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Shenmue 3 stage in testing

A tweet from Cedric Biscay:

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Sounds promising! Great to see that the developers already have a playable stage in testing.
by Switch
Tue Sep 22, 2015 4:49 am
 
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Re: Yu Suzuki in China promoting Shenmue 3 (Video Included)

Just popping in to say:

That looks incredibly advanced for four months of dev time, and it seems like the legendary Yu Suzuki development pipeline efficiency and detail stickling is hard at work with this game lol. It ALREADY has a feel, an atmosphere, and a "smell" as he might put it. And this is with over two years of dev time remaining.

Yeah. He may surprise everyone despite the limited budget...
by Anonymous81
Mon Nov 16, 2015 10:28 pm
 
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Gametrailers include Shenmue 3 in its 2015 greatest moments.

Both Michael Huber and Kyle Bosman from Gametrailers have spoken on different aspects of why Shenmue 3 was a top highlight of the year (and who can blame them!) Here are the respective videos:

Huber Hype - The year of dreams (part 1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnGARsW-Joo

Wraps up the video with June, the E3 of dreams, and his infamous reaction to the Shenmue 3 announcement. (10:14)



The Final Bosman - The top 10 best things in 2015

https://youtu.be/n_BCVGGDpnU

Lists the amount Shenmue 3 got funded by, ironically as the 3rd best thing of this gaming year.(7:28)
by Peter
Wed Dec 16, 2015 4:30 pm
 
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Re: Gametrailers include Shenmue 3 in its 2015 greatest mome

Nice to see some positive media about Shenmue 3.

I keep hearing people who don't like Shenmue calling it a "mistake".

The majority of the people who have shown a real investment in tearing Shenmue down are saying crap like "it's a mistake" because, deep down, they're mad that something that has a positive message and interpretation of the cultures it strives to portray overall is coming back on the market and making everything they worship look like the insults they actually are. They make my stomach turn.
by VukBZ2005
Sat Dec 19, 2015 8:30 pm
 
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Re: Kickstarter Update 51: Poll Results & Shenmue.link revam

Everyone should get the rewards regardless of kickstarter or paypal. If they want to make kickstarter exclusive, than they should include something similar value that is only exclusive to paypal as well. That way, everyone will be happy. Making it only kickstarter exclusive is disappointing to say the least. They should have just added other bonus that are only for paypal when they made paypal as a funding option.

Exactly, even out the playing field so that contributors don't feel cheated. If they can, again(!), be creative about it, a lot of the negative reactions will stop and goodwill for the series and the people behind it will be created.

EVERYONE ELSE: The points made about those who voted for the Kickstarter staying exclusive are legitimate. However, the people behind the slacker backer should have had something lined up as a compensatory mechanism to prevent the negative comments being made in the first place.
by VukBZ2005
Mon Jan 04, 2016 9:01 am
 
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Re: Kickstarter Update 51: Poll Results & Shenmue.link revam

I find their interpretation of the poll results dumb, but what frustrates me the most is 90%+ of the time, they are the cause of the negativity surrounding Shenmue 3.

Im gonna go ahead and say it, something needs to be done about this company sooner rather than later. There's been too many mistakes and errors that have had a negative impact on Shenmue.

Im 100% certain the KS could have reached 7 - 8 million if AJ didn't continuously screw things up. I mean we've turned a blind eye several times to their nonsense and given them chance after chance, but lets be real, this will happen again and again, im certain of that.

Research past media reports and analysis videos and you'll see they are the cause of most of the problems.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1121020

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnvy0yzgVWc

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

These guys are getting paid good money to do a relatively easy and amazing job in its own right, but they still fuck up. They are responsible for media relations, communication and the campaign itself, yet they make no attempt to promote the campaign, no attempt to gather further support, no attempt to communicate or make exclusive deals with media outlets to gain further interest, etc, etc.

We, the fans have done everything since Shenmue 3 has been announced. We've promoted, we've used our youtube friends to spread the word, we've created new campaigns, made exclusive deals with companies such as first four figures, Corey Marshall, etc etc etc. Some of us have been keeping the dream alive over on other message boards and damage controlling like crazy to clear up doubts and confusion. Doubts and confusion that shouldn't have been there in the first place.

You have to ask yourself, why are we doing everything??? We all have jobs, study etc, yet we still find time to continuously push Shenmue 3 for the greater good, for free i might add. It comes from passion and Love. These guys dont do anything, and its their full time job????

Awesome Japan clearly have no real interest in the project. The sad fact is, they'll be able to take full credit for the most successful KS ever and they didnt do fuck all to help.

Maybe this situation is a lot more complex, but as a backer who has placed around $1000 into the project, im unhappy with the way things are going. Personally, if i was apart of the project in a more executive manner, like cedric or Sony, Id fire these guys as soon as possible, or pay their contract off, so that they could be replaced by a more competent team.

#SaveShenmuefromAwesomeJapan
by ShenSun
Tue Jan 05, 2016 6:57 am
 
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Project X Zone 2 Shenmue Music

Don't think i've seen this posted yet, for those of you who want to hear it...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQPm_frCP7k&index=34&list=PLpeu5UWssrIcOE-3m9Wf74Je7JzMoH7Q0

Love the new arrangement. It's a shame that shenmue only had one track whilst other series had 2 or more but beggars can't be choosers i suppose. Would have loved to have heard earth & sea in there or something.
by Stocke
Tue Feb 02, 2016 1:23 pm
 
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Yu Suzuki interview by Shenmue Dojo & Team Yu (MAGIC 2016)

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Shenmue Dojo & Team Yu went to MAGIC Monaco 2016 to interview Yu Suzuki about Shenmue III.

Click here to read all about it and watch the full video to hear what the head of Ys Net had to say.
by Team Yu
Mon Apr 04, 2016 8:44 am
 
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Re: Yu Suzuki interview by Shenmue Dojo & Team Yu (MAGIC 201

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-_kR2fnYKc


Yu Suzuki speaks on Shenmue III, the role of developers, and the future of gaming

Traduction en français: cliquer ici

Traducción al español por Jose Guerrero:
_________________________________________________________________________
Yu Suzuki habla sobre Shenmue III, el papel de los desarrolladores, y el futuro de los videojuegos

La última vez que jugamos en Shenmue como Ryo Hazuki, se encontraba inmerso en un viaje de descubrimiento en tierras extranjeras, siguiendo el rastro del hombre que alteró inesperadamente el curso de su historia; guiada por los hilos del destino.

Igual de inesperado ha sido para dos representantes de Shenmue Dojo y de Team Yu , tras numerosas coincidencias, verse envueltos en un viaje con el objetivo de dar con el creador de la saga, Yu Suzuki; y lograr así que fuera entrevistado por primera vez por la comunidad angloparlante.

http://s16.postimg.cc/lg1jcaco5/1_beach.png

Al igual que nuestro camino a Mónaco, el camino a Shenmue III ha sido montañoso. Pero gracias a una cascada de eventos: una comunidad fan organizada , el alzamiento de Kickstarter , los equipos de producción 3rd party de Sony, e inversores privados (con Shibuya Productions en cabeza), se pudo construir un túnel que facilitara el acceso a este impenetrable paisaje.

Con la soñada secuela ya en desarrollo. En el MAGIC Monaco organizado por Shibuya Productions (conferencia anual de videojuegos, anime y fandom), pudo verse un nuevo e inédito avance del juego. Al nuevo material le cayó literalmente una tormenta encima, ya que una de las cosas que pudieron verse fue el renovado sistema meteorológico dinámico; una vieja y célebre característica de la saga.

Cuando preparábamos nuestra entrevista (la que existe gracias a los veteranos de ShenmueMaster.fr , ¡os debemos una!), hicimos una larga lista de preguntas entre las que elegir llegado el día. De tener más tiempo, una de ellas hubiera tenido que ver con una pregunta que Suzuki contestó de forma divertida en su primera aparición en el Shenmue Tweetathon mensual.

Cuando se le preguntó sobre las semejanzas argumentales entre Shenmue y el clásico de Shakespeare Hamlet, Suzuki twiteó : "Lo siento, no he leído Hamlet. Aunque sí que conozco a Hamtaro." Hamtaro es un hámster de animación japonés, y la fuente de muchas de las bromas que hacían más amenas nuestras sesiones de planificación en línea.

Así que llegar a la ciudad y encontrarnos con un póster publicitario del mismísimo Hamlet en mitad de Montecarlo... tuvimos que mirarlo por lo menos dos veces ante nuestro desconcierto.

Y una vez empezamos a ver cosas, no pudimos parar.

Un coche negro esperando fuera del hotel. Trabajadores ajustando un cartel en mitad de la calle. Máquinas expendedoras de Cocacola y de cápsulas con juguetes cerca del lugar de la conferencia. Pasos de piedra encima del agua en un jardín japonés cercano. Máquinas recreativas con volantes y réplicas de motos, sin olvidarnos del juego de Kung-Fu Panda titulado Mojo Dojo.

Pero, por supuesto, solo nos podemos percatar de este tipo de referencias con la predisposición adecuada. En junio, haciendo escala por Seattle en su camino al gran anuncio de Shenmue III en el E3, el equipo de crowdfunding del juego estuvo imbuido por la ironía cuando se dieron cuenta de que la puerta de embarque de su vuelo era la S3.

Pero por fortuna para nuestra salud mental, las tempranas previsiones meteorológicas que indicaban que nuestro encuentro en Mónaco caería en un día el que la nieve dejaría paso a la lluvia no eran del todo acertadas, ya que finalmente no cayó nada de nieve. Las correctamente predichas gotas de agua impidieron que pudiéramos grabar escenas en el exterior para nuestro vídeo ; pero podréis leer lo que hicimos en forma de relato en multitud de idiomas para saber más detalles y sorpresas que no hemos cubierto aquí.

http://s27.postimg.cc/bwhf9s977/4_banner.png

Al llegar al MAGIC, nosotros; Peter, contribuyente de cinco dígitos del Kickstarter y James, fundador de la campaña #SaveShenmue ; nos sentimos sobrepasados positivamente por nuestros huéspedes; llevaban unos cosplays increíblemente elaborados, basados en todo tipo de animación, ilustraciones y artes interactivas. Se anunciaron nuevos proyectos en vivo para los emocionados fans, y había colas de gente esperando pacientemente para recibir autógrafos de sus creadores favoritos. Este evento ha sido un refugio y una mina de oro para los apasionados seguidores de un entretenimiento nicho, quienes, por un día multicultural, han venido al Foro Grimaldi como una fusión colorida de descarado entusiasmo.

Y ese es el tipo de dedicación y apego emocional a trabajos de arte moderno que brotó de la mente de Yu Suzuki cuando le preguntamos cómo se sintió, tras quince años de incertidumbre, por estar por fin creando su juego más esperado.

"Creo que a muy pocos desarrolladores del mundo se les brinda este tipo de oportunidad," nos dijo. "Y luego están los fans, que han esperado quince... dieciséis años sin perder la esperanza." En algunos de los vídeos del día del anuncio hay hasta fans llorando de felicidad.

Cuando se le preguntó si ha tenido alguna vez alguna experiencia semejante con alguna historia en una película o libro, nos dijo que no se le ocurría nada que se acercara al sentimiento al que los fans de Shenmue se han acostumbraron tras años de dura espera.

http://s24.postimg.cc/ef2imhaph/3_interview.png

Cuando hablábamos sobre otros medios de contar historias, le preguntamos cuán de importante era para él completar Shenmue como videojuego; ya que algunos jugones, cansados de esperar ; veían con buenos ojos la posibilidad de conocer el final de la saga en un formato más pasivo.

"Ser un juego es lo más importante," dijo de la saga aún sin conclusión. "Creo que el propósito de Shenmue radica en ser un videojuego." Añadió que, a pesar de ser únicamente uno de los aspectos que conforman Shenmue, recibió muchas preguntas sobre el argumento, así que siempre sintió la responsabilidad de contar cómo concluiría; por ello había considerado otras opciones, como la novela gráfica o el anime.

Ahora que ya ha tomado la decisión de que Shenmue III sea un juego, le preguntamos si el proyecto se ha encontrado con algún reto inesperado. Suzuki nos contestó que, ya que Unreal 4; su motor gráfico preferido; era relativamente nuevo, y disponía de poco soporte en japonés, fue difícil encontrar expertos en su país. "Por suerte, ahora en nuestros despachos tenemos expertos cualificados," dijo sonriendo.

Algo que se sabe de Shenmue III, antes siquiera de saber que motor usaba, era que Ryo por fin podría cambiar su característica chaqueta de cuero por nueva muda de ropa limpia. Pero, ¿hasta donde llegará el nivel de personalización?

"Todavía no hemos llegado al punto en el que nos encargamos de eso, así que es difícil contestar," admitió Suzuki-san, "Pero al menos me gustaría que se pudiera cambiar de ropa. Y sobre Shenhua, como su casa está cerca, si su ropa siempre fuera la misma, implicaría que solo tiene un traje, ¡y eso no sería bueno!"

Suzuki añadió que quiere "crear buenos diseños" para la indumentaria de Shenhua, y cooperar con algún diseñador de ropa real para lograrlo.

http://s23.postimg.cc/vpp7fig7v/2_gate.png

Pero, ¿y qué ocurre con el diseño del juego? A Shenmue se le conoce, para bien o para mal, por popularizar los QTE ; una mecánica jugable que otros desarrolladores suelen usar de forma abusiva; pero que en las aventuras de Ryo estaban implementados de forma intuitiva y natural.

Cuando comparaba el uso de los QTE de la nueva secuela con la de los juegos originales, Yu explicó, "Los conceptos básicos serán los mismos: Es un 'Quick Timer' (temporizador rápido), así que las pulsaciones de botones son fáciles; hasta las personas que no son buenas en juegos de reflejos podrán hacerlo bien. El nivel de dificultad se ajusta automáticamente dependiendo del número de veces que falles, es un sistema que casa muy bien con los juegos narrativos. Aún si eres un jugador malísimo, serás capaz de progresar."

Ampliando sobre el tema, añade: "Lo que describí eran las cosas buenas que tienen los QTEs, pero hay otras con las que no estoy muy contento, estas pulsaciones de botones son demasiado fáciles para los jugones muy muy buenos en juegos donde los reflejos tienen importancia, como en Virtua Fighter. Espero poder solucionar este problema."

Sabemos que los veteranos del Ghost Hall Building de la ciudad Kowloon en Shenmue II disfrutarán de los retos. Pero aquellos sin la habilidad de poder pulsar botones que aparecen solo un instante en pantalla no tienen por qué preocuparse, Suzuki os tiene a cubierto: "Ser fácil está bien, mientras sea divertido".

Cuando le preguntamos sobre el uso de la música en Shenmue III, el maestro explicó: "concibiendo la saga pensé en composiciones musicales que encajaran en las escenas que formarían cada capítulo, es por ello que tenemos bastantes composiciones disponibles, todas magníficas. Me aventuro a decir que ni siquiera el 20% de ellas han sido usadas en Shenmue I y II."

"Con Shenmue III estaremos creando muchas piezas musicales nuevas, pero también le daremos uso a las viejas en las composiciones, por ejemplo. Hay muchas piezas que pegan bien con el concepto original, este es el planteamiento que querría seguir."

Fue música para nuestros oídos saber que, gracias a un pozo inexplorado de pistas musicales producidas al principio de la saga, y a nuevas melodías aún por añadir, la banda sonora digna de salón de fama de Shenmue será aún más épica con el lanzamiento del tercer juego.

http://s28.postimg.cc/hk5962aal/6_garden.png

Un sorprendente tema de interés entre los fans desde el comienzo de la campaña de crowdfunding el año pasado ha sido los dos logos que se han usado en avances, páginas web e imágenes promocionales. Uno usaba el estilo a mano tradicional visto en los dos primeros juegos, mientras que el otro es nuevo en la saga, y usaba un estilo con letras más separadas. Con tanta curiosidad al respecto sentimos la necesidad de preguntar a Yu sobre ello.

"El que más me gusta es ese logo," dijo, mientras apuntaba al nuevo logo, en la camiseta de Peter. "El motivo es que, desde hace poco... ¿sabes lo que es la letra cursiva? Ese tipo de letra que se pegan tanto unas a otras entre sí, con el estilo de tu camiseta las letras están separadas entre sí. Dicen que ahora hay muchos jóvenes que no pueden leer la cursiva, es por eso que he decidido separar los caracteres del logo de Shenmue, y así hacerlo más fácil de leer."

Si Shenmue quiere alcanzar nuevas audiencias en estos tiempos, uno de los obstáculos que tendrá que superar es que su nombre no significa nada para los no japoneses que no sepan con antelación de su relevancia. Como su nombre es tan poco conocido en el resto de idiomas, quizás hacerlo más fácil de leer es un paso importante para evitar que los jugadores casuales lo ignoren cuando lo vean en tiendas de videojuegos.

¿Pero es un hecho que Shenmue III se podrá comprar en tiendas físicas y digitales por aquellos que no hayan contribuido en su campaña de crowdfunding? Suzuki se dio bastante prisa en negar cualquier cosa que pudiera sugerir lo contrario: "Sí, por supuesto que podrán."

Aprovechando que salió el tema, le preguntamos si los fans recibirán nuevas recompensas en la campaña Slacker Backer que sigue abierta; como la versión de PC del juego, que está ausente en esta campaña; o la posibilidad de que los contribuyentes de la campaña Kickstarter puedan mejorar el nivel de su recompensa incrementando su donación original a través de PayPal.

Por desgracia, como suele ocurrir en cualquier interacción bilingüe, cuando interpretaron nuestra pregunta para Suzuki-san, esta se transformó en un "¿Se añadirá algo nuevo a la campaña? Como la versión de PC o algún objeto de la campaña de Kickstarter, por ejemplo."

"No puedo decir lo que ocurrirá en el futuro", contestó Suzuki a la interpretación de nuestra pregunta. "Pero no hay nada nuevo planeado por ahora, esta campaña está únicamente dirigida a la gente que no pudo adquirir recompensas, por el motivo que fuera, en la campaña de Kickstarter. Lo que queremos es darles la oportunidad de comprar los mismos objetos, bueno, menos los que son exclusivos de la campaña Kickstarter. Pero quise hacer que los no exclusivos pudieran estar disponibles para aquellos que perdieron la oportunidad con el Kickstarter."

Otro tema candente de discusión entre la comunidad es si Shenmue III tendrá las icónicas escenas de carga de la saga, en las que podían verse la hora y el lugar donde Ryo se encontraba cada vez que entraba en una zona.

Suzuki no tenía planes de incluirlas en el nuevo juego debido a los nuevos avances tecnológicos que han hecho a las escenas de carga obsoletas. Pero tras barajar el tema en nuestra entrevista, añadió: "Entonces creo que son algo muy característico de Shenmue, ¿verdad? lo pensaré mejor."

http://s17.postimg.cc/f15wtczn3/5_peter.png

Algo que sabemos que sí que hará acto de presencia en Shenmue III es el sistema de Perspectiva de Personaje (Character Perspective), una nueva funcionalidad que se desbloqueó para ser desarrollada tras alcanzar uno de los objetivos extra de la campaña de crowdfunding. Ahora que podríamos tomar el control de los aliados de Ryo por primera vez, nos interesamos en saber cómo de diferente sería la experiencia de jugar como Ren o Shenhua. Por ejemplo ¿el líder de la banda callejera de Hong Kong emplearía un estilo de lucha diferente al del protagonista?

Suzuki confirmó que el estilo de combate de Ren sería diferente al de Ryo, y que Shenhua no pelea, "es inteligente y usa otras tácticas," añadió, antes de explicar que el sistema de Perspectiva de Personaje no es simplemente un sistema que cambia a tu personaje; simula la personalidad de la persona, la forma que tienen de pensar y de comportarse.

Eso es ya de por sí un nuevo reto para un desarrollador que nunca se ha cortado creando diferentes estilos de juego. Con un catálogo de juegos tan diverso a sus espaldas, ¿existe algún género nuevo con el que le gustaría probar?

"Sí, sí que lo hay," contestó Suzuki-san, diciendo que había varios "estilos" con los que le gustaría probar, "¡puede que uno que ni siquiera exista aún!" Ya más suelto, nos contó su frustración a la hora de usar mandos, y confesó ser muy malo con ellos; se imaginaba el día en el que los personajes en pantalla serían manejados por las ondas cerebrales del propio jugador, moviéndose en la dirección deseada únicamente con el poder del pensamiento.

Esta es más que una queja pasajera, es la segunda vez que escuchamos describir su visión del futuro; y ya que la industria está invirtiendo tanto en la realidad virtual y en el control de movimiento, no es complicado pensar que el pionero de los días de gloria de los arcades de Sega está adelantándose a su tiempo nuevamente.

¿Pero es cierto que Yu Suzuki es uno de los pocos desarrolladores al que se les reconoce por su propio nombre? El jugón medio suele como mucho reconocer al estudio o al editor (que es precisamente lo que los editores quieren, que los fans permanezcan fieles a su marca en vez de a aquellos que diseñaron los juegos). Le preguntamos a una de las figuras más célebres del mundo de los videojuegos si esto es algo que tiene que cambiar. ¿Deberían los diseñadores ser más reconocidos individualmente?

"Pienso que es algo que tiene que ocurrir", contestó Suzuki con convicción. "Los creadores de videojuegos deberían ser propiamente... por ejemplo, a los compositores, artistas y directores de películas, a día de hoy se les acredita correctamente. Así que sí, pienso que sus nombres deberían ser mostrados apropiadamente. Creo que los niños (la próxima generación) necesitan referentes a los que aspirar. Es por ello que la industria tiene que darles un reconocimiento adecuado."

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Así que como Suzuki tenía ganas de compartir el protagonismo con sus olvidados compañeros, ¿cómo definiría su propio legado en este negocio?

Esta se convirtió en la pregunta más difícil de contestar para él.

Tras meditar empezó a considerar sus contribuciones y lo que significaron para los videojuegos. "Empecé con juegos arcade. En ese momento creaba juegos 'de montarse', aquellos en los que la cabina se movía," apuntaba a la camiseta de Space Harrier, que James llevaba puesta como ejemplo. "Y eso creó un nuevo género, un nuevo 'movimiento' en la industria del videojuego. Después trabajé en juegos como Virtua Fighter y Virtua Racing. Estos abrieron el mercado 3D. Lo siguiente que hice fue Shenmue, con el que nació el género del mundo abierto. Cada juego creó un movimiento, una corriente en la industria del juego. Es por ello que me gustaría pensar que he logrado que tanto creadores de videojuegos como aquellos que juegan se unan en un gran movimiento."

Y esperemos que ese movimiento perdure, no solo con Yu Suzuki y su Shenmue IV (que de momento solo existe en su mente); también con aquellos que al igual que él, rompen moldes constantemente.

Sea experimentando la historia de Shenmue desde la perspectiva de diferentes personajes, o redescubriendo lo sorprendentemente divertidos que son unos QTE bien hechos, los fans pueden esperar una secuela digna, con las cosas buenas de la franquicia, pero que no rinde cuentas a nadie. Cuando llegue a las tiendas, y, con una nueva generación de jugones; Shenmue III quiere ser un reto tan divertido como accesible; mientras cumple también con la gran responsabilidad contraída con los fans que han esperado quince años a esta continuación.

Para estos fieles seguidores, jugar a Shenmue III por primera vez será como un rito de iniciación. Un momento imaginado en infinidad de formas diferentes desde la infancia. Y ahora, después de un esfuerzo hercúleo para revivir la saga, Yu Suzuki tiene todos y cada uno de esos sueños en la palma de su mano.

Por fortuna, no podemos pensar en otro dúo que brinde tal seguridad.

Seguridad que te protegerá mientras no seas un molesto mando.
_________________________________________________________________________

When we last played as Ryo Hazuki in the Shenmue saga, he was on a mission of discovery in a foreign land, in pursuit of the man who had altered the course of his life in ways that were both surprising yet guided by fate.

And so it was that two representatives of Shenmue Dojo and Team Yu found ourselves crossing borders and tripping over coincidence after coincidence on our way to meet series creator Yu Suzuki, for his first ever interview with the English-speaking fan community.

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Like our destination of Monaco, the road to Shenmue III has been mountainous. But through a uniquely synchronized sequence of events, involving an organized fan base , the rise of Kickstarter , Sony's third party productions team, and private investors led by Shibuya Productions , a tunnel was finally carved through the impenetrable landscape.

With the impossible sequel now in development, Shibuya Productions would play host to exclusive preview footage at MAGIC Monaco , its annual conference event celebrating video games, anime, manga, and all around fandom. The unseen material went down a storm - appropriately, as one of the features demonstrated was the series' famed dynamic weather system.

In preparation for our interview - for which we owe the veterans at ShenmueMaster.fr a debt of gratitude - we had readied a long list of questions to choose from on the day. If time were no object, one of them would have made reference to a question Suzuki answered in fun last July, during his debut in the monthly Shenmue Tweetathon .

Asked about similarities in plot between Shenmue and the classic Shakespeare play Hamlet, Suzuki tweeted , "Sorry, but I have not read Hamlet. I know Hamtaro though." Hamtaro being a Japanese cartoon hamster, and the source of many jokes lightening our online planning sessions.

So to arrive in town for MAGIC and find a poster advertising Hamlet itself in the middle of Monte Carlo was cause for a double-take at the very least.

And once we started, we couldn't stop.

A black car outside the hotel. Workmen adjusting a sign above the street. Machines selling Coke and capsule toys near the conference venue. Stepping stones over water in a neighboring Japanese garden. Arcade cabinets controlled by steering wheels and replica motorcycles, not to mention a Kung-Fu Panda game titled Mojo Dojo.

Of course, these inferred references are everywhere when you're in the right frame of mind to look for them. When passing through Seattle on their way to the big reveal of Shenmue III last June, the game's crowdfunding team couldn't help but note the irony of boarding their flight at gate S3.

Fortunately for our sanity, early weather reports forecasting that our meeting in Monaco would fall on the day the snow turned to rain proved inaccurate, with not a flake in sight. The correctly predicted downpours however did prevent us from filming outdoor scenes for our video , which you can watch with captions in a variety of languages for details and surprises not covered here.

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On arriving at MAGIC, both of us - Peter, a five figure Kickstarter backer , and James, founder of the #SaveShenmue campaign - felt positively outdone by our fellow guests in wonderfully elaborate cosplay , taking inspiration from all corners of animation, illustration, and interactive arts. New projects were announced on stage to excited fans, and lines waited patiently for autographs from their favorite creators. This event was both a haven and a goldmine for the passionate supporters of arguably niche entertainment who, for one multicultural day, had descended upon the Grimaldi Forum in a colorful fusion of unabashed enthusiasm.

And it's that kind of dedication and emotional attachment to works of modern art that sprung to Yu Suzuki's mind when we asked him how it felt, after a decade and a half of uncertainty, to be finally making his most requested game.

"I think very few developers in the world get this kind of chance," he told us, "And then there are the fans, who have waited for as long as fifteen years, sixteen years without giving up... In some videos there are even fans shedding tears. I think there's no other developer in the world as happy as I am."

Asked whether he could relate to feeling so strongly about any tale in a book or film that he would endure such a long wait for the next chapter, he could think of nothing that came close in his own experience to the undying anticipation that Shenmue fans have become accustomed to.

http://s24.postimg.cc/ef2imhaph/3_interview.png

Speaking of other storytelling media, we asked Suzuki-san how important it was for him to complete Shenmue as a video game, when some gamers had resigned themselves to the possibility of concluding the saga in a more passive format.

"Being in game form is the most important thing," he said of the ongoing series, "I believe that Shenmue's meaning comes from being a game." He added however that although it forms just one part of Shenmue, he had received so many questions about the story that he has "always felt a responsibility" to tell how it plays out, and had therefore considered options like a graphic novel or anime.

Having made the decision to proceed with Shenmue III as a game, we asked if the project had encountered any unusual challenges. Suzuki explained that with his preferred engine Unreal 4 being relatively new, and with little information available in Japanese, it had been difficult to find experts in Japan. "Fortunately, now at our offices we do have skilled experts," he smiled.

Something known about Shenmue III before even the game engine was revealed is that Ryo will finally have the chance to swap his trademark leather jacket for a fresh change of clothes. But how far will this customization extend?

"We haven't reached the point of testing that part yet, so it's hard to say," admitted Suzuki-san, "However, I guess I'd like at least to change his clothing. And with Shenhua in particular, her home is located nearby; so if her clothes always stay the same, it would imply she only owns one costume - that wouldn't do!"

Suzuki added that he wants to "create some good designs" for Shenhua's clothing, and team up with an actual clothes designer for the task.

http://s23.postimg.cc/vpp7fig7v/2_gate.png

But what of game design? Shenmue is often credited (or blamed) for popularizing QTEs , a gameplay mechanic commonly abused by other developers but applied with intuitive logic in the early adventures of Ryo.

When comparing the new sequel's use of QTEs with those in the original games, Yu explained, "The basic concepts will remain the same: It's 'Quick Timer', so the button presses are simple; even people who aren't good at reflex-based games can participate. The difficulty level adjusts automatically according to the number of times you fail, and fundamentally, it is a system that integrates well into a story-oriented game. Even if you're hopeless at playing games, you'll still be able to advance along."

Elaborating, he added, "What I just described were the good things about QTEs, but there are some things that I'm not satisfied with. For example, for players who are really good at playing reflex-based games like Virtua Fighter [another Suzuki creation] - for them, the button presses are too easy. That's one problem that I hope to improve."

We're sure veterans of the Ghost Hall Building in Shenmue II's Kowloon will relish the challenge. But for those without the knack to follow on-screen button prompts in an instant, Suzuki's got you covered: "Being easy is OK, as long as it's fun."

When asked about the use of music in Shenmue III, the maestro explained that when originally planning out the series he "thought of musical pieces to fit the various scenes" that would form each chapter. "And so we have lots of music available to us now: a great many pieces, that were composed and created back then. And I would say not even 20% of them have been used in Shenmue I and II."

"With Shenmue III," he continued, "There are a number of musical pieces we will be creating, but we'll also be making use of past ones, for example in arrangements. There are many pieces that fit the original concept well, so this is the approach I'd like to take."

It was certainly music to our ears to learn that, with a mostly untapped well of tracks produced at the beginning of the saga, and new tunes still to be added, Shenmue's Hall of Fame soundtrack is set to become even more epic with the release of the third game.

http://s28.postimg.cc/hk5962aal/6_garden.png

A surprisingly hot topic amongst fans since the launch of the game's crowdfunding appeal last year has been the different logos used on various trailers, websites, and promotional images. One follows the traditional handwritten style seen in the first two games, while the other is new to the series with distinct lettering . With so much curiosity surrounding the matter of which logo will make it into the actual game, we had to put the question to Yu.

"The one I like at the moment is that logo there," he said while pointing to the newer block-lettered version on Peter's T-shirt, "The reason I say that is that recently - you're familiar with cursive writing? Where each letter is joined to the next. With this one the letters are separated from each other, right? With cursive, the letters run together. They say there are many young people nowadays who can't read cursive writing. So that's why I decided to separate out the Shenmue logo, to make it easier to read."

If Shenmue is to reach a new audience in the modern era, one obstacle it may have to overcome is that its name is essentially meaningless to any non-Japanese speaker unaware of its relevance. With the word being unfamiliar to all other languages, perhaps at least making it more easily readable is an important step to avoid premature dismissal by casual browsers of game store shelves.

But is it even a given that Shenmue III can be bought in stores and online by those who haven't backed the crowdfunding campaign? Suzuki was quick to dismiss any suggestion to the contrary: "Yes, I think they will of course be able to."

On the same theme, we took the chance to try and clarify whether fans should expect new additions to the ongoing Slacker Backer campaign, such as the PC version of the game which has always been absent from the PayPal rewards list, or the ability for Kickstarter backers to upgrade to the next reward tier by increasing their original donation via PayPal.

Unfortunately, as can happen in any bilingual exchange, when translated on the fly for Suzuki-san the question morphed into "Will there be anything new added to it, such as the PC version or another new item from the Kickstarter campaign, for example?"

"I can't speak to the future," replied Suzuki to this interpretation of our question, "But there's nothing new at the current time. It's really for people who weren't able to purchase rewards during the Kickstarter campaign, for whatever reason. It's to give those people the chance to buy the same items. Well, apart from the items that were exclusive to the Kickstarter, of course. But I wanted to make the non-exclusive items available to people who had missed them during the time of the Kickstarter."

Another point of discussion within the online community bubble of late has been whether Shenmue III will feature the loading screens that became an iconic staple of the original games, denoting the in-game time and Ryo's location while entering a new area.

With technological advances making loading screens functionally obsolete, Suzuki had no plans to include them in the new game. But after musing on the topic in our interview, he noted, "I guess they're very characteristic of Shenmue, aren't they? I will give it some proper thought."

http://s17.postimg.cc/f15wtczn3/5_peter.png

Something we know will be in Shenmue III is the Character Perspective system, a new feature unlocked for development as a crowdfunding stretch goal. With the player able to take control of Ryo's allies for the first time, we were interested to learn how different an experience it would be to play as Ren or Shenhua. For example, would the leader of a Hong Kong street gang employ a different fighting style to the lead protagonist so far?

Suzuki confirmed that Ren's style of combat will differ from Ryo's, and that Shenhua doesn't fight. "She's smart and uses other tactics," he noted, before explaining that "the Character Perspective system is not a system that simply changes your character. It simulates each person's personality, and the way they think and behave."

That in itself is a fresh challenge for a developer who's never shied away from different styles of game. With such a diverse back catalog already decorating his résumé, is there any new genre he'd still like to take on?

"Yes, yes, there is," replied Suzuki-san, saying there were "various" styles he would like to try, "Possibly one that doesn't even exist yet!" Becoming animated, he demonstrated his frustration when using controllers, confessing to being hopeless at it, and imagines a day when characters on the screen will be controlled by the player's own brain waves, moving in the direction desired by the power of thought.

More than a passing whim, this is the second time we've heard him describe this vision of the future, and with the industry investing heavily in virtual reality and motion control, it's not hard to believe that the pioneer of Sega's arcade glory days is once again thinking a step ahead of the game.

But is it fair that Yu Suzuki is one of so few developers to be known by name? The average gamer tends to recognize only the studio, and often just the publisher - which is exactly how the publisher likes it, to keep fans loyal to their brand instead of those who design the games. We asked one of the most distinctly celebrated figures in gaming whether this is something that ought to change. Should individual designers receive more recognition?

"I think that is something that needs to happen," replied Suzuki with conviction, "Game creators should be properly... For example, with song composers, artists, and movie directors, nowadays they have their names credited. So yes, I think their names should be properly shown and made clear. I think that children - the next generation - need people to aspire to. So I think the game industry needs to provide the proper recognition."

http://s22.postimg.cc/5p46xt2xd/7_james.png

So with Suzuki-san eager to share more of the spotlight with his unsung peers, how would he define his own legacy in this business?

This proved the toughest question of all for him to answer.

Eventually he began to consider his contributions and what they had meant to gaming. "At the beginning, I started off with arcade games. At that time, I was making ride-on type games - ones which move the cabinet," pointing to Space Harrier on the T-shirt worn by James as an example, "And that created a new genre, a new 'flow', in the game industry. Next, I worked on games like Virtua Fighter and Virtua Racing. These opened up the 3D market. After that I did Shenmue which formed the open world genre. Each created a flow, or stream, within the game industry. So I would like to think that I have been able to bring together both the creators of games and those who play them into one large flow."

And long may that flow continue, not only with Yu Suzuki and his mind controlled Shenmue IV, but also those who consistently break the mould as he has. If they are granted the status in the industry that they deserve, then Suzuki will have been amongst the first of many young programmers to enter the business and turn it on its head, time after time after time, expanding the art form in new and interesting ways.

Whether it's experiencing the Shenmue story from the contrasting perspectives of different characters, or rediscovering the surprising joy of QTEs done right, fans can expect a sequel that both honors the strengths of the franchise while standing still for no man. When it hits store shelves in front of a new generation of gamers, Shenmue III aims to provide a challenge that's both fun and accessible, while delivering on a heavily felt responsibility to the fans who have waited fifteen years for this continuation.

For these loyal supporters, playing Shenmue III for the first time will be like a rite of passage. A moment imagined in countless different ways since childhood. And now, after a Herculean effort to revive the saga, Yu Suzuki holds every one of those dreams in the palm of his hand.

Fortunately, we can think of no safer pair.

Unless you're a bothersome joypad.
by Team Yu
Mon Apr 04, 2016 8:45 am
 
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Re: E3 2016 & Shenmue 3

Name me a great NEW (not port, remaster etc) SEGA game released in the past 12 months that's not Yakuza.

I reject the premise of the challenge for a number of reasons. First, Yakuza is one of my favorite series; why wouldn't I count it? It's an example of iterative development done right and each game is made to a high standard of quality, with tons of new content year in and year out. Why wouldn't I count the 3DS 3D Classics "reissues," as they're obviously much more elaborately developed than a typical collection?

Secondly, video games are such a diverse medium that it's like saying name me a great book published by Doubleday or a great movie by Paramount. It's entirely possible that people who are friends and otherwise have a lot in common, might not have any shared interest in the same types of games, as I've observed with my own groups of friends. (However, just for the sake of the discussion, I quite liked Tembo.)

Thirdly, Sega's publishing model has changed dramatically over the past decade, so if you can't acknowledge or get into their Total War titles or their Football Manager titles, for example, which are highly rated and dominate their respective genres in sales, then that's on you, not Sega.

I realize there are a lot of people with hurt feelings about Sega... a lot of times I think people are trying to pin the blame for their own lost youth on this company. The company is rolling on. They change, we change, that's how it goes.
by Centrale
Sat May 14, 2016 9:36 pm
 
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Re: Kickstarter Update #56 - May Update

Nice Hello Kitty Pink Dreamcast in the background.
by Giorgio
Tue May 31, 2016 7:47 am
 
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Re: E3 2016 - Dates, Games, Rumors.

Oh don't get me wrong, I'm not cynical. Not after last year! I never stop believing!

I'm the same as you, I absolutely can't wait for E3 in general, not just for anything Shenmue related. I'm a gamer through and through, it's like Christmas for me too. I'm trying to contain my excitement for a day or two longer, but unfortunately it's not working. Me and a buddy in work are talking about the Destiny leak just there now, before they show it off in a few hours. It's the best time to be a gamer!!
by Peter
Thu Jun 09, 2016 8:41 am
 
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new retro sega magazine kickstarter tomorrow

Hey all

Long time lurker who loves everything shenmue and only post occassionally but i stumbled across this today. There will be a new sega magazine which we can support by kickstarter. Lets make this a success as sure it will be great and include some shenmue coverage

http://www.seganerds.com/2016/06/17/mega-visions-welcome-to-a-new-kind-of-sega-magazine/
by nygaard88
Sun Jun 19, 2016 1:05 pm
 
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Mega Visions: Welcome to a New Kind of SEGA Magazine!

How's it going, guys? Just wanted to let you know that myself and the team at SEGA Nerds have launched a Kickstarter for a brand new digital SEGA/Atlus magazine called Mega Visions!

The Kickstarter lasts until July 18th, and I hope you guys can help get it off the ground. The video was made by Adam Sipione, who is filming the Shenmue documentary. Since I'm a hardcore Shenmue fan, you can bet Shenmue III will be featured in one of our upcoming issues!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/320058960/mega-visions-welcome-to-a-new-kind-of-sega-magazin?ref=user_menu

https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/assets/011/036/726/69e63f9b8556fe7dbb66dbc3924a4f06_original.jpg?w=680&fit=max&v=1461860375&auto=format&q=92&s=8f418530471f727b78f5724ce5c00c0f
by Yokosuka Martian
Mon Jun 20, 2016 8:39 pm
 
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Space Channel 5 Coming To VR Devices?

Looks like it's a bundle of both Dreamcast titles and not a remake (which would have been nice since it's VR), but beggars can't be choosers. Just happy to see Sega taking note of classic IPs again.

http://www.thedreamcastjunkyard.co.uk/2016/09/space-channel-5-coming-to-playstation-vr.html

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YJKxjm6Ni74/V80ve-FpSKI/AAAAAAAAMYA/1XBHg4w6IY8WDcoMhZvQyan9NEospWXcACLcB/s1600/IMG_5124ss.jpg



This article has been updated in light of new information becoming available. We already know about Rez being given the VR treatment in preparation for the PS VR launch in October...but how about Space Channel 5? You may notice that question mark in the title to this post (article was originally titled 'Space Channel 5 Coming To PlayStation VR?'), and that's because we're not totally sure if this is a hoax, so please take this with a pinch of salt. According to this NeoGAF thread, a Space Channel 5 VR demo will be shown at Tokyo Game Show 2016 (running from 15th to 17th September) and a link takes you to a fairly convincing teaser site.



https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DL1vTTFX-yg/V80vj7wRSjI/AAAAAAAAMYE/vCHNaLJy-0UH30ZH_2YD8FZohHNIGnyKwCLcB/s400/FullSizeRender.jpg



Further links redirect to another site (written in Japanese, screen above) that seem to hint that the new VR experience could be a bundle of both Space Channel 5 and Space Channel 5 Part 2. Quite how these games will implement virtual reality technology remains to be seen, as does any concrete evidence to suggest that this is a real thing...but from what we've seen so far it is very convincing. Being able to jump around in time with Ulala and rid the galaxy of Morolians through the medium of actual dance sounds like an 'interesting' prospect, and we're sure our Japan correspondent Ross will be only too happy to try this out for us when he gets his PS VR...!

Update
Further details have come to light and this looks like it may very well just be a 'VR experience,' and not a full blown Space Channel 5 reboot after all. Still, it's nice to see some of the lesser known Sega IPs being wheeled out for a new audience, even if it's not in the way we expected. Further to this, Ross has done some Japanese to English translation work for us. The 'game' is indeed a 'viewing only' demo at present and will initially be coming to the HTC Vive. Adding weight to this is the fact that the game director and assistant producer from the original Space Channel 5 are attached to the project, and it appears that the game is being developed for an upcoming VR service from telecoms firm AU, and will be known as Linked Door. Linked Door will reportedly allow VR users to meet up in cyber space (I can't believe I just typed that expression, by the way) and hang out online. The service is also coming to VR-capable phones and a device similar to Google VR. So not the PlayStation 4 then. Not yet, anyway...

by Sonoshee
Mon Sep 05, 2016 8:56 am
 
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Happy Birthday Dreamcast!

Happy Birthday to one of my favorite consoles of all time, she turns 17 today. I thought this would be nice chance to remember all our favorite games and memories of the DC.

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ejZ13kh6LA0/maxresdefault.jpg

My favorites were
Shenmue(duh)
Street fighter 3 double impact/alpha 3 (can't choose)
Soul Calibur
and House Of the Dead 2 (went dual wield with my light guns at home)
by AlphaBushido
Fri Sep 09, 2016 4:42 am
 
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Re: Sega Europe: Shenmue 1 and 2 remakes have our full atten

There's clearly stuff going on behind the scenes we don't know jack about. So what if Sega is "exploring ways" for quite a while now? I'd like to remember you guys once again of Yu Suzuki "looking into" Kickstarter. How long was that? Years? It's obviously not as easy as we'd like it to be.

Everything Yu has said I've believed and trust he speaks the truth. He has never lied to fans. And when he talked of kickstarter the whole thing materialized rather quickly.

Eh, not really that quickly.

On March 2, 2011, Suzuki spoke at the Game Developers Conference and said about Shenmue III: "I think Sega will let me make it ... it's a matter of budget …we have to make it in an affordable way."[22] On January 4, 2012, he suggested that Sega could license Shenmue to his company Ys Net to develop the game independently.[23]

In March 2013, news arose that Suzuki was considering crowdfunding or console exclusivity to fund Shenmue III.[24] During a presentation on the franchise at the 2014 Game Developers Conference, Suzuki said he would like to make Shenmue III with the "right opportunity", and in an interview the following day said he was researching the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter.[25]

Yes, apparently Kickstarter wasn't mentioned in name until 2014, but crowdfunding was already mentioned in early 2013. And apparently Suzuki was already trying to get things off the ground as early as 2011. He's not a company of course, but still, there's obviously stuff happening that takes its time. SEGA started its course correction last summer, at least they didn't talk about it publicly prior to that. That's when the SEGA Japan president admitted SEGA had betrayed its fans and promised they'd improve. That wasn't much more than a year ago. Might be for various reasons that we don't really know jack about.. legal stuff, negotiations, building a strategy, getting things in order for some kind of "SEGA is now cool again" campaign.. after Man of Steel came out it took Warner Bros. three years to launch the rest of their DCEU. We just don't know.

I don't think we have much to worry about, if anything at all. It's in Yu Suzuki's, SEGA's and Sony's interest to get the remasters out. The Shenmue franchise has never been in a better position (post Shenmue II) than now, things are looking bright as hell. Who really cares if it takes a little longer? I don't think it'll do any harm, even if the remasters come out after Shenmue III. They're polarizing games anyway and might get as many new people interested in the series as they might scare people (who would otherwise have been interested in Shenmue III) away by having aged badly and, well, being a love/hate thing to begin with.

I guess what I'm trying to say is chill out. Things are looking bright. SEGA apparently trying to get it done is good enough for me, it'll all work out in the end.
by Monkei
Fri Sep 09, 2016 8:06 am
 
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Re: Random Shenmue III Thoughts

I have no words guys. My mind and body have been stretched to the limits in Japan, from partying with voice actors, Sega staff and Shenmue 3 developers, the dinner with Yu-san, a Shenmue pilgrimage of all Shenmue pilgrimages and secrets galore (some not even Shenmue related!!!).......

Maybe I will try a full blog when I get home, but God knows when I will post again. My mind and body need a complete backup, reset, restart.
by Peter
Sat Sep 17, 2016 10:01 am
 
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Re: Random Gaming Thoughts (Read OP Before Posting)

What about a GTA VR session?

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by Kiske
Fri Oct 14, 2016 8:18 am
 
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Re: Shenmue 3 nominated at the Golden Joystick Awards 2016

RESULTS:

Best Original Game

Winner: Overwatch

Nominees:

Abzu
Firewatch
Furi
Hyper Light Drifter
Inside
No Man’s Sky
Quantum Break
Soma
Tom Clancy’s The Division
The Witness

Best Story Telling

Winner: The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine

Nominees:

Firewatch
Oxenfree
Quantum Break
Rise of the Tomb Raider
Soma
Tales from the Borderlands
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
Zero Time Dilemma

Best Visual Design

Winner: The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine

Nominees:

Abzu
Battleborn
Brutal
Dark Souls 3
Doom
Firewatch
Furi
Hyper Light Drifter
Inside
Mirrors Edge Catalyst
No Man’s Sky
Overwatch
Rise of the Tomb Raider
Soma
Superhot
The Witness
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End

Best Audio

Winner: Fallout 4

Nominees:

Amplitude
Doom
Hyper Light Drifter
I Am Setsuna
Inside
No Man’s Sky
Overwatch
Star Wars Battlefront
Thumper
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End

Best Multiplayer Game

Winner: Overwatch

Nominees:

Broforce
Call of Duty Black Ops 3
Dark Souls 3
FIFA 17
Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns
Halo 5: Guardians
Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes
PES 2017
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege
Star Wars Battlefront
Street Fighter 5
Tom Clancy’s The Division
World of Warships
Worms W.M.D

Best Indie Game

Winner: Firewatch

Nominees:

Banner Saga 2
Furi
Hyper Light Drifter
Inside
No Man’s Sky
Oxenfree
Pony Island
Starbound
Stardew Valley
Superhot
The Witness
Undertale

Best Gaming Moment in association with Absolute Radio

Winner: Play of the game in Overwatch

Nominees:

Climbing the tallest building in Mirror’s Edge Catalyst
Flying the Falcon in Star Wars Battlefront
Returning to Anor Londo in Dark Souls 3
The Brotherhood Of Steel arriving in Fallout 4
The Car Chase in Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
The ending of Inside
Unleashing the BFG 9000 in Doom
Unlocking the secret of Psalm 46 in The Witness

Most Wanted Game in association with Green Man Gaming

Winner: Mass Effect Andromeda

Nominees:

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 3
Days Gone
God of War
Horizon Zero Dawn
Resident Evil 7
Scalebound
Sea of Thieves
Shenmue 3
Spider-Man
Star Citizen
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Game of the Year

Winner: Dark Souls 3

Nominees:

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
Doom
Fallout 4
Halo 5
Hitman
Inside
No Man’s Sky
Overwatch
PES 2017
Pokemon Go
Rise of the Tomb Raider
The Witness
Total War: Warhammer
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
XCOM 2

Playstation Game of the Year

Winner: Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End

Nominees:

Abzu
Amplitude
Firewatch
Gravity Rush Remastered
I Am Setsuna
No Man’s Sky
Ratchet & Clank
Salt And Sanctuary
Severed
Street Fighter 5
The Last Guardian
The Witness
Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection
Yakuza 5

Nintendo Game of the Year

Winner: The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD

Nominees:

Fire Emblem Fates
Kirby: Planet Robobot
The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes
Monster Hunter Generations
Pokken Tournament
Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE
Xenoblade Chronicles X
Yo-kai Watch

PC Game of the Year

Winner: Overwatch

Nominees:

Sid Meier’s Civilization 6
Doom
Master of Orion: Conquer The Stars
Stardew Valley
Stellaris
Total War: Warhammer
Undertale
World of Warships
XCOM 2

Competitive Game of the Year

Winner: Overwatch

Nominees:

Call of Duty Black Ops 3
Counter Strike: Global Offensive
Dota 2
FIFA 17
Hearthstone: Heroes Of Warcraft
Heroes of the Storm
Killer Instinct Season 3
League of Legends
Smite
Starcraft 2: Legacy of the Void
Street Fighter 5
by Monkei
Mon Nov 21, 2016 10:26 am
 
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Digital Foundry Retro: Shenmue 2 - A Masterpiece Revisited

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by Raithos
Sun Nov 27, 2016 5:38 am
 
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Re: Digital Foundry Retro: Shenmue 2 - A Masterpiece Revisit

Hope you guys enjoy some of it. I gave a shout out to this very forum since, really, this is THE place for Shenmue info. I'm amazed at how in-depth some folks have gone into pulling the game apart. It's awesome!

If I had time, I would have gone into more depth on emulation and, perhaps, point out more of those weird Xbox/DC differences (like all the modified signs and whatnot). Ah well.
by dark1x
Sun Nov 27, 2016 8:00 am
 
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Re: Kickstarter update #62: Yu Suzuki & The Music of Shenmue

Radar wrote: They do it in movies somehow, zoom x1000, increase focus and etc. :dunno:


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by Switch
Thu Dec 01, 2016 9:30 am
 
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Re: Playstation Experience - December 2016

The lack of marketing for Shenmue since the original reveal does make me nervous. Feels strange to not have some nod to the project in e3 or now this when it was such a massive moment in gaming history that even non-shenmue fans are sure to remember.

I almost hope we don't get anything substantial from Monaco because the game needs visibility in gaming events that actually have an audience beyond us.

I know tensions are running high here but I do wanna say I think we should take a breath and find solace in that we can still look forward to a big reintroduction of the game at some point in the future and I'm sure that moment will usher in a homestretch to release with much more visibility for the project than we've had to this date.

Hang in there folks, we've been through a lot these past 16 years (literally never lost hope for shenmue news every single e3 in all that time like many of you). A few more months to a proper trailer/reintroduction won't kill us and stressing about things + turning negative only serves to make us miserable.

The fact that we're even getting Shenmue 3 is still a damn miracle and I'm gonna hold on to that in moments like this.
by Xandui
Sat Dec 03, 2016 3:18 pm
 
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Re: Playstation Experience - December 2016

Now that the show is over and I'm back at my laptop, I can elaborate a bit more.

I mentioned to Gio the stuff about fans suggesting it might be there, including Cedric Biscay's comments that they were preparing a trailer for December. He genuinely seemed like wasn't aware of any of it, and he was not dodging any questions that I asked. He confirmed that Sony is still interested in helping to promote Shenmue, and as I mentioned in my previous post there were never plans to show the game at PSX. It even sounded like he wasn't expecting to see more from them until next year before I mentioned the December stuff. I don't remember the exact way he said it, but it sounded to me like he felt a trailer would probably go directly to backers rather than being presented at a show without notice.

Ultimately, I think we were all making connections that were convenient but there weren't there. I'm over it already.

I also asked him about Phantasy Star Online 2 on building the list, and he says he gets requests for it all the time and always passes them on. Ball is in Sega's court on that. I thanked him for their continued efforts to bring Yakuza games to the west, but ultimately that was all we talked about. It was nice that he was wandering around the indie booths at the show, it took a bit to find him though. Had to follow his Twitter and use his tweets to figure out where he was. :-)
by Sappharad
Sun Dec 04, 2016 10:39 pm
 
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Re: No Shenmue 3 Until E3 2017!!!

I'm honestly surprised to see so many Shenmue fans so disappointed. I thought Shenmue fans were used to disappointment by now. ;-)
At least we're getting the game...that's all I care about. The less the game gets spoiled the better.

I'm more surprised at the fact that some are even willing to threaten to bring the development team under a negative spotlight for the rest of the gaming media because they are being, at the moment, denied of seeing a footage that some backers paid like, I don't know, $10,000 to have that privilege.
by sand4fish
Tue Dec 06, 2016 3:44 pm
 
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Re: Recent Gaming Purchases

Some new additions: http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170104/e91d8f9fb2d660e63651d0529fa577d2.jpg

Got to say I really like the Pal dreamcast cases on the shelf (even though they're fragile as fk)
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170104/dcbe5034c38f5f8fb53afb233b9920ac.jpg
by Coromasta
Wed Jan 04, 2017 4:48 pm
 
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Re: Recent Gaming Purchases

I FINALLY got my copy from them not too long ago as well, and the original release date was October. My brother is still waiting on his No Man's Sky Explorer's Edition too. He used to order Vinyls from them as well, multiple month long delays, damaged goods, etc. They tried to say he should of paid for better shipping, when it was their third rate packaging that didn't protect it. Not to mention they charged me $10-12 for expedited (all that offered when pre-orders for REZ first went live) and ended up shipping it to me using $3 media mail. It literally said $3.XX Media Mail on the shipping sticker. Took two weeks after it shipped to make it to my house. First and last item I order them lol. iam8bit is a shit company.
by Raithos
Thu Jan 05, 2017 12:37 pm
 
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SEGA Europe Register ShenmueHD & ShenmueRemastered Domains

Image

SEGA Europe have registered two new domains that hint strongly at a Shenmue HD remaster happening soon:

ShenmueHD.com and ShenmueRemastered.com

You can discuss this new turn of events with other Dojo members here.
by Sonoshee
Fri Jan 06, 2017 3:56 am
 
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Re: Yakuza series

Regardless of what you think of his style of game reviews he's given Yakuza 0 quite a bit of publicity.

phpBB [video]
by Ziming
Tue Jan 24, 2017 7:18 pm
 
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Kickstarter Update #65: Dev room update

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ysnet/shenmue-3/posts/1775306

Greetings Everyone,
It has been a long time since our last update, and we are painfully aware you all have been eagerly awaiting the monthly report. All of us here have been so wrapped up in the development process that time seems to have flown by...

But no excuses! We apologize for the lapse and will do our best to bring you updates every month. It is beholden on us to keep you informed (without giving too much away of course!) and will do so as promised.

So here we go with vol. 2 of our dev room reports!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUblCa_MHBM
by Peter
Thu Mar 16, 2017 4:58 am
 
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Sonic Forces & Sonic Mania

Fresh from an Austin Texas based event called SXSW: the first gameplay of Sonic Forces, formerly known as Project Sonic 2017, filmed offscreen. The game is being made by the Sonic Colors/Sonic Generations team and will feature classic Sonic gameplay, 3D gameplay and a yet unannounced third gameplay mode. Coming holiday 2017.

Below that you'll find a new Sonic Mania video and a one hour video of SEGA's SXSW 2017 panel, showing gameplay from both Sonic Forces and Sonic Mania, which is by the way being delayed from spring to summer 2017. Sonikku might be pretty happy about how promising Forces is looking, there's some pretty spectacular stuff going on in the background of that stage. Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6X5XykQILjI&feature=youtu.be

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lhoh2rVLkQA&feature=youtu.be

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyXg9kAp4Vc&feature=youtu.be

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xM_MK8yRA4&feature=youtu.be

Both games are coming out on PS4, Xbox One, Switch and PC.
by Monkei
Fri Mar 17, 2017 5:45 am
 
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Re: Recent Gaming Purchases

Yep I ordered mine yesterday as well. I've got Pier Solar, Sacred Line and Papi Commando from them. The later two weren't developed by them but they did the manufacturing/publishing. High quality products for sure.

I'm sitting on 2 up and 1 down.
http://reactiongifs.me/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/you-are-killing-me-robert-de-niro-taxi-driver.gif
by Raithos
Tue Mar 28, 2017 9:34 am
 
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Re: Recent Gaming Purchases

This truly is an awesome time to be gamer. But there just aren't enough hours in the day to get everything done.

If I could I'd seriously break the laws of physics and risk the destruction of reality itself... if I could just fit more gaming hours into the day. The epic backlog of unfinished games that has been piling up since the start of the year is starting to hurt my pride as a gamer.
http://i.imgur.com/pNPQIvY.jpg

I get around an an hour and a half in the evening to play games but often I'm too tired. :-({|=
by Bambi
Thu Apr 20, 2017 3:52 am
 
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Sega E3 Product Categories

Probably nothing to go crazy over, but was checking out Sega's E3 page on the E3 website, and they appear to be entered into 5 categories for the event.

- Product Categories (5)
Free-to-play > PC/Windows
Role-Playing > PC/Windows
Role-Playing > Sony Playstation 4
Role-Playing > Xbox One
Strategy > PC/Windows

Role-Playing is a fairly specific category, and Shenmue HD would obviously fit the bill for that, especially on all 3 platforms aswell, since it would be a port i'm sure they would look to push it on PC and PS4 obviously, but why not Xbox One also...?

Obviously, other games they could be showing off like Valkyria Revolution and Yakuza Kiwami, you could also say fit that category aswell...but still just thought it was interesting enough to share.

Here's the link if you are interested :) -

http://mp037jm24.mapyourshow.com/7_0/exhibitor/exhibitor-details.cfm?ExhID=Vc59qhav

EDIT: Hmm, just discovered theres another section for Atlus / Sega, and here they are entered into 103 different categories...again some pretty interesting and specifc stuff! Making me extremely excited :D!! -

http://mp037jm24.mapyourshow.com/7_0/exhibitor/exhibitor-details.cfm?ExhID=8xgYppwY
by James Brown
Thu Apr 20, 2017 5:32 pm
 
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Re: Random Gaming Thoughts (Read OP Before Posting)

:mrgreen:
IT ARRIVED! The Kickstarter Genesis book. Full of concept art for the hardware/games. Art of the games. Sprites. Developer stories and more. Amazing book!
Image
by Bluecast
Wed May 17, 2017 1:00 pm
 
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Re: Shenmue 3 & E3 2017

The Gamblog journalist Romain Mahut is on fire...

It looks like he struggles to remain silent about Shenmue HD (See the last tweet picture, from yesterday night).

For those who have no idea who he is, Romain Mahut is a journalist working for the second most popular gaming website in France (behind Gamekult) and he is also a huge Shenmue fan.

This below is the first time he did a tweet about the Shenmue series, at the beginning of April.
http://i.imgur.com/28IzyyR.jpg

The next screen-cap is taken from the comments section about the "SEGA plans to revive major IPs" news.
http://i.imgur.com/ISamt51.jpg

Romain posted a Tweet shortly after JAW CEO comments about Shenmue HD on NeoGAF.
http://i.imgur.com/akpNcIu.jpg
(No N.D.A. but he has been asked to keep some things for himself.

JAW CEO "kind of confirms" on Twitter what he wrote on the NeoGAF forum.
http://i.imgur.com/AIBUgwQ.jpg

New Tweet from Romain, yesterday night. This is not an answer, that's a spontaneous tweet.
Although Shenmue HD isn't mentioned, it's seems very very likely that this is about our beloved franchise.
http://i.imgur.com/hVHvc4U.jpg
"It's coming out. The real mystery is the announcement date."

It's interesting to note the change of "tone" since the JAW CEO comments.
I assume he no longer feels obliged to keep some things to himself.
To me, this is the closest thing to an actual confirmation of Shenmue HD existence.

Why does Romain write so much about Shenmue?
He's a Shenmue fan, but also a journalist and as journalist he probably doesn't want to miss the "scoop" if the opportunity arises. (By the way, he and Julo, another journalist AND Shenmue fan from Gameblog will attend E3. It's definitely worth checking their Twitter accounts during E3...)

That said, Shenmue HD could exists as a "project", it can be at the beginning of the development or simply far away from completion. It's SEGA, no doubt they can be late. Officially, we don't even know if the project has been greenlighted.
Although the chances for an announcement during E3 are real, they mathematically are still not above 50%...
It may come later, during the PSX or the TGS. It all depends on how far they are with the development and how early before release, SEGA wants to make an announcement.

As Shenmue fans, as a Community, I think that all we can do is keep the pressure on SEGA to release Shenmue HD before Shenmue 3 comes out. About that, TeamYu explained way better than me, where we stand right now.
https://www.facebook.com/TeamYu/posts/1608837042461662/

Let's make the June 3rd #SaveShenmueHD Tweetathon the most vocal of all time! :mrgreen:
by Kiske
Fri May 19, 2017 4:47 am
 
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Re: Sonic Forces & Sonic Mania

phpBB [video]


Please be good. Please be good. Please be good...
by Let's Get Sweaty
Tue May 30, 2017 4:29 pm
 
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YSNET officially announce the delay of Shenmue 3.

Some disappointing news, but for the greater good! Yu Suzuki has announced that Shenmue 3 will be delayed until at least the second half of 2018.

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Media Articles

IGN
Eurogamer
Metro
Kotaku
MCV
VG247
Dualshockers
PSU
Destructoid
by Peter
Thu Jun 08, 2017 5:11 am
 
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