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Re: Kickstarter Update 51: Poll Results & Shenmue.link revam

I think the Sony stuff was overblown, but I think Ys Net and their public relations team own most of the other backlash they've received. The actual game is all that matters anyway, so hopefully that's what gets all their love and attention.

I disagree because that means every independant studios has no margin for mistakes. Not all studios can afford budgets for promotion and it's the case of YSnet who can't make CGI to please people.
AJ are fools but that does not give the right to journalists of not doing their job. Their lack of professional rigour is astonishing and scandalous. They should help developers, not trying to put a spoke on their wheel to get their clicks. They're simply killing honest developers and making their task harder as never before. Our PR team is stupid but never dishonest.
by Yokosuka
Wed Jan 06, 2016 10:17 am
 
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Re: Kickstarter Update 51: Poll Results & Shenmue.link revam

Good to see the excellent Spaghetti's thread being frequently retweeted ( http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1167066 ) and making the fans work a lot easier. Some media are also doing a pretty fair coverage like PC Gamer who always proved a minimum of professionalism since I follow them.
by Yokosuka
Wed Jan 06, 2016 8:44 pm
 
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Re: Random Shenmue III Thoughts

Please can we agree to confine any Awesome Japan comments to the A.J. thread:
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=48114

Thank you
by johnvivant
Sun Jan 10, 2016 5:21 pm
 
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Re: Why? - Playing as Other Characters

I really don't wanna play as Shenhua or that bastard Ren because it will just make the game less directed towards getting Lan Di beaten. Not necessarily. Seeing things from another perspective can provide extra insight into a main character. Besides, the series is not only about fighting Lan Di judging by the previous games and Yu's comments.

We will lose direction of Ryo's journey, everything he's experienced until we have to control another character, for what Yu Suzuki? I guess that you mean that we lose focus when we change character? It doesn't have to since it sounds like it will only be during certain parts, maybe when they get separated etc. Other games didn't make me lose track of the story when they switched perspective. The developers tend to make sure that you learn what happened in the meantime.

What will game reviewers think of this? They might like it if it's done well? Having character thoughts and actions adapt to what you do/say as a player could be an interesting addition I guess.

Players (especially older players like most of us) will get confused with the story because we do not know of Ryo's situations. I think that new players without deep knowledge of the earlier games are more likely to get confused than series veterans.

I also feel like the game will become less epic and story driven. Imagine Shenhua trying to save Ryo's ass, how ridiculous. Hmm, I don't know if the ability to switch characters automatically leads to a less story driven game. What we do know is that Shenmue 3 would be more "intimate" again, more focused on internal aspects : http://www.shenmuedojo.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1089690
About her saving or helping him. There might arise situations where it can happen. They already hinted at Shenhua's powers and her role during the previous games, Project Berkley, etc.

All in all, I'm not worried about this feature based on what we know. I assume that they will make it fit. Instead of Ren telling you about a fight he had while getting to you, it would be possible to play the fighting sequence. Along with hearing his thoughts. This could add something to the game both gameplay and story wise.
by ys
Wed Jan 13, 2016 1:10 am
 
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I think I figured out the ending to Shenmue 2..

I finally understand what the "proof" is that Shenhua's father was talking about. Ryo had to prove that he was "the one" who held the pheonix and that his mirror was legit.

See....only the REAL Pheonix mirror could activate elaborate mechanism revealing the giant mirrors. And since the design on the giant mirrors look EXACTLY like the small real ones.. Shenhua can cross check them against Ryo's mirror to prove it's indeed one of the original mirrors.

Shenhua's father basically set up a device which would prove that Ryo was the "one" referred to in the poem of Bailu Village! He had to set up the contraption so his daughter could follow Ryo with his permission and full confidence.

He also knew that the sword was the "key" needed to unlock the mirror pedestal.. he knew that the spirit of Shenhua's ancestors was contained in the sword (since it's the sword of 7 stars and Shenhua prays to her ancestors by looking up to the big dipper)) and that Shenhua had the power to insert it since she has the power of her ancestors.

Shenhua's father basically created a two part puzzle.... one only Shenhua could activate with her powers and the other only Ryo could activate with his mirror.
by SMDzero
Sun Feb 07, 2016 5:27 am
 
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Re: Monaco Magic 2016 - Official Discussion Topic

I hope you enjoyed the conference and the questions I've specially prepared for it.

Seems like people like the new images etc. That's what we wanted to show and if I ever get the chance again to work on a similar project, I'll try my best to provide new content again.

Thanks to the Shenmue Dojo members for the quick live updates and huge thanks to all the lovely fans I had the chance to meet today. You guys are awesome and I am looking forward to meeting you again.

Until then. ;-)
by DEVILLE_David
Sat Feb 27, 2016 7:04 pm
 
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Re: Where exactly are we in the story?

Yes, story has been modified and it's not really clear right now but I'd get it down like this (for now) :

Shenmue Yokosuka : chapter 1
Shenmue II : chapter 2 (Hong Kong / Kowloon)
Shenmue III : chapter 5 & 6 (Guilin)

At first (the original story), it was probably something like :

Shenmue :

Chapter 1 (Yokosuka + boat part)
Chapter 2 (Hong Kong / Kowloon)

Shenmue II :

Chapter 3 (Train)
Chapter 4 (?)
Chapter 5 (Guilin)
by DEVILLE_David
Sat Mar 05, 2016 7:01 pm
 
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Re: PAYPAL SUPPORT FOR SHENMUE 3 NOW LIVE!

For what it's worth, here is a graph of the Slacker Backer progression since the campaign debuts:

Image
by Kiske
Thu Mar 10, 2016 8:40 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."

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

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.

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

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: Shenmue III Logo Poll

Awesome Japan Poll:

What font do you prefer? The old font or the new font?

Old Iconic Font - 100% (1 trillion votes)

New Font - 0%

AJ: - Due to to overwhelming and clear response, we have decided to stick to the NEW FONT. Thanks to all who participated.
by ShenSun
Fri Apr 08, 2016 3:20 pm
 
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Re: PAYPAL SUPPORT FOR SHENMUE 3 NOW LIVE!

Spaghetti wrote:Can't believe we're only $6000 away from that $6.6 million milestone. Fingers crossed for an update after we pass it.


Cool, so what's that, around 300K raised post-Kickstarter? That's great!
by FlagshipFighter
Tue Apr 12, 2016 9:21 am
 
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Re: Shenmue III Logo Poll

Well, I'm not the best graphic designer in the world.

But here's a quick idea done in about 15 minutes. Main font was free for personal use, I'm sure there's a paid option. I modified the S a little. There are plenty of other options out there as well. And I could do better than this if I thought it mattered.

I'm guessing Yu and whoever came up with that logo just don't understand that in the U.S. those fonts have a certain generic quality. I'm sure I'd have no idea what looks generic in Japanese.

http://s23.postimg.org/w9x40a4yj/shenmueiii.jpg

I guess my only point is that while I don't exactly think what I just posted is "amazing" or worthy of being put on a Shenmue cover...it still looks better (in my opinion) than Bradley Hand or Papyrus, and was done in short time. I'd think someone close to the project could have done better before going live with Kickstarter, or in time since.
by squall
Wed Apr 13, 2016 4:50 pm
 
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Re: Shenmue III Logo Poll

I played a little bit with the original logo.

I'm not satisfied with the result, not enough space after applying borders... but the idea would be to keep the cursive font with some separation in between the letters.


http://i.imgur.com/jJlHzJW.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/pdJgAn0.jpg
by Kiske
Thu Apr 14, 2016 6:00 am
 
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Re: Shenmue III Logo Poll

Spaghetti wrote: Somebody should pass Kiske and squall's logos on to Cedric/Yu, if they haven't been sent already.




That's the idea
by Peter
Thu Apr 14, 2016 5:40 pm
 
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Re: Shenmue III Logo Poll

I definitely would prefer the original font, and I think it needs to appear in the game. But I understand the reason to change it on the boxart (hopefully nowhere else). I'm not too keen on slightly altering the original logo in order to make it more legible. What makes the original so great is the beautiful cursive writing, and so I don't feel it should be touched, or something similar should be created. So a completely different logo on the boxart would be preferable IMO. I tried to just think of something really simple, but sort of classic, to fit in with the theme of shenmue and this is what I came up with. Just a basic serif font almost as if it's not a logo at all, but simply a translation of the original japanese logo.

http://i.imgur.com/xzlaKkU.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/1GQXWf3.jpg
by ash55
Tue Apr 19, 2016 2:58 pm
 
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Re: PAYPAL SUPPORT FOR SHENMUE 3 NOW LIVE!

Obviously waiting until tomorrow, to be in line with the 3rd of the 3rd, to add more excitement to this month's :)...hopefully they thought of that anyways haha.

Tomorrow is "Constitution Memorial Day" in Japan, according to the calendar posted by Switch.

Do you really think AJ are going to work? :lol:

http://i.imgur.com/L2buPG1.gif

"Day Off? Oh. Oh. Ok. Cool. Ok!"!
by Kiske
Mon May 02, 2016 9:53 am
 
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Re: PAYPAL SUPPORT FOR SHENMUE 3 NOW LIVE!

Kiske wrote:
As of May 3rd, 2016

$6,600,896

72,350 backers


As of May 9th, 2016

$6,600,896 --> $6,604,046 (+$3150) (+$525/day)

72,350 --> 72,378 backers (+28) (4.6 backers/day) ($112.5/backer)
by Kiske
Mon May 09, 2016 5:55 am
 
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Re: Ryuji Iuchi: Village & Waterside in the Forest

Here's a translation of Ryuji Iuchi's message in Japanese on SoundCloud:

あくまで個人的なデモ曲です。
森の中の村、森の中の水辺をイメージしました。
習作を兼ねて、あのゲームのサウンドに少し寄せています。

This is purely a personal demo piece.
The image I had in mind is of a village and waterside in the forest.
I've been experimenting composing practice pieces to evoke the sound of "that game".
by Switch
Mon May 09, 2016 10:14 pm
 
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Re: E3 2016 & Shenmue 3

I'm taking this as a confirmation that it's happening. They wouldn't be talking about it at all if the licencing was completely unworkable.
Yeah, if Sega is saying anything about Shenmue 1 and 2 HD right now then they must be pretty confident most of the licencing issues can be overcome. The worst case scenario Sega could probably adopted a similar policy to how they ported Crazy Taxi, by replacing any brand names with generic equivalents: KFC = generic 'Fried Chicken Shack' etc. This means that the HD versions wouldn't be 100% like the original games but I'm willing to accept a few visual changes like that for the sake of overcoming the licencing problems.
by Kintor
Wed May 11, 2016 4:49 pm
 
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Re: Random Shenmue III Thoughts

333 days ago, Shenmue 3 was announced on Sony PlayStation's stage at E3 2015 (the E3 of dreams).
by Giorgio
Fri May 13, 2016 10:12 am
 
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Re: Shenmue III - ALL THE FACTS AND INFORMATION (THUS FAR)

Some important ones:

. Sony's role is limited to marketing and publishing the PS4 version only of Shenmue III (Source: http://www.gameblog.fr/interview_948_shenmue-3-notre-grande-interview-de-yu-suzuki-et-cedric-bisc )

. SEGA's role is limited to providing the IP and production materials from the first games (Source: http://www.gameblog.fr/interview_948_shenmue-3-notre-grande-interview-de-yu-suzuki-et-cedric-bisc )

. SEGA/YSnet/Shibuya Productions formed the agreement to use the Shenmue licence before Sony was ever involved (Source: http://www.gameblog.fr/news/57133-shenmue-iii-pourquoi-la-ps4-et-pas-la-xbox-one-cedric-biscay )

. Shibuya Productions is the main investor in Shenmue III, and has a much greater role than Sony (Source: https://twitter.com/CedricBiscay/status/645483756371873792 )

Seeing how the "SONY/SEGA ARE SECRETLY FUNDING SHENMUE" lies are still put out there by the gaming press and the people who religiously take the media's conjecture as fact, I think it's up to us to put these real facts out there.
Thanks, dude! I'll grab what I can from the links and edit the original post :)
by ShenGCH
Fri May 20, 2016 11:03 pm
 
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Re: E3 2016 & Shenmue 3

This just popped up on my twitter feed. Could be nothing, but I thought that I'd post it;)

https://twitter.com/giocorsi/status/734722558826668032

Image
by SheepheadCG
Mon May 23, 2016 9:08 am
 
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Direct feed Magic Monaco footage

There's some direct feed footage of the videos shown off at Magic Monaco at about 1:11 here- https://youtu.be/BSZwkuBRB4c?t=70

Better than shaky cellphone footage!
by KidMarine
Tue May 24, 2016 8:50 am
 
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Recent donated event by Chinese Shenmue club

Hi, guys.

We Chinese Shenmue club recently has donated a slide projector to the hope primary school which was built by wdrpgwd and his brother in Guiling.

The June 1st is the Children's Day in China, so we bring them a projector as a present. This machine can make the lessons more interesting and lively.

This is the twitter: https://twitter.com/mantisjojo/status/734954624675807233

Some picture of the school and children. Do you see the "莎木,你好" , it means "Hello, Shenmue" :heart: :heart:

http://i.imgur.com/huE854S.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/sjmFDue.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/W7ZzfRi.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Bwzi5T7.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/f82I3Vx.jpg
by Peter 蔡
Tue May 24, 2016 12:11 am
 
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Re: PAYPAL SUPPORT FOR SHENMUE 3 NOW LIVE!

Once the PC version is available in the Paypal campaign it will be a good opportunity to get more PC gamers into the series.
by Ziming
Fri May 27, 2016 1:08 am
 
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Re: May update

World's worst topic title.
by Peter
Mon May 30, 2016 9:08 am
 
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Re: Yu Suzuki Fan Mail Address

https://goo.gl/maps/FJ1aEbJj44k

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

Yu Suzuki mentioned during his MAGIC Monaco presentation that his development studio for the project is located in Gotanda (also in Tokyo, a few minutes away by train).
by Switch
Thu Jun 09, 2016 1:15 am
 
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Please stay connected (or reconnect) to reality...

So here's what I initially posted in the news topic about Shenmue III being the world's most anticipated game. I didn't mean to derail that topic and I think this is an issue that actually deserves its own one.

I said: Not to spoil everyone's fun, but the reason for SIII being #1 obviously is that nobody knows about that site (mostanticipatedgames) or cares to vote there, which makes it an easy target for (western) communities of hardcore fans (of japanese stuff). #3 is a game called Zero Time Dilemma - never heard of that. #18 is Danganronpa 3, whatever the hell that is. It's still not a bad thing of course, it just doesn't mean anything. Or say anything about the popularity of Shenmue. Which is not the world's most anticipated game.

That topic and that thought lead me to think about the following issue:

Many people in this community seem to have a huge problem with lying to themselves, "remixing" reality to their likings, if you will, or simply dreaming stuff up. I saw somebody complain about Kojima getting the spotlight instead of Suzuki at E3, even though he's "just Kojima". Somebody else called Shenmue III and the Final Fantasy VII remake Sony's "biggest weapons". Final Fantasy, sure, absolutely. Shenmue? Man, come on. I love Shenmue, too, but stuff like that has nothing to do with reality anymore. If you people actually keep believing the bullshit you're telling yourselves and others you will end up frustrated and disappointed over and over again. At least that's my take on it.

In the end it all comes down to one thing I'd like to ask of you: Please try to maintain at least some rationality. And please don't make us Shenmue fans look like idiots and/or assholes on social media. Don't hate on other people (like Kojima) or other stuff just because it's bigger and to many or most people more important than Shenmue. Don't hate on Sony for not fulfilling your highly exagerrated and fanboyish desires. Simply stop hating. Know your place. Know Shenmue's. Love it for what it is. Accept that it will never be more. Be less demanding, more humble. Get your f*cking shit together.
by Monkei
Tue Jun 21, 2016 2:56 pm
 
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Re: E3 2016 & Shenmue 3

LA dinner has been moved to December.

I guess that pretty much confirms we'll be seeing Shenmue III at PSX :)
by Amir
Wed Jun 22, 2016 3:26 am
 
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Re: E3 2016 & Shenmue 3

Japan dinner flights booked. Can't believe its all becoming a reality.

Image
by Peter
Mon Jun 27, 2016 8:23 pm
 
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Kickstarter Update - 1 Year Anniversary

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ysnet/shenmue-3/posts/1616380?ref=backer_project_update

Hello Everyone,

We are at the one year anniversary from the day you all stood up and made Shenmue III a reality. So to mark the occasion, Yu-san wanted to take this opportunity to look back at the project thus far.

Thank you all for wonderful first year!

https://youtu.be/-69bno5BjGk

Survey Outlook

We have been receiving a lot questions about surveys lately, so here is where we stand now.

Surveys have NOT been sent. A date for the surveys has not been decided, and is still a ways off.

Because this is such an important part of the backer process, an official announcement will made on the Kickstarter Update page and in the news section on shenmue.link. The announcement will also be posted on Twitter at @Shenmue_3, so be sure to follow us!

On the survey, you will confirm all of your reward details (platform choice, T-shirt size, etc.) and shipping information. Please look ahead to coming updates for more information!

Edit: Found a higher quality video on the Shenmue.link page but cannot embed it here -
https://shenmue.link/post_en/336/?en
by SheepheadCG
Thu Jun 30, 2016 6:40 am
 
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Re: Kickstarter Update - 1 Year Anniversary

Here's my best-guess translation of the text on the whiteboard that is briefly shown in the video.

*** WARNING: SPOILERS! ***

The text on the whiteboard does reveal clues about the game's story and content. Don't click below unless you wish to reveal potential story spoilers!

http://i.imgur.com/ax99HkR.png

As usual Yu's handwriting is quite hard to make out. Additions/corrections are welcome (Kiyuu, David...?).
by Switch
Thu Jun 30, 2016 11:40 am
 
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Re: Kickstarter Update - 1 Year Anniversary

A reader's letter here :

Now that E3 is over I thought I’d point out that means it’s now exactly a year since Shenmue III was first announced. I’m obviously not the only one that noticed though as they put up a new video to show how things have been going (you can’t seem to share Kickstarter videos, but here’s the link ).

I know Kickstarter games have an increasingly poor reputation nowadays, and I think in a lot of cases that’s perfectly justified, but Yu Suzuki and his team seem to be getting on very well. Everything seems very professional and instead of being full of excuses and timewasting side projects the updates are just things like new people they’ve hired and details of what they’re working on at the moment.

It’s actually not really that interesting, but I think that’s actually what’s most encouraging about it: professional people getting on with their job and trying to make the game live up to expectations. A lot of others, I’ve noticed, try to make themselves seem like pop stars or pretend that making video games is some sort of cool spectator sport. I think I feel more confident knowing that quiet, sensible people are just getting on with it when it comes to Shenmue III.

Fair play to the author because it's more or less summed up exactly how I feel. It's easy to piss and moan about a lack of info, but honestly, do you really want all of that in monthly dosees? I sure as hell don't. I've toiled with completely leaving the Dojo ever sInce last year, and I've reduced my presence solely with an end goal in mind of disappearing for all of 2017. We have seen already how we can seriously analyse any little morsel of info (that's not a dig, I wouldnt expect anything less from the fans!), and that's only going to get worse with time, as the usual dilemma of promotion/secrecy becomes evermore so blurred.

If you feel they could have shown "something" more substantial, then yes, there is an argument for that. But rest assured, they are coming, and when they do I feel it really will have been a case of absence made the heart grow fonder. For now, we are 18 months away, so let them get on with it I'd say! Life is awesome, and if I could give any advice, it's go find something to take your mind off of it. Preoccupy yourself because we knew from the start this was going to be a loooong process, and i know firsthand what it's like logging in and refreshing daily..... hourly in fact, for any small snippet of news

Speaking for myself personally? I already know far too much about this game. Way much more than what I ever would have wanted to know at this stage. Bring back the monthly magazines as a news source like the good old days! I'd love to hypotheses and theorise like we have gotten so good at over the years, but I just know if I do, my on the spot raw emotions that I know I will feel whilst finally playing this game will have been manipulated from all of the information that had came before it. I don't want that, and I am not going to jeapordise a 15 year payoff for it.

Keep the updates sort by all means! Tell me what's in Suzuki's t shirt wardrobe and I will be happier
by Peter
Thu Jun 30, 2016 2:52 pm
 
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Ryuji Iuchi's Music from Shenmue 1 & 2

Ryuji Iuchi the main composer for Shenmue 3 has created a youtube playlist of all the music he's made from Shenmue 1&2. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... SUDNZrWFV_

phpBB [video]
by Ziming
Thu Jun 30, 2016 3:46 pm
 
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Re: Concept Art Thread

3 pieces of concept art (composites) from the June 2016 Kickstarter update video.

Edit: plus 2 more.

http://i.imgur.com/9Iqhm8u.png

http://i.imgur.com/OPmw5P6.png

http://i.imgur.com/hKIJz3K.png

http://i.imgur.com/P5oXV8a.png

http://i.imgur.com/38KuFeh.png
by Switch
Thu Jun 30, 2016 10:21 pm
 
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Re: Ryan Payton on Back in my Play podcast, talks Shenmue/II

Ryan was gone long before Halo 4 shipped. This was ultimately because of butting heads with Microsoft over the direction they were going in. (There's some info about this in the podcast, he was kind of put out of pasture by MS in the same way Yu was by SEGA)

For MGS4, Payton was hired specifically by Hideo Kojima to help Westernise certain elements of the game, such as camera and control functionality. If you ask me, MGS4 sucked for several other non-camera/control related problems.

The all-important fact here is that he's only part of the advisory board , he's not a Producer like he was on MGS4, and not a creative director like he was on Halo 4. He meets with Yu every two months, and seems to have helped when putting the Kickstarter plan together as well as having some input on the overall game design. He's acting as a guiding hand, effectively.

This is some interesting information, thanks for clearing it up!
by Scrounder
Sun Jul 03, 2016 9:54 am
 
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New interview with Cedric Biscay and Shibuya Productions

Hey guys,

My own site PauseResume.com conducted a new interview with Cedric Biscay and Shibuya Productions that some of you might appreciate.

http://www.pauseresume.com/shenmue-shibuya-productions/

Don't expect any ground breaking reveals but Cedric did mention during our chat that he and Yu Suzuki were working on a project before Shenmue III which was abandoned.

Unfortunately, they didn't reveal any further info on what that project might be but maybe in years to come we'll find out.
by Xieldos
Mon Jul 11, 2016 7:02 am
 
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Re: Kickstarter Update #58 - Keiji Okayasu Returns for Shen

SheepheadCG wrote:
Remember guys, you can watch the video on the shenmue site for a MUCH better quality video:
https://shenmue.link/news/shenmue3/349/?en


Image
Image
by Rikitatsu
Fri Jul 29, 2016 7:45 am
 
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Re: Kickstarter Update #58 - Keiji Okayasu Returns for Shen

http://i.imgur.com/dqJMVQj.png
http://i.imgur.com/UAA3ilM.png

Very happy with the update and for the 'new' incorporation to the team! With every upddate I can feel that it'll be a great game with the true Shenmue essence!

Could anyone translate the japanese subtitles of this picture?
I must say it's nice and helpful of them to leave hints of Japanese text in each video so that we can analyze them to death.

Anyway, the gist of the subtitle is:

"Occasionally, there are even times when the mountains along the Li River bring misfortune..."
by Switch
Fri Jul 29, 2016 9:20 am
 
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Re: Kickstarter Update #58 - Keiji Okayasu Returns for Shen

"Ryo... That word on your watch - beginning with T... That has another meaning in this village."

"Another meaning... Is that so?"

"Yes... In their ancient traditions, that word is rather offensive."

"I see... I'd better scratch it off."
by Let's Get Sweaty
Fri Jul 29, 2016 10:27 am
 
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Re: Kickstarter Update #58 - Keiji Okayasu Returns for Shen

Anyway, Switch signal is up again:

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

Any chance of figuring out what the stuff on the right means?
I missed noticing this, you've got eagle eyes! Each figure has a name written next to it.
http://i.imgur.com/aZAqfQeh.png Nozomi
http://i.imgur.com/Sozzm7Qh.png Seiji
http://i.imgur.com/dW7l5wKh.png An [truncated]
The drawings have a very simplistic style... wonder what these represent.
by Switch
Fri Jul 29, 2016 8:12 pm
 
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Re: Kickstarter Update #58 - Keiji Okayasu Returns for Shen

Anyway, Switch signal is up again:

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

Any chance of figuring out what the stuff on the right means?
I missed noticing this, you've got eagle eyes! Each figure has a name written next to it.
http://i.imgur.com/aZAqfQeh.png Nozomi
http://i.imgur.com/Sozzm7Qh.png Seiji
http://i.imgur.com/dW7l5wKh.png An [truncated]
The drawings have a very simplistic style... wonder what these represent.
Wow, nice catch, Spaghetti! My initial thoughts on these incredibly simplistic representations of the characters was that it was just a way of presenting their in-game design with a very basic guideline, but then I saw Nozomi's name, and the design doesn't match that of the Nozomi we're all aware of whatsoever. (Also, the only character by the name of Seiji in the series is an unremarkable forklift operator at the Harbour, so I sincerely doubt that's who they're going with.) Unless there's going to be a new character named Nozomi in Shenmue III , what if these designs are simply emblems or some repute (e.g., custom clothing patches or accolades for completing certain challenges)?
by ShenGCH
Sat Jul 30, 2016 1:09 am
 
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Re: PAYPAL SUPPORT FOR SHENMUE 3 NOW LIVE!



28th July

$6,632,986 --> $6,633,070 (+$84)

72,708 backers --> 72,711 (+3) ($28 per backer)


29th July

$6,633,070 --> $6,633,204 (+$134)

72,711 backers --> 72,715 (+4) ($33.50 per backer)


1st August

$6,633,204 --> $6,633,904 (+$700)

72,715 backers --> 72,727 (+12) ($58.33 per backer)

$300,609 raised since the start of the campaign last September.
by Amir
Mon Aug 01, 2016 3:00 am
 
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Is the Yu Suzuki really living in his office?

The Ryan Peyton interview suggested that Yu Suzuki is actually living in the office basically working 24/7 to ensure that

A. Shenmue 3 makes it's December 2017 release date
and
B. Shenmue 3 doesn't turn out like Mighty Number 9

I was wondering, it is just Yu Suzuki living at the office or is it also the rest of the team members?

Also maybe we could pitch in to help them out?

What if the Dojo members put some gift baskets together? We could include things like snacks, blankets, toiletries, reading material, basically anything to make living in the office more comfortable.

Thoughts?
by SMDzero
Wed Aug 03, 2016 6:28 am
 
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