Technophilz wrote:
I want Shenmue 3 to be the best game ever made, not only because it's my most anticipated game of all time, but also Shenmue 3 will most certainly determine the fate of this fantastic series, I could never forget how the commercial outcome of Shenmue I & II had affected the future of Shenmue and I don't want to ever relive that nightmare again...
I think you have to let go of that expectation, for a variety of reasons. For one thing, it's pretty nebulous... "the best game ever made." In whose eyes? The critics, the general public? There'll never be agreement on this. In your own eyes? That's more possible, but even so it might be healthier to hope that it's your favorite game, or simply a satisfying and fulfilling game. Personally I love the previous Shenmue games, but I've never considered them in terms of being perfect or being the best. I love them simply because they are unique and convey a spectrum of feelings that no other games have. I also understand that I'm at a very different place in my life now and I don't expect to have the same kinds of feelings when I play Shenmue III that I did when I played I and II. Although they may nail the vibe and aesthetic in a very satisfying way, there's no way around the fact that I'll be ~17 years older and with new perspectives and it's not up to the developers of Shenmue III to account for my own changes.
Ultimately, though, it's out of your hands... out of all our hands. Our collective hopes and fears don't have a direct influence, so it's up to us to manage our expectations. I think you should be heartened that it's being made by many of the original designers. That alone is an achievement of the best possible circumstance in a turbulent commercial artform. They've expressed that at its current state of development it is already exceeding their own expectations. Things are going well.
As for the (speculated) involvement of some younger and less experienced members of the development team, Yu Suzuki et al started out as young, inexperienced developers, too. They had seniors who recognized their potential and talent. Now they are in the position of being able to recognize and cultivate the potential of less-experienced yet talented collaborators.