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Shenmue I & II Synthesia Remixes

From Youtube member "Mike9571706" has uploaded synth remixes of some Shenmue and Shenmue II tracks. I have to say, i not only enjoy listening to them, but also watching the videos :lol:

Shenmue Theme

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDUYkg_RqLM


Shenmue Theme (alternate)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hDyBeDuQSk


Nozomis Theme

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvkuE41r_5Q


Rain

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zph29fJq2uk


Daily Agony

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyTf-N7E5TQ


Morning Fog

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbVf2hV8l8U


Eternity

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIyLXQiGb5g


Earth and Sea

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38ln6bdv-aA


Tomato Convenience Store

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVJKP_2kH_M


Queen Street (day)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfPtdvaYP74


Green Market Qtr. (night)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mAH3XxLMwI


Man Mo China Shop

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yt0JmXFlzlM


Man Mo Bar

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFhtpTd336w


Heads or Tails

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8TruA1mXsA
by Peter
Wed Sep 05, 2012 2:59 pm
 
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Re: Japanese version of this text

Kiyuu wrote:Roma(nization) wasn't built in a day, you know? ;-)

Image
by Bambi
Wed Feb 20, 2013 11:09 am
 
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Re: Yu Suzuki At Monaco Anime Game Show

Here are the screens from the Monaco conference.

BTW, I've seen pages of personal opinions based on nuthin', but couldn't spot any reply to my call for an accurate japanese translation of the Anime/book question (page 11). Could someone who understands japanese AND would give a f%£k help to get Yu's answer on that one ? Thanks.

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by Belgiumfan
Wed Mar 06, 2013 11:05 am
 
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Re: Yu Suzuki At Monaco Anime Game Show

Here a video of the complete conference of the Sunday March 3.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=il8bSiWu_CA

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=il8bSiWu_CA[/youtube]
by Shendream
Fri Mar 08, 2013 9:22 am
 
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Re: Yu Suzuki At Monaco Anime Game Show

That is a MONUMENTAL work done there, kiyuu. I know the difficulty in making the timing for subs. What a work! Thank you really for all of this work, mate. And now in the hands of Ziming, it will be done nice and right.
by Nankeiro
Tue Mar 12, 2013 12:15 am
 
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Re: Yu Suzuki At Monaco Anime Game Show

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwPDFBCDM_c

Here's the translation of the Shenmue related Q&A:

21:24-TR: What is the most memorable game to you?
21:29-YS: Every game is memorable to me. But, Virtua Fighter is the most memorable as it was
the hardest game to make, having had to go through various hardships. Shenmue as well.

24:01-TR: Is there any regrets?
24:04-YS: Ah... I hate this (kind of question.) Not having been able to make Shenmue III yet, of course.

24:43-TR: Do you have any plan or project for the next-generation consoles?
24:52-YS: I don't have any concrete plans, but I'd like to do something for them.

25:23-TR: What do you think about using the service like crowd-funding, such as Kickstarter?
25:33-YS: There's such possibility, I think.
(Here, the translator took the liberty of connecting the answer of YS with Shenmue III, and the MC got excited.)
15:47-YS: That was a leading question, wasn't it?

26:06-TR: Perhaps you've already been asked this a lot, but everybody wants to know it. How is Shenmue III
going at the moment?
26:17-YS: I want to make it for sure, if a good partner is found.
26:30-YS: If the circumstances allow, I want to make it.
26:41-TR: Everybody wants to help you in anyway.
26:45-YS: Thank you. Merci beaucoup.

26:51-YS: May I speak a little here? French fans, especially, have been caring about Shenmue a lot and
always ask me about Shenmue III. I'm very glad about it. I really want to make it, if circumstances allow.

36:50-TR: Now, there's a rumor that Shenmue I or II will be playable soon by downloading with PSN or Xbox...
37:06-YS: Where is it from?
37:10-TR: Huh? He (the questioner) says so.
37:15-YS: Well, I don't get it. Every year a rumor says Shenmue III is coming. I wonder who is making it.

42:24-TR: Do you have a plan to make Shenmue HD?
42:50-YS: The license of Shenmue I and II belongs to SEGA. Now that I've left SEGA, it's not my decision,
but SEGA's, to remake and sell them like that. It'd be possible for SEGA, I guess.
43:27-YS: I could make anything related to Shenmue series, though, by getting the license from SEGA,
if they say OK.

45:10-TR: Instead of a video game, will there be any chance that you depict the story of Shenmue 3
in other forms, like movie or novel?
45:24-YS: There will be such possibilities, I think. Even in such forms I want to do something related to Shenmue.
by Ziming
Tue Mar 12, 2013 6:37 am
 
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Re: Yu Suzuki At Monaco Anime Game Show

Just noticed the translated interview up on Facebook.
I wanna say thanks to Ziming for continuing to run a well updated Shenmue Dojo page and keeping the fanbase going on that end. Great job.
And thanks to Kiyuu for the full translation. Always a valuable member.
by Axm
Tue Mar 12, 2013 7:15 pm
 
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Re: Yu Suzuki At Monaco Anime Game Show

Thanks Kenji :)

As promised, our second interview of Yu Suzuki during the Monaco Animé Game Show is now available:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgbkkLIT-Mo&feature=c4-overview&list=UUWfTTqZNNacHUZKyL5hoNCA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgbkkLIT-Mo&feature=c4-overview&list=UUWfTTqZNNacHUZKyL5hoNCA
by Shendream
Sun Jul 14, 2013 1:26 am
 
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Hi guys

It's been a while. How is everyone? I miss you all. Is Kiyuu still around? What about Orange Lighting? Ziming, YS, Yama, Henry Spencer, and LanDC?
by Himuro
Thu Aug 08, 2013 3:50 am
 
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Re: Shenmue Piano Medley Vol.1

Yes I'm a member! I hope you liked it!
by BLeaK01
Thu Aug 22, 2013 12:10 am
 
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Re: Real Locations

Sorry for bumping an old topic, however I live in Japan and this landscape reminded me a lot of Yokosuka. This was taken on my way to the grocery store. I am about an hour from Yokosuka though. http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/08/22/5ure7aby.jpg


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free
by ShOzO MiZuKi
Thu Aug 22, 2013 12:49 am
 
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Re: Yu Suzuki revisits Shenmue in GDC 2014

We have to get someone representing Shenmue Dojo into this postmortem event. Seriously.
Alimn may be still living in San Francisco. He would never miss the opportunity.

I'll try to be there Kiyuu & Ziming~

There might be some difficulties with my PASS's features but I'll try to follow this closely & it may work out. : )

And to those Dojo friends showing up please inbox me your contact a day before the event for tips!

If you into game business GDC worth it for you to buy a Pass and

If you are employed at a game business or education related thing, your organization might offer free pass,

but if you just want to see Suzuki and don't have the pass, then you can try your chance hanging around GDC.

As the name suggest this is more of a fast pace event solely for business purpose,

The most popular sides of it for gamers are the IGF (Independent Game Festival)

and Choice Awards (Like where Suzuki got his pioneer award at GDC11) but you can watch them online!

Schedule should be up on http://www.gdconf.com soon & one hour before and after the event is lethal to be there.

I am sure that I have some GDC info and tips considering attending GDC 3 times already, hope to imply them.

Anyone not making it, don't miss http://www.gamespot.com stream as they'll stream the Shenmue Event.

Remember, GDC is not like E3 or TGS, it's more of business and getting the job done type of thing~

Remember, Kojima revealed a lot about MGSV last year at GDC, he kinda announced the titles clearly.

And that event was streamed by Game Spot as well.

Hope the outcome of this event can open new hopes, to get the 14 years wait finished.

I wouldn't be surprised if they throw a Shenmue Teaser. :)))

Thanks Ziming for the reminder.

Look, Shenmue is now on GDC's 1st page, imagine how many game developers are looking at it: :)

http://www.gdconf.com

http://www.gdconf.com/conference/classicgames.html

UPDATE:

I recall back in GDC12, at Keiji Inafune's panel-He teased his next big thing "Mighty No. 9"

Surprisingly that event had a similar name and purpose,

He just showed a drawing and said I will introduce a new hero outside Japan,

later on this year, he kick started it and IT became successful,

what if Suzuki is finally going the same path? (just my thoughts nothing confirmed)

There was a postmortem Pac Man event in GDC11 too and Pac Man is doing well.

Looking forward~ I will keep you posted!
by alimn
Wed Nov 27, 2013 12:30 am
 
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Re: Yokosuka Photo Tour

Hey, i'm glad you guys liked the post. I've added a couple other pics i had missed the first time. Shenmue really is a game about atmosphere, and Suzuki and team AM2 really executed that in a way few other games have.


[...] Remember that Hazuki residence once was a temple. [...]
I never knew that. Where that information can be found originally?
And, the Japanese official guides cover most of the data, though I'm not sure about the English guides.

Yea, the strategy guide says:
"The Hazuki residence was originally a temple, which the Hazuki family came to occupy when it lost viability due to the absence of a chief priest. This explains why the residence looks so formal. The imposing front gate is a remnant from that era."


So much thought and soul went into building this universe, not to get off topic, but things like the character profiles and backgrounds for every NPC in the game including animals, shit like that is just brilliantly insane.
by The You
Tue May 20, 2014 7:52 pm
 
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Re: Random Shenmue Thoughts

You've seen dogs walk like humans... But have you seen humans walk like dogs?

phpBB [video]


"Yokosuka Martian" wrote an article about it on SEGA Nerds website: http://www.seganerds.com/2015/01/11/she ... ification/
by Giorgio
Sun Jan 11, 2015 8:56 pm
 
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Re: Kowloon Room Raid Video Project

Believe it or not, there is actually more to explore of the Yellow Head Building!

http://youtu.be/jvyJPWmcSfA

The incredible power of the Map Glitch not only allows you to skip through pretty much everything you have to do in order to get up to Dou Niu, it also allows you to go beyond the 18th floor. The insanity of Shenmue detail overkill shines here as everything from floor 19 to 39 actually exists and can be explored. It does eventually run out of rooms on the 23rd floor but it's still baffling to no end, that they actually put nearly 100 rooms there that nobody was ever intended to get to...
by BlueMue
Sun Jan 25, 2015 2:55 pm
 
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Shenmue I Mod (video): Guizhang's Mission

Back in Yokosuka, things have gone crazy... Guizhang is set on a mission to bring justice, and stop once again the dangerous gang that's always lurking to take over the area.

http://youtu.be/l007i9-BeEU

Note: This mod has been accomplished through the " Changing Fighting Style " method.

For this video, I used a program called "Aegisub". - It lets you create stylized subs. So, I made them look like the one in Shenmue (but not exactly, it's actually the font of Shenmue II's loading screen, but with colors and shadow, to make it look like Shenmue's text and sub, and match who's talking on the screen).

Then I used another program called VirtualDub. What this program does is to burn the subs in the source file. That means the subs doesn't come as a separate file, but they are burned in directly to the source video file. - The caveat with this is that it exports the video as an AVI file (there are workarounds to make it export as MP4, but they need time to be set).

However, this was not much of problem. I exported it as an AVI (without compression, for the best quality). The funny thing is that it produced an 21GB file... Therefore, then I opened this file with Camstasia Studio and finally produced an MP4 file (YouTube process MP4 files faster).
by Giorgio
Thu Jan 22, 2015 11:06 am
 
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Re: Random Shenmue Thoughts

Kiyuu wrote: Bottom left to right: Chuuka-soba = Chinese noodle, o-soba = buckwheat noodle, o-udon = udon noodle,
Chaahan = fried rice
Upper right: Kaigun curry = Navy curry

Thank you so much for this!
by BlueMue
Sat Apr 11, 2015 2:26 pm
 
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Re: Random Shenmue Thoughts

Thank you, Kiyuu, as always!
by Supa
Sat Apr 11, 2015 9:26 am
 
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Re: @Yu_Suzuki_Jp Twitter Account is back to life~ [UPDATES]

Hello everyone !

First, a huge thanks to Yu Suzuki who allowed me to share this. Now that I've got his approval, here are more details about the latest tweet.

As you all know, Yu Suzuki has restarted his twitter account.

He has met with Baji Quan Master : Wu Lianzhi and they both shared a good time. However they were not alone. Indeed, from time to time, Master Wu Lianzhi is teaching Baji Quan in Japan and they met during that event, along with many other people (check pictures below).

http://s11.postimg.org/huhx466lv/DSC00076.jpg

http://s11.postimg.org/b7v9azoxf/DSC00111.jpg

http://s11.postimg.org/xvaih54hf/DSC00147.jpg

http://s11.postimg.org/xh96hjkdv/DSC00257.jpg

On that day, Yu Suzuki also received a 色紙 (a square piece of fancy paper, used for poems) from Master Wu Lianzhi. Here's what you can read on the paper : « 遊戯の父» which, literally means : « father of games ». Not necessarily video games, it's a general meaning in chinese.

http://s1.postimg.org/omp46d2sv/DSC00222.jpg

http://s1.postimg.org/qjluaxtgv/DSC00601.jpg

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http://s1.postimg.org/6z7b85svj/DSC00618.jpg

http://s1.postimg.org/nyg9nf433/DSC00649.jpg

Known for many games, Yu Suzuki has managed to share his knowledge of Baji Quan (Hakkyokuken) through Virtua Fighter and Shenmue.

Thanks again to Yu Suzuki !

鈴木さん、写真を使わせて頂くことになり、心より感謝しております。
by DEVILLE_David
Fri May 29, 2015 9:46 am
 
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Re: Shenmue 3 Kickstarter announced at E3 2015!

I didn't hesitate to donate $10,000 for the dinner with Yu Suzuki. This is FUCKING unreal!
by LanDC
Tue Jun 16, 2015 2:06 am
 
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Re: Shenmue 3 Kickstarter announced at E3 2015!

A fellow Dojo member was looking for someone to translate the full text of the recent Famitsu article interview with Yu Suzuki - so here's a rough translation of the interview text + picture captions.

Link to original article (Japanese): http://imgur.com/a/tSsnL
Link to summary of the main points in English that was made by Varion on NeoGAF: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=168899118&postcount=6043

Interview Text (F=Famitsu, YS=Yu Suzuki)

F: The title "Shenmue 3" is one that has a huge impact, and it was a real surprise when it was announced. So first of all, with 14 years having passed since the previous game Shenmue 2, please tell us why and how the decision to make Shemue 3 came about.
YS: Bringing the sequel to reality isn’t something that was just started recently. Even more than 10 years since Shenmue 2, there are still many passionate fans and whenever I attend events or autograph sessions overseas I’m always asked about when Shenmue 3 will be coming. For example, at my autograph sessions in France, 80% of the fans are Shenmue fans. Of the rest, 10% are Virtua Fighter fans, and the remaining 10% are fans of Hang-On etc. Even now, firm fans run and manage communities. For some reason, every year around March and April, I have been hearing rumors about Shenmue 3 being released (laughs).

F: Expressions of hope for a sequel soon become rumors, don’t they (laughs).
YS: Right. But as time went on the voice of the fans began to weigh on me more and more: “Please publish the rest of the story, even if it’s just as a novel”, “We want to see a new Shenmue published, even just in manga format” and so on. So, to try to answer the feelings of the users in some small way, I decided to myself: “Even if it turns out not to be possible to create the game with all extra features, I'll do what I can to bring about the sequel”.
F: What is the reason you chose Kickstarter as the method?
YS: About 3 years ago, a fan who had used Kickstarter suggested I try it. That’s when I first heard about Kickstarter, and I investigated it further. I couldn’t immediately promise we would use Kickstarter because I wanted to be sure we would be able to use it to produce something that will live up to the expectations of the fans. I looked at other methods of making Shenmue 3, such as finding a partner company, but I wasn’t able to find one that suited my criteria. After consideration, I concluded that Kickstarter was the best approach, and finally now in 2015 I have been able to make the announcement.
F: You have often mentioned in the past that you’d like to make the sequel, but it really took a long period of preparation.
YS: Yes. The tremendous response to the Shenmue panel at GDC 2014 served as a boost to bring us to where we are now. Sega Games has gladly provided the license, and SCE has also expressed their encouragement for the creation of this Shenmue. It’s quite unusual to announce a Kickstarter project at SCE’s conference, but I am truly happy at everyone’s support for Shenmue.
F: The title of the sequel is simply “Shenmue 3”, isn’t it.
YS: No other title really came to mind. Shenmue 3 is the next part of the series leading from Shenmue 1 and 2. It’s not a spin-off. The hardware it will run on is PS4 as well as PC.
F: As the highly-anticipated legitimate sequel, I’m sure the fans will be delighted. By the way, what is the target amount for the Kickstarter campaign?
YS: 200 million yen (approx $2m) is the initial target.
F: Given that this is Shenmue, the amount of 200 million yen will surely be reached readily.
YS: Having said that, 200 million yen is the minimum amount for the game to come into existence. At that level, the content would be focused on the story. The collection of additional funding would allow me to bring into reality what I would really like to include. I would like to do new things.
F: Your outlook of “wanting to make new things” is something that you have always held to, isn’t it.
YS: Yes. I will be trying my best to achieve this with the new Shenmue sequel also.
F: Please give us more details later on. By the way, what kind of rewards do you have planned for your Kickstarter backers?
YS: As much as possible, I would like to include people’s input in the development process. For example, if there are two possible story directions for a character (say A and B), we could hold a poll to ask everyone which they prefer. I would like to give as a reward the right to participate in this kind of vote. And I also intend to allow players to experience part of Shenmue 3 while it is under development.
F: In other words, creating Shenmue 3 together with the fans.
YS: Since I expect the core of the backers will be individuals, I would like to make each one of them happy. Please have a look at the details of the rewards are listed on the Shenmue 3 Kickstarter page.

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

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

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

Picture captions:
1) This image shows the figures of Ryo and Shen Hua walking on a mountain path. Note that Ryo has changed clothes from the leather jacket he wears in the first and second parts of the series.
2) Using a telescope, Ryo observes buildings below a cliff. According to Yu Suzuki, before Ryo lies the enemy’s camp, which Ryo is searching for a way to infiltrate.
3) Shen Hua and Ryo, drawn by Kenji Miyawaki who is in charge of character design for the series. Shen Hua, the main heroine, did not appear much in the first and second parts of the series. In Shenmue 3, she will surely take a principle role.
4) Niao Sun, one of the leaders of the underground organisation opposing Ryo, the Chi You Men. Although her existence has previously been revealed, she has not made an in-game appearance until now.
by Switch
Fri Jun 19, 2015 7:09 am
 
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Reddit AMA Answers

Thought I'd compile all the reddit Q&A in an initial post so it's easy to read for those who don't want to go through 10 pages. I'll edit my initial post as it goes on.

How accurately will Shenmue III be compared to your original vision of the game or will there be major compromises?

YS: There are a total of 11 chapters that make up the whole story. Over the past 14 years I originally planned for there to 4 or five games to the series. If at all possible, I would still like to realize the full story of 11 chapters.

Will Shenmue III enable PayPal or a means to donate to the project when the Kickstarter ends? Projects like Star Citizen gained tens of millions in donations by allowing this.

YS: I am still thinking about it, but have not decided yet.

Shenmue is a Peach Blossom tree correct? Could you tell us what type of tree exactly?
I would like to plant one.

YS: It is more like a cherry blossom tree, that blooms its flowers in the springtime. It is actually a tree I made up for the story.

Hello Suzuku-san! Will a day-to-night cycle and weather system return to Shenmue 3? They added so much to the atmosphere of previous games. Thank you Suzuki-san!

YS: Of course!

Will you reassure us that Ryo's face will be changed back to the Ryo we all know and love when Shenmue 3 releases, and not this impostor wearing Ryo's jacket that you have on Kickstarter? That is NOT our Ryo!

YS: I am not happy with Ryo's face. It will be the face I have in my mind in the end.

Will the gameplay in Shenmue III be more contemporary or will it be more in line with past Shenmue iterations?

YS: As for III, I would like to make a less stressful user interface, that will feature more usability. From now on, I will make that a focus.

Yu are my hero!
Shenmue is credited with introducing the QTE. Given the significant advances in gaming systems and technology over the last decade, are you confident that you can show the gaming world something we have not seen before?

YS: Thank you very much.

Will we see any capsule toys based on Ape Escape or any of the Sony franchise in Shenmue 3?

YS: I have not decided the capsule toys, so please keep your ideas coming.

Have you ever consider telling the rest of the tale for Shenmue in a book if the opportunity to make Shenmue III never came up?

YS: Yes, I have but if I did do that, it would give away the end of the story, and I thought that would be a big minus.

What was your inspiration for the story behind the first two Shenmue games?

YS: When I was making Virtua Fighter, I went location hunting in China. I was very inspired by Chinese martial arts. That very well may have been the beginning.

Will practicing moves make a return in Shenmue 3 along with the FREE battle system? A lot of fans feel not being able to practice moves was big piece missing in Shenmue 2, and I also personally loved being able to practice and make the moves stronger. It really makes you feel as if you are learning marital arts and then performing them in a skill-based actual battle feels very satisfying.

YS: I want to do it yes!

Will players have access to both the Japanese and English voice overs for the game?
And I wanted to say thank you so much for Shenmue and Shenmue II, it brought a tear to my eye seeing those games at E3 during the Shenmue III announcement, I cannot wait. Those two games are what made me curious about Japan as a child, and I am now trying to work as a Japanese translator!

YS: I am thinking about that, yes. However it is not for sure.
It is because of fans like you, I wanted to make a sequel. Thank you very much.

Will the band-aid ever come off?

YS: I am considering a special option where it could be removed.

Will we see Ryo's Journal return? Would be cool to be able to flip the pages using the PS4's touchpad.

YS: I would like to bring back the Journal. That is an interesting idea, I will look into it. Thank you.

What do you think of the current state of Japanese game development?

YS: I see the share of mobile games increasing, the budgets of games decreasing. It will be harder to express a game's vision.
I would hope the console and PC markets gain more popularity.

Any possibility of a bicycle finally being added to Shenmue 3? Thank you so much again, Yu!

YS: There is a 60 horsepower bike in Shenmue 1. For Shenmue, 3 I was thinking about something with 1 horsepower.

Will character polls compromise your artistic vision?

YS: I really want to get everyone's opinion on the characters. I have something in mind that won't break the world immersion.

In Suzuki-san’s opinion, what is the essence of arcade games? Are those influences in Shenmue?

YS: With an arcade game, you are restricted to a 3 minute window to express what the game is. That is how I made games for the longest time. I wanted to create a game that could be played at a more leisurely pace, so I created what ended up being Shenmue.

Yu, are you really going to be signing your autograph on the illustration for the $300 kickstarter signed collectors edition? So far there is almost 2000 backers, that is a lot of illustrations to sign!

YS: Of course I will write them all myself!

Will Shenmue 3 have any sort of multiplayer component? Perhaps Co-op or a versus mode?

YS: I am thinking about something that would resemble that.

Do you have any more details to share about the stretch goals? It's not clear to me what a "Rapport System" or "Character Perspective System" entails.

YS: They are new systems, so naturally they need new names. The Rapport System will govern changes in Shenhua's actions depending on your conversations with or actions towards her. The "Character Perspective System" will highlight different characters personalities as they go through the story.

What will Ryo do to earn money in Shenmue 3?
As great and engrossing as the story and gameplay were in Shenmue 1 and 2, I (and many others) really really liked the forklift driving. It was like I could learn a new (video game) skill, get good at it, and putter around the docks like a badass.

YS: There will be part time jobs that will be indicative of those you would find in China. In the Stretch goals there will also be the old favorites.

Do you have any dogs or cats?

YS: 3 yorkshire terriers and a turtle.

Love your work! You are a pioneer in this industry! As for my question:
How much game elements/features will we be missing in the game if the campaign doesn't reach the $5 million mark?

YS: I will say this: if we reach the $5 mil mark, one of the things I really want to do with Shenmue 3 will become a reality.
At $10 million, it will truly have the features of an open world.

Who would win a fight between Ryo and Akira?

YS: Akira! Akira is up to 5 now, and Ryo is still on 3.

Can we expect more duck racing in Shenmue III? That was the best easter egg I've ever seen in a video game.

YS: I would love it.

How was it working with mega64?

YS: It was really fun. I would love to do it again.
I hope they pitch in for the replica Ryo jacktet!

Will there be forklift gameplay in Shenmue III?

YS: Look for it in the Stretch Goals!

Given Shenmue 2's ending and previous items found within the series; will swordplay enter gameplay at all? What about the story, can we expect Ryo to use a sword at some point?

YS: I can't answer that.

Do you have a favorite game that you've developed other than Shenmue?

YS: I had fun making all the games I worked on, and can't say one was better than another. Boring answer I know, but it really is true.

I only have one statement. I think I speak for everyone here when I say that Shenmue is one of the greatest game series of all time. And one quick question, what can we expect for surprises in the 3rd installment without spoiling the storyline at all?

YS: How could I do that? Sorry, gotta pass. Thank you very much though!

I've always wondered, why did you set the game in the 1980s rather than present day?

YS: I wanted put forward the differences in culture and values between the two periods.

(Suzuki-san, thank you for coming today! Shenmue is the reason I came to Japan. Those living towns and people you showed in your games were so natural and real, that I wanted to see it for myself. So, now I am in my fourth year of living in Japan.
What I'd like to ask is, if you had billions of yen, what would your dream Shenmue be?
Also, were there any features or gameplay you liked that didn't make it into Shenmue 1 or 2?)

YS: One where the player could live in that world. A second life.

I have two important questions for you:
Do you know where I can find some sailors?
Would you like to try a game of Lucky Hit?

YS: Yes, but not right now.
Uh, ok.

I love the music from Shenmue, if anything kept me thinking about Shenmue from time to time during these 10+ years it was the music. Was is your favorite piece from the soundtrack? Thank you for bringing Shenmue to our lives, I can't thank you enough.

YS: Of course I love both the Shenmue and Shenhua themes, and all of them really, but the one that really sticks with me is the Tomato Mart.

Will there be more funding tiers added to the Shenmue 3 Kickstarter, specifically between the $500 and $3000 tier?

YS: Yes.

Shenmue 3 is just the start. How successful does the game need to be for us to get Shenmue 4 and so on until the saga is complete?

YS: If the fans are not happy with 3 there will not be a 4. So I please hope we can together make this game the best it can be.

What Sega console is your favourite and why?

YS: The Dreamcast. It has really good balance. I was involved with the hardware as well, so it had a lot of meaning for me.

Suzuki-San...welcome to the fantasy zone! It's finally happening. Any plans on more arcade games within Shenmue III?

YS: I plan on making plans.

Why do you create?

YS: Why does one climb the mountain?
The shark cannot breath when it does not swim.

Any info on the stretch goals for Choubu and Bailu village?

YS: Choubu is a riverside village with lots of shops, souvenir stores, hotels and temples. The quests in this village should be very enjoyable, I think.
Bailu is the village where Shenhua was raised and also a place that Ryo's father, Iwao, had visited when he was younger. Here as well the quests will play an important role as Ryo and Shenhua start their journey.

Are all the towns listed in the Kickstarter stretch goals in the game already, or are the stretch goals only there as a means to help give them more features and spice?

YS: They are there, but with more powered up through the stretch goals.

Will Ryo ever go back to Japan?

YS: Not in 3.

Who is your favorite Shenmue character?

YS: It has always been Shenhua.

Are you still involved in any programming activities?

YS: I still write algorithms, logic verification, and make simple prototypes.

Do you play airsoft, paintball, or anything similar?

YS: I think it was Afterburner that I really got into airsoft. The office floor was covered with plastic BBs. Yeah, the Berretta 93R rocks. I put a real hunting scope on that one.

Are you at all a fan of Anime? If so, what are your favourites?

YS: Sure, but its all pretty old stuff.

Will the game take advantage of the virtual reality goggles on PS4 and PC?

YS: Right now, there are no plans for a vr system compatibility, but I love the idea of using it to peer into the world of Shenmue.

When creating Shenmue 3, will you use any assets at all from 1 & 2? Or do you have to start all over from scratch because SEGA still owns the first two games?

YS: The assets from 1 & 2 will get a lot of use.
by Riku Rose
Sat Jun 20, 2015 1:22 am
 
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Walk above Sakuragaoka glitch

This easy to perform glitch allows you to walk high above the streets in Sakuragaoka.
You'll simply need to position Ryo near the shown wall with his feet at two different heights and wait for the nightfall.

This was originally discovered by someone else but I made a video myself anyway just to show more of the area with better quality then the original did.

https://youtu.be/rcSEpg1Z5t8
by BlueMue
Fri Jun 26, 2015 10:41 am
 
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Re: Rough transcript of the interview on Twitch

Translation of the Interview on Twitch

Ok, I'm done! Here's a translation of Yu Suzuki's actual answers for comparison. Overall I think the translator on the Twitch session covered the information pretty well, except for maybe some minor detail.

Q: What is Sony’s involvement with Shenmue III?
YS: Sony is providing us with support in various ways including marketing, funding and promotion, and they’re our most important partner; they’re also our largest and most valued backer.

We plan to invest all the money collected from everyone through Kickstarter on development, excepting the Kickstarter fees and costs for the rewards. No portion of the collected money will flow to Shibuya Productions or Sony.

Q: PS4 physical reward?
YS: This is one of the most requested rewards, and it’s the reward I most want to make happen. Um... Please be patient!

Q: How will Kickstarter funds be spent?
YS: Please take a look at this pie chart which I’ve prepared.
[Fees: 8 - 10%, Game development: 65 to 72%, Backer rewards: 20 - 25%]

http://i.imgur.com/JtmE4vg.png

Q: Ryo’s appearance...
YS: We’ve had a lot of comments about how Ryo’s face looks, but we’ve just got started and so it is still under development. Personally, I’m not satisfied at all either, and so even now we’re continuing to improve it. Today I’ve brought a slightly improved version to show you – it’s not the final version, and we’ll be improving it even further, but I wanted to show you it.

For comparison, we’ve included two shots of Ryo from Shenmue II.

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

The one at the front is the slightly improved version for Shenmue III. Again, I’m not completely happy with this Ryo – the shape of his mouth is not quite right – and I’d like to make further refinements.

As well as the shape of his face, his facial expressions and his actions also add to his personality and his attractiveness. So going forward I’d like to work on facial expressions and movements in making an attractive Ryo.

Q: Will the original voice actors reprise their roles?
YS: I auditioned Masaya Matsukaze and Corey Marshall for Shenmue I & II, and I believe their voices are perfect for Ryo’s voice. So I’d definitely like to have them reprise the role again this time. We’re currently in negotiations and I’m sure they will both be happy to do so, so please look forward to that.

Q: Can PayPal payment be added?
YS: I’m considering funding methods other than Kickstarter, including PayPal.

Q: Will a DRM-free version be made available?
YS: It’s something that is under consideration at the moment. However it’s not something Ys Net can decide by ourselves, and so discussions are taking place with various parties.

Q: Will HD versions of Shenmue I & II be released?
YS: I think that if Shenmue I and II could be released before Shenmue III, people would be able to understand the backstory and enjoy Shenmue III even more. And so I also personally strongly want this to happen, but as the rights are held by Sega I’m not really in a position to be able to comment. However I will also express to Sega that that I really would like for them to be produced.

Q: Details of new rewards?
YS: There has been feedback that there are not enough rewards, and so we have added additional rewards. We have prepared $1000, $2000 and $5000 grab bags. The bags will continue various items of Shenmue merchandise, and I think these will be quite exciting. And also at the $5000 level will the one-only prototype of the watch worn by Ryo in the Shenmue games. I have it here to show you... This is the Timex watch worn by Ryo, and it has the YS and Shenmue logos on it. It’s a very rare item.

Q: Details of the grab bags?
YS: It includes various things such as special figures of Ryo, watches... these watches are not quite as valuable as the one-of-a-kind one mentioned before; they’re more casual and they also have the Shenmue logo. Anyway, there are a variety of different items included.

Also, we have prepared some of the original art drawn by our main character designer, Miyawaki. These are quite valuable, and are a great reward I think.

In addition to the rewards we have added today, we will be continuing to add further ones in the future, so please look forward to them too.

Q: Tell us about the stretch goals up to $3.6m?
YS: Firstly, I’ll talk about the stretch goals up until around the $3.6m mark, which are the most basic goals. The stretch goals up to $3.6m will achieve a story-oriented Shenmue. As further goals are reached, the content for various areas will be correspondingly expanded, but even with the story-oriented version, the plot will develop to reach a confrontation with the 4 leaders {of the Chiyoumen}.

Also, game features like the Rapport system and the Skill Tree system will be included.

Q: Rapport system
YS: With the Rapport system, various data on your interactions with Shenhua will be tracked, such as her level of trust and rapport with you and so on, according to your actions toward her and the way your conversations progress. Later, this will affect how cooperative Shenhua is toward you, for example. I think we’ll be able to express a new and exciting angle to Shenmue that wasn’t present in the previous games.

Q: Skill Tree system
YS: In Shenmue 3, you will be able to obtain move scrolls {“technique scrolls”} in various places – for example, in shops, mini-games, part-time jobs, gambling, quest events. You’ll be able to make immediate use of move scrolls in battle QTEs – for example, once you get a new scroll, you’ll be able to use it straight away as a QTE appearing during a fight. Being able to use it as soon as you have collected it will make it easy and satisfying to use. I think it will be fun to have it appear and be used when fighting. Advanced moves and Arcane scrolls will be managed in a tree structure; these will not become immediately available after obtaining them. Instead, a likeness can be drawn with learning of actual martial arts, where you build up to reach an advanced move through the accumulation of several moves; in a similar way, you will need to build up moves in the tree in order to reach the advanced moves, and I think filling the moves in the tree will be fun.

But you won’t have to build up to the advanced moves by actually participating in fighting (which can become tiresome); instead you just need to accumulate the necessary move scrolls to fill the tree.

Q: Stretch Goals up to $5m
YS: If the $5m mark is reached, we will focus on the area of Baisha There will be new types of play here which were not present in Shenmue I & II. Typical classical war strategies from the historical Three Kingdoms period of China, such as seiges and infiltration, will be incorporated.

Features such as “infiltration” may sound as if they will make the game too complicated, but they will be implemented in a way that is in keeping with the feel of the Shenmue games and will be easy to enjoy and engage with for anyone.

As another feature, I am planning a Character Perspective system. To put it simply, it is being able to change the character you play, but in Shenmue it will be done a little differently from other games that have this: in Baisha there will be an event where you will be able to change character in order to accomplish the mission. The player will be able to control not just the character of Ryo, but also other characters such as Shenhua and Ren; Ren has his own distinct personality, and Shenhua as a female has her own viewpoints and decisions; the choices will be different depending on the character you play. So it won’t simply be changing of character, but rather each character’s personality will be expressed and I think this will make for an enjoyable experience.

Q: Stretch Goals to $11m
YS: Currently further stretch goals have been announced through to $11m (such as the expanded battle system and so on), I’d like to leave it until next week to talk about these.

Q: Shenmue III at the Current Funding Level (around $3.6m at time of Twitch) vs $10 million
YS: At the current level of funding, as I mentioned earlier the game will be focused on the story. However once we reach $5 million we will be able to introduce aspects such as the Three Kingdoms “war strategies” mentioned earlier which will set it apart from the first two Shenmue games. This is actually the part I would most like to accomplish. If we can go above $10 million, the town of Choubu will be significantly enhanced. The town of Choubu has scenery that is somewhat like, for example, the Dobuita and Yokosuka areas of Shenmue I, and this will open up various options for amusement there. So, above $10 million, we will be able to include both game features that I would like to take on the challenge of including, as well as making the game “open-world like” with an even wider range of choices available.

Q: When is Shenmue III going to be reLEEEAASED?
YS: By the end of 2017.

Q: Will Shenmue III end the story?
YS: In terms of the 11 chapters that form the basis of the Shenmue story, we have only traversed a little way through these in Shenmue I and II. I did consider completing all the remaining chapters within the third game, but it would mean skipping a lot of the good parts and would not result in a satisfactory game. There were a lot of people who want to know the ending of the story, but in order to make the game as high quality as possible, the end of the story will not be reached in Shenmue III.

Q: Release Date of Demo Version
YS: Providing this at an early stage will be difficult because we need to develop various systems and the game to a certain extent first. It is likely not to be until the latter half of the development period.

I think it won’t be until 2017.

Q: Final Comment
YS: I always love doing new things and taking on new challenges, and so I would like to aim for the goal of $10 million in order to produce a Shenmue that is both the one I want to create, and one which everyone wants. I really hope to somehow bring it to reality, and so I would like to ask for everyone’s continued efforts and cooperation. Thank you.
by Switch
Sat Jun 27, 2015 4:32 am
 
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Re: DREAMS DO COME TRUE!!

I am beyond stoked!!

Not only is it more convenient, but also that's then Shenmue 3 will be shown again at the new Monaco gaming confrence!!!
by Peter
Fri Jul 03, 2015 12:56 pm
 
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DREAMS DO COME TRUE!!

Crying.... yep. Just like i was when Shenmue 3 was announced.

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j290/PeterC2005/Shenmue%203%20dinner_zpsnssnyjmg.png

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j290/PeterC2005/Mobile%20Uploads/Screenshot_2015-07-03-17-11-23_zpsfisfrbbt.png

I'M GOING TO MEET YU SUZUKI IN MONACO!! FUCK!!
by Peter
Fri Jul 03, 2015 12:25 pm
 
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Re: New Members Introduce Yourself!

Hello every one!

I'm from Germany and have been a die hard Shenmue Fan since early 2002, when I first played S1 and S2 on DC.

I have a lot of respect and feel deep gratitude towards the Dojo communitiy and what it has done for Shenmue. Especially people like LanDC, Hellraiser, Kiyuu and many more.

In my real life I have already travelled Guilin and Hong Kong because I wanted to see the real places where Shenmue is set. I've even been to the Man Mo Temple which looks almost exactly the way it looks in S2, at least inside the temple. The coutyard is not like in Shenmue however and if my memory serves me right, the real temple is on Hollywood Road, which is actually Kowloon, not Wan Chai. I'm planning to go to Yokosuka before S3 comes out, if I have the money.

So anyways, I'm glad our dream will come true. Have a great day!

Hyo Razuki
by Hyo Razuki
Thu Jun 18, 2015 7:19 am
 
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Re: Shenmue Collections & Merchandise

Hi everyone!

I've been following this web and forums a long time ago, but I never writed any contribution before... I'm from Barcelona (Catalonia) and on my 34 years old I'm actually feeling like a child trying to manage the excitement for the new Shenmue III !! \:D/ \:D/ \:D/
Thank you all who helped to make it real trough kickstarter! I'm so glad of my 300€ pledge!! :king:

Well, I think that is the reason I finally decided to post something...
I've seen amazing collections of Shenmue merchandise on this forum that made me sooo jelaous! =D> =D> =D> and I'm very proud of mine and would be great to share it with you!

I don't use to post in forums and I have readed the faqs to try to do it well... sorry if I make something wrong... here we go!!

A general view:
http://i.imgur.com/432vV3O.jpg

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

http://i.imgur.com/Iu7eBRB.jpg

Guides and magazines:
http://i.imgur.com/DrLjP6G.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/wDPc18r.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/ww5hWkc.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/C5cieRn.jpg

Versions of game,OST and others:
http://i.imgur.com/Fb6mECs.jpg

Versions of the movie (official and none, and the gang edition)
http://i.imgur.com/s0zmZsT.jpg

Soundtrack cds, with christmas edition and notebooks:
http://i.imgur.com/prQbNDP.jpg

Some stuff!
http://i.imgur.com/6dPkSKm.jpg

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

http://i.imgur.com/ehqN64D.jpg

The Wristwatch!!! 8) 8) 8)
http://i.imgur.com/2vr3eXb.jpg

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

http://i.imgur.com/LPeTq7q.jpg

Great plastic dosiers:
http://i.imgur.com/f5dqpXl.jpg

Fan made!
http://i.imgur.com/1rrNOlI.jpg

I love this!
http://i.imgur.com/VFcZuFH.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/cIO2tU1.jpg

Phonecards collection!
http://i.imgur.com/sCF20u6.jpg

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

http://i.imgur.com/51MshIO.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/j9lxtaB.jpg

Cool statues catallogue:
http://i.imgur.com/RsXX89i.jpg

Some advertisings (... ethnic super tanned Ryo??! :roll: )
http://i.imgur.com/wPkEaOr.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/qoq892E.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/73DcCu7.jpg


As you can see, I have some duplicated articles... sometimes I think of sell it throug paypal or something, but I never find enough free time!

Well guys... I hope that you have enjoyed this the same way I've enjoyed watching your collections!!
I know some important stuff is missing (ryo limited statue and forklift sega racing specially for me) but my actual family issues doesn't allow me to spend all the needed money and time... #-o

See you guys! And remember... Keep friends... those you love... close to you...



PD:
Sorry for my errors writting in english...!
by Pol
Tue Jul 21, 2015 4:42 pm
 
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Re: Random Shenmue Thoughts

The most interesting tidbit was Ren talking about a certain herb that Yang has that actually started out as a bug that has a seed growing inside it. When the bug crawls into the ground/dies, the seed sprouts into a plant. It was called the Dongzongxiacao or something.
This is the one he was talking about:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ophiocordyceps_sinensis

Oh, you are the best! I wasn't able to find anything on it myself, but I knew it had to be factual if it was included in Shenmue.
by Lan Di-sama
Fri Aug 07, 2015 2:32 pm
 
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Dorimaga 2001 Interview w/ Yu Suzuki & others

This is a translation of an article that was published in the September 2001 edition of the Dorimaga magazine. In it, Yu Suzuki and some of the Japanese voice actors talk about the completion of Shenmue II (released for the Dreamcast in Japan during the month this article was published) including some of the content that had to be cut from the release, and reflect back on their experiences over the previous 5 years they spent on the Shenmue project.

Part of this article (about Chapter 2) was translated by Kiyuu and discussed back in 2003. Also a short manga version of the Chapter 2 boat scenario is included as unlockable content on the Xbox version of Shenmue II.

http://i.imgur.com/FoGm3IDt.png

Special Interview: Looking Back on Shenmue

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

Yu Suzuki – Executive Producer
Masaya Matsukaze – Japanese voice & motion actor for Ryo
Hazuki Ishigaki – Japanese voice & motion actress for Shenhua
Takumi Hagiwara – Japanese voice & motion actor for Ren

Compared to the previous episode, “Chapter One - Yokosuka”, the townsfolk of Shenmue II seem friendlier. The game gives the impression that it has been made to address some of the areas that had room for improvement in the first game, as if to acknowledge that some may find it off-putting if everyone were to give you the cold shoulder like in Shenmue I. Some people may already have completed Shenmue II in its entirety, but this interview covers a range of topics, including things that people who have finished the game will also want to hear about.

TV Commercials

Q: The first topic is about the commercials for Shenmue II that are currently being shown on TV.

Shenmue II Commercial #1: "Pork"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cdJMDayC4o Shenmue II Commercial #2: "Kung Fu"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVGozf4zCRs Shenmue II Commercial #3: "Beautiful Woman"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Jv1cgLsQAk
Suzuki: To film those TV commercials we went over to Shanghai, although in the near future we plan to show commercials that will feature actual screens from the game. I think showing some of the gameplay will help attract ordinary members of the public to the game.

Matsukaze: You know, Hagiwara-san and I actually appear in one of those commercials, but probably no one’s noticed. (laughs) And we're really acting, too!

http://i.imgur.com/WV2O5Qr.png
Left & bottom-right: the set of the Hong Kong street at the Shanghai Film Park. The first photo was actually taken by Yu Suzuki. In the “Beautiful Woman” version of the commercial, look for Masaya Matsukaze (Ryo), and Takumi Hagiwara (Ren), showing their “real acting" (!) in the background.
Top-right: two giant pig carcasses containing a machine gun were chopped up on location. The set crew took the innards home for dinner.



Hagiwara: Right. People who have played Shenmue II are sure to recognize that we’re acting the bit where we lie in wait for Yuan. There are several different episode variations of the commercial, and they’re fun to watch. In the one with the old man, he was pretty shaky on his feet, so we had to film using a high-speed camera to make it look as though he was standing steadily. Gee, that old man was wobbling all over the place. (laughs)


Release of Shenmue II

Q: With Shenmue II going on sale soon, how do you all feel about that? You've been involved with Shenmue for a really long period of time.

Suzuki: We’ve been through a lot to get here, but for me I think the main thing is to have created something that will be loved by the people who play the game. Recently that’s all I’ve been thinking about. So I’m extremely keen to hear everyone’s comments. Right now it’s the only thing on my mind. (laughs)

Matsukaze: For me, I started my “countdown” about a month ago. It hasn’t felt that long, but I’ve been willing it to get here faster. (laughs)

Suzuki: I think the way the game has been put together is pretty unusual these days. For example, the shop interiors have been created down to the last inch. I don’t think any other game pays such ridiculous attention to detail. “Shenmue: The Movie”, which is playing right now, has that same flavor.

Q: It really has been a long project, hasn’t it. The voice actors have also been involved for ages; how long has it been?

Matsukaze: I’ve been playing the role of Ryo since the days of the Saturn. All up, I’ve been acting the part for just over 5 years.

http://i.imgur.com/LRomR4A.png
Matsukaze has been playing as Ryo for over 5 years.

Q: Did those 5 years feel long?

Hagiwara: It felt long! For one thing, an enormous amount of time was spent on filming, but it also took a long time for it to be incorporated into the actual game. We captured an endless amount of motion footage, and even after the voice recordings had been done, the creation of the game still had to be done. It seemed like the release day would never be reached.

Suzuki: Well, the software implementation side was tough too! After writing the software there was a huge checklist to be run through – I wish I had it here to show everyone! (laughs) There was a line chart that showed the number of check items decreasing; there were more than 10,000 items to check and it seemed endless.

Q: By the way, how many times larger is Shenmue II compared to Shenmue I?

Suzuki: I don’t know exactly, but I'd say easily 3 or 4 times the size of Shenmue I. But a lot of scenes got left out, because right as we neared the end of development I added a whole lot of extra content. Even using the best compression techniques of the time, there was too much for it all to fit. Even so, at the end we increased the content by about an extra 30% of the total game, for the area of Guilin where Shenhua appears.

Matsukaze: I heard a lot about that near the end of the development. People were saying that too much had been made and it wouldn’t all fit in.


The Cutting Room Floor

Q: I’ve heard that there was going to be a “Chapter 2 – The Boat” between Shenmue I and Shenmue II, but Shenmue II starts with Ryo disembarking from the boat, doesn’t it. And the mother of a little girl makes reference to something about that. (laughs)

Suzuki: That’s right. “Chapter 2 – The Boat” from the original scenario was dropped completely.

Matsukaze: Oh yeah, the boat! Actually Chai shows up there. It turns out that Chai survives being cast into Yokosuka harbor, and he shows up on the boat where Ryo fights against this unseen enemy. That was how the scenario was going to run.

Q: Were the scenes filmed?

Matsukaze: Yes, they were. They were filmed in a really over-the-top style. (laughs) Several of the people involved in the story on the boat were to then appear again in a later scenario. They would say something along the lines of “Oh, it’s you from that time on the boat...”, connecting the plot together. That was the plan for the scenario.

Suzuki: The confrontation with Chai would have made a nice situation. We had completed the designs for the boat interior, with everything detailed - from the escape routes and deck heights to the length of the handrails. The plan was that it would develop into a large-scale action scene.

Matsukaze: We completed filming of all the motion capture too. It started with opening the cabin door, and events developed spectacularly from there.

Q: So as you were working on making Shenmue II, you reluctantly had to cut it?

Suzuki: Well, it didn’t trouble me too much. I was like “It’s impossible, it won’t fit – cut it!”. (laughs)

Q: I’m guessing that there were a lot of other scenes cut from the final version, and motion capture that wasn’t included? In particular, I think Ren’s movements are really well done and I was impressed; but I kind of wish we could see more of them.

Hagiwara: Well, if the motion capture was kept for all the detailed actions, it would make a huge amount. We shot a ton of fight scenes as well. Quite a lot has been cut.

http://i.imgur.com/ppqn5We.png
On asking Yu Suzuki, “What happened to Niao Sun, who was shown at the premiere?”, he replies “I haven’t been able to use her yet, since she appears later in terms of the scenarios.” Masaya Matsukaze, who plays Ryo, hints at things to come: “When it’s time for Niao Sun to make an appearance in Shenmue, the story will have reached an amazing point!”


Q: Which was more difficult to carry out: dubbing voices to the actions, or the motion capture?

Suzuki: Firstly, these weren’t carried out by different people – the actor’s own acting is the source of the motion capture. Also, when an opponent is hit in the game he cries out; so by actually hitting him, his cry will be the cry of someone who has really been hit. (laughs) It may sound like tough work, but I think it was the perfect set-up.

There was a lot of trial and error at the beginning, but by the time we got to Shenmue II, at last we had found ways to manage things more efficiently.

Q: By the way, Shenmue is your first RPG-style game, isn’t it. Would it be correct to say that one of the main factors that sparked you to develop it is one that is commonly cited, namely the arrival of Final Fantasy VII during the era of the Saturn and PlayStation?

Suzuki: To be honest, part of it was because I found myself in a position of having “no place to go next”. The reason that the Sega Saturn lost popularity wasn't because it was beaten in terms of Sega vs Sony software titles, but because of a completely separate shift in power. And around that time I definitely had a kind of feeling of not having a place to go. As well as that, up until now I had been competing in the 3-minute world of arcade games, and I had been wanting to try my hand at creating something without such a time limit. So you can say that these two points are why I decided to move from arcades to try my hand on the home console.

http://i.imgur.com/9JQjld9.png
“At first Shenhua wears plain clothing, but I planned to have her wear various different clothes later on” says Suzuki. “I’m looking forward to seeing how the story unfolds” comments Hazuki Ishigaki, who plays the role of Shenhua.



Looking Back

Q: And so, now that at last Shenmue II has been completed, how do you feel now looking back on it? After the Shenmue Premiere event (December 20, 1998), I guess that the plan was to release it within a year, but it has turned out to have taken right up until now... Is that somewhere near the mark?

Suzuki: It’s true that it didn’t turn out quite as I had initially planned. As more people became involved things grew more and more complicated, not just by a factor of a few times, but exponentially. And with everyone being a developer, if the person next to them developed something impressive, then they would feel compelled to outdo it. This resulted in a kind of chain reaction where everyone would strive to improve their output quality. But it’s hard for me to tell people not to increase quality! It was really challenging to find the right balance.

However there is one thing I think turned out well. In some ways Shenmue shares similarities with fighting-based games, but in the last half of the game in Guilin, where Shenhua appears, there’s no fighting at all. So I feel that I’ve been able to bring out the true Shenmue spirit there.

With Shenmue the graphics are all generated in real time, and ordinarily an attempt to make a game like this would be abandoned in frustration. (laughs) Game developers simply don’t go to the extremes we did. To tell you the truth, I don’t think we could go through it all again.

The Future

Q: So you won’t be making another Shenmue?

Suzuki: The first thing I want to do is take some vacation (laughs), and the staff too. I don’t think we could put ourselves through such tough times again as we did with Chapter One. However, even so, I’ve now learned a lot about how to make this type of game and so I’m confident that we’ll be able to make the next one more efficiently and with less of a burden. We’ll be able to make a similar kind of game, and it’s something I want to do. But... I feel like taking a bit of a break first. (laughs)

Q: Hypothetically speaking, if there was the possibility again in the future, what would be your choice of hardware? Ah, before asking that - is there any potential for a port?

Suzuki: Porting Shenmue I and II across to other hardware wouldn’t be impossible, but due to the sheer size it would materially be a tough job to take on. The easiest and most likely option would be the PC, in a year or two. That’s because the PC has, in a sense, the ability to handle anything and has few constraints.

Q: What thoughts do you actors have about that?

Hagiwara: I’m already raring to go! (laughs) Bring it on!

http://i.imgur.com/CrmKdVM.png
We really hope to see more acting from Takumi Hagiwara, who plays Ren. “Just say the word and I definitely will!” he says.


Q: I would have liked to have seen Ren take part in more scenes, to be honest!

Hagiwara: I know, right? There are still heaps of interesting stories connected to the scenarios made so far. Things like “Why is Ren present?” and “Why did Shenhua make an appearance?” It all gets explained later on.

Ishigaki: My wish for a port is that it starts properly from the very first disk of the series (laughs).

Matsukaze: Yeah, I agree.

Q: Yu-san, going back to the point you mentioned about the feeling you had of “nowhere to go”, have you satisfied this to some extent for the future?

Suzuki: In a way... not completely though. Conversely, now things have turned into a kind of hardware war, so it has become kind of pointless, right? Life is full of variety, for better or worse. But for me, the creation process is enjoyable, and therefore I want to create a product that people will enjoy. I think that’s been the lesson I’ve learned.

Matsukaze: A lot of female characters appear in Shenmue II, but actually people like Fangmei have some really detailed parameters associated with them such as her level of intimacy. And to reflect these parameters, her spoken lines were all recorded with various tones of voice! I hope everyone can appreciate the amazing attention to detail that fills every corner of the game.

Suzuki: For me, I don’t consider that “Shenmue” came to an end with the demise of the Dreamcast. I have an emotional attachment to the game. And so, I hope to meet up with you all again one day.

Matsukaze: Let’s meet next time for “Shenmue Returns”. (laughs)

Hagiwara: Absolutely. I hope we can.

http://i.imgur.com/Xn9zNAj.png
Matsukaze, Ishigaki, Suzuki and Hagiwara. For now, the long long project that was Shenmue has come to an end. Will we meet everyone again in the next episode? Or perhaps in a different project... if one is in the works? We’ll be watching for the next release from Yu Suzuki!
by Switch
Tue Aug 18, 2015 7:48 pm
 
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Re: Random Shenmue Thoughts

Do you notice something strange in this image?

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

Shocking truth! (figuratively speaking...) Fuku-san stole Ryo's hands to use during his performance!
For some reason, the developers chose to do that. Maybe to save on resources for the basement's data.
by Giorgio
Sat Sep 05, 2015 3:53 pm
 
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Re: Translation requests here!

2. 道可道非常道 - "The Way that can be told of is not an unvarying way" (the first line of the Tao Te Ching). I haven't seen it anywhere else in the game.
I should have noticed earlier, but that's one of the scrolls hung in Hazuki Dojo.
So, those three hanging scrolls are all duplicates of the ones in Shenmue, after all.
Oh, I had completely missed that! Thanks for clearing that up. (The right-hand scroll in the Dojo that hides the sword slot). It seems fitting that this also links back to Iwao-san. Also I noticed there is a translation for this scroll in the game subtitles, which is "Principles cannot be expressed only by words".
by Switch
Sat Sep 05, 2015 7:04 am
 
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Re: New Famitsu Interview with Yu (Sept 8th)

Ok, here is a translation for Part 1 of the Famitsu article. I hope this will minimize the pain of having to read the auto-translation from Google.

The second part will follow as soon as it is completed, although I know it's probably where the most interesting snippets of information may lie!

What will Shenmue III be like? A post-Kickstarter interview with Yu Suzuki (Part 1/2)

Shenmue 3 has drawn a lot of attention, after breaking several records on the crowd-funding site Kickstarter. We asked Yu Suzuki for his thoughts following the completion of Kickstarter, including the additional features that were reached through stretch goals.

How does Yu envision Shenmue 3?

The development of Shenmue 3 via crowd funding was announced at the Sony Computer Entertainment press conference, held the day before the opening of E3 2015. Through the crowd-funding campaign that was launched immediately on Kickstarter following the announcement, the funding milestone of $1,000,000 was achieved in record time; also a new record was set for the highest-funding for a Video Game on the platform, and total of approximately 780m yen of funding was gathered, making it the 6th most-funded project in Kickstarter history.

Famitsu.com carried out an interview with Yu Suzuki, director of the game that has been receiving all the attention: Shenmue 3. As this is the first interview after the end of the crowd funding, we also wanted to ask him about additional features achieved by the stretch goals. Check it out!

Looking back on a tumultuous month after the end of the Kickstarter project

Q: The Kickstarter campaign for Shenmue 3 recently finished as the most-funded Video Game on the platform. Please tell us honestly how you are feeling now.

Yu Suzuki (YS): Honestly speaking, it's "Here we go!"

Q: So you're feeling keen to get underway, rather than sitting back after a successful campaign?

YS: Yes, what I'd really like would be to make the development period longer. So it's like, "Hurry up, let's get started!"

Q: Will you move forward with development without any change to the planned release target date of the end of 2017?

YS: Yes. The budget from Kickstarter has now been confirmed, so I'm at the stage of seeing how far I can stretch the width and scale of the project within that budget.

Q: Looking back on the period from the Shenmue 3 announcement at E3 until now, what has been the most memorable thing for you?

YS: Most memorable for me while I was away at the E3 conference has to be the moment of the announcement. Right before it, while I was waiting backstage, the remake of Final Fantasy VII was announced, and I could hear the tremendous commotion. I was worrying and thinking "I hope Shenemue's going to be ok, 14 years on (from the previous game)" but when the video was shown I heard a huge cheer...

http://www.famitsu.com/images/000/087/158/l_55e03d3fd1969.jpg

Q: The cheering was really loud, wasn't it. People were getting to their feet in joy.

YS: Of the whole conference, that was the moment when the audience's reaction most sounded like screaming.

Q: Is it one you will always remember?

YS: A lot has happened since then, but that was the moment that touched me the most. Later on I watched videos of people's reactions to the Shenmue 3 announcement. There were people whose voices cracked with excitement, and others who didn't stop crying. I was really moved when I saw everyone's reactions.

Q: You have mentioned in previously that you had been considering Kickstarter for a long time. What things did you find most difficult or surprising when you actually ran the campaign?

YS: There was a lot to learn. I had heard that with Kickstarter, starting at a fast pace is important, so although I really wanted to announce something beforehand, I wasn't able to because it was to be announced at the Sony conference. So I thought about whether there was anything at all I could do, and on the morning of the conference I put up a photo of a forklift on Twitter… which got me scolded by someone from Sony (laughs).

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CHeMgPTUMAADEN1.jpg

Q: Fans will guess what's going on simply from seeing a forklift, you know! (laughs)

YS: But... it's just a forklift!

Q: I think it shows the extent to which forklifts have remained in everyone's hearts.

YS: That's true. In a survey of Shenmue fans, the third most popular thing people wanted to know was whether forklifts would make an appearance in Shenmue 3 (laughs).

Q: (laughs) By the way, approximately 780m yen was raised through the Kickstarter campaign; do you have plans for other ways to accept funding?

YS: I'm planning on accepting funding via PayPal. It is still being coordinated so I can't give details at the moment, but progress is being made on getting it ready.

Q: Depending on the amount of further funding, is there a possibility that stretch goals not reached during the Kickstarter campaign will be included?

YS: I would like to add them if possible. Kickstarter is a non-Japanese site and so I think it may have been hard for Japanese people to use. Even for the mailing address entry, people may have worried that making a slight mistake might result in their rewards not being delivered. So when accepting funding through PayPal, I'd like to ensure it supports Japanese language.

Q: That makes sense. With Japanese support, fans in Japan will feel relieved, won't they. Development work on Shenmue 3 will start in earnest from here, so are there any roles you are particularly looking for to help the development move forward?

YS: I would especially welcome any planners or programmers who would like to work together with us. Development will be carried out with Unreal Engine, so I'd be happy if they have experience in Unreal Engine development as well as in development for the home game market.

Appearance of new characters - and the return of some from the past, such as Nozomi

Q: Next I'd like to ask you in more detail about what kind of game Shenmue 3 will be. Firstly, there wasn't a stretch goal for "Japanese language support" in the stretch goals revealed on the Kickstarter site. But since Masaya Matsukaze has been announced as the voice actor for the lead character of Ryo Hazuki, there will be Japanese-language support, won't there?

YS: That's right. I won't be able to express subtle nuances unless I make it in Japanese first. After the Japanese version we'll make the English version, and then support for other languages will follow.

Q: So although the video for the Kickstarter project had the main character speaking in English, development of the game will be carried out with Japanese voices?

YS: Yes.

Q: I'm sure the fans are wondering who will be cast as voice actors for the Japanese version..?

YS: I haven't decided the cast of voice actors yet. Some of those who were cast for the previous games are no longer active in voice acting, so...

Q: But if you tell them "I'm making Shenmue 3!", maybe they'll come out of retirement for you!

YS: If that happened, I would be really happy. I'd love to have them return.

Q: I hope we can get everyone from the cast to read this interview. So, at the moment are you in the middle of writing the scenarios?

YS: Yes, I'm working on them now, and the main scenario is largely done. I'm discussing with Yoshimoto-san the parts I'd like to expand a bit more [Editor's note: scriptwriter Masahiro Yoshimoto, who is in charge of the scripts for the series].

Q: Have you already started making maps and character models?

YS: No, not yet. They will be done after we've finished adjusting things like the scenario structure and the order in which each of the maps will be traveled to.

Q: Shenmue 3 will feature the three villages of Bailu, Choubu and Baisha, with gameplay differing in each of the villages - could you tell us about the characteristics of each of the villages?

YS: The village of Bailu, which you visit first, is where Ryo ended up at the end of Shenmue 2. You will be exploring the mountain village and the inner depths of the mountains of Guilin. Choubu is more developed than Bailu village, more like a town. The size of the town will be set accordingly for the funding that was achieved through Kickstarter. It looks like I will be able to make its scale slightly larger than I had originally planned. In Choubu you can buy things and carry out quests. You will be able to play minigames, and there will be food stalls, souvenir shops, lodges, temples and other buildings there.

Q: So Bailu village will feature in the story as somewhere to enjoy the scenery, while Choubu will be where you can enjoy open-world gameplay like in the previous game?

YS: Yes, although the word "open-world" may lead to misunderstanding as there are now many great open world games around…. Choubu is a place with "Shenmue-like" gameplay - what I called FREE for the earlier Shenmue games. I consider Bailu village to be a place where you can enjoy spending time with Shenhua. And for Baisha, I'm planning to make it a place where you can play in completely different way from the earlier Shenmue games. It's the place I want to focus on most.

Q: Could you give a little more detail about Baisha?

http://www.famitsu.com/images/000/087/158/l_55e03d474bf9e.jpg

YS: It has several enemy hideouts, and you can enjoy the situation of infiltrating one; protecting your friends from external attack as you battle with enemies to take it over. You will not simply be fighting, but will make full use of war tactics that resemble famous tactics from China's Three Kingdoms period, such as the Water Attack or the Fire Attack, as you fight. This may sound very difficult, but I plan to make it straight-forward when you try playing, so please don't worry about that.

Q: In a previous interview, you mentioned being able to change your player character during these operations, didn't you?

YS: That would be the stretch goal that was successfully reached during the Kickstarter, called the Character Perspective system. I'd like to allow you to be able to play not just as Ryo, but also as others like Shenhua and Ren, and clearly portray the characteristics of each of the characters. For example… Shenhua, a girl, wouldn't do something like suddenly hit someone else.

Q: She doesn't seem like the type to do that, does she.

YS: And so, if you have selected Shenhua, you won't have the option to hit. However, if it is Ren, he may well suddenly strike out (laughs). In this way, depending on the character the things you can do differ, and depending on your choice the outcome will change. I'd also like to portray the differences between men and women.

Q: Between men and women?

YS: In the places where Character Perspective occurs, there are events where you advance as a pair. At that time, if you are controlling Ren then he'll be like "Hey, I'm so cool" and try to put on an act, whereas if you control Shenhua she'll look at his posing and think "What an idiot…" - that kind of thing (laughs).

It's something that happens in real life too, right? It is said that if you talk to two people that have had an argument, they will give you completely different stories about it, although they have experienced the same thing. I'd like to express the difference in values between men and women, as well as the kind of everyday life situations that everyone can relate to. I don't think many games have delved into this kind of thing deeply, so I think it will be an attractive new aspect of Shenmue which sets it apart from other games, as well as from the previous chapters.

Q: It makes me want to try controlling various different characters. On that point, I'd like to ask about the characters. Could you tell us about Ren, once again?

YS: Ren is a character who appeared in Shenmue 2, and is the leader of a Hong Kong street gang. He's cunning, intelligent, and skillful at fighting. At first he travels with Ryo from impure motives - "I smell money involved!", but gradually starts to look up to Ryo. I haven't yet mentioned about how Ren makes this transition, but I hope you will enjoy it. Shenmue 3 contains some fun scenes with Ren.

Q: It sounds like Ren will be quite heavily involved in Shenmue 3's story...?

YS: Who knows? (laughs)

Q: We're looking forward to hearing more about that (laughs). Next, could you tell us about Niao Sun, a woman who will make her appearance in Shenmue 3?

YS: She is one of the four Chiyoumen leaders and rules over the South. Ruling over the East is the Blue Dragon ("Sōryū"), Lan Di. Niao Sun is the Flame Empress ("Entei") who rules over the South, and is a beautiful but cruel character. I'm really excited as I'm able to at last portray Niao Sun, in Shenmue 3. [Editor's note: Niao Sun was presented to the public prior to the release of the first chapter of Shenmue, and was introduced in the character introduction video but she did not appear in Shenmue or Shenmue II.]

Q: And in Shenmue 3, Shenhua will finally become fully involved in the story, won't she.

http://www.famitsu.com/images/000/087/158/l_55e03d45d7658.jpg

YS: I took a vote on the most popular characters from Shenmue up until now and, most likely because she didn't appear much, Shenhua ranked low. Even after the announcement of the Kickstarter campaign, all I heard was "Please include Nozomi" (laughs). So I've made it possible to make a phone call to Nozomi.

Q: In this next game, it has been announced that there will be parameters that represent your relationship with Shenhua. I believe that in Shenmue 2 Fang Mei also had an affinity parameter - will it be something similar but more in-depth than that? [Editor's note: depending on how favorable her impression of Ryo was, Fang Mei would change how she called him, and special events would take place].

YS: Well, I hadn't really been thinking of Fang Mei.

Q: Are you able to give more details about the parameters for Shenhua at this point?

YS: I haven't finalised them yet, but I'm thinking of setting up around 3 parameters like level of trust, level of intimacy, friendliness toward you… something like these would be the top contenders. With a high level of friendliness, cooperation with Shenhua will go smoothly, that sort of thing. With the Character Perspective which will feature in the latter half of the game, if you choose to play as Shenhua, her true feelings will be revealed, and you may be in for a shock - "So that's what she thinks of me…!" That's something I'd like to try to do. (laughs)

Q: You might find she actually doesn't think much of you! (laughs)

YS: I think male players make up the majority, so I think it will be fun to introduce an element where they will think "Ouch!".

Q: Will the parameters be set up only for Shenhua? Do you plan to set up parameters for any other characters, such as Nozomi?

YS: It would be more enjoyable if there were parameters for other characters too, wouldn't it. For example if you get along too well with Shenhua, Nozomi may get jealous and cut your phone call short with a cool "Oh. Really….". I haven't decided the details yet, but I'll consider it.

End of Part 1
by Switch
Fri Sep 11, 2015 8:58 am
 
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Yu Suzuki's interview : A New Shenmue

Hello guys,

As promised, I've received Yu Suzuki's approval to publish it, so here it is !

Meeting Yu Suzuki in Japan once again was awesome. I had the opportunity to meet with the development team and saw some footage and can say that Shenmue is definetly in good hands.

This interview do not contain major spoilers, however, DO NOT read the question/answer #14 if you do not wish to know about Shenmue III's bosses.

Enough said, here you go !

English version / 英語版 :

PDF version : coming soon

Yu Suzuki's interview : A New Shenmue (2015)

1) David : Hello Yu Suzuki. Today is September 14th and 2 months have passed since the end of the Kickstarter's campaign. Could you tell us how you've felt during the campaign ?

Yu Suzuki : Many people asked me how it was during E3 so I'd rather talk about what happened after that, the development and so on. That's what is the most interesting to me. The game's budget has been decided with the Kickstarter and we're working on it accordingly. We're currently testing the Unreal Engine 4.

http://s20.postimg.org/3q8adrch9/image.jpg

2) David : 14 years have passed since the release of Shenmue II. If you had to think about it, was there anything that could have been improved in the previous games ?

Yu Suzuki : When I was making Shenmue II, my goal was to make it better than the first one. Of course, there are many things that could have been better. If I had to provide an example, that'd be the use of time. How long you had to wait until the next event.

In Shenmue Yokosuka, the player had no other choice but to wait until the next event occured. The concept was to add many different features for the player to enjoy while waiting for the said rendezvous. After the first Shenmue was done, people provided their feedback and many of them were frustrated having to wait, that's why I've decided to add the « Skip Time » feature in Shenmue II. By using it, you could skip time and jump to the next scene.

3) David : During the trailer of Shenmue Online, we could see Shenhua summoning a Phoenix to fight Lan Di. Is it linked to the original story of Shenmue ?

Yu Suzuki : This is a story I made up specially for Shenmue Online. So no, It has no link to the original story.

http://s20.postimg.org/v4nf1xkvh/image.jpg

I would like to ask you some questions regarding Shenmue III and the Kickstarter campaign if you don't mind.

4) David : You've planned to add scenes from the first 2 games « Story Digest » in Shenmue III to describe the story. Are you going to use the previous games original scenes or do you plan to recreate them under the Unreal Engine 4 ? Is there any chance you're going to add Chapter 2 « the boat » in it ?

Yu Suzuki : The boat chapter won't be added. Regarding the « Story Digest » we're thinking about the best way to add it.

5) David : A fan has made a suggestion and wanted you to hear it. Is it possible for Ryo to hold a camera and take some pictures that the player could save in the inventory ?

Yu Suzuki : Ryo holding a camera doesn't match with his style and the way he is. However, the fact that the «player» himself is taking the pictures sounds like a nice idea. To be honest, I already thought about it before, so if that's possible, I would like to make this possibility happen.

6) David : In your previous interviews, you've mentioned that Shenmue III's size would be around the size of Shenmue's Dobuita. Each village will be around the same size as Dobuita or where you talking about the full game ?

Yu Suzuki : I want to make Choubu as large as Dobuita. Now, about the remaining villages, we're thinking about it.

http://s20.postimg.org/ua0vfwd0t/image.jpg

7) David : Characters will be linked to Ryo through the « Rapport System ». But is it going to change the main story and why not, make some of the characters disappear at some point ?

Yu Suzuki : This system has been built for Ryo and Shenhua. We are thinking about the possibility to make it work with other characters but that's undecided. Regarding the impact that it's going to have on the story and the game itself, that is currently under experimentation.

8 ) David : The exclusive Kickstarter content « S3World telecom» will provide the possibility to call some characters of the previous games. But are the conversations going to be limited to some lines only or will they offer some variations ?

Yu Suzuki : No, It won't be limited to a single conversation.

9) David  : The Stretch Goals «AI Battling», «Ragdoll Reaction» and «High Ground Battle System» have yet to be reached, but is there anything we could learn about these Stretch Goals ?

Yu Suzuki : Some of you may know what the Ragdoll physics is. If you release the strength of the body, it becomes like a doll, that's not really natural. That's why we're working on the «Motion Blending», adding some resistance to the muscles for example, to obtain realistic moves.

In a Virtua Fighter scene, patterns were determined by the Motion Capture, but with the Ragdoll physics, moves won't repeat over and over. If you get into something (like a wall) the reaction won't be the same. In fact, I'd like to combine the «Ragdoll Physics», the «Motion Blending» and «IK Constraint» to make the NPC and battle's reactions as real as possible.

Regarding the «AI Battling» Stretch Goal, if I had to explain this simply, that'd be, for example, when you're hitting the punch button of your pad to hit your opponent. A jab when he's close, to hit him when he's away from you and to move to hit him when he's even more far away. I would like to create a system that is taking account of the distance, conditions and the position of your rival. During normal fights, if you push a button, your character will use the same move over and over without considering your current situation. I don't really like that and would like to use the «AI Battling» to add some variations to the movements depending on your current state.

And finally, the «High Ground Battle System», is the interactivity with the surrounding environment. I want to create and add strategy and realism to the battles. For example, throwing your opponent on a barrel and making it break or hitting a wall and making it fall like a wave on your enemy. I'd like to create more complex battles using the UE4's physical phenomenon.

David : These features were not available in the first two games right ?

Yu Suzuki : To say the truth, I've already used it. You could see something like that during the «70 Man Battle». But these techniques were used 14 years ago and I am sure that the result will be more interesting if we use the actual technology.

10) David : Is Shenhua going to be with Ryo all the time or is Ryo going to be on his own from time to time as well ?

Yu Suzuki : Both. Moments where Ryo will be on his own and some where Shenhua will stand by his side.

http://s20.postimg.org/6lldkmgh9/image.jpg

11) David : Just like in Shenmue I and II, is it going to be possibile to grab the items around us and examine them ?

Yu Suzuki : I would like to make it.

12) David : Some people would like to know more about the Paypal campaign and its rewards. Is there anything you can tell us ?

Yu Suzuki : The campaign will start on September 17th. With Kickstarter, people were limited to one reward, but this time, they will be able to add other rewards. Also, I'd like Japanese users to browse this page, all details will be in Japanese. The remaining Stretch Goals are also a part of this campaign and if we reach them, as promised, they will be made. I am counting on you !

13) David : Niao Sun has been presented during the first Shenmue events but is only appearing for the first time in Shenmue III. Why did you show her so soon during the promotion of the game ? Is there a special reason behind this ?

Yu Suzuki : There's no real reason. She was attractive and I liked her, that's why I wanted to show this character to all of you as soon as possible !

http://s20.postimg.org/jr0vqqact/image.jpg

14) David : Looking at the development's schedule, 4 big bosses will be added to the game. Have you decided to cut some parts of the story and add the 4 main Chiyoumen bosses ?

Yu Suzuki : All I can tell you is that you're going to face Niao Sun of course, and also Lan Di !

http://s20.postimg.org/40fsx3r3h/image.jpg

15) David : Many players would like to have the possibility to switch between the Japanese and English voices. Do you plan to add such a feature in Shenmue III ?

Yu Suzuki : We are considering the possibility to switch between English and Japanese voices. So, many people would like Japanese voices and English subtitles ? I will probably start a poll about this to see what people are looking forward to.

Here is the last question !

16) David : Any special message that you'd like to say to the fans and why not, people who never played Shenmue until today ?

Yu Suzuki : My message towards the fans :

Thank to all of you who have been waiting for the last 14 years. I will bring with Shenmue III a new way to play and many things that were not in the first two games. I am aware that many of you are expecting Shenmue III to be the same as the first games but as a game creator, I am always challenging myself and I'd be very happy if the fans appreciated Shenmue III. Thank you for welcoming the new Shenmue !

Now the message toward players who never experienced Shenmue before :

I am developing it in the best possible way to make sure that you are going to enjoy the experience even though you have never played the first Shenmue. So even if you have no idea what the Shenmue I and II were, please do not hesitate to try it out please !

http://s20.postimg.org/ja248r8x9/DSC_0563.jpg

The interview is now over. I would like to say thank you to Yu Suzuki who allowed me to do this interview. A huge thanks to all the people working at YsNet, for their warm welcome and kindness.

I'd also like to say thank you to Cédric Biscay, french co-producer of Shenmue III. I had the opportunity to meet him and I can tell you that he's really motivated and he loves Shenmue as much as we all do ! Shenmue III is in good hands and I am really looking forward to it !

My next interview should happen during the Magic Monaco in February 2016.

Thank you for reading, hope you enjoyed the answers.

©David DE VILLE

**********

Japanese version / 日本語版 :

鈴木裕さんのインタビュー : 新しいシェンムーへ

1) ダビッド : 鈴木さん、こんにちは。本日、インタビューを行わせていただくことになり、ありがとうございます。宜しくお願い致します。それでは、はじめましょう。シェンムーⅢのKickstarterのキャンペーンが終了してから、二ヶ月ぐらい経過しました。よろしければ、キャンペーンの間の印象を教えて頂けませんか。

鈴木氏 : 皆さんに良く聞かれたのはショーの期間中の印象でしたので、その代わりにE3(ロサンゼルスで行われるゲームショー)が終わったあとや開発について話したいと思います。バジェットが決まったので、そのバジェットに合わせてゲームのフローに従って、現在はUE4のテストに入っています。

http://s20.postimg.org/3q8adrch9/image.jpg

2) ダビッド : シェンムーⅡが発売されてから14年が経過しました。今、思い浮かべると、シェンムーⅠとⅡには改善点があったと思いますか。

鈴木氏 : シェンムーⅡを作るときはシェンムーⅠを改善して作ったので、もちろん改善点が沢山ありました。一つの例を挙げると、待ち合わせの時間です。シェンムーⅠでは待ち合わせの時間までただ待つことしか出来ませんでした。なので、シェンムーⅠでは待ち合わせの時間までに遊ぶ要素を沢山入れてあります。待っている時間に違うことをやって欲しいというのがシェンムーⅠのコンセプトでした。シェンムーⅠが終わったらそこに対してストレスが溜まると言うプレイヤーの声が高かったのでシェンムーⅡでは待つシステムを入れることに決めました。その時間まで待つというシステムを使うと、その時間と場所にジャンプすることが出来るようになりました。 

3) ダビッド : シェンムーオンラインのトレーラーでは藍帝(らんてい)は龍を、シェンファは鳳凰を召喚して戦っているシーンがありました。このシーンはシェンムーのメインストーリーと繋がっているのでしょうか。

鈴木氏 : シェンムーオンラインのために作った外伝なので、オリジナルストーリーと繋がっていません。

http://s20.postimg.org/v4nf1xkvh/image.jpg

4) ダビッド : まだ、シェンムーをやったことがないプレイヤーにストーリーを分かってもらうために、シェンムーⅢにシェンムーI&Ⅱのストーリーダイジェストコンテンツが追加される予定があります。
それは、昔の動画(シェンムーThe Movie)か、あるいはUnreal Engine 4でリニューアルしたもので追加されるのでしょうか。そして、カットされた「二章 船」の動画版を追加されますか。

鈴木氏 : シェンムー「二章 船」 は追加されません。ストーリーダイジェストに関してはどの形がいいかどうか検討中です。

5) ダビッド : シェンムーファンからのアイデアを聞いたので、お伝えさせていただきます。シェンムーⅢの涼がカメラを持って、写真を撮って、アルバムに保存できるシステムというアイデアでしたが、いかがでしょうか。

鈴木氏 : 涼がカメラを持つというと、ちょっと彼のイメージに合わないと思います。プレイヤーの方が写真を撮ったらいいと思っています。写真の機能が使えるのは以前からやりたいと考えていたので、出来ればやりたいです。

6) ダビッド : 以前、他のインタビューを受けていたときに、鈴木さんはシェンムーⅢの世界のサイズはシェンムーのどぶ板と同じぐらいになると言いましたが、それは全部のエリアですか。それとも一つずつの村がどぶ板と同じぐらいのサイズになるということでしょうか。

鈴木氏 :鳥舞をどぶ板くらいの大きさにしたいと思っています。他の村については検討中です。

http://s20.postimg.org/ua0vfwd0t/image.jpg

7) ダビッド : 今回は好感度システムによって涼が他のキャラクターと繋がっていることは変わりますが、そのシステムでストーリーの変更や仲が悪いと仲間と会えなくなってしまう設定がありますか。

鈴木氏 : 好感度システムは涼とシェンファーに向けて作ったシステムです。他のキャラに使うかどうかは検討中です。ストーリーやゲーム進行にどれくらいの影響を与えるかどうかは現在実験中です。

8) ダビッド : キックスターター限定の国際テレホンカードで前作で出てきたキャラクターに連絡することが可能ですが、出来る会話が一つ限りなのか又はバリエーションがたくさんあるのでしょうか。

鈴木氏 : 会話は一つ限りではないです。

9) ダビッド : 「ラグドールリアクション」や「AIバトル」や「ハイグランドバトルシステム」というストレッチゴールはまだ達成していませんが、それについて詳しく説明してくださいませんか。

鈴木氏 : 皆さんはご存知かもしれませんが、ラグドール物理演算というのがあって、人体の力を抜くと人形みたいなものになって、キャラクターがだらんとしてしまいます。これだけでやると動きが不自然になってしまいます。
そのため、これにモーションブレンディングしたり、例えば筋肉の抵抗(コンストレイン)を加えると、よりリアルな動きが出ます。バーチャファイターで攻撃をされるシーンはモーションキャプチャーで撮ったシーンでパターン化されていますが、ラグドールというのはそのときの地形やぶつかったときの動きを繰り返さないので、実際はラグドール、モーションブレンディング、IKコンストレインを上手く組み合わせてバトルのリアクション・・・例えばNPCのリアクションをもっとリアルにしたいです。

AIバトルというのは、例えば簡単にいうとパンチのボタンだったら、相手が近かったらジャブ、相手が少し離れていたらストレート、もっと離れていたら移動してストレートというふうに相手との位置や距離や状況に応じて,自動的にバトルの技が出来るようにAIでコントロールしたいです。普通のバトルというのはコマンドを押せばそのコマンドの技が出るという風になっているので、その技が状況に合っていなくても出てしまいます。それは良くないなと考えているので、状況に合った技をだすためにAIでコントロールしたいと思っています。

ハイグランドバトルシステム は、キャラクターの周りのものを使って、バトルに臨場感と戦略を加えて作りたいと思っています。例えば、敵を投げたらドラム缶が崩れてきて敵をやっつけるとか、闘おうとしているときに壁を叩いたら波のように崩れてきたり・・・UE4の物理現象を連鎖させて、より複雑で楽しいバトルを作りたいと思っています。演算を使ってやりたいなと思っています。

ダビッド : シェンムーⅠ・Ⅱではやっていなかったシステムですね?

鈴木氏 : ちょっとやっていました。70人バトルのときにドラム缶が崩れてきたりとか… ですが、あれは14年前の技術でやった表現なので、現在の技術でやったらもっと楽しいものになると思います。

10) ダビッド : シェンムーⅢではシェンファがシェンムーIIと同じように常に涼と一緒にいるのか、彼が一人になることが多くなるのでしょうか。

鈴木氏 : 彼女と一緒にいるときもありますし、一人になるときもあります。

http://s20.postimg.org/6lldkmgh9/image.jpg

11) ダビッド : シェンムーとシェンムーⅡでアイテムを細かく観察することが出来ましたが、シェンムーⅢでも同じような動作が出来ますか。

鈴木氏 : 出来るようにしたいです。

12) ダビッド : Kickstarterのキャンペーン終了後、更に支援したい方がPaypalで支援出来るシステムが発表されました。それについての詳細を説明して頂けますか。

鈴木氏 : 9月17日からPaypalを開始対応しています。Kickstarterでは1個しか買えなかったのですが、今回は追加の購入が出来ますし、あとは特に日本のユーザーが日本語で申し込むことが出来ますので是非ページを見に来て下さい。基本的にはストレッチゴールにも対応していますので追加金額でストレッチゴールをクリアすると約束している部分が実現出来ます。皆さん、宜しくお願いします。

13) ダビッド : 鳥隼(ちょうじゅん)は昔からプロモーションキャラクターとして使用されていて、シェンムーⅢから登場することになりましたが、どうして14年前からそのキャラクターを紹介されましたか。特別な理由がありますか。

鈴木氏 : 特別な理由がありません。キャラクターが魅力的だったので、僕がそのキャラクターが好きで、早く皆さんに見せたかったからです。

http://s20.postimg.org/jr0vqqact/image.jpg

14) ダビッド : 開発の構成によって、シェンムーIIIでは4つのボスがいるということが分かってきました。つまりストーリーを短くして、四天王(らんてい、こうてい、えんてい、げんてい)を含めることにしましたか。

鈴木氏 : 一つだけのことを言います。四天王の藍帝(蒼龍) と炎帝(鳥隼)が出てきます。

http://s20.postimg.org/40fsx3r3h/image.jpg

15) ダビッド : 日本語と英語音声を選択するオプションが欲しい方が多いそうです。このような選択肢をシェンムーⅢに追加するつもりでしょうか。

鈴木氏 : 日本語版と英語版の音声切り替えが可能かどうか検討してみます。海外では日本語音声で英語字幕が欲しい人が多いですか。出来たら、一回アンケートを取ってみたいですね。

それでは、最後の質問です。

16) ダビッド : シェンムーファンや又はシェンムーを初めてプレイする方々に伝えたい特別なメッセージがありましたら、どうぞ。

鈴木氏 : シェンムーファンの皆さんについては14年間ぐらい待ってくれて、本当にありがとうございます。シェンムーⅢではシェンムーI&Ⅱにない、新しい遊びをチャレンジしようと思っています。シェンムーI&IIとか全く同じ遊びを期待している人がいるかもしれませんが、鈴木裕は常に新しいことにチャレンジするクリエイターだと思って、シェンムーⅢを応援してくれると嬉しいです。新しいシェンムーを応援して下さい。

はじめて遊ぶ人については、シェンムーIとⅡを遊んでなくても、知らなくても楽しく遊べるように、シェンムーⅢを作る予定です。はじめてのプレイでも、シェンムーの良さが伝わるようなゲームになるので、是非遊んでみてください。

http://s20.postimg.org/ja248r8x9/DSC_0563.jpg

インタビューを読んで下さった皆さん、ありがとうございます。鈴木裕さんとYSNETのスタッフの皆さんにも大変感謝しております。

シェンムーIIIは2017年12月末に発売予定です。興味がある方は是非、シェンムーIIIの公式サイトのページをご覧下さい。

http://shenmue.link/ 

予約購入のページはこちらです。

http://shenmue.link/order_jp/
by DEVILLE_David
Tue Oct 20, 2015 2:29 pm
 
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'The Awakening' -my poetry collection now on Amazon :)

For those here who may have a passing interest in poetry, please check out my first published work, 'The Awakening' -
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Awakening-Selection-Poems-Stuart-Peacock-ebook/dp/B017BZBH6M/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1446158264&sr=1-1&keywords=apex+publishing

it is currently only an eBook, admittedly, but hey, it's a start :) Even if you don't own a Kindle, there is a download on that same page for the Kindle app, which works on PC's, smartphones and tablets. You may also notice a little Shenmue inspiration in the final poem in the collection, 'The Surfacing'.

So please, if you do download please leave a review on Amazon, it'd help tremendously :) And let me know what you think in the topic, of course! Thanks :D
by Miles Prower
Fri Oct 30, 2015 3:00 pm
 
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Re: Making of Shenmue

Translated subtitles are now complete for the Making Of Shenmue video, in multiple languages. Thanks to everyone who was involved in the project!

Shenmue 15th Anniversary (North America) & Making of Shenmue
by Switch
Sun Nov 08, 2015 8:29 am
 
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DoriMaga Feature (Jan 1999): Part 1 - Shenmue Premiere

The January 1999 edition of the Dreamcast Magazine contained a multi-part feature on Shenmue. This first installment is a translation of Part 1: the Shenmue Premiere event, and the remaining parts will be coming in future posts. While reading the article, you can really feel the breathless excitement that surrounded the original game before its release.

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

Background to the article : as part of the build-up to the release of Shenmue, and following on the heels of the Shenmue Premiere event that had been held the previous month in Yokohama, the Japanese Dreamcast Magazine ("DoriMaga") published this 16-page special report covering various aspects about what could be expected with the as-yet unreleased Shenmue.

The feature consists of these parts:
Part 1. Shenmue Premiere Event (this post)
Part 2. The World of Shenmue ( here )
Part 3. The Hero and Other Characters (future post)
Part 4. It's Magic! Special Effects and Production (future post)
Part 5. Interview with Yu Suzuki (future post)

Related links :
1. Project Berkley article translation (Nov 1998)
2. Shenmue Premiere Event video (short version, English subtitles) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QM2bkUm1eT8



PART 1: Shenmue Premiere Event, 20 Dec 1998

http://i.imgur.com/jMCinwCt.png http://i.imgur.com/MuqhZQXt.png http://i.imgur.com/CPZ9CnFt.png http://i.imgur.com/9pV5ODft.png

Special Report! Two Hours of Quivering Emotion
Yu Suzuki Finally Removes the Veil from his Latest Release.

Ever since the title of the game was announced, Yu Suzuki's latest game Shenmue has been wrapped in a shroud of secrecy. It is of a mind-boggling scale and employs graphics of the highest quality which are rendered completely in real time. Together these define a new genre: FREE. Our super magazine feature is a must-read!

Shenmue: Heating Things Up in Yokohama!!

On Sunday December 20th, a day blessed with fine cloudless weather with a maximum temperature of 13 degrees Celsius, a stream of fans arrived from early in the morning to attend the Premiere Event for Yu Suzuki's latest creation, Shenmue, hosted at Pacifico Yokohama. The event, held 3 times in total over a day that was filled with excitement and applause, was a huge success.

The densely-packed two hours flew by in an instant. It included an orchestral performance, eye-popping images and demo gameplay on actual consoles, and left the attendees quivering with emotion. The event drew together all the attractions of Shenmue. We followed proceedings from before the start of the presentation, so let us share with you a taste of that atmosphere.


http://i.imgur.com/7wQwvSbm.png http://i.imgur.com/irvgERzm.png
Left: The line of attendees who arrived early in the morning grew before our very eyes. The person at the front of the line had been there since 6AM. Right: A "handshake event" was held, featuring former Managing Director Yukawa & Hiroshi Fujioka .


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The bustling first-floor lobby was decorated in Christmas colors, with photo sticker booths and merchandise for sale. Top officials from SEGA also gathered here!


Opening with a 30-minute, Four-movement Orchestral Performance!!

Premiere Event: Scene 1

The attendees were shown one after another into the scenically-situated Pacifico Yokohama event center. At the bell announcing the start of the performance, an image with the word "RPG?" was displayed on-screen for 1 minute 20 seconds, as previously seen at last autumn's Tokyo Game Show and elsewhere. After that, the main theme of Shenmue quietly began to play. Most amazing to the attendees must have been the length of the orchestral performance - fully thirty minutes. The orchestra was situated in front of the first row of seating, and played all four soothing movements of the Shenmue theme. Accompanied by a harmony of light and images, it drew the listeners into the world of Shenmue. Already the attendees were captivated by this opening, which set it far apart from a mere game event. Following this, the two event presenters made their entrance together with Yu Suzuki!


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Left: A large number of developers and guests, as well as SEGA employees, wait impatiently for the curtain to rise. Attendees filled the seating to the third floor. Right: The orchestral performance lasted for a whole thirty minutes! However the soothing Shenmue composition made you lose sense of time.


Reiko Chiba and Shigeaki Saegusa in MC roles!!

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Left: Taking on the role of MC for this event was Reiko Chiba . Being an expert gamer, she also made insightful comments. Center: Composer Shigeaki Saegusa also took the stage. Not long ago, he resigned as an external director of SEGA due to his many other commitments. He was superb as master of ceremonies. Right: Fulfilling Yu Suzuki's promise to show "plenty of images", more than 70 minutes' worth of Shenmue material was shown, together with detailed commentary. The entire audience was overwhelmed.


Everything you need to know about Shenmue original merchandise!!

There is already a rich line-up of Shenmue related items. We'll reveal the splendid take-home goodies that are on everyone's lips, as well as the merchandise in the sales area!

This is the Shenmue merchandise that was available in the sales area. Fittingly for the season, calendars were popular sellers, but there were also some gorgeous limited-edition items. And the quality of the official brochure must be seen to be believed.


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From the top left: calendar (2500 yen), original print signed by Yu Suzuki (limited batch, 50,000 yen), poster (4 types, 1500 yen each), notepad (300 yen each), mouse pad (600 yen each), figurine (expected price 2000 yen each, on sale from March 1st), plastic folder (350 yen), telephone card (1000 yen), premiere event limited-edition ball-point pen (limit of 1000 pens, 2000 yen each), ball-point pen (200 yen), CD single (price to be determined), mug (800 yen). From January 18th (Monday) this merchandise will be on sale at places like SEGA Freaks Akihabara branch, SEGA Freaks Fuse branch, Joypolis (Tokyo / Shinjuku / Yokohama / Fukuoka branches).


These splendid items were handed out for free to attendees of the premiere event. You too can receive them (excluding the Christmas card) by attending any of the events to be held in 5 cities across the country. Also we have a special give-away of 10 sets to DoriMaga readers!

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1. 3-fold pamphlet: the background color sets it apart from the official brochure that was on sale, being a different color. Perfect for showing it off! 2. Music CD. The CD contains 2 songs: the main theme and Shenhua's theme. 3. Tattoo stickers: these include the Shenmue logo, the game title and emblems. 4. Christmas card. This was included only at the Yokohama event, and was a Christmas card of Shenhua. 5. Notepad: a handy notepad. The game title (in Roman characters) is written on each page. 6. Shenhua figurine: the prize item must be this Shenhua figurine. Height 15cm. 7. T-shirt: A black T-shirt with the Shenmue title at the front, and Phoenix emblem at the back.


Premiere Event: Scene 2

Live demonstration on a Dreamcast!!

After showing in succession a Making Of Shenmue video, an eye-opening clip introducing the characters, and images and commentary about Magic Weather, the venue heated up further. Toward the middle of the event, actual gameplay was demonstrated on Dreamcast consoles, including Quick Timer Events and a gambling scene. Each scene had been prepared separately on one of 4 Dreamcasts and various aspects were demonstrated. Following that, a video was shown with a message from Bajiquan master Lian Zhi Wu.

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During the demo play, a QTE chase scene, a battle, and a gambling scene were exhibited as well as Magic Weather. Game designer Mr Okayasu also made an appearance.

Live streaming to the internet!

Live internet streaming was set up for each of the three events held on the day, and they were broadcast to the world. Dreamcast users were able to view an abridged "newsflash" edition.

http://i.imgur.com/jZJHNnlt.png
Mr Oshii, who attended the second event. "I wasn't interested in the computer graphics, but I'm glad I was able to meet a girl like Shenhua", he commented.

Premiere Event: Scene 3

Actors for the main characters also took the stage!

As the presentation neared the end, the actors for each of the Shenmue characters took the stage and addressed the audience.
http://i.imgur.com/IPfzc7sm.png
Hiroshi Fujioka was the last to enter the stage. "I'm greatly moved", he proclaimed.

Character: Ryo Hazuki ( Masaya Matsukaze )
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"I had a heap of lines, so it was tough", says Matuskaze, who plays Ryo. Shenmue is fully voiced!

Character: Shenhua Ling (Hazuki Ishigaki)
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Ishigaki, who plays Shenhua, already has quite a fan following. Her slightly ditzy (?) personality went down well with the attendees!

Character: Wuying Ren (Takumi Hagiwara)
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Yu Suzuki spoke favorably of Hagiwara, commenting "He performs the role of Ren elsewhere, just by being himself". He's cool, but underneath a fine young man?

Character: Iwao Hazuki (Hiroshi Fujioka)
http://i.imgur.com/kXDvumPm.png
Fujioka had considerable stage presence. His smart, suited figure made a striking impression.

Premiere Event: Scene 4:

Director Yukawa will be participating in further premiere events nationally in 5 of the largest cities throughout the New Year!!
http://i.imgur.com/MSoDVyrt.png
"Shenmue is amazing. It will sell well and I will return as managing director", laughed the former Managing Director Yukawa, who was last to be introduced. Going forward, he will also be making appearances throughout the country.


The two-hour presentation reached its finale in the blink of an eye. At the end, videos shown included an extraordinary scene of ducking and weaving through a forest - unbelievably, the graphics were rendered in real time! With attendees feeling extremely satisfied, the event began to wind up. The guests who were introduced together with Director Yukawa differ at each of the three event showings: at the second one was Mamoru Oshii , a grandmaster of the anime world, and CG creator Daizaburo Harada; at the third was actress Kaoru Sugita made an appearance. I wonder if the attendees felt a bit lucky?

For those people who weren't able to attend, the same presentation will be held in various cities in the New Year, so if you are a Dreamcast owner then you should definitely go. We'll be covering them in a future edition!

Shenmue: presentations coming soon to 5 large cities!!

Two showings will be held at each venue. First: 1PM - 3PM. Second: 4PM - 6PM.
Jan 9, 1999 (Sat): Osaka Welfare Hall, Osaka [2500 people per event]
Jan 10 (Sun): Fukuoka Sun Palace, Fukuoka [2500 people per event]
Jan 15 (Fri): Hokkaido Welfare Hall, Sapporo [2500 people per event]
Jan 16 (Sat): Sendai International Center, Sendai [1000 people per event]
Jan 17 (Sun): Aichi Labor Hall, Nagoya [1500 people per event]


It's Time to Reveal the Truth of Shenmue!
Future Parts

Part 2: The World and Areas of Shenmue
Following our report in Part 1 on the Premiere Event, we will look at all the things about Shenmue that have until now been covered with a veil of mystery - taking each in order, one at a time. "What I wanted to make is a single, real world" -- we look at this surprising concept and examine a number of the latest Dreamcast images backing it up. It's now time to reveal the world that Yu Suzuki has spent three years creating.
http://i.imgur.com/hp1VHz6.png
The world of Shenmue, of which a large number of images were shown at the Premiere Event. The fact that even these represent only a small part of the huge world is nothing more than remarkable.

Part 3: The Hero and Other Characters

His name is Ryo Hazuki -- the main character, who travels Shenmue's astonishing world and space as the player's alter ego, is a completely new character who has been made especially for the game. We look at the characters, so full of charm, and the actors behind them... Watch out for the full-scale action modelling that brings the characters to life without any use of video clips.
http://i.imgur.com/POmp9E7.png
The hero of Shenmue, Ryo Hazuki, who was revealed for the first time at the Premiere Event venue, along with this poster. The movie scene which brought this illustration to life left a vivid impression!

Part 4: It's Magic! Special Effects and Production

Two types of "magic" have been cast on the huge but finely-detailed world: "Time Control" and "Magic Weather". The introduction of these two new technologies gives the world of Shenmue an unprecedented realism. This means that even for the same room or place, every player will see something different!
http://i.imgur.com/LECcxhH.png
"Magic" has been cast on Shenmue to make you feel as if you are there. We delve into the secrets.

Part 5: Interview with Yu Suzuki

On a certain day in December, an urgent press event was held just for members of the magazine industry, in order to uncover all the mysteries surrounding Shenmue, from its concept to its origins. We look at a number of new facts that were revealed which have not been spoken about at the Premiere Event, as well as a message from Chinese Bajiquan grand master Lian Zhi Wu.
http://i.imgur.com/ORIHxL6.png
We'll cover the themes of Shenmue, including its main catch-phrase "Keep friends, those you love, close to you", and reveal new facts for the first time. In this last part, Yu Suzuki speaks!
by Switch
Sat Dec 12, 2015 2:28 am
 
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Re: BlueMue's Shenmue videos

https://youtu.be/0KvaL80tyyM

This kind of comparison is something that I had on my mind ever since I got into capturing footage from real hardware. I always wanted to make side by side videos of actual gameplay and not just cutscenes as the real differences between the DC and Xbox version are found there. I hestitated doing this for so long because I wasn't quite sure how to play the game similar enough two times that the footage syncs. Well I tried something out and it worked better then I thought and it was good enough for a first release. When I eventually get to do this for other quarters I'll want to show more of the details and zoom in on them.
by BlueMue
Sun Dec 20, 2015 7:24 pm
 
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Shenmue Beta Video - now subtitled

Although this 30-minute VHS video of Shenmue beta footage was released by SEGA back in 1999, as far as I know English subtitles have not been available.

Happily this is no longer the case as I have now completed adding in English subtitles. Even if you have watched it before you may like to enjoy it again!

https://youtu.be/Ju7b5EeZkYU
by Switch
Sat Jan 09, 2016 5:24 am
 
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Re: Monaco Magic 2016 - Official Discussion Topic

Well I hope you liked the coverage of the Magic Monaco so far ;)
by Shenman
Sat Feb 27, 2016 12:06 pm
 
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