My upcoming game inspired by "shenmue" and "yakuza".

ShenSu said:
looks awesome. Can't wait to try. You should add some voice acting. That would make it perfect
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Thank you, indeed, I'm considering incorporating some voice acting perhaps towards the end of the development process, similar to how it's done in Yakuza where the NPCs utter a few lines to add more depth to the dialogues.
 
Kenzo38130 said:
Thank you, indeed, I'm considering incorporating some voice acting perhaps towards the end of the development process, similar to how it's done in Yakuza where the NPCs utter a few lines to add more depth to the dialogues.
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NPCs uttering phonemes/syllabes is very relatable content for me. It never results as cheap to me, but unique and inmersive in a world of its own.
Again with the ICO series, the fictional japanese its great inventive asset which brings character and lore.
 
Seaman said:
NPCs uttering phonemes/syllabes is very relatable content for me. It never results as cheap to me, but unique and inmersive in a world of its own.
Again with the ICO series, the fictional japanese its great inventive asset which brings character and lore.
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Yes i agree with you
 
I've experimented with using AI-generated voiceovers for secondary quests. I did this with a model that was trained relatively quickly, and the results could be better.:ROFLMAO: However, I'm uncertain whether I should stick with text only or try to utilize this method with a better trained model, which is the only feasible way for me to have complete voice over in the game as of yet.
 
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Kenzo38130 said:
I've experimented with using AI-generated voiceovers for secondary quests. I did this with a model that was trained relatively quickly, and the results could be better.:ROFLMAO: However, I'm uncertain whether I should stick with text only or try to utilize this method with a better trained model, which is the only feasible way for me to have complete voice over in the game as of yet.
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I think you should stick with text, or hire real VAs later down the line if you find yourself in a position to. It's pretty tacky and cheapens the experience imo. Plus you'll probably draw a lot of negative attention from the hardcore anti-AI crowd which could end up hurting the project as a whole.
 
Jibby said:
I think you should stick with text, or hire real VAs later down the line if you find yourself in a position to. It's pretty tacky and cheapens the experience imo. Plus you'll probably draw a lot of negative attention from the hardcore anti-AI crowd which could end up hurting the project as a whole.
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Yeah, I think you're right. I will hire some Japanese voice actors. However, due to the extensive amount of text involved in the main story, side quests, and branching dialogues, I will only be doing partial voice-overs for certain parts. These partial voice-overs will resemble the style seen in the Yakuza games. I'll provide an example soon. Thank you very much for your helpful answers!
 
A quick example using real Japanese voiceovers, now I need to add a lot more and find a voiceover for Kaito.
 
I tried to make the open world even more alive by adding flying birds, increasing the number of NPCs wandering around the city, and implementing a system for random enemy encounters. (work in progress)
 
Kenzo38130 said:
I tried to make the open world even more alive by adding flying birds, increasing the number of NPCs wandering around the city, and implementing a system for random enemy encounters. (work in progress)
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Subtle but clear Shenmue reference at those dialogue prompts. Kaito, like Ryo (and at the same time, Ryo like Dale Cooper) has no time for nonsense, Nozomi or anything but coffee. Love it!
Birds are also a powerful symbol to any good Shenmue fan, I mean it seriously.
 
Seaman said:
Subtle but clear Shenmue reference at those dialogue prompts. Kaito, like Ryo (and at the same time, Ryo like Dale Cooper) has no time for nonsense, Nozomi or anything but coffee. Love it!
Birds are also a powerful symbol to any good Shenmue fan, I mean it seriously.
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I'm glad you were able to find the references. Kaito is a mix of ryo and ren (mostly ren) in terms of personality if I had to describe him quickly.
 
This keeps getting better and better, well done, well done indeed Kenzo! BTW, it may be a little early to ask, but have you already considered what the price of the final game will be?
 
Shansun95 said:
This keeps getting better and better, well done, well done indeed Kenzo! BTW, it may be a little early to ask, but have you already considered what the price of the final game will be?
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I'm uncertain of the final pricing, but given the taxes and Steam's 30% share, my profit from sales won't be significant. So, I'm considering a price range of $10 to $20, which will also depend on the amount of content in the game. To be frank, I think that this game's development cost will exceed the revenue I'll receive from sales (since i dont think i will have a lot of sales it's my first project and I suck at marketing), but I'm fine with that. My intention was simply to create a game that I would have enjoyed owning myself.
 
The public demo is ready. I've sent it to some professional playtesters I hired and am awaiting their feedback before publishing it on Steam. The demo will be out soon. I will also take part in the upcoming Steam next Fest.Capture d’écran (1118).png
 
Now that was fast! Congratulations from my side as well and thank you in the name of everyone who beta tested your project bro! Have fun at the Steam Next Fest.
 
Thank you all so much. Your feedback on the private demo was incredibly helpful. I've diligently noted your suggestions and improvements, and have already incorporated all of them. I would also like to express my gratitude for your consistent support since the prototype stage two years ago; it's helped me stay motivated to continue working on this project.

@WuyingRen, thanks, I will do. While Steam Next Fest is scheduled for October, I plan to release the public demo much earlier. Depending on the play testers' feedback, it should be available in the upcoming weeks.
 
I have received feedback from a few professional playtesters, and what I have learned is… interesting. I am going to share it here as it's relevant not only to my game but also to certain gameplay mechanics in Shenmue. I have received positive comments on almost all game mechanics and the playtesters seems to have really liked the gameplay mechanics inspired by yakuza, but two aspects of my game inspired by Shenmue often come back as negatives: the need to sleep at night and wait for the train. Of course, I am going to maintain these mechanics because even if they are off-putting for some, I personally enjoy these aspects of the game, just as I enjoy these mechanics in Shenmue. Here's an example of the feedback I received from one of the playtesters about the Shenmue-inspired mechanics in my game:

“Sleeping mechanic: I’m not sure what the purpose of the sleeping mechanic is. Sure it adds to the realism, but it’s forcing the player to stop what they’re doing, go back to their room, watch a short cutscene of themselves falling asleep, then they can get back to whatever they were doing. I think that’s unnecessary. You can use it to progress a quest if needed, but I wouldn’t make it a requirement just to play the game normally.
The Subway: I thought I was in the wrong place when I went to the subway to progress in the quest, but then the subway arrived, and I realized I just had to wait for it. I would advise you to not do it like that.”
 
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