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Re: About the buildings in Baisha village

I noticed the Baisha buildings were Tulous as well! I posted it to reddit yesterday, but no one seemed to care :(

Here's another wikipedia article about them:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hakka_walled_village

Apparently they're designed to be easily defensible, which would make sense, as Baisha village features an 'infiltration mission' into the Chi You Men's Guilin branch. I imagine we'll be sneaking into one of these Tuluos somehow.

For Choubu, we know it's a "riverside village with lots of shops, souvenir stores, hotels and temples", and that Yu Suzuki travelled to Suzhou in 1993 (as revealed in his Shenmue post-mortem). I hope he'll use it as inspiration, as it's very beautiful, being known as 'the Venice of China':
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzhou
by colacube
Tue Jun 23, 2015 9:58 am
 
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Re: About the buildings in Baisha village

Olha, um português. Excelente tópico, Rei, obrigado.





Having this setting conceived by Yu Suzuki for a Shenmue game gets me more excited than it ought to.


https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/87/Earth_building-chengqi2.jpg


https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d9/Jiqinglou.JPG/800px-Jiqinglou.JPG
by Nahovil
Tue Jun 23, 2015 11:45 am
 
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Digital Foundry Retro: Shenmue 2 - A Masterpiece Revisited

phpBB [video]
by Raithos
Sun Nov 27, 2016 5:38 am
 
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Re: Digital Foundry Retro: Shenmue 2 - A Masterpiece Revisit

Hope you guys enjoy some of it. I gave a shout out to this very forum since, really, this is THE place for Shenmue info. I'm amazed at how in-depth some folks have gone into pulling the game apart. It's awesome!

If I had time, I would have gone into more depth on emulation and, perhaps, point out more of those weird Xbox/DC differences (like all the modified signs and whatnot). Ah well.
by dark1x
Sun Nov 27, 2016 8:00 am
 
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Re: Playstation Experience - December 2016

I hope you all feel bad like I said you should. :)
by ShenmueTree
Sat Dec 03, 2016 3:30 pm
 
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Re: Playstation Experience - December 2016

There was this promise in the beginning that backers would have an unprecedented level of involvement with the development of the game, and they've done such a lousy job fulfilling it.
Thank God for that. I was never too keen on that idea. I don't want backers interfering on the game's development. I'm not paying to have a game made by us, but by Yu Suzuki and his team.

Personally, as a backer myself (who spent almost €200 on this project), the only thing I think Yu and co. owe me is a great game which lives up to the Shenmue name. In fact, I quite dislike something that is very common in the videogame industry and that is the fact that games are announced way before their release dates. I understand that they need to hype them, for marketing reasons, but, as a gamer, I just want the game and I want it to be good, not to spend 2 or 3 years getting screenshots and videos. Obviously, since this was a Kickstarter project, it had to be announced at a very early stage, so, as someone else mentioned already, it is only natural that it seems to be taking longer than usual for them to come up with something substantial to shoe to the public. Fine by me. After all, I'm a Shenmue fan. I know how to be patient. And I assume everyone else here knows too (or should know). And I'm fine with these Kickstarter "non-updates" we've been having too. Just let them focus on making the game. All I'm interested in is the final product.

And if this means that, when they finally do show some video which is more representative of what the actual game will look like, they're going to show us a proper trailer, with gameplay, cutscenes bits, different characters and whatnot, then great.
Because fuck teasers videos! They just... well, tease. Either show us something proper, or nothing at all. So I'd rather have nothing now and later have a proper trailer which will blow me away and give me an actual idea of what the game will be like, than having a teaser that shows nothing and just teases.

Anyway, this game won't come out for a very long time (we'll be lucky if we get it in 2018), so there's plenty of time to hype it and market it. No need to worry (yet) about the possibility of development being a mess which will result in a shitty game. It simply wasn't shown at PSX. Big deal. No one said it would.


Here here. That's my thoughts exactly. We will get a game eventually. Quit your whining. All this "woe is me, how dare they." 2 years ago I'd have given my left nut to have this game in production. Now it is. And no, I don't want backers telling yu what to do. I don't even want your names and likeness in the game. I want shenmue 3 not a Kickstarter project.
by ChiefNeo
Sat Dec 03, 2016 8:19 pm
 
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Re: Playstation Experience - December 2016

The fact that this thread has devolved into baseless conspiracy theories just shows how far it has jumped into madness.

The no-show was disappointing but let's not get crazy here.
by Spaghetti
Sat Dec 03, 2016 10:17 pm
 
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Re: Playstation Experience - December 2016

You guys can be "worried" all you want about this timing and that. At the end of it all we will have the game completed eventually and none of us will will care about PSX 2016.
by Axm
Sat Dec 03, 2016 10:49 pm
 
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Re: No Shenmue 3 Until E3 2017!!!

Fan feedback scares me. There are a lot of people that donated. Some of them have no idea about what made shenmue great. All it takes is a vocal minority to mess things up. One teaspoon of oil can mess up a ships water supply. Or so they say.

Can you imagine some teen going: "wtf this is boring. All you do is walk and talk. I paid for this? Lawl, shenmue sucks. Add more combat!"

Also, anyone who is familiar with game development knows that a demo takes months out of regular developmet. Watch the god of war 2 "making of" documentary on YouTube. Their struggle to get a demo ready for e3 as well as how time consuming it was is well documented there.
by ChiefNeo
Wed Dec 07, 2016 11:40 am
 
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Re: No Shenmue 3 Until E3 2017!!!

Fan feedback scares me.

It should scare everyone. Fan feedback will in the end undermine the author's vision and artistic control of his own work. If people have concerns with game mechanics, bugs and other in game problems there are professional testers for that kind of stuff. That's what their job are for. Damn me if this entire game becomes something like what happened to Mass Effect 3, where its ending was hated by fans so Ubisoft caved in and altered the original vision for the story.
by sand4fish
Wed Dec 07, 2016 12:32 pm
 
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What ~*May*~ Be Coming in December's Kickstarter Update

Just thought I'd make a separate thread in case the info got buried in the "No Shenmue III until E3 2017!!!" topic, but also to take a positive look ahead at the near future.

Basically politely* asking the Shenmue III support team via the Kickstarter yielded these answers R.E the December update:

Thank you very much for your candor. We will certainly be doing our best to keep everyone interested and in faith.

There should be something in terms of screen shots coming up this month.

Please keep your hopes up! This is a long process, but please trust Yu-san and everyone else involved has Shenmue's best interests at heart!

All our best,
Joel & the Shenmue III Team

We are glad to give all we can.

There should be an update before Christmas, likely within two weeks time.

Thank you again for your support and feedback.

Kindest Regards,
Joel & the Shenmue III Team

*politely is emphasised because that's probably the attitude you should go with if you're going to message them too, but I'm sure you all know that. You're all a well behaved bunch... mostly. :lol:

Personally, I think the update will drop on, or before December 22nd, as the 23rd is a public holiday in Japan.

FAQ:

" Can we trust this information? "

IMO, yeah. I know we've gotten into a mess recently over who to listen to about the project, but Joel and the rest of the support team are a lot closer to the project day-in day-out than Cedric, and their job is effectively communications, including planning and helping determine what goes into KS updates.

" Will it just be screens? "

Until we hear otherwise from a strong source, then just assume screens. I expect some written information with the screens, but whether it'll be worthwhile is unknown.

" Will the screens have the new character models? "

Nobody knows. That may not be the priority for the development right now, but the environments should be quite a bit further along than when we saw them in February.

UPDATE:

If you read down the thread a little you'll see a tease from Yu with a blown out photo on a phone screen seemingly showing Shenhua face-on. Considering the last time they officially showed Shenhua or Ryo they had them literally facing away from the camera, I think a face-on shot implies it could be the new model.

Similarly, Shenhua's outfit looks different from E3 2015 to me. The scarf (snood... thing) looks smaller and exposes more of the shoulder, and generally the outfit looks less baggy the best I can tell. If we could see the sleeve colour we'd know for sure if it's a new model or not, but the colours are too blown out.

Personally? I think we might be seeing new models.

" When's the US $10K Backer dinner? "

Soon. Imminent, even. Yu Suzuki is in the US and has already dropped in on Gio Corsi from Sony. It should happen over the weekend and put Yu back in Japan by mid-week. Nobody really knows who the dinner backers are, and nobody is expecting any information to leak; so sit back and put it out of your mind for now if possible.
by Spaghetti
Fri Dec 09, 2016 10:55 pm
 
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Re: What ~*May*~ Be Coming in December's Kickstarter Update

Ooooo shit.

http://i.imgur.com/Qk3fxpn.jpg

https://twitter.com/NovinWorksPlus/status/807444287499681792

EDIT:

Did some botched CSI-ing to get a closer look.

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

I'm kinda sure that's a Tulou in the background? I can't tell if they've literally whited out Shenhua's face or if that's a blown highlight. I don't believe it's the completed new model (sleeves don't look the right colour), but you'd hope if they're showing them again that work's been done. Shenhua's hair looks different from what I can tell so far, however.
by Spaghetti
Sat Dec 10, 2016 1:00 am
 
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Re: Voice Acting

The Room is a great movie for all the wrong reasons.
Having said that, I wouldn’t want a sequel anytime soon; being a one-time disaster is what makes the film so good, IMO.

With Shenmue, I have to wonder why some of you are masochistic enough to want not one, but three games filled with shitty acting.

I played S1 in English, and while the dub was atrocious, I can understand why some might be attached to those memories. Then again, nostalgia only works when relegated to the past. Wanting future installments to be filled with laughable acting is…something entirely different.

To each his own, I suppose.
by punkmanced
Wed Dec 14, 2016 2:00 am
 
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Re: Kickstarter Update #63: Campaign and Progress Update

I think the best part of this update nobody have mentioned:

“I have been absorbed in developing the game and I stay in the studio all night time to time. My life is all about Shenmue day and night.”-Yu Suzuki

This is the kind of posture and dedication that made Yu Suzuki be what he is. Shenmue is in really good hands!
by The_Fuzileiro
Thu Dec 15, 2016 11:51 am
 
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Re: Kickstarter Update #63: Campaign and Progress Update

Image

Fuck the haters and the negativity.

Merry Christmas Yu, make the best game you can.
by Shenhua-Nani?
Thu Dec 15, 2016 6:35 pm
 
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Part Three! YS Interview + images [DenFamiNicoGamer 26 Dec]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Edit (Feb 1, 2017) :
Part Three of the interview translation is now ready.

Read the translated article here on the Phantom River Stone blog:
Part One: http://www.phantomriverstone.com/2016/12/yu-suzuki-interview-part-1.html
Part Two: http://www.phantomriverstone.com/2017/01/yu-suzuki-katsuhiro-harada-interview.html
Part Three: http://www.phantomriverstone.com/2017/02/yu-suzuki-katsuhiro-harada-interview.html
Part Four: Coming soon
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


A glimpse of a new illustration for Shenmue III plus some original images / documents from the days of working on "Virtua Fighter RPG" / Shenmue I & II.

These are from a new Japanese-language interview with Yu Suzuki & Katsuhiro Harada (from the Tekken series) published online at denfaminicogamer.jp.

Regarding an English translation of the Shenmue-related parts of the article, I am working on this and will post up a separate thread about it once ready.

For now, here are the Shenmue-related images from the article:

Shenmue III: Yu showing Tulou illustration
http://i.imgur.com/xKgKn6s.jpg

"Ren's hideout"
http://i.imgur.com/6MpzCny.jpg

"Pier at Langhuishan"
http://i.imgur.com/yrrcIkk.jpg

"Shelves at Tomato Convenience Store"
http://i.imgur.com/xEFglpu.jpg

"Suspension bridge"
http://i.imgur.com/81gT6IT.jpg

"Interior of Hong Kong restaurant"
http://i.imgur.com/0VyMrry.jpg

"Aberdeen"
http://i.imgur.com/TBj1Bds.jpg

"Hong Kong: Bird Street"
http://i.imgur.com/olmFaUD.jpg

"Part Time Job: Breaking Tiles" [translated version]
http://i.imgur.com/USrnUIb.png

”Fishing” [translated version]
http://i.imgur.com/rq3k7Rz.jpg

"Washing spot" [translated version]
http://i.imgur.com/v3Q5B3G.jpg

"Interior of the Yuki Dojo"
http://news.denfaminicogamer.jp/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/SCAN00801.jpeg

Article source: http://news.denfaminicogamer.jp/projectbook/virtua_fighter
by Switch
Mon Dec 26, 2016 3:30 am
 
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Re: New Shenmue I/I/III images [Dec 26 interview]

Oh there's also a concept art for the the Hazuki Dojo:

Image

*Note the Shenmue name was not even there yet (left lower corner)
by sand4fish
Tue Dec 27, 2016 7:30 pm
 
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Analysis: "Especially Since You Bought Merchandise"

I've written about what that famous quirky phrase "Especially since you bought merchandise" originally says in the Japanese version of Shenmue, and why it ended up as it did through the process of translating into English.

Read my in-depth analysis here: :)
http://www.phantomriverstone.com/2016/10/especially-since-you-bought-merchandise.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuI0kZ8yybA
by Switch
Sat Oct 08, 2016 10:54 am
 
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Re: Shenmuehd.com Domain Registered

SEGA Of Europe Has Registered “ShenmueRemastered.com” & “SheMnUeGame.com” Domains Too
http://www.tssznews.com/2017/01/05/sega ... mains-too/
I wonder if it possible to fake something like this or this is all legit?
by Radar
Fri Jan 06, 2017 1:29 am
 
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Re: Shenmuehd.com Domain Registered

REALLY hope it's a bundled release with Shenmue 1 and 2. Otherwise people who thought Shenmue 1 was slow and a tad uneventful will miss out on 2, where the series really opens.
by Rikitatsu
Fri Jan 06, 2017 3:21 am
 
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Re: Part Two! YS Interview + images [DenFamiNicoGamer 26 Dec

Part Two of the interview is now up.

http://www.phantomriverstone.com/2017/01/yu-suzuki-katsuhiro-harada-interview.html

This part has a focus on "the generation gap" with the younger Katsuhiro Harada talking about VR and paying homage to Yu Suzuki and his generation for their groundwork. He also points out similarities in the kinds of challenges he has been facing.
by Switch
Thu Jan 05, 2017 6:47 pm
 
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Muecas comic in English: Training in Guilin

Here's a translation of one of the comic strips that used to be up on the official Japanese Shenmue.com site (before it was taken down). The comic was drawn by the Muecas team, which consisted of actual Shenmue project members.

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

For background notes (e.g. about Segata Sanshiro and the TV ads he was in), the full blog post can be read here:

http://www.phantomriverstone.com/2017/01/shenmue-comic-training-in-guilin.html
by Switch
Sat Jan 14, 2017 1:55 am
 
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Re: Part Two! YS Interview + images [DenFamiNicoGamer 26 Dec

I've completed giving the Fishing and Washing documents English annotations.

http://i.imgur.com/rq3k7Rz.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/v3Q5B3G.jpg

Read my article at PhantomRiverStone about the documents here (any comments appreciated!):
http://www.phantomriverstone.com/2017/01/gachinko-fishing-washing-place-shenmue.html
by Switch
Fri Jan 27, 2017 12:16 pm
 
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Iwao Hazuki's China Visit Diagram

In Shenmue I & II Ryo gathered various pieces of information about the visit father made to Hong Kong & Guilin all those years ago, so I've tried to bring these together into a diagram showing some of these relationships and timelines.

The diagram includes some assumptions / guesses, which I talk about here:

Blog post:
http://www.phantomriverstone.com/2017/02/iwao-hazukis-china-visit-diagram-of.html

http://i.imgur.com/QvEB4lR.png

The character of Yuanda Zhu is quite enigmatic, as he seems to change what he says depending on who he is talking to. I don't think he has bad intentions towards Ryo, but I get the feeling he is hiding the true circumstances around the death of Sunming Zhao. It will be interesting to see how (or whether) this is developed in Shenmue III.
by Switch
Sun Feb 05, 2017 9:51 pm
 
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Shenmue Realism: Rotary Phones & Milk Delivery

I've written a short blog commentary that compares some of items that Ryo encounters as he wanders through the Yokosuka suburbs with how they actually look in real life.

As you can see from the preview images below, they modeled them really closely!

The blog commentary is here:
http://www.phantomriverstone.com/2017/02/rotary-phones-milk-deliveries-shenmue.html

http://i.imgur.com/PVpT7jB.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/3wUqhqz.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/igNiA5e.jpg
by Switch
Fri Feb 17, 2017 1:36 am
 
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Re: I contacted YS Net on Kickstarter

Totally agree we shouldn't pester them and that they'll let us know when there's something to share and that there's little point it continually asking them the same question.

However, while I love and respect everyone here yourself included Peter... I don't agree with being pointlessly hostile to someone who, while perhaps misguided, was well intentioned and trying to help by sharing (albeit naive to its irrelevance) what they heard. Or with telling them to "toughen up" when they rightfully say that was too harsh. It was. "Toughen up" or "cry moar" or what have you, is what everyone being unnecessarily hostile always says online.

If you think that's too "soft" or "untough" because it should be permissible to act that way toward good intentioned people... okay, that's your prerogative. But if that's the case, then it's also others' prerogative to say how about you just refrain from being that way to people to start with? Especially when it seems likely the person in question is probably on the young, or at least somewhat naive/uninformed, side.

Sorry, I just don't brook that kind of treatment of anyone. I don't care who you are or how much longer you've been here, or what people think of me for saying it. It's not necessary, it's not helpful, and it's not in the spirit of this game or this community imo.

I'll likely be flagellated for this (or simply shut down,) but so be it.
by Anonymous81
Tue Feb 21, 2017 7:03 am
 
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Re: What new open world features do you want to see?

To me it's more about what Open World features I don't want to see, like absolutely NO mini-maps with quest/enemy/item GPS tracking (actually no quest tracking at all on the UI if possible other than Ryo's notebook), NO battle HP item use and NO vast areas devoid of anything interactive, but merely transitional areas just to walk or run by.

Other than those I also have to point out to NO narratives that betray the game mechanics, like an avatar worrying about having enough money to live by and swearing to not use violence unless necessary but when translated into gameplay, he is able to amass a fortune in no time and is able to shoot or run over any NPC in front of him (GTA IV); or an avatar on a quest of uttermost urgency but the game doesn't actually press the gamer to do that in any way (Skyrim).
Well said. Couldn't agree more.
While games have evolved and Shenmue 3 would do well to learn from them in some aspects, thus also evolving, I do want Shenmue 3 to still be Shenmue and not yet another open world game, full of gamey stuff and hand-holding. To this day, one thing that Shenmue 1 and 2 still do better than all these modern open world games is their sense of immersion. Shenmue doesn't need, and shouldn't have, an overbearing HUD where every little thing is explained to you, where you'll never need to learn its streets, where you'll always know exactly what you should do next to advance, as if you were playing with a walkthrough. Sure, Shenmue needs to evolve, because, let's face it, the first two games are pretty outdated now, but it should not lose its soul and should not change the things that are still good about it just for change's sake and/or because "that's the way things are done now".

What I was thinking is what will be the size of Ryo? 2/3 of the screen like in the previous games or less? Will it interfere with the identification we have? And will we be able to move the camera freely with the mouse on the pc version ?I wonder how the gameplay evolution will impact our feelings towards the game. So much question... What do you think?


I think they should change the camera angle.

No one wants to look at Ryo's gargantuan caboose all day.
Disagree with that one. I think the fact that the camera was so close to Ryo, and kinda low, thus allowing for a better view of the surrounding environments, was one of the reasons why Shenmue was so immersive. You felt more inside of its world, so to speak.
Of course, as someone suggested before, an option to walk around the world in first person view would be lovely and would make it even more immersive. I once saw a video of a Witcher 3 mod, which allowed just that, and it made a huge difference. Would definitely love such an option.


Concordo com isso tudo.
I'd welcome a playing screen without HUD in it, or at least the option to conceal it.
by Nahovil
Tue Feb 28, 2017 7:55 am
 
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[ENG] Famitsu interview with Cédric Biscay at MAGIC 2017

I've completed an English translation of the recent Famitsu interview with co-producer of Shenmue III, Cédric Biscay.

The interview covers Cédric's background and reasons for starting his company Shibuya Productions, and he talks about some of the guests and goals of the MAGIC event.

And of particular interest for Shenmue fans, at the end of the interview Cédric is asked about Shenmue III and the current development progress. Here's the relevant section:

http://i.imgur.com/NlwmD3M.jpg

If you have a few minutes the whole interview is worth a read too. Link:
http://www.phantomriverstone.com/2017/03/interview-with-cedric-biscay-at-magic.html
by Switch
Sun Mar 12, 2017 5:02 am
 
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Re: Kickstarter Update #65: Dev room update

Did a few new video grabs (directly frame per frame from the source video).

This is the best I can get of a few scenes/assets and the intriguing mini-map.

http://i.imgur.com/ch8yJ3S.jpg

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

http://i.imgur.com/hmH4uSG.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/butt44g.jpg
by Kiske
Thu Mar 16, 2017 9:53 am
 
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Re: Kickstarter Update #65: Dev room update

Here's a link to my post with my observations about the update on Phantom River Stone.

http://www.phantomriverstone.com/2017/03/thoughts-on-kickstarter-update-65-dev.html

I was able to translate a few words off the projector screen at the Dialogue Meeting.
http://i.imgur.com/kEyqzaL.jpg

These represent minor spoilers, so I'll hide them inside a spoiler tag. :)
http://i.imgur.com/DXyqqWf.jpg

The top part looks like topics that Ryo may discuss with Shenhua. At the bottom is an intriguing mention of some kind of gift-based system.
by Switch
Thu Mar 16, 2017 8:10 pm
 
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Re: Random Shenmue III Thoughts

I'm really hoping that, in Shenmue 3, they won't be using Japanese character variants in Chinese writing, as they did in Shenmue 2.
I'm talking about stuff like this: https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EDwimdjz00c/WAcu6yPBdBI/AAAAAAAAA1Q/x5Anr2Z2z50vr-QFExhgKIN5cVrqDAUMwCPcB/s320/BuyingMap.png
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n1V25Gtav_k/VPi_DSdfTPI/AAAAAAAAFKo/PKgfT-lDrEI/s1600/05.jpg

Notice, in the fist pic, the 図 instead of 圖, and, in the second pic, on the red sign on the right, the 広 instead of 廣.

Now, when I played Shenmue 2, all those years ago, on the Dreamcast, I didn't notice any of that. But a lot has happened in the meantime and, one of the things that happened, is that I've learned Chinese, learned about China, lived and studied there and travelled all over the country. And while this means that now, I'll be able to appreciate lots of new details in Shenmue 2 (waiting for the HD remaster to replay it, hopefully, not in vain) and in Shenmue 3, it also means that Japanese character variants in China stick out like a sore thumb. That's what happened when I came across these screenshots. And there are probably more examples. I'm pretty sure I've also seen a 仏 instead of 佛 (Buddha) in some screenshot too.

Frankly, I think they really dropped the ball on this one and find it very odd that, considering the fact that they even used real-world weather data for Yokosuka in 86, 87 (which, while a cool story, adds nothing to the experience, to be honest), they went ahead and used Japanese character variants for writing in China.

Also, since, as far as we know, Shenmue 3 will be set entirely in mainland China, they should use the simplified writing system which is used over there (thanks, commies!). For instance, the above-mentioned 図, which in Hong Kong (where they use traditional characters) should be 圖, in Guilin should be 图. The 広, which in Hong Kong should be 廣, in Guilin should be 广 (keeping in mind, however, that traditional characters are often still used in mainland China in certain situations, as in temple signs, paintings and all sorts of art, and, as a general rule, anything that should feel traditional).

I mean, c' mon, I'd say that using the proper writing system in the game's setting is far from a small detail, so I hope they won't disappoint in that regard with Shenmue 3.
Interesting point that I hadn't been aware of. By the way, does the "Man Mo" found on various signs around the streets approximate the Cantonese pronunciation?
by Switch
Sat Mar 18, 2017 10:50 am
 
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The Naming of Phantom River Stone | Translation Analysis

The mysterious mirrors that lie at the heart of the Shenmue mystery were crafted from a substance with an equally mysterious-sounding name: "Phantom River stone".

Now, although its name is Phantom River stone in the English Shenmue games, in fact this differs slightly from the Japanese name in the games.

http://i.imgur.com/0ho4VKS.jpg

This post looks at what it is called in the Japanese version of Shenmue.

http://www.phantomriverstone.com/2017/03/the-naming-of-phantom-river-stone.html
by Switch
Sat Mar 18, 2017 10:53 am
 
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Re: Random Shenmue III Thoughts

I'm really hoping that, in Shenmue 3, they won't be using Japanese character variants in Chinese writing, as they did in Shenmue 2.
I'm talking about stuff like this: https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EDwimdjz00c/WAcu6yPBdBI/AAAAAAAAA1Q/x5Anr2Z2z50vr-QFExhgKIN5cVrqDAUMwCPcB/s320/BuyingMap.png
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n1V25Gtav_k/VPi_DSdfTPI/AAAAAAAAFKo/PKgfT-lDrEI/s1600/05.jpg

Notice, in the fist pic, the 図 instead of 圖, and, in the second pic, on the red sign on the right, the 広 instead of 廣.

Now, when I played Shenmue 2, all those years ago, on the Dreamcast, I didn't notice any of that. But a lot has happened in the meantime and, one of the things that happened, is that I've learned Chinese, learned about China, lived and studied there and travelled all over the country. And while this means that now, I'll be able to appreciate lots of new details in Shenmue 2 (waiting for the HD remaster to replay it, hopefully, not in vain) and in Shenmue 3, it also means that Japanese character variants in China stick out like a sore thumb. That's what happened when I came across these screenshots. And there are probably more examples. I'm pretty sure I've also seen a 仏 instead of 佛 (Buddha) in some screenshot too.

Frankly, I think they really dropped the ball on this one and find it very odd that, considering the fact that they even used real-world weather data for Yokosuka in 86, 87 (which, while a cool story, adds nothing to the experience, to be honest), they went ahead and used Japanese character variants for writing in China.

Also, since, as far as we know, Shenmue 3 will be set entirely in mainland China, they should use the simplified writing system which is used over there (thanks, commies!). For instance, the above-mentioned 図, which in Hong Kong (where they use traditional characters) should be 圖, in Guilin should be 图. The 広, which in Hong Kong should be 廣, in Guilin should be 广 (keeping in mind, however, that traditional characters are often still used in mainland China in certain situations, as in temple signs, paintings and all sorts of art, and, as a general rule, anything that should feel traditional).

I mean, c' mon, I'd say that using the proper writing system in the game's setting is far from a small detail, so I hope they won't disappoint in that regard with Shenmue 3.
Interesting point that I hadn't been aware of. By the way, does the "Man Mo" found on various signs around the streets approximate the Cantonese pronunciation?
Thanks! Love all of your translation analysis you regularly put out, by the way.
You're welcome, and glad to hear that!


Well, I've never really learned Cantonese, but rather Mandarin, but I'm pretty sure I've seen, in some Cantonese context before, 文武 (which, in Mandarin, would be "Wen Wu)" written as "Man Mo" (and maybe also as "Man Mou"?), so it seems about right to me.
I see, so at least here for the English they chose not to use the Japanese pronunciation ("Bunbu").


Having said that, this reminds me of something that now I remember having mentioned in another thread, back when Shenmue 3's locations were made known...

Baisha (白沙; lit. White Sand ) and Bailu (白鹿; lit. White Deer ) are both the Mandarin reading of those characters (as seen in that stretch goal artwork), but Choubu (鳥舞; lit. Bird Dance ) is definitely not Mandarin and I'm pretty sure it's a Japanese reading. In Mandarin, it would read "Niaowu".
I find it very odd that they are naming two of the towns according to its Mandarin reading and then one of them according to its Japanese reading, as all three of them are in China. This inconsistency is somewhat troubling and it does make me worried that in Shenmue 3, once again, we may get Japanese character variants in China...
However, since I don't know Japanese, I don't actually know what Ys Net has been calling those towns in Japanese. I'm only going by what we get in the translated press releases and interviews. So maybe they've actually been using the Japanese reading for all three of them, but, for some reason, whoever translated it into English, decided to only keep the Japanese reading in Choubu and use the Mandarin reading for Baisha and Bailu?
Switch?
Actually it's a mix of readings on the Japanese side as well: the names for Baisha (as you say, the Mandarin reading of 白沙) and Choubu (Japanese reading of 鳥舞) are the same as used in English, while Bailu village is called Hakkason (白鹿村) i.e. a Japanese reading. I guess they would want to keep the same pronunciation as used in Shenmue II for that one though.
by Switch
Sat Mar 18, 2017 9:38 pm
 
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Anecdotes About Yu Suzuki From Yuji Naka | DenFamiNicoGamer

In February, SEGA legend Yuji Naka was a special guest on an informal talk show streamed live online by the Japanese site DenFamiNicoGamer.

http://i.imgur.com/Io4LbL0.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/g5pt52Im.jpg

Some of the inside stories he shared about his early days at SEGA are about Yu Suzuki, who was working there at the time. In particular, one previously-unheard episode ended up with the two not speaking for a couple of years!

I've translated these to English in this blog post:
http://www.phantomriverstone.com/2017/03/anecdotes-about-yu-suzuki-from-yuji.html
by Switch
Mon Mar 27, 2017 9:14 pm
 
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Shenmue Realism: Bamboo Fountain in the Hazuki's Garden

I've written a post about the bamboo fountain in the corner of the garden at the Hazuki residence. It's just another part of Shenmue that doesn't have any role to play in the main story, but it adds so much to the atmosphere.

http://i.imgur.com/a9e2gkE.jpg

The ornamental pond in the corner of the garden at the Hazuki residence is an oasis of tranquility. Flowering water lilies bob gently on the surface, rising and falling as Japanese carp glide lazily by underneath. Birds twitter in the trees and the water trickles continuously into a bamboo water fountain.

Every so often, the bamboo spout of the fountain pivots over, spilling its collected water into the pond, and makes a distinctive "clonk" as it returns to its original position. The sound can be heard from other parts of the garden as Ryo walks around.

Let's look at how the fountain works, what its name is in Japanese and finally some in-game footage of the fountain in motion.
Full post here:
http://www.phantomriverstone.com/2017/03/the-bamboo-fountain-in-hazukis-garden.html
by Switch
Fri Mar 31, 2017 8:41 pm
 
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Re: Random Shenmue III Thoughts

I've received many requests on Youtube to include the dog and bird sounds into the FREE 1 track.

phpBB [video]
by Ziming
Thu Mar 30, 2017 3:55 pm
 
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Yu Suzuki Interview: Champion Boxing, Shenmue [ENG]

I've posted up a translation of an interview with Yu Suzuki that was published in January by Famitsu.com to commemorate the release of a new games collection by Sega that has ties to some of his old arcade hits.

In it, Suzuki gives his feelings towards Champion Boxing, and also talks briefly about Shenmue III, revealing how the Dreamcast console is playing its part in the development.

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

Link to the interview:
http://www.phantomriverstone.com/2017/04/yu-suzuki-interview-for-release-of-sega.html
by Switch
Sat Apr 08, 2017 9:03 pm
 
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RESULTS: Famitsu Poll for Best Action-Adventure [June 2017]

June 2017 update: RESULTS

The poll results are out now with Shenmue II ranking 6th and Shenmue ranking 2nd! Read the write-up here with bonus messages of thanks from the voice talent for Nozomi & Ryo from the Japanese dub, as well as Yu Suzuki.

http://www.phantomriverstone.com/2017/06/results-of-famitsu-poll-action.html


Original post:

Help give the Shenmue series some extra publicity in this new poll being run by Famitsu in Japan for best Action-Adventure game.

http://i.imgur.com/xCSxZv5l.jpg

It's very straight-forward and will only take a minute - just a matter of giving up to 3 game titles.

[Poll link now expired]
by Switch
Sun Apr 30, 2017 7:35 am
 
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Re: Shenmue III Update #67: Developer Room Update 3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjJpjUmc-2M


This thumbnail shows perfectly whats wrong with this character design IMO. The completely over exaggerated face features except the nose and ears:

- jaw
- joker mouth
- cheekbones
- whats wrong with the eyes?
- why are the eyelashes missing?
- what about the feminin eyebrows and the curve?

..also the lack of defined textures and the lighting makes the character doesn't look real. He looks like an action figure.
Don't get me wrong: I know Shenmue 1 & 2 had some freaky characters like chai but even they look more natural.
I have just made a few changes to his face in 5minutes and this is how he looks:

http://fs5.directupload.net/images/170531/tt7ceql5.jpg

Original:
http://fs5.directupload.net/images/170531/2dpwigy9.jpg

I really hope this is by FAR not the final design because after two years to see this kind of character design is disappointing for me :(
by Shenmue_Trilogy
Wed May 31, 2017 2:04 pm
 
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Re: YSNET officially announce the delay of Shenmue 3.

I've put up a blog post about the announcement on Phantom River Stone:
http://www.phantomriverstone.com/2017/06/shenmue-3-rescheduled-for-2018.html

I made a slightly fuller translation of Yu's comment from the video. The official captions are fine so far as meaning but I felt they lost a little bit of the nuance.
http://i.imgur.com/DWFOG0g.png
by Switch
Thu Jun 08, 2017 10:53 am
 
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Re: Random Shenmue III Thoughts

I don't know exactly, but as a person who grew up in a country where anime is mainstream since about the late 70s i've seen a lot of stuff from that period during my childhood, and in some way now i'm really nostalgic about Showa era.

I think that one anime that could really fit here is Ranma, because from a lot of points of view it's basically Shenmue the Animation:

-Martial arts
-Late 80s
-Ranma and the (motherless) Tendos family living in an big old-fashioned house with a dojo
-Heavy Japanese/Chinese duality
-Lots of urban slice of life scenes
-A lot of Chinese classic culture
-Midi-based soundtrack inspired by mixed Chinese and Japanese influences

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xheK_Vwdvw8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fxDUsP_f3E
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGbWVaRkM0Q
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ujj-G910zgQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wb13uy81cDA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmBHnfK5v6A

A lot of these tracks could actually be part of the Shenmue ost and nobody would notice the difference :D
by Verderame
Mon Jul 31, 2017 8:42 am
 
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Re: Random Shenmue III Thoughts

Uh, well, i don't know about that. I mean, keep in mind that Ranma is way more comedic and a bit less grounded than something like Shenmue, with a ton of wacky characters, silly plotlines and some romantic stuff sprinkled here and there. I don't know exactly why you despise anime (i don't care about most of the post-early 2000s' ones too, honestly), but i guess you have to like japanese-flavoured comedy in order to enjoy it.

Personally, i really love it, all the characters are really likeable and i think it's actually pretty funny. In particular i love the anime version, it has a lot of that late 80s'/early 90s' charm (ie: no cheap cg bullshit shoved in it, no horrible, hyper-bright modern digital coloration, classy character design, fantastic syntethic music, etc), but i don't know how much of it can be enjoyed if watched today for the first time ever.
I also own a lot of the manga's books, and i like it too and it's probably funnier, but honestly even though i love Rumiko Takashi and most of her things i think it's very poorly drawn, and of course the fight scenes are better in motion anyway. I also enjoy the slower, more atmospheric pace.
The animated version is mostly faithful, with some occasional, notable differences, and in most cases i think it vastly wins over the manga one, but that's my opinion.

Anyway, i didn't want to shill Ranma here, it's just that i noticed a lot of coincidences with Shenmue :D
by Verderame
Wed Aug 02, 2017 5:35 am
 
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Sega - "actively pursuing" a Shenmue remaster.

MCV UK recently interviewed Sega Europe's executive vice president John Clarke at E3. The interview talks about it's new remasters collection, and the benefits of PC. In regards to the success of it's PC remasters, Clark was asked specifically about Shenmue. Heres what he had to say:



The success of those titles has meant that gamers have been quick to make lists of other titles they’d love to see on their PCs. The most common title at the top of those lists? Shenmue.

“It’s something we would love to make happen, something we are trying to make happen," Clark says. "I think we want it to happen as much as anybody out there. Yes, it’s a serious task and it’s not a task that we’re not working on, if that makes sense. It’s something we’re actively pursuing.”

We ask whether Sega has its own list of possible console-to-PC conversions? “Yes, which is almost identical, I would say, to the community’s list," Clark replies. "You know, when we launched Bayonetta, there was a list created straight away on Steam that was saying, ‘What games do you want to see Sega release next?’ Those titles have been titles on our list for a long time.”

Disappointing news? Or clever speak? What do you guys think? Not....not working on it??? So you ARE working on it???

Oh Sega....

Full article can be read HERE
by Peter
Thu Aug 10, 2017 12:32 pm
 
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Re: Sega - "actively pursuing" a Shenmue remaster.

O Rei do Frango Assado wrote:this is Sega we're talking about


Just for fun I thought I'd google that phrase.

Would you believe it's seldom used in a positive tone? :lol:
by Let's Get Sweaty
Thu Aug 10, 2017 5:36 pm
 
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