A reader's letter here :
Now that E3 is over I thought I’d point out that means it’s now exactly a year since Shenmue III was first announced. I’m obviously not the only one that noticed though as they put up a new video to show how things have been going (you can’t seem to share Kickstarter videos, but here’s the link ).
I know Kickstarter games have an increasingly poor reputation nowadays, and I think in a lot of cases that’s perfectly justified, but Yu Suzuki and his team seem to be getting on very well. Everything seems very professional and instead of being full of excuses and timewasting side projects the updates are just things like new people they’ve hired and details of what they’re working on at the moment.
It’s actually not really that interesting, but I think that’s actually what’s most encouraging about it: professional people getting on with their job and trying to make the game live up to expectations. A lot of others, I’ve noticed, try to make themselves seem like pop stars or pretend that making video games is some sort of cool spectator sport. I think I feel more confident knowing that quiet, sensible people are just getting on with it when it comes to Shenmue III.
Fair play to the author because it's more or less summed up exactly how I feel. It's easy to piss and moan about a lack of info, but honestly, do you really want all of that in monthly dosees? I sure as hell don't. I've toiled with completely leaving the Dojo ever sInce last year, and I've reduced my presence solely with an end goal in mind of disappearing for all of 2017. We have seen already how we can seriously analyse any little morsel of info (that's not a dig, I wouldnt expect anything less from the fans!), and that's only going to get worse with time, as the usual dilemma of promotion/secrecy becomes evermore so blurred.
If you feel they could have shown "something" more substantial, then yes, there is an argument for that. But rest assured, they are coming, and when they do I feel it really will have been a case of absence made the heart grow fonder. For now, we are 18 months away, so let them get on with it I'd say! Life is awesome, and if I could give any advice, it's go find something to take your mind off of it. Preoccupy yourself because we knew from the start this was going to be a loooong process, and i know firsthand what it's like logging in and refreshing daily..... hourly in fact, for any small snippet of news
Speaking for myself personally? I already know far too much about this game. Way much more than what I ever would have wanted to know at this stage. Bring back the monthly magazines as a news source like the good old days! I'd love to hypotheses and theorise like we have gotten so good at over the years, but I just know if I do, my on the spot raw emotions that I know I will feel whilst finally playing this game will have been manipulated from all of the information that had came before it. I don't want that, and I am not going to jeapordise a 15 year payoff for it.
Keep the updates sort by all means! Tell me what's in Suzuki's t shirt wardrobe and I will be happier