Could we have made 10M?

[Reprise]

No.

[Jesse]

It is a moot point now but that doesn't mean we can't reach it eventually through PayPal. The saga continues...

[goaliefrk]

If Suzuki had set the minimum funding goal at a clean 10 Million could we have achieved that in 30 days?

Seeing how fast the 2M goal was reached I really think we would have climbed to 10M within a couple of weeks.

My guess is at the absolute most it would have made maybe an additional 500k-1m.

[SMDzero]

You guys think that Suzuki himself contributed some $$$ to the KS?

[Sonoshee]

You guys think that Suzuki himself contributed some $$$ to the KS?

Not to the KS, but likely provided the startup funds for YSnet a few years ago, and whatever it cost to pay for what we saw during E3.

[murdiaries]

Getting past 2M was a miracle. (thanks Sony)
After all SM it's a niche game and the amount it managed to collect so far is unbelivable.

[FlagshipFighter]

There are so many variables, it's hard to know what the best case scenario could have been if the breaks had all gone our way. Obviously, getting time at Sony's E3 conference was HUGE. But, what would have happened if they had great test footage, focused marketing communication, no inflated Shenmue I/II cost to compare with, Sega had Shenmue HD Remaster ready to go out the door following E3, and none of the clickbait media? It's hard to say but I think $10m might have been attainable if the cards had played out the right way.

Overall, we shouldn't ever be upset by what played out. The game has $6.5m (and counting) along with other undisclosed sums from investors. None of the money will be going to publishing thanks to Sony and we're getting the game we've dreamed about for so long.

[Anonymous81]

In my humble opinion, the only way we could have gotten closer to 10 million would have been:

1) Immediate, clear, professional PR campaign to explain exactly why the Kickstarter was necessary, and exactly what Sony's role was (and more importantly, wasn't.) The backlash due to bad assumptions and misunderstanding was enormous and definitely hurt the campaign.

2) A much more polished and well organized campaign, especially in terms of explaining exactly what the different stretch goals actually meant and how the game might suffer if those goals weren't reached. (We honestly still don't know this with any true clarity.)

3) An initial goal of 2 million, but explaining very clearly that this was for a simple, story based, narrative heavy continuation of the saga and not necessarily a "true Shenmue experience." Then make clear that, for that, they need 10 million, and why. And what that will look like mechanically and in terms of actual, practical mechanics & systems, in concrete terms.

4) A smooth transition from the KS to the PayPal campaign, with rewards that carry over, stack, can be combined, etc. etc.

5) Sony working harder to promote the campaign (both of them,) since their involvement would no longer be the albatross that it became in terms of public perception, as that would already have been addressed in #1.

If ALL of that had happened, we might have reached 10 million. Or at least 7 - 8 million. (We might still hit 7.)

All of that having been said... it is still my strong suspicion that none of the problems the above 5 steps could have addressed were actually avoidable. I think the E3 presentation was essential to their getting even to what they did, and that the decision to announce it at E3 happened so fast, and was such kismet in terms of the right people being at the right place at the right time, they had to act quickly without much planning. And without much budget to hire a campaign team, since they didn't know how much if anything they would raise, and since YsNet apparently is putting all their resource into this.

So the above steps aren't intended to be criticisms of YsNet, or even Awesome Japan. I just think it was what it was, and that's just how things worked out. Still better off doing it the way they did - imho - than if they had waited until after E3, lost all that exposure, but had a more well run campaign. We'll never know for certain of course.

[Shenhua-Nani?]

It's a miracle we got 6.3 millions with a Kickstarter handled by Awesome Japan.

[Axm]

Yes.
If they had set the bar at 10, it would have reached that.
Instead 2m+ was reached in a couple days and the rest of the mainstream news about Shenmue 3 wasnt "go support it" it was "Goal reached fasest in kickstarter history!" And the continued click bait narrative "Sony is funding it because 2m isnt enough to make a AAA game."

The E3 impact and continued news of progress would have easily carried it past 10m imo.

But thats in the past now. Shenmue 3 and 4 will be good games. I have no doubt about it.

[Yokosuka]

Perhaps they never gave a fuck and already secured 370 million anyway. That might explain a lot of things but I keep dreaming.

[PILMAN]

I don't think so, I already put in way over my budget which I spent $185.00 . I did it because I had been waiting for this game forever. I think a lot of people put in more in some cases then they could afford.

[killthesagabeforeitkillsu]

Maybe, if during the last day of KS they had already a paypal option ready. Easily 2 more millions.

[Batosai]

Do you think in a year or so there could be one more financial push even if fan led to bring in some more of those amazing combat upgrades (7 & 7.5mil) or environment activities(8 Mill+)?

Not sure how people would react or even if it got media attention other gamers might think its a cash grab by the developers but personally if it wasn't taken in the wrong way and enhanced Shenmue 3 would like take part in something like that.