I came across this translated interview with Yu Suzuki and many main Shenmue developers a few days ago, and I wasn't sure if it was posted here before or not, so I did a quick search and I couldn't find it here. I recaptured the screenshots used in the original article and decided to share it with you especially that it isn't a long interview and totally worth another read, I hope you enjoy.


This Shenmue interview from 2000 goes over the general design process of the seminal Dreamcast game. Highlights include alternate titles, the special role of the interior designer Sega hired, and the origins of a certain cat. There is also a special focus on the music and sound effects in the latter half of the interview.

This interview was found at the GSLA , a Japanese a website that, among other things, preserves game developer interviews from older, now-defunct print sources. The GSLA often redacts the original interviewer questions, so the text ends up reading more like a narrative than an interview.



Shenmue – 2000 Developer Interview
with Yu Suzuki, Manabu Takimoto, Takenobu Mitsuyoshi and more

Yu Suzuki – Producer
Keiji Okayasu – Director
Masanori Oe – Main Designer
Manabu Takimoto – Interior Designer
Eigo Kasahara – Planner
Takenobu Mitsuyoshi – Sound Director
Yuzo Koshiro – Composer

Names and Titles

Suzuki: Kasahara made up a lot of the names, including Ryo Hazuki, Xiuying Hong, and the title Shenmue itself. He really did a lot there.

Kasahara: I probably have more Chinese magazines and reading materials under my desk than you’d find in your local bookstore. (laughs) I decided early on that kanji would be a better fit for Shenmue, so I pushed for that image with the rest of the team. I liked the euphony of the kanji, and the characters themselves could carry their own meanings.

Suzuki: Kasahara’s favorite title was actually Genpuuki [玄風記] (“Tale of the Mysterious Wind”), not Shenmue.

Kasahara: Genpuuki was almost chosen, but at the very end of the development we realized it had some problems. The kanji were too difficult to read, and we weren’t sure it would appeal to a mass audience. Shenmue had the advantage of being a new title that no one had ever heard before, and it had a nice ring to it. As for genpuuki, I still really loved it, so I asked Suzuki at the end whether it could stll be used somewhere, and he allowed me to use it as the name of the ship Ryo departs Japan with, the Genpuumaru [玄風丸]. That satisfied me. (laughs)

Suzuki: There were a lot of different candidates for the title. There were titles in English, Italian, even Greek. (laughs) We had every kind of title imaginable.

Kasahara: As for Ryo’s name, to be honest it wasn’t decided until just before the announcement party. Late one night I was called into the Suzuki’s office, and on the board he had two names written: Ryo Hazuki and Ryo Kamizaki. He asked me which I thought was better, and we talked it over for a long time. In the end it was Ryo Hazuki that was chosen.

The ship Genpuumaru, an homage by planner Kasahara to one of the early possible titles for Shenmue, “Genpuuki”
https://i.imgur.com/BCQUsVC.png

https://i.imgur.com/3MCiV9N.png

Design and Characters

Oe: The thing we took the greatest care with for the design was, as you might imagine, capturing a sense of reality. I think we really did all we could there. It wasn’t just about creating realistic pictures: the important part came after the drawings were done. The key was whether it would look realistic in-game. We’d try creating new visuals, then we’d have to talk it over carefully with the programmers… that whole process was very difficult.

In pursuit of this greater sense of realism, we also made sure every street was consistent with Suzuki’s overall vision. All our designs had to be carefully coordinated with the events of the game too. The event team would tell us such and such an event would take place here, so our designs had to be very detailed.

Suzuki: I think there are over 300 different characters in Shenmue.

Oe: We had a very short time to create all the people of Yokosuka City, but we were able to do it because of a suprisingly efficient method we employed.

Takimoto : We just took people’s full names and personality profiles at Sega. (laughs)

Oe: Even Takimoto shows up as a character! He kept saying “make me an F1 racer!!” but he ended up as some guy living near a construction site. (laughs)

Suzuki: Kasahara is responsible for the Shenmue Passport disc.

Kasahara: For Shenmue, we actually created detailed backstories for all the characters and locations. With the Shenmue Passport players can learn about the details and connections that we couldn’t show in the game. There’s a lot of hidden relationships, for example.

Takimoto: The cat Ryo finds is actually modeled after my cat. I had a picture on my desk of him when he was a little kitten, and one day a designer came by and asked if he could borrow it. The cat’s name was Sasuke, by the way.

Suzuki: Ah, I remember that. We called him Sasuke during the planning phase too. We knew it had been modeled after Takimoto’s cat, so we wanted to leave the name as Sasuke, as a remnant of that. (laughs) But eventually someone was like, “Who named this cat Sasuke?!” and we had to change it. (laughs)

The orphan cat in Shenmue, designed after Takimoto’s own kitten,“Sasuke” (interestingly, the one name Ryo cannot give the cat in-game!)
https://i.imgur.com/yfPPYGC.png

Working with an Interior Designer

Suzuki: Takimoto assisted us with the interior design for the world of Shenmue. Since the player can walk around this world freely, we thought having an architecht design the buildings would help us achieve a totally new level of realism.

Takimoto: The first thing I did was make several conceptual sketches for the buildings, and once those designs got approved, I helped out with various details as the work progressed, checking things here and there.

Suzuki: After that we had him stick around in the development room, as a player. (laughs) We wanted the perspective of someone who’s not in the game industry.

Oe: The work Takimoto does in the design industry is actually very close to what we did here: he creates the conceptual illustrations that match people’s vision, and then others do the modeling and finishing work.

Takimoto: I began working on the Shenmue development around March of 98. I took the basic designs they had and made a variety of sketches on them, about 200 in total I think.

Suzuki: The first thing we wanted to know Takimoto’s design process. We had a lot of questions about the “rules” of interior design.

Takimoto: Imagine you enter a room and no one is there. But you want to have the player recognize, through the “traces” left by objects in the room, that someone was here. It was sort of like, “how do we create the scent of a human here?” (laughs)

Suzuki: Ryo’s house is designed to look like an actual house from 1986. Conceptually, our image was a Japanese buddhist temple (otera). We wanted the building itself to evoke the image of a 500 year old temple.

Oe: And we also added various touches that would make players feel the nostalgia of that era. Put all that together and you’ve got the Hazuki residence!

Producer Yu Suzuki at the Shenmue announcement event in December 1998.
http://shmuplations.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/shenmue01.jpg

The Sounds of Shenmue

Suzuki: Since Shenmue is a game you play at a relaxed pace, we wanted music that wouldn’t be too noisy or distracting to the player. That’s why I told Mitsuyoshi, “why don’t you try listening to some sutras first.” (laughs) For example, take the babbling of a stream, the sound of footsteps, or a bird’s warbling… these are sounds that no one is bothered by, and they have no melody to them. But to the extent that there is a melody, after listening to it for 3 or 4 hours, it will start to wear on your mind and annoy you… as such, my closest image for the music of Shenmue was buddhist sutras. There’s something mysterious about them, and I asked Mitsuyoshi to try and match that image.

Mitsuyoshi: What I tried to achieve for Shenmue was not “Takenobu Mitsuyoshi’s music.” Rather, I tried to find the melody that lies in the sound effects themselves, something that used sound effects for melody and rhythm. When you design the music for an arcade game, your goal is to get the customer in the game center to stop and take notice of your game. Basically, it's kind of like you’re trying to make a “commercial” for the game: how many people can you draw in, in the short span of time they hear the music? That was what I pursued, compositionally, in my previous work.
With Shenmue I’m creating the total opposite. It’s music that you don’t really notice, but if it wasn’t there, the scene would feel barren. It was very nuanced, detailed work, and very challenging in many ways. But because the scale of this project was so large, it did afford me a lot of opportunities to experiment. As a composer I feel like I leveled up in a big way.

Suzuki: We had a huge number of requests for the sound effects this time too.

Mitsuyoshi: Yeah. Actually, this was the first time we hired and worked with an outside company that specializes in sound effects. They created the sound effects, then we would figure out how to add them to the game. This is a small thing but I think it shows how Shenmue has raised the bar for us in terms of the game development process. This sound fx company’s approach is very different from ours, you see. They do sound work for movies and dramas, so they have a totally different perspective from us, and I think we learned a lot about sound from them.

Suzuki: Thanks to all the voicework, the biggest struggle for us was the amount of memory.

Okayasu: Which is funny, since we started off saying how easy it would be! (laughs)

Suzuki: Yeah… we miscalculated there for sure. I don’t know who made that estimation, but they were off by an order of magnitude: we needed a full 20x more space! At first we said it would all fit one disc maybe, then 2 discs, then 3… and we kept adding new things to the game, it was getting crazy.

Okayasu: All of a sudden things got really busy, and there were a lot more people on the team. (laughs)

Suzuki: Yeah, now that you mention it, that’s true.

Okayasu: No one ever explicitly said we were ramping up… it just happened without anyone noticing. (laughs)

Oe: Everyone was really excited at the announcement party though. We put a lot of effort into that!

Suzuki: It was certainly a long project though. We had to pull many overnighters and weekend trips together as a team.

Kasahara: Every Friday was our regular “Shenmue Weekends.” We’d use the lodging Sega had in Zushi and work on it all weekend.

Working with Yuzo Koshiro

Koshiro: Actually, back when I was a gamer I created a Spacer Harrier-ish doujinshi . (laughs) I brought it to Sega and showed it to Yu Suzuki. Even though I was just some random player, he listened to me like I was someone close to him. That left a huge impression on me, just how attentive he was to players, and how important that is. As for the Shenmue team, I joined in August 1998. Mitsuyoshi asked me to be his pupil. (laughs)

Takenobu Mitsuyoshi and Yuzo Koshiro.
http://shmuplations.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/shenmue05.jpg

Mitsuyoshi: Hah, no way, it wasn’t like that. (laughs) I talked with Yu Suzuki about bringing Koshiro on board, and it went from there. Before Shenmue started, I had met Koshiro once before when we shared the stage at a Roland event. After that Suzuki asked me, “Do you want to try working with Koshiro?” And of course I did! I’ve long admired Koshiro and thought he was cool. I’ve followed his work pretty closely for the last 10 years. (laughs)

Koshiro: This time I did an arrange version of Mitsuyoshi’s Shenmue theme. I wish I had more time to work on it though.

Mitsuyoshi: We didn’t have much time to record these songs, and I remember you had difficulties with the recording environment.

Koshiro: It was my first time making music with headphones. I knew I’d be playing with other musicians here at Sega so it made sense, but normally I always listen to the sound through speakers in my sutdio as I write. So using headphones exclusively was a challenge, but I think it was a good experience for me.

Mitsuyoshi: Koshiro came to Sega about once a week. He knows a lot about hardware, so amazingly he was able to complete songs entirely on his own and bring them in, ready for playback on the Dreamcast.

As for the composition process, I would say it was less sequencer-based, and more track-based with waveforms, like you’d do in a DAW .

Koshiro: It worked out alright–I mean, I get bored if I always do the same thing. (laughs) I like to try out as many new approaches as I can.

Mitsuyoshi: We’d have “sound meetings” every week, and everyone would present the songs they’d finished that week. Everyone was writing their own songs. Koshiro would come in with a song and it was like, “oh, he was thinking of the same scene.”

Koshiro: For Shenmue, the music was written before the scenes were completed, you see. When I was writing we only had some preliminary mock-up images. But it was like, what are we supposed to do with these? (laughs) No one knew. One picture they gave us, for instance, was of a drainage ditch covered with old boards. What song is supposed to match this? No one knew. Since it’s these dirty old boards, should it be a “dirty” song..?

Shenmue 2

Suzuki: Shenmue 2 will be the next evolutionary step for the Shenmue series; I think of the first game like an egg, in that sense. The egg of a new genre. I want to take this new direction and go further for Shenmue 2. I also want you to be able to carry your data over from the first game. The things you do in Shenmue, therefore, will affect the events in Shenmue 2. Of course you’ll be able to start from the sequel too. If you’re someone who has played this first chapter, though, the sequel will deepen your experience. That’s our plan.



Source

ShenGCH wrote:'TaleoftheMysteriousWindDojo' just doesn't have the same ring to it, does it?

Well, it could've been "Dojo of the Mysterious Wind", or "Genpuuki Dojo".

Hello Backers!

With the combined Kickstarter and Slacker Backer campaigns, we have reached the $7M stretch goal! Having reached this goal, the Battle System Expanded: AI Battling will be included! Thank you so much for your support!!　　

Battle System Expanded: AI Battling 　　　

This control system lets you automatically unleash the perfect technique in response to the opponent's positioning and distance. R&D for this system is based on Yu Suzuki's concept for players who are not used to fighting games or for those who want a full immersion battle experience. This battle system is highly compatible with, and will be an extension to the current battle system.

https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/assets/021/987/714/72ca8373a797ad46bd2a4a87a6529b12_original.jpg?w=639&fit=max&v=1532329681&auto=format&q=92&s=d118ecd2b624e0a620ca15f7e5d8eddc 　　　　　　　　

The Slacker Backer and Fangamer upgrade & add-on campaigns are still underway, so don't miss out! 　　　　　　　

And please make sure to get your survey in! Thank you!!

Add-on & Upgrade Announcement

The Toy Capsule Box Set is now available through Fangamer! Get the Ryo, Shenhua, Chai and Forklift set as either an add-on or upgrade. Alright! Have some more fun!

https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/assets/021/958/714/09bac5285162339db42863e34bbcd8ca_original.png?w=639&fit=max&v=1532050438&auto=format&lossless=true&s=34056e97970d29a097208c4f6328d7aa

Survey FAQ

We have received many inquiries concerning the survey for the following which we would like to address here.

*Please note that policies and implementation may change without notice depending on applicable quantities and content.　　　　　

Name Credit Input

There are three fields in which to input your name for name credit rewards. The first is English only and is required. The second and third are optional and accept other languages.

If you choose to enter your name in the second or third field in a language other than English, these optional names will take precedent.

*This will not apply if there would be a systems conflict or if deemed to be against public decency.

Concerning Pictures, Images and Text

Below is the list of prohibited content for survey responses. Should the dev team deem that survey responses contain prohibited content, or if responses are unfit for development or sales of the game, content may be edited or deleted.

*For example, offending text will be replaced with asterisks (***). Offending parts of images will be edited or deleted, or in some cases the content will not be displayed in the game.

· Content that infringes upon copyrights, trademarks or other rights

· Content that engages in slander, discrimination, or violations of human rights

· Content that is contrary to public decency

· Content where religious or political activities are included

· Content containing personal information

Game development will move forward based on your responses to go out to fans all around the world. We thank you in advance for your understanding and cooperation.

PC & PS4 Physical Version Disc Data

We would like to address the many inquiries concerning the physical version disc data. Development is moving forward to have all necessary data to play the game contained on the disc. Please rest assured that the disc will not be just a prompt for an internet download.

*An internet connection is a planned requirement for the purposes of game updates and reward activation.

That's the breaking news! The team would again like to thank you all for your wonderful support! See you next update!

---------- General Information ----------

Shenmue 3 Backer Survey

Backer surveys are now underway. For information on your survey, please see the email sent to you by Fangamer. Shenmue 3 can only be completed with your responses! Thank you for your cooperation!!

Please complete or make any necessary changes to your survey by these dates.

・August 13 (MON) 2018: Last day of Slacker Backer campaign, reward upgrades and add-ons

・September 30 (SUN) 2018: Surveys close

　　　　　　　
Choosing the PS4 or PC platform

We have a few notes to consider when choosing your platform. Also, if there would be any major changes in the requirements for either the PC or PS4 versions, the platform selection question of the survey is scheduled to remain open.

Choosing your PS4 region

Your PS4 region will be decided with your "Country" selection. Please note, if the disc region differs from PS4 system region, the unit itself, PlayStation™Network online services or DLC may not function properly.

System Requirements for PC Version

Minimum:

OS: Windows 7x64, Windows 8x64, Windows 10x64 (64-bit OS Required)

Processor: Intel Core i5-4460 (3.40 GHz) or better; Quad-core or better

Memory: 4 GB RAM

Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti or better (DirectX 11 card & VRAM 2GB Required)

DirectX: Version 11

Network: Broadband internet connection

Storage: 100 GB available space

Sound card: DirectX 9.0c compatible sound card

Additional Info: Requires Steam Client to activate.

*Game is currently in development so system requirements may change without notice. We thank you for your understanding.

Fangamer and Third Party Use of Personal Information

YS NET has a written contract with Fangamer to carry out the backer surveys. Fangamer is a formal representative of YS NET to help process and fulfill all backer's orders through the surveys. Personal information is handed over and treated in accordance with the privacy policies of both companies for the purposes of conducting the surveys and reward delivery only. We thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

YS NET Privacy Policy
Fangamer Privacy Policy

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ysnet/shenmue-3/posts/2241883

Looks beautiful!!!

https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/assets/021/987/714/72ca8373a797ad46bd2a4a87a6529b12_original.jpg?w=639&fit=max&v=1532329681&auto=format&q=92&s=d118ecd2b624e0a620ca15f7e5d8eddc

Okay, now if you tell you are not excited about Shenmue 3 after looking at that pic you must be dead inside.

I'm back only for this post.

... Or a QTE prompt.

Could be a counter indicator, à la the Arkham series.
It's neither.

https://abload.de/img/fightingthugsindicato9jf1p.jpg

Looks like a lock-on indicator. There's also a forklift in the background, and what look like newspapers on the floor.

The move Ryo is doing looks really similar to Akira's Houken at 1 minute 54 in this video: https://youtu.be/B9jm6lbJj54?t=113

High res:

https://abload.de/img/fight_with_thugsqrev6.jpg