I just pledged $500.
I love everyone.
I love life.

I am crying !

@CNET: Shenmue 3 becomes fastest game to ever hit $1M on Kickstarter: http://cnet.co/1R2VDMa

I didn't hesitate to donate $10,000 for the dinner with Yu Suzuki. This is FUCKING unreal!

You know what, and no disrespect indended here, but everyone who said "Let it go", or "it will never happen". "Shenmue destroyed Sega", and "its time to give up"....


This is an almighty fuck you to everyone who ran us down for over a decade. If you lost hope at times, its understandable, we all did at some point, But to those naysayers who just talked smack for the bandwagons sake, or the fanboys who laughed... well... he who laughs last laughs the loudest.

1999 - Shenmue setting records
2015 - Shenmue setting records

....

Just woke up to this. Was out of town and hadn't been on the internet. "Every Dream has come true."

https://www.youtube.com/embed/HXJTWEEi6BM?rel=0

HOLY FUCKING SHITBALLS!!!!!!!!1
IS IT HAPPENING!!!? IS THIS EVEN REAL!!!!?
IS IT ACTUALLY GOING TO HAPPEN!!!/
2.5 MILLION!!!!
I LITERALLY CRIED TEARS STREAMING DOWN MY FACE!!!!

THANK YOU EVERYONE AND......
IM LOST FOR WORDS HOLY SHIT!!!!
IT WAS JUST OUT OF NOWHERE!
THANK YOU SUZUKI!
THANK YOU SAGA!
THANK YOU COMMUNITY
WOW!
\:D/ =D> :D :) :-o :oops: :D :D :sad: ;-) :D :D :?:

Dang another 100 bucks from my credit card gone. But hell yeah - i couldn't go without a boxed PC version and the beta (I hope "trial" equals "beta"...).

Awesome guys. I couldn't log into my old account. So I had to make a new one.
Man what a night and what a day. Here I was thinking about another E3 disappointment just like these 14 years.
But.... mind blown...

This is amazing, a dream come true...

Already pledged for the artbook version.

Okey people.. Who got the dinner? LOL

Made a little video about Ryo himself pledging to celebrate

mrslig100 wrote: Get in here!
http://boards.4chan.org/v/thread/298734267

No thanks.

I am making this thread as a placeholder.

I am building a mod team for Shenmue 3.

So it runs on Unreal Engine, so I am going to start converting all of the S1 and S2 textures to be readable in UDK.

They will come handy when S3 is out and we want to start tinkering with it.

Just take others reactions in, and enjoy :nice!:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gKd2gJICqE


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcUoRij3B2I

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geW1xbp_eFQ

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60NqgzO2KWs

Been watching these all morning. The amount of joy in my soul is unlike anything I've felt before. This is totally unbelievable

Really hope they bring Corey back to voice Ryo - it wouldn't be the same for me without him. The guy has always kept an eye on Shenmue and been great with fans on Facebook and I am pretty certain would jump through firey hoops to get involved with this game.

I genuinely hope that the fact fans are funding this will allow us input into decisions such as this, or at least a vote on the matter.

I hope so. Nobody can nail that monotone, robotic voice the way Corey Marshall did. A Ryo Hazuki who shows any emotion whatsoever isn't the real thing.

Ive heard from Lisle Wilkerson, Corey Marshall, and Eric Kelso. (Ryo, Gui Zhang, Ren, Fukusan, Joy, Xuying, Yuan)

They all want to do the game. It is up to the devs to invite them.

I have not heard from Paul Lucas yet. (chai and Lan Di)

All 3 of them publicly said this on my facebook timeline.

It seems like the lead trio, as a whole, is interested in returning. They seem to be fans themselves, and they have expressed interest in coming back. This doesn't even begin to address the contributions they have made on the fan front in the past, and it even seems that they (I can't speak for all of them) have contributed to the Kickstarter campaign. I think the key here is getting this message across to Yu and the development team.

The message being, of course, that we want them in the game, and more important, they want to be involved.

I love the translation:

Good job man. I'm positive there were many members of this Dojo sharing the same tears of joy. I couldn't have stopped my eyes from leaking even if I had tried. I honestly never thought this day would happen.

Alright everyone. After a few requests and support from members in me doing this again and especially after Shenmue 3 was announced I decided it was indeed a great time to revitalize the podcast and stick to it.

I present to you all the first episode, which is really just an intro to where I want to go with this. Episode 0 is just myself but I will get others to join in soon enough.

Feedback is welcome. I want to turn this into a community podcast and build it up to help the fan base.

Enjoy.

Audio
MP3 download and stream.

https://soundcloud.com/alexander-munoz-1/the-shenmue-cast-ep-0

Slide show video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=am6KEh2QA6g

I didn't exactly cry. As a 34 year old I did run around my living room at 3am British time punching the air letting out little shrills with all the energy of my 13 year old former self who had just unwrapped his Super Nintendo on Christmas day 1993. :D

Woke my girlfriend, house-mate and cat up with that one.

The instant the music started it had me weeping. 14 years of agony was finally lifted.

I cracked open a Asahi and ran on adrenaline for the rest of the night, couldn't even sleep.

Cynical article is cynical.

It isn't a con. This will likely help pay for all the technical resources to get it made. Then, Sony will likely provide a team of bodies in order to help with actual development. So Sony wanted to use a Kickstarter to gauge interest? So what? And let's not act like it's some Sony exclusive either... Remember, it's coming out for PC too and they haven't ruled out a possible Wii U or XBOne release just yet.

I say, if people want to keep on donating, then do! Let's reach those stretch goals and then some and make it the best game it can be :)

Also, I wish people would stop citing the 70 million! That was the cost for the time and effort and research put into the ENTIRE franchise and creating the engine from scratch. Let's not forget it also most likely included the cost of the original Saturn development, even from the days of it being a Virtua Fighter spin off. These days, a game like Shenmue wouldn't need anywhere near that much money to make. Especially with them utilizing the Unreal engine.

Hey everyone it's been a long time,
I'm translating right now some information to you, they are from this video :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKb0vtQz8xo

At 1:01 : The announcement was very exciting, Shenmue 3 will be the direct sequel to Shenmue 2 ... (He makes a joke about ryo not being in the game.) Suzuki said the dog from later Shenmue could be replaced by a bear or a goat.

At 1:55 : Suzuki said that there were lots of big announcement at Sony conference and he was wondering if Shenmue 3 would have the same welcome applause as the others ... When he heard the applause, he was confident of the warm welcome of Shenmue 3

At 2:24 : Speaking about the idea of the kickstarter (the idea was almost launch by the interviewer) he said it is Ryan Payton that gave him the idea...

At 2:50 : "Does Shenmue 3 will contain arcade games ?"

Answer : "It is a very good idea indeed, I thought about it without taking a final decision. BUT There is an arcade room that will be added to the stretch goal of the kickstarter campaign. So it is a possibility" !

- At 3:43 it is asked : "What was Sega's role ?"

Answer : "they gave us all we needed about episode 1 and 2 for Shenmue 3 conception. And as I'm still advisor at Sega we have a strong trust relationship."

- At 4:10 : "About E3 footage"

Answer : "this is the actual game, we are using Unreal Engine 4 to build the game. It is still a prototype but what you saw was not a movie or a video but actual gameplay"

- At 4:30 : "About Cédric Biscay role"

Answer : "Cédric understand Japanese culture very well, through animes, video game and japanese cinema. He and his company help us to link Japan to the rest of the world, specifically Europe where he will do the marketing of the game."

- At 5:00 Interviewer ask Cedric Biscay : "How you were involved with the creation of Shenmue 3 ?"

Answer : "I'm a huge fan of Shenmue and we simply spoke about it the first time we met and as weird as it seemed, we were involved in it"

Question : "You business is french and you were like the leader that made Shenmue possible ?"

Answer : "Well i must stay humble but reality is that we were the starting point and it is important to say that the company is from Monaco, not France. We have now a branch in Japan so it is a great opportunity for us. it is been 13 years that we worked with Japan."

Question : "Can you tell us more about your role even if Suzuki san already told us a little bit ?"

Answer : "I'm in charge to found part of the funding, to promote the game and all the PC port also. it is a lot of work.

At 6:33 : "Do we have an estimation for the shipping date of the game ?"

Aswer : "So, the date is now December 2017 if everything is ok and we have no delay in production. We know that giving a date is a source of delay but for now, there is no issue on this side."

At 7:16 They said that they will see each other again at the MAGIC the 02/27/2015 Suzuki will be invited as the video game honor guest.

Close

Ryo actually tells Tom ( at the docks) that it is a scar from his Melanoma...Remember this is Japan in the 80's and the Nuke's had just dropped 1 maybe 2 weeks before the start of the game.

That's cold

Tom is a good friend, but he is a business man through and through.

Locke_cole wrote: Close

Ryo actually tells Tom ( at the docks) that it is a scar from his Melanoma...Remember this is Japan in the 80's and the Nuke's had just dropped 1 maybe 2 weeks before the start of the game.

So did he at least get a free hot dog?

... this time for being the quickest game to receive $1million in crowd funding

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015- ... owdfunding

The love... The love!

The way things have been going at Sega these days, it's like they're allergic to money and want to go bankrupt. They have to realize that re-releasing Shenmue I and II (along with Skies of Arcadia) would be profitable.


That isn't true. The other HD Dreamcast games like Space Channel 5 and Jet Set Radio bombed.

Sega admitted once that Shenmue and Skies of Arcadia in HD were their two biggest fan requests. Maybe I'm being too simplistic, but I think they'd sell well on Steam, Xbox Live and PSN. I think Kickstarter proved the demand is there for Shenmue

Hi guys,

I compiled this version of the beta, Disc 1

Thanks to Wude! We now have the following maps playable:

Wish Road
D0000

Beta Sakuragaoka
JD00

Set Scene to 01
Set Entry to 02 for wish road, 00, 01, 02 for beta sakuragaoka.


Confirmed working in Reicast, NullDC, actual Hardware


Mega Link = https://mega.co.nz/#!2dVgVJIA!962SwumA5aGyNEgg7Xu5gbODvltKGBNbmKKxFjpGd0E

Please let me know if u have issues.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p622/shengoro86/2014-03-2223_48_38-ProgramManager_zpse451fb2e.jpg

I pledged the maximum $10,000, and will be having dinner with Yu Suzuki in Japan next September. I am beyond excited. I was watching E3 at the Opry Mills theater here in Nashville. As soon as it was announced, I ran out of the theater, hopped on my phone and pledged it immediately. Very reckless in all honesty as I'm not rich, but I just don't care. 8) I wonder who the other two are that'll have the dinner with me.

http://www.mediafire.com/view/6siygr66m2te2qr/i-wf0702_004.jpg#
http://www.mediafire.com/view/bp8911gv5b7y5a3/i-wf0702_005.jpg#
http://www.mediafire.com/view/zhehbcn73zhkp9a/i-wf0702_006.jpg#
http://www.mediafire.com/view/bf1trmgz7tejf1m/i-wf0702_007.jpg#
http://www.mediafire.com/view/6md3ql10x1ppiw6/i-wf0702_008.jpg#
http://www.mediafire.com/view/6iot4869ui62rdr/i-wf0702_009.jpg#

thanks to kurushii for the scans.

Famitsu Translation by Axm and Switch

Feature Story
- Ryo Hazuki is coming back -


Shenmue III has set off
The fundraising campaign has started on Kickstarter


E3 2015 is being held in Los Angeles from June 17th till 19th (Japan time). Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) press conference was held in June 16th, a day before E3 starts, and a game creator Yu Suzuki announced the new “Shenmue 3.” He also revealed his campaign using the crowd-funding site “Kickstarter” to raise funds for this game.
It’s been 14 years since the release of Shenmue 2. What will this eagerly-awaited Shenmue 3 be like? Why did he chose Kickstarter?--- I have asked the executive produce Mr.Suzuki. (Interviewer: Famitsu chief editor Katsuhiko Hayashi)


Finally setting off the official sequel “Shenmue 3”


---The impact of the name of “Shenmue 3” is so great and it surprised me when I first heard it. Well, it’s been 14 years since Shenmue 2 was released. Why make Shenmue 3 now? Would you give us the accounts on how it started?
Suzuki: I have been always looking for the way to launch Shenmue 3, so it is not like we just started this project. Although it’s been more than a decade since Shenmue 2, there are many enthusiastic fans still existing and when I attend autograph sessions abroad, they always come ask me “When is Shenmue 3 coming?” For example in France, 80% of people who come to my autograph sessions are the Shenmue fans. The rest of 10% are Virtua Fighter fans and the other 10% are Hang-on fans or so. There are fans who still manage fan communities. Every year around March and April, the rumor “They say that they are making Shenmue 3” comes out and it reaches me.. haha.


---The eagerly waiting voices turn to rumors.
Suzuki: Yes that’s right. But slowly the fan’s voices have changed to something wistful. They say “It can be just a novel, so please give us the sequel story at least” or “Just manga is fine. We want to see a new “Shenmue”.” Those voices made me think that I should push the project forward somehow for the fans, no matter if I couldn’t make a full-spec game.


--- And for the means to make it happen, you chose Kickstarter. Why?
Suzuki: About three years ago, one of the fans who has experience using Kickstarter suggested me using it for the Shenmue project. That is when I first learned about Kickstarter, and started researching it. If it comes to really making the game, I have to make sure it satisfies my fans. So I couldn’t go like “OK I’m doing this with Kickstarter!” I seeked other ways,--- for instance finding a partner, but I couldn’t find one that meets my requirements. After careful consideration, we decided that Kickstarter is the best way to set off, and we were able to announce it finally in 2015.


---So you were just saying that you wanted to make the sequel, but really you have been working on it already for a long time.
Suzuki: Yes. Strong feedback after the Shenmue lecture at GDC 2014 also pushed me into coming this far. Sega agreeably licenced it to me and SCE also supported us by saying “We will support you if you are making Shenmue.” I knew that announcing the Kickstarter project at SCE’s conference is a very remarkable thing and am so happy that many people still support Shenmue this much.


---The title “Shenmue 3” is very direct and has no twist.
Suzuki: I couldn’t think of any other name. Shenmue 1, 2 and 3. It is not a spin-off. It comes to PS4 and PC.


---Its an eagerly awaited official sequel and fans will be definitely delighted. What is the goal of the Kickstarter funding?
Suzuki: 2 million yen at the very beginning.


---It must be easy to raise 2 million if it is for Shenmue.
Suzuki: However, 2 million is the very least amount of money you need for a game to come to exist. If it’s just 2 million, it will be more likely a very story-driven based game. If we can raise more, it will be more realistic for me to be able to do what I want to do. I want to try something new.

--- Just like you.. Your stance of “making something new” has never changed.
Suzuki: Yes. I will do my best to make a new Shenmue.

--- We will talk about this “New Shenmue” later. What are the pledge rewards for donating to Kickstarter?
Suzuki: I would like to adopt everyone’s opinion into the game to the extent that I can. For example if there are two designs of one character, then I will ask everyone to vote for each of them. I will provide the participation privilege for that kind of voting. Also while Shenmue 3 is under development, I will prepare a trial-demo so they can take a sneak peak of it.

--- So you are creating Shenmue 3 with your fans?
Suzuki: I think every one of the people who invested in this project has a leading role in it and I hope each one of them enjoy it. Please visit Kickstarter’s Shenmue page to learn more about the pledge rewards.


F: Next, I would like to ask about the key content of Shenmue 3. What kind of story developments can be expected in Shenmue 3?
YS: At the end of Shenmue 2 Ryo visits Guilin, said to be the most beautiful region in China. The area is famous for landscape paintings, and it has a river called the Li river. Shen Hua’s house is located on a tributary of the river. The story of Shenmue 2 ends at the point where Ryo reaches Shen Hua’s house, and the story of Shemue 3 continues right from there.
F: So, Ryo and Shen Hua will make an appearance, continuing from the previous part.
YS: For people who have played the Shenmue series, those familiar characters will appear as they were.
F: Will the setting be Guilin?
YS: Yes. For example, visiting a town(s) in the Guilin area, or going back to the mountains. Also infiltrating the Guilin chapter of an underground organization, the Chi You Men.
F: It could be said that Shenmue is the originator of open world gameplay, and has influenced many games since, but for Shenmue 3 what direction do you plan to take the open world model?
YS: When I created Shenmue 1, I was aiming to create exactly what is now called an “open world”. Being able to stop freely at any location you wish, advancing if you wish to move the story forward, or just standing still if you prefer. Back then, we called the system “FREE”, but in time it came to be referred to as open world. In Shenmue 2, with advances and technology and techniques, the open world was expanded even further.
F: In Shenmue 2, it was possible to walk through many towns over a wide area of Hong Kong, wasn’t it.
YS: Actually, at that time, I had decided that for Shenmue 3 I would delve in more deeply.
F: More deeply?
YS: Yes. People might expect that the open world would be made even broader, but in contrast to that, I will focus on depth. For example, for the case of 100 characters, splitting the development budget among them would limit the elements that could be incorporated into each character.
F: That’s true, it would make it harder to create each with detail.
YS: However, if we reduce the number to 10 characters, a lot of possibilities are opened up. The amount of conversation could be increased 10 times, or detailed A.I. provided for each character. As a result, conversations could be much richer. As an example, in Shenmue 3 the person that Ryo will speak with most is Shen Hua, so I want to portray her with depth. I envisage an approach where, by settings parameters for Shen Hua, on-going conversations with her will influence events such as changing her attitude, or changing the way that quests relating to her unfold.
F: I see. I think a lot of support for Shenmue comes not from just the realistic towns, but from the realism of the people inhabiting it. From what you have described, this realism will be further increased, and the world will feel even more “human”.
YS: Yes. In Shenmue this time I will be focusing particularly on digging down further on such internal aspects.
F: This is your vision for the new Shenmue, isn’t it.
YS: Of course, that’s not to say it will not be open world. Stretch goals will allow the town(s) to be expanded. However, what I would like to try first is to develop something that everyone has not anticipated; a deep Shenmue world.

F: I can’t wait to see this new Shenmue. Speaking of Shenmue, apart from its open world, its QTEs and minigames made it special, didn’t they.
YS: QTEs were originally included so that even people who were poor at battles could enjoy them. I’m happy that various games have included QTEs since then.
F: QTEs also had their origin in Shenmue, didn’t they.
YS: This time, I would like to show new QTEs; ones which can played by anyone, and which have carefully-crafted event sequences. In addition, I’d like to change the nature of free battles. (I will think of a different name, as I don’t want to call them free battles). I’d like to make a battle that is won by making the correct decision, rather than by correct timing of pushing buttons.
F: I believe Shenmue was made with the concept of being a game that can be enjoyed by any player, and this new system feels to be in keeping with that.
YS: Also this time I am planning a “technique scrolls” system. Ah.... maybe I have said too much (laughs).
F: Not at all, we’d like to hear more! (laughs)
YS: For example, with the free battle it is tough to practice and input the various commands required, so simply by obtaining a technique scroll you can apply the technique to help you win a battle. In the case of a QTE, the new technique could be unleashed during the QTE. I would like to make it so that a technique can be used to your advantage in battle just by obtaining a technique scroll. Furthermore, I’d like to make that technique scroll connect with various elements within the game.
F: Could you explain a bit more with respect to “connecting with elements”?
YS: Shenmue has had a number of ways you could play around, such as mini-games and gambling spots, but I have always been thinking about how to connect these together in some way. Of course, they are connected in the sense that you can take a part-time job to earn money, then increase that amount by gambling, then buy weapons... but not that kind of connection, something much closer. If the stretch goals can be reached and more detailed elements incorporated into the open world, this will allow technique scrolls to serve as the pivot for connecting together the various side games. That’s the kind of direction I would like to take it.
F: I see. So various elements of the open world will be connected together in a more natural way. Apart from that, are there any other elements that you are keen to include in Shenmue 3?
YS: One particular part of Shenmue that fans seem to have fallen in love with is the forklift part-time job, which is extremely popular. So I really want to include it in Shenmue 3 too, but how can you operate a forklift deep in the mountains of Guilin (laughs). I haven’t stopped thinking about how to find some way to include a forklift (laughs).

F: Please tell us about the development set-up for Shenmue 3.
YS: This time, the main development company is Neilo. The representative for Neilo, Takeshi Hirai, worked as the chief programmer for Shenmue and has a good understanding of Shenmue.
F: Since Shenmue is an open world game, I had thought that working with an overseas development company that is experienced in open world games would have been an option.
YS: Yes, that may have been an option. However, the main distinguishing characteristic of Shenmue is its culture. I believe that users overseas also have taken interest in the culture and customs of Asia. People have said they appreciate it when Ryo says “Thank you” for the smallest thing, for example. Someone who has worked all along on creating Shenmue understands that kind of culture and values.
F: So this time, development will be using Unreal Engine 4, won’t it.
YS: I have been looking at various engines for Shenmue 3 for the past 3 years, but the colors of Unreal Engine 4 are closest to those I envisage for the world of Shenmue. Although that’s a pretty broad statement, given that it’s a technical topic. The feeling of slight dampness in the air, the skin colors, the feel of materials etc were closest to my ideal.
F: Apart from the Neilo staff, are there others participating who have worked with Shenmue before?
YS: Yes, of course. I wanted to build up the team with past members as I believe that gives the fans some reassurance. Among others are scenario writer Masahiro Yoshimoto, and Kenji Miyawaki who is in charge of the character designs.
F: Given that this project is coming to life 14 years after the previous release of Shenmue, everyone must be very surprised.
YS: Mr Yoshimoto has been active in the world of television, and reacted with surprise saying “With television, producing something new with a theme that is 14 years old is unheard of”. But Mr Yoshimoto told me that he made many discoveries through his experience with Shenmue. Later on, I plan to release a video with comments from Mr Yoshimoto and the rest of the staff, so please watch out for it.
F: We are looking forward to seeing it. The fans are sure to be happy.
YS: I have gathered together quite a few of the original key members who gave Shenmue that special feel. I’m sure this will bring a feeling of both reassurance and nostalgia.
F: By the way, it may be a bit impatient to ask, but do you already have in mind how things will progress after Shenmue 3?
YS: Of course, I have that in mind. But first and foremost, I’d like to put primary focus on Shenmue 3.
F: When is the planned release date for Shenmue 3?
YS: I’d like to release it by the end of 2017.
F: That’s quite some way off, but we can’t wait. From speaking with you today, I can really appreciate the challenges that you are taking on of producing a new Shenmue. Finally, do you have a message for all the fans who have waited all this time for Shenmue 3?
YS: The fans have told me over the course of 14 years how they wanted part 3 to be made, and I have always told myself that I had to find some way to make it. And now, through the crowd-funding of Kickstarter, at last I have been able to make a start on the Shenmue 3 project. In order to bring about a Shenmue 3 that incorporates a perfect blend of both a Shenmue that everyone desires, as well as a Shenmue with the new challenges I want to take on, everyone’s effort is needed. Thank you so much for your support.

Picture captions:
1) This image shows the figures of Ryo and Shen Hua walking on a mountain path. Note that Ryo has changed clothes from the leather jacket he wears in the first and second parts of the series.
2) Using a telescope, Ryo observes buildings below a cliff. According to Yu Suzuki, before Ryo lies the enemy’s camp, which Ryo is searching for a way to infiltrate.
3) Shen Hua and Ryo, drawn by Kenji Miyawaki who is in charge of character design for the series. Shen Hua, the main heroine, did not appear much in the first and second parts of the series. In Shenmue 3, she will surely take a principle role.
4) Niao Sun, one of the leaders of the underground organisation opposing Ryo, the Chi You Men. Although her existence has previously been revealed, she has not made an in-game appearance until now.

OH SHIT, SON!

Martin wrote: I'd give my left nut to see Shenmue finished properly. How's that for an investment?

Well?

I'm not sure things are as dire as you think they are. The Kickstarter is still tracking better than comparable Kickstarters. For instance, it is ahead of Bloodstained on every single day of activity. Yesterday's addition of the $3,000 tier generated $54,000.

Please, let's not get ahead of ourselves. We didn't even know Shenmue III would happen a week ago.

The gripping tale of Ryo Hazuki’s quest for vengeance captivated Dreamcast audiences when it released to widespread critical acclaim in 2000. Though Yu Suzuki’s masterpiece was beloved by fans, the astounding cost of its first two entries and poor sales of Shenmue II drove Sega to cancel the third game, leaving Suzuki’s saga without resolution.

Though the series was abandoned by Sega and written off as an impossibility for over a decade, the fan base has been unrelenting in its requests for the series to continue. Both Suzuki and Sega have been inundated by fan requests for Shenmue III, with online campaigns comprised of the most die-hard fans continuing to push forward through petitions and social media accounts.

Those fans were vindicated this week, when Shenmue III’s Kickstarter campaign not only grabbed valuable stage time on Sony’s E3 press conference for its reveal, but also went on to attract so much traffic that Kickstarter’s site crashed. With the Kickstarter campaign reaching its goal of $2 million in record time and Sony providing further funding, Shenmue III is finally a reality.

The reserved nature of Yu Suzuki did little to hide his passion and excitement for this project. With each question I asked, the legendary developer spoke quickly, smiled often, and held the composure of a man whose dream was finally coming true. During our conversation, we covered a variety of topics ranging from Sega’s role in Shenmue III to how the franchise remains relevant so long after it was thought lost forever.

Game Informer: It’s been 14 years since the last game. Why is now the right time for Shenmue to return?

Yu Suzuki: To make a game like Shenmue, obviously the question is how to get the funding to make a game like that and you know, it’s been really hard – I just couldn’t find a way to get it together. But three years ago, I learned of Kickstarter and I met some people who have done Kickstarter before and with all their help, we decided to put this Kickstarter together. With what we managed to fund on that site, as well as with the other funding sources my company, Ys Net, has procured, I believe now is the time that we can make Shenmue III.

Is it frustrating to have to wait so long to finally realize this project?

Pretty much everywhere I go, it’s always “Make Shenmue III! Make Shenmue III!” The reaction is so strong from the fans that I’ve always been looking at how I can make Shenmue III. These past years, it was very stressful, because I couldn’t make it. More than that, I couldn’t give the fans what they wanted. That was probably the worst part: I couldn’t answer their calls that they were sending out for me. Now that the project has started – lots of relief there.

Now that the announcement of the game is out there, was there one moment that was the biggest relief of all?

It was probably at the Sony press conference when I was waiting in line for Shenmue III to be announced. Adam [Boyes, VP of publisher and developer relations at PlayStation] was up on stage talking about something, then I saw that the Shenmue III promotion video was on and then all of a sudden there was this big well from the audience and this big noise that came from them. That was the time that I felt most relieved. Before that, it was really big titles like Destiny – everything before that was a big title – and I was kind of worried about how Shenmue III would shape up to these guys, but once the song came on, the rouse came from the audience. I knew it was then.

Were you surprised by how fast the Kickstarter goal was reached?

The thing that really surprised me first about the Kickstarter was the crash that happened. Kickstarter broke – that was a big surprise. I couldn’t believe that! The second one was how fast it went to $1 million. Apparently, it is the fastest game or entertainment project on Kickstarter to reach that number.

The first two Shenmue games were published by Sega. Does Sega have any involvement with Shenmue III?

So, YS Net received the licensing rights from Sega. Of course, the original properties are still licensed with Sega. This time, they’re allowing us to use it and allowing us to use the licensing rights. They also gave us a lot of resources from [Shenmue] I and II to help us with this project. They’ve been very happy to see Shenmue III being made and we have a very good relationship.

A big part of the original Shenmue games were the Sega Easter eggs, such as the capsule toys and playing Sega games in the arcades. Is there any possibility that those will appear in this game even though those licenses belong to Sega?

There are some things I can use and there are some things I can’t use. It’s kind of depending on further talks with Sega. I think there’s going to be a lot of small details that we’re going to have to speak with them on as we go along.

The challenging part, at least in the United States, is that Shenmue came out on Sega Dreamcast, Shenmue II came out on Xbox, and Shenmue III is coming to PlayStation 4 and PC, making it difficult for many fans to experience the first two games since they’re on separate platforms. Are there any plans to bring Shenmue I and Shenmue II to modern platforms?

If you have that question, it’s better that you ask Sega because they hold the rights to those. Those are their properties and I'm not in a position to talk about that, but I’m thinking about asking them!

Shenmue was a very revolutionary and influential game when it was released on Dreamcast. A lot has changed in the games industry since then. How does the team work to make a game just as revolutionary so long after the original?

It’s all about the new challenges with me, and I definitely want to try these new things. Of course, it’s going to come down to the funding and how much we’re going to be able to spend on Shenmue III, but if we get to that point, I believe it will be just as revolutionary as the ones before.

As we emerged from the small room where our conversation took place, a handful of Shenmue fans eagerly greeted Suzuki. Despite spending the majority of his day in that room, fielding questions from members of the media, Suzuki stopped to greet those fans, take pictures, and sign autographs. As we left, I heard the unmistakable sound of pure joy that follows a monumental moment such as what that encounter meant to those fans. It may have been 14 years since Shenmue II launched on the Dreamcast in Japan, and 13 since its release on the Xbox in the U.S., but through the hurdles, struggles, and disappointments taking place over the past decade and a half, the enduring passion of the Shenmue fan base has kept Suzuki’s dream alive.

http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2015/06/19/yu-suzuki-shenmue-iii-interview-e3-2015.aspx?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

I wonder if it's a coincidence that a Shenmue documentary is being made now? It's just that the last years had other things going on like action figures, new jackets, Ryo in All Star Racing, Yu being more public etc.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIaoXjzIARE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJHv-Mo2j3U


Why does Corey wear two belts?
Common for those who are twice the man. You know, double the stuff to hold up. I'm just guessing though as to its necessity in this particular case.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCGxVEq ... e=youtu.be for people who want to listen in on the podcast, the link's right here