesting insight into his character IMO.

Funny:

Not a specific line, but Ryo cutting off Hattori-san when he starts complaining about sports is funny in a pretty subtle way. He does the same thing to Jianmin in II when he starts a spiel on kung fu. Ryo really doesn't enjoy rambling old men, does he?

My favorite by far is
Chai via phone: "Nyyyyyeeeeeeehehehe! Terry's waiting!"
Ryo: "Who is this?"

My favorite by far is
Chai via phone: "Nyyyyyeeeeeeehehehe! Terry's waiting!"
Ryo: "Who is this?"
:rotflmao:
They definitely stole that from here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=payDsNKcRKQ


Anyway, if I really have to choose one...
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Hh7lXKUkS5k/hqdefault.jpg

Another favourite of mine is when, after receiving Fuku-san's life savings, a frustrated Ryo comes out with: "Argh, that's still not enough!".

Although this is purely a frustrated response, I'm just amused by how ungrateful he sounds.

No.

I like Yakuza, and have done for a long, long time (I remember getting hyped when Kenzan was announced ten years ago); but it has absolutely perplexed me how people say "so why do you want another Shenmue?"

They don't scratch the same itch, and most comparisons are really just on the surface level. Those who act like Yakuza is a replacement for Shenmue don't really get why people like Shenmue in the first place.

When viewing their main mechanic focus, Yakuza is more of a 3D beat'em up with exploration aspects while Shenmue favors the latter over action. Also the level and money grinding feel of Yakuza makes it more akin to action RPGs than the likes of adventure games. Even though both share Japan as setting and Sega, they are different games in essence so Yakuza can't be in any form some kind of successor to Shenmue. A more fair comparison game to Yakuza is actually River City Ransom, to which I can see the natural evolution of its 2D form into what is now Yakuza.

Yakuza not but, somehow, Shadow Of Destiny is.

It think you hit the nail on the head. Remember the Shenmue "Post Mortem" 3 years ago? Yu Suzuki told us about a Sega Saturn prototype he developed called 'The Old Man and the Peach Tree'. It was a period piece set in rural 1950s China, where life was still very traditional, before the Cultural Revolution. The story was simply a young martial artist looking for a Master Ryu to teach him. His investigation leads him to an old man in a distant village who agrees to tell him where to find Master Ryu if he brings him a peach. Eventually, the young man returns with a peach and witnesses the old man skimming stones across a lake. Each time the stone hits the surface, a fish floats to surface. When the young man sees this feat, he finally realizes the old man is Master Ryu.

Shenmue does not strive to be a pure action game. It strives to simulate a place in time, serve as an instructive morality tale, and its offers players a spiritual meditation on life and love and peace. It's cerebral and mysterious. And only then is it an action-adventure. This is quite different from the purpose of the Yakuza series, so it will never quite feel the same, even if some of the gameplay and visuals are similar. Shadow of Memories/Destiny was a special game because it really didn't focus on action at all, but on making the player feel the consequences of time travel and really think about the consequences of human experimentation and fate. In this sense, it too had a more philosophical method and purpose of story-telling compared to Yakuza. Most people play games to enjoy action and laugh at absurdity, so it is no surprise the Yakuza series is so successful compared to Shenmue. Shenmue's ideals are more in line with what might usually be marketed today as an indie game.

Hi there people, I´m Sebastian Riera, aka SebasRD82 in the social media, and I´m working on a Shenmue manga. Just opened a Patreon to help make this possible. Maybe some of you may be interested, or not. Just in case, I´m sharing the info ;)
This is the Patreon link: https://patreon.com/user?u=695795&utm

Here you have some of the manga pages:

http://i.imgur.com/wzCbjM5.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/t9GHLPp.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/VG40VR9.jpg

Kiske wrote:I should probably just stop drinking in the middle of the afternoon.

If anyone asks if you're okay... Just say:

Here's the thing people, 0 is a 2015 game, developed in 2014.

To compare the two to that title, isn't quite apt, as it was still on the Yakuza 5 engine as well (whichever engine that was).

Compare it to RGG 6, THEN we'll see what's better, as that is the most recent game in the series; Hell, Kiwami is a 2016 game, developed in 2015, so even that is closer to where we're at.

That being said, I could care less; as many others have said, I'll take a walking pile of turd as the model and still be happy :D

That first pic is indeed gorgeous, I had a huge smile on my face when I saw it :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:


I agree that if we are to draw a comparison between the Shenmue and Yakuza series, it is only fair to maintain an equal playing field by presenting the latest iterations of each game.

One point to take note of however is that comparing specific development years is somewhat erroneous because although Shenmue 3 is a newer game than Yakuza 6, the Unreal 4 engine is technically an older engine Yakuza's Dragon engine which debuted in 2015.


Shenmue 3
Unreal 4 Engine

http://i.imgur.com/DVWpdfw.jpg


Yakuza 6
Dragon Engine

http://i.imgur.com/pFnIQhn.jpg


Shenmue 3
Unreal 4 Engine

http://i.imgur.com/nfdX5Nv.jpg


Yakuza 6
Dragon Engine

http://i.imgur.com/pX994EN.jpg

Yeah 0 definitely has my favourite music in the series. Top to bottom it's great all around, think it's Hidenori Shoji's best work next to 3 (joint favourite OST for the series). I enjoy a couple of the tunes from Kenshin as well.

Biggest weakness I've noticed with Kiwami vs. 0 is the side quests - think 0 has the best collection of subquests in the series, whereas Kiwami so far might have the weakest in comparison (since it's including a lot of the ones from OG 1 so it's outdated in comparison). Still enjoying the game greatly. Really need to go back to 5 and finish it before 6 comes out!

The soundtracks from 0 and 2 are my favorites, although it was really only the licensed tracks from Crazy Ken Band for 2 that I really dug. I'm so glad that those tracks remained intact with the US release.

I'm playing through Kiwami right now. I beat the Japanese version when it came out last year, and I was really just kinda "eh..." on it, despite the gameplay and engine being the identical to 0. I guess I never really liked the original Yakuza. I remember being so pumped for it when it was first being released on PS2 back in like, 2005. But when I played it, I thought the combat was terrible. The voice-acting was bad, despite having Hollywood "celebrities doing the dubbing, and the combat mechanics didn't get serviceable until Yakuza 2.

With Kiwami, all of that is fixed. I'm still not a fan of the story, but the new parts about Nishiki's story are great. My biggest gripe though, would have to be the cutscenes. The graphics are just as good as they were in 0, but the developers didn't bother to redo any of the cutscenes (aside from the ones that weren't in the original Yakuza). What you get are these fantastic character models with 2005 PS2 animation. I never thought that the animation in any of the Yakuza series' cutscenes were bad, but maaan...seeing the original animation now with these newer models just hurts and makes Kiwami seem like it was developed and released before 0 (which it kinda was, technically).

The Majima Everywhere System is fun, but it makes no Goddamn sense in relation to the narrative. I get it, Majima is an awesome character, and after being such a major part of Yakuza 0's story, it's understandable that the developers would want to include him more in Kiwami. But Christ, his impact as a character is incredibly diminished by having him pop up so randomly. Not to mention that his behavior in the cutscenes and his behavior in practically everything else (which wasn't part of the original Yakuza) almost contradicts each other. I always remembered Majima being more of an enemy than a friend to Kiryu in the original, although he wasn't a straight-up villain either. This was something that gradually evolved into the odd friendship seen between the two characters from Yakuza 2 and on. That's why they're relationship in the original was important, as this was the starting point for their growth. In Kiwami though, he's like Kiryu's best friend from the beginning. What a shame :-({|=

All that being said though, I'm really enjoying my playthrough of Kiwami much more this time than my first time. It's probably because I can understand everything now, but still, it feels like a wasted opportunity. Even for a "budget series" such as this.

^^It sounds to me likes it's not so much about the Kiwami being mediocre, but rather that old fans (the ones no doubt most excited about any entry in the series) have already basically played the game, being that it's a remake. The stuff I'm hearing doesn't seem so much like the game itself is poor, just that it's nothing new or particularly exciting.
But yeah, should be easy to adjust expectations based on that. I've played through the original game... twice, I think? And no, it's not the greatest game in the series, but I still like the story, and finally playing it in Japanese will be nice (much as I like Mark Hamill, hearing him as Majima was never anything but distracting; I did always think Michael Rosenbaum was a surprisingly good Nishiki, though).
If anything, I'll probably find the major changes to be the worst part; the excess of Majima, for example, seems like too much (like Leroy was saying). Majima has always struck me as a bit of a Jack Sparrow type of character; the one who steals the show when he's around, but probably shouldn't be milked too much. And he's definitely being milked by this point. In the original game, his presence was minimal but memorable. And that's really how it should have stayed.

The latest post on Phantom River Stone looks into the difference in the naming of certain characters between the first and second Shenmue games when playing the English versions, and how these relate to the native ordering in Japan & China.

https://i.imgur.com/DrOwE3pl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/wfgJtU0l.jpg

Read the analysis here:

http://www.phantomriverstone.com/2017/09/zhu-yuan-da-or-yuanda-zhu-characters.html

Hello, everyone. I know we already have the brilliant Shenmue 3 Kickstarter News/Information/Multimedia Archive thread, but I thought it would be a good idea to have a compendium of all the facts, information, and everything we currently know about the game in one easy-to-read contained thread. Perhaps the mods would like to consider this as a sticky?

Please feel free to add everything and anything you can that is relevant (as well as suggestions on how to improve the thread), and I'll update the original post whenever I can :)

(Some of the following information can be considered as spoilers, so read at your own risk.)

---

Story

- Yu Suzuki describes the game as "a kung-fu adventure that takes place in China" [1]

- The game's "key points," according to Yu Suzuki, are "romance, characters' life and martial arts." Where romance is concerned, Yu Suzuki would like to portray the differences between how men and women think [4] [39]

- According to Yu Suzuki, Shenmue III will begin from Chapter Six of the story's eleven planned chapters , and will "mark the end of this story," but will not be the end of the story . In a 2018 interview with GamersFlag, Yu Suzuki stated, "the end will be open for a sequel," suggesting Shenmue III might end on a cliffhanger [33]

- Shenmue III 's story begins the day after the conclusion of Shenmue II [9]

- Ryo, while still angry and thirsty for revenge, will grow and mature a lot throughout the game. Those he meets along the way, particularly where martial arts is concerned, will be largely responsible for this [5]

- The meaning behind the "He shall appear from a far eastern land across the sea..." prologue poem, as well as Ryo and Shenhua's roles in the prophecy , will finally be revealed [1]

- Yu Suzuki has stated he would like to keep Shenhua as "a mysterious character" [38]

- Ryo will not return home to Japan in Shenmue III [17]

- The game will explore and highlight the differences between Japanese and Chinese culture , particularly the way in which Ryo behaves in a foreign land having come from a different background, and how he and Shenhua interact with each other [8]

- Confirmed fighting styles (thus far) include: Hazuki style jujitsu (Ryo) , Fist-Dagger Mantis style (Niao Sun) , Nanquan (a master located in Choubu), and Bajiquan (Ryo and various characters throughout the game) [9]

Characters

- Confirmed important characters (thus far): Ryo Hazuki , Shenhua , Lan Di , Ren , Niao Sun , Chai , Shenhua's adoptive father, and two unnamed "main bosses"

- Confirmed minor characters (thus far): Ming Ming and unnamed minor characters such as an extremely muscular rival to Ryo (described as "a middle-level boss" who "uses an unusual style of martial arts") , the owner of Choubu's Bird Dance Hostel , the temple/shrine maiden of the Hall of Name Tags (described as "a tomboy, boyish type") , a young girl Ryo will befriend , an assistant who will play a role similar to that of Fangmei , a master of Nanquan , and an "eccentric" and "really powerful" martial arts master with "a humorous personality" [6] [9] [36]

- Nozomi , Guizhang , Ine-san , Joy , Fuku-san , Goro , and "other characters" from the two previous games are also confirmed , albeit in the form of telephone calls through the 'World of Telecom' service [6] [9] [16]

- There will be "four main bosses," according to Yu Suzuki. Lan Di and Niao Sun are the only named bosses at present, the latter of whom has been described as "extremely beautiful and sexy, but cruel." The only information pertaining to the two remaining main bosses is that one of them is "[a] strategist using more cunning than head-on fighting" [39]

Locations

- Confirmed areas (thus far): Bailu Village , Choubu , and Baisha [6]

- Bailu Village ( 白鹿村 , which translates as 'White Deer' ) is the starting area of Shenmue III and, where the player was only able to experience just a tiny fraction of the village, was also where Shenmue II ended, though the entire village will now be fully open and explorable . According to Shenhua, who lives in a hut on the very outskirts of the village, Bailu Village is home to around fifty inhabitants . Due to the village's proximity to water, players will be able to fish there . The initial quests here will start Ryo and Shenhua off on their journey

- Choubu ( 鸟舞 , which translates as 'Bird Dance' ), a riverside village situated on the banks of the Li River , will be the game's equivalent to Dobuita or Wan Chai , featuring numerous shops, stalls, amusements, hotels, shrines, temples, dwellings, and other buildings. Choubu resembles Kowloon in terms of its density and verticality . Choubu will contain approximately two-hundred NPCs (which is over three times that which was originally planned), one of whom is a master of Nanquan . Choubu has been described as the most Shenmue -esque location in the game [9] [17]

- Baisha ( 白沙 , which translates as 'White Sand' ) is a village, notable for its numerous tulous, which is home to the Guilin branch of the Chi You Men. Baisha will see a number of new gameplay systems introduced to players, including "a siege game reminiscent of the Warring Kingdoms," which will presumably see the player defending allies from external attacks and engaging in battle with enemies attempting to gain control of the village's buildings, as well as an infiltration mission into the Chi You Men's branch (presumably on a mission to rescue Shenhua's imprisoned adoptive father). It is also during this infiltration mission the player will take advantage of the new 'Character Perspective System' , allowing the player to swap between Ryo, Shenhua, and Ren, utilising each character's unique traits and abilities to achieve their goal

- Some of the specific landmarks and establishments that have been revealed are the Lake of the Lantern Bugs , the Temple of the Blooming Flower , the Bird Dance Hostel , and the Hall of Name Tags [13] [30] [31] [32]

Gameplay

- Shenmue III contains around thirty hours of gameplay [3] [9]

- The 'Technique Scroll System' , one of the game's confirmed new mechanics, consists of move scrolls comprised of three unique types - Normal, Advanced, and Arcane - the latter two of which are managed by a skill tree-like system, which fills as you learn new moves , and require a certain amount to be accumulated before use [9] [16]

- The 'Character Perspective System' , the second of the game's confirmed new mechanics, gives the player the ability to change the character they're playing as - with each character having their own distinct personalities, choices, and approach to the situation at hand - in order to complete their objective. Ryo's approach is that of fighting ; Ren's is that of using a weapon ; and Shenhua's is non-violent and tactical . This mechanic will feature in a single event [17]

- The 'Rapport System' , the third of the game's confirmed new mechanics, will see Ryo and Shenhua's relationship vary depending on the player's actions towards, and interactions with , her, therefore affecting how cooperative and/or warm/cold she is in return , dictated by two underlying systems: the 'Affinity Rating' and 'Cooperative Quest' [17]

- 'A.I. Battling' , the fourth of the game's confirmed new mechanics, will allow players to "unleash the perfect technique in response to the opponent's positioning and distance," meaning the technique will, upon activation, hand control over to an A.I. which will decide the best course of action instead of requiring calculated inputs from the player. The system is "for players who are not used to fighting games or for those who want a full immersion battle experience" [19]

- NPCs will be more akin to those featured in Shenmue II , meaning their scripting won't be as detailed, nor will their personalities be as unique as those in the original game, though other aspects about them will see improvement (e.g., cosmetic detail and facial expressions) [38]

- Regarding controls, Yu Suzuki has stated he is currently in two minds about how they will function; on one hand, he would like to "keep a similar configuration to the original game," but realises times have long since changed and is therefore considering more contemporary schemes [10] [12]

- In order to make the combat system simpler and visually different from the series' previous entries, a "Variable Speed" system is being incorporated into FREE battles. Specific details have not been revealed, but Yu Suzuki describes it as "new and fun" [11]

- Ryo will now be able to attack multiple opponents at once (a primitive version of this could be found in the first two games, in which the Ryo was able to grapple an opponent and kick away surrounding enemies) and perform combos in FREE battles [26]

- QTEs will return in a more modernised, dynamic fashion . The possibility of using specific sounds and colours to associate with inputs , as opposed to displaying the button itself on-screen, is under consideration [9]

- Training areas might be making a return for the first time since the first game [38]

- Progression of time will be "about the same system as the first two Shenmue ." This means one in-game hour is equivalent to four real-world minutes; one in-game day is equivalent to one real-world hour [34]

- There will be events in which a bear and a deer must be saved

- Regarding the size of the game world , Yu Suzuki states it will be "even richer" than the series' previous entries. Choubu, on its own, has been greatly expanded , by at least five times its originally planned size [4]

- A trademark of the series, attention to detail and interactivity (as well as examples of more subtle detail such as gestures and cultural dress style) will be in abundance [9]

- As was the case with the previous games, Ryo will return to his place of rest at 11:30pm . In Bailu Village this will be Shenhua's house , and in Choubu it will be the player's hostel of choice . Baisha's place of rest is currently unknown, though one can assume it will be in one of the tulous

- Regarding loading screens/times , Yu Suzuki has stated that, "[players will] start in a large area which will require some initial loading, but compared to before the loading situation will be much better. It's much faster now," possibly suggesting exterior-to-interior (and vice versa) loading will be seamless [10]

- For the very first time in the series, players will be able to change Ryo's outfit (and maybe even remove his bandage ) [17]

- The notebook will return, and has been updated with coloured divider tabs [17] [25]

- Forklifts will return in one form or another [9] [38]

- Capsule toys from the first two games will be returning, though it is currently unknown whether brand new capsule toys from SEGA franchises will be introduced. Those who pledged for the $700 tier of the Kickstarter campaign will have a 2D illustration of their face featured inside a small glass block , whereas those who pledged for the $1200 tier will have a Chibi-style representation of themselves featured as a fully-modelled capsule toy , as part of new in-game capsule toy collections [13] [17]

- Fortune-telling has been confirmed

- Purchasable move scrolls will be returning [23] [24]

- Arcade cabinets will be returning. So far, Excite QTE and Fighting Mania -like cabinets, as well as pinball machines, whack-a-mole, and a punch-ball boxing machine , have been seen [17] [25] [41]

- Lucky Hit will be returning [6]

- A turtle racing mini-game has been confirmed [1]

- A fishing mini-game has been confirmed [9]

- Many of the new mini-games will be more meaningful and connected to the game's world and progression [9] [26]

- Part-time jobs will be returning. Although wood chopping is the only confirmed job thus far , the presence of a warehouse in Choubu and Lucky Hit suggests job opportunities, too [9] [35]

- Ryo can earn money through various other means, including gambling and selling items (e.g. capsule toys and fish he has caught) [9] [17]

- Wild animals such as tortoises, ducks, and frogs can be found in certain areas. Chickens, dogs, cats, turtles, hens, pigeons, and "many more" can be found throughout the world, too, and there might even be the opportunity to care for a pet in a similar fashion to the kitten from the first game [2] [9]

General

- The game has a tentative release date of 2019 for PlayStation 4 and PC [27]

- In order to appeal to veterans of the series, Shenmue III will be comprised of 30% contemporary ideas/influences and 70% 'classic' Shenmue themes [12]

- The game will feature a short recap covering the events of the first two games for those who are new to the series. Flashbacks using scenes from the first two games will also occur throughout the story; Yu Suzuki is even considering making some of them playable , but is currently "undecided" [9] [11]

- Like its predecessors, Shenmue III will have a bad ending should players not manage to complete the game by a certain in-game date [40]

- Memories will play an important part in Shenmue III . One such example is that of an NPC who will recount a prior event , giving Ryo (and, by extension, the player) a more tangible, visual idea of what occurred before working to fit the pieces together [11]

- Save data from the first two games will not be able to be carried over into Shenmue III

- As of December 2017, almost all of the English voice actors for the main characters have been cast , with casting set to continue in early 2018 [8]

- Yu Suzuki would like to bring back as many of the series' past voice actors as possible. Shenhua (and Wong , if he features in the game) will have a new English voice actress due to Akasha Scholen's retirement [3] [9]

- Corey Marshall and Masaya Matsukaze will reprise their roles as the English and Japanese voices of Ryo Hazuki, respectively [28] [29]

- In a Dreamcast Ultimate interview published on 11/09/2017 , Corey Marshall stated he has been in contact with Yu Suzuki's team and his voice work will begin "soon." In March 2018, Marshall revealed he will begin to record his lines at the end of May [15] [37]

- Yu Suzuki would like to include both the English and Japanese dubs in each respective version, but is currently unsure whether it will be possible [17]

- Key members from the series' original development team are working on the game, including writer Masahiro Yoshimoto , character designer Kenji Miyawaki , composer Ryuji Iuchi , and programmer Takeshi Hirai [13]

- Shenmue III is being built in Unreal Engine 4 , which the team intend to push to its maximum potential , as opposed to the Virtua Fighter engine utilised by the first two games , due to the engine's ease with prototyping, efficiency, and its appropriate colour palette. As a result, the fighting engine is being built from scratch . Yu Suzuki is especially impressed with how far the capabilities of the engine have exceeded his expectations, particularly where graphical quality is concerned [3] [9] [10] [14] [16]

- Dynamic weather will be returning, and will be considerably improved over the previous games. "The lighting of sunsets and sunrises will be really beautiful," according to Yu Suzuki [39]

- Shenmue III utilises motion and magnetic capture technology for its animations, the former of which will be used in the most important action scenes [4]

- Yu Suzuki hopes players will really feel the visuals ; from the humidity in the air to the smell of the surroundings , complemented by the game's new art style [9] [14]

- According to Yu Suzuki, "The assets from [the first two games] will get a lot of use"

- As of early September 2017, map modelling and asset creation is at around 70% completion , whereas the lighting system is very close to completion [9] [16]

- Indian game development studio Lakshya Digital (whose past projects include titles such as Uncharted 2: Among Thieves , Bloodborne , Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain , WWE 2K16 , and Just Cause 3 ) will be taking care of much of the game's character art development . Yu Suzuki is very happy with what he has seen so far [13]

- The OST will consist of unused/returning tracks from the original games (of which just 20% were used in the aforementioned) and possibly some new material [3] [9]

- Shenmue III will feature numerous easter eggs [1]

- Yu Suzuki is considering the possibility of a Tomato Mart in the town of Choubu [7]

- DLC is planned , but no further details have been revealed [9]

- Shenmue III will have no online options, though no specifics were given as to the extent to what is considered 'online'

Business-related

- Following its reveal at E3 2015 on June 15th, Shenmue III was successfully funded on Kickstarter , reaching its initial goal of $2 million in a record eight hours and forty-three minutes, eventually ending in July with a total of $6.333 million (the most-funded video game project and sixth-most-funded overall on Kickstarter) pledged by 69,320 backers [18]

- As of July 23rd, 2018 , funding is at $7.063 million (pledged by 78,953 backers ) thanks to the Slacker Backer campaign [19] [42]

- Shenmue III will be published in PAL and NA regions by Deep Silver , who will be providing additional budget and promotional support, allowing greater budgetary stability and flexibility, as well as enabling Yu Suzuki to greatly expand upon, and truly realise, his vision and hire more freelancers for the project. (The game's publisher in Japan is currently unknown. ) Originally thought to be published by Sony , the latter's role has been clarified as providing support , while SEGA's role is limited to providing the IP and production materials from the series' previous entries [3] [9] [10] [12] [16]

- Contrary to popular belief and misinformation, poor research, and flat-out lies spread by the gaming press, Shibuya Productions is the main investor in Shenmue III , having invested an undisclosed amount in the project, and has a much greater role than Sony . (In fact, SEGA / YSnet / Shibuya Productions formed the agreement to use the Shenmue licence before Sony was ever involved ) [20] [21] [22]

System specs

(Placeholder and subject to change.)

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.

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UPDATES LOG:

25/06/2018: Miscellaneous changes and updated the slacker backer pledge total

23/04/2018: Updated with information from previous interviews and talks, and separated information about characters into its own section

18/04/2018: Updated with information from a 2016 DualShockers interview

15/04/2018: Updated with new information from SEGASaturno's MAGIC interview

17/03/2018: Updated with new information from MAGIC 2018 and added more citations for older information

14/01/2018: Added citations to the majority of the facts. Incomplete, but this will be taken care of

23/12/2017: Updated with new information from Shenmue Master's Gamescom interview

16/12/2017: Updated with new information about the temple maiden and made some miscellaneous changes

28/11/2017: Updated the Slacker Backer amount

14/10/2017: Updated with new information from the Shenmue Master recap

28/09/2017: Updated with new information from the latest M! Games Magazine interview

27/09/2017: Updated with new information from the latest Official PlayStation Magazine interview

25/09/2017: Cleaned things up, updated the backer amount/count, and added more information

21/09/2017: Moved information about locations into their own category and added lots of miscellaneous information

17/09/2017: Included Corey Marshall's comments about voice work beginning soon as well as other little tid-bits

12/09/2017: Cleaned things up a bit and elaborated on some information

11/09/2017: Separated 'Story/gameplay' into separate sections and added some more information from the Fok!, Gamona, and Shenmue500k interviews

09/09/2017: Added some more information from the Eurogamer interview

03/09/2017: Cleaned things up a bit

28/08/2017: Added some more information from the Multiplayer.it interview

27/08/2017: Categorised the information so everything doesn't read as one long list

26/08/2017: Added and corrected some information in light of revelations from Gamescom 2017

20/12/2016: Added some more information, including Shenhua's adoptive father to the confirmed characters list, Nanquan as one of the confirmed fighting styles, and an update to the funding date
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