Cheers guys! (Haha, I like the スイッちゃん)

But wait, there's more - here's the Fuku-san edition.

Maybe he's just a big fan of fallout and loves the middle east and mexico so much that he wants them to experience the awesomeness of the game series but since he knows most of them can't afford the games, instead he's going to bring the games straight to them, in real life?

Yes, the interview with Eric Kelso is now out! Eric really has passion for the Shenmue series, and is so generous with his time for the community. Thanks to everyone on the Dojo & elsewhere who contributed great questions.

http://i.imgur.com/XpnYl3jm.jpg

Link to Full Interview:

http://www.phantomriverstone.com/2017/06/eric-kelso-answers-community-questions.html

Also please enjoy this audio compilation of a selection of the questions from the interview.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXw3iEc4PzQ

I probably wouldn't buy one. Please just put the games on Steam SEGA, all anybody wants.

Rakim wrote: amakuchi of course. Ryo can't handle spicy things.

I'll give you that. The exact answer I had in mind was apple, but as apples are an integral ingredient of amakuchi, I think we're on the same page.

Here's the first panel from a new comic series I got involved in. It's a pandemic post-apocalyptic series that chronicles the world falling in disarray after 2/3rds of the population is deviated by a virus. My friend came up with the concept and wrote the script, I act as investor and editor in the project.

http://i.imgur.com/D1njhFK.png

Really excited for this one.

I was watching this youtube channel Slopes Game Room, they have features called The Complete History for different series of games, one of which being Shenmue.

They've mentioned in the video something I've heard for the first time ever: Ryo Hazuki has a cameo appearance in ESPN NFL Football on the original Xbox.

Did anyone know about this? Given such a cameo is incredibly obscure for an NFL game, and admittedly the narrator stated they have no found footage of this from the game, I'm still extremely curious/interested to see more.

Check the video out at this timestamp: https://youtu.be/cCdgmSlZ4DQ?t=14m51s
Full video here: https://youtu.be/cCdgmSlZ4DQ

I just watched Death note on Netflix. I'm literally speechless. I wasn't expecting much going into this, but Jesus Christ this may be one of the worst adaptations and movies period. It was so unbearably bad. Close to nothing was kept from the original manga other than what the deathnote was and honestly they got some parts wrong. There's the obvious whitewashing bs but whatever on that. Light tried to be an edgelord the whole movie which is not the point of his character. Super awkward music scenes. Story didn't make sense alot of the time. This is some mystery science theater material right here. Holy fuck Netflix what happened? Granted I'm a huge fan of the source material, but that aside this is absolute garbage. One saving Grace is Willam Dafoe as Ryuk. He did well surprisingly and it fit his voice.

It was okay. There was only one truly great action scene in the entire thing (the office fight, when they all finally meet), and I don't think the end result was quite as epic as they were probably aiming for. Honestly I thought the whole show felt weirdly cheap compared to, at the very least, the level of polish that seemed to go into the first two seasons of Daredevil. Makes me a little wary of the future of Marvel's Netflix shows, what with Luke Cage being generally underwhelming, Iron Fist being flat out bad, and Defenders being a bit ho-hum.
Hopefully the Punisher will make up for all this. Jon Bernthal was mesmerizing as hell in DD season 2, so I hope that carries over. Lord knows Daredevil is pretty much a lost cause now, with Matt Murdock and the entire supporting cast having been rendered as whiny pussies now.

Why's it become such a seemingly negative thing to raise genuine concerns about a franchise you want to succeed? I waited my entire life for a Batman/Superman film and was pretty happy to debate why I reckon it's great with those who thought it was a trainwreck. I don't seem to recall telling anyone to shut up about it.

There seems to be some growing mentality amongst Shenmue fans that we should shut our eyes and ears to anything bad and just repeat the mantra of "la la la, not listening, it's gonna be great, they know what they're doin, waited ages for it, just be grateful, la la la!"

Can you imagine if it doesn't end up being good? If it's poorly received by both the public and media? Who's gonna buy it? We've already got copies reserved. Where are they gonna make the money needed for the follow-up? It's simply not a case of "anything will do". Yeah, we waited fifteen years for this. So it better be fuckin worth the wait. And the money.

As for Spaghetti, how are you not getting this? Why does any studio show something off? No, why does anyone show anything off? Honestly, just think about it. Maybe English isn't your first language, in that case it'd be slightly more understandable, but c'mon... showing off concept art is promotional material. "Checking in" on Facebook to a hotel in an area where there's a relevant event: promotional material. Appearing on a chat show. That's promotional. A video, work in progress or not, is promotional.

I tend to stay out of the Shenmue areas of the forums for the most part, so excuse me if this gets talked about much.
But random thought: I really hope SIII maintains the replayability of the previous two games. I was thinking about it, and the first two have a very unique style of progression, where being at this place at this time will trigger a unique event, and there's absolutely no hints or indicators signalling exactly where and when they're placed. It all just happens organically, and as you play the game subsequent times you discover new little tidbits here and there, with no reward other than the experience of finding them. And yet, missing these scenes and then hearing about them later from others never makes it feel like you screwed up; it just gives you a little urge to try and see them next time. You're practically guaranteed not to see everything the first time through, and yet no playthrough of either game ever feels "incomplete."
Most games nowadays have absolutely nothing like that. Not that I can think of at least. Games nowadays tend to point you directly toward any additional scenes or events that might happen. And if they don't , then people label the un-marked events as easter eggs. By that logic, Shenmue and Shenmue II were just littered to the brim with "easter eggs," but never acted like they were anything super secret; they were just extensions of how lively the game world was.
I really hope Shenmue III follows through in the exact same way. I don't want any glowing indicators on a world map telling me where everything is; I want to stumble across it all myself, or hear about things on the forum here. I think "modernizing" the game too much with things like that would absolutely kill some of the appeal of subsequent replays.

Keep in mind, there's a separate topic for video game music.

So this slipped under the radar yesterday at TGS conference but Square Enix announced a brand new Front Mission game that's basically Metal Gear Solid (stealth action) with mech action (the Armored Core aspect). The game is being Directed by Armored Core series director Toshifumi Nabeshima (formerly of From Software), character designs by Yoji Shinkawa (Metal Gear series artist) and Produced by Shinji Hashimoto at Square-Enix.

http://www.gamekyo.com/Webmasters/Images/13736620170920_182538_10_big.jpg

http://www.gamekyo.com/Webmasters/Images/13736620170920_182537_0_big.jpg

http://www.gamekyo.com/Webmasters/Images/13736620170920_182537_3_big.jpg

http://www.gamekyo.com/Webmasters/Images/13736620170920_182537_2_big.jpg

http://www.gamekyo.com/Webmasters/Images/13736620170920_182537_5_big.jpg

http://www.gamekyo.com/Webmasters/Images/13736620170920_182537_6_big.jpg

http://www.gamekyo.com/Webmasters/Images/13736620170920_182537_7_big.jpg

- The three protagonists are the people featured in the key visual. All three are isolated in the city where the game is set, and each act independently in order to survive.
- Keyword: “The One Day Incident” – The setting is a city in Russia. The game depicts a one day incident that occurs there. A war is happening in the city, and the protagonist will inevitably get caught up in the conflict.
- Wanzer – Since Left Alive is set in the same world as the Front Mission series, the walking-type mobile weapons known as “Wanzers” will appear. Although you will mainly confront Wanzers as enemies, you can also steal a Wanzer away from the enemy.
- Survival Action – The primary objective is survival. The game will have a varied setup, including traps laid out to stir up the battlefield. There is also a crafting element, which allows you to use the materials you obtain to craft items.
- The Route You Take is Up to You – For example, if you head straight to your destination, you may be in danger of having to fight enemies, but you can also take hidden paths and stay out of the enemy’s line of sight, or take a big detour far away from that area. How you progress is up to you.

- Director Toshifumi Nabeshima: “Since I always place emphasis on things that might give me a sense of accomplishment, it probably is not going to be very easy. (Laughs.)”
- On downloadable content: “We have ideas, so maybe we can do it if the main game does well.”

First of all, I think it would be a mistake to cast all Japanese actors. This thing needs international appeal, and I can't think of any Japanese actors that can really draw a serious crowd.
With that in mind, my casting would go like this:

Ryo Hazuki - Fred Savage
https://image.ibb.co/ixxHEQ/1ryofred.png
For the main character, of course you need to cast the greatest actor who ever lived, Fred Savage. You could probably even recreate the carrots scene by splicing together old footage from The Wonder Years and having him dub over it. His voice is exactly the same as it was back then, so it all works out.

Iwao Hazuki - Danny Glover
https://image.ibb.co/fbkZTk/2iwaodanny.png
Because you need a black guy.

Lan Di - Ninja from Die Antwoord
https://image.ibb.co/jHNsEQ/landininja.png
If we're gonna get Neil Blomkamp to direct this thing -- and let's face it, he's the only choice there can possibly be, what with all the robots that have to be added -- then you need to get an actor that literally only Neil Blomkamp thinks is worthwhile.

Guizhang - Kevin Hart
https://image.ibb.co/jun68k/guizhangkevin.png
Because sometimes you need two black guys.

Ine-san - Amy Schumer
https://image.ibb.co/nwriok/inesanamy.png
It always seemed to me like the developers wanted Ine-san to be like super funny, and she always had this smug attitude about herself like she thought she was hilarious.
But she wasn't. Like, not even a little bit.

Megumi - Leonardo DiCaprio
http://oi68.tinypic.com/2808dbk.jpg
One of the most adventurous actors in Hollywood. I think he'd welcome the chance to really stretch his abilities by playing a little special needs Japanese girl. We could win this thing some goddamn Oscars.

Elevensixty wrote:Create secret society that controls Japanese government from the shadows, maneuver things to make Yu Suzuki CEO of SEGA with essentially bottomless budget.

The most reasonable thing you said tbh.

^
It wasn't very scary, but it was an enjoyable film. I look at it more like an 80s coming of age movie than a scary movie. Too many jump scares, with only one or two of them working IMO.

I'll also second the kids being great. Their acting skills were solid all around, which was a pleasant surprise since I expect most kid actors to be passable at best in most movies nowadays.

Really liking these Sonic tunes I'm hearing, very reminiscent of Sonic 3 to me. Makes me more excited for the upcoming release for Mania.

Does it really matter? If he's not interested, it's entirely possible that he's just not interested . If he immediately knew what it was (regardless of how ignorant he is to the gameplay), no doubt he knows what its aesthetics are; that of it being steeped in Japanese/Chinese culture and all that. Typically that's the most appealing aspect for the majority of the series' fans. So if that, in itself, isn't enough to get him to play it, then it's probably just not something he's gonna dig.
There are games like that for me too; stuff like Mass Effect or the Witcher come to mind. I already know what they are and know they're never gonna be favorites of mine, so I'd rather no one was setting out on a mission to "change my mind" about them. I'm just not interested. So I'd say, for people like that... just let it be. Not everyone has to like Shenmue.

This is Liam at his best, with Noel, Paul Weller, Steve Cradock.....
Great vocal. Stunning lyrics. It's "Carnation" by The Jam.

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

Noel had some good tunes. Liam had a good voice. But in Oasis they couldn't buy a lyric worth a f*ck.
They had a massive platform for years and they said absolutely f*ck all.

I heard them introduce their tracks with "Here's another song with shite lyrics".
So at least they were honest about it.

I guess Yaz was right after all.

Seriously though, lyrics are such a personal thing. I'm sure Oasis lyrics mean the world to a lot of people. Some 20+ years ago, I learned the bass part to every Oasis track for an Oasis-mad band I'd just joined. The words done nothing for me and all I can remember now is something about a wall and a Sally.

I was more into Blur at the time. I'm not a fan of Albarn's voice but, in the absence of a decant vocal (or lyrics sometimes), great music goes a long way. (Ozric Tentacles!).
Also I'm a big fan of Graham Coxon's guitar playing.

Have you seen this? Once upon a time Noel and Damon performing together would have devastated some Blur/Oasis fans and spiked the suicide rate.

This could be the Shenmue III Kickstarter theme song: "We've Got The Power!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NFf0gN1CbI

Since when does any of this qualify as "sexual assault"?
I don't know shit about NeoGAF. I don't pay attention to or bother with most gaming sites or forums or whatever the hell it is. So I know nothing about the guy or the people surrounding him. I don't care to know.
But just going by the article, two instances are mentioned: he grabbed somebody while in a drunken stupor back in 2012 ("grabbed," mind you; for all we know, it could have been on the shoulder), and he got in a shower naked with someone, then left when told to .
The actions of a dumb douchebag?
Sure. He doesn't sound like anyone I'd want to be friends with.
But calling this "sexual assault" is a disgusting exaggeration. "Sexual assault" is an actionable offense. It's the kind of thing people go to prison for. Hard prison. Like, "fuck you up the ass while an excited Southerner slaps you in the face and tells you to oink like a piggie" prison. Then you get stabbed with a toothbrush shiv.
The guy is clearly a dumbass, but the things he's accused of are just stupid frat boy bullshit. He didn't rape the girl in the shower; he left when she said she wasn't interested. Whether he acted like a jerk later is besides the point. And whatever "grabbing" he did five years ago was done while inebriated, and apparently led to nothing else afterward.
Sure, he sounds like a complete dong, and people can do whatever they want to defame him on the internet. But phrasing it so that he sounds like a dangerous criminal is ridiculous.

Why Do Kids Love the Taste of Cinnamon Toast Crunch?

^^I feel like all this shit is being exaggerated anyway. I'm not some diehard, "he's never wrong" type of supporter of him or anything, I just think it all sounds a bit extreme for a guy who's comedy act is primarily based around taking a level-headed look at how weird and shitty the rest of the world can seem.

In celebration of Shenmue III coming out next year, I'll be starting my catch up playthrough of both Shenmue I and Shenmue II. However, this time I'll only be playing an in-game day each day, no more, no less. If time skips forward for Ryo, then I am not allowed to play Shenmue until the realtime day and ingame day sync up again. Anyone wanting to join me is welcome--although I understand why it may not be super appealing of a playthrough.

Since today is the day that Iwao Hazuki died, I'll be starting today. (although there's not much to play today haha)

I'll also be keeping a personal journal entry of everything that happens in game.

"live for one's convictions, die for one's convictions"

should we call it a "slow-run"?

I did this "annualy" a couple of years ago, two or three times. It's a fun way to experience the game for sure.
Really shows you how little there is to do on some days and how much on others. Of course watching the intro and then putting the game aside for 4 days is already one hell of a start.

You know a game is lacking in plot when they make up for it with "plot"

IGN got James Franco to do video game voices in the voice of Tommy Wiseau from The Room/Disaster Artist. One of the lines is Ryo from Shenmue. Pretty funny.

After watching the documentary "Jim and Andy" on Netflix, I finally watched "Man on the Moon". It was really fascinating to watch and pretty crazy how into character he got. I would highly recommend both movies if you haven't watched either.

Hello folks! I took a trip to Morocco around August sometime last year. Which is a bad time to go, summer in Marrakech was around 42-45 degrees Celsius daily. We (my girlfriend and I) did a fourteen day trip of the north. We traversed the High Atlas mountains, rode camels through the palm groves and even slept under the stars in the Sahara desert. We hope to do the south sometime. But if anyone is ever considering going, I highly recommend it. A fascinating place and one I really do hope to go back to sometime.

Also, visited some Game of Thrones filming sites.

Here are just a couple pictures picked at random. I might do a big upload on IMGUR with a small recap of the adventure.

http://i66.tinypic.com/i2lwe1.jpg
http://i66.tinypic.com/2dtp5jb.jpg
http://i63.tinypic.com/rt2ic8.jpg
http://i65.tinypic.com/chv2b.jpg
http://i63.tinypic.com/25s7btj.jpg

I just found out about the Fatal Frame movie. Has anyone here seen it? Is worth watching?

From what I remember it was actually not bad. It's a coming of age lesbian drama with a horror mystery theme to it. The movie is way too slow for my liking and the acting lackluster, but I did like the rite of passage theme and the ending which I think it was the best one from all the movies based on a videogame. Though I have never really played a Fatal Frame game, I believe it's only loosely based on the franchise and so, said that I'd rather recommend better movies like The Wailing or A Tale of Two Sisters than this one for a similar Asian eerie horror type of experience.