No Shenmue 3 Until E3 2017!!!

[Kiske]

We're not going to have to wait till E3. Unless something drastically changes, the next Kickstarter update will include the footage Peter and I saw on the bus. After Yu showed us the footage, he said everyone would be seeing it (and more) "in December." He never specified PSX, but Peter and myself clearly thought that's what he meant. The last $10,000 dinner was already confirmed for San Francisco on the week of PSX, so it seemed like a no-brainer. But this goes to show that we should never expect anything until we have 100% official facts, no matter how logical what we're expecting may seem. Let's keep a cool head and wait a few more weeks! We'll see this month's update sooner than usual, I'd imagine. The team should be afforded a good holiday break, so they won't even be there to update on the very last day again.

All of a sudden, pieces fall into place.

[SledgeNE]

I understand the situation for Shenmue III. It's wise to bring nothing than to bring something that looks really bad and immature. This Project should have the time it needs. It makes me sad when Shenmue III is categorized as a Indie-Title. But time changes.

[Yokosuka]

Will Yu show in this december update the same footage Peter and LanDC saw? Is he showing outdated material on purpose? (Half a year material more or less) Or he will show the last version?

In both cases, I expect something average visually. At this point, I'm only interested in the urban arrangement and the art direction.

[Rikitatsu]

We never had Peter/LanDC comment on the quality of the visuals compared to the Shenhua House video...Did we?
I remember one of them saying it was better than the E3 trailer, but we all knew that thanks to Magic Monaco earlier this year.

It's probably on the same level as the Shenhua House video, and that's fine by me.

[Suzuki Yu]

We're not going to have to wait till E3. Unless something drastically changes, the next Kickstarter update will include the footage Peter and I saw on the bus. After Yu showed us the footage, he said everyone would be seeing it (and more) "in December." He never specified PSX, but Peter and myself clearly thought that's what he meant. The last $10,000 dinner was already confirmed for San Francisco on the week of PSX, so it seemed like a no-brainer. But this goes to show that we should never expect anything until we have 100% official facts, no matter how logical what we're expecting may seem. Let's keep a cool head and wait a few more weeks! We'll see this month's update sooner than usual, I'd imagine. The team should be afforded a good holiday break, so they won't even be there to update on the very last day again.

glad to hear this.
i am not going to expect anything at the moment but i will stick to a little hope that something substantial may coming our way soon.


about this month's dinner though..
anyone knows who's going to be there? by now they might learn something about the actual date of the dinner party. what do you think guys?

We never had Peter/LanDC comment on the quality of the visuals compared to the Shenhua House video...Did we?
I remember one of them saying it was better than the E3 trailer, but we all knew that thanks to Magic Monaco earlier this year.


It's probably on the same level as the Shenhua House video, and that's fine by me.

yes i am curious about this as well, i would really like to know if there is any significant improvement between Bailu Village we saw in MAGIC presentation and the one seen by Peter & LanDC.

[Spaghetti]

yes i am curious about this as well, i would really like to know if there is any significant improvement between Bailu Village we saw in MAGIC presentation and the one seen by Peter & LanDC.

We already know via the shot of Bailu in the recruiting leaflet from a few months ago they've at least made significant steps towards improving the vegetation.

[Rikitatsu]

yes i am curious about this as well, i would really like to know if there is any significant improvement between Bailu Village we saw in MAGIC presentation and the one seen by Peter & LanDC.

We already know via the shot of Bailu in the recruiting leaflet from a few months ago they've at least made significant steps towards improving the vegetation.

Frankly, I didn't notice any improvements in that leaflet, vegetation or otherwise. Looked like the MAGIC stuff, albeit under different lighting circumstances

[Spaghetti]

Frankly, I didn't notice any improvements in that leaflet, vegetation or otherwise. Looked like the MAGIC stuff, albeit under different lighting circumstances

Check the off-screen Bailu fly-through from MAGIC then look back at the leaflet. It's definitely a lot more dense and colourful.

[Himuro]

You guys haven't learned your lesson. Don't discuss anything about what Peter or LanDC saw that might personally put them on a position that may have to put a load of expectations for any of us. For pages you told me to wait. Then bloody wait and leave them alone. It shocks me that despite the crushing disappointment of this past weekend you are all getting ready to this dance again. Just let dogs lie and wait instead of engaging in meaningless blabber that might put LanDC and Peter in a bad position. Peter was already half blamed for the PSX no show and I'll be damned if LanDC is blamed if we get a vapid December update.

On a side note I just got FFXIV in the mail and wanted to read the manual while on the toilet and there's a small leaflet. I remember XI's manual to be thick as Glasses' specs. I know other games do that now but doing this for a meaty mmo? Blasphemy. Oh well, we saved the forest at least but still.

[Kiske]

LanDC himself posted about what they were told during the Backers dinner. I don't see why we couldn't discuss it.

I didn't see bashing messages against Peter or LanDC to be honest, but I may have missed them.

That being said, there has been disappointment right after the PSX but it seems that you are one of those who are on the verge of losing faith in the project.

[Anonymous81]

I hope you're right LanDC! You would know better than I, certainly.

But for my own sanity's sake, I'm going to just expect nothing until E3 2017 and then be happily surprised if anything happens.

For everyone else... In either case, there's no need for everyone to get so on edge all the time is there? We're here because of something good, something we love, and look forward to. If it stops entailing any joy, what's the point?

[Valascaziel]

I'm sure they've received their fair share or criticism these last few days via PM and Twitter, so they have to be aware of the concern mounting amongst backers.

It would make sense to assume they'll do a more substantial December update to assuage the concerns, as another "The nothing of Shenmue" update will not be tolerated much longer. They may not, though and while some may be patient, others may not be.

Not everyone reads these boards, but eventually the frustrations will get out there, by someone whistle-blowing their concerns or by passer-by journalists perusing here or NeoGAF, etc.

Point being it'll end up as negative articles questioning the development/status of Shenmue 3 and that will not be good for them or for future financial backers.

[Monkei]

It shocks me that despite the crushing disappointment of this past weekend you are all getting ready to this dance again.

I really don't see anything wrong with discussing likelihoods. Weren't you pretty much the only one to overreact in such an extreme manner? If you actually take your own advice this time we should all be good.

Peter was already half blamed for the PSX no show and I'll be damned if LanDC is blamed if we get a vapid December update.

And weren't you the first one on here to feel wound up and "half-blame" Peter? This whole post of yours reads like you're speaking out against yourself.

On a side note I just got FFXIV in the mail and wanted to read the manual while on the toilet

Well, aren't you a classy one.

[Himuro]

All I'm saying is I saw where discussion was going. It was definitely heading into a "let's ask Peter and LanDC whether or not the build they saw is better looking than the Monaco build" when if anything, we shouldn't be asking them anything to put even more pressure on them.

That being said, there has been disappointment right after the PSX but it seems that you are one of those who are on the verge of losing faith in the project.

You're right.

[sand4fish]

I understand the situation for Shenmue III. It's wise to bring nothing than to bring something that looks really bad and immature. This Project should have the time it needs. It makes me sad when Shenmue III is categorized as a Indie-Title. But time changes.

Interestingly, Indie may have the connotation of being amateurish and low budget but the term can also be applied to auteurs (in gaming) whose creations are impervious of influences of company executives over their own. I'm talking about how the creator's personal influence and artistic control are so great that even their names are carried along with the title screen. Examples would be Sid Meier, Cliff Bleszinski, Hideo Kojima and the folks at Platinum Games. These are surely independent game designers. Look at Kojima's case alone. The man will spend millions in a single 5 minutes gameplay along with a 45 minute cutscene with flamboyant characters speaking in gibberish. Gamers might complain and Konami hate him, but will the man give a damn? NO. Even after being fired, did the man get tamed by another game company? Surely not. That's a true indie auteur right there.

Now about Shenmue 3. Actually that's the same story. The only difference is that Yu is working with limited resources and budget. But he still has full control of everything regarding Shenmue as an IP (including the staff that worked on the originals), and this alone is unheard of for a Kickstarter project, specially when the IP is this popular, though not highly successful. Basically the man has been battling against the odds, and so far he beat everything down his path to a pulp. So I'm not sure where the discontentment is coming from with what he's doing.

Personally, I rather see his team focus on whatever they are doing than spend time prepping a documentary of rudimentary gameplay or another trailer advertising how beautiful Chinese landscapes can be on Unreal 4 for a gaming event that are already packed with pretty much trailers of games ready to be shipped in a few months time. It might impress fans, but utterly meaningless to newcomers. Who's paying for that anyway? Opportunity cost. When you want someone to stop working at the Ysnet office to show off a trailer at a PSX, some group of people must be there at the event to talk about it and answer questions right? Are they gonna use part of the $6 million for travel expenses alone? Is this really going to sit well with the backers or even the media? Because I certainly will feel "happy" knowing that I pledged money to see Joel Tess enjoy a Big Mac at lunch and a bath at Hilton's.

Now seriously, reality check here. Be prepared to see Shenmue 3 being ready to be released only in 2018 at its earliest. Not a gut feeling, because when you take a company like Inxile Entertainment (who has Kickstarter projects under their belts like Bard's tale, Wasteland 2 and Torment: Tides of Numenera) an average of three years to complete their games you just can't expect a tiny company like Ysnet to do it in two. Painful as it may be, expect delays (whether on updates or game completion) and they do not mean any doom sign to the project. Game companies (big or small) are just bad at projections and meeting deadlines. All I wish is for people to give them some space, because it must be hard to focus at work when in their heads they are like: "Man, I've been sitting on this desk for like 14 hours a day staring at this screen and this f***ers still complain? What else am I supposed to do? Pack my bags, sit on a plane for 16 hours, and prepare a presentation when all I've got is some really rough pre-alpha work? Man I would get an F in college for handing in this s**t, but hey if that it's what the fans want. F**k this!"

Well, this is basically a rambling topic. Guess I've outdone myself.