Last week it snowed in Yokosuka! I jumped on a train to capture photos of as many "after the snow" Shenmue locations as I could. Everything looked remarkably like how it's depicted in the game.

https://i.imgur.com/U5zDzpp.jpg

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

https://i.imgur.com/3GP9kmT.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/1kukw71.jpg

Full gallery (20 images) at Phantom River Stone:
-> http://www.phantomriverstone.com/2018/01/a-visit-to-yokosuka-after-snow-image.html

We hope everyone enjoyed our podcasts for every Sunday in January!

A primary school for underprivileged children in Guilin, China, has recently received a donation of 166 books, paid for by Chinese fans of the Shenmue series of video games partly set in the remote area. [Read more]

https://s17.postimg.cc/xmrtm7xpr/guilinbooks-_Dzm_ZYie_M-dojo.png

It's the latest chapter in a remarkable story that began during Shenmue III's Kickstarter campaign in 2015. Two American brothers volunteering at the elementary school donated substantial personal funds to the crowdfunding appeal, hoping to use the associated perks to draw wider attention to the school and its needs.

Before such rewards could even be finalized, media coverage of their intentions caught the eyes of the Chinese Shenmue fan community, which set about honoring the brothers' contributions to the game by donating equipment and materials to the school.

In December of that year, 200 books were delivered to the young children, followed in May 2016 by a brand new projector. One fundamental snag, however: the school's bare external windows made the classroom too bright to see the projections - so by the end of the year fans had also donated curtains!

The latest donation of a further 166 books really highlights the scale of compassion and generosity inspired by Yu Suzuki's Shenmue saga, with a fan community so committed to giving these kids in Guilin a better start in life.

If you'd like to see the teachings of these games reach a wider audience amongst today's potential players, the monthly #SaveShenmueHD Tweetathon brings you side by side with a global community of fans requesting of Sega that Shenmue 1 & 2 be made available on modern systems.

The next occasion is tomorrow, February 3rd, and you can pre-load a customized AutoTweet for all future events at TeamYu.net .

Thanks to our friend Li of the Shenmue bar on Baidu Tieba for helping us share this great story.

Grab a cup of coffee or some snacks. Its about to get detailed!

So, hello everyone!

A lot of visitors here may recognise my name, but for anyone who doesn't, or is unsure, allow me to introduce myself. My names Peter Campbell, im 34 years old and live in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Life was going swimmingly until one day i picked up a copy of Official Dreamcast Magazine off of the shop bookshelf, and my life changed course from that moment on. I have been a huge Shenmue fan since that day, and it wasnt too after finishing the games back in the early 2000s that i found this site, The Shenmue Dojo. Over the course of the past 14 years i have regularly contributed to this site, firstly as a registered user, and then as a staff member. After a brief hiatus last year, i was contacted recently by the then current owner, George aka "Yama", and offered the chance to become the owner of the site and begin to get this place ready for the crazy future we have soon ahead of us. If you missed his topic, you can check it out HERE!
Shenmue has been a huge part of my life for the past decade and a half, from playing the games beyond any sort of countable number, to finally realising a dream come true, meeting Yu Suzuki in Japan during the Kickstarter Backer Dinner. This series and this site was dead just a few years ago. It really was. 8 years ago Yama took over and did an outstanding job making the site more appealing and accessible for anyone who visited, and all during that time we lived in hope that it wouldn't all be for nothing. It really did begin to look like a waste of time and effort, but thanks to excellent fan spirit and great community building and campaigning from the 500k Facebook group, Team Yu group and longstanding French partner site Shenmue Master, a relatively impossible dream came true and we are well on the road to actually holding a controller in our hands and walking down to Bailu Village to get some clues on the hunt for Lan Di. Its been an insane ride! But the rides nowhere near over yet!

In this post, i will be going over a few key areas in detail, about what the aim of this fansite is, and any subsequent changes may be coming in relation to the future release of Shenmue games. One of the key words i hope to always stick to is transparency, so everyone knows exactly what is going on. So like i said at the top, i hope you got some food and drink!

______________________________________________________

~~~~~FORUMS~~~~~

We may as well start where we are, and that's with the place most members, if not all members visit the most; The Forums. Its where we all talk and get to know one another. Realise each individuals reactions to all things Shenmue. In terms of changes here, it will mostly be structure based, with a few cosmetic tweaks for reason i will explain.

First off, before even taking over me and Yama discussed at length the staffing of the boards, and what their roles are. A lot of users within the roles were either AWOL or just didnt bother to make any decisions or act when needed to. So we put together a list of names that we both felt from the beginning of my tenure that we felt comfortable with, and also what role they will play. Below is our selection, and what that role means:

Shenmue Dojo Owner & Administrator - Peter
Administrator - Yama

The role of myself and Yama as administrators means that we have access to the ACP, and can make relatively any decisions in terms of usergroups, permissions, cosmetic look of the forum makeup etc. Its all pretty much behind the scenes stuff. We also take the wheel of the ship, and help make sure the site has the right tone and feel in terms of staffing and making sure this place serves the best interests of Shenmue and the site itself.
Yama has kindly offered any advice 24/7, but as owner, the overall look of the site design and any future changes to anything i will have to decide upon. That means everything, from a new site, social media ideas and direction, forum upgrades and design, listening to members, staffing members.... its no easy job thats for sure, and these past two weeks, i could count the hours of sleep ive has with just my 2 hands. I will be active on the boards, that goes without saying, but i wont be as active as i was back years ago as a regular member. Gone are the full weekends of chatting, bottle of wine, and nude pictures (dont ask!).

Global Moderators - BlueMue, Henry Spencer, James Brown, Jibby, OL, ShenSun, Sonoshee, Spaghetti

The team selected i feel is a great mix of everything. Old members, new members, full of ideas and all sing off of the same hymn sheet. First and foremost, this is a Shenmue fans website. We come here for our love of the series, and as of late, it doesnt seem to be that way. Open troll comments which differ from constructive criticism, and branding the entire Kickstarter as a scam are not topics of conversation that serve both Shenmue and this website well. Theres a fine line between keeping negativity off the boards and censorship, and the reason ive selected this team is because i feel they have the experience and intelligence to make a call and do whats right. We are a site for the fans by the fans, and i hope the staff sets the tone and attitude for people who contribute to the site.
If someone is just joining up here to troll for some giggles, or get some hits on their Youtube site by badmouthing the series then they will act swiftly and appropriately. All staff have been given instructions to be as transparent as they can. If a user gets warned, or banned, their post will be edited by the moderator taking action, so that everyone can see. Sadly until the forums are upgraded this is the only real way of being transparent with other users so until then, please bear with us. Any more issues or questions, please dont hesitate to ask!

News Posters/Veteran Contributors - alimn, Axm, Bysby, Kiske, Kiyuu, LanDC, Sonikku, Switch

These members have the ability to post in the current News and Updates forum, where we try and bring any and all Shenmue news to the public as quicky and clearly as possible. It was an original group, which has been merged with longtime veteran contributors of the site whom also have been given the same permissions. They have no moderator permissions outside of this.

Shenmue 500k Staff - Shenmue Stare, shengoro86
Shenmue Master Staff - Shendream
Team Yu Staff - Team Yu

The Shenmue Community has grown a lot over the past 6 years, and i will be trying my best to make sure we remain as a team. Any sort of mentality of "us versus them" i want put to bed from the start. We all co-exist and form one entity, and it offers every Shenmue fan their own unique platform to which they want to contribute to! If you dont like the Forums here, Facebook has you covered with 500k. If you want to help with the #SaveShenmueHD campaign, then Team Yu is the spot for you. Shenmue Master has any French speaking Shenmue fans covered and has been around for as long as the same time the Dojo has. It doesnt matter where you contribute, it matters that you contribute in the first place, be it here, there or anywhere! The one common goal here is the success of Shenmue, and thats all we want together. But wait, doesnt the Shenmue Dojo have a Facebook page? Yes it does! But its a page, and we use that primarily as a news outlet extension to the forums. 500k offers a group platform, to talk about everything Shenmue in a more hot take/smaller post type of fashion. The Dojo forums offer intense debate into any little aspect of Shenmue, so again, its all there to cater to the Shenmue fan. Its not a competition if we are all trying to reach the same goal with the same intention.


Shenmue Dojo Coder - MrRod

I finally had the pleasure of speaking to MrRod on social media over the past few weeks, and he is a great guy. I cannot stress enough the work he has done in the past, and to be honest, it would not be online if it was not for him. He has kindly offered to continue on serving as our coder when we need him in the future, which i will touch upon in more detail in a little bit.

But for now, thats what will make up the structure of the site.


One other thing i need to mention is the option users have had in the past to donate to the forums for upkeep and maintenance. Now let me be clear on this topic, this isnt a negative take on Yamas tenure, where he introduced this feature. It just feel that if anyone has any money they would like to give to the site, give it to the Shenmue 3 PayPal campaign. Or hold onto it and buy the game when its released!! I will cover all costs of the site, and look at any upgrades to the service if we get to that stage and need it. Anyone that knows me, knows what i am like with money. If this site is mine, its my responsibility to cover it financially, and it will continue to be 100% free for all members to use. I do this out of love for Shenmue and thats where i stand.
With removing the donation option, i have decided to remove the various "donor" usergroups, and the relevant username colours and titles, and i humbly thank you all for any support you have given in the past. I know this is the Shenmue Dojo, and change usually brings with it a 15 page argument with nothing but popcorn bags left in its wake. But i do have reasons. This site is on the cusp of its biggest moments in its history. Yes we are in a lull now for many reasons, but Shenmue 3 is fast approaching, and possibly Shenmue HD with it. The attention the series will get, and as an extension the community and this site, will rise to numbers we may not have seen before. When get have new members join here, i want them to see clearly who is who, and what is what. The only people with any sort of distinction are those with key roles, and the colours simply make them easy to identify. Green = moderator. White = newsposter. So on an so forth, This means people know who to go to if they need anything, and also who is making staff decisions at any given time.
Another reason the groups have been streamlined and tidied up is because of something that i touched upon earlier. With a site thats been online this long, and one which started out on its own before becoming part of a community, its inevitable that a hive atmosphere can develop over time. Like i also said, we are all friends, but we are all here for Shenmue, and ultimately on the same page. I want things to be as transparent as possible, and as clear and straightforward as possible, so any sort of special privelidges or cosmetic changes have been removed. I dont want a hierarchy here, and if i could run the place without any sort of groupings then i would, but unfortunately thats not how the way the world works. But, outside of the staff, we are all human being. All together. All Shenmue fans, and i dont want anyone seeming like they are above someone else. It cant be helped when a user joined, or how many posts they have made. We all contribute equally, and great users come along at anytime. Being here for 10 years doesnt give you a badge of honour or any sort of hierarchical standing. We are all Shenmue fans, regardless of if you picked up the controller last week, last month or last year.

The last thing i have to say about the forums is it is currently on an old version of PHPBB. Thats why it looks the way it does, doesnt have Emoji support and other bells and whistles which other more modern platforms may have. The plan is to upgrade the forums ASAP, but it will take a lot of work. As i touched upon earlier, MrRod has kindly agreed to help out with this, and we will try to get to work on it as soon as we can. In preparation for future Shenmue games, we know we also have to move forward. We will have more information on that in the future as it happens!

______________________________________________________

~~~~~WEBSITE~~~~~

The website runs off of both links of shenmuedojo.net, with shenmuedojo.com as a redirect. We pay and own both domains, and each will take you to the website designed by Yama almost 10 years ago. Along with the forums we will be aiming to update them and bring them in line with modern day sites. At the beginning of the process of the handover, Yama had designed a brand new site which i had seen at various stages along its development. Yama has done a great job with a new website design, with a more clear structure, greater social media integration, community partnership and mobile response.

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

As much as i would love to use the new design (it would be in place right now!), its been designed on a Wix site for ease of access and user friendliness. The problem is however is that its not our first option. The most ideal method would be to build a new website from scratch, but if anyone who has any experience knows, this is indepth and time consuming. As well as needing knowledge of HTML, CSS, databases and other such technological wizardry.
Another major issue with the Wix site is that the forums cannot be brought along for the ride, and the support isnt there on the Wix end. This would mean one of two things; the forums as we know them would be deleted with new forums created over on the Wix end, or, the furrent forums have a domain change, and run separately on another link. This could be an option, and linking it to the main site would be straightforward, but that means the new domain would be starting from scratch. All previous links that exist across the internet from the past 15 years would essentially be broken. We would also lose our Google hit rating and for a time, the new link would not show up for any searches.
The option i think is best, is to build a new site with Wordpress, and retain everything together. I have been reassured by a lot of people supporting me that its more then accomplishable, but despite that, its a much deeper job then just putting a few things in place. Ive toyed with the idea of a new logo, and that means design work. Then theres the look and tone of the new logo defining the look and tone of a new site. Image assets need to be obtained, a new layout needs to be designed, what plug in options are available and how will they be implemented, all links to social media, community sites, wiki links, forums etc all need to be working. All of that takes time and effort not just from me,but from anyone willing to offer help and support. Will i get that? I dont know, and if i have to i will outsource a new site to a company here in Belfast, which could compromise the Shenmue feeling this place has always had. All of that is in the future which i will have to decide on, but for now i just wanted to keep everyone updated.

~~~~~SOCIAL MEDIA~~~~~

The site has various forms of social media, which are generally used to post news updates as well as other content.

Facebook Page (Shenmue & community news posts)
Twitter Account (Shenmue & community news posts)
Twitch Channel (Streaming service)
Instagram Page (Shenmue artwork & image service)

We did have a YouTube Channel, which i would like to go into in a bit more detail in the interests of transparency.
The second owner of the website was a person by the name of Hellraiser, whom you would know better here now as Ziming. In 2009-2010 he then passed the website to Yama who built it to its current stage. Unfortunately i am not sure of the arrangement they had or how we was still involved with the site. But he did own the YouTube Channel which, for many years was under the title of The Shenmue Dojo. There is a difference between just a title change and an actual domain ownership, but it doesn't change the fact that he does, and always owned that channel. He also was responsible for all of the content added to the channel, and no one can argue it is a huge Shenmue resource.
Recently during the MAGIC 2018 conference a video was shown with a disclaimer for it not to be recorded. The video was an extended cut of the released Shenmue 3 teaser from last August, and was only shown to journalists at the event. Of course people either missed the instruction or chose to ignore it, the video was recorded and it appeared online, including the YouTube channel owned by Ziming. This wouldn't be an issue except not only was the disclaimer clear for it not to be recorded, but i spoke personally with Deep Silver staff after the event as well as Yu-san himself and both said that the trailer was not to go online. Other members of the community at the event were also told the same thing, and we all have refused to host the video as per request. Of course, individual people posting it was inevitable, but a YouTube Channel with the content and subscriber size that's supposed to stand for Shenmue going against the wishes of both the creator and the publisher is not something i can support or endorse.
Ziming has been a unique character over the course of the history of the Shenmue Dojo, and an opinion on him will very to neutral to negative depending on whoever you ask. But in terms of the YouTube Channel not being owned by the Dojo exclusively, it was asked of Ziming to remove all Shenmue Dojo links and branding in light of not removing the video. 2 days ago, i sent him a message asking for him to remove the video and explained the reasons why. As far as i know, i am certainly not the first person to do so. If he feels differently to the hosting of the video that's his business, but with no responses to my messages i will be banning his account here, with no promotion of that Shenmue outlet. If anyone posts a video that's linked to his channel, and its in the context of a conversation at that point in time, then it will be allowed to remain. We are not going blanket banning videos to his site at the punishment of the user. But there will not be dedicated topics to videos that appear on the site.
This was not an easy decision, or one that was quickly made. Nor was it a personal decision, and the list of people i spoke to about the matter for advice should emphasise that. I should also say that i understand if it was such a huge issue, then perhaps Deep Silver or YSNET should issue a copyright strike against it and i shouldn't be making this decision. That may be true, but that's their business, and maybe they don't want the hassle. Again i don't know, but what i do know is i need to make the best decision for both this site as well as Shenmue. One final point is that this call does not reflect or represent the Shenmue 3 team in any official way. This is a site decision, and I wish him all the best with his Channel.

That brings me onto the resulting matter.

Its because of this, that we will need to build a new Shenmue Dojo YouTube Channel. Now as tempting and as easy it would be to begin ripping content or duplicating the channel we once had, its a messy road to go down, and one which benefits no one. There's no point confusing that platform for a user searching for Shenmue related videos. So, the idea which Yama had for the entire Dojo will carry over to the new channel. It will serve as a fan service, with playlists and links to fan created content. A Rolodex for the amount of excellent fan content that's on YouTube. We will of course have our own content being added to the site, aiming to serve as an introduction to Shenmue for new users which, again, we will be expecting with the release of the new games and the attention it brings. Also on there will be a library of live streams and Shenmue Lets Plays both conducted by ourselves at the Dojo, as well as across the web. All content not ours will be play listed only so that when people click on any said video, the proper content creator will get the view, not us, which is fair.
Again, that's the plan, which will take time and manpower to create so bear with us. That applies to all forms of social media which i open the doors to any fans who feel they could contribute to the brand. From updating Facebook and Twitter with news, posting images and artwork to our Instagram etc. I used to stream and work across the board on all sorts of social media when i was a staff member but i very much doubt i could handle it all on my own now.

______________________________________________________

TL;DR

Yea i know. A huge intake of words. I know. I apologise if i've rambled in any areas but its been 3 days and i cannot remember what sleep is like.

One last personal request i can only ask for is from everyone, to help get this site to whats generally regarded as its former glory. I don't want to see people at each others throats and attacking each other which the Dojo seems to bring out in people throughout the years. Also, if you can keep in mind I've never been in a position such as this before, and to please help be supportive. We are all human and make mistakes, and again in the interests of transparency, I've already clicked the wrong button and deleted a forum which was created for a members work, so i am reluctant to even type on this keyboard right now in case i nuke the site by some mad ass command. I apologise to Mittens too for the forum deletion. He undertook a Shenmue Project with other fans of the site to make a fanmade shenmue game. The project was dropped a while back, and no valuable content was lost thanks to him having back ups, but still, i made the mistake of deleting them instead of hiding them in the ACP and humbly apologise. Even if i mess up, you will hear about it. Theres no brushing of anything under the rug anymore. Not even from me.
But in the run up to this, i can only say thank you to the numerous people that have said the kindest things to me, encouraged me, and gave me confidence that actually makes me believe that i can do this and make this place a success!

I genuinely hope we can all move forward together towards Shenmue 3, and hopefully Shenmue HD. I don't think i need to reiterate that i will be giving this my all, and if you ever want to talk to me about anything then drop me a message on here, or do a search on Facebook for me and drop me a message!

Oh and thank you for lasting this long if you read through it all!!

Trailer

https://youtu.be/tdiqIPdCP2c

Adam Koralik report

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z04hUT23RiQ

Michael Huber Reaction

https://youtu.be/tFQx8Pw2pZc



Features

Will run in 1080p
Fully scaleable screen resolution
PS4 & XBOX ONE - Physical release
Dual control scheme - updated & classic
Both audio dubs - English & Japanese
New user interface
Release - by end of 2018

Steam link - http://store.steampowered.com/app/758330/Shenmue_I__II/

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DateX0BX0AARnIF.png


Some screenshots Via IGN. http://www.ign.com/articles/2018/04/14/shenmue-1-and-2-being-re-released-on-ps4-xbox-one-and-pc


http://c-8oqtgrjgwu46x24cuugvu3x2ekipkoiux2eeqo.g00.ign.com/g00/3_c-8yyy.kip.eqo_/c-8OQTGRJGWU46x24jvvrx3ax2fx2fcuugvu3.kipkoiu.eqox2f4230x2f26x2f36x2fujgpowg-kk-nqecvkqpu-8-3745838855-3745892780453_3402y.lrix3fk32e.octmx3dkocig_$/$/$/$/$

http://c-8oqtgrjgwu46x24cuugvu3x2ekipkoiux2eeqo.g00.ign.com/g00/3_c-8yyy.kip.eqo_/c-8OQTGRJGWU46x24jvvrx3ax2fx2fcuugvu3.kipkoiu.eqox2f4230x2f26x2f36x2fujgpowg-kk-oggvkpi-ujgpjwc-hktuv-vkog-57-3745838855-3745892780450_3402y.lrix3fk32e.octmx3dkocig_$/$/$/$/$

http://c-8oqtgrjgwu46x24cuugvu3x2ekipkoiux2eeqo.g00.ign.com/g00/3_c-8yyy.kip.eqo_/c-8OQTGRJGWU46x24jvvrx3ax2fx2fcuugvu3.kipkoiu.eqox2f4230x2f26x2f36x2f42302545432757-4-3745838853-3745892780449_3402y.lrix3fk32e.octmx3dkocig_$/$/$/$/$

http://c-8oqtgrjgwu46x24cuugvu3x2ekipkoiux2eeqo.g00.ign.com/g00/3_c-8yyy.kip.eqo_/c-8OQTGRJGWU46x24jvvrx3ax2fx2fcuugvu3.kipkoiu.eqox2f4230x2f26x2f36x2f42302545303170-4-3745838853-3745892780447_3402y.lrix3fk32e.octmx3dkocig_$/$/$/$/$

http://c-8oqtgrjgwu46x24cuugvu3x2ekipkoiux2eeqo.g00.ign.com/g00/3_c-8yyy.kip.eqo_/c-8OQTGRJGWU46x24jvvrx3ax2fx2fcuugvu3.kipkoiu.eqox2f4230x2f26x2f36x2f42302545434227-4-3745838854-3745892780441_3402y.lrix3fk32e.octmx3dkocig_$/$/$/$/$

http://c-8oqtgrjgwu46x24cuugvu3x2ekipkoiux2eeqo.g00.ign.com/g00/3_c-8yyy.kip.eqo_/c-8OQTGRJGWU46x24jvvrx3ax2fx2fcuugvu3.kipkoiu.eqox2f4230x2f26x2f36x2f42302545364162-4-3745838852-3745892780436_3402y.lrix3fk32e.octmx3dkocig_$/$/$/$/$


John Clarke - Sega Europe Executive Vice President of Publishing

"I'm really excited to be part of this announcement in front of so many Japanese Sega fans. Shenmue represents Segas spirit of challenge, as our number one most requested re-release in the West. We have carefully ported the classic look and feel of the original, in response to the long time fan expectations.
I decided when Shenmue was brought back, i would wear this in celebration. I also decided when Shenmue is brought back, i would have to be with Shenhua.
In Europe, Shenmue was released in 2000, and was an unprecedented title at the time. It was a time when Grand Theft Auto 3 or the Elder Scrolls did not exist. Yokosuka was an unknown world to us in Europe, but that only lent to its exotic charm.
Im in charge of marketing, publishing and sales strategies in Europe. In recent years I've also been in charge of the world wide release of European developed titles, such as Total War. Not only am i excited for the re-release of Shenmue, but i can say there are tonnes of fans worldwide who have been waiting for the re-release of Shenmue, as one of Segas most legendary titles. I think right now, i can hear the applause from around the world."

I could gripe about a few things... Maybe tomorrow.

But for now... I guess I will say I was told D3T were behind this last May. So it's been in production since then at the very least, more than likely way before. I've had plenty of time to read up on their studio and have followed them on Twitter for the past year. They are extremely professional and have worked on a pleothra of titles, from The Witcher 3 to various others. They have also worked with Sega before on the Mega Drive collections, both previous release and current one.

For now what I will say is simply this. These games are absolutely vital to the success of Shenmue 3 and right now, that's where I draw the line. For players to have these easily accessible on modern day hardware is something that you cannot put into words. They are necessary for Shenmue 3, and finally it's all come full circle. 14 years of being on these boards.... Who the hell would have thought we would have gotten to this point.

Shenmue 1 and 2 HD, followed by Shenmue 3.

Let that sink in.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Az7hNbTVfDs

Found this comparison video comparing the remaster to the DC version. It really shows how the remaster makes details pop. It's not got that washed out fuzzy look to it anymore. Maybe a few fog are effects are missing in the opening, but it's a WIP so I'm confident they'll be added back in.

This is definitely a sign of good things to come!

Not sure how legit this so take it with a grain of salt (I don't know anything about completionist.me but it does look to be pulling the info from the steam API) is but I thought it was very interesting either way. It's an achievement list pulled for the games Steam listing. Obviously probably a work in progress so far too, but cool to look at :P
https://completionist.me/steam/app/758330

Shenmue I (24)
Brawl
Break_And_Enter
Call_Police
Collect_Capsule_Toy
Dojo_Flashback
Find_Kitten
Find_Phoenix_Mirror
Get_A_Job
Help_Lady_Find_House
Kitchen_Flashback
Learn_5_Moves
Learn_From_Tom
Learn_New_Move
Meet_Charlie
Play_An_Arcade_Game
Reach_Harbor
Rescue_Nozomi
Take_Mirror_To_Antiques
Teach_Fuku_San
Translate_Letter
Tree_Flashback
Visit_Fortune_Teller
Win_Forklift_Race
Win_Game
Shenmue II (24)
Catch_Leaves
Catch_Wong
Catch_Yuan
Complete_Game
Defeat_Dou_Niu
Fall_Off_Building
Find_Shenmue
Find_Yhunda_Zhu
Give_Money_To_Musicians
Impress_Yellow_Gang
Learn_10_Skills
Learn_15_Skills
Learn_5_Skills
Learn_New_Skill
Learn_Wild_Throw
Leave_Hong_Kong
Low_Money_Bag_Steal
Meet_Lishao_Tao
Place_Marker
Recover_Bag
See_Flowers
Straighten_Sign
Visit_Fortune_Teller
Win_Arm_Wrestle

A few new screenshots have been released (saw them on Gematsu.com)

https://i.imgur.com/l5f24nG.jpg

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

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

https://i.imgur.com/awS4JxQ.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/DGsL9ex.jpg

Sorry if those have already been posted.

Since Thursday, I've been away and I've had zero access to the internet.

I get home and I see this. Awesome.

A point could be made about the achievements being easy to get in that it would attract "achievement hunters" to buy and play the game, since it would be an easy platinum. But I agree that it needs a couple of hard ones (like beating Chai in You Arcade in Shenmue 1, beating Izumi/Duck Racing in Shenmue 2).

https://i.imgur.com/uREQhmi.png

Hi guys! On behalf of the Dojo, I have 3 of the English Shenmue Sacred Spot Guides to giveaway!

It's really easy to enter, just click the link at the bottom of this post and follow the steps! There are 8 ways to enter, and they're all really simple, especially for the majority of you guys, since you probably have already done the things that are required already :D

The ultimate goal for this giveaway is for the new Youtube channel to gain some traction. Along with the other outlets the Dojo provides such as Twitter, Facebook etc...As you may be aware the old Youtube Channel wasn't actually a part of the Dojo and was ran by an individual using the Dojo name, so Peter has been hard at work behind the scenes trying to get the new channel up to speed and jam packed with content for you all!

You can enter the giveaway here -

https://gleam.io/AxlSi/shenmue-dojo-sacred-spot-guide-english-version-giveaway

Best of luck guys, I will email the 3 winners this time next week! Hopefully...it'll be you! :D Haha, cheers!

As per Gameblog's Romain, who noticed Shenmue III also now had a retail listing on Amazon FR; https://twitter.com/RomainMahut/status/988419535014367233

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dbetx48WAAI_7FG.jpg

Pretty sure the white on black placeholder cover has appeared before, but what appears to be new is the provisional PEGI rating.

In order to get a provisional rating, the publisher has to pay a fee, fill out a questionnaire about the game's content, and allow PEGI to play a portion of the game and review video sequences. From what I can gather, this happens when the publisher is moving forwards with the retail process (pre-orders, etc) and looking to get games certified by platform holders.

Not that it means a whole lot, but I've gone back through a few games Deep Silver have distributed and saw they had a provisional rating within 6-8 months of release.

Safe to say the wheels are turning in the background, though.

I don't care that they've already been leaked or whatever...

Shenmue

Disc 1: Complete (SI) - 25G
No need to open your disc tray.

Disc 2: Complete (SI) - 25G
Almost there.

Disc 3: Complete (SI) - 25G
The journey begins.

Message from beyond the grave - 5G
Find Iwao's letter to Ryo.

Knowledge is power - 5G
Learn a new move.

Thailors! - 10G
Now you understand the "in-joke"!

What do cows drink? - 10G
No, they don't drink milk. Neither does Ryo.

"Especially since you bought merchandise!" - 20G
Win a prize in the raffle.

Punchbag - 10G
Spar with Fuku-san three times.

Goalkeeper - 20G
Catch the football.

Defender - 10G
Save somebody in peril. [Nozomi, kid, Mark, etc.]

Striker - 20G
Prove your goalscoring skills. [Hit Charlie in the face with the football.]

We'll call her... - 5G
Name the kitten.

YOU are a champion! - 50G
Defeat Chai at the arcade.

Call me Senna - 20G
Come first in a forklift race.

Burning the midnight oil - 5G
Train after finishing work.

Sayonara Dobuita - 20G
Say goodbye to three people.

Setting a good example - 10G
Never break your curfew.

Collector - 20G
Complete a toy collection.

Father's Son - 50G
Master 50% of moves.

Detective Hazuki - 50G
Obtain 90% of notebook entries (excludes hints and tips)

QTE Champion - 50G
Get (X) points on QTE Title.

You're pathetic! - 5G
Get 0 points on QTE Title.

Employee of the Month - 10G
Exceed the crate shifting quota every working day.

Reflexes of a cat - 20G
Successfully execute 100 QTE prompts.


Shenmue II

Disc 1: Complete (SII) - 25G
Stop staring.

Disc 2: Complete (SII) - 25G
On the road to Kowloon.

Disc 3: Complete (SII) - 25G
Take a breather.

Disc 4: Complete (SII) - 25G
The story WILL go on.

GON - 10G
Every day, without neglect, keep training. [Learn Wude from Jianmin]

DAN - 10G
Be brave and stay calm to make the right decision. [Learn Wude from Zhangyu]

JIE - 10G
Judge yourself without conceit and do not show moves thoughtlessly. [Learn Wude from Zongquan]

YI - 10G
To act without hesitation, to do what is right. [Save Shenhua.]

Surely there's a faster way? - 5G
Work a shift moving crates.

You look like... - 5G
Meet Wang's brother.

Come on Eileen! - 50G
Defeat Eileen.

Happy Birthday! - 50G
Get Fangmei a birthday gift.

Can't win 'em all... - 5G
The story required you to lose that fight.

The Great Escape - 15G
Break free from imprisonment.

Punisher - 50G
Get from the bottom to the top of the Ghost Hall Building without failing a QTE or saving in between.

Detective Hazuki II - 50G
Listen to all cassette tape recordings.

No Mayweathers - 20G
Defeat the three elite street fighters.

"I make my own luck" - 10G
Learn Ren's secret.

Don't call it a comeback! - 20G
Defeat Dou Niu.

Great listener - 20G
Don't skip Shenhua dialgoue.

You got lucky - 5G
Win a game of Lucky Hit!

When the fun stops STOP - 5G
Lose at gambling.

N-Ice! - 5G
Successfully execute a Freeze QTE.

Collector II - 20G
Complete another toy collection.

Like the back of my hand - 25G
Complete the game without purchasing a map.

Great find Supa, that's definitely a new model for Shenhua. She looks way better than she ever did since the announcement!

https://i.imgur.com/cPAxFjc.png


EDIT: For comparison

https://i.imgur.com/kX9mSxo.jpg

I'm really happy with what I'm seeing here... Knowing that it also has 1+ year in the oven fills me with confidence.

Small clip of new footage...! We get to see the little girl introduced in MAGIC 2018 in motion, and a small clip of Ryo in a village. And I mean small. It is from today's THQ Nordic financial presentation: https://tv.streamfabriken.com/thq-nordic-cmd-2018?seek=4323

Skip to the slides where they briefly talk about Shenmue. Around slide 20.

EDIT: looks like (what I hope to be) old, outdated Ryo and Shenhua models in a slightly different Gamescom teaser. Interesting stuff.

Example:

https://preview.ibb.co/kD0jgJ/Untitled.png

Images added to OP. Thanks to Rikitatsu and Kiske for the images below .

https://i.imgur.com/cPAxFjc.png

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

https://i.imgur.com/a0btjNu.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/Ii4ygCX.jpg

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

Video added

https://youtu.be/rXkThIMfP0M

Alright, it took me longer to get this done than I thought but here it is.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIWakNgN1Ic

Was a bit different then I rememered. Ryo only goes back to the boat, not to Lucky Plaza. I tried getting Ryo to know the fact that Ren is there but only Sam, Larry and Cool Z know and they lead you there and if you lose them, Ryo will be lost. None of the other NPCs every say anything about Lucky Plaza.

As a bonus fact, I tried the chase again, late in the day when it was raining, as I heard of the possibility of Ren carrying an umbrella. That didn't happen. But it is worth pointing out that the game will stop the rain when the QTE chase at Lucky Plaza starts. Was a bit sad, I wanted to see them fall on the truck in pouring rain.

Not sure how legit this so take it with a grain of salt (I don't know anything about completionist.me but it does look to be pulling the info from the steam API) is but I thought it was very interesting either way. It's an achievement list pulled for the games Steam listing. Obviously probably a work in progress so far too, but cool to look at :P
https://completionist.me/steam/app/758330

Shenmue I (24)
Brawl
Break_And_Enter
Call_Police
Collect_Capsule_Toy
Dojo_Flashback
Find_Kitten
Find_Phoenix_Mirror
Get_A_Job
Help_Lady_Find_House
Kitchen_Flashback
Learn_5_Moves
Learn_From_Tom
Learn_New_Move
Meet_Charlie
Play_An_Arcade_Game
Reach_Harbor
Rescue_Nozomi
Take_Mirror_To_Antiques
Teach_Fuku_San
Translate_Letter
Tree_Flashback
Visit_Fortune_Teller
Win_Forklift_Race
Win_Game
Shenmue II (24)
Catch_Leaves
Catch_Wong
Catch_Yuan
Complete_Game
Defeat_Dou_Niu
Fall_Off_Building
Find_Shenmue
Find_Yhunda_Zhu
Give_Money_To_Musicians
Impress_Yellow_Gang
Learn_10_Skills
Learn_15_Skills
Learn_5_Skills
Learn_New_Skill
Learn_Wild_Throw
Leave_Hong_Kong
Low_Money_Bag_Steal
Meet_Lishao_Tao
Place_Marker
Recover_Bag
See_Flowers
Straighten_Sign
Visit_Fortune_Teller
Win_Arm_Wrestle

Actually looks like there's 52 now instead of 48! https://completionist.me/steam/app/758330

newyokohama wrote:
Actually looks like there's 52 now instead of 48! https://completionist.me/steam/app/758330

Upped to 55 now.

Maybe I'm cynical about games journos, but part of me thinks some will shit on the game regardless. Doesn't matter what PR moves are pulled, or how good the game actually may be, it'll be a matter of ego, a morbid desire to slaughter a "sacred cow", and to say "I told you so".

Some of those people are genuinely m-i-s-e-r-a-b-l-e .

Serioulsy i am freaking out because i dont know what picture to use or what message to type into the book! Heres what you will need guys, so give it some thought!

- Name
- Shipping Address
- Version of the game you want (Physical Steam Disc - Kickstarter Exclusive Case, Plysical Playstation 4 Disc - Kickstarter Exclusive Case, Steam Digital Download, Playstation Digital Download)
- Name to appear on Shenmue 3 Homepage
- Name to appear in the game credits
- T-Shirt Size
- Your name for the Choubu Inn Guestbook
- Your 140 character message for the Choubu Inn Guestbook
- Your name for the Special Sponsor section (if applicable)
- Your picture for the Harbour Lounge Waiting Area. Height = 1280x768
- an upload of your autograph to accompany the photo

Quiksylver wrote: Hey Sheephead, whats this about an announcement on the 3rd?

Source:
https://twitter.com/TeamYu/status/1011516180484575232

By the way, if you haven't received your survey yet (they're going out in waves) but don't want to wait, go to https://fulfillment.fangamer.com/kindling/shenmue3/survey_support, enter the email you used to pledge, and you'll get it immediately.

Sega Europe just used a gif that appears to be from the remaster

https://twitter.com/SEGA_Europe/status/ ... 52513?s=09

Something interesting that Spaghetti picked up on is the background in this new screenshot of Shenmue HD:
https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steam/apps/758330/ss_95d0538133318057ca300ce59c23a57f60ec8129.1920x1080.jpg

It looks higher quality than usual. I went to check it against Mr357's Shenmue Movie remaster (which was recorded and uploaded in native 1080p) and sure enough, the texture is higher quality:
https://puu.sh/APSH6/224e60f40a.png

Have a zoom in on the images and see for yourself. Even H.264 + YouTube compression wouldn't blur the background that much.
Looks like we may be seeing some improved textures after all!

20 Aug 2018 according to Microsoft Australia

https://i.imgur.com/7sJX3hX.png

Source

Update:

20 Aug 2018 according to Microsoft UK

https://i.imgur.com/EkUENTS.png

Source

21 Aug 2018 according to Microsoft US

https://i.imgur.com/5SGF249.png

Source

Update 2:
21 Aug 2018 according to Sony UK

https://i.imgur.com/1FMFp2t.jpg

Source

Shenmue 1 & 2 HD are now available for pre-order on Steam with 10% off for pre-orders.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/7583 ... mue_I__II/

£22.49

After 24 hours of conflicting rumors, Sega Europe confirmed on Twitter that Shenmue 1 & 2 HD will be released on PC, PS4 and Xbox One on August 21st!

https://i.imgur.com/IHj8Nto.png

The digital version is now available for pre-order from the relevant stores based on your region.

https://i.imgur.com/BYO0sqh.png
https://i.imgur.com/xNvd3hn.png
[img]blob:https://imgur.com/26f15150-85a9-439b-a733-3e8764f5c354[/img]

You can watch the trailer below!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zc_2D4GsWME

Sega have also released an updated FAQ:

Sega have released an updated FAQ:

Which version of Shenmue II did we port?
For technical reasons we started with the Xbox source code and data. This has the advantage of some additional features missing from the Dreamcast version:

Snapshots system
Filters
Texture mip-maps to improve anti-aliasing
As some community members will know, the Xbox does have some graphical differences to the DC version which will also be present in our version.

What features have we added?
As well as the herculean effort of porting the code to the new platforms, there is a huge number of things we have added:

Choice of Japanese or English speech in both games
Saves can be carried over from Shenmue into Shenmue II on all platforms
Saving anywhere in both games
HD resolution rendering
Updated UI
New post processing effects for both games
Full controller support and configurable mouse and keyboard for PC users
Full Achievement support for both games on all platforms

What does Modern control scheme mean?
Modern control scheme means we have enabled use of the analogue stick instead of the D-Pad for movement of Ryo, as well as adding full mouse and keyboard support for PC users.

Will the games run at 60Hz?
Throughout the engine, game code and scripts there are hard coded assumptions about a fixed 30Hz frame update rate, so the game needs to run at 30Hz.

Is the game 4:3 or widescreen?
Gameplay where the player can control the camera is 16:9.

Cutscenes are letterboxed in their original formats.

Can the emulated arcade games be played?
We are pleased to announce that all the arcade games in the original are fully playable in the new release!

Who do we have to thank for this incredible work?
The amazing team at d3t.

Thank you to Sega and the community for helping with all of this. ;-)

Came across this earlier today and bought a few copies. Cheapest price currently on the market.

https://www.voidu.com/en/shenmue-i-ii

Use codes SCHOOLSOUT or SUMMER18 at checkout for this price.

VoidU are an approved digital partner of SEGA.
http://www.sega.com/sega-approved-partner-list

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DgSQgSWWsAA6rNV.jpg:large

I came across this translated interview with Yu Suzuki and many main Shenmue developers a few days ago, and I wasn't sure if it was posted here before or not, so I did a quick search and I couldn't find it here. I recaptured the screenshots used in the original article and decided to share it with you especially that it isn't a long interview and totally worth another read, I hope you enjoy.


This Shenmue interview from 2000 goes over the general design process of the seminal Dreamcast game. Highlights include alternate titles, the special role of the interior designer Sega hired, and the origins of a certain cat. There is also a special focus on the music and sound effects in the latter half of the interview.

This interview was found at the GSLA , a Japanese a website that, among other things, preserves game developer interviews from older, now-defunct print sources. The GSLA often redacts the original interviewer questions, so the text ends up reading more like a narrative than an interview.



Shenmue – 2000 Developer Interview
with Yu Suzuki, Manabu Takimoto, Takenobu Mitsuyoshi and more

Yu Suzuki – Producer
Keiji Okayasu – Director
Masanori Oe – Main Designer
Manabu Takimoto – Interior Designer
Eigo Kasahara – Planner
Takenobu Mitsuyoshi – Sound Director
Yuzo Koshiro – Composer

Names and Titles

Suzuki: Kasahara made up a lot of the names, including Ryo Hazuki, Xiuying Hong, and the title Shenmue itself. He really did a lot there.

Kasahara: I probably have more Chinese magazines and reading materials under my desk than you’d find in your local bookstore. (laughs) I decided early on that kanji would be a better fit for Shenmue, so I pushed for that image with the rest of the team. I liked the euphony of the kanji, and the characters themselves could carry their own meanings.

Suzuki: Kasahara’s favorite title was actually Genpuuki [玄風記] (“Tale of the Mysterious Wind”), not Shenmue.

Kasahara: Genpuuki was almost chosen, but at the very end of the development we realized it had some problems. The kanji were too difficult to read, and we weren’t sure it would appeal to a mass audience. Shenmue had the advantage of being a new title that no one had ever heard before, and it had a nice ring to it. As for genpuuki, I still really loved it, so I asked Suzuki at the end whether it could stll be used somewhere, and he allowed me to use it as the name of the ship Ryo departs Japan with, the Genpuumaru [玄風丸]. That satisfied me. (laughs)

Suzuki: There were a lot of different candidates for the title. There were titles in English, Italian, even Greek. (laughs) We had every kind of title imaginable.

Kasahara: As for Ryo’s name, to be honest it wasn’t decided until just before the announcement party. Late one night I was called into the Suzuki’s office, and on the board he had two names written: Ryo Hazuki and Ryo Kamizaki. He asked me which I thought was better, and we talked it over for a long time. In the end it was Ryo Hazuki that was chosen.

The ship Genpuumaru, an homage by planner Kasahara to one of the early possible titles for Shenmue, “Genpuuki”
https://i.imgur.com/BCQUsVC.png

https://i.imgur.com/3MCiV9N.png

Design and Characters

Oe: The thing we took the greatest care with for the design was, as you might imagine, capturing a sense of reality. I think we really did all we could there. It wasn’t just about creating realistic pictures: the important part came after the drawings were done. The key was whether it would look realistic in-game. We’d try creating new visuals, then we’d have to talk it over carefully with the programmers… that whole process was very difficult.

In pursuit of this greater sense of realism, we also made sure every street was consistent with Suzuki’s overall vision. All our designs had to be carefully coordinated with the events of the game too. The event team would tell us such and such an event would take place here, so our designs had to be very detailed.

Suzuki: I think there are over 300 different characters in Shenmue.

Oe: We had a very short time to create all the people of Yokosuka City, but we were able to do it because of a suprisingly efficient method we employed.

Takimoto : We just took people’s full names and personality profiles at Sega. (laughs)

Oe: Even Takimoto shows up as a character! He kept saying “make me an F1 racer!!” but he ended up as some guy living near a construction site. (laughs)

Suzuki: Kasahara is responsible for the Shenmue Passport disc.

Kasahara: For Shenmue, we actually created detailed backstories for all the characters and locations. With the Shenmue Passport players can learn about the details and connections that we couldn’t show in the game. There’s a lot of hidden relationships, for example.

Takimoto: The cat Ryo finds is actually modeled after my cat. I had a picture on my desk of him when he was a little kitten, and one day a designer came by and asked if he could borrow it. The cat’s name was Sasuke, by the way.

Suzuki: Ah, I remember that. We called him Sasuke during the planning phase too. We knew it had been modeled after Takimoto’s cat, so we wanted to leave the name as Sasuke, as a remnant of that. (laughs) But eventually someone was like, “Who named this cat Sasuke?!” and we had to change it. (laughs)

The orphan cat in Shenmue, designed after Takimoto’s own kitten,“Sasuke” (interestingly, the one name Ryo cannot give the cat in-game!)
https://i.imgur.com/yfPPYGC.png

Working with an Interior Designer

Suzuki: Takimoto assisted us with the interior design for the world of Shenmue. Since the player can walk around this world freely, we thought having an architecht design the buildings would help us achieve a totally new level of realism.

Takimoto: The first thing I did was make several conceptual sketches for the buildings, and once those designs got approved, I helped out with various details as the work progressed, checking things here and there.

Suzuki: After that we had him stick around in the development room, as a player. (laughs) We wanted the perspective of someone who’s not in the game industry.

Oe: The work Takimoto does in the design industry is actually very close to what we did here: he creates the conceptual illustrations that match people’s vision, and then others do the modeling and finishing work.

Takimoto: I began working on the Shenmue development around March of 98. I took the basic designs they had and made a variety of sketches on them, about 200 in total I think.

Suzuki: The first thing we wanted to know Takimoto’s design process. We had a lot of questions about the “rules” of interior design.

Takimoto: Imagine you enter a room and no one is there. But you want to have the player recognize, through the “traces” left by objects in the room, that someone was here. It was sort of like, “how do we create the scent of a human here?” (laughs)

Suzuki: Ryo’s house is designed to look like an actual house from 1986. Conceptually, our image was a Japanese buddhist temple (otera). We wanted the building itself to evoke the image of a 500 year old temple.

Oe: And we also added various touches that would make players feel the nostalgia of that era. Put all that together and you’ve got the Hazuki residence!

Producer Yu Suzuki at the Shenmue announcement event in December 1998.
http://shmuplations.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/shenmue01.jpg

The Sounds of Shenmue

Suzuki: Since Shenmue is a game you play at a relaxed pace, we wanted music that wouldn’t be too noisy or distracting to the player. That’s why I told Mitsuyoshi, “why don’t you try listening to some sutras first.” (laughs) For example, take the babbling of a stream, the sound of footsteps, or a bird’s warbling… these are sounds that no one is bothered by, and they have no melody to them. But to the extent that there is a melody, after listening to it for 3 or 4 hours, it will start to wear on your mind and annoy you… as such, my closest image for the music of Shenmue was buddhist sutras. There’s something mysterious about them, and I asked Mitsuyoshi to try and match that image.

Mitsuyoshi: What I tried to achieve for Shenmue was not “Takenobu Mitsuyoshi’s music.” Rather, I tried to find the melody that lies in the sound effects themselves, something that used sound effects for melody and rhythm. When you design the music for an arcade game, your goal is to get the customer in the game center to stop and take notice of your game. Basically, it's kind of like you’re trying to make a “commercial” for the game: how many people can you draw in, in the short span of time they hear the music? That was what I pursued, compositionally, in my previous work.
With Shenmue I’m creating the total opposite. It’s music that you don’t really notice, but if it wasn’t there, the scene would feel barren. It was very nuanced, detailed work, and very challenging in many ways. But because the scale of this project was so large, it did afford me a lot of opportunities to experiment. As a composer I feel like I leveled up in a big way.

Suzuki: We had a huge number of requests for the sound effects this time too.

Mitsuyoshi: Yeah. Actually, this was the first time we hired and worked with an outside company that specializes in sound effects. They created the sound effects, then we would figure out how to add them to the game. This is a small thing but I think it shows how Shenmue has raised the bar for us in terms of the game development process. This sound fx company’s approach is very different from ours, you see. They do sound work for movies and dramas, so they have a totally different perspective from us, and I think we learned a lot about sound from them.

Suzuki: Thanks to all the voicework, the biggest struggle for us was the amount of memory.

Okayasu: Which is funny, since we started off saying how easy it would be! (laughs)

Suzuki: Yeah… we miscalculated there for sure. I don’t know who made that estimation, but they were off by an order of magnitude: we needed a full 20x more space! At first we said it would all fit one disc maybe, then 2 discs, then 3… and we kept adding new things to the game, it was getting crazy.

Okayasu: All of a sudden things got really busy, and there were a lot more people on the team. (laughs)

Suzuki: Yeah, now that you mention it, that’s true.

Okayasu: No one ever explicitly said we were ramping up… it just happened without anyone noticing. (laughs)

Oe: Everyone was really excited at the announcement party though. We put a lot of effort into that!

Suzuki: It was certainly a long project though. We had to pull many overnighters and weekend trips together as a team.

Kasahara: Every Friday was our regular “Shenmue Weekends.” We’d use the lodging Sega had in Zushi and work on it all weekend.

Working with Yuzo Koshiro

Koshiro: Actually, back when I was a gamer I created a Spacer Harrier-ish doujinshi . (laughs) I brought it to Sega and showed it to Yu Suzuki. Even though I was just some random player, he listened to me like I was someone close to him. That left a huge impression on me, just how attentive he was to players, and how important that is. As for the Shenmue team, I joined in August 1998. Mitsuyoshi asked me to be his pupil. (laughs)

Takenobu Mitsuyoshi and Yuzo Koshiro.
http://shmuplations.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/shenmue05.jpg

Mitsuyoshi: Hah, no way, it wasn’t like that. (laughs) I talked with Yu Suzuki about bringing Koshiro on board, and it went from there. Before Shenmue started, I had met Koshiro once before when we shared the stage at a Roland event. After that Suzuki asked me, “Do you want to try working with Koshiro?” And of course I did! I’ve long admired Koshiro and thought he was cool. I’ve followed his work pretty closely for the last 10 years. (laughs)

Koshiro: This time I did an arrange version of Mitsuyoshi’s Shenmue theme. I wish I had more time to work on it though.

Mitsuyoshi: We didn’t have much time to record these songs, and I remember you had difficulties with the recording environment.

Koshiro: It was my first time making music with headphones. I knew I’d be playing with other musicians here at Sega so it made sense, but normally I always listen to the sound through speakers in my sutdio as I write. So using headphones exclusively was a challenge, but I think it was a good experience for me.

Mitsuyoshi: Koshiro came to Sega about once a week. He knows a lot about hardware, so amazingly he was able to complete songs entirely on his own and bring them in, ready for playback on the Dreamcast.

As for the composition process, I would say it was less sequencer-based, and more track-based with waveforms, like you’d do in a DAW .

Koshiro: It worked out alright–I mean, I get bored if I always do the same thing. (laughs) I like to try out as many new approaches as I can.

Mitsuyoshi: We’d have “sound meetings” every week, and everyone would present the songs they’d finished that week. Everyone was writing their own songs. Koshiro would come in with a song and it was like, “oh, he was thinking of the same scene.”

Koshiro: For Shenmue, the music was written before the scenes were completed, you see. When I was writing we only had some preliminary mock-up images. But it was like, what are we supposed to do with these? (laughs) No one knew. One picture they gave us, for instance, was of a drainage ditch covered with old boards. What song is supposed to match this? No one knew. Since it’s these dirty old boards, should it be a “dirty” song..?

Shenmue 2

Suzuki: Shenmue 2 will be the next evolutionary step for the Shenmue series; I think of the first game like an egg, in that sense. The egg of a new genre. I want to take this new direction and go further for Shenmue 2. I also want you to be able to carry your data over from the first game. The things you do in Shenmue, therefore, will affect the events in Shenmue 2. Of course you’ll be able to start from the sequel too. If you’re someone who has played this first chapter, though, the sequel will deepen your experience. That’s our plan.



Source

ShenGCH wrote:'TaleoftheMysteriousWindDojo' just doesn't have the same ring to it, does it?

Well, it could've been "Dojo of the Mysterious Wind", or "Genpuuki Dojo".

Hello Backers!

With the combined Kickstarter and Slacker Backer campaigns, we have reached the $7M stretch goal! Having reached this goal, the Battle System Expanded: AI Battling will be included! Thank you so much for your support!!　　

Battle System Expanded: AI Battling 　　　

This control system lets you automatically unleash the perfect technique in response to the opponent's positioning and distance. R&D for this system is based on Yu Suzuki's concept for players who are not used to fighting games or for those who want a full immersion battle experience. This battle system is highly compatible with, and will be an extension to the current battle system.

https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/assets/021/987/714/72ca8373a797ad46bd2a4a87a6529b12_original.jpg?w=639&fit=max&v=1532329681&auto=format&q=92&s=d118ecd2b624e0a620ca15f7e5d8eddc 　　　　　　　　

The Slacker Backer and Fangamer upgrade & add-on campaigns are still underway, so don't miss out! 　　　　　　　

And please make sure to get your survey in! Thank you!!

Add-on & Upgrade Announcement

The Toy Capsule Box Set is now available through Fangamer! Get the Ryo, Shenhua, Chai and Forklift set as either an add-on or upgrade. Alright! Have some more fun!

https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/assets/021/958/714/09bac5285162339db42863e34bbcd8ca_original.png?w=639&fit=max&v=1532050438&auto=format&lossless=true&s=34056e97970d29a097208c4f6328d7aa

Survey FAQ

We have received many inquiries concerning the survey for the following which we would like to address here.

*Please note that policies and implementation may change without notice depending on applicable quantities and content.　　　　　

Name Credit Input

There are three fields in which to input your name for name credit rewards. The first is English only and is required. The second and third are optional and accept other languages.

If you choose to enter your name in the second or third field in a language other than English, these optional names will take precedent.

*This will not apply if there would be a systems conflict or if deemed to be against public decency.

Concerning Pictures, Images and Text

Below is the list of prohibited content for survey responses. Should the dev team deem that survey responses contain prohibited content, or if responses are unfit for development or sales of the game, content may be edited or deleted.

*For example, offending text will be replaced with asterisks (***). Offending parts of images will be edited or deleted, or in some cases the content will not be displayed in the game.

· Content that infringes upon copyrights, trademarks or other rights

· Content that engages in slander, discrimination, or violations of human rights

· Content that is contrary to public decency

· Content where religious or political activities are included

· Content containing personal information

Game development will move forward based on your responses to go out to fans all around the world. We thank you in advance for your understanding and cooperation.

PC & PS4 Physical Version Disc Data

We would like to address the many inquiries concerning the physical version disc data. Development is moving forward to have all necessary data to play the game contained on the disc. Please rest assured that the disc will not be just a prompt for an internet download.

*An internet connection is a planned requirement for the purposes of game updates and reward activation.

That's the breaking news! The team would again like to thank you all for your wonderful support! See you next update!

---------- General Information ----------

Shenmue 3 Backer Survey

Backer surveys are now underway. For information on your survey, please see the email sent to you by Fangamer. Shenmue 3 can only be completed with your responses! Thank you for your cooperation!!

Please complete or make any necessary changes to your survey by these dates.

・August 13 (MON) 2018: Last day of Slacker Backer campaign, reward upgrades and add-ons

・September 30 (SUN) 2018: Surveys close

　　　　　　　
Choosing the PS4 or PC platform

We have a few notes to consider when choosing your platform. Also, if there would be any major changes in the requirements for either the PC or PS4 versions, the platform selection question of the survey is scheduled to remain open.

Choosing your PS4 region

Your PS4 region will be decided with your "Country" selection. Please note, if the disc region differs from PS4 system region, the unit itself, PlayStation™Network online services or DLC may not function properly.

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.

*Game is currently in development so system requirements may change without notice. We thank you for your understanding.

Fangamer and Third Party Use of Personal Information

YS NET has a written contract with Fangamer to carry out the backer surveys. Fangamer is a formal representative of YS NET to help process and fulfill all backer's orders through the surveys. Personal information is handed over and treated in accordance with the privacy policies of both companies for the purposes of conducting the surveys and reward delivery only. We thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

YS NET Privacy Policy
Fangamer Privacy Policy

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ysnet/shenmue-3/posts/2241883

Looks beautiful!!!

https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/assets/021/987/714/72ca8373a797ad46bd2a4a87a6529b12_original.jpg?w=639&fit=max&v=1532329681&auto=format&q=92&s=d118ecd2b624e0a620ca15f7e5d8eddc

Okay, now if you tell you are not excited about Shenmue 3 after looking at that pic you must be dead inside.

I'm back only for this post.

... Or a QTE prompt.

Could be a counter indicator, à la the Arkham series.
It's neither.

https://abload.de/img/fightingthugsindicato9jf1p.jpg

Looks like a lock-on indicator. There's also a forklift in the background, and what look like newspapers on the floor.

The move Ryo is doing looks really similar to Akira's Houken at 1 minute 54 in this video: https://youtu.be/B9jm6lbJj54?t=113

High res:

https://abload.de/img/fight_with_thugsqrev6.jpg