Shenmue 3 - New Kickstarter --- Already Funded!

Two more updates were posted and the game has made three million dollars now.

Link - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects…nmue-3/updates

So I guess 39,105 backers are wrong for backing a boring game.

Originally Posted by Couchpotato
So I guess 39,105 backers are wrong for backing a boring game.

Oh, Couch, you flamebaiter! 40,000 backers is quite low given that dollar amount. Per usual you have a small group of people donating thousands of dollars. I'm just saying this is being funded through nostalgia rather than a true appreciation for the gameplay of Shenmue.

Also, I do think it is kind of questionable how Sony is secretly funding the game but doing Kickstarter also. Anyway, whatever. I hope Shenmue 3 turns out well once we get it in 2018 or so.

I wonder how many of the backers are Western gamers compared to Japanese. I'd be willing to bet that the majority of that money was converted from Yen.

Originally Posted by Brumbek
Also, I do think it is kind of questionable how Sony is secretly funding the game but doing Kickstarter also. Anyway, whatever. I hope Shenmue 3 turns out well once we get it in 2018 or so.

Not that unusual as other kickstarter games have had outside investors, and a couple have used crowd-funding to gauge how much interest their game has.

Anyway I'm going to take a guess and say, Sony wanted a certain amount of money raised before they gave the developers a contract to make the game.

Originally Posted by Couchpotato
Not that unusual as other kickstarter games have had outside investors, and a couple have used crowd-funding to gauge how much interest their game has.

Totally agree many Kickstarters are used to show interest to outside investors. But the good ones DISCLOSE this. That's the real rub with Shenmue 3. And actually, it sort of hurts their own Kickstarter since many people looked at it and thought a mere 2 million dollars couldn't deliver the true AAA experience. Anyway…I just think disclosure is proper when you are seeking or have lined up outside backing.

Originally Posted by Brumbek
I also remember Shenmue this way: awesome concept but tedious gameplay. So much slow-walking, opening drawers, button prompts, QTE-like fighting. But people loved it because it was graphically amazing and was the closest to a living breathing village/city we'd ever seen at the time. But it wasn't a good game. And it holds up terribly.

So I have to agree with you that people's love for Shenmue is quite irrational. What confuses me is the modern spiritual-Shenmues like Beyond: Two Souls get panned by critics for having hardly any gameplay, but Shenmue is treated as holy despite being the creative forerunner to David Cage's games and so on.

I apologize to anyone who loves Shenmue, but I'd argue you played it 15 years ago and if you go back and play it again you'll see that it actually kind of stinks.

For some people, a cool concept is enough - and they don't bother about the actual gameplay

We have people here praising games as some of the best ever - even if they never really bother completing them or playing them much at all.

Sometimes, the idea of playing a game is enough for certain gamers.

People are funny

I played Shenmue II on Xbox. Never really "got" it. Still, I may consider backing at a later time.

Originally Posted by DArtagnan
Sometimes, the idea of playing a game is enough for certain gamers.

People are funny

That's a great observation about human nature. But I don't want to seem exempt. I have a large Steam library that says I also like the *idea* of playing games but don't actually play them.

Kickstarter is so successful because it taps into people's hope. Hope is so powerful. We all want to believe. And that's good when tempered with reality. So yes, you are completely right that people (including myself) are funny because we are fallen creatures. So here's hoping Shenmue 3 is the greatest game ever!!

Originally Posted by Brumbek
That's a great observation about human nature. But I don't want to seem exempt. I have a large Steam library that says I also like the *idea* of playing games but don't actually play them.

Kickstarter is so successful because it taps into people's hope. Hope is so powerful. We all want to believe. And that's good when tempered with reality. So yes, you are completely right that people (including myself) are funny because we are fallen creatures. So here's hoping Shenmue 3 is the greatest game ever!!

Oh, I don't exclude myself - but I'm probably more aware of the psychological process than the average gamer

I think that what people like about Shenmue is the sheer ambition. Even if the gameplay is kind of repetitive and not that fantastic you have to admire the ambition to make something out of this world, and yet so real at the same time.

Just to make it clear. If it's a continuation of previous games, that means you can only play as a male character, right?

Originally Posted by Humanity has risen!
I think that what people like about Shenmue is the sheer ambition. Even if the gameplay is kind of repetitive and not that fantastic you have to admire the ambition to make something out of this world, and yet so real at the same time.

Maybe, and I also admire it.

But I don't confuse admiration with enjoyable gameplay.

Originally Posted by Brumbek
Totally agree many Kickstarters are used to show interest to outside investors. But the good ones DISCLOSE this. That's the real rub with Shenmue 3. And actually, it sort of hurts their own Kickstarter since many people looked at it and thought a mere 2 million dollars couldn't deliver the true AAA experience. Anyway…I just think disclosure is proper when you are seeking or have lined up outside backing.

Maybe it's a Japanese thing, not to be so direct? The KS description does include a paragraph explaining that the game will only be made if the goal is met. This could be understood in a way that they had to prove the demand to somebody.

Well the game has now made $3,506,140. Seems sad to say that as a few other prominent RPG kickstarters have made a lot less in their first week.

Originally Posted by Couchpotato
Well the game has now made $3,506,140. Seems sad to say that as a few other prominent RPG kickstarters have made a lot less in their first week.

I suppose that if Rockstar did a kickstarter for GTA6 that would get even more interest. Can't be bad having a $3.5m handout up front, whatever your budget.

Just to say, KS pledges passed 5 millions.
A day and a half left for the campaign to finish.

OOO, my ears… that most be the most horrible english voice acting I heard ever!!!! and they only say a few words…. hope it is temporary!!!

LOL
You should already know that japanese materials are supposed to enjoy subbed, not dubbed.

It's still 9 hours till the end of campaign and they're at $5.7 millions!
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ysnet/shenmue-3

I backed the project thinking the goal is reached and that's it, noone else will bother with it, especially because it wasn't covered everywhere like Star Citizen, but this is completely crazy.
What the hell is going on out there, lol

Never underestimate an oriental's* desire for electronic totty.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21J7-xr21fo

No… really…

*Statement recognises that not all people of oriental origin are as stereotypical as the possibly if somewhat true joke suggests