A few weeks ago Jibbs.

Corsi and Boye's flew to Tokyo, but I can't remember if it was Shenmue specific, or what the nature of the trip was. But they did say they were having dinner and checking up on the Shenmue 3 development. Some also speculating that it was to arrange some sort of announcement at PSX at the weekend.

I completely forgot this. Tbh, I'm 10x more intrigued by the team identity rather than what the game currently is.

Probably some japanese programmers and artists :P
I have a theory, and this is unsubstantiated, but based on Yu asking Cedric not to talk about the staff for Shenmue 3:

It was not a reference to the size of the team. It was instead the makeup of it. I think Sony may be providing a few bodies from Japan Studio (if I recall Japan Studio is a very fluid team who can often end up working on many projects anyway and aren't assigned to specific teams).

In a wilder version of this theory, Cerny himself might be doing some consulting, and SEGA may be providing a few people from AM2.

The reason this couldn't be talked about is because it would of course stir up the "OMG SONY FINANCING SHENMUE 3 YU LIED SCAM SCAM SCAM" headlines again.

I wish. I mean... I wish all of that.

But problably, it's some japanese programmer / artist (Which is not bad anyway :mrgreen: )

Cedric has said there are some internationals working on Shenmue 3, all of them can speak Japanese, citing it's impossible to work such project without understanding the communication from the director.

Japanese staff are easier, cheaper to hire than Western staff since the wage/salary expectations in Japan are much lower. With all the slow downs in Japanese gaming companies, I'm sure plenty of good talent has gone to work in Shenmue 3.

Kiske wrote: Call me names (well, possibly after The PSX 2015 ) but when I look at their faces, I can't help but think they know.



Do they know we know they know, I don't know

You know they know we know. How could you not know?

As a Kickstarter backer, I believe Paypal backers should also get the same rewards. There are a number of reasons why someone might not have backed with KS - such as an unaccepted credit card. These potential backers should not be left out due to something beyond their control. If it brings in more funds for Shenmue 3 by offering these KS "Exclusives" to the Paypal crowd, then it's a no-brainer. I have no problem with it and cannot understand why anyone else would.

PS: Still can't get over how beautiful Guilin looks so early in to development...

I've been tweeting and retweeting over the past 5 hours and I even got a friend to donate a third pledge of $60 :)

Sega's twitter pages will be flooded by now (going by the live feed), with tweets that are honest and passionate about how much the HD releases are wanted.

I couldn't be more proud of the Shenmue community! =D>

Exactly!!! This game will be an experience where YOU determine how long it becomes. I'm getting angry, so if I drop some language here, apologies in advance...

But I bet anyone on here any of mine, fuck it, and your prized possessions David, that there will be people on here who blaze through the story and if it lasts 2 hours, come on here and bitch about how short it was. How we didn't raise enough money. How Yu is out if touch. How the KS was a failure etc. All because they are negative dicks. They love seeing things fail.

FYI, if anyone wants to know... If you play Shenmue 2 with a new game plus (giving the ability to hit B to skip cutscenes), then the game can be completed in 2:47:00 glitchless. The world record for glitched is just under 2 hours. So is Shenmue II a short game? Never heard one person say that in 12 years, in fact, the opposite is more the opinion.

Some scans via the Sega forums of Suzuki talking about the Tower of Babel tech demo back in the day:

http://web.archive.org/web/20150728031612im_/http://img269.imageshack.us/img269/1272/66172420.jpg

Does anyone know anything about the boat demo mentioned in the image above?

http://web.archive.org/web/20150728031611im_/http://img269.imageshack.us/img269/2554/41771333.jpg

http://web.archive.org/web/20150726030635im_/http://img269.imageshack.us/img269/8164/80223411.jpg

http://web.archive.org/web/20150726030635im_/http://img269.imageshack.us/img269/9079/65354330.jpg

Also, never noticed this line of text in the paragraph about the PayPal Campaign - "Delivery of rewards/perks are subject to best efforts and not guaranteed." - so buying stuff via paypal might not be guarenteed? o0

I wouldn't worry.

English version :

Delivery of rewards/perks are subject to best efforts and not guaranteed.

Japanese version :

またリワードは、責任をもって皆様にお届け致します。

From the Japanese version, the message is a bit different : Regarding rewards, we're taking responsibility and will deliver/send them to everyone. (quickly translated, but you get the message)

There's no mention of "not guaranteed" or "are subject to best efforts".

I don't see them earning money without sending the proper rewards. Don't worry. ;-)

The January 1999 edition of the Dreamcast Magazine contained a multi-part feature on Shenmue. This first installment is a translation of Part 1: the Shenmue Premiere event, and the remaining parts will be coming in future posts. While reading the article, you can really feel the breathless excitement that surrounded the original game before its release.

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

Background to the article : as part of the build-up to the release of Shenmue, and following on the heels of the Shenmue Premiere event that had been held the previous month in Yokohama, the Japanese Dreamcast Magazine ("DoriMaga") published this 16-page special report covering various aspects about what could be expected with the as-yet unreleased Shenmue.

The feature consists of these parts:
Part 1. Shenmue Premiere Event (this post)
Part 2. The World of Shenmue ( here )
Part 3. The Hero and Other Characters (future post)
Part 4. It's Magic! Special Effects and Production (future post)
Part 5. Interview with Yu Suzuki (future post)

Related links :
1. Project Berkley article translation (Nov 1998)
2. Shenmue Premiere Event video (short version, English subtitles) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QM2bkUm1eT8



PART 1: Shenmue Premiere Event, 20 Dec 1998

http://i.imgur.com/jMCinwCt.png http://i.imgur.com/MuqhZQXt.png http://i.imgur.com/CPZ9CnFt.png http://i.imgur.com/9pV5ODft.png

Special Report! Two Hours of Quivering Emotion
Yu Suzuki Finally Removes the Veil from his Latest Release.

Ever since the title of the game was announced, Yu Suzuki's latest game Shenmue has been wrapped in a shroud of secrecy. It is of a mind-boggling scale and employs graphics of the highest quality which are rendered completely in real time. Together these define a new genre: FREE. Our super magazine feature is a must-read!

Shenmue: Heating Things Up in Yokohama!!

On Sunday December 20th, a day blessed with fine cloudless weather with a maximum temperature of 13 degrees Celsius, a stream of fans arrived from early in the morning to attend the Premiere Event for Yu Suzuki's latest creation, Shenmue, hosted at Pacifico Yokohama. The event, held 3 times in total over a day that was filled with excitement and applause, was a huge success.

The densely-packed two hours flew by in an instant. It included an orchestral performance, eye-popping images and demo gameplay on actual consoles, and left the attendees quivering with emotion. The event drew together all the attractions of Shenmue. We followed proceedings from before the start of the presentation, so let us share with you a taste of that atmosphere.


http://i.imgur.com/7wQwvSbm.png http://i.imgur.com/irvgERzm.png
Left: The line of attendees who arrived early in the morning grew before our very eyes. The person at the front of the line had been there since 6AM. Right: A "handshake event" was held, featuring former Managing Director Yukawa & Hiroshi Fujioka .


http://i.imgur.com/9OG6u5Xt.png
The bustling first-floor lobby was decorated in Christmas colors, with photo sticker booths and merchandise for sale. Top officials from SEGA also gathered here!


Opening with a 30-minute, Four-movement Orchestral Performance!!

Premiere Event: Scene 1

The attendees were shown one after another into the scenically-situated Pacifico Yokohama event center. At the bell announcing the start of the performance, an image with the word "RPG?" was displayed on-screen for 1 minute 20 seconds, as previously seen at last autumn's Tokyo Game Show and elsewhere. After that, the main theme of Shenmue quietly began to play. Most amazing to the attendees must have been the length of the orchestral performance - fully thirty minutes. The orchestra was situated in front of the first row of seating, and played all four soothing movements of the Shenmue theme. Accompanied by a harmony of light and images, it drew the listeners into the world of Shenmue. Already the attendees were captivated by this opening, which set it far apart from a mere game event. Following this, the two event presenters made their entrance together with Yu Suzuki!


http://i.imgur.com/KGpLCyUm.png http://i.imgur.com/0CwdFqcm.png
Left: A large number of developers and guests, as well as SEGA employees, wait impatiently for the curtain to rise. Attendees filled the seating to the third floor. Right: The orchestral performance lasted for a whole thirty minutes! However the soothing Shenmue composition made you lose sense of time.


Reiko Chiba and Shigeaki Saegusa in MC roles!!

http://i.imgur.com/pw5KuhJt.png http://i.imgur.com/qSqPibot.png http://i.imgur.com/WTObOKHt.png
Left: Taking on the role of MC for this event was Reiko Chiba . Being an expert gamer, she also made insightful comments. Center: Composer Shigeaki Saegusa also took the stage. Not long ago, he resigned as an external director of SEGA due to his many other commitments. He was superb as master of ceremonies. Right: Fulfilling Yu Suzuki's promise to show "plenty of images", more than 70 minutes' worth of Shenmue material was shown, together with detailed commentary. The entire audience was overwhelmed.


Everything you need to know about Shenmue original merchandise!!

There is already a rich line-up of Shenmue related items. We'll reveal the splendid take-home goodies that are on everyone's lips, as well as the merchandise in the sales area!

This is the Shenmue merchandise that was available in the sales area. Fittingly for the season, calendars were popular sellers, but there were also some gorgeous limited-edition items. And the quality of the official brochure must be seen to be believed.


http://i.imgur.com/4M7LkB8m.png
From the top left: calendar (2500 yen), original print signed by Yu Suzuki (limited batch, 50,000 yen), poster (4 types, 1500 yen each), notepad (300 yen each), mouse pad (600 yen each), figurine (expected price 2000 yen each, on sale from March 1st), plastic folder (350 yen), telephone card (1000 yen), premiere event limited-edition ball-point pen (limit of 1000 pens, 2000 yen each), ball-point pen (200 yen), CD single (price to be determined), mug (800 yen). From January 18th (Monday) this merchandise will be on sale at places like SEGA Freaks Akihabara branch, SEGA Freaks Fuse branch, Joypolis (Tokyo / Shinjuku / Yokohama / Fukuoka branches).


These splendid items were handed out for free to attendees of the premiere event. You too can receive them (excluding the Christmas card) by attending any of the events to be held in 5 cities across the country. Also we have a special give-away of 10 sets to DoriMaga readers!

http://i.imgur.com/sUFHfWhm.png http://i.imgur.com/KiOEuiim.png http://i.imgur.com/CQ3c4KFm.png
http://i.imgur.com/DuYRLFtm.png http://i.imgur.com/oFCmGDtm.png http://i.imgur.com/ozPQhcct.png http://i.imgur.com/7DZIznEm.png
1. 3-fold pamphlet: the background color sets it apart from the official brochure that was on sale, being a different color. Perfect for showing it off! 2. Music CD. The CD contains 2 songs: the main theme and Shenhua's theme. 3. Tattoo stickers: these include the Shenmue logo, the game title and emblems. 4. Christmas card. This was included only at the Yokohama event, and was a Christmas card of Shenhua. 5. Notepad: a handy notepad. The game title (in Roman characters) is written on each page. 6. Shenhua figurine: the prize item must be this Shenhua figurine. Height 15cm. 7. T-shirt: A black T-shirt with the Shenmue title at the front, and Phoenix emblem at the back.


Premiere Event: Scene 2

Live demonstration on a Dreamcast!!

After showing in succession a Making Of Shenmue video, an eye-opening clip introducing the characters, and images and commentary about Magic Weather, the venue heated up further. Toward the middle of the event, actual gameplay was demonstrated on Dreamcast consoles, including Quick Timer Events and a gambling scene. Each scene had been prepared separately on one of 4 Dreamcasts and various aspects were demonstrated. Following that, a video was shown with a message from Bajiquan master Lian Zhi Wu.

http://i.imgur.com/NWDqnv4m.png
During the demo play, a QTE chase scene, a battle, and a gambling scene were exhibited as well as Magic Weather. Game designer Mr Okayasu also made an appearance.

Live streaming to the internet!

Live internet streaming was set up for each of the three events held on the day, and they were broadcast to the world. Dreamcast users were able to view an abridged "newsflash" edition.

http://i.imgur.com/jZJHNnlt.png
Mr Oshii, who attended the second event. "I wasn't interested in the computer graphics, but I'm glad I was able to meet a girl like Shenhua", he commented.

Premiere Event: Scene 3

Actors for the main characters also took the stage!

As the presentation neared the end, the actors for each of the Shenmue characters took the stage and addressed the audience.
http://i.imgur.com/IPfzc7sm.png
Hiroshi Fujioka was the last to enter the stage. "I'm greatly moved", he proclaimed.

Character: Ryo Hazuki ( Masaya Matsukaze )
http://i.imgur.com/iQwLzbnm.png
"I had a heap of lines, so it was tough", says Matuskaze, who plays Ryo. Shenmue is fully voiced!

Character: Shenhua Ling (Hazuki Ishigaki)
http://i.imgur.com/tbYevpZm.png
Ishigaki, who plays Shenhua, already has quite a fan following. Her slightly ditzy (?) personality went down well with the attendees!

Character: Wuying Ren (Takumi Hagiwara)
http://i.imgur.com/VY6iSRcm.png
Yu Suzuki spoke favorably of Hagiwara, commenting "He performs the role of Ren elsewhere, just by being himself". He's cool, but underneath a fine young man?

Character: Iwao Hazuki (Hiroshi Fujioka)
http://i.imgur.com/kXDvumPm.png
Fujioka had considerable stage presence. His smart, suited figure made a striking impression.

Premiere Event: Scene 4:

Director Yukawa will be participating in further premiere events nationally in 5 of the largest cities throughout the New Year!!
http://i.imgur.com/MSoDVyrt.png
"Shenmue is amazing. It will sell well and I will return as managing director", laughed the former Managing Director Yukawa, who was last to be introduced. Going forward, he will also be making appearances throughout the country.


The two-hour presentation reached its finale in the blink of an eye. At the end, videos shown included an extraordinary scene of ducking and weaving through a forest - unbelievably, the graphics were rendered in real time! With attendees feeling extremely satisfied, the event began to wind up. The guests who were introduced together with Director Yukawa differ at each of the three event showings: at the second one was Mamoru Oshii , a grandmaster of the anime world, and CG creator Daizaburo Harada; at the third was actress Kaoru Sugita made an appearance. I wonder if the attendees felt a bit lucky?

For those people who weren't able to attend, the same presentation will be held in various cities in the New Year, so if you are a Dreamcast owner then you should definitely go. We'll be covering them in a future edition!

Shenmue: presentations coming soon to 5 large cities!!

Two showings will be held at each venue. First: 1PM - 3PM. Second: 4PM - 6PM.
Jan 9, 1999 (Sat): Osaka Welfare Hall, Osaka [2500 people per event]
Jan 10 (Sun): Fukuoka Sun Palace, Fukuoka [2500 people per event]
Jan 15 (Fri): Hokkaido Welfare Hall, Sapporo [2500 people per event]
Jan 16 (Sat): Sendai International Center, Sendai [1000 people per event]
Jan 17 (Sun): Aichi Labor Hall, Nagoya [1500 people per event]


It's Time to Reveal the Truth of Shenmue!
Future Parts

Part 2: The World and Areas of Shenmue
Following our report in Part 1 on the Premiere Event, we will look at all the things about Shenmue that have until now been covered with a veil of mystery - taking each in order, one at a time. "What I wanted to make is a single, real world" -- we look at this surprising concept and examine a number of the latest Dreamcast images backing it up. It's now time to reveal the world that Yu Suzuki has spent three years creating.
http://i.imgur.com/hp1VHz6.png
The world of Shenmue, of which a large number of images were shown at the Premiere Event. The fact that even these represent only a small part of the huge world is nothing more than remarkable.

Part 3: The Hero and Other Characters

His name is Ryo Hazuki -- the main character, who travels Shenmue's astonishing world and space as the player's alter ego, is a completely new character who has been made especially for the game. We look at the characters, so full of charm, and the actors behind them... Watch out for the full-scale action modelling that brings the characters to life without any use of video clips.
http://i.imgur.com/POmp9E7.png
The hero of Shenmue, Ryo Hazuki, who was revealed for the first time at the Premiere Event venue, along with this poster. The movie scene which brought this illustration to life left a vivid impression!

Part 4: It's Magic! Special Effects and Production

Two types of "magic" have been cast on the huge but finely-detailed world: "Time Control" and "Magic Weather". The introduction of these two new technologies gives the world of Shenmue an unprecedented realism. This means that even for the same room or place, every player will see something different!
http://i.imgur.com/LECcxhH.png
"Magic" has been cast on Shenmue to make you feel as if you are there. We delve into the secrets.

Part 5: Interview with Yu Suzuki

On a certain day in December, an urgent press event was held just for members of the magazine industry, in order to uncover all the mysteries surrounding Shenmue, from its concept to its origins. We look at a number of new facts that were revealed which have not been spoken about at the Premiere Event, as well as a message from Chinese Bajiquan grand master Lian Zhi Wu.
http://i.imgur.com/ORIHxL6.png
We'll cover the themes of Shenmue, including its main catch-phrase "Keep friends, those you love, close to you", and reveal new facts for the first time. In this last part, Yu Suzuki speaks!

Because I clearly have too much time on my hands right now, here's the daily progress of the Slacker Backer campaign since November 2nd (the earliest data I have). Dates in capitals indicate precise amounts for that day, all others are averages due to the totals not being updated on the website.

http://s17.postimg.org/mx2el0dtb/Slacker_Backer_Per_Day.png

It's a gradually positive trend overall, but the next stretch goal won't be reached at the current rate of incline. That will only happen with a significant shift in gears during these final days, which is not unthinkable but would certainly be helped by some last minute additions/changes to the campaign.

Nice topic! I made up an achievement list for a Shenmue HD on XBLA a couple of years ago already, in 2011 to be exact. It even had the numbers of how much each achievement is worth but I decided to get rid of them here.

It might not be the most creative or funniest list but a very realistic approach of how an actual achievement list could be constructed. You know, covering all the bases and have the player try out everything the game has to offer with some coming naturally as the story progresses and others being a challenge but entirely possible with practice.

Darts Pro
Finish a Darts 7 game with a score of 500 or more

Neo Darts Pro
Finish a Neo Darts game with a score of 400 or more

Endless QTE
Reach 100.000 points at Excite QTE 2

Prize Fighter
Reach 250.000 points at QTE Title

Winning Run
Earn 7.500.000 points in Hang-On

Squilla Killa
Earn 7.500.000 points in Space Harrier

Cool Gambler
Collect 1000 tokens at the slot house

I won!
Win the 1st , 2nd or 3rd prize at the raffle

Sega Collector
Get one of the toy capsule consoles

Music Freak
Buy all cassette tapes

Master of all arts
Learn all the martial arts techniques

Training always pays off
Train a move to the maximum level

Clean getaway
Win a fight with full health

Photo album of 1986
Find and get all photos

Walkie Talkie
Talk to every shop owner in town

Around the clock
Reach a total playtime of 24 hours

Half a marathon
Run for a total of 21098 meters

Target locked
Lock on to a total of 100 objects

As strong as a hundred men
Defeat a total of 100 enemies

Blockhead
Collide with walls or objects a total of 200 times

Fast reflexes
Reach an average QTE reaction time of 0,99 seconds or less

Now that's an achaivement
Do something you thought would be impossible

Secret achievements

All good deeds shall be rewarded
Helped the old lady in Sakuragaoka

Welcome to the city
Reached Dobuita

Billards Pro
Sunk the ball in one shot at the MJQ Jazz Bar

A tattoo on his arm
Found Charlie

A kitten named...
Gave the little kitten a name

Mysterious letter
Recieved the letter to Iwao

Quencher
Gave Wang something to drink

104 Directory
Used the telephone directory to find out where area 61 is

Earth and Sea
Reached the harbor

An old friend
Made friends with the homeless man at the harbor

Heaven, Dragon, Earth, Comrad
Met Master Chen

The secret of the Hazuki Dojo
Found the hidden basement of the Hazuki Dojo

Got it!
Found the phoenix mirror

Destination Hong Kong
Bought a ticket to Hong Kong

Damn punks
Learned about the Mad Angels

Working man
Found a job at the harbor

Grand Prix
Won the forklift race

Hats off to the hard working man
Delivered all crates on a day at work

The Mad Angels are after you
Caught the attention of the Mad Angels

You're not getting away this time
Defeated Charlie at the harbor

Who's the boss?
Found out who's the leader of the Mad Angels

Can I use your motorcycle?
Reached the harbor in time

All your fault
Saved Nozomi from the Mad Angels

You and what gang?
Defeated Terry's entire gang

Heegh
Defeated Chai

Departure on a new trip
Completed the game

That should be Awesome Japan job to make sure that only Kickstarter backers can vote... If there is a way.
It appears to me anyway that the second round for the poll is only rethorical.
Every sane KS backer will understand that more funds means a better game. In the end, everybody wins with exclusive rewards remaining in the "backers" family.

Edit. Well... trolls. Are they really so many? Thinking yes sounds a little bit paranoid to me.
There's a way, but it's probably not possible via survey monkey. When Double Fine did their kickstarter for broken age, the documentary videos were hosted from Vimeo and set up so that they would only work when embedded or linked from kickstarter pages. From a technical standpoint, it's a matter of checking the referrer to see where they clicked the link from.

Last I checked the Twitter poll, it was very much unanimous towards allowing the Kickstarter rewards via PayPal. I'm all for it, but my reasoning is not even from a money standpoint. (Although that's a plus.) I'm in favor of it because they did promise Paypal for the people who weren't able to pay directly via Kickstarter. I think those people who would have paid on KS but couldn't deserve the same rewards because they wanted to pledge but could not. I know especially for people outside the US that it's easier to pledge via paypal than kickstarter. That, and we're still over 20 months away from release at this point. It's very much a pre-order at this point, and so funding can still make a big impact on project scope.

I suppose trolling is a possibility, it happened throughout the entire kickstarter with some of the limited rewards like the jacket having it's pledge removed minutes before the campaign ended. It could go either way though, because there were backers in the comments on KS who sounded pretty angry about the idea of offering "exclusive" rewards to people later. It does seem more likely for trolls to vote no though, if they want to see the project get less money. I don't think a result of no would have much impact on the funding though, we've already seen that the amount they've gotten via Paypal is very little compared to kickstarter. Most slacker backer campaigns don't make much, and I don't think additional rewards will make a huge difference.

I do think the add-on / upgrade system will make a somewhat more impactful jump to the level of funding than just regular PayPal pledging did. I personally am waiting for it; I pledged a fairly decent amount on Kickstarter, but I could probably add a few hundred more at this point.

$6,498,224 ---> $6,498,724 (I pledged $500)

http://s21.postimg.cc/wj4inbu0n/6point5.png

Despite the recent announcement of an extension to the Shenmue 3 Slacker Backer campaign beyond its original deadline of December 31st, fans have already now pushed the total raised above $6.5 million, unlocking the Ragdoll Reactions stretch goal. The next stretch goal currently awaits at the $7 million mark.

In response to the campaign's extension, the Winning Can Raffle has also been extended into the new year, allowing fans to win rare Shenmue prizes through continued Slacker Backer participation.

Honestly, I think the lack of a massive budget will be a sort of test for Suzuki. For the first time, he will be working without significant financial resources in the form of an independent gaming studio to produce something of value.

If he is the radical financial thinker some say he is, he'll be able to produce something that blows away the previous two games on time and below budget.

What makes me confident about his abilities in that field so far is how responsive he has been with regard to the community, i.e., the hiring of Kid Nocon. That shows that he is willing to bring in people that (a) have a real connection to both it [the community] and the series, (b) have a real handle on the Unreal 4 engine and (c) have shown that they are able to do amazing things while lacking in financial resources.

I'm currently working on the Guilin music compilation video. Aiming to get it done by the end of the month.

Kiske wrote:
Beeing a martial arts master doesn't give you the ability to fly.

Wrong

Fan art of Niao Sun:



Source: https://twitter.com/r_wuying/status/683898350744121344

I find their interpretation of the poll results dumb, but what frustrates me the most is 90%+ of the time, they are the cause of the negativity surrounding Shenmue 3.

Im gonna go ahead and say it, something needs to be done about this company sooner rather than later. There's been too many mistakes and errors that have had a negative impact on Shenmue.

Im 100% certain the KS could have reached 7 - 8 million if AJ didn't continuously screw things up. I mean we've turned a blind eye several times to their nonsense and given them chance after chance, but lets be real, this will happen again and again, im certain of that.

Research past media reports and analysis videos and you'll see they are the cause of most of the problems.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1121020

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnvy0yzgVWc

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

These guys are getting paid good money to do a relatively easy and amazing job in its own right, but they still fuck up. They are responsible for media relations, communication and the campaign itself, yet they make no attempt to promote the campaign, no attempt to gather further support, no attempt to communicate or make exclusive deals with media outlets to gain further interest, etc, etc.

We, the fans have done everything since Shenmue 3 has been announced. We've promoted, we've used our youtube friends to spread the word, we've created new campaigns, made exclusive deals with companies such as first four figures, Corey Marshall, etc etc etc. Some of us have been keeping the dream alive over on other message boards and damage controlling like crazy to clear up doubts and confusion. Doubts and confusion that shouldn't have been there in the first place.

You have to ask yourself, why are we doing everything??? We all have jobs, study etc, yet we still find time to continuously push Shenmue 3 for the greater good, for free i might add. It comes from passion and Love. These guys dont do anything, and its their full time job????

Awesome Japan clearly have no real interest in the project. The sad fact is, they'll be able to take full credit for the most successful KS ever and they didnt do fuck all to help.

Maybe this situation is a lot more complex, but as a backer who has placed around $1000 into the project, im unhappy with the way things are going. Personally, if i was apart of the project in a more executive manner, like cedric or Sony, Id fire these guys as soon as possible, or pay their contract off, so that they could be replaced by a more competent team.

#SaveShenmuefromAwesomeJapan

We can expect a new update in the coming times as AJ sent me an email :
Hello Yokosuka,

Thank you very much for bringing this to our attention.

We will do our best to clear up this misunderstanding as we are certainly not retiring any existing Paypal rewards.

Thank you very much for your support and for keeping an eye out for us.

Best regards,

Oscar &
The Shenmue 3 Team

Could you slip in a new screenshot or something related to Shenmue III AJ ? That would be too bad to make an official update to thousands of backers just for this. :)

"those Exclusive Rewards will not be made available on the PayPal page as originally promised."

Is it me or a lot of media interpreted wrongly this AJ's sentence ? I don't remember AJ stated any promises about making the Kickstarter exclusive rewards available for Paypal backers.

1.) We will have to expect that some of those who backed the PayPal are probably not well informed about the nature of the situation and will be induced by the Anti-Shenmue Gaming Media and Troll Brigade to ask for refunds.

I know it's a sad thing to see happen, but we have to look at things for what they are.

2.) As some people said, as much as we have to blame "Awesome" Japan for all of this, we have to call to task the people behind the series as well.

I mean, it is clear that Ys Net and Shibuya Productions are signing off on many of the things AJ is doing and it would be foolish and immature to ignore that. Thus, it is their responsibility to go over what they have approved of to avoid something similar from happening again.

3.) At the risk of sounding redundant, the best thing for the people behind the series to do now would be to offer unique rewards for the PayPal backers. It will shut down the perception that they intended to do this all along, assuage hurt feelings and stop the current Anti-Shenmue attacks.

The biggest problem here is the poor wording AJ have used in there kickstarter update, which has made people who aren't in the know like us, think that what they're actually saying is as bad as it reads. So everyone spreading the false information has literally read that line as non of the rewards will be offered to Paypal backers. As in, everyone who has already backed using the Paypal site can just wave bye to their money and they won't even get the game. That's the way the information is being spread around at the moment. I tried to correct every comment on that Polygon link, because the response from users was so naive it's untrue, but unfortunately I guess some automated system banned me for "spamming", so non of my replies have stood.

It's a shame this is happening, because it is truely damaging, it's not just this one news website, and it's not even the others, it's the combination of them all, and the users that are reading this misinformation who then in turn spread it aswell. This is literally a complete fuck up by AJ, and it's crazy that it hasn't been corrected by now. Everything seems to take them so long. Why are they allowing the game, and the campaign to be shat on like this, the internet is full enough of trolls in general, but feeding them something like this to farm off, and not trying to stop it, makes them seem plausible.

I know it's disgusting the way these sites and news outlets work looking for clickbait, and right now I wouldn't expect them to report any good things about the project, or if AJ had corrected the misinformation, I wouldn't expect them to make a big headline about it, they're only looking for the negatives of course...I don't know if this particular story is fixable right now - but they haven't even tried as of yet which is making the whole situation rather stressful, watching random people bash the game series based on something that isn't remotely affecting the quality of the game.

Awesome Japan is the real life Asia Travel Company.

Dear Members,

In light of the recent controversy regarding the active PayPal Slacker Backer campaign and the respective polling that was conducted, we at the Dojo feel that it is important to set the record straight and to provide the community at-large with an accurate briefing on what has transpired.

Following up an initial earlier poll that was posted via Twitter, a second poll was conducted which was open to all backers of the Kickstarter campaign which terminated many months ago. This poll, which ran from 12/24/2015 to 1/01/2016, asked participants whether or not Kickstarter “Exclusive Rewards” should be made available for the Slacker Backer campaign. While the results of the polling and the responses from the over 15,000 participants were rather mixed, it was ultimately decided that the “Exclusive” Rewards would not be made available on the PayPal page as originally stipulated.

Following this announcement within the Kickstarter Project Update #51, there was much confusion and uncertainty regarding the status and validity of the entire PayPal campaign. It was postulated by some that all backers of the campaign would not receive the rewards they thought they confirmed with their contributions, with some going further to state that the backers would receive no rewards at all. This could not be farther from the truth and is a gross misrepresentation of what has been announced by Awesome Japan & YS Net. To be clear: ALL EXISTING PAYPAL REWARDS (ARE) WILL REMAIN INTACT AND ARE NOT AFFECTED BY THE RECENT POLL. THIS LATEST POLL ACTED MERELY TO ASCERTAIN WHETHER REWARDS THAT HAD BEEN OMITTED FROM THE ORIGINAL KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN SHOULD BE INCLUDED ADDITIONALLY IN THE PAYPAL CAMPAIGN. NO REWARDS ARE BEING TAKEN AWAY FROM ANY BACKERS; ONLY NO ADDITIONAL REWARDS WILL BE ADDED FOR THOSE WHO HAVE OR INTEND TO CONTRIBUTE VIA PAYPAL.

It is important to note that Awesome Japan has in-fact addressed this issue directly to fans who have inquired about their methodology. In a response to this inquiry they stated: “…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.” While there have been instances in which Awesome Japan has presented developments regarding Shenmue 3 in a rather unclear and ambiguous manner, they nevertheless have proven to be passionate and dedicated towards the greater project and all of us in the community should continue to vest our confidence in them. As with any project with this scope and unprecedented magnitude, there are bound to be mistakes that will occur and it is essential for all us to remain united in our cause and to not pass rash judgment on them or on fellow community members; such conduct will only serve to impede the proper release of the game that we have waited over a decade to have in our collective midst.

We as a community have persevered through much over the past few years, which makes what we have achieved in the past 6 months that much more remarkable and inspiring. However, we must recognize that our journey has not yet concluded and that there is still much we can contribute towards the realization of our dream of having Shenmue 3 become a reality. A major part of this contribution is to facilitate a community which is open and embracing to all who find value through the experience of Shenmue and the sharing of what the series represents to each of us. Let us not forget about the diversity in perspective and point of view that exists within our community and let us coalesce these outlooks to make our voices heard in fruitful ways.

Thank you for your time and as always: Keep Friends.

The Shenmue Dojo Staff

This is getting completely out of hand now, i'm seeing more and more clickbait news sites and people talking about how no one is receiving their rewards if they backed via paypal. Everyone reading and watching these stories are taking this as the truth and spreading their own hate towards the game. It's really getting on my tits now. Just seen this video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfEvJ3VYQPs - and while I don't want to give them views and clicks, these videos need down votes and comments to correct the false bullshit they're getting in gamers heads. We're going to have a really poor launch if every new potential player writes the game off without playing it because of all the "bad" things they heard about it while it was being made. If you do go on that video and see my comment (username TheSkillJim), upvote my comment aswell so it gets higher up for people to see.

Last Yu's thought about open world : http://otakumode.com/news/55c62e97887d92a516b043ae/Interview-with-Yu-Suzuki-Producer-of-the-%E2%80%9CShenmue%E2%80%9D-Series?page=3
When Shenmue was released, we didn’t use the term “open world.” At the time, digging deep into multiple subjects at the same time would have caused imbalances in the budget, so delving into one subject at a time was mostly common sense. The reason for that is that if you divide 10 resources for 10 subjects, you can only get a performance ratio of one. However, if you put 10 resources to one subject, you can dig 10 times deeper, achieving an accordingly higher performance, and this is why games at the time shared the theory of delving deeper into just a few themes. However, by applying the above-mentioned automatic programming method, you can raise the performance per subject above one, which disproves this theory.

Otaku Mode journalist : This way, the program covers for human costs.

S: Exactly. For instance, even if it’s made with few resources, if you can get good performance by making free use of the program, you can make it possible to enjoy a taste of 10 different themes in one game. Taking the army knife used on mountains as an example, there was a theory stating that since all of its available functions are crude, you would be better off having just one knife. But the improvement of technology caused all the qualities of the knife to improve, thus prompting a change in our sense of value. This is a similar situation. Shenmue was the first in the game industry to have crossed that boundary of values.

At that time, I said, “Let’s improve the degree of freedom and increase the number of options,” and I often used the word “free” as opposed to “open world.” At some point, “free” became “open world,” and putting aside whether it’s the same thing with what I had in mind, the genre for which Shenmue had first set in motion expanded, and games such as the Grand Theft Auto series appeared on the world market. I was told by many game creators, “We were able to create an open world game thanks to Shenmue,” and, “It influenced me, thank you,” so not only I am happy to have made it, I am also immensely grateful to everyone who helped in expanding the concept of Shenmue.

Reminder about Dobuita size (keep in mind that Choubu will have vertical places like Kowloon-like buildings)
http://i.imgur.com/9HdnTAH.png
http://media.moddb.com/cache/images/mods/1/28/27950/thumb_620x2000/15.jpg

Yakuza 4 map :
https://i.imgur.com/WFguNf1.jpg

The aesthetic of Choubu (a mix of Kowloon and Fenghuang) :
https://i.imgur.com/FZGw3ps.jpg

Pictures from real life Guilin (you can even see pictures of the Shenmue II cave) :
https://500px.com/search?tag=Guilin&type=photos

Google maps to visualize what 2km x 2km could mean lol, by observing a familiar place :
https://www.google.com/maps/ (right click on the map and click on "measure distance" to draw a line)

Not sure if it's readable but what is written about Steven Spielberg and multi CPU usage on the powerpoint ?
https://i.imgur.com/cH2ms7H.jpg
Quite a few words were too blurred to be legible but here's a summary based on what I could make out or guess.

As you said, it looks like this slide was part of the talk event by Yu (& Takeuchi) in March 2015 on the topic of being a game developer.

"Open World: breaking new ground / Steven Spielberg"

Steven Spielberg once visited Sega and AM2, around the period when he was preparing to launch GameWorks. During the visit, Spielberg asked me for his autograph since his son Max was a fan of Virtua Fighter. One thing Spielberg said, rather sheepishly, that particularly left an impression on me was, "Kids prefer games to movies!".

Games should be designed so that children can play them time and again without growing bored. Interactivity plays an important part in this. Having characters/monsters moving in predictable patterns should be avoided.

Recently, games have much larger game fields through the use of external servers and databases. This will greatly expand the potential of open-world games even further. They will allow a huge number of people to be supported, even more than with MMOs, and who can participate from anywhere, at anytime. It will allow for more realistic worlds to be created. It will open up a new world of entertainment. If there are 100,000 players participating then effectively you have a 100,000 multi-CPU game.

Ok, thanks to David from Shenmue Master, there was no video. It was more of a slideshow. Just in case people are looking for a video of some sorts, as previously reported from JapanFM.

JapanFM seemed to talk about a video presentation for February, not the slideshow of yesterday. But couldn't find confirmation neither. I only heard the confirmation of an exclusive presentation of Shenmue III by Yu Suzuki during the event from one source.

Here's what you can expect from your trip to Magic Monaco :heart:


According their Facebook teasing, there is also a possibility that Shibuya will make a surprise announcement following Astroboy Reboot in 2014 and Shenmue III in 2015.

Video recorded and translated by Shendream (Shenmue Master)

Shenmue Master released a conference video : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNEfWPzuHrI

- The Shenmue III & Suzuki parts lasted only some minutes and no question about the game have been asked by the journalists.

- From 10:42 (about Suzuki as guest)
"We will be fortunate to get pictures and video of Shenmue III as worldwide exclusivity during the event. He will held a conference and a signing session."

- From 41:41 (screenshots release)
"As I said you before, there will normally be a teaser in MAGIC. For sure, a lot of new things will be shown. Today we wanted to expose you a mini-preview with 3 pictures. It's not a big deal but I only want to demonstrate that the development is progressing. It's WIP, we're at a very early stage of the production so obviously shenmue III is not going to look like that in the final version but considering what I've said, it's not bad at all."

"That aren't pictures specifically made for the conference, I only ask Yu to send me screenshots and he did so with no problem. It's a little taste of what we can show for MAGIC and I think we'll get a pretty exceptional conference for all gaming lovers."

Other infos not related with Shenmue :
- Cédric is pride that a lot of foreigners among the visitors are coming as it's still a little event. About 50 American people are expected because of Shenmue III and Romita according him.

- Simultaneous interpreting for all conferences

- Japanese embassy of France is the partner of MAGIC (memo : The place where the press conference has been held is mainly funded by the Japanese government).

- Magic is free (entrance, photos with guests, signing etc.) and there will be no shop. The places are limited to keep the event very friendly.

- Make the event free has been possible thanks the sponsors. Cédric was grateful to his sponsors during the conference.

- Amano highly praised Magic 2015 (Straight after, Cédrid joked "I didn't gave him money" )

- Q : Why will Magic only last one day ?
Cédric : The first reason is economic. The rent becomes very expensive over several days because we can't fill the loss of earnings with paying visitors and paying exhibitors (as the MAGIC is free). So we prefered to do a very exceptional day rather than an event divided into days. As we have not the need to fill a big warehouse like classic events, the idea is really to do our very own and intimate event (the registrations to the event are limited, you need to subscribe before). To make myself clear, the first MAGIC in 2015 should only have been a gala dinner for the opening of Sibuya Prod at Monaco as a promotional event. As we have a lot of star friends in these sectors (animation, manga, gaming), the dinner get bigger and bigger. Then the idea to share these moments with the public came out and the MAGIC became what it is now. [...]

Get hype!

But I don't think it'll be a Shenmue HD collection. That's firmly in SEGA's hands from what we've been told since last summer.

I do think they'll try making a splash with Shenmue 3 progress though. A teaser trailer might be on the cards, but I don't think they're far enough along in development. Maybe we'll get some in-depth explanations of game mechanics and test videos.

Remember that Shibuya is a production company.
If it's not Shenmue HD (yes, it's in SEGA's hands but they already allowed Suzuki and Shibuya to Kickstart Shenmue 3, so a deal for HD remasters is not completely impossible) it's probably going to be an important project. Something similar as Astro Boy reboot or some other popular franchise.

Anyway... I'm hyped =P~
Shibuya would be an unnecessary middle man for Shenmue HD though, really. They've indirectly done the hard work by making Shenmue a hot property again, and SEGA would be reluctant to cut another company in on something they already know could be a success. Cedric is either teasing Shenmue 3 or something else.

I don't think Yu and Cedric are totally in the dark about what SEGA may or may not be planning though, but they certainly don't have to push for it to happen now Shenmue 3 made Kickstarter history and broke three records.

Twitter user AStartShow has posted a 12 second clip of his Shenmue animation he did back in 2014. He mentioned in a response to another Twitter user that it was meant to be a "much longer Shenmue animation". I wonder if we could get him to finish it, perhaps even to help push the Slacker Backer campaign some more?

http://i.imgur.com/L2GDkUX.png

The short clip can be viewed here . It's really amazing work, actually.

Yeah, I agree, when its side by side its not that bad (but still not perfect, there is still conflicting information). But try telling that to these idiots that think they are going to have gameplay missing because they didnt back the kickstarter and now dont want to back via paypal. Well hopefully the guy that specifically wanted a PS4 physical copy will still come through now that he knows its not to late to get it. It was aggrevating and hard to read some of these comments about the Shenmue 3 kickstarter, some of the people just really hate it for some reason. :no:

I did a check the day the results of that idiotic poll were revealed and everyone lost their shit. People whining about how it was "collectors" who even voted no to make their items more valuable.

I didn't bother even arguing because we have so many aaard keyboard warriors just looking for a shouting match. No point. If anyone of the pissy winers actually bothered to check, there wasn't a single physical item that was available during the Kickstarter that isnt available right now. Actually to the contrary, the Paypal is the only donation platform to actually have exclusives of its on, and ironically enough, those exclusives are physical items. If anyone has donated and got all the small items, but want the jacket or the sculpture, then the option is there just to donate and get these items singularly. You don't have to donate extra and get all the smaller stuff with it when you may already have it.

Another thing is, ok, if the debate is that the higher tier rewards are prohibiting more money coming in from people who may want to get those rewards, then fair dos. That's a good argument and I can't disagree. But, if people are arguing about them being exclusive, then you have to realise they are just exclusive to the buyer. Why does anyone want a fishing rod with someone else's name on it? Or a food stall ran by another doner? Or spend hours looking for someone else's name hanging in the temple?

The whole exclusivity argument across the community on the face of it, was as big a joke as the fuck up Awesome Japan with the entire process that was "the poll". They were not losing anything, or being handicapped by losing out on any exclusivity that would have affected the community as a group, but only as an individual. And I very much doubt a majority of the people that were doing the shouting were not going to purchase those higher priced rewards for their own personal in game content.

I'm not sure whether or not this must be considered "gameplay" but the S3 WORLD TELECOM phone-card to call Nozomi, Guizhang Chen, Ine-san, Joy, Fuku-san, or other characters from Shenmue 1 & 2 is Kickstarter exclusive and won't be available for Paypal backers.

Ebay in January 2018 will be flooded with these phone cards... at $100 starting bids... Calling it now :P

Hello everyone,

Long time lurker, one time poster on an account that has long been lost.

When I was introduced to the world of Shenmue on the Sega Dreamcast in 2000 I was immediately enraptured by existence of the Dragon and Phoenix Mirrors. What was their purpose, how would they be used? Were they truly integral to the life of Ryo Hazuki, Lan Di, and those around them, or were the Mirrors just a clever plot device used by Yu Suzuki to propel the story forward, a clever axis on which everything pivots?

Either way, I wanted them. And I wanted them badly. In fact, my inability to have them forced me to change focus and start collecting Resident Evil merchandise, of which I now I have a fairly impressive, and ever growing, collection. http://imgur.com/a/jJbjU .

Back on point. I found myself with an Amazon gift card recently, and my mind was drawn back to the days of lusting for a copy of the Mirrors, so I did what anyone would do and I bought myself a pound and a half of Sculpey. On Tuesday I began working on the Phoenix Mirror, creating the base, and yesterday I began on the Phoenix. After a few hours of working today I threw in the towel in posted a picture of my creation (so far) to the Shenmue 500k Facebook group. It was very well received, which made me think of sharing it here.

Keep in mind that this is very much a work in progress, and that a lot of revision and addition has to happen(not to mention beginning work on the Dragon Mirror), but I'm hoping that by sharing my work here the community might offer me advice and criticism, tips and tricks, and, of course, find their own will to create such works. My plan for today is to revise the Phoenix, and hopefully make it accurate to the feather count in the original model.

Please enjoy.

http://i.imgur.com/k9WN4sW.jpg?1

[...] My most favourite moment is when Ryo found herbs while walking and tell Shenhua about it. He picks them up and gave them to Shenhua; she is very grateful, to the point that she try to give a kiss to Ryo! :heart: So adorable and cute. However, Ryo makes an uncomfortable facial expression, stands back and then says that they better move on. Shenhua follows him and giggles cutely for a moment. Haha. - She is definitely the future love interest of Ryo. After all, at some point Ryo mentions about the girl he is seeing in his dreams, during a discussion (I think) with Fangmei about love (or something similar).
Made a .gif of what I was talking about...

http://i.imgur.com/zLsotvO.gif

Following Bluemue's Thread, I wanted to archive my Youtube Videos and Podcasts in 1 spot.

Here you will find all of my videos (150+) in one spot sorted by types of videos. IE Hacking Tutorials, Interviews, Conceptual Hacking, etc.

I hope you guys like them!

Not all videos are archived here yet!

Archive Status
60%

Main Channel Link
http://www.youtube.com/lordcanti

---------------------
Shenmue 3 Discussion Series
Part 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qANPgu-172A&list=PLiWD6oOaJEASlSM02m7lv168QiV2If4UE&index=8

Part 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaWkA3XrSCc&list=PLiWD6oOaJEASlSM02m7lv168QiV2If4UE&index=7

Part 3 (Section 1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsq4524jXx8&list=PLiWD6oOaJEASlSM02m7lv168QiV2If4UE&index=6

Part 3 (Section 2)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llrrf_32fFo&list=PLiWD6oOaJEASlSM02m7lv168QiV2If4UE&index=5

Part 4: Unused Assets in Shenmue 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-XJYkmHhBk&list=PLiWD6oOaJEASlSM02m7lv168QiV2If4UE&index=4

How I feel about the Shenmue 3 Kickstarter
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOzuH9y7KeA&list=PLiWD6oOaJEASlSM02m7lv168QiV2If4UE&index=3

Part 5 (Section 1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvJdZ39RyEs&list=PLiWD6oOaJEASlSM02m7lv168QiV2If4UE&index=2

GDC Tiles Discussion
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8lnnb9OGok&list=PLiWD6oOaJEASlSM02m7lv168QiV2If4UE&index=1

---------------------

Shenmue Dicussion Videos
Shenmue 2 Mini Dicussion: Bad Ending
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8g4OH_s3Q1w&list=PLiWD6oOaJEATqN_-L6J-TtAMP9UuSfZQY&index=1

How I got into Shenmue
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QvNsWx2_fg&list=PLiWD6oOaJEATqN_-L6J-TtAMP9UuSfZQY&index=5

Shenmue 3 Reaction Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yEQx9FqM8g&list=PLiWD6oOaJEATqN_-L6J-TtAMP9UuSfZQY&index=21

Shenmue 3 Kickstarter Video: Manabu Takimoto's In-Game Character
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPtgLRKUyKE&list=PLiWD6oOaJEATqN_-L6J-TtAMP9UuSfZQY&index=26

Shenmue Theory: Where Does Lan Di Take Shenhua's Power?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43ahSz7JBvQ&list=PLiWD6oOaJEATqN_-L6J-TtAMP9UuSfZQY&index=34

Day in the Life of a Shenmue Fanatic Part 3 (Check other section for Parts 1 and 2)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxLfv0-I-F4&list=PLiWD6oOaJEATqN_-L6J-TtAMP9UuSfZQY&index=25
---------------------

Shenmue Mod Videos + Conceptual Technique Developments
PS3 Placeholder Icons
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KtcRu11zE8&index=1&list=PLiWD6oOaJEARp8RNLE1Q3mdFD_qf7D5Tm

Shenmue HD PS3 Placeholder
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuZa46f6unA&index=10&list=PLiWD6oOaJEARp8RNLE1Q3mdFD_qf7D5Tm

Shenmue 2 Specific Hack: Secret Door in Tea Break Building
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0fQCTeo--0&index=2&list=PLiWD6oOaJEARp8RNLE1Q3mdFD_qf7D5Tm

Shenmue 2 Golden Quarter Hack (Go onto King's Road!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SY2F5A5WxiI&index=3&list=PLiWD6oOaJEARp8RNLE1Q3mdFD_qf7D5Tm

Shenmue 2 Hack Shenhua's Flashback Scene
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTygxeZBBoo&index=4&list=PLiWD6oOaJEARp8RNLE1Q3mdFD_qf7D5Tm

Shenmue 2 Invisible Ryo Glitch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QM41zzcYkt0&index=5&list=PLiWD6oOaJEARp8RNLE1Q3mdFD_qf7D5Tm

Shenmue 2 Undub Mod Footage
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbnlvkST-RQ&list=PLiWD6oOaJEARp8RNLE1Q3mdFD_qf7D5Tm&index=6

Shenmue Hacking & Bike Mod 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwhMfrDOLb0&list=PLiWD6oOaJEARp8RNLE1Q3mdFD_qf7D5Tm&index=7

Shenmue Bike Mod and Meetup Update Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EouyLWfmeKM&list=PLiWD6oOaJEARp8RNLE1Q3mdFD_qf7D5Tm&index=9

Shenmue 2 Hack: Stay Up All Night
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYCZm3jZw2g&list=PLiWD6oOaJEARp8RNLE1Q3mdFD_qf7D5Tm&index=11

Shenmue Glitch: Flying Ryo in Dobuita
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LC7IL2hj508&list=PLiWD6oOaJEARp8RNLE1Q3mdFD_qf7D5Tm&index=14

Shenmue 2 Hack: Walk Around Xuying/Zimings House (Flashback Scene)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbyJCGVu0B0&list=PLiWD6oOaJEARp8RNLE1Q3mdFD_qf7D5Tm&index=15

Shenmue 2 Hack: Lan Di Steals Ryo's Bag
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhFTCWxxGmI&list=PLiWD6oOaJEARp8RNLE1Q3mdFD_qf7D5Tm&index=16

Shenmue 2 Hack: Fight Lan Di (Final Boss Mod v.9Alpha)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K32GcxjXYSo&list=PLiWD6oOaJEARp8RNLE1Q3mdFD_qf7D5Tm&index=17

Shenmue 2 Hack/Glitch Play QTE Title with Ryo's Bag
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBhab6eBiss&list=PLiWD6oOaJEARp8RNLE1Q3mdFD_qf7D5Tm&index=18

Shenmue Hack: Beta Yamanose in HD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ziQ3gCOnUA&index=19&list=PLiWD6oOaJEARp8RNLE1Q3mdFD_qf7D5Tm

Shenmue Hack: Beta Sakuragaoka
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5P0JZLIH-w&list=PLiWD6oOaJEARp8RNLE1Q3mdFD_qf7D5Tm&index=21

Shenmue Hack: Goro's Kitten
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwwf_RGRyzk&index=24&list=PLiWD6oOaJEARp8RNLE1Q3mdFD_qf7D5Tm

Shenmue Hack : Forklift Mod - Dobuita First Peek
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h605Mb52Z_g&index=25&list=PLiWD6oOaJEARp8RNLE1Q3mdFD_qf7D5Tm

Creepy Shenmue Hack: A Kitten Named Ryo (TEST) AI Hijacking Test
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XY4KpWxCORo&index=26&list=PLiWD6oOaJEARp8RNLE1Q3mdFD_qf7D5Tm

Shenmue Hack: Go Anywhere outside the Hazuki Residence
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEon1w-OP8M&index=29&list=PLiWD6oOaJEARp8RNLE1Q3mdFD_qf7D5Tm

Shenmue Hack: Walk Through Walls at The Harbor
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31GKRCkqNDA&index=30&list=PLiWD6oOaJEARp8RNLE1Q3mdFD_qf7D5Tm

Shenmue Custom Xbox UnleashX Theme
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2IcTGeufsg&index=34&list=PLiWD6oOaJEARp8RNLE1Q3mdFD_qf7D5Tm

Shenmue Quick Hack: Ryo Fights Children
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZIrGflXmr4&index=39&list=PLiWD6oOaJEARp8RNLE1Q3mdFD_qf7D5Tm

Shenmue Quick Hack: Modified Bag Theft Scene
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpH8qvdQUM0&list=PLiWD6oOaJEARp8RNLE1Q3mdFD_qf7D5Tm&index=40

Shenmue Hack: Modded Bag Theft QTE Fight Scene
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueJxSlt_sdk&list=PLiWD6oOaJEARp8RNLE1Q3mdFD_qf7D5Tm&index=41

Shenmue Hacking: Fused Maps Test
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nR9GcbIONIg&list=PLiWD6oOaJEARp8RNLE1Q3mdFD_qf7D5Tm&index=42

Shenmue Hack: Load Time Movements on Bicycle (AI Hijacking)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nz1OMqfdRmw&index=43&list=PLiWD6oOaJEARp8RNLE1Q3mdFD_qf7D5Tm

Shenmue Mod Test: Adam Koralik Shenmue 500K Mod (COGH)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XUquVE-84o&index=46&list=PLiWD6oOaJEARp8RNLE1Q3mdFD_qf7D5Tm

Mod Test: Shenmue 500K Mod Test 2 : Fukusan's Room
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7CLJ49icNg&index=47&list=PLiWD6oOaJEARp8RNLE1Q3mdFD_qf7D5Tm

Shenmue Hack: Explore Sakuragaoka in HD with No-Clip Mode
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCuX9sOvgC8&index=48&list=PLiWD6oOaJEARp8RNLE1Q3mdFD_qf7D5Tm

Shenmue Hack: Explore Yamanose in HD with No-Clip Mode
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvHU6mmVunQ&list=PLiWD6oOaJEARp8RNLE1Q3mdFD_qf7D5Tm&index=49

---------------------
Shenmue Hacking Tutorials


Shenmue Hacking 101: Play as a Different Character
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08Uqpah9KkU&list=PLiWD6oOaJEARp8RNLE1Q3mdFD_qf7D5Tm&index=23

Shenmue Hacking 101: Swapping NPCs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XvBBW-hvJA&list=PLiWD6oOaJEARp8RNLE1Q3mdFD_qf7D5Tm&index=27

Shenmue Hacking 101: Walk Through Walls (No-Clip Mode)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cf44guVdYZQ&index=32&list=PLiWD6oOaJEARp8RNLE1Q3mdFD_qf7D5Tm

Shenmue Hacking 101: Basic Notebook Hacking
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MPV6LMn9cw&list=PLiWD6oOaJEARp8RNLE1Q3mdFD_qf7D5Tm&index=38

Shenmue Exploration Mod Tutorial
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuWh90cYhHo&index=33&list=PLiWD6oOaJEARp8RNLE1Q3mdFD_qf7D5Tm

How To Emulate Shenmue on PC: Setting Up NullDC
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMvNwi7Xu6I&list=PLiWD6oOaJEARp8RNLE1Q3mdFD_qf7D5Tm&index=36




How to Mod your Xbox for Shenmue 2 Hacking
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhO5ElrG08k&index=20&list=PLiWD6oOaJEARp8RNLE1Q3mdFD_qf7D5Tm
---------------------

Shenmue Interviews
Mike Rhinehart - Lead NTSC Beta Tester for Shenmue 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LzGRZrt8Ng&list=PLiWD6oOaJEATqN_-L6J-TtAMP9UuSfZQY&index=33


---------------------

Shenmue Campaign Videos
Shenmue 500K Admin Meetup (Courtesy of Talib M)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECC2w1_oot8&list=PLiWD6oOaJEATqN_-L6J-TtAMP9UuSfZQY&index=12

Yakuza 5 GioCorsi Thank you
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5n1znbPVaBM&list=PLiWD6oOaJEATqN_-L6J-TtAMP9UuSfZQY&index=14

Dr. Robotnik Wants Shenmue 3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOXR0ueK1lo&list=PLiWD6oOaJEATqN_-L6J-TtAMP9UuSfZQY&index=9

Robotnik Sings The Shenmue Song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tG_UTsrvD8k&list=PLiWD6oOaJEATqN_-L6J-TtAMP9UuSfZQY&index=15



---------------------

Unboxing Videos and Reviews

Shenmue 15th Anniversary Japanese Shenmue Unboxing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oLMShkb8YE&list=PLiWD6oOaJEATqN_-L6J-TtAMP9UuSfZQY&index=16

US Shenmue Unboxing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ImmGMZ4__4&list=PLiWD6oOaJEATqN_-L6J-TtAMP9UuSfZQY&index=18

Review: What's Shenmue VHS Tape
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z20bbsH4hEI&list=PLiWD6oOaJEATqN_-L6J-TtAMP9UuSfZQY&index=20

Shenmue Unofficial Merchandise Review: Hazuki Family Crest Sword Handguard
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fN4xqiGYgc4&list=PLiWD6oOaJEATqN_-L6J-TtAMP9UuSfZQY&index=29

---------------------

In-Depth Let's Plays

What's Shenmue (HD)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7bbXzdre-U&list=PLiWD6oOaJEATqN_-L6J-TtAMP9UuSfZQY&index=8

Shenmue (NTSC) HD Part 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8U9-Ah8dRwk&list=PLiWD6oOaJEATqN_-L6J-TtAMP9UuSfZQY&index=10

---------------------

Podcasts
I Got Gameplay
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16K3R6L_Ons&list=PLiWD6oOaJEATqN_-L6J-TtAMP9UuSfZQY&index=19

Old Geek Young Geek Podcast (ITunes)
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/old-geek-young-geek/id978220148?mt=2#

---------------------

A Day In The Life of a Shenmue Fanatic Series

Part 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lk5VwmSCrJ4

Part 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0O1Jxz8dVo&list=PLiWD6oOaJEATqN_-L6J-TtAMP9UuSfZQY&index=24

Part 3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxLfv0-I-F4&list=PLiWD6oOaJEATqN_-L6J-TtAMP9UuSfZQY&index=25

---------------------

Misc Skits
Ryo Drinks a Four Loko
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sptkpjM3xE&list=PLiWD6oOaJEATqN_-L6J-TtAMP9UuSfZQY&index=17

Goro Impressions
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2QY5WbVOIY&list=PLiWD6oOaJEATqN_-L6J-TtAMP9UuSfZQY&index=36

Shenmue Arnold Schwarznegger Dub!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoRW9JPHDzU&index=13&list=PLiWD6oOaJEARp8RNLE1Q3mdFD_qf7D5Tm


Bluemue's Thread:
http://shenmuedojo.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=46812

Here is a translation of an article published in the Weekly AM2 online magazine in June 2000, as requested by Giorgio.

Not a necessity at all, but any chance to translate the official recipe (by AM2) of how the young Ryo Hazuki ate his carrots (carefully picked by the farmers one by one)? I think for Shenmue fans it would be enticing to try them cooked that way in real life!

Link to original article


http://i.imgur.com/VlxZCnJ.jpg
6 June 2000

A Meal at the Hazuki Residence

This project was born from our desire to taste that well-known meal that features in Shenmue.

The first thing that comes to mind when thinking of a meal featuring in Shenmue are the carrots that Ryo ate when he was a young boy. We will be recreating exactly the meal that was served that day at the Hazuki residence, specifically the stewed vegetable dish containing those rounded carrots - we'll refer to it as "Simmered Carrots".

Recipe for Simmered Carrots

http://i.imgur.com/78OAOwm.jpg http://i.imgur.com/q90YdoA.jpg
[Left] Our ingredients
[Right] The carrot in question

Ingredients (serves 2)

⋅ Carrots: 1
⋅ Potatoes: 2
⋅ Snow peas: a moderate amount
⋅ Sesame oil: 2 large spoonfuls
⋅ Dashi [Japanese soup stock] : 1.5 cups
⋅ Seasoning: sugar, mirin [cooking sake] , sake, soy sauce

Preparation

Peel the carrots thickly, with broad strokes; this will result in a more angular, polygonal appearance as you slice them into rings. To ensure they cook through properly, make a cross-shaped cut at their centers. Also chop up some of the carrot into chunks.

http://i.imgur.com/5gd1yhj.jpg
Don't forget that polygonal look

Peel the potatoes in the usual way, removing the eyes. Cut into quarters and slice off the sharp edges to help stop them from disintegrating during cooking.

Frying

Heat 2 large spoonfuls of sesame oil in a pot. Fry the carrots and then the potatoes on medium heat, mixing any parts sticking to the base or sides of the pot back with the vegetables. (Once the vegetables have browned somewhat, transferring them to a microwave oven can speed up the process).

http://i.imgur.com/1QqbOpi.jpg
Fry thoroughly

When the surface of the potatoes turns transparent, add the soup stock to the pot.

Simmering and Serving

After the soup stock has been added, heat strongly and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a low flame, add 2 large spoonfuls each of sugar, mirin and sake and simmer.

Simmer slowly while skimming the surface. When the potatoes have softened, add 2 large spoonfuls of soy sauce and put the lid on.

When amount of liquid has halved add 1 large spoonful of soy sauce and the snow peas. Simmer until the liquid has gone and you're done.

http://i.imgur.com/BxhATxx.jpg
Done!

The Meal from "That Day" is Complete!

http://i.imgur.com/MURwShy.jpg http://i.imgur.com/Tl0jxWr.jpg
[Left] The meal at the Hazuki residence
[Right] Remarkably sumptuous!

Aside from the simmered carrots, for a perfect recreation serve with white rice (heaped flatly), miso soup (nothing extraordinary; just containing tofu and wakame seaweed), cold tofu - divided into large pieces. katsuo [dried bonito shavings] topped with ginger, and a slice of grilled salmon. Bon appetit!

The Tasting

And so our "Meal at the Hazuki Residence" is ready, but just at the moment of tasting, [staff member] Takuan stubbornly refuses to eat! His reaction is just like Ryo's as a boy, as if to say "I don't like carrots"!

http://i.imgur.com/x8bERIj.jpg

On hearing this, the chef [author of this article] Nangoku Goro - who loves carrots - gets in a temper.

Nangoku Goro loves to lecture children. He can't let this go without saying a word or two.

"Takuan, while you're still sleeping in bed, farmers are working hard in the fields, carefully picking carrots, one by one. So how can you waste them like that?"

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

With these words, he encourages Takuan to eat his carrots, and...

"OK... I'll eat them."

Gathering his courage, Takuan takes the plunge and faces up to the hated carrots like a true man!

(By the way, carrots are rich in beta carotene, so eating them daily will help ward off old age and cancer).

-------

So, how did you like the "Meal at the Hazuki Residence"?

We checked with one of the Shenmue developers about the "Simmered Carrots", and it turns out that the dish should actually be Niku-jaga [simmered meat and potatoes, a popular Japanese dish] ^_^. From its appearance we weren't able to detect any meat so we didn't include it in the recipe, but when you are making "Simmered Carrots" at home you can turn it into the even more delicious Niku-jaga by adding 100g of thinly-sliced meat, 1 onion and 100g of "shirataki" noodles.

We got too much. Shenmue 3 demanded a sacrifice......

http://www.redbull.com/en/games/stories/1331775510544/shenmue-3-yu-suzuki-interview

Kickstarting Shenmue 3 and the return of Ryo
By Ben Sillis on 9 February 2016
Legendary game designer Yu Suzuki on crowdfunding, Ryo’s return and even Shenmue 4.

http://i.imgur.com/Jd1PO79.jpg
Ryo is back after more than a decade © Ys Net

Mr Suzuki has been waiting a long time to make his latest game – about 20 years, in fact.
" From the beginning, I had been readying plans for various contingencies should the chance to develop Shenmue 3 ever arise, " he tells Red Bull in an exclusive interview. " After the Kickstarter announcement, I received a lot of messages and videos from people all over the world. I was very deeply moved that Shenmue still has so many loyal fans, even after 15 years. "

There are very few developers who are household names, stars that shine as bright as the mascots they create. Shigeru Miyamoto of Nintendo, Hideo Kojima of Metal Gear fame, maybe Peter Molyneux at a push. You could probably count them all one one hand, even, but you'd have to reserve one digit for Yu Suzuki, AKA Mr Sega, head of its AM2 development team for almost two decades.

While American CEO Tom Kalinske is often credited with turning Sega into a powerhouse to rival Nintendo in the 1990s, it was Suzuki who turned in the games he sold. Responsible for arcade hits like Hang-On and Out Run, Suzuki was one of the first developers to pioneer polygonal 3D graphics, in games like Virtua Racing, Virtua Fighter and Virtua Cop. Did you ever play in a Daytona USA cabinet in the arcade as a kid? Of course you did. That was him too. Ferrari F355 Challenge. Space Harrier. Dozens of classic games. But there's one game he's never been able to escape from, one he has never even tried to, that has cast a shadow over his career this century: Shenmue.

It's a little hard to describe Shenmue if you've never played it. It's a sweeping drama of family revenge set in 1980s suburban Japan and bustling Hong Kong that incorporates detective work, 3D fighting, a metric busload of voice acting and more of life's most mundane activities than you might expect. You can play darts or buy toy capsules from a vending machine. You can get a job lifting boxes for pocket money, and at one point you literally have to spend an entire in-game week carrying books out of a library.
It was banal and it was beautiful. It was the culmination of Yu Suzuki's work pushing Sega's hardware to the absolute limit, and cost a fortune to make – a rumoured $70 million, though part of that cost went into Shenmue 2.
It did not sell.

http://i.imgur.com/AT8Tl3X.jpg
Shenmue creator, Yu Suzuki © Ys Net

It would be tempting to say that audiences were not ready for such a game. But Shenmue and its sequel were only failures by the same metric that Dreamcast was, in that they happened to exist at the same time as the mighty PlayStation 2, and therefore did not make their costs back. Both games were adored by fans, who spent more than a decade clamouring for a resolution to the cliffhanger at the end of part two. Suzuki for his part continued to spend the 2000s returning to his older arcade hits while dropping hints that he'd love to return to the story of brave, blundering teenager Ryo Hazuki, if only Sega would give him the budget.
Then E3 2015 happened and everything changed. Suzuki decided to tweet a photo of a forklift truck, Ryo's preferred ride, and then turned up on stage at the Sony keynote to announce Shenmue 3 would be coming to PC and PS4 – so long as fans were prepared to back the game on Kickstarter to the tune of $2 million. Predictably, the project broke the Kickstarter record for funds raised for a game when 69,320 backers pledged a total of $6,333,295 to help bring Ryo back.

The return of Ryo
As we enter 2016, it's clear we're entering a new phase in Suzuki's career. Sega has granted his new studio, Ys Net, permission to use the Shenmue IP, but otherwise does not appear to be involved, while inexpensive and powerful game engine software now makes the game feasible on a much smaller budget. In some ways though, Suzuki admits he's picking up where he left off all those years ago.
" Shenmue 3 will be based on the original 11 chapter story I planned during the [Sega] Saturn era, " he tells Red Bull. " Using that story, we put the game together in such a way that people new to Shenmue, as well as fans of Shenmue 1 and 2, will be able to enjoy the game. "
For those new to the saga, Suzuki has a quick primer: " It is the story of a boy who travels to China on his quest to avenge his father's death, but it is also a story of love and friendship, and the bonds he shares with the people he meets as he matures to manhood through his martial arts training. "
This description sounds a tad like the blurb you might find on the back of a Sega Saturn game box, and does not quite capture the story's allure: Shenmue 2 ends on a decidedly magical note in a rural village in China, with Ryo discovering that two mysterious Macguffins may cause the resurrection of an even more evil Macguffin. We push for a few more details, and while Suzuki is keeping tight-lipped on plot, he says Ryo will grown on his journey. He's still angry, but his encounters with others may help to temper that rage.

http://i.imgur.com/7XFjSyX.jpg
Shenmue 3’s environment is making use of UE4 © Ys Net

" In terms of the story, a year has not yet passed from the conclusion of Shenmue 2, so Ryo's feelings of revenge have remained unchanged, " Suzuki says. " As Ryo did in Hong Kong in Shenmue 2, he will travel to Guilin in Shenmue III, maturing as he encounters different people through his martial arts training. "
Little time has passed for Ryo, but gamers have certainly grown up in his absence. Entire console generations have come and gone. You can still play Shenmue 2 on an HDTV with an Xbox 360, but the frustrating controls – you move with the D-pad, not a thumbstick – only serve as a reminder of just how much conventions have changed.
We wonder if Suzuki, who openly admits he began planning this game in the '90s, believes he will struggle to update Shenmue 3 to 2016 expectations. " We are planning to use Unreal Engine 4 for Shenmue 3, utilising the most cutting edge production techniques so we can exploit the engine's maximum potential, " he says. " The design concept of UE4 matches perfectly with how I make games, which is why I went in that direction. "

Genre shifting Shenmue
It's not just games that have changed in the interim however, but how we talk about them too. Shenmue was far ahead of its time in this regard, at least. The game's open cities, with operating bus routes and shops that opened and closed with the days of the week, predated even Grand Theft Auto 3 by several years, and were a predecessor of the sandbox games we play today. Suzuki even came up with his own acronym for the genre at the time, 'FREE' (Full Reactive Eyes Environment). But if he had to pigeonhole his life's work now?
" The genre that is the closest to describing Shenmue is what nowadays is called an open world game, " he says. " The concept of Shenmue was to maximize the level of game play freedom by offering the highest potential number of different ways one could enjoy the game. "

http://i.imgur.com/lkBBjlF.jpg
Expect plenty of mystery in the third instalment © Ys Net

For better or worse, Suzuki also originated the concept of the Quick Time Event (QTE): you would perform set actions and survive certain scenes – like someone trying to stove Ryo's head in with a metal pipe – by pressing a button on time with the screen. Succeed and the story continues. Fail and you might have to go the long way round, find another lead in your detective hunt, or have your face smashed in by a Triad member. It was a novel concept at the time, but it's fair to say it's been overused since, especially in Japanese action games. A good developer, so the theory goes, will provide the tools and the engine to let you pull off cool stunts, not just bang out a cut scene set to a rhythm game.
Suzuki says QTEs will be making a return in Shenmue 3 however. " While QTEs may feel a little wanting to some action gamers, I believe that it is a fundamental technique that allows a broad range of players to actively participate in the dramatic performances of a game."
"That said, I would like to take up the challenge of creating the next evolution of the QTE, " he adds, cryptically.

http://i.imgur.com/VDMCglZ.jpg
Suzuki wants some of the team to remain anonymous © Ys Net

How Ys Net balance that need for secrecy and surprise with the transparent communication required of a successful Kickstarter project will prove interesting. " This is my first experience with developing a game in this manner and it has been a very valuable one, " Suzuki says.
" For the Kickstarter, the architecture of the game was based on a scalable structure that could be adapted to the changes in budget. I can continually receive feedback from the backers through the entire process, which in turns helps to focus the development. "
The team will have to focus. Despite the availability of powerful, multi-platform game engines and middleware, the Japanese gaming industry has turned away from open world games, and console games altogether, Suzuki points out. That makes finding a team to tackle a game with such a heritage on a comparatively small scale more challenging still.
" Smartphones have become the mainstream in the Japanese gaming market today, creating an environment where the technology developed for consoles is often underused ," he says. " Also, it is becoming difficult to secure the talent necessary to make such games, but thankfully, we have managed to gather a very promising team for Shenmue III. "

Suzuki says that he cannot reveal the size of the team – or the budget – for " confidentiality reasons ", but he is happy to talk about one recent and remarkable hire: a fan. 'Kid Nocon', a South Korean graphics designer, wowed gamers recently with his incredible high definition makeovers of scenes from the first Shenmue (" I have wanted to make a Shenmue HD for a long time ," Nocon tells us). He must have made an impact on Suzuki too, because he then hired Nocon for Shemue 3.

" Kid Nocon is one of the people who has never stopped supporting Shenmue through all this time, " Suzuki says. " Even when I first met him, I could really tell he felt strongly towards Shenmue. I hope he will continue to be an active part in the Shenmue team. "

Sequels incoming
At the time of the Kickstarter, Ys Net had little more to show prospective backers than a scene with Ryo and Shenhua hopping over some stepping stones. Suzuki says the team are currently, " working on the prototype for the game. Using that prototype, we are experimenting with the various features of UE4 and testing out the systems we want to implement. "
Suzuki is avoiding making any benchmarks to break his own back with, and steering clear of promises on visual fidelity and specs, at least for now. So 1080p, 60fps purists will have to hang tight for now. " We have just recently decided upon the graphical benchmark quality. As to frame rate, we are still running tests ."

Suzuki's reticence to talk specifics up until this point is understandable – who would want to ruin a game fans have waited patiently for, for more than 15 years? It does, however, make the answer to our next question all the more surprising. Will Shenmue 3 hasten to conclude what was originally conceived as a sprawling, 11 chapter epic?
" I'm afraid that the story will not be concluded with Shenmue III, " Suzuki says, frankly. " After thinking it through, we decided that forcing a conclusion in Shenmue 3 would only make the story feel rushed, and compromise the game as a whole. I hope we can make "
In other words, Suzuki is back to that grand, original vision for the series once more. All it took was a bit of a patience for publishers, the industry and software to catch up with him.
We just hope we won't be waiting quite so long again for Shenmue 4. Suzuki, for his part, seems optimistic: " In five years’ time, I think I will [still] be making games, " he says. " As for Ryo? I am anxious to hear where the fans think he will end up. "

Anyone notice what's on the wall way in the back?

I always felt donating was a no-brainer because this is Shenmue 3. I never thought not to donate over something like a backer reward.