The new theme really does sound like it would work incredibly well as Shenmue 3's opening menu screen soundtrack. It really sort of gives off that "retelling of a centuries old legendary saga forevermore" kinda vibe:

https://www.youtube.com/embed/Qd4MyNqI0fo

It's things like this, memories, emotions, feelings, and the longing to want to believe in the magic of videogames again that make this series, and this project so special.

As such passionate and long suffering fans we are however, it still seems immensely painful for Suzuki to have officially quoted a large and specific number/cost - 10 million dollars - that would literally make Shenmue 3 the greatest experience it should be.

Painful not because Suzuki is being greedy in any way (he's not) or because the Kickstarter campaign is in anyway deceptive (it's not) but painful because of just how incredibly hard Suzuki and we, his fans have to continuously and persistently work for Shenmue 3, even now. After all, an extra 10 million dollars is most likely a trivial request for any other recently announced 'heritage project' like FF7 Remake.

Painful because Suzuki's creativity is being forcibly stifiled by a now cold and unfeeling contemporary world of misleading, impersonal social media and conditional corporate agreements - all things that I at least, always thought Shenmue as a paradigm compelled its players to rise above and become better than. You know - always give your fellow human being the benefit of the doubt and do your best to help them out unconditionally in any appropriately capable capacity within your power.

It is as if I feel like I need to apologise to Mr. Suzuki - but for what reason(s) I know not. Shenmue fans were only mere children and adolescents when they played Shenmue 1 and 2 for the first time some fifteen years ago - and now, as many of us are foraying into the busy existence that is adulthood in our twenties and thirties, I guess it's impossible for us not to feel hurt by not being able to do more to make Shenmue 3 as grand a reality it can finally be.

And really, when you hear us Shenmue fans plead for a 10 million dollar Kickstarter goal, that's really what's reflected in the mirror - a generation of young adults working and trying desperately and painstakingly to make up for lost time and fulfill one passionate, collective dream of theirs that they did not think could ever come true in their lifetimes - the continuation of the Shenmue experience.

Our apologies, Mr. Suzuki. If we had the 10 million dollars to give unconditionally, we would have already done so. As for now, we want to and will continue to do whatever is in our collective power to continue supporting Shenmue 3 in whatever capacity we can. This, I can assure you is a promise we all made 14 years ago when we were nothing but young adolescents - and it is a promise we intend to keep forevermore.

Mr.Yoshimoto really does a fantastic job in highlighting what must be the most powerful emotion that is driving the Shenmue revival right now for everyone, from himself, Suzuki, his staff, and all the fans: it's incredibly empowering and emotional for someone - anyone, really - to be given the opportunity to become again that younger, more energetic and optimistic version of one's self from 15 years ago for the explicit purpose of directly participating in the continuation of a project that is very dear to you.

After all, 14 years later since Shenmue 2's release, just so much has changed. Consequently, for Shenmue 3 to be announced now, we all can't but help ourselves from taking a small respite from whatever it is that concerns our current selves to become once again, those younger, more energetic and optimistic reflections of ourselves from 14 years ago, when we all dreamed that one day in the future maybe we'd all finally have the capacity to build meaningful and creative works just like - or possibly even grander than - Shenmue.

To be able to relive, and even continue towards fulfilling one's dreams even after those dreams appeared to be completely trampled upon by others for the longest time is suffice to say, not a chance opportunity that occurrs often. For those reasons, hopefully everyone involved - from Suzuki, his staff, and all the fans - take the opportunity to appreciate the very real meaning and beauty in these very moments as some of the best we've yet to be afforded.

Hmmm! Based off of the poorly translated Google translate of the interview page, the interviewer notes that the press trailer was two and a half minutes whereas the public teaser video is only about one and a half minutes...