Niaowu Hotel Guest Book

Joined
Aug 29, 2018
Does anyone else dislike the guest book in Ryo's room in the Niaowu Hotel full of messages by fans. I know why its there; these people gave a lot of money to help fund the game but I wish it was done more subtle and not so in your face. There I was in Niaowu getting into the experience when suddenly I'm reading messages by Adam Koralik and other Shenmue fans. I found it jarring and it took me out of the experience. I know I can ignore it but it's so prominent in Ryo's room. I wish it was done more like an easter egg you can find hidden in the game.
 
I am part of the book and personally think it’s very cool. I made mine less of a 4th wall break and so did many others. I just pretended as if I was a character in the game. It’s not as jarring as the Save Shenmue building with statues of backers and such. I still don’t mind any of it. Without these people it wouldn’t have been possible.
 
I love that book and everything else by and for the fans in the game. I think it's wonderful. No matter its placement.
 
Does anyone else dislike the guest book in Ryo's room in the Niaowu Hotel full of messages by fans. I know why its there; these people gave a lot of money to help fund the game but I wish it was done more subtle and not so in your face. There I was in Niaowu getting into the experience when suddenly I'm reading messages by Adam Koralik and other Shenmue fans. I found it jarring and it took me out of the experience. I know I can ignore it but it's so prominent in Ryo's room. I wish it was done more like an easter egg you can find hidden in the game.


No actually. That was one of the nicest parts of the game even though it was obviously 4th wall breaking.

Shenmue's been breaking the 4th wall anyway ever since the first game (Shenhua potato chips anyone)
 
I love that book and everything else by and for the fans in the game. I think it's wonderful. No matter its placement.


I think it was a better example of showcasing the good side of humanity more so than whatever Death Stranding was trying to promote with its pretentious 'Strand System' (which is basically just Demon's Souls asynchronous ability on nice mode lol)
 
The Guest Book is part of the long list of details that YSnet could easily do better if they thought twice.

But there is an even more unsubtle choice in the same room: the not-really-pretty "5 Americans" poster. What were they thinking lol
 
The Guest Book is part of the long list of details that YSnet could easily do better if they thought twice.

But there is an even more unsubtle choice in the same room: the not-really-pretty "5 Americans" poster. What were they thinking lol


Didnt notice the Shenmue II paintings in the art shop on New Paradise?
Or the one of Shenhua at the art stand?
Or the Shenmue t-shirts and capsule items?

None of those bothered me much really since as I mentioned, Shenmue's been 4th wall breaking for years.

But the Save Shenmue building might a been a bit much. Thankfully its not part of the story's plot so you can 100% avoid it altogether. The only reason you need to go there is for the 2 fishing spots in the back for trophy reasons but again thats outside of it so you still dont need to go inside lol

What I am surprised though and wish it had was.....Sega t-shirts! Woulda loved to have a Virtua Fighter and Space Harrier T-shirt.
 
I am part of the book and personally think it’s very cool. I made mine less of a 4th wall break and so did many others. I just pretended as if I was a character in the game. It’s not as jarring as the Save Shenmue building with statues of backers and such. I still don’t mind any of it. Without these people it wouldn’t have been possible.
Statues of backers?! I haven’t been there yet. Had I known I probably would have made the thread about that instead. I can the accept the guestbook but that is simply too much. We supported Shenmue to help get another game; not to have our egos stroked by having statues of ourselves in the game. It feels so elitist; like a place for us poor lower tier backers to visit to worship the statues of our rich superiors.
 
Statues of backers?! I haven’t been there yet. Had I known I probably would have made the thread about that instead. I can the accept the guestbook but that is simply too much. We supported Shenmue to help get another game; not to have our egos stroked by having statues of ourselves in the game. It feels so elitist; like a place for us poor lower tier backers to visit to worship the statues of our rich superiors.


Not statues. Pictures. Kind of like the vacation pics of tourists if you will. At least thats the impression they gave off.
 
Statues of backers?! I haven’t been there yet. Had I known I probably would have made the thread about that instead. I can the accept the guestbook but that is simply too much. We supported Shenmue to help get another game; not to have our egos stroked by having statues of ourselves in the game. It feels so elitist; like a place for us poor lower tier backers to visit to worship the statues of our rich superiors.
🎻
 
I thought the backer stuff was incorporated beautifully. Some of the guest book messages choked me up a little. None of it felt shoved in your face and restricting the dice dudes and stuff to the one building a stroke of genius. I find it rediculous that anyone could be pissy about people being included that paid generously, so you could play the impossible sequel you're enjoying right now
 
Statues of backers?! I haven’t been there yet. Had I known I probably would have made the thread about that instead. I can the accept the guestbook but that is simply too much. We supported Shenmue to help get another game; not to have our egos stroked by having statues of ourselves in the game. It feels so elitist; like a place for us poor lower tier backers to visit to worship the statues of our rich superiors.

Hail the almighty backers you blasphemer.
 
Ok I have really judged the mood of the crowd badly. But my point is that just because your a rich backer with a statue does not make you a better Shenmue fan than the passionate fan on low income who saved up for the collectors edition and is not enshrined in the game. We don’t want Russian oligarchs to become central characters in Shenmue 4 because they donated millions to YS Net.
 
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