Here is my translation of that Yu interview in the German magazine.
I didn't translate everything because some of the questions are just about Yu's hobbies etc.
I'm not a native english speaker, i tried my best.

Question 1 to Yu:
You said that Shenmue 3 will be bigger than you thought at first?

Yu's answer:
Yes, the game will probably be three times as big as i had in mind at the beginning. One of the villages has over 200 residents now instead of just 50. This village alone is five times bigger than i had in mind.

Question 2 to Yu:
But still - Shenmue 3 has not the same budget as 1 or 2. What do you have to change in the game because of that?

Yu's answer:
The story is still intact but i had to adjust some of the extra elements and details. We talked about the 200 people in that village - maybe we will even have 400 in the end, i didn't decide yet. You have to remember that all the city / village residents in 1 & 2 had a "real" simulated life, thats a really complicated and tough quest and the budget for Shenmue 3 is probably not big enough to do that again.

Question 3 to Yu:
Will there be voices and sound for everything in the game?

Yu's answer:
We don't know yet. To tell the truth - the amount of text is getting bigger and bigger and not all of it is planned, so we don't know if all of it will be available with sound.

Question 4 to Yu:
Will you use the voice actors from 1 & 2?

Yu's answer:
Ryo's english and japanese voice will be the same in Shenmue 3. I can't tell you anything about the other people yet.

Question 5 to Yu:
Shenmue 3 will be only available on PS4 and PC, why is that?

Yu's answer:
That's simple - it's just because of our partnership with Sony and their support at the E3 2015.

Question 6 to Yu:
Did you ever thought about how you could tell the story without a real Shenmue 3?

Yu's answer:
Yes, i thought about a mobile game before.

Question 7 to Yu:
There were a lot of critical responses for the Shenmue 3 teaser. What would you tell the people who feel dissappointed?

Yu's answer:
We don't have any facial expressions in the game right now and none of the character models are final yet. So it will look different and better in the final game. The teaser is not representing the quality of the final game, we are still in the middle of developing. And of course you have to remember the budget. The budget is good enough for our game, but its pretty small if you compare it to other games right now. We can't keep up with big modern games. We would need a way bigger budget (ten times bigger than now) to make perfect modern graphics. So we need to find a good middle way between good graphics and good content. Please don't expect highend graphics, Shenmue 3 is not about that.

I'll try to pick up a copy of the Playstation Official Magazine UK over the next few days and post the article/interview.

I get it too. Blind fanboy-faith won't get anyone anywhere.

I may end lynched for what I'm going to say, but I don't agree on that. Not fully at least.

I personally think that, as the Shenmue fanbase, we should be a little bit fanboys.

There is more than enough people jumping on every single occasion to bash Shenmue or Yu Suzuki for many various reasons. There is more than enough people wanting Shenmue to fail for many various reasons.

I don't say we need to be blinded by our passion for the Shenmue Series but we need to be united and put things in perspective when a mere 53 seconds video update for Kickstarter backers is enough to see wagons of people use it to bash Shenmue 3 or insult Yu Suzuki's talent.

it's a crowdfunded project, we get to see steps of the development we usually never see. I can agree that the communication around the project is not good, but that doesn't mean that the game won't be good in the end.

What good can come out from joining the chorus of critics? What good can come out from telling to YsNet and Yu Suzuki that they are bad at making a game? That the artistic direction is wrong, the Ryo model is off, etc...?
They know what they are doing and are doing the best they can anyway.
Just think of the Deep Silver partnership: Suzuki San always knew he would need more budget to achieve what he has in mind for Shenmue 3 so he managed to increase the budget. For a man who never gave up on his dream to continue the Shenmue story, the least we can do is to keep our faith in him.

Until Shenmue 3 is released, the best attitude the Shenmue fan base can adopt is to be supportive of the development team efforts.

Now, let the lynching begin.

Here is the 2 page article from November's issue of Playstation Official Magazine UK.

Bump:
Episode 2 is now out for The Harbor!

Shenmue Ultrawidescreen (21:9) running on a real Dreamcast,

Video was captured from My Dreamcast conected to a VGA2HDMI box, then conected to my Xbox One streaming to windows I then recorded using Bandicam and finally recompressed to keep the 21:9 aspect ratio since the source video was 16:9 on top of that the youtube compression.... lol

So the quality isn't the best possible actually it introduced quite a lot of stuttering and artifacts not present during direct gameplay, but you get the Idea, it is quite impressive seeing it running on the real thing.

In the whole 40 minutes gameplay there are only 2 times when the games lags, mostly in the intro.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsAAWxAL_wI&t=1s

https://i.imgur.com/2LwRfgP.jpg

Prior to the upcoming publishing of their interview with Yu Suzuki, Trent and Shendream from Shenmuemaster.fr have written a recap of what we learnt from the Gamescom event, divided into the following parts:

Deep Silver: The Origins and Nature of the Partnership
The Different Interviews With Yu Suzuki At Gamescom
An "Open World" Game With Enhanced Content
The Gamescom Teaser
MOCAP or Motion Capture
The Story's Main Themes
The Environment
New Characters
QTE And Fights
Mini Games And Part Time Jobs
The Current State Of The Development
The Shenmue III Staff
The Connection With The Shenmue I and Shenmue II Stories
Game Lifespan
Music And Dubbing
Start Menu And Shenmue Logo
Demo Trial And DLC
HD Remasters
Miscellaneous
Conclusion

You can read my humble translation of it here:
http://shenmuemaster.fr/page.php?cat=shenmue3&page=gamescom-2017-the-recap

Peter,

I've had an idea for your streams. when you next stream why not have the character profiles at hand and whenever you come across an npc that you're curious about you can read their profile. there is tonnes of interesting info in those profiles. just a little something extra to do in the slower moments of the game. maybe this is more appropriate for the legacy steam.
keep up the good work, I'm enjoying them!

A new interview with Yu Suzuki at Gamescom emerged. (9Lives.be)

Google Translation:
https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.9lives.be%2Fspecial%2Fportret-van-yu-suzuki-de-gamelegende-die-een-comeback-forceert-met-shenmue-iii&edit-text=&act=url

Portrait of Yu Suzuki, the game legend that forces a comeback with Shenmue III

With Shenmue III, somewhere in the market next year, legendary game designer Yu Suzuki returns from the Limbo of mobile games to finally make a title with some scale. Who is this person, and why is his comeback such a big deal? A portrait.

https://www.9lives.be/sites/default/files/styles/main/public/content/shenm.jpg?itok=Y6sYY2hz

It is 1985, and a 27-year-old Yu Suzuki undertakes a car trip through Europe. The journey starts in Frankfurt, but takes him further to places like the Romantic Road in Germany, the Swiss Alps, the French Riviera, Florence, Rome, and the Trevi Fountain. The visual impressions he gains there will form the basis for Out Run (1986) for him an ode to the romantic road trip, for the audience of young people who are in luna parks around the red, pneumariate-set Ferrari shears a piece youth sentiment under construction. " A game designer has to open his eyes and ears so that he can bring up the impressions he gains in the world of the game he makes ," Suzuki says now more than thirty years later. "About eighty percent of everything I make is based on my own experiences."

Continuation

Patches from that life of the now 59-year-old game designer will be encountered again in Shenmue III, a third episode of the kung fu-eighties-rpg epic that Suzuki started on the Sega Dreamcast in 1999, especially after the second game. from 2001 became a culthit. A lot of fans stayed until today, sixteen years later, waiting for a successor, Suzuki says. "That is also the main reason why I did not just put my shoulders under something completely new: the many fans who are still there for Shenmue, and who asked me in online forums to finish this story. And so I did the latter . "

Despite the more than sixteen years between the releases of Shenmue III and the previous episode, the game picks up the events of Suzuki's saga almost immediately in 1987. Ryo Hazuki, the late teen from the previous games who is looking for the his father's murderer, migrates to the mountains of Guilin, China. Where he meets Ling Shenhua, the mysterious girl that appears in his dreams. His quest proves to be in touch with hers: a legend from her village already predicted that their paths of life would intersect. In the meantime, he keeps in touch with characters from the previous games via the telephone, who are still in Japan.

Shenmue III is a continuation of a multi-game spanning story that Suzuki already had in his head twenty years ago, he says: it was only because of circumstances that it never went beyond two episodes. Even the themes of Shenmue III remain more or less the same, says Suzuki: " Romance, friendship, adventure. And kung fu. The usual combinations of a Shenmue story. "

Comeback

Yu Suzuki's star started a decade ago within the ranks of Sega, the video gamer in which he grew up. But his influence on the video game medium as we know it is undeniable. We already talked about Out Run, but in the late 80's and early 90's his name featured more big games from the luna park: with the graphically powerful internal hardware that Suzuki designed for those games, and the system of hydraulic pumps that caused the arcades to move, he gave Hang-On, Out Run, Space Harrier and After Burner a completely new élan to the category of arcade cabinets that was already waning. A few years later, he again pioneered, this time in 3D graphics, with games such as Virtua Cop, Virtua Fighter and Virtua Racing for the Sega Saturn, Sega Dreamcast and the luna carpets from the Japanese manufacturer.

"A game designer has to open his eyes and ears."

When Sega gave him carte blanche at the end of the 90s to develop a big title for the Dreamcast, Suzuki seized the opportunity to start his magnum opus with the first Shenmue. But the market conditions decided differently: the Dreamcast became almost Sega's Titanic, and Suzuki was put on less ambitious projects. At the beginning of the decade he made some worthwhile sequels on games that he himself had helped launch, including Virtua Fighter 4 (2001) and Out Run 2: Coast 2 Coast (2003), but the time of big new things was over. Suzuki's and Sega's roads separated from each other in 2011, and Suzuki went into a sort of subcontracting deal from his own company Ys Net to make mobile versions of Segatitels until he announced the production of Shenmue III two years ago through a Kickstart campaign.

The grandmaster started back at the bottom of the ladder. " I have researched various opportunities to finance Shenmue III, " says Suzuki. " But a Kickstart campaign seemed like the best. It was also hard for us to find a good partner. And we saw the enormous momentum of fans who were still interested in the game. Then I decided to use that power to get the project going again. "

Much changed

In the meantime, the project also found shelter with a new publisher, the German Koch Media. Everything is ready to put the game on the market in 2018. During that very turbulent period, Suzuki also discovered how firmly the medium has changed. Not only the landscape of video game companies looks very different than just a decade ago, when he recorded his last small successes under the Sega flag: the way in which games are made is also very different.

" The arrival of game engines, which are central to development today, has changed a lot, " says Suzuki. "And that is for the most part good: you can analyze everything you want in terms of gameplay much better, quickly create a prototype in which you try small details. But for someone who has been working for a while, it is quite a change: I have to retrain myself to learn to think in that new way. At the time of the first two Shenmue's I wrote all the code myself, and I could quickly check things myself. With the advent of engines, the programming work can be done by a whole team, but that also means that I have to stop a whole process when something does not quite suit me. It has its advantages and disadvantages. But especially advantages. "

With these modern means, a game is still being made that takes place in the 1980s, an era that was deep in the past at the time of the first Shenmue, in 1999. But for Suzuki, himself a late twenties to a young man in the Eighties, the last important stories were told at the time. " With the Shenmue games, I wanted to tell a story about the older eras, when the character of people was even more important than anything else," says Suzuki. "The 80s were the last years of that old time with which today's players still have points of contact. Everything changed afterwards: before the arrival of the modern technology that is waving today, everyone was still largely the same, because we all got the same information. The charm of that era, its innocence in a sense, is for me a never-ending source of inspiration. "

December 6th 1986

It’s proven to be much more difficult to find a tattoo parlor in Yokosuka than I had anticipated. Almost everyone I ask is concerned about my decision to get a tattoo, even though I’m only looking for someone and have no desire to ever get a tattoo. The one person I found who knew the location of the parlor insisted that I join his gang for the information. I quickly denied the opportunity. I need the information but I can find it by other means. I am not that desperate yet.

After asking many people in Dobuita, I decided to take a small break and practice my martial arts. Before doing so, however, I took a trip to Bunkado Antiques so I could see what type of move scrolls they had for sale. I went ahead and purchased the “Twin Swallow Leap” and ran into Nemeto-san. He told me he didn’t know where the tattoo parlor was, but he mentioned that it was probably in a back street somewhere. Well, it wasn’t the best lead, but at least it was something. I looked around some back streets for a little bit and couldn’t find anything. I was beginning to get discouraged and realized that I needed to clear my head. I had originally intended to take a break but was distracted by the information Nemeto-san had given me. Anyway, as I headed towards the vacant lot to practice, I figured I might as well ask anyone I saw along the way. And as luck would have it, Tamura-san, at Tamura Butcher Shop, gave me some useful information. He told me that Saijo-san, at Bar Yokosuka, was recently talking with a customer who had gotten a tattoo in Yokosuka. Saijo-san was certain to have the information.

[a few words are scribbled out] Shoot. As I’m writing this I’m realizing that I forgot to call Nozomi this evening and it’s much too late to call her now. She had gotten the attention of a few jerks at the park in Sakuragaoka this morning. Apparently some kid hit these guys with his toy and the punks were going to rough the kid up. Nozomi stepped in, but there was no way she could stand up against these guys in a fight. Luckily I was there to help her out, but she seemed a bit shaken up. I wanted to call her and make sure she was alright, but I was too preoccupied with my search. I’ll have to speak with her tomorrow.

Anyway, I waited for the bar to open by practicing my martial arts, and then I headed towards the bar and spoke with Saijo-san. He told me the tattoo parlor was in Okinawa Heights. It was late, and there was little point in finding it today, so I’ll just have to find the tattoo parlor sometime tomorrow. It should be easy now that I know where it is.

December 9th 1986

I didn’t want to waste any time, so I made sure to head straight to the harbor and look for the old warehouse district. I found it almost immediately, thanks to some directions given to me by the homeless man from yesterday, but the entrance to the old warehouse district is heavily guarded. I’m not sure how I’ll get in but I figured I’d go buy some lunch while I think about a plan of entrance. Hisaka works at Hokuhoku Lunches, here at the harbor, so I made my way over to her stand.

When I got to her stand, I witnessed an argument between her and her sister—Mai was demanding money from Hisaka and Hisaka was not interested in letting her sister frivolously spend her hard-earned money. Apparently Mai has been acting out lately and has been hanging out with the wrong crowd. It’s really been worrying Hisaka and she asked me if I could have a talk with Mai. I’m not really good at these sorts of things, but I agreed, and found my way over to Mai. Hisaka is a real workaholic and I think Mai just misses her sister. But that is no excuse to treat her sister in such a way. I didn’t lecture her though. Her friends tried to attack me. They failed. And I made it very clear to Mai that one does not treat one’s family poorly. I think she got the message. Hisaka shouldn’t have to worry much anymore. Anyway, I asked Hisaka about the old warehouse district and she mentioned that she delivers lunch to the district every day and I offered to take the lunches for her. I might as well see if I can get in while making the delivery—I couldn’t.

The place is much too heavily guarded during the day, but I overheard a conversation saying that the guards are short-staffed during the night. All I had to do was wait until 8 PM. I spent my time mostly in the Harbor Lounge, listening to music and foolishly wasting money on capsule toys. I guess Hisaka shouldn't lend any money to me either. Well, the time eventually came and I attempted to sneak inside. Making my way in was easy enough, even though I almost blew it when I almost knocked a flashlight on the ground, but I was immediately caught searching for the correct warehouse number. It looks like they have at least two or three guards patrolling the place during the night. I’ll have to come back and try again tomorrow.

---

[Thief note: Well, I figured this would happen. I was caught... a couple times. It looks like I have a few days before I can play again. Oh well, at least I'll get to see Christmas in Dobuita!]

This came unexpected. I was in doubt at first but after reading what that team has pulled off in the past I'm reassured they're going to do a great job and we'll end up with a nice looking character roster.

By the way that new character reminds me of Kureha from Ninja Gaiden a lot!

http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/ninjagaiden/images/c/c9/Kureha_ninja_gaiden_sigma.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20090918023833

Someone screenshot the supposedly hiding Ryo cause I dont see him at all.

Edit: nvm. I found em. Hardly visible at all.

Also, from my crappy phone screen the temple looks like it says 堂札社千

Tangzha Community Temple? Thousand Tangzha Building? I dunno. Haha.
That actually should be read right to left: 千社札堂 (Qian she zha tang).
However, I believe that that's actually a 扎 and not a 札, both pronounced "zha". The pic is quite small, so I'm not 100% sure, though.
So, 千社 could be translated as "Thousand offerings/sacrifices/altars" or something of the sort.
扎 most commonly means "to prick", so I don't know what to make of it. Actually, if it really is 札 and not 扎 (as I think it is), it would actually make a bit more sense, as 札 is that kind of thin wooden strips used in writing in ancient China, and I could see this building being used to house such kinds of ancient scrolls. Still, it definitely looks more like a 扎 than a 札, though.
And, finally, 堂, which is the easiest part, as it means "hall".

So (if we ignore that mysterious "zha"), Hall of a Thousand Sacrifices.

Anyway, this new character looks cute and, in fact, is the best-looking character I've seen so far, better than even Ryo and definitely better than Shenhua. I get a sort of Photoshop-y feel from it, though, so I wonder how representative this is of her final look.

As for the news about some of the work being done externally in India, that's pretty much what happens in every AAA game. Nothing to be shocked about. In fact, I see it as good news. More manpower. And they seem to have pretty good credentials at that.

EDIT: OK, now that I've seen that higher-res pic (thanks!), I changed my mind and now think that is a 札, after all, like ShenmueTree said.
So, Scroll Hall of a Thousand Sacrifices.*

*I'm sure there's a more elegant way to translate it. English isn't my mother tongue.

Also, from my crappy phone screen the temple looks like it says 堂札社千

Tangzha Community Temple? Thousand Tangzha Building? I dunno. Haha.
That actually should be read right to left: 千社札堂 (Qian she zha tang).
...
EDIT: OK, now that I've seen that higher-res pic (thanks!), I changed my mind and now think that is a 札, after all, like ShenmueTree said.
So, Scroll Hall of a Thousand Sacrifices.*

*I'm sure there's a more elegant way to translate it. English isn't my mother tongue.
Just to add to this, this word actually also exists in Japanese (as you mentioned it refers to the tags - for wont of a better word - with the names of worshippers that are put up in temples). So a more functional translation could simply be "Hall of Name Tags".
https://i.imgur.com/gswjhdZm.jpg
Of special interest is that getting your own name tag is part of the $800 reward tier. So if you have backed at that level you should be able to enter this building and find your own tag!
https://i.imgur.com/4lpZPIsm.png

Here's a link to my commentary post on this update at the Phantom River Stone blog:
http://www.phantomriverstone.com/2017/12/temple-maiden-model-lakshya-digital.html
Very interesting. It all makes sense now. Thanks!

As a matter of fact, there isn't such a word in Chinese, hence why I was trying to wrap my head around the meaning. I just figured "hey, temple names normally don't use modern vernacular Chinese, rather they have poetic names", so
I was trying to make sense as best as I could, by interpreting each character. I did find it a bit odd, though.
It all makes sense now, as the three characters 千社札 form a single Japanese word and I was reading the temple sign as Chinese (not that I know Japanese, anyway). Suddenly, everything becomes much more simple!
And, yeah, for sure that will be the place where some of the backers will find their names. Good one, dude!

This does make me think, though... Not only does that temple, which does have Chinese architecture, have Japanese writing (albeit in kanji), and seems to be dedicated to a Japanese custom, but that girl does indeed seem to be dressed as a Shinto shrine assistant...
I mentioned here in the forums before how Shenmue 2's street and shop signs would use some Japanese kanji variants not used in China, and that I hoped that Yu Suzuki would be more meticulous in that regard, in Shenmue 3. Now, we're already seeing a temple with Japanese words, Chinese architecture and a Shinto assistant... This isn't encouraging, but best to wait until we see more. Maybe I'm just missing something, or maybe there will be a good explanation for this.

Hello everyone. Don't want to make the post longer but I'll just say I've know about this game for a long time but never actually got the chance to play it till now, its kind of a long story. I've heard about this site before as well, I thought i'd make an account an give my thoughts about the game here.
________________________________________________________________________

Wasn’t entirely sure what to expect when starting this game but I knew I wanted to try it as I love traditional Japanese architecture, Samurai and just the overall atmosphere these type of games produce (Onimusha, Okami, Nioh, Yakuza). I thought in the end this was a big factor in order to fully enjoy this game because a huge thing about it is it’s world.

I love how the world in Shenmue is alive and constantly breathing. I think this is one of the best things about it, you have to truly immerse yourself in it in order for the game not to feel like a chore.

Another big factor that adds to this game was the beginning. I think Shenmue has one of my favorite beginnings in a game as it really hooks you to the story immediately and makes you connect with the main character. After that initial cutscene I’m already hyped to go out and find what’s going on.

So basically we have a game that focuses in huge part on investigative work and that might have been kind of a chore to me but really wasn’t thanks to it’s world and realistic nature. This game’s progression just feels very realistic, and that’s a huge thing that I loved. It’s great how each day feels different, I really liked the fact that you had to go back home to sleep and then start a new day all at your own pace. Or how you get a job and have lunch breaks. The details man, this game is about details.

Im also glad there’s no guide points or anything to lead the way, not even in combat, it’s all explained thru realistic dialog. If you want to see a map you have to go to a map point, if you want to go to a different place you have to wait for a bus that goes by every so often as stated in the bus stop sign. Need to pass time? How about you go training? Or go to the arcade? Feed the kitty? All of these things really made me hugely appreciate the game and get immersed.

Now about the combat, it can feel clumsy and some moves just don’t work at times, but I’d say it’s still a fun time. The grab moves feel satisfying and pullling out some of the new moves you learn is quite awesome. I still think the combat could’ve been better. Anyways, Shenmue really wasn’t much about the combat, (initially thought it would be) in my opinion it’s about the experience. I feel it’s so grounded to reality that you just don’t encounter fights on every corner cause that just wouldn’t happen realistically speaking.

I loved how a fight against a crazy creepy guy (Chai) is actually a hard one as one would expect realistically. I love how he seems impossible to beat at first making it really satisfying when you finally do beat him. This fight added extra points to the game for me.

I’ll give the QTE a pass on this game for being one of the first to do it but mostly because those scenes were actually really awesome to watch.

So in the end we have a very unique game. It's easy to see how a lot of people might hate it, its one of those games that are definitely not for everyone. To me it’s some sort of Animal Crossing+Virtua Fighter+L.A. Noire mashup and I truly love it.

Can’t wait to try the sequel (more like Disc 4) and be more amazed. Man I’m glad I don’t have to wait that long for Shenmue III..

https://i.imgur.com/09Bjmsu.png

A new entry in the Shenmue Gaiden series will be coming out on the 28th of December 2017. I wanted to get it out on the 25th, but family commitments and working in the health service over Christmas didn't allow it to be.

The new entry is much bigger and better.

Stay tuned

Happy Christmas

Although everything in this new "update" tells us backers to lower our expectation even more, the dreamy people (as usual) are excited and happy with that ....

In short, what we've just been told is : graphics won't be comparable to AAA titles, it took almost two years to make "acceptable" models of the two main characters, facial expressions and animations are not done yet, we now have fewer characters than what's been initially announced, the new fighting system will be puzzle-based and more aimed towards causal players so we can kiss anything close to the decent fighting system of Shenmue and Shenmue II goodbye, and finally another delay is highly expected.

btw, can someone remind whoever subtitled the video that we're still in 2017 ?

https://i.imgur.com/82MLCiU.png


http://www.phantomriverstone.com/2017/12/commentary-on-kickstarter-update-78.html

Switch's Phantom River Stone blog has an analysis up for the video, including some clarifications about Yu's comments in Japanese that didn't come across as directly as they could in the English subtitles.
Which matches with Yu's comments at Gamescom that Choubu alone could have an NPC count of 200.

Similarly, "puzzle game" is a bit of a translation goof, and is actually "thinking-style game", which is the same phrase Yu has used at Gamescom and (I think) in interviews even earlier than that about the combat. It's obviously not referring literally to puzzle games, but was likely used to evoke a sense of strategy Yu has talked about before in regards to the new combat (splitting enemies into smaller groups, knocking objects and other enemies into each other for an advantage, etc).

Also, the "2018 has been the year..." comment at the end of the video is not just a 2017/2018 typo mix up, but a tense mix up and meant to be "2018 will be the year...".
Thanks a lot to Switch for his contributions in clearing some of the ambiguity up! Spaghetti
Member

On the topic of character models, with character design studio Lakshya Digital now having joined the project , Yu states that this month (December 2017) the number of character models has substantially increased. The English subtitles in the video say that the count

In today's video interview, Yu again uses the same phrase in Japanese ("thinking-style game") to describe the type of battle system he wants to create. This is a description that applies to games such as board games (chess etc), 3D-block puzzles or puzzle video games

In his wrap-up message, Yu talks about the coming year. 2018 will be a crucial year addressing the most important part of Shenmue: the way in which the Shenmue characters go about their daily lives.

Thanks switch!

While Suzuki continues to says he got Shenhua's face right this time, I still think it will be a departure from our Shenhua (the one in Shenmue 2).

He seems to be intentionally drifting away from her old design based on what we've seen in the trailer, not only she is more "Anime", but her outfit is vastly different.

I expect her final look will barely resemble the old Shenhua. Guess we'll see in MAGIC.

2003:

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

2015:

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

2017:

https://i.imgur.com/4JvpfBx.png

2018:

???? Hopefully closer to 2001 than anything above.

Thank you so much for the translation Switch.

“When I played the latest version of the game I had a feeling of reassurance, like I had come back home. It was a joyful feeling, just like reuniting with an old friend or relative. I think if you’re a fan of the Shenmue series, you’ll feel a flood of satisfaction. Without a doubt, you’ll feel that ‘It’s here at last – the bona-fide sequel to Shenmue II!’ People who cried at the E3 announcement will surely shed tears again”.

i can't wait to see the game in-motion. :(

thank you for the translation.

Thank you very much for the translation! Hardworking as always!

Thank you so much for this translation. Very great to read.

Pre Show Red Carpet

https://hips.hearstapps.com/mac.h-cdn.co/assets/17/08/1488154142-giphy.gif
Welcome to the red carpet coverage for the 2017 Dojo Awards which is promising to be the biggest ones yet! There's been a record amount of votes this year and the party has been going on all day, Just earlier today we had the Sonikku girls dancing down the red carpet.

https://i.imgur.com/GVBTbBX.gif

This year Yama has also been kind enough to invite retarded kids who like colours from a local special needs school.

https://i.imgur.com/bm3Opbq.gif

All the stars are here tonight and we now go to Thief who is interviewing Emma Stone.

https://media.vanityfair.com/photos/58b39d6baf81733f6f498ac4/master/w_690,c_limit/emma-stone-justin-timberlake-photo-bomb.gif

Thief: Hi Emma, just how happy are you to be here?
Emma Stone: The Dojo Awards has to be my favourite event of the year and I'm always honoured to be here.
Thief: It looks like Anime Gamer behind you is excited.
Emma Stone: Oh, his just never been this close to a woman before.
Thief: Well it looks like everyone is heading inside as Jeff Goldblum is already pissed and singing inside.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZHh9ckRC6M

So come on in everyone and strap yourselves in.

https://d.ibtimes.co.uk/en/full/1366078/jennifer-lawrence.gif

The 2017 7th Annual Dojo Awards!!!

https://i.imgur.com/iLUPZWu.gif

Welcome ladies and gentleman to the 2017 7th Annual Dojo Awards live from the Kodak theatre. We've got a heck of a show for you tonight so let's get started.

*Riku Rose walks out on stage*

Riku Rose:
Welcome all. Last year was a quiet year yet again due to the delay of Shenmue III which we're all looking forward to but hopefully 2018 will finally be the year. Outside of the Shenmue forums it's been pretty quiet but I believe it's the members who have been here through thick and thin that keep me coming back.

We've gone all out this year by getting in Jeff Goldblum so to be honest with you we couldn't get the most in demand people to present the awards, still I'm sure everyone will have a good time.

On with the show.

Please see below for the list of previous winners:

Game of the Year :
2010 : Deadly Premonition
2011 : Batman: Arkham City
2012 : Assassin's Creed III
2013 : The Last of Us
2015 : Bloodborne
2016 : The Last Guardian

Buzz Killington Award:
2010: Ryudo and Dorian
2011: Dorian
2012: Ryudo
2013: AnimeGamer183
2015: Himuro
2016: Himuro

Biggest Bully:
2010: Ryudo
2011: Ryudo
2012: Ryudo
2013: QWERTY
2015: Riku Rose
2016: MiTT3NZ

Biggest Punchbag:
2010: Jokatech19
2011: Jokatech19
2012: Ryudo
2013: Animegamer183
2015: Animegamer183
2016: Animegamer183

Funniest Member:
2010: Kiba
2011: Spokane, OL, Animegamer183
2012: Kiba
2013: QWERTY and Let's Get Sweaty
2015: Riku Rose
2016: south carmain

Coolest Member:
2012: OL and MiTT3NZ
2013: Rakim
2015: St. Elmo's Fire
2016: OL

Worst Member:
2010: Jokatech19
2011: Ryudo and Dorian
2013: Animegamer183
2015: Brosause
2016: Animegamer183

Member of the Year:
2010: Kenny
2011: OL
2012: Peter
2013: MiTT3NZ
2015: Ziming
2016: Peter

Now please put your hands together for our host this evening, Mr Jeff Goldblum!

https://i.imgur.com/FXyYwC3.gif
https://i.imgur.com/U6aBXSE.gif

Jeff Goldblum:
Wa-welcome to the um, err, Dojo Awards which is, just, umm, err, fantastic. To get us, umm, err started is a nice, umm man to present the best, umm, err game award.

https://i.imgur.com/HIH7wci.jpg
Woody Allen:
If anyone sees my daughter, sorry I mean wife let her know I'm looking for her.

GOTY
In 3rd Place - Super Mario Odyssey
In 2nd Place - Yakuza 0
In 1st Place:
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Jeff Goldblum:
For the umm, biggest buzzkill award we have, umm a man who is no fun for the umm ladies:

https://i.imgur.com/p9PnuiE.jpg
Louis CK:
If anyone wants to come to my room for a drink hit me up:

Buzz Killington:
In 3rd Place - Kintor
In 2nd Place - Shenmue_Legend
In 1st Place -
Peter

Jeff Goldblum:
For the umm biggest bully award we umm got the biggest bully we could umm find and a woman who doesn't umm want to be with him:

https://i.imgur.com/YzcTkGd.jpg
Harvey Weinstein:
It's so nice to be able to be out in public again:

Biggest Bully:
In 3rd Place - Shredingskin
In 2nd Place - South Carmain
In 1st Place -
Mittens

Jeff Goldblum:
The next award is umm biggest umm punchbag which isn't umm nice but we have umm the biggest punchbag recently to present it:

https://i.imgur.com/YHdSKIN.jpg
Kevin Spacey:
I understand how tough it can be guys, I recently got fired just for just revealing I'm gay:

Biggest Punchbag:
In 3rd place - Animegamer183
In 2nd Place - Kintor
In 1st Place:
Shenmue_Legend

Jeff Goldblum:
For the umm funniest award we have a man who umm was kinda funny in that parent movie:

https://i.imgur.com/8aD4ZCK.jpg
Dustin Hoffman:
Hey lady, want me to buy you a drink?

Funniest Member:
In 3rd Place - Riku Rose
In 2nd Place - Mittens
In 1st Place:
South Carmain

Jeff Goldblum:
The next award is the umm coolest member award. Our next umm guest can't actually umm enter the country so we have by umm the power of the umm internet:

https://pmcvariety.files.wordpress.com/2017/09/steven-seagal.jpg?w=700&h=393&crop=1
Steven Segal:
Before I present this I just want to thank Mr Putin for allowing me to present this award.

Coolest Member:
In 3rd Place - South Carmain
In 2nd Place - Mr357
In 1st place:
OL

Jeff Goldblum:
As umm always we have umm Kiba for the worst member award:

https://i.imgur.com/aFFXDIk.jpg
Kiba:
Net neutrality is the beginning of the end for us all!

Worst Member:
In 3rd Place - Animegamer183
In 2nd Place - Kintor
In 1st Place:
Shemue_Legend

Jeff Goldblum:
This is the umm, final umm, award. So please put your hands together for umm, the present of the best umm, member award. The President!!!

https://i.imgur.com/RTPL8FC.jpg
Donald Trump:
Thank you everyone. I've won many of these awards myself, more then anyone.

Member of the year:
In 3rd Place - OL
In 2nd Place - Mittens
The Member of the year is:
Switch

Jeff Goldblum:
Wow, big wow. Amazing. Thanks umm everyone, now to finish up I want to umm welcome umm my favourite band. TOTO

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aymnC9PR7AQ

See you all next year

Switch wrote:Woah, member of the year! Thank you so much.

It's an honor!

It was well deserved. Keep up the great work!

Switch is a legend.

Thanks a lot for your great work, Switch!

As for the interview itself, I guess I'm just too cynical to get as hyped as some people here. I mean, Cedric Biscay is the game's producer! Of course he's gonna say the game is looking very exciting! That's part of being a producer.
Make no mistake, I'm not saying he's necessarily lying (I certainly hope he's not), but we just can't take this sort of statement at face value.

careful guys he has a violin

December 15th 1986

As soon as I awoke, I went to the dojo in order to find Fuku-san. I figured if anyone knew of the mirror’s whereabouts, it must be him. But as I entered the dojo, Fuku-san was nowhere to be found. He normally practices early in the morning, so I was a bit surprised to find him absent from his training, but as I went back to the house to find him, Ine-san told me to speak to Fuku-san. Apparently Fuku-san had also been looking for me. I must have just missed him. I found him at the cherry tree.

Fuku-san had a confession to make. He told me that he admitted to Ine-san of all the things that I had been doing. The efforts that I have been making in order to find Lan Di and avenge the death of my father. Upon hearing this, I thought I would have been angry, but I can understand Fuku-san’s concern and his motivation to tell. We have never really been deceitful to one another, and not to Ine-san—and not to my father. Yet I have been very deceitful lately. I have been so concerned with my goal that I failed to act appropriately towards my friends. Yet, even though I have failed in this way, I still believe my actions were justified. If failing in this way could lead to another greater success, then I must continue to fail in order to reach that success. Although, I’m no longer convinced that these failures have lead me any closer to my goal. Either way, I do not blame Fuku-san for succeeding in truth. But regardless, Fuku-san had no idea where the mirror could be located.

Ine-san approached me shortly thereafter. She had been eaves-dropping, to which she apologized greatly, despite Fuku-san being quite loud in his confession. I felt as though I had to apologize to Ine-san, for keeping so many things from her, but it was her who seemed distressed over her own actions. She told me that she believed she was letting my father down. She told me that she didn’t have the right to stop the son of Iwao Hazuki—that she couldn’t stop him… me. She blamed herself, which greatly saddened me. It wasn’t her fault, none of this was, but I didn’t correct her. I let her act as she felt she should. It wasn’t my place to let her know how she should feel, it wasn’t up to me to interpret the consequences of her actions. In the end, however, Ine-san felt the need to inform me of an item my father had left at an antique shop. This item was supposedly of great importance, although Ine-san was unaware of what it could be. It was a long shot, but part of me believed that it might be the mirror. And so I headed to the antique shop.

Near the kitten, on my way to the antique shop, I ran into Nozomi. Thankfully the kitten seems to be much better. She’s playing outside of the box and her leg seems to be healed, but Nozomi is still worried about me. I have nothing that I can tell her and… when I tell her nothing is wrong, she gets frustrated with me. She wants me to open up, but I can’t open up. It would only worry her more. For now I’ll just have to deal with Nozomi being frustrated with me. It’s better than making her upset. It was only after Nozomi left that I realized that I was still being untruthful with my friends. Would it be better to open up with Nozomi? I’m still unsure.

Oishi-san had indeed been holding something for my father. It was a sword-handguard, one that had been passed down from generation to generation. The handguard bore the Hazuki family crest: a snow ring, the two stars, and a sword. It is only given to the Hazuki heir once he turns eighteen. I wonder if my father would have given it to me that day, had Lan Di not shown up when he did. Oishi-san did not have the mirror for me, but I was excited nonetheless to have the handguard. Surprisingly, I believed to know its purpose. Ever since I was a young boy, I’d poked and prodded my way around the dojo. One thing puzzled me ever since I was a child. Behind two scrolls in the dojo there exists two small recesses: one shaped to fit the blade of a sword and the other shaped to fit, I believe, this handguard. When I was attempting to sneak into warehouse #8, I spent a lot of time at home during the day. During that time I noticed that the key I snagged from my father’s desk fit nicely into a long locked box in the dojo. Inside that box was a sword… and much how I immediately recognized the importance of the sword handguard, I immediately knew to fit the box’s sword into the blade-shaped crevice. It fit nicely, yet nothing happened. However, I’m certain that with the second piece of the puzzle in hand, I’ll finally solve this mystery! I’ve been wanting to know this secret for so long! I hurried home but on my way back I ran into Gui Zhang.

Gui Zhang and I fought in Yamanose. I suppose this sounds a bit strange, but he had been following me. And for a moment there, I thought he had been working with Lan Di. I guess I’m a little bit on edge. It turns out that Master Chen sent his son to look after me. Gui Zhang is supposed to act sort of like a bodyguard… as if I need one. But I’m not stupid enough to dismiss his help. I could tell from our fight that he is very well trained and he fights with purpose. He seems really worked up about Lan Di getting his hands on the Phoenix Mirror and he will do all he can to assist me in locating the mirror. He claims that nobody will be able to stop Lan Di if he manages to obtain the mirror. Just how important are these mirrors?

When I got home I went straight for the dojo and fit the handguard into the crevice. It was a success! The handguard and the sword were a key that led to a secret basement beneath the dojo! It was dark down there, so I grabbed the flashlight from underneath the phone and went straight down into the basement. The basement had various amounts of junk. Some old medicine, books and scrolls, and various Chinese things. The strangest of all was a white leaf that wasn’t even dry. How could such an old leaf not be dry? That’s not all though. I found a photograph of my father when he was young. He looked like he was much the same age as I am now. It really made me realize that I didn’t know much about my father when he was younger. In the photo he was standing next to a man, but I had no idea who he was, nor did I know where the photo had been taken. I knew him as a father, but I didn’t know him as Iwao Hazuki. Who was my father before he was my father? Could he really have killed a man? It doesn’t seem possible. Well, I guess it’s time that I mention that I found the mirror. It was hidden behind a wall that was hidden behind a shelf. It’s strange, but I suppose I expected a little more. The mirror itself would be rather plain, except it has a beautiful engraving of a phoenix on its face. But I fail to see its importance. It seems like a regular antique mirror. How can such a thing be so important? Why did my father go to such lengths to hide it and why does Lan Di want it? If the mirror can help me locate Lan Di, then I am grateful for it, but none of this makes any sense. I’ll have to speak with Master Chen tomorrow.

While waiting for new Shenmue 3 material (MAGIC can't come fast enough!) here are a few fan artworks illustrating what could be the Magic Weather System in Shenmue 3.

https://i.imgur.com/uWAR4Nn.jpg
Original artwork (Gamescom 2017)

https://i.imgur.com/z9gJAKN.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/ME8kINX.jpg

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

https://i.imgur.com/9ge8XhY.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/3zMby5O.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/NSQM1e5.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/k9Ec6aA.jpg

The new character model looks really great! :D

https://i.imgur.com/5eFlJLv.png

Sega Europe have posted a poll on their official Twitter asking fans to name their favourite console and video game.

Please take this opportunity to vote for Shenmue while reminding them of the importance of releasing HD versions of both titles before Shenmue 3 arrives later this year.

Visit this link to vote and remember to use the #SaveShenmueHD hashtag in any tweet you make!

Hello, everyone. I know we already have the brilliant Shenmue 3 Kickstarter News/Information/Multimedia Archive thread, but I thought it would be a good idea to have a compendium of all the facts, information, and everything we currently know about the game in one easy-to-read contained thread. Perhaps the mods would like to consider this as a sticky?

Please feel free to add everything and anything you can that is relevant (as well as suggestions on how to improve the thread), and I'll update the original post whenever I can :)

(Some of the following information can be considered as spoilers, so read at your own risk.)

---

Story

- Yu Suzuki describes the game as "a kung-fu adventure that takes place in China" [1]

- The game's "key points," according to Yu Suzuki, are "romance, characters' life and martial arts." Where romance is concerned, Yu Suzuki would like to portray the differences between how men and women think [4] [39]

- According to Yu Suzuki, Shenmue III will begin from Chapter Six of the story's eleven planned chapters , and will "mark the end of this story," but will not be the end of the story . In a 2018 interview with GamersFlag, Yu Suzuki stated, "the end will be open for a sequel," suggesting Shenmue III might end on a cliffhanger [33]

- Shenmue III 's story begins the day after the conclusion of Shenmue II [9]

- Ryo, while still angry and thirsty for revenge, will grow and mature a lot throughout the game. Those he meets along the way, particularly where martial arts is concerned, will be largely responsible for this [5]

- The meaning behind the "He shall appear from a far eastern land across the sea..." prologue poem, as well as Ryo and Shenhua's roles in the prophecy , will finally be revealed [1]

- Yu Suzuki has stated he would like to keep Shenhua as "a mysterious character" [38]

- Ryo will not return home to Japan in Shenmue III [17]

- The game will explore and highlight the differences between Japanese and Chinese culture , particularly the way in which Ryo behaves in a foreign land having come from a different background, and how he and Shenhua interact with each other [8]

- Confirmed fighting styles (thus far) include: Hazuki style jujitsu (Ryo) , Fist-Dagger Mantis style (Niao Sun) , Nanquan (a master located in Choubu), and Bajiquan (Ryo and various characters throughout the game) [9]

Characters

- Confirmed important characters (thus far): Ryo Hazuki , Shenhua , Lan Di , Ren , Niao Sun , Chai , Shenhua's adoptive father, and two unnamed "main bosses"

- Confirmed minor characters (thus far): Ming Ming and unnamed minor characters such as an extremely muscular rival to Ryo (described as "a middle-level boss" who "uses an unusual style of martial arts") , the owner of Choubu's Bird Dance Hostel , the temple/shrine maiden of the Hall of Name Tags (described as "a tomboy, boyish type") , a young girl Ryo will befriend , an assistant who will play a role similar to that of Fangmei , a master of Nanquan , and an "eccentric" and "really powerful" martial arts master with "a humorous personality" [6] [9] [36]

- Nozomi , Guizhang , Ine-san , Joy , Fuku-san , Goro , and "other characters" from the two previous games are also confirmed , albeit in the form of telephone calls through the 'World of Telecom' service [6] [9] [16]

- There will be "four main bosses," according to Yu Suzuki. Lan Di and Niao Sun are the only named bosses at present, the latter of whom has been described as "extremely beautiful and sexy, but cruel." The only information pertaining to the two remaining main bosses is that one of them is "[a] strategist using more cunning than head-on fighting" [39]

Locations

- Confirmed areas (thus far): Bailu Village , Choubu , and Baisha [6]

- Bailu Village ( 白鹿村 , which translates as 'White Deer' ) is the starting area of Shenmue III and, where the player was only able to experience just a tiny fraction of the village, was also where Shenmue II ended, though the entire village will now be fully open and explorable . According to Shenhua, who lives in a hut on the very outskirts of the village, Bailu Village is home to around fifty inhabitants . Due to the village's proximity to water, players will be able to fish there . The initial quests here will start Ryo and Shenhua off on their journey

- Choubu ( 鸟舞 , which translates as 'Bird Dance' ), a riverside village situated on the banks of the Li River , will be the game's equivalent to Dobuita or Wan Chai , featuring numerous shops, stalls, amusements, hotels, shrines, temples, dwellings, and other buildings. Choubu resembles Kowloon in terms of its density and verticality . Choubu will contain approximately two-hundred NPCs (which is over three times that which was originally planned), one of whom is a master of Nanquan . Choubu has been described as the most Shenmue -esque location in the game [9] [17]

- Baisha ( 白沙 , which translates as 'White Sand' ) is a village, notable for its numerous tulous, which is home to the Guilin branch of the Chi You Men. Baisha will see a number of new gameplay systems introduced to players, including "a siege game reminiscent of the Warring Kingdoms," which will presumably see the player defending allies from external attacks and engaging in battle with enemies attempting to gain control of the village's buildings, as well as an infiltration mission into the Chi You Men's branch (presumably on a mission to rescue Shenhua's imprisoned adoptive father). It is also during this infiltration mission the player will take advantage of the new 'Character Perspective System' , allowing the player to swap between Ryo, Shenhua, and Ren, utilising each character's unique traits and abilities to achieve their goal

- Some of the specific landmarks and establishments that have been revealed are the Lake of the Lantern Bugs , the Temple of the Blooming Flower , the Bird Dance Hostel , and the Hall of Name Tags [13] [30] [31] [32]

Gameplay

- Shenmue III contains around thirty hours of gameplay [3] [9]

- The 'Technique Scroll System' , one of the game's confirmed new mechanics, consists of move scrolls comprised of three unique types - Normal, Advanced, and Arcane - the latter two of which are managed by a skill tree-like system, which fills as you learn new moves , and require a certain amount to be accumulated before use [9] [16]

- The 'Character Perspective System' , the second of the game's confirmed new mechanics, gives the player the ability to change the character they're playing as - with each character having their own distinct personalities, choices, and approach to the situation at hand - in order to complete their objective. Ryo's approach is that of fighting ; Ren's is that of using a weapon ; and Shenhua's is non-violent and tactical . This mechanic will feature in a single event [17]

- The 'Rapport System' , the third of the game's confirmed new mechanics, will see Ryo and Shenhua's relationship vary depending on the player's actions towards, and interactions with , her, therefore affecting how cooperative and/or warm/cold she is in return , dictated by two underlying systems: the 'Affinity Rating' and 'Cooperative Quest' [17]

- 'A.I. Battling' , the fourth of the game's confirmed new mechanics, will allow players to "unleash the perfect technique in response to the opponent's positioning and distance," meaning the technique will, upon activation, hand control over to an A.I. which will decide the best course of action instead of requiring calculated inputs from the player. The system is "for players who are not used to fighting games or for those who want a full immersion battle experience" [19]

- NPCs will be more akin to those featured in Shenmue II , meaning their scripting won't be as detailed, nor will their personalities be as unique as those in the original game, though other aspects about them will see improvement (e.g., cosmetic detail and facial expressions) [38]

- Regarding controls, Yu Suzuki has stated he is currently in two minds about how they will function; on one hand, he would like to "keep a similar configuration to the original game," but realises times have long since changed and is therefore considering more contemporary schemes [10] [12]

- In order to make the combat system simpler and visually different from the series' previous entries, a "Variable Speed" system is being incorporated into FREE battles. Specific details have not been revealed, but Yu Suzuki describes it as "new and fun" [11]

- Ryo will now be able to attack multiple opponents at once (a primitive version of this could be found in the first two games, in which the Ryo was able to grapple an opponent and kick away surrounding enemies) and perform combos in FREE battles [26]

- QTEs will return in a more modernised, dynamic fashion . The possibility of using specific sounds and colours to associate with inputs , as opposed to displaying the button itself on-screen, is under consideration [9]

- Training areas might be making a return for the first time since the first game [38]

- Progression of time will be "about the same system as the first two Shenmue ." This means one in-game hour is equivalent to four real-world minutes; one in-game day is equivalent to one real-world hour [34]

- There will be events in which a bear and a deer must be saved

- Regarding the size of the game world , Yu Suzuki states it will be "even richer" than the series' previous entries. Choubu, on its own, has been greatly expanded , by at least five times its originally planned size [4]

- A trademark of the series, attention to detail and interactivity (as well as examples of more subtle detail such as gestures and cultural dress style) will be in abundance [9]

- As was the case with the previous games, Ryo will return to his place of rest at 11:30pm . In Bailu Village this will be Shenhua's house , and in Choubu it will be the player's hostel of choice . Baisha's place of rest is currently unknown, though one can assume it will be in one of the tulous

- Regarding loading screens/times , Yu Suzuki has stated that, "[players will] start in a large area which will require some initial loading, but compared to before the loading situation will be much better. It's much faster now," possibly suggesting exterior-to-interior (and vice versa) loading will be seamless [10]

- For the very first time in the series, players will be able to change Ryo's outfit (and maybe even remove his bandage ) [17]

- The notebook will return, and has been updated with coloured divider tabs [17] [25]

- Forklifts will return in one form or another [9] [38]

- Capsule toys from the first two games will be returning, though it is currently unknown whether brand new capsule toys from SEGA franchises will be introduced. Those who pledged for the $700 tier of the Kickstarter campaign will have a 2D illustration of their face featured inside a small glass block , whereas those who pledged for the $1200 tier will have a Chibi-style representation of themselves featured as a fully-modelled capsule toy , as part of new in-game capsule toy collections [13] [17]

- Fortune-telling has been confirmed

- Purchasable move scrolls will be returning [23] [24]

- Arcade cabinets will be returning. So far, Excite QTE and Fighting Mania -like cabinets, as well as pinball machines, whack-a-mole, and a punch-ball boxing machine , have been seen [17] [25] [41]

- Lucky Hit will be returning [6]

- A turtle racing mini-game has been confirmed [1]

- A fishing mini-game has been confirmed [9]

- Many of the new mini-games will be more meaningful and connected to the game's world and progression [9] [26]

- Part-time jobs will be returning. Although wood chopping is the only confirmed job thus far , the presence of a warehouse in Choubu and Lucky Hit suggests job opportunities, too [9] [35]

- Ryo can earn money through various other means, including gambling and selling items (e.g. capsule toys and fish he has caught) [9] [17]

- Wild animals such as tortoises, ducks, and frogs can be found in certain areas. Chickens, dogs, cats, turtles, hens, pigeons, and "many more" can be found throughout the world, too, and there might even be the opportunity to care for a pet in a similar fashion to the kitten from the first game [2] [9]

General

- The game has a tentative release date of 2019 for PlayStation 4 and PC [27]

- In order to appeal to veterans of the series, Shenmue III will be comprised of 30% contemporary ideas/influences and 70% 'classic' Shenmue themes [12]

- The game will feature a short recap covering the events of the first two games for those who are new to the series. Flashbacks using scenes from the first two games will also occur throughout the story; Yu Suzuki is even considering making some of them playable , but is currently "undecided" [9] [11]

- Like its predecessors, Shenmue III will have a bad ending should players not manage to complete the game by a certain in-game date [40]

- Memories will play an important part in Shenmue III . One such example is that of an NPC who will recount a prior event , giving Ryo (and, by extension, the player) a more tangible, visual idea of what occurred before working to fit the pieces together [11]

- Save data from the first two games will not be able to be carried over into Shenmue III

- As of December 2017, almost all of the English voice actors for the main characters have been cast , with casting set to continue in early 2018 [8]

- Yu Suzuki would like to bring back as many of the series' past voice actors as possible. Shenhua (and Wong , if he features in the game) will have a new English voice actress due to Akasha Scholen's retirement [3] [9]

- Corey Marshall and Masaya Matsukaze will reprise their roles as the English and Japanese voices of Ryo Hazuki, respectively [28] [29]

- In a Dreamcast Ultimate interview published on 11/09/2017 , Corey Marshall stated he has been in contact with Yu Suzuki's team and his voice work will begin "soon." In March 2018, Marshall revealed he will begin to record his lines at the end of May [15] [37]

- Yu Suzuki would like to include both the English and Japanese dubs in each respective version, but is currently unsure whether it will be possible [17]

- Key members from the series' original development team are working on the game, including writer Masahiro Yoshimoto , character designer Kenji Miyawaki , composer Ryuji Iuchi , and programmer Takeshi Hirai [13]

- Shenmue III is being built in Unreal Engine 4 , which the team intend to push to its maximum potential , as opposed to the Virtua Fighter engine utilised by the first two games , due to the engine's ease with prototyping, efficiency, and its appropriate colour palette. As a result, the fighting engine is being built from scratch . Yu Suzuki is especially impressed with how far the capabilities of the engine have exceeded his expectations, particularly where graphical quality is concerned [3] [9] [10] [14] [16]

- Dynamic weather will be returning, and will be considerably improved over the previous games. "The lighting of sunsets and sunrises will be really beautiful," according to Yu Suzuki [39]

- Shenmue III utilises motion and magnetic capture technology for its animations, the former of which will be used in the most important action scenes [4]

- Yu Suzuki hopes players will really feel the visuals ; from the humidity in the air to the smell of the surroundings , complemented by the game's new art style [9] [14]

- According to Yu Suzuki, "The assets from [the first two games] will get a lot of use"

- As of early September 2017, map modelling and asset creation is at around 70% completion , whereas the lighting system is very close to completion [9] [16]

- Indian game development studio Lakshya Digital (whose past projects include titles such as Uncharted 2: Among Thieves , Bloodborne , Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain , WWE 2K16 , and Just Cause 3 ) will be taking care of much of the game's character art development . Yu Suzuki is very happy with what he has seen so far [13]

- The OST will consist of unused/returning tracks from the original games (of which just 20% were used in the aforementioned) and possibly some new material [3] [9]

- Shenmue III will feature numerous easter eggs [1]

- Yu Suzuki is considering the possibility of a Tomato Mart in the town of Choubu [7]

- DLC is planned , but no further details have been revealed [9]

- Shenmue III will have no online options, though no specifics were given as to the extent to what is considered 'online'

Business-related

- Following its reveal at E3 2015 on June 15th, Shenmue III was successfully funded on Kickstarter , reaching its initial goal of $2 million in a record eight hours and forty-three minutes, eventually ending in July with a total of $6.333 million (the most-funded video game project and sixth-most-funded overall on Kickstarter) pledged by 69,320 backers [18]

- As of July 23rd, 2018 , funding is at $7.063 million (pledged by 78,953 backers ) thanks to the Slacker Backer campaign [19] [42]

- Shenmue III will be published in PAL and NA regions by Deep Silver , who will be providing additional budget and promotional support, allowing greater budgetary stability and flexibility, as well as enabling Yu Suzuki to greatly expand upon, and truly realise, his vision and hire more freelancers for the project. (The game's publisher in Japan is currently unknown. ) Originally thought to be published by Sony , the latter's role has been clarified as providing support , while SEGA's role is limited to providing the IP and production materials from the series' previous entries [3] [9] [10] [12] [16]

- Contrary to popular belief and misinformation, poor research, and flat-out lies spread by the gaming press, Shibuya Productions is the main investor in Shenmue III , having invested an undisclosed amount in the project, and has a much greater role than Sony . (In fact, SEGA / YSnet / Shibuya Productions formed the agreement to use the Shenmue licence before Sony was ever involved ) [20] [21] [22]

System specs

(Placeholder and subject to change.)

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.

---

UPDATES LOG:

25/06/2018: Miscellaneous changes and updated the slacker backer pledge total

23/04/2018: Updated with information from previous interviews and talks, and separated information about characters into its own section

18/04/2018: Updated with information from a 2016 DualShockers interview

15/04/2018: Updated with new information from SEGASaturno's MAGIC interview

17/03/2018: Updated with new information from MAGIC 2018 and added more citations for older information

14/01/2018: Added citations to the majority of the facts. Incomplete, but this will be taken care of

23/12/2017: Updated with new information from Shenmue Master's Gamescom interview

16/12/2017: Updated with new information about the temple maiden and made some miscellaneous changes

28/11/2017: Updated the Slacker Backer amount

14/10/2017: Updated with new information from the Shenmue Master recap

28/09/2017: Updated with new information from the latest M! Games Magazine interview

27/09/2017: Updated with new information from the latest Official PlayStation Magazine interview

25/09/2017: Cleaned things up, updated the backer amount/count, and added more information

21/09/2017: Moved information about locations into their own category and added lots of miscellaneous information

17/09/2017: Included Corey Marshall's comments about voice work beginning soon as well as other little tid-bits

12/09/2017: Cleaned things up a bit and elaborated on some information

11/09/2017: Separated 'Story/gameplay' into separate sections and added some more information from the Fok!, Gamona, and Shenmue500k interviews

09/09/2017: Added some more information from the Eurogamer interview

03/09/2017: Cleaned things up a bit

28/08/2017: Added some more information from the Multiplayer.it interview

27/08/2017: Categorised the information so everything doesn't read as one long list

26/08/2017: Added and corrected some information in light of revelations from Gamescom 2017

20/12/2016: Added some more information, including Shenhua's adoptive father to the confirmed characters list, Nanquan as one of the confirmed fighting styles, and an update to the funding date
[***RESERVED***]

Before anyone gets their hopes up, no, Shenmue III will not be at the Magic Pre-Conference today. How do I know? Well, I don't "know", but I know. Wait until late Feburary. We will finally see what Shenhua's hat looks like.

Yes, you know.

http://i.cubeupload.com/GKq9Gq.jpg

http://i.cubeupload.com/sX4nKr.jpg

http://i.cubeupload.com/zz4PGm.jpg

MAGIC 2018 Press conference, filmed by Shenmue Master:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1f5M6u51wpo

Mod Edit:

They are official and are from the Magic Monaco pre-conference, details below:
https://www.resetera.com/threads/magic-monaco-2018-24-feb-new-screenshots-gameplay-for-shenmue-3-live-demo-of-vampyr.16808/

- New screenshots and gameplay details on Shenmue III are expected at Magic Monaco 2018

ShenmueTree wrote: People should accept that Shenmue HD is not happening.

Are you saying that the fortune teller lied to me???

The top right corner of the port is interesting.

I just watched the Shenmue Master video. What's Cedric said:

"We'll unveil the new steps, images, mechanics, etc"
"I did play the game recently. It's a beautiful game. At Magic, we'll see the game in motion, as beautiful as the screens you're seeing"

I was recently in Yokosuka, and found Dobuita, but couldn't find the Information Centers that had these maps. Thanks for uploading what the actual guide looks like.

Switch wrote:I'll look at putting up a guide of where to find the guide!

Don't forget to post a link when it's finished - that is, a guide of where to find the guide of where to find the guide.

December 17th 1986

Last night I dreamt of the mirror. It was the focal point of my mind, and all I could see was the mirror itself. Every detail was magnified as I traced over its features. The symbol of the phoenix rose quickly to the center of my mind. But soon the mirror was not all I saw. Against the backdrop of the mirror itself, I saw a single bird, a hawk, flying endlessly towards the mirror. As if to be swallowed up, but never quite reaching the mirror—never quite meeting.

The morning began with the realization that I was never going to make it to Hong Kong with the money I had managed to save over the years. Fuku-san was gracious enough, however, to lend me his savings after the two of us had failed in persuading Ine-san to help. I will need to find my own way to Hong Kong since Fuku-san’s money will not be enough. Or so I thought.

Anyway before I get to that, I should mention that the cat had made its way away from the shrine in Yamanose. I went to go find it, but it appears that Nozomi also had the same agenda, and I found her, and the cat, somewhat closer to the Hazuki dojo. Megumi was so happy to have Mimi back again. Sometimes I worry that Megumi is getting too attached to the cat. Now that its leg is healed, it’s bound to move on and leave. I just hope she understands that eventually all things must end and the cat won’t be around forever. I was lucky today, but I won’t always be around when the cat goes missing.

I also showed Yamagishi-san the phoenix mirror. He explained to me the secret of Yin and Yang. In china there are objects that carry both good and bad fortune, and that perhaps this phoenix mirror is one of these objects. I don’t know how he could feel such a thing from merely looking at the object, he mentioned that the mirror felt "ominous", but I was grateful for his wisdom.

I tried the travel agency near Tom’s hot dogs, but after hearing Yuriko lament over how expensive a trip to Australia had been, I wasn’t particularly optimistic in my standing. It turns out I just do not have enough money to make it to Hong Kong by airplane. Nozomi, however, suggested I try to take a boat instead of a plane. It seems as though her grandmother must take a boat every time they take a visit to Canada. I eventually was directed to another travel agency. And after paying my fee there, I was told to wait for the specifics to be ironed out and to come back later… well, when I came back they tried to pull a fast one on me and pretend I never came and payed. A few moments alone with me and the clerk was quick to apologize. They will be calling me tomorrow, and if all goes well, I’ll be on my way to Hong Kong soon.

Looking forward to this. Great work.

Here's a quick update on the project status: the project team has recently succeeded in creating full-audio game images that fit onto 80-minute CD-Rs. After some final minor development work these will soon be put through a period of beta testing on real hardware to make sure they work as expected.

About a delivery estimate: it's not possible to be specific yet. At its broadest - definitely within 2018 and before Shenmue III! It will largely come down to whether any major issues arise during beta testing. If it goes smoothly then within the first half of the year should be realistic.

Oh well, works for me, I guess. After all I've waited, it'll probably be worth waiting a bit more. I guess I can cut my teeth with What's Shenmue in the meantime #-o. Thanks to everyone involved in both projects, btw =D>.

Edit: And boo to the manufacturers of lousy CD-R 900s!!!

Fantastic , can't wait for this!

Hi again everyone,

Our Shenmue film SHENMUE: YOKOSUKA BLUES is now online!

Vimeo:


YouTube:


Behind-the-Scenes video:


Thanks again so much for watching!

hello, It took more time than i expected cause I had things to do, here it is Lan Di 3d model
fbx and .blend

https://image.ibb.co/gfcBbw/1.png
https://image.ibb.co/gZPDpG/2.png

not a perfect rip, the hands uvs are not a 100% correct, 3d ripper gives me a lot of broken meshes (not the 3d model complete) so I had a lot of work to do to rebuilding it or to joint different angles captures in one single model.
also the UV textures from the chinese suit are the original but it still have an artifact on his shoulders... other than that all is perfect rip!!!

I couldnt replace the hands generation a same skin texture in this case (not like shenhua) cause this model have a lot of hands texture details that it looks better using the original uvs!!!

here is the file!
https://mega.nz/#!rdlHAYxL!lYKHBoVMPc2EUo8pnWzde1mOaKVUjbtrws9FAfxPVf8

Im looking for Xiuying full body escene in shenmue 2, but I feel lazy of playing it until she appears... :sad:
it would be better if somebody share a vmu file :-({|=

coming soon...inesan? or should I focus on other character?

https://image.ibb.co/jW9tOb/Untitled.jpg