Best I could do.... I guess it could be better with some touching up if you want a wallpaper or something

SquallAdv wrote:

This looks nice, well done.

That's really good. The 2nd one looks like a painting.

Check out the "Shenmue Online: Concept Art" video. Although the video is related to Shenmue Online, it reveals a lot about the original series.

Between 0:27-0:32 of the video, Yu Suzuki showed a map annotated with the chapter numbers and their corresponding locations:

⋅ Chapter 1: Yokosuka.
⋅ Chapter 2: The Boat. This is not in Shenmue II, but is in the side story comics.
⋅ Chapter 3: Hong Kong.
⋅ Chapter 4: Kowloon City.
⋅ Chapter 5. The kanji is illegible (to me), but it suggests a river's name. It may be one of the rivers along which Ryo travelled by boat to Guilin. I think this chapter contains minor details to the game, so it was left out as was Chapter 2. [Updated: It is Li River. See the discussions below.]
⋅ Chapter 6: Bailu. This is Shenhua's home village, which Ryo never got to in the Guilin part of Shenmue II.


The map also has other locations which Ryo will likely visit, starting from the bottom:

⋅ The kanji is illegible (to me), but it is near Shanghai. [Updated: It is Suzhou. See the discussions below.]
⋅ Luoyang. The tapestry in Shenhua's house depicts the city.
⋅ Meng Cun. Lan Di said that Iwao killed Zhao there.
⋅ Beijing.


The map confirmed Shenmue's first 6 chapters and probably all of the relevant locations.

A Facebook user shared his thoughts on the recently released VF RPG concept artworks.

http://cdn.escapistmagazine.com/media/global/images/library/deriv/698/698943.jpg

My thoughts on the recently released concept art at GDC...

Obviously these are in beta form so final product would differ significantly from 'AKIRA RPG' original concept.

Card 1: Chapter 1 Yokosuka – Father is murdered and Ryo’s setbacks. Experiences from Shenmue 1. Image shows Ryo leaving for China with Gui Zhang and Master Chen in the background. Lan Di and men in black suits can be seen in background, possibly alluding to Ryo’s motivation for revenge.

[Cards 2 – 4 show a mixed up, possibly early version of the first 3 quarters of Shenmue 2 as some bits don’t make much sense but seem to take place before Card 5 Guilin]

Card 2: The events of Shenmue 2. Ren, Xiuying, Dou Niu are featured with the backdrop showing Kowloon and an airplane which can be seen in the Hong Kong segments of Shenmue 2. Yuan can also be seen wielding his infamous chainsaw and the members of the Heavens can be seen in the bottom left corner overshadowed by their leader Ren. This card represents a mix of the more urban settings of Shenmue 2, perhaps featuring a mix of Hong Kong (Xiuying) and Kowloon (Dou Niu). Also most likely deals with the whole Yuanda Zhu rescue plot.

Card 3: The project Berkley train sequence. Notice that Ryo’s clothes have now changed to a green attire. Maybe this is showing development as a martial artist? A face similar to the stone face in the Project Berkley sanctuary can also be seen – overall this might be a modified chapter which was split up and mixed into Shenmue 3 as it doesn’t make much sense as to why it is here in the timeline. You can make out that the train is headed for a more country, green setting which has not yet been seen in Shenmue 2. A bunch of characters can also be seen, including Gui Zhang? Perhaps Gui Zhang does follow you to China after all and this is a segment reserved for Shenmue 3. The Phoenix mirror is central in this image, indicating a train journey to a destination important to the mirror? Maybe the treasure hold of the Qing Dynasty? The face also resembles DURAL from Virtua Fighter confusingly - perhaps this image is too early a first draft when Virtua Fighter characters were still central to the story?

Card 4: Ryo trains to become a better martial artist as represented in Shenmue 2 when in Hong Kong. Master Baihu can also be seen? Overall I think this chapter represents the personal growth which Ryo experienced while under Xiuying’s care in Hong Kong and could also represent how he learned to further better his training from various martial artists in China. Why is Lau from Virtua Fighter next to Xiuying/Lan Di? (cant figure out which). Again, perhaps this is still too early a draft when VF characters would cameo. Yuanda Zhu also makes a cameo. I conclude that cards 2-4 were therefore highly modified versions of Shenmue 2 as the timeline conflicts a little. i.e. where is the boat chapter???

Card 5: Shenhua and Ryo meet in Guilin. Niao Sun is also present – perhaps she is the one who is following Ryo and Shenhua in disc 4 and not Lan Di? The ‘bad presence’? Notice Ryo is grounded, rather than training for hasty revenge he is sitting down among nature - a much more peaceful image. Signifies Ryo's 'spiritual awakening' or beginning of shift in perspective from vengeful to peaceful.

Card 6: The old man from the project Berkley trailer and rumoured 4th Chi You Men leader can be seen atop of Ryo in a fighting stance similar to Chai. This could be the moment when we meet this 4th mysterious Chi You Men leader. Niao Sun is also still present which means she will have an ongoing role in the earlier parts of Shenmue 3. The other man I suspect to be a past representation of Lan Di’s father in training…maybe this is the chapter where you learn more about him? Or could he be Shenhua’s father? There are also faces shown in the orange ball of fire behind Ryo in combat stance and the ground he seems to be on looks like ice, maybe indicating that Project Berkley sanctuary?

Card 7: Luoyang. Ryo trains with martial artists. The Chi You Men are present and Shenhua is central to the chapter, maybe this is where the Shaolin temple Shenhua kidnapping takes place and Shenhua realises her power? Ryo meanwhile trains to become a better martial artist. (All 4 chi you men can be seen bottom of image. They all kidnap Shenhua to extract her power?)

Card 8: If you notice carefully atop the mountains, figures can be seen standing. There are 4 mountains and 4 figures standing. The Chi You Men guarding the 4 cardinal points? A wolf can also be seen? Do you fight Ziming in this section? There are also two images of Ryo shown – one in his green attire where he seems to be screaming and a second in a new blue ‘Akira’ attire where he seems to be more grounded. Could this be the completion of Ryo’s evolution from hasty, vengeful teenager to calm, collected and rational adult? A figure can also be seen in the skies above the mountains. The heavenly emperor? Tentei?

Card 9: Ryo now a reformed and competent martial artist stands ready in a combat stance as if to beckon a fight. The principle idea symbolised in this card is fight. The sun is also setting which could be symbolic as to his journey for revenge coming to an end. An as of yet unknown character stands. Maybe this character is 'RANDI' mentioned at GDC - a beta form of Lan Di? Or Tentei? Horses can be seen galloping in the hills. Horses have been central to the plot of Shenmue for some time - Luoyang being a place in China where horses are venerated and the setting is a country, mountainous setting similar to the artworks featuring Ren and an ancestral form of Shenhua riding horses.

Card 10: the sun has risen indicating a new day, a ‘fresh start.’ Ryo is clasping the body of somebody…possibly Lan Di? Also, it seems as if Lan Di is staring at Ryo from the heavens. Perhaps Lan Di has died and Ryo has realised that nothing has changed, his revenge was futile, he regrets his decision and now is devoid of purpose. The way he carries the body along a long white road, could it indicate that Ryo is mourning? Or maybe this is not Lan Di but someone else?? A large temple can be seen in background...Ryo carrying this person to their tomb?

Card 11: Ryo embarks on a quest to find himself along with his newfound friends. As indicated in the Project Berkley video, by this stage Ryo “is not alone anymore” – the ending is not nesecarily that sombre, although Ryo has found himself to have no purpose and must begin a new journey to find himself in life. Perhaps that is why his back is turned to Shenhua and Xiuying? Even though they are in the same picture, Ryo understands that he must begin a new personal journey for his own self-discovery.

This is an interview with Yu Suzuki from the japanese site 4gamer.net published 2015-06-19.
Here translated by me.

Original article: http://www.4gamer.net/games/305/G030593/20150618126/

Among other things it brings up interesting new information about the 5 million dollar stretch goal; the character perspective system.

There is also a slight spoiler of a character that might appear, so those of you who want to play the game totally spoiler free should maybe avoid reading this.

here we go.

-- Thanks for being here.
YS: Thanks for having me. before jumping into questions I just want to make clear that Shenmue is a Kickstarter project and the scope and contents depend on the stretch goals.

-- Yeah, looking at the Kickstarter stretch goals there are the rapport system and skill tree and other added.
YS: We add more stretch goals so as more people pledge the scope of the game will get bigger. So as of now I can’t talk in detail about the mechanics of the game. What I’m able to accomplish will very much depend on the funds we can gather. I want to avoid telling too much and end up betraying those who have paid.

-- Under those circumstances, what do you want to do with Shenmue III?
YS: I want to show the relationship between Ryo and Shenhua in more detail. Even further than previous games.

-- It’s kind of hard to imagine how that would work.
YS: Maybe so. I want to to challenge myself, but new things are hard to get people to understand and therefore harder to gain support for. That’s one of the reasons we have prepared stretch goals like larger map and mini games.

-- So you made easy to understand stretch goals first.
YS: As more money comes in, the world of Shenmue III gets larger, and the game becomes more complete. But if it becomes a question of what game has the largest world, the game with the largest budget has a sure advantage. When it comes to Shenmue III, I want to ensure that there are other parts to enjoy besides just the open world aspects.

-- Can you give us any examples?
YS: At 3.2 million dollars there is the rapport system stretch goal. Actions and conversations will affect the relation between Ryo and Shenhua in subtle ways. The way Shenhua speaks and cooperate etc. will change.

-- It seems like the story could change depending on the relationship.
YS: Let’s just say that it depends on the budget. Making statements like that is just asking for trouble (laugh).

-- I get it (laugh). Could you explain the 5 million dollar stretch goal; the character perspective system?
YS: That is where the player will take control of characters like Shenhua and Ren instead of Ryo.

-- At a certain point in the game will we be able to change characters freely?
YS: I can’t talk about details yet, so I will just say that it’s not necessarily like we are letting you control the other characters exactly like Ryo.

-- So it’s not like you can just change characters at will.
YS: The personality of Ren and Shenhua is different from Ryo, so even if they see the same thing the reactions would be different. When you played as Ryo it was his decisions, but playing as Ren and Shenhua would make it very interesting.

-- Hearing that makes me even more interested (laugh).
YS: I’m unable to describe it any more until the 5 million dollar stretch goal is reached, so I’ll stop here for today.

-- By the way, will the story end with this part.
YS: To tell the truth, the original story is too long to end here. So I decided against trying to fit it all in to Shenmue III.

-- Which means that after the Shenmue III project has been finished we have to wait for the the next part.
YS: First we have to do our best to make Shenmue III a solid game.

-- Let’s leave the appearance of Shenmue III and talk about the backend. Can you tell us why you chose to use Unreal Engine 4?
YS: It’s because it’s easy to use and fits with how I imagine Shenmue to look. There are like rendering tendencies for the different engines, and the base colors of Unreal Engine 4 added with “dampness and scent” makes it Shenmue.

-- Are the colors you imagine the same as with the first two parts?
YS: Of course. Shenmue had that air humidity feeling well presented and it had a smell too. That’s what I aim for with Shenmue III.

-- So you’re saying that if you take a scenery out of the game and look at it you’d be able to say “That’s Shenmue!”?
YS: Yeah, That’s what I want to do. But the promotional video we made for Kickstarter felt dry. Kind of ended up like the Californian humidity level (laugh).

-- Your idea of the exact colors or the “scent” of the graphics, is it hard to convey that to the developers?
YS: It it very very hard to explain it. It’s like trying to explain what a melon is to someone who only has seen watermelons and mandarins. Well, you can say the size is about in the middle, but trying to explain the taste is very hard.

-- With that said, do you have members from the former parts working on Shenmue III?
YS: Yes. So we have the original members that kind of know what Shenmue is about.

-- After fifteen years, it’s quite the thing to bring everyone together again.
YS: I think so. Everyone has gone independent or changed their positions, but even at this stage when the scope of the production isn’t set in stone they have gladly offered to join. That’s really heartwarming.

-- It feels like the relationship is deeper than what you could expect from work colleges.
YS: That’s because Shenmue was a project that was more than just work. Ten years after the development of Shenmue II we had this get-together and more than 100 people came.

-- That’s amazing. I’m not sure if I would call that just a get-together.

-- The level of creativity in the games you have created is often very high. Is there any secret to this?
YS: No. I never play games outside work, so I don’t get that influenced by other games. Maybe that’s the reason.

-- I had this idea that you researched other games thorough and tried to make something different, but I guess that’s not true then.
YS: Yeah. it easier to just make something from zero (laugh).

-- So maybe If someone from the media like me hear an explanation for a game and say “Is it like the mechanics from that other game?” you might not be able to get it?
YS: I’m sorry, but I guess that’s true. Well, maybe I have to study the trends in the most popular games.

-- By the way, this is the first in a long time that you get to work on a game this big.
YS: Yeah. It feels like it was a long time ago I got this invested in a game.

-- It’s not like you totally left the game industry, but what do you think of the game industry in Japan looking from a bit afar.
YS: The game engine Unity came out and made it easy for just one person to make his own game, which is a good thing. It wouldn’t be healthy if only big budget games were able to survive. It’s good that the market has expanded with more alternatives. But it’s kind of sad that a majority of games that make money are small like games for smartphones.

-- Do you feel like more effort should be made in making titles for the consoles?
YS: Yeah. Before, Japan was said to be number one in game making. It’s sad that the knowledge that had amassed during that time wasn’t used better.

-- Many of the people during that time went over to make games for smartphones.
YS: It’s not like games for smartphones are necessarily bad, but what’s characteristic of smartphone game making is that the development cycles from start to finished tend to be fast. It might be good for business, but I’m not really satisfied with that. If you compare to cars there’s the really popular cars that sell well. They make a lot of money for the company, but if they don’t develop their flagship model their technical advancement will suffer.

-- In USA there is still a lot of money spent in games for game consoles and PC.
YS: Yeah. That kind of rich content helps activate the whole industry. I hope the industry in Japan gets back on track like before...

-- Oh, the interview got very negative suddenly. Could you maybe give a word of encouragement to the young developers of today or people thinking about making games?
YS: Today is different from before. It’s possible for anyone to make games now. Before it was impossible to make games if you didn’t know how to program, but now there are tools for that. It’s also possible to study game development, and it’s easy to learn from the internet. Living in this age you shouldn't think too hard and just try for fun, go in the direction that feels best for you. Begin with having fun creating.

Comments:
The character perspective system means taking control of characters other than Ryo. He literally says “レンやシェンファ” which means characters “like Shenhua and Ren” so it could be for other characters too. (Edit: Or it could be just an example of characters. Like Thief said: "It could mean that characters like Shenhua and Ren (as in main supporting cast characters) are playable. Ren could have merely been used as an example." Thanks Thief! )
But it’s pretty much as close of a confirmation that we can get that Ren will show up in Shenmue III in one way or another. There is a concept art image of him riding a horse so it’s maybe not that unexpected, but we can be fairly sure he will show up in part 3 and not 4 or even later. Horses were also pretty much confirmed in Yu Suzuki's Reddit AMA so the concept art could very well be of an event happening in Shenmue III.

http://kogami.free.fr/Photo/Shenmue/logo.jpg

Shenmue is a 1999 adventure video game developed by Sega AM2 and published by Sega for the Dreamcast, produced and directed by Yu Suzuki. Suzuki coined a genre title for its nonlinear gameplay, "FREE" (Full Reactive Eyes Entertainment), for the game, based on the interactivity and freedom he wanted to give to the player. Suzuki intended to achieve this by simulating aspects of real life through the game, such as the day and night system, real-time variable weather effects (unheard of in a game of this kind at the time), fully voiced non-player characters with their own daily schedules, quick time events, and various other interactive elements such as vending machines, arcades, and convenience stores.

This version made by me offers users the ability to play Shenmue with Japanese voices and English subtitles. I used the official English translation for this undub version, but the Japanese version of Shenmue contains more dialogue, there is approximately 3% of Japanese text retained in my version (I have not yet managed to find a translator that is able to translate the remaining Japanese sentences into English for me).

I used the translation from "US Shenmue" to make this Undub version.

For this release, I copied all the necessary directories (Sound + Japanese Subtitle) into a PAL ISO for Shenmue and I changed most of the Japanese text into English one line at a time. Thanks to the translation tools that Sizious released.

The advantage of this method:
-Less errors/Synchronization bugs (lip sync)
-The subtitles for the dialogue are in good working order in the game
-I replaced the designs of the vending machines with the original Japanese versions
-For the CD-R 80 version, I downsampled some of the voices to avoid deleting any audio from the game (as a result all of the characters have speech)

Unfortunately, there is still some Japanese text in the script (3%) Because the Japanese script contains more text than the English script, and I am not able to translate them (This only concerns the NPCs).

Thus this version of Shenmue Undub corrects some of the errors that plagued Smiths version.

Two version are available (CD-R 80 and CD-R 99) with some difference to make it fit in the appropriate sizes,

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Shenmue Undub "Disc 1" [PAL-E] (CD-R 80):
-I downsampled the NPC audio only (not cutscene) in FREE01.AFS from 14000hz to 11025hz.
-The language menu and text is in English only.

Shenmue Undub "Disc 2" [PAL-E] (CD-R 80):
-I downsampled the NPC audio only (not cutscene) in FREE02.AFS from 14000hz to 8000hz.
-The language menu and text is in English only.

Shenmue Undub "Disc 3" [PAL-E] (CD-R 80):
-I downsampled the NPC audio only (not cutscene) in FREE03.AFS from 14000hz to 8000hz.
-The language menu and text is in English only.
-Arcade game remove (Hang On/Space Harrier)
-Track CDDA remove ("Wish..." song motorcycle cutscene)

Download:
[Link removed]
[Link removed]
[Link removed]
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Shenmue Undub "Disc 1" [PAL-E] (CD-R 99):
Shenmue Undub "Disc 2" [PAL-E] (CD-R 99):
Shenmue Undub "Disc 3" [PAL-E] (CD-R 99):
-Everything is untouched on the disk, no changes have been made.

Download: .mdf / .mds format "Alcohol 120%"
Shenmue Undub Disc 1 (CD-R 99)
Shenmue Undub Disc 2 (CD-R 99) [reupload bug fix 07/2015]
Shenmue Undub Disc 3 (CD-R 99)

Download: .cdi format "DiscJuggler"
Shenmue Undub Disc 1 (CD-R 99) CDI
Shenmue Undub Disc 2 (CD-R 99) CDI [reupload bug fix 07/2015]
Shenmue Undub Disc 3 (CD-R 99) CDI

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Shenmue Undub [PAL-E] .GDI for GDEMU/USB-GDROM/Emulator: [News 07/11/15]
-Everything is untouched on the disk, no changes have been made.

Download:

Mediafire ( Disc 1,2,3) - Re-uploaded by shengoro86.

Shenmue Undub Disc 1 (GDI)
Shenmue Undub Disc 2 (GDI)
Shenmue Undub Disc 3 (GDI)

The savegame for this version is compatible with the PAL version of Shenmue II.

You will need Alcohol 120% to burn the file (.mdf / .mds).
Alcohol 120% trial v2.0.2.5830

Follow these instructions for burning to CD-R 80 and CD-R 99 discs:
Tuto Burning part 1
Tuto Burning part 2

Special thanks: Manic, Sizious, Shendream, Hiei-, MagicSeb, FamilyGuy.

Preview video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHMLu5FZ7Jk

http://img11.hostingpics.net/pics/564304Sanstitre2.jpg

I've been wanting to do this for a while now. The results are better than I ever had expected, so I'd like to share with everyone.

A big discussion when talking about Shenmue and current technology is how to properly display the image. Some connect via VGA to a monitor which is the easiest solution and looks great. Most want to play on their TV's however, which as time goes on gets a little more tricky. I've done various methods including VGA on monitor, VGA to component on a CRT 4:3 HDTV, VGA pixel for pixel on an XBR-3, VGA to HDMI through a HD third party scaler (the one Adam used) and finally now this method which I can confirm absolutely demolishes every other way I've ever viewed this game.

So the first thing to know is you'll need to properly upscale the image, otherwise it'll look horrible. To properly upscale into HD (while retaining the correct aspect ratio) a third party scaler is required, which are niche and quite expensive. They get the job done, though obviously don't push the envelope any. The image quality is better than displaying pixel for pixel.

4K UHD is the same principal, though thanks to new technology becomes a bit easier (just more expensive, but is an investment). The two best scalers on the market as of today are the X-Reality PRO by Sony and the Revelation by SHARP. I won't go into major detail, but both are comparable and take different steps to achieving the same end goal.

Because the X-Reality PRO is an internal scaler, we're actually going to want to convert the VGA signal to HDMI raw without upscaling. From there the X-Reality PRO will do the rest and by the rest, I mean this . Do take a glance as it'll show the amount of tech the engine uses to upscale an image, something a third party scaler simply isn't capable of.

The end result is this and I don't think much more could be expected of a game developed from the late 90's onward, especially with a rendering resolution of 640x480. The X900B in general hides jaggies particularly well, but what stands out to me the most is the color range and depth. Granted this is a testament as to how far technology has come, but it also says a lot about the production value of Shenmue. It truly was ahead of it's time.

Here is the game (both Passport and Disc 1) running:

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

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

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

http://i.imgur.com/jZ5Flfc.jpg

The equipment (though the most important tech such as the scaler is internal):

http://i.imgur.com/7NvZMHC.jpg

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

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

Hey everyone, my brother and I decided to contribute $20,000 for the making of Shenmue III. We spent many hours thinking about whether this is a good or bad decision. We spent $10,000 in 2012 to get our school off the ground and that went a long way. Because of our initial $10,000 pledge, the school received an amazing amount of attention in China, social media and gaming websites. I'll reiterate, We are not wealthy! This was a hard decision. We could have given $20,000 directly to building the school and it's programs but we feel that this pledge will lead to more exposure and support than what we could do through other mediums.

For those who don't know our school yet. We are called The "V.E.T. Program" (Volunteer English Teacher). You can find us on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/VolunteerEnglishTeacher?fref=ts&ref=br_tf We teach children and young adults English to help in their educational and career pursuits. Many of these kids come from small villages in the Guilin area and may not have an opportunity to learn elsewhere. You can go to the "about" section on the Facebook page to learn more.

We really need help in reaching our goals. We would love for you to like us on Facebook. We will eventually look outside ourselves and setup a way for donations to be made but we didn't want to distract from the Kick Starter or be overbearing donation hunters.

We decided to make the second $10,000 pledge a character in the game. We don't want to be a character attacking Ryo though. We are going to try and ask Yu Suzuki to let us have one of our Volunteer Chinese teaching assistants be a character in one of the villages. They deserve to be recognized for their hard work. They are volunteers and many of them come from poor rice farms.

We are also hoping that since we will be listed in the credits as a special sponsor that it can have our school with a logo and a website rather than our names.

I don't think any of this would be asking too much. I think it would help get attention to the school. We would love any assistance in helping us achieve this. We also would love to have Yu Suzuki come to the school some day but we won't don't want to be greedy.

Please, help our little school!
http://i.imgur.com/GS7Iwrq.jpg

You japanese translators are just too awesome, thank you.

SquallAdv wrote: I'm planning on doing the translation live, but my english is not perfect, we could do it together if you want!

(My post on Shenmue 500K group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Shenmue ... tif_t=like )

Oh, that's great! I'll drop you a PM and see if I can help.

Ok, here's the plan for handling the translation at the moment.

SquallAdv will be doing a live "as-it-happens" summary translation of the stream into English, and I'll be extending this afterwards as a full transcript to capture the detail.

Switch wrote: Ok, here's the plan for handling the translation at the moment.

SquallAdv will be doing a live "as-it-happens" summary translation of the stream into English, and I'll be extending this afterwards as a full transcript to capture the detail.

Thanks for all your work guys!

I'll rebroadcast the interview on my twitch : http://www.twitch.tv/technophilz

Fantastic interview.

Sounds like no matter what, we're getting a true Shenmue game. It's just the scale and openness that depends on funding.

Also, what he said about crying, being moved by our support, and about video games having a unique way of bonding with the spirit of a player, was really beautiful and proves why we are all so willing to support him so loyally. He really gets it. He GETS how much we all care and what it means, and the importance of this moment is not lost on him. That speaks volumes for the game he'll try to make and for him as a person.

http://i.imgur.com/T6ZIfdW.png

Japanese video sharing website Nico Nico Douga conducted a Q&A with Suzuki-san on Sunday, July 12th. His reaction to E3 and the passionately made fan video, 'Thank Yu', is revealed along with the announcement of a returning character for Shenmue 3.

You can read the full transcript here or watch the entire Q&A on Youtube .

Thanks to Dojo members SquallAdv and switch for the translations.

Links & Hashtags: #TheFinalBlow #SaveShenmue
Transcript & Discussion | Q&A (Youtube) | Shenmue 3 Kickstarter | News Archive

Let's get this guy a job on Shenmue III.

http://i.imgur.com/12WDZfv.png

Wude , one of ShenmueDojo's greatest contributors, has sadly been missing from the community for over a year. Thanks to the will of many, he will now be immortalized in Shenmue 3.

Since it was felt that having his name lost in a sea of thousands in the final credits of the game would not do him the justice he truly deserves, Dojo community members were quick to raise the $600 needed to ensure his name would be forever immortalized in the Choubu Inn Guestbook.

Thank you to everyone who donated to the cause - Because of you, wude's memory will live on in the world of Shenmue! Yi - To act without hesitation, to do what is right.

Links & Hashtags: #TheFinalBlow #SaveShenmue
Forum Discussion | Shenmue 3 Kickstarter | News Archive

I have less money and i'm happy about it. Weird.

You are not authorised to read this forum.

This is a translation of an article that was published in the November 1998 edition of the Dreamcast Magazine .

http://i.imgur.com/aoM2oCPt.png

This date of this article, November 1998, is the month before the Premiere Event of Shenmue would be held, and the gaming world was buzzing with anticipation. Little had been publicly shared about the game, even its real name - it was known then as "Project Berkley", a name that Yu Suzuki has mentioned elsewhere that he chose because it "had a nice ring to it", as well as matching the name of the famous US University. (Although the spelling used in the magazines differs slightly from the actual university name which is "Berekely" with an extra "e").

It's clear that this article and others like it at that time had little solid information to go on regarding details of the game; but it does include an interview with Yu Suzuki, so here it is for nostalgia's sake.

Related links:
1. Project Berkley - English Subtitled - (video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vHcmPUhhhs 2. Shenmue Premiere Event video (short version, English subtitles) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QM2bkUm1eT8


http://i.imgur.com/BnfcgV1t.png http://i.imgur.com/M26Re9tt.png http://i.imgur.com/LawawTzt.png http://i.imgur.com/nQNI3u9t.png

Yu Suzuki's Latest Game: Code-name Project Berkley

"At the end of December I’m planning to hold a premiere event, which will be the largest ever held. Please look forward to it!" , announced Yu Suzuki on the last day of the Tokyo Game Show, as the general public looked on. The expression on the face of Kenji Eno and the other attendees at the Creators’ Conference in reaction to the words "largest ever" was memorable, but what exactly does Yu mean by "the largest ever"? There’s no doubt it’s something that many, including the many fans who heard it at the event, are extremely keen to find out. In the official notice we received the other day from the AM2 Division, the date of the premiere event is confirmed as 20 December (Sunday), to be held at Pacifico Yokohama. The notice covered these two pieces of information, but didn’t reveal anything more...

Devotion & Passion

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Yu Suzuki is extremely busy at the moment. Busier than ever before, even compared to busy periods in memory from the past. Over these past few years, what with holding position as head of the AM2 Division which has greatly grown in staff numbers, as well as director of the Amusement Machine Research and Development Division (currently an executive officer), there were periods when he was not able to find free time to spend in the role of game creator. However, with this latest project, Project Berkley, almost all of the time he has is devoted to its creation. For this reason, being able to meet Yu Suzuki at this present time, as a magazine media journalist, is something that can only be called extremely fortunate. That’s how busy he is. And, this is how much Yu Suzuki is staking on Project Berkley. In his own words, saying it is "the culmination of 15 years" is no exaggeration. The way he pours his passion into this project is inspiring.

Gradual Revelation

For Yu Suzuki it will already be the third generation of Sega home console he has worked with, since the MegaDrive. In this article of Dreamcast Magazine, which has been reborn to target this new hardware, we will be covering how Yu is finding this, including the recent status of the project. It is a game shrouded in mystery. However the game’s greatness is not something that will be diminished even if we set some of the details aside until closer to December's premiere event, nor is it a game that will find itself out-shone by a rival new game sneaking up quietly. And so, given the mind-boggling scale of the game, it's better we don't rush along, but reveal it one part at a time. And so, we would be happy if our readers would pause a little over the next period, to read information that will be revealed little-by-little as we go forwards, such as the premiere event, the newly-proposed genre name and some key words related to the game. This is a moment when the history of gaming is about to change. Such a moment may only come along once in several years, so it’s surely not a bad idea to follow along.

Premiere Event Venue

First, let’s look at the premiere event venue, Pacifico Yokohama. This venue has a capacity of 5000 attendees. In terms of its size, it is about the size of the Tokyo International Forum venue where announcements for games like D2 and Sonic Adventure were held. We asked Yu why the choice of Yokohama:

"Actually, from a transport access standpoint, Tokyo would definitely have been preferable, but we couldn’t find an available venue in Tokyo, for that time. This was a venue comparable to the Tokyo International Forum. Really I would have liked to have held it at the Tokyo Dome " laughs Yu unconcernedly. It’s hard to tell if he is being serious or joking... However, with his affable smile, it doesn’t really matter.

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The Pacifico Convention Center in Yokohama
The event venue will held at be the Pacifico convention center in Yokohama. The pie-slice shape of the Intercontinental Hotel in the Minato-mirai area should serve as a landmark to head for. The closest station is the JR Sakuragi-cho station. It’s about 12 minutes from there by travelator, or 5 minutes by taxi; or you could stroll around the area on the way there. There are plenty of places to fill in time nearby like Landmark Tower and Queen’s Square Yokohama. Look for further details in a future issue of Dreamcast Magazine!


"The time of the event, and how many times it will be held, haven’t been decided yet, but the length of the event will be longer than the one for Sonic". The premiere event for Sonic Adventure in August was around 70 minutes long, suggesting the length may be around 2 hours. "Even people who are not interested in games are sure to enjoy what we have in store, so people should not hesitate to come along and bring their friends or girlfriend. And after Yokohama, I’m planning to hold the same event in several cities around the country after the New Year, somewhat like a road show." The candidate locations are still under consideration, and it is also yet to be decided whether Yu himself will be attending the additional events. However, it would be well worth going to see even if Yu is not present. Every attendee is sure to feel satisfied at seeing the kind of images they had not imagined possible. The images are evolving and improving daily with an amazing momentum. This will be something not to be missed.

A New Genre

"I wanted to avoid calling it an RPG... Because what I think of as an RPG, and what other people think of as an RPG, may be two different things. So instead of the genre of RPG, I thought up a new genre name for it".

After considering long and hard, Yu Suzuki came up with the name "FREE". So going forward, the name of the genre for Project Berkley has been revised from "RPG?" to "FREE".

"Starting with Hang-On, I’ve been making games for ten-something years, and this project is the culmination of those years, where I have brought together all those elements. I wanted to try creating something that gives you a lot more freedom than games that have come before; fewer restrictions. In that sense, you can say it is "FREE". It’s also the first letters of Full Reactive Eyes Entertainment. "Full" has connotations of completeness; it’s part of the word "full-scale". And so "Full Reactive" means reacting completely. Eyes – we have one pair, left and right. This suggests such concepts as "having two aspects", "the front vs the reverse side", "positive and negative", or taking it further, "the creator and the user", "reality and surrealism (or virtual reality)", "the past and the future". One of these words by itself doesn’t tell the whole story - they always form a pair to make a complete set. Mixing the two opposing concepts makes them well-balanced. Also, another reason I chose to use Eyes is that the human eyes represent one of the most sensitive and delicate parts of the human body and functions. So the meaning of FREE can be "having extremely sensitive eyes that react to everything around", or "a full-action game having a sensitive point of view".

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Above: The pamphlet that was handed out at the Sega New Challenge Conference II event (front, back). The genre of "RPG" has now been revised as shown below...
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A large cross covers the "RPG" symbol, being replaced by the letters "FREE". "FREE" stands for Full Reactive Eyes Entertainment, a completely new genre.

The meaning may still not be entirely clear even after this explanation, but Yu doesn’t forget an important point: "What’s really important is communicating a message to the people that play, and the thing I’m most afraid of is that the message I want to tell gets disrupted for some reason like the game being too difficult. For this day and age, I want to properly convey to children those precious things that should be held dear. That’s the strong wish I have, and I hope to be able to make that kind of story."

To achieve this, a vast world has been prepared, together with an astonishing number of characters that make an appearance. Once people have seen this, they are sure to grasp the essence of the FREE genre. The pleasant experience of travelling "freely" through a carefully-crafted world: the day when a part of this can be experienced is almost here.

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Scoop! The Contents of the Special Disk Supplied with the Dreamcast version of VF 3tb!
Every purchase of the Dreamcast version of Virtua Fighter 3tb will come with a Special Disk. As we have previously reported, this freebie disk contains secret footage about Project Berkley, but now we have been able to gradually confirm certain aspects of the contents: Yu Suzuki will be featuring in it, and will be speaking about the past through to the future. It will be able to be viewed on an actual Dreamcast. Also, you will be able to hear some of the music, which is an important part of the game. Furthermore, the official name of the game will also be announced within. Everything will be revealed on this single disk, on November 27.

Yu Suzuki Speaks About Project Berkley

Even after gathering together the fragments of information available, at the current point it’s likely no one is able to imagine how Project Berkley really is. Conversely, even after viewing the special disk that to be supplied with Virtua Fighter 3tb on November 27, that won’t be enough to understand the true nature of Project Berkley. That’s because, while it does contain some clips, it can be said that they show parts that are not the essence of the game.

When I first heard about the game from Yu Suzuki, I recall an interesting allegory he told me. "Let’s say you are pouring coffee for someone, and you ask them how many lumps of sugar they want. And they answer with one lump, or two lumps. Then you confirm their choice with them, and pass them the appropriate amount, right? Well, present-day RPG games are just like that. There are one or two paths prepared for the player. However, what I want to do is different from that: You want sugar? Sure, here you go – and I want to be able to hand you a whole jar containing many lumps of sugar. Or if it’s milk, rather than measuring it out, I want to grab the whole bottle and pass it across." When I heard this story, I hadn’t yet seen any actual images and couldn’t really imagine what Yu meant, but once you see some of the images from Project Berkley, you’ll understand in a flash. It’s not just a story about a minor counting difference; it’s something applied in a single leap right to the architecture of that world.

Let’s take one more concrete example. Yu Suzuki has said that "With this game, 1 million players will have a million different experiences". Yu goes further on this topic: "For example, let’s say you were on your way to school as normal. On the way, if you happened to see someone at the intersection wearing no clothes, that would definitely make an impression, right? When you get to school, the first thing you would say is ‘On the way to school I saw a weird guy!’ (laughs) And to change to a different topic, movies - it’s often the case that with a movie of say 2 hours, the first 2 hours are entirely preparation for the ending of the movie, right? In a lot of movies, everything that happens until the last scene is preparation for showing the ending. However, I’m not trying to do it that way. It’s true that there exists one main story, but it’s a world where the process taken along the way during the 50 hours or 100 hours of play isn’t there merely as preparation for the final scene. Of course, everything connects together, but excluding a certain world, it’s like being able to experience virtual reality. So, it’s ok not to progress towards the final scene. How can I put it... it’s like Doraemon ’s "Anywhere Door" (laughs), so you can visit places whenever you like. And you can do that over and over. It’s like experiencing actual daily life. Like a kind of virtual reality tool (laughs)". You could say that these words sum up one of the characteristics of Project Berkley. However, that’s not all that Project Berkley is. This game introduces a large number of world-first technical initiatives. Each one of these helps to propel this game to be something novel and unlike any of the games that have come before. All the latest technology accumulated by Yu Suzuki over the last 3 years has been ambitiously incorporated into this game, and it is sure to impress anyone who sees it.

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As we wrote at the start of this article, Yu Suzuki’s devotion to this project is anything but ordinary, but these technical innovations are now proving their worth, as endorsed by the amazing graphical improvements in Project Berkley that have rapidly occurred recently. If characters such as those seen in the Final Fantasy movie were to be animated in real time... That is something we’d like you to check with your own eyes at the premiere event.

Few Hints

At present, the information made available to us about Project Berkley has been scarce at best. What has been made available is a preview pamphlet announcing the return of Yu Suzuki after 3 years, and an edition of the pamphlet that revises its genre name. There are some minor changes in the background design of the revised version, but "that doesn’t really have any particular meaning" confides Yu Suzuki...

More On the Premiere Event

Regarding the length of the premiere event being longer than that of Sonic, Yu Suzuki says: "The graphical footage for Project Berkley is kept in my room right now on 60-minute digital video tapes, and there about 25 of them on that shelf. Of course, that’s not everything though, but just what’s there is about 25 hours of video (laughs). I don’t know for sure yet, but I’m thinking of showing about 40 minutes to an hour of video at the premiere event". I feel a bit concerned that so much footage will be revealed all at once, but it seems that Yu Suzuki has already made a calm analysis: "If I recall correctly, there was about 7 minutes of Dreamcast footage shown at the D2 event. And I think the game footage shown at the Sonic Adventure event was about 12 minutes. And so, for the premiere event this time I want everyone to be able to see plenty of video compared to those events. I want the content of the event to satisfy everyone who has come along. There may be those who worry that we’ll be giving too much away, but even so it will amount to no more than the equivalent of a preview trailer for a movie (laughs). For example, 1% of 100 hours of footage is 1 hour - so it won’t be a problem. Naturally, if I show around an hour of footage, it will be longer than other premiere events held until now. Also, though it will depend of the number of attendees, for argument’s sake if the event is 2 hours’ long, then no matter how much we try we’ll be limited to holding the event at most 3 times in one day." Ok, then. By the way, for Sonic Adventure the sale of souvenir items seemed to go really well – what sort of things do you have planned for sale this time?

"Details of items are still to be confirmed, but in general there will be things like calendars and post-cards. Also we’ll prepare things like T-shirts." replies Yu. "We have put in a great amount of effort into the music and the text of messages in the game. In particular, I think the music aspect alone will provide everyone with plenty of enjoyment." I have a feeling that Yu’s mention of the planned additional events to be held outside the metropolis being like a "road show" may have some significance. "From the point of view of game fans and their image of me, probably the strongest image they have of me is to do with the game I have put out most recently. So now, my current image is "Yu Suzuki, of Virtua Fighter" or "Yu Suzuki, designer of fighting games". But for me, it’s really not the case at all. (laughs) In fact I’ve also created driving games, and flight games. So from that point of view, for the upcoming premiere event, I’d like lots of people to come – you don’t have to be a fan of Virtua Fighter! I’m sure that even ordinary females who may have no interest in games will really enjoy it. The Special Disk attached to the Dreamcast version of Virtua Fighter tb3 includes a preview of Project Berkley, but by all means people who have not seen seen the preview should also come along. I’ll be happy if lots of people attend, as if they were going to a concert". In any case, with being a game whose wonder can be appreciated from viewing just a small amount of footage, it's well worth marking December 20 on your calendar. And the Yokohama area is an enjoyable place to take a wander over to.

Current Development Status

To finish up, we asked about the current status of development. "Recently things are coming together well. It took quite a while for things to come together, but we’re going at a good speed now. I’d say we’re achieving about twice the speed of a normal project. Our production efficiency is high! (laughs) But the overall amount that needs to be finished off has ballooned. Even though we’re working faster than a normal project, there’s a lot to be done, and that takes time". And at that point, he showed us some previously unseen screens from the actual game. Watch this space...!

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...

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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).

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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?

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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.

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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

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


Further evolution: not just for battles and QTEs, but also part-time jobs

Q: I'd like to ask in detail about battles. The "move scrolls" system (items which can be obtained by various means during the game. Once obtained, you are able to use new moves) has already been announced; will there be any other new elements?

YS: Regarding what form battles should take, I'm planning to design their structure while being mindful of the budget, among other things. The graphics engine and power of expression are completely different now compared to those of the past, so I'd like to create battles that are fitting for the current era. For the battles in Shenmue 1 and 2, I used the Virtua Fighter 2 engine. Since I made Virtua Fighter, I was able to make use of that knowledge, you see. Virtua Fighter was a one-on-one fighting game, with timing being important, so it wasn't immediately suitable for use for Shenmue-style battles. I had to make a lot of modifications. However, this time I will be creating battles to suit Shenmue 3 right from the beginning. I'm aiming for straightforward but exhilarating battles in which the action is the main highlight, not battles which are made up of extremely detailed physics.

Q: Depending on the choices you make with Character Perspective, will you be able to control Ren in battle?

YS: That hasn't been decided, since it would take a lot of time to implement battles for multiple characters. But I also think that fighting a battle as Ren sounds interesting, so I can see where you're coming from. Ren's character especially is quite distinctive, so I have a feeling it would make for interesting battles.

Q: In Shenmue 2, Shenhua made dandelion seeds float into the air by holding up her hands. It appears that she has some mysterious powers. Does she ever use them for fighting?

YS: I'm thinking of showing a glimpse of that.

Q: Next, please tell us about QTEs. I think you could say that they are one of the things that define Shenmue, and are something that fans are anticipating. Will QTEs also have evolved in some way?

YS: You could think of it that way. Since Shenmue is where the QTE originated, I'm thinking “I must take them to the next level!". Having said that, the concept of being able to be enjoyed by anyone will remain unchanged. QTEs in Shenmue are designed so that if the player is unsuccessful, they will gradually become easier. I will continue to keep that user-friendly approach.

Q: After hearing your description, I hope some battle scenes can be revealed to the public as soon as possible.

YS: I also want to test the battles as early as possible. One of the things I'm looking forward to is how to best leverage the strengths of Unreal Engine for battles.

Now planning is in progress, which is of course is enjoyable, but since there are no visible results yet I am eager for hands-on interaction. I want to try actually walking and adjusting how the game feels based on my own sense when playing - for example, “Maybe I should make it a little bigger". Because even if the design specifies “2km x 2km", you don't know if that's truly an appropriate distance until you try playing.

Q: I think players would also like to know more about part-time jobs and minigames. Are the designs for these progressing?

YS: I'm thinking of having fishing as a part-time job. In the game, as mentioned a little earlier, move scrolls are an important item. Once you obtain a move scroll, that move becomes usable in battle. There are various ways to obtain move scrolls, but for those sold in weapons shops, naturally you won't be able to purchase them unless you have money. How you save money is up to each player, but you can earn money steadily through a part-time job or increase it instantly by gambling. However, you also need money in order to gamble, so I'm thinking of including fishing as a system for earning that initial capital. Both Bailu village and Choubu are in the country, so you'll be able to sell the fish you caught. In Shenmue 3, like I just talked about, various elements tie in together. Rather than buying a move scroll with the money you've earned, you may choose to buy a good fishing rod instead. Buying a good fishing rod will increase your chances of catching fish, making your fishing more effective.

Q: So what you do with the money you get is up to the player, isn't it. By the way, has a decision been made on whether forklifts will be included? (laughs)

YS: It's amazing how popular forklifts seem to be, isn't it. (laughs) That's still being considered.

http://www.famitsu.com/images/000/087/158/l_55e03d43ef17d.jpg

Release far off, however monthly updates are planned until then

Q: Previously you mentioned being interested in online or downloadable content. Is there any plan to support these?

YS: I really want to be able to, but I have to be strict about the order of priority as to which elements should be included. I am concentrating firstly on offline, making a game that plays well from start to finish.

Q: As you have an interest in virtual reality (VR), did you try out a VR device at E3 or elsewhere?

YS: Yes, I did. That device is really interesting. In the past I have carried out experiments with VR at SEGA, and also have been involved in a VR project, so I have strong feelings toward VR. It made me think “Today's technology has come this far!", with all sorts of new possibilities being born. I'm deeply impressed. However Shenmue is a game that you play for a relatively long time, so I don't know whether VR is suitable. But it is a fascinating device.

Q: Approximately when will further information about Shenmue 3 be made public?

YS: I plan to put out information each month, a little at a time. Something like a “brief Shenmue update". This project has been possible only through everyone's support, so I want to report its progress. And at large events, I'd like to announce any news that's likely to be talked about.

Q: You've also mentioned that you want to incorporate opinions from the players, haven't you.

YS: I will be putting a system in place that allows backers to voice comments.

Q: This may be too soon to ask about, but when do you think a playable demo will become available?

YS: It's too early to talk about that (laughs). I think it will be much later on before we can deliver a playable demo. Likely after the start of 2017.

Q: I'm looking forward to the updates. And finally, could you give a message to the readers looking forward to Shenmue 3?

YS: My sincere thanks for your ongoing support for Shenmue up until now. It is thanks to all of you that we were able to achieve several records on Kickstarter. Since the site for the Kickstarter campaign was in English, I think it may have been difficult for some of you to participate, and so I am also planning to support PayPal. There are just over 2 years to go until the release of Shenmue 3. Thank you for your continued support.

End of article

Famitsu interview translated by Switch

FR / フランス語 ：

Aujourd'hui, j'ai eu l'occasion de passer une bonne partie de la journée et de la soirée en compagnie de Yu Suzuki !

On a beaucoup discuté, de la vie de tous les jours, de nourriture et bien évidemment de Shenmue III !

L'interview ne sera pas disponible de suite, je reviendrai donc vers vous dès qu'elle sera terminée.

Je tiens également à indiquer que d'autres belles choses vont arriver, donc continuez à apporter votre soutien, y'a du lourd en route !

En dehors de Yu Suzuki, j'ai eu l'occasion de rencontrer dans les locaux où le jeu est développé, une bonne partie de l'équipe en charge. Ils travaillent tous les jours du matin au soir pour vous apporter le meilleur et de ce que j'ai vu... c'est sur la bonne voie ! Ils sont aussi super gentils, c'était génial.

La prochaine étape sera le TGS (le 17 et 18 septembre) où je reverrai peut-être Yu Suzuki mais rien de sûr. En attendant, je retourne bosser sur ce qu'il y a à traduire.

Des journées comme celles-là, j'en voudrai tous les jours !

EN / 英語 ：

Hey guys !

Today, I had the opportunity to spend most of my time with Yu Suzuki.

We've talked about many things from everyday's life to food and of course,
Shenmue III !

The interview's content won't be available right away and will get back to you once It's done.

I also ask all Shenmue fans to keep providing their support as some beautiful things are on the way, trust me !

Beside the fact that I've met Yu Suzuki, I also had the chance to meet the team in charge of Shenmue III where It's actually being developed.

They're working hard everyday to provide the best experience possible and from what I saw, It's going to be good.

The next step is Tokyo Game Show now (September 17th & 18th) where I might be able to meet Yu Suzuki again but nothing has been decided yet.

Until then, I am going back to work and will try provide another great interview !

See you soon !

David

JP / 日本語 ：

皆様、

本日、鈴木裕さんのインタビューを行わせて頂きました。

インタビューの内容を掲載するまで、時間がかかると思います。

これからも、シェンムーを応援してくださるよう皆さんのご協力をお願い致します。

次は東京ゲームショウです。１７日から２０日までセガのブースで様々なグッズが発売されるようになりますので、興味のある方は、是非、足を運んでみてください！

鈴木さん、今日は色々ありがとうございました。大変感謝しております。

今後とも、宜しくお願い致します。

デュビル・ダビッド

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 .


http://i.imgur.com/9OG6u5Xt.png
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!


http://i.imgur.com/KGpLCyUm.png http://i.imgur.com/0CwdFqcm.png
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!!

http://i.imgur.com/pw5KuhJt.png http://i.imgur.com/qSqPibot.png http://i.imgur.com/WTObOKHt.png
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.


http://i.imgur.com/4M7LkB8m.png
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!

http://i.imgur.com/sUFHfWhm.png http://i.imgur.com/KiOEuiim.png http://i.imgur.com/CQ3c4KFm.png
http://i.imgur.com/DuYRLFtm.png http://i.imgur.com/oFCmGDtm.png http://i.imgur.com/ozPQhcct.png http://i.imgur.com/7DZIznEm.png
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.

http://i.imgur.com/NWDqnv4m.png
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 )
http://i.imgur.com/iQwLzbnm.png
"I had a heap of lines, so it was tough", says Matuskaze, who plays Ryo. Shenmue is fully voiced!

Character: Shenhua Ling (Hazuki Ishigaki)
http://i.imgur.com/tbYevpZm.png
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)
http://i.imgur.com/VY6iSRcm.png
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!

Trailer

https://youtu.be/tdiqIPdCP2c

Adam Koralik report

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z04hUT23RiQ

Michael Huber Reaction

https://youtu.be/tFQx8Pw2pZc



Features

Will run in 1080p
Fully scaleable screen resolution
PS4 & XBOX ONE - Physical release
Dual control scheme - updated & classic
Both audio dubs - English & Japanese
New user interface
Release - by end of 2018

Steam link - http://store.steampowered.com/app/758330/Shenmue_I__II/

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DateX0BX0AARnIF.png


Some screenshots Via IGN. http://www.ign.com/articles/2018/04/14/shenmue-1-and-2-being-re-released-on-ps4-xbox-one-and-pc


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http://c-8oqtgrjgwu46x24cuugvu3x2ekipkoiux2eeqo.g00.ign.com/g00/3_c-8yyy.kip.eqo_/c-8OQTGRJGWU46x24jvvrx3ax2fx2fcuugvu3.kipkoiu.eqox2f4230x2f26x2f36x2f42302545432757-4-3745838853-3745892780449_3402y.lrix3fk32e.octmx3dkocig_$/$/$/$/$

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John Clarke - Sega Europe Executive Vice President of Publishing

"I'm really excited to be part of this announcement in front of so many Japanese Sega fans. Shenmue represents Segas spirit of challenge, as our number one most requested re-release in the West. We have carefully ported the classic look and feel of the original, in response to the long time fan expectations.
I decided when Shenmue was brought back, i would wear this in celebration. I also decided when Shenmue is brought back, i would have to be with Shenhua.
In Europe, Shenmue was released in 2000, and was an unprecedented title at the time. It was a time when Grand Theft Auto 3 or the Elder Scrolls did not exist. Yokosuka was an unknown world to us in Europe, but that only lent to its exotic charm.
Im in charge of marketing, publishing and sales strategies in Europe. In recent years I've also been in charge of the world wide release of European developed titles, such as Total War. Not only am i excited for the re-release of Shenmue, but i can say there are tonnes of fans worldwide who have been waiting for the re-release of Shenmue, as one of Segas most legendary titles. I think right now, i can hear the applause from around the world."

I did say if Shenmue HD gets announced, i'd run through the street naked. Off i go...........

A few new screenshots have been released (saw them on Gematsu.com)

https://i.imgur.com/l5f24nG.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/GCppeBC.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/MmDTOdE.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/awS4JxQ.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/DGsL9ex.jpg

Sorry if those have already been posted.

Those screens look fantastic. It's nice to see a sharp and redone UI as well, that always goes a long way.

As for the confusion between remaster, remake, etc. I'm also seeing that a lot. It's pretty simple really:

Port - 1:1 with the main goal being as close to the original as possible.
Remaster - Original assets with improvements.
Remake - New game from the ground up, re-introducing the original concept.

This is indeed a Remaster .

https://i.imgur.com/uREQhmi.png

Hi guys! On behalf of the Dojo, I have 3 of the English Shenmue Sacred Spot Guides to giveaway!

It's really easy to enter, just click the link at the bottom of this post and follow the steps! There are 8 ways to enter, and they're all really simple, especially for the majority of you guys, since you probably have already done the things that are required already :D

The ultimate goal for this giveaway is for the new Youtube channel to gain some traction. Along with the other outlets the Dojo provides such as Twitter, Facebook etc...As you may be aware the old Youtube Channel wasn't actually a part of the Dojo and was ran by an individual using the Dojo name, so Peter has been hard at work behind the scenes trying to get the new channel up to speed and jam packed with content for you all!

You can enter the giveaway here -

https://gleam.io/AxlSi/shenmue-dojo-sacred-spot-guide-english-version-giveaway

Best of luck guys, I will email the 3 winners this time next week! Hopefully...it'll be you! :D Haha, cheers!