"For Yu Suzuki I have the utmost respect, and to be able to make Shenmue with him would be the best opportunity and the greatest glory."That's what South Korean graphic designer
NoconKid told us last November, when we interviewed him about his stunning HD recreations of Shenmue environments like the streets of Dobuita, the arcade, and later the Hazuki family dojo.
A lot has happened since then. Shenmue III has been announced and broken Kickstarter records, with crowdfunding ongoing via PayPal. This has led to a shift in focus in the #SaveShenmue campaign, with the monthly Tweetathon adopting its new hashtag #SaveShenmueHD.
And it was during this event yesterday that Ys Net announced its
newest team member for the development of Shenmue III: NoconKid.
The reaction from fans across the globe was one of unanimous joy and celebration. Not even the news of Shenmue III itself received more likes on our Facebook page than NoconKid's appointment by Yu Suzuki.
Demonstrating that Suzuki-san has his finger on the pulse to deliver what the fans want from this game, while affirming the dream fulfillment that Shenmue III has already symbolized for so many, has made this decision extremely popular with every corner of the fan base. Not only will NoconKid's passion for the series and experience with Unreal Engine make him an asset to the development team, but what this acquisition represents in terms of connecting fans with the creation process is a real boon for Ys Net, and another example of the magic of this impossible sequel being brought to life by the fans, for the fans.
We can only hope that Sega, too, will take note of what can happen when one dedicated fan devotes his free time to remastering the game that they have still to re-release on any new platform after nearly 16 years. Taking its cue from NoconKid, the relentless fans of this series won't let it go, and will continue to push the issue every 3rd of the month until we finally #SaveShenmueHD.
For more details on the campaign and to pre-order Shenmue III, see
TeamYu.net/shenmue 
