I'll admit, my excitement of Shenmue III has decreased by 30% after seeing this pool BS.
If they pull something like this again, i might just forget it honestly....

I didn't wait 14 years for this...

I wonder if these clowns passing feedback to Suzuki are the same ones who thought fans want the forklift back in Shenmue 3 or for (Shenmue 3 spoilers) Chai to return in Shenmue 3. This will completely ruined the sense of satisfaction many of us got from beating him in Shenmue 1.


I'd be pretty keen for Chai to return... It's not like we saw him die at the end of Shenmue 1. They left it open for his return. Plus, we know he was supposed to be in the start of Shenmue 2, but the chapter/scene was cut.

Just finished up my review on Shenmue 2, for anyone who is interested. Many thanks for any feedback or constructive comments.

Cheers, guys.

https://366gamestoplay.wordpress.com/20 ... shenmue-2/

Hey guys, I recently started a blog and with today being the 3rd, I've published a special feature on the first Shenmue game. I first played it back in December 2000. 16 years later, it's still a phenomenal game and one of my favourites of all time. Would love for fellow Shenmue fans to check out my blog (sorry if this is a little spammy - mods please advise if this breaks any rules. I couldn't find anything listed in the FAQ). Thanks.

https://366gamestoplay.wordpress.com/2016/01/03/4-shenmue/

It's unfortunate that some people are too stupid to understand what this decision means. Knee jerk, emotive outcry everywhere... smh.

I'm talking about the people thinking they're not getting their rewards or that they're taking all the rewards down. Ugh. Don't people have basic reading comprehension skills anymore?

Word, Peter. Word.

Excuse the lame metaphors, but we've climbed the mountain and we're over it now. The game has been funded, fact. The game is in development, fact. Shenmue 3 is coming out, fact. It's time to stop nitpicking and end the negativity, in my opinion. AJ's role is minimal and the 'slacker backer' campaign is a perfunctory late option for those who missed the real campaign and not worth obsessing over. in the slightest. Oh I'm sorry, there are people who genuinely believe that with better marketing and a few extra rewards, the game would have raised millions in addition to the KS. Sorry, but I find that hard to believe. The vast majority of people who wanted to back the game, would have done so in the real Kickstarter. The late backing option is there for those who missed it.

Haha don't worry, guys. 1) Everything will be produced professionally. Fanta Joel isn't about to whip out his crayons and hand draw everything himself. Awesome Japan are just responsible for the Kickstarter side of things. 2) You can also be rest assured that Fanta Joel won't be sitting in the middle of a warehouse flabbergasted and inundated by huge printouts of addresses scattered across the floor. They'll be outsourcing logistics and shipping externally. Although, you just need to worry about the fact Awesome Japan will be passing on the information to whichever company(ies) they use...

I completely, 100% agree with you Peter.

Honestly, the negativity really gets me down. I know it might sound ridiculous to some, but I've wanted this game so badly for 16 years. We've waited so long. I hate the negativity, because I can't help but be ecstatic, regardless of any "controversies", that Shenmue 3 is finally happening.

When I see stupid clickbait articles, when I see outrage everywhere and comments like "I hope everyone kicks up a fuss. complains and this game loses all its funding", it really does get me down.

What I'm saying is, this is kind of a sanctuary free from the bullshit, but it's still sad to see negativity, even though I understand fans are anxious.

Sigh. I just need to stay away from Shenmue related stuff on the internet and wait for Shenmue 3's release haha.

I found the following in the comments of the Kickstarter page:

Ghost of Tom 'Skairkroh' Bule about 10 hours ago

Response from YsNet/Awesome Japan regarding the poll:
Hello Tom,
Thank you very much for your message. We understand that there is a lot of disappointment among fans who wanted the Kickstarter exclusives to be made available.
Since the launch of the Paypal campaign we have received numerous requests to remove exclusivity from certain Kickstarter rewards and make them available for the Slacker Backer campaign as well.
We held the poll as a method to gain more accurate insight on backer opinions concerning this matter since we could not be sure that the requests we received represented the opinion of the vast majority of the backers.
The poll was intended to gauge whether the backers felt that an exception could be made considering that the promise of exclusivity was already established. We felt that upholding this promise should be our foremost consideration.
The majority of respondents did not feel strongly enough about exclusivity to vote either yes or no. While the votes in favor of removing exclusivity marginally outnumbered those against, they did not represent a majority opinion in the poll.
The poll numbers do show that there are also many backers who do not wish to give up their exclusive rewards.
We feel that the logical conclusion to these results is to leave exclusivity as it is because there was not enough support to justify making an exception to go back on our original promise.
We are very happy that so many people responded and we hope we can continue to count on the support of the community.
Sincerely,
Oscar & the Shenmue 3 Team

It seems AJ is capable to reply one-on-one but inept of publicly explain their reasonings?

There response is quite honestly fair enough... The "outcry" and "controversy" is pretty shameful.

You just know that if YsNet had chosen to give the KS exclusive rewards to Slacker Backers that the gaming media would be running headlines like:

"Shenmue 3 Developers Breach Contract and Break Promise to Kickstarter Backers"
"Despite Being Promised EXCLUSIVE Rewards, Shenmue 3 Developers will screw KS Backers For More Money"

It's not just an AJ problem, it's a problem with all Kickstarters....

I'll have pre-ordered a physical retail release (I'm assuming the KS version will not have arrived), have the day booked off work and just sit down and play. It's going to be a bizarre experience, as I had truly given up hope of there ever being a Shenmue 3.

No.

on the other hand if you actually own a Square Tv I feel sorry for you, but thanks for your pointless input

Don't take this the wrong way, but are you quite... well, young?

A "square TV", or CRT, is the prefered option for most people who want to play old consoles that were created with Standard Definition in mind, for a 4:3 output.

Stretching a game made for 4:3 into 16:9 is pointless. It looks stupid and is not how it was intended to be viewed. Just look how shitty it looks:

http://clutchround.com/comparisons/images/resolution/csgo_4_3_stretched_3.png
http://clutchround.com/comparisons/images/resolution/csgo_4_3_stretched_4.png

It's not the look or budget of the game that neccessarily worries me, it's the fact that it's been nearly 3 years since the Kickstarter and all we have to show for it - besides the 'teaser' and a couple of goofy videos ("oh look, here's Ryo opening a cupboard and here's a fairly bad model of an old lady and we're changing her facial expressions. Big whoop") - is a few 'art' shots (because they aren't real screenshots from gameplay). It's getting old now.

The game is supposed to come out this year. Either come clean and admit the game is way off from being ready to be released or show off some actual gameplay in motion.

I'd even settle for some screenshots if they were actually showing off actual gameplay instead of just glorified game art, e.g...

http://lightningamer.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Shenmue-combat.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/KsXTA.jpg

I like the new NPCs, and Ryo's face is slightly improved.

But the screenshots themselves are weird. I don't know who takes them, but they feel so random and amateurish. They need better PR.

Could be worse... :lol:

https://images.eurogamer.net/2013/articles/1/7/6/8/1/6/9/143695265716.gif

Whilst I feel for Yu worrying that fans are getting impatient and I wouldn't want a fan backlash or for people to whip out the pitchforks, I don't think the problem is we can't wait. I would be fine if the game needed further delays. I'd be fine if it didn't come out until the end of 2019 if that's what the game needed.

It just feels like progress is slow and that there has been a slight lack of transparency. I mean, really, it's been nearly 3 years and we just have arty screenshots. Not gameplay screenshots, but 'photoshopped' art shots. I just feel, as it's a Kickstarter, it would be better if they showed off more. It kinda added insult to injury when there wasn't an update in months at the end of the last year and then they finally provided an update to say there won't be many updates from now on. I mean, really ?

How hard is it to just do a quick video of Ryo walking around a village, talking to people and showing off the menu interface (if there is one yet?). All they have to do is make it clear it's all a work in progress and subject to change, yada yada.

They really need to announce a delay sooner than later. It’s dishonest not to. They’ve shown zero gameplay, are reusing an old trailer and I doubt they’ve even cast voices yet. There’s no chance this is anywhere near release.

And that's all I ask for; bloody transparency. Another delay is fine as long as we see progress. The problem is we haven't really been seeing progress and updates are infrequent now. Be open and frank with the release schedule and show off the gameplay you've been working on.It's not exactly hard, unless... unless there's nothing to show, because the game is in development hell and the team aren't up to the task... :???:

We've seen more of bloody Elysian Shadows. And at least the guy being the System Shock reboot had the balls to say they've had to go on hiatus, as crappy as that is.

I’m not going to panic and make assumptions about the quality of the final product like some of you clowns are, but to only show 4 screenshots after the hype leading up to this event is PR malpractice at best.

That's exactly everyone's point...

Oh, really? Everyone’s? Like the ones saying that the game is going to suck or won’t be released until 2020?

Who said it would suck? I didn't see anyone say that. But let's be honest, whoever said the game won't be ready until 2020 could be right. It's not that over the top of an assumption...

I mean, I'm personally betting on 2019. I just would like some better PR, more transparency and for the team to share more with backers.

Imagine, as a Shenmue fan, travelling all the way to the event, to only see 4 art shots. Ouch.

And yeah, 'Crazy Time' is right now. Expect nothing particularly exciting. Maybe another couple of art shots.

Hell, even Sony should step in at this point...one of their hallmark titles of E3 2015 is becoming a laughing stock of "never coming out" in a sense. I know its not, but it is the closest term I could think of.

I doubt Sony cares or even has any involvement. I know people keep on going back to the comments from a Sony rep saying 'we're backing Shenmue" and 'we're supporting Yu', but I'm pretty sure they meant more in a figurative sense, than them actually being a partner. There was controversy at the time after they said that and I know both parties tried to clarify, saying Sony would help them with just some marketing, but I bet that's not even really much of a deal. It's probably just small stuff like publishing trailers on their Youtube channel and doing a bit of promotion on social media when the game nears its release. I don't think it's a substantial deal.

But basically, Sony already got what they wanted out of "supporting" Shenmue 3. They wanted the hype and attention of having Shenmue 3 announced on their stage, and they wanted to win E3 2015. They wanted a short term win, with the initial hype leading to more people buying PS4s. It was a good PR move on their part. They're not concerned with the end product of Shenmue 3 and I doubt they even care if the game never comes out or if it sucks. Just the mention of Shenmue 3 and PS4 in 2015 will have been enough to help boost PS4 sales.

I actually liked the original "trailer" too, despite all the negative comments. I thought it worked fine as a teaser that shows off the current progress of the video. The full, extended version of the trailer isn't bad either. At least the opening message makes it clear that it's not the latest build and is an old trailer, I guess... We won't be seeing an official version of that trailer. Looks like it was just something for the audience members to enjoy.

But, that said, it's just frustrating that 5 months later, at an event and conference that they've hyped up, that they've chosen to not show off anything new other than a few bits of game art. We haven't had a proper update in months and then at an actual event, they just show off an old video!? It seems like a bit of a piss take. Do they really have nothing new and substantial to show? I mean, let's be honest, these new screenshots/bits of art would have been a weak normal update via email, but to have the cheek to do that at Magic Monaco. Meh.

And for those saying wait till E3, A) You know developers don't have to wait until E3 before showing off gameplay or releasing trailers right? In the modern world, developers just release gameplay videos or trailers or press releases on Social Media all the time. And B) I bet Shenmue 3 is another no show at E3 2018 anyways. Just you wait, they'll be more disappointment in a few months time.

shenmue 1/2 hd and s3 all in the same year. :) :D

Bit optimistic...

Just woke up to the news today with a very meh reaction. This was the chance to bring in news fans of the game with a remake, no a re-release. Wouldn't have cost a significant amount just to significantly update the graphics of the game. Day one purchase for me but can't help but feel this is a massive opportunity missed.

Yeah man, because remaking games from scratch is so, so, soooo easy. Just wack it in the ol' remake machine and out the other end comes a perfect remade game from all new assets. Just like magic.

And being serious, the games don't need to be remade. They're already perfect.

Three Words: Silent Hill Collection.

I would never get rid of my original games just because HD editions exist. They're hardly ever actually completely a definitive version. For every one Shadow of the Colossus & ICO HD Collection, there's about 5 Silent Hill HD Collections.

I'd say it's more of a port than a remaster.

I'm not sure why I keep seeing people say this?

1080p resolution, new modernised control scheme, new modern interface, native 16:9 widescreen, new language options.

It's a remaster by definition, regardless of how little or how much energy they put into enhancing the game.

I'm no expert, but it definitely looks stretched to me. I prefer the leaner look.

I believe altering things like resolution and control scheme to coincide with today's standards doesn't make something a remaster.

Yakuza Kiwami is a remaster, built from scratch on a new engine with additional story and gameplay content, enhanced audio (re-recorded I believe) and graphics.

No, that's called a remake.

Enhancing existing assets = remaster
Creating all new assets = remake

They've added the bicycle back into Shenmue 1.

The Switch is powerful enough. I expect that the remasters have been planned for a while and Nintendo wasn't considered initially because of where the company was at the point the collection started coming into fruition. Or maybe they really did only make the decision to create these remasters recently and it could also just be a decision Sega made to stick with PS4 and XB1. Who knows? Sadly, I'm not that surprised to be honest. It would be great if it does eventually get released for the Switch.

No, I don't mean to be petty, but the terms have literal and very clear definitions. They're not interchangeable. A lot of people seem to get confused by the terms and use them interchangeably (including some pretty big youtubers), so I do understand the confusion, but it is quite simple really in my opinion.

A remaster is technically a type of port. You are still porting a game from one system to another. So in some respects, we're arguing over semantics here. Decades ago, remasters didn't exist. They were just called ports. So, it could be argued that the term 'remaster' was created by publishers as marketing spin. Either way though, the term is here now, it's here to stay and it's got a pretty clear definition. If you take original assets, up the native resolution to HD, enhance other effects and textures, change menu interfaces, make other adjustments and alter controls etc., then it's a remaster. If you take existing assets and do nothing or very little with them other than optimise for different hardware, then that is a port.

Am I the only one who really could not give a f*** if the cutscenes are in 4:3? If they release the game in that state, then it will be because they could not avoid it. Simple as. It really isn't that important. What is important, is they ensure no graphical touches or effects are lost in translation. It's looking gorgeous so far.

Nice. That's annoying I only just found out about Base though. I pre-ordered Wild Arms for the Switch over at 365games (who charge immediately) and Base are selling it for a pound cheaper (okay, only a pound, but still... every little counts and it would have been nice to not have been charged until dispatch)

If I remember correctly, the first time I played Shenmue 2 I actually refused to use the time skip feature because I thought it was sacrilege in a game like Shenmue. My opinion on that 'softened' on further multiple playthroughs though lol.

Well, this decision kills any chance we had at gaining a big audience for the Shenmue series.

The remasters are a blessing to the fans, but they are also the biggest and only chance this series has to attract major interest from newcomers...

Did people still think this was going to happen? It could be an amazing remaster, done by a team going above and beyond, and it'll still be a fairly niche title...

There has to be an achievement for defeating Chai at You Arcade, something I still haven't done to this day.

Glad to know I'm not the only one unable to beat that creep!

I've completed 'mue 9 times and my record against Chai is 5-4.

Just gotta get lucky sometimes!

I can beat Chai most times first attempt. I find the second battle (which you have to win) a bit more troublesome, to be honest.

I find spamming the crawl cyclone move (thanks, internet) with a few other carefully planned moves finishes him off in no time.

Truck_1_0_1_ wrote: Just 1.

I've even stopped getting an English and Japanese version of each Yakuza game (stopped at 0), simply because I can devote those funds to other needs.

Same, but I mean it does help that Sega has finally started given Western audiences the Yakuza love they deserve.

I only have experience with GAME, ShopTo and Amazon, but can confirm that ShopTo still ship games early, although it's not quite as consistent as it used to be. With ShopTo, you tend to get games one day early and sometimes as much as three days early. I'll explain how it currently works:

If game comes out Friday: 95% of the time, it will come on Thursday.
If game comes out Tuesday: 50% of the time, it will come on Saturday. Otherwise, you have to wait until Tuesday.

Honestly, it's looking very nice. I'm really looking forward to these being released. I wanted to play through the games again before Shenmue 3's release and it's great to have them on modern consoles.

It's already been explained though. Whilst fans have hacked the games, including the cutscenes, to run in widescreen without issue, for the most part, there are some cutscenes that have glitches due to characters appearing 'stuck' as they were left static as they were never intended to be within view.


I think its best I don't talk about 4:3 vs 16:9. All I will say is that for technical reasons parts of the game are currently limited to 4:3. If you play the game in an emulator with a widescreen hack you will see some of the issues.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vckFMdFi8QY

Erm, to be honest, I think if you're a major multiplatform dedicated site, that should really remain fairly balanced and impartial, that that kind of post is probably rather unprofessional. It's hardly wise to post such content.

Erm no, it's nothing to do with what you or I or any normal consumer thinks. It's about retaining a certain level of professionalism with a major company and brand like Microsoft and Xbox that you should be working with. Not just that, in keeping with their standard content, but they should maintain a balanced view on the two consoles for their large audience. It's nothing to do with being "triggered" or "offended" (god I get bored of reading those accusations about everything in media). No one is either of those things. No one "raged for days". It's about professionalism. You might not get that, but you also, I'm going to guess, don't run a huge major media company.

I can laugh at it and I find it funny, because actually I'm a Sony and Playstation fan and don't own any Xbox consoles, but it's besides the point.

There are lots of modern games that don't appease and buy into the 'modern gamers want everything handed on a plate' trope and feature "archaic" style mechanics, albeit in a different manner to Shenmue. Demon/Dark Souls, Volgarr the Viking, Nier Automata and Xenoblade Chronicles X to a lesser extent. I'm sure there are others. Timing and schedules are a core mechanic of Shenmue and it is part of its charm. If a couple of 14 year olds brought up on a diet of CoD and cliched cinematic action games don't 'get it' or understand why they should have to wait 10 or 20 minutes (and subsequently find other things to do) for a shop or bar to open, then honestly f*** them.

Careful what you wish for...

With some users emailing the developer and the board having already bombarded that d3t user with the issue, it's possible the devs will end up implementing a "halfway" solution and simply zoom in cutscenes to fill a 16:9 ratio, like the Final Fantasy X Remaster, or Resident Evil HD.

Cropping is the easiest way to check that 16:9 box, if d3t become convinced that it's a burning issue because of some vociferous whining on here.

D3t aren't gonna be fucking with alternate camera angles without SEGA's permission, which they clearly don't have or we wouldnt be here. And spare me ridiculous suggestions like a mix of 4:3 and 16:9 cutscenes to mask the frozen animations problem. Presentation that unbalanced wouldn't even fly with SEGA.

THANK YOU. I swear to god, if they end up zooming and cropping the image to create the 'illusion' of a 16:9 resolution, they better offer a 4:3 option. If they don't, I will be so pissed off. I can't believe people actually think zooming and cropping the image is acceptable. I'd take a full uncropped 4:3 image any day of the week.

Really, I think it would make the most sense to get it out earlier rather than later. I think Riku Rose is right and that a summer release would make the most sense financially. The latter half of the year is absolutely stacked and dense in terms of big releases. Whilst I don't think big AAA games will stop the game's core audience from picking it up, I do think it would negatively impact the number of impulse purchases. The beginning of August makes sense.

That said, since there's no release date and the trailer was so short (as well as it beginning with a 'work in progress' disclaimer), I suspect it's a way off yet. I wouldn't be surprised if it comes out between September and November. September is best case scenario, but I think November is actually more likely. We'll see though.

As for Shenmue III, I'm somewhat pessimistically guessing that will come out in May or June 2019.

I always respond to this question with this:

[image](c/o Centrale et al)

So, personally, my answer is no. Shenmue has always been highly stylized imo, and I believe it's just the difference in fidelity and graphical tech between a 20 yo game and an UE4 game that is causing the perceived dissonance between the old games and 3. Just my personal opinion, though.

Can I just say thank you for this? I've been making the same point ad nauseam for ages now whenever someone brings up the "why is the art direction so weird? The original games were so realistic!" argument. I think people forgot how zany some of the character designs were or just don't notice because of the graphical limitations of the time and how advanced the graphical engine was back then.

I mean there's Big Z (was that his name?). To me, Shenmue 3 looks like it's the same kind of art direction and character designs, only the features seem more exaggerated because increased resolution and improved graphics.

http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/shenmue/images/4/48/Cool_J_Z.png/revision/latest?cb=20160210173117

I still don't get why it's so controversial in the gaming world to show off unfinished, early or rough footage. I really appreciated the Gamescom teaser and took it for what it is.

If I was a pizza maker and someone wanted to see me make pizzas, I would demonstrate the dfferent stages, e.g. rolling the dough, applying the layers of ingredients and sauce and cheese, adding the seasoning and drizzling the olive oil, before baking the pizza.

I wouldn't make perfectly formed small slices of pizza to show off and then make the rest of the pizza, slice at a time.

I don't know if that analogy works, but it's a game IN development. It's a work in progress. As a backer, I want to see progress.

Peter wrote: Oh shit you need everything here. The name you want in the games credits, your message for the guestbook, your photo etc! Fuck i havent thought about this!!

Haha now that's what I wanted to know. This is so cool

Yeah, I've Kickstarted a few things and have never paid customs duties or tax. Then again, I think some of them lied on the customs forms, so...