Random Shenmue III Thoughts

Suzuki should just tweet "S4" when development begins, and then say no more until the game is 70% done and ready to show in teaser form
I'd like this. That would send us lot into raptures. I reckon show nothing until maybe a year from release?

Gives some anticipation for what's to come while ,invariably, the media scrutinise how Shenmue 4 is happening :p
 
He was always pretty secretive about development though. That's why I really felt bad when he was obliged to show stuff during S3's development just for many to b*tch about how unfinished it was looking (apparently some people don't know the meaning of "Work in Progress" :LOL:)

Very true. I agree

I'd like this. That would send us lot into raptures. I reckon show nothing until maybe a year from release?

Gives some anticipation for what's to come while ,invariably, the media scrutinise how Shenmue 4 is happening :p

Yu Suzuki tweets S4.

The media headline "Yu Suzuki is planning to rob a bank. Run everyone and call the police"

lol. Wouldn't be surprised tbh
 
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If Yu Suzuki tweets "S4" it will be more positive than negative. It would actually shut people up as the general consensus is that there won't be a Shenmue 4. Most media outlets reviewed Shenmue 3 poorly and reported sales of the game are very bad.

I know the higher ups have confirmed that Shenmue 3 sold "fine" but we don't know exactly what "fine" is. Cedric Biscay has already stated in a interview that, "If you are doing a sequel you have to start asap otherwise you'll lose your team." Cedric also tweeted "1-2-3-4." I'm almost certain he was confirming Shenmue 4 but I'm a YES or NO guy I don't like to read between the lines.

If we don't hear something by E3 2021 that won't be good. Why delay or hide good news? Most developers announce sequels weeks or months after releases. We're coming up on almost a year and all we know is "Shenmue sold fine."
 
Most developers announce sequels weeks or months after releases. We're coming up on almost a year and all we know is "Shenmue sold fine."
I don't pay much attention to when announcements for games are given, normally, but Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night seems to have not had an announcement for a sequel yet, after more than a year. Igarashi mentioned at release that he wanted to turn it into a series, and I'd be surprised if they weren't already working on a sequel to it, considering CotM 2's surprise release.

I think it's just a matter of having patience, and trusting in Yu Suzuki that he's either exhausting all of his options, or currently in the process of production logistics after securing funding.


He was always pretty secretive about development though. That's why I really felt bad when he was obliged to show stuff during S3's development just for many to b*tch about how unfinished it was looking (apparently some people don't know the meaning of "Work in Progress" :LOL:)
Yeah, I do think Kickstarter can set a bad precedent for how involved fans become in the production process.

I keep forgetting to update the IGN Japan interview post I was working on, but someone (I think Okayasu) was talking about one of the differences between production on I & II, and Shenmue III, was that this time there weren't just production staffers who understood what Suzuki's vision was, but that they were often fans of the first two games. Apparently they often put together presentations to give to Suzuki on things that they felt should be implemented into the game. My gut tells me this might be where Bailu expanding in size came from.
 
When Shenmue 3 Kickstarter came to a halt I was happy that it blew past the initial goal. 6 million still didn't seem like enough to make a successor to Shenmue 2. Everyone assured me is was enough. As time went on Shenmue 3 was given more money all Kickstarter tiers were fulfilled.

After playing and beating Shenmue 3 I can say we got a damn good full Shenmue experience on a budget with a small development team. Its hard to judge Shenmue 3 on those restraints. I don't even want to know what kind of game we woukdve got with only 6 million or dare I say 2 MILLION🥺. Remember the first Shenmue 3 trailer that was released😱(GOD NO). I can't wait to see what Yu does with Shenmue 4 with assets already in place
 
I wonder if Yu are going to keep the Sh III -style logo for IV. There is like five types of logos now. The original logo, the HD-remaster logo, and the "prototype" Shenmue III logo (papyrus), the slightly different original Shenmue logo for Shenmue III, and the final Shenmue III logo.

Nothing beats the original logo or the "new old" logo, in my opinion. Strangely enough young people can't read conjoined letters nowdays. I guess it's true that the IQ points are dropping really fast.
The Shenmue III logo has grown on me a little over time. What I especially like about it is the gold to it.
I would love to see a shiny gold version of the original logo for Shenmue IV on the casing. That would be sweet.

I enjoyed Shenmue III dispite its flaws but I think it will look like "a demo" compared to what IV will be.
Cant wait to see what it will be like!
 
So I'm not the most educated person in the world but wouldn't it behoove Sega or someone to start releasing Shenmue 3 merchandise? Stuff like: Choubu Chans, Virtual Fighter Choubu Chans, in game Shenmue 3 t-shirts, Kickstarter exclusive replica jacket/any jacket and Shenmue action figures.

Also why doesn't Sega release every toy capsule from the Shenmue series. They coukd release them in waves: Virtual Fighter, Sonic, vehicles, misc, etc. Shenmue merchandise always sells out and it seems like a license to print money.
 
So I'm not the most educated person in the world but wouldn't it behoove Sega or someone to start releasing Shenmue 3 merchandise? Stuff like: Choubu Chans, Virtual Fighter Choubu Chans, in game Shenmue 3 t-shirts, Kickstarter exclusive replica jacket/any jacket and Shenmue action figures.

Also why doesn't Sega release every toy capsule from the Shenmue series. They coukd release them in waves: Virtual Fighter, Sonic, vehicles, misc, etc. Shenmue merchandise always sells out and it seems like a license to print money.

I want a Shenmue 3 Niao Sun First4Figures statue so bad :crying:
 
The announcement of S4, (if/when it happens) is something that will be orchestrated to make the biggest impact, I'd assume. The announcement is a big part of a game's marketing plan so I doubt it'll come out of a 1-on-1 interview with Yu or something like that.

I would love an announcement that was a teaser trailer, with "more in month/year" at the end, so we can relax and look forward to it, without people obsessing over updates.

However...I know people don't like hearing about this possibility, but if Yu once again runs out of options, and he's still determined to deliver S4, we could be looking at another crowd-funded project, something to once again prove that people still want Shenmue. No, I wouldn't particularly enjoy going through that again. Yes, it would be heavily scrutinised by the media and would be far less successful...but maybe they only need to raise, say, one million this time round, to prove the market's still there. I don't know. I'd spend another $350 o_O
 
The announcement of S4, (if/when it happens) is something that will be orchestrated to make the biggest impact, I'd assume. The announcement is a big part of a game's marketing plan so I doubt it'll come out of a 1-on-1 interview with Yu or something like that.

I would love an announcement that was a teaser trailer, with "more in month/year" at the end, so we can relax and look forward to it, without people obsessing over updates.

However...I know people don't like hearing about this possibility, but if Yu once again runs out of options, and he's still determined to deliver S4, we could be looking at another crowd-funded project, something to once again prove that people still want Shenmue. No, I wouldn't particularly enjoy going through that again. Yes, it would be heavily scrutinised by the media and would be far less successful...but maybe they only need to raise, say, one million this time round, to prove the market's still there. I don't know. I'd spend another $350 o_O
I'd go in on crowdfunding again. But I agree it wouldn't have the impact it did previously and would need to be better run.
 
The announcement of S4, (if/when it happens) is something that will be orchestrated to make the biggest impact, I'd assume. The announcement is a big part of a game's marketing plan so I doubt it'll come out of a 1-on-1 interview with Yu or something like that.

I would love an announcement that was a teaser trailer, with "more in month/year" at the end, so we can relax and look forward to it, without people obsessing over updates.

However...I know people don't like hearing about this possibility, but if Yu once again runs out of options, and he's still determined to deliver S4, we could be looking at another crowd-funded project, something to once again prove that people still want Shenmue. No, I wouldn't particularly enjoy going through that again. Yes, it would be heavily scrutinised by the media and would be far less successful...but maybe they only need to raise, say, one million this time round, to prove the market's still there. I don't know. I'd spend another $350 o_O

I'm not opposed to another Kickstarter I think the gaming public is though. If Yu wants to give me another opportunity to be in the game again, this time maybe as a NPC I'm down. R.I.P. to my savings account🧟‍♂️
 
A lot of people forget that it was originally a 29 dollar pledge - not a full 60 dollars until the physical versions were added as stretch goals - so expectations were much more in check I feel back then. If Suzuki wants to do a digital only release with say a limited run physical edition for fans on the side - I would be more than happy to throw money that way than get nothing at all.
 
The announcement of S4, (if/when it happens) is something that will be orchestrated to make the biggest impact, I'd assume. The announcement is a big part of a game's marketing plan so I doubt it'll come out of a 1-on-1 interview with Yu or something like that.

I would love an announcement that was a teaser trailer, with "more in month/year" at the end, so we can relax and look forward to it, without people obsessing over updates.

However...I know people don't like hearing about this possibility, but if Yu once again runs out of options, and he's still determined to deliver S4, we could be looking at another crowd-funded project, something to once again prove that people still want Shenmue. No, I wouldn't particularly enjoy going through that again. Yes, it would be heavily scrutinized by the media and would be far less successful...but maybe they only need to raise, say, one million this time around, to prove the market's still there. I don't know. I'd spend another $350 o_O

What's sad is that the Epic deal was Koch Media's doing but Suzuki is the one being blamed for it. I may not have enjoyed Shenmue III, but I would gladly donate to another Kickstarter. One sour experience isn't enough to dampen my enthusiasm for this series nor Yu's vision. I just hope he keeps the criticism in mind when making the fourth game.
 
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I would happily back a Kickstarter for Shenmue 4. Sadly, the Sharens will be there day one to ensure they make things unpleasant for everyone.

Definition
Sharen (Credit goes to @ShenSun for the term)

Sharon.png

A derivative of the Karen slang term used for the Shenmue fandom (Shenmue + Karen = Sharen). Refers to insufferable Shenmue fans on website comment sections who like to spam obnoxious, rude posts and complain at great length about the slightest, trivial thing about the franchise. Rather than simply voicing their disdain of a computer game and moving on with their lives to more constructive things like playing Ghost of Tsushima, Sharens will regularly gather online 24/7 to voice the same tired outrage they have been making for the past 1-5 years about a project they "no longer care about".

More extreme versions of Sharens have been known to send death threats over things they hate about this video game series (e.g. WIP trailers). However, nobody perceives these Sharens as a real threat because they're always on their keyboards 24/7 and, as such, have likely lost all their upper-arm muscle strength by this point, so they are incapable of slapping someone let alone strangling them with an Xbox 360 wired controller.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Example of a Sharen in the wild:

Yu Suzuki: Okay ma’am, we have secured a deal to fund Shenmue 4 & 5. Isn’t that great news?

Sharen: Uhm, I am extremely activated by this decision and wish to speak to the manager.

Yu Suzuki: I am the manager. And…what has you so triggered exactly?

Sharen: How dare you strike a deal to help fund your incredibly niche video game series as an indie developer with limited funding! By the way, will black garlic feature again in Shenmue 4?

Yu Suzuki: Um, yeah. But, ma'am, you said you'd be happy if Shenmue continued as a book, comic, leaked Saturn beta –

Sharen: Eating black garlic confuses my unvaccinated son! I hope you get arrested.

Yu Suzuki: Ma’am, I think you'd better leave.

Furious, Sharen attempts to use the Iron Palm on Suzuki but this ends up feeling more like a wet noodle due to all that keyboard warrior outrage Sharen's been doing in her spare time. She's promptly dragged out of the store and arrested while she continuously shrieks "Scam! Scam! Scam!".
 
I would happily back a Kickstarter for Shenmue 4. Sadly, the Sharens will be there day one to ensure they make things unpleasant for everyone.

Definition
Sharen (Credit goes to @ShenSun for the term)

View attachment 8639

A derivative of the Karen slang term used for the Shenmue fandom (Shenmue + Karen = Sharen). Refers to insufferable Shenmue fans on website comment sections who like to spam obnoxious, rude posts and complain at great length about the slightest, trivial thing about the franchise. Rather than simply voicing their disdain of a computer game and moving on with their lives to more constructive things like playing Ghost of Tsushima, Sharens will regularly gather online 24/7 to voice the same tired outrage they have been making for the past 1-5 years about a project they "no longer care about".

More extreme versions of Sharens have been known to send death threats over things they hate about this video game series (e.g. WIP trailers). However, nobody perceives these Sharens as a real threat because they're always on their keyboards 24/7 and, as such, have likely lost all their upper-arm muscle strength by this point, so they are incapable of slapping someone let alone strangling them with an Xbox 360 wired controller.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Example of a Sharen in the wild:

Yu Suzuki: Okay ma’am, we have secured a deal to fund Shenmue 4 & 5. Isn’t that great news?

Sharen: Uhm, I am extremely activated by this decision and wish to speak to the manager.

Yu Suzuki: I am the manager. And…what has you so triggered exactly?

Sharen: How dare you strike a deal to help fund your incredibly niche video game series as an indie developer with limited funding! By the way, will black garlic feature again in Shenmue 4?

Yu Suzuki: Um, yeah. But, ma'am, you said you'd be happy if Shenmue continued as a book, comic, leaked Saturn beta –

Sharen: Eating black garlic confuses my unvaccinated son! I hope you get arrested.

Yu Suzuki: Ma’am, I think you'd better leave.

Furious, Sharen attempts to use the Iron Palm on Suzuki but this ends up feeling more like a wet noodle due to all that keyboard warrior outrage Sharen's been doing in her spare time. She's promptly dragged out of the store and arrested while she continuously shrieks "Scam! Scam! Scam!".

I probably shouldn't add to this but hahhahhahahaha

Where on God's green earth did you get that hair? 😂 😂

Edit:
Remember people, it's a joke. Its not suppose to be taken seriously
 
As long as the game is more than vaporware, as in there's something tangible to look at and experience unlike what we got with the Shenmue 3 Kickstarter, I think another round of crowdfunding could at least go 'ok.' It won't hit the $6 million mark, cuz I'm not even sure other games with almost as much hype as Shenmue 3 have come close since 2015, but I think it'd pick up a dollar or two. I'm not sure $1 million would do much for development, but testing demand is important.
 
TBH if Shenmue 4 does go to Kickstarter I think it would raise at least 4-5 million dollars. The people who funded Shenmue 3 were the die hard fan base. The die hards are always gonna support Shenmue till it reaches its conclusion. I'm pretty sure out of those 69,000 backers there were people opening up multiple accounts. I personally funded from 4 different accounts.

I actually considered funding the become a NPC tier or the Lan Di villain tier but I talked myself out of it as at the time I couldn't justify spending that kind of money. If Shenmue 4 goes to Kickstarter I'll be aiming for the higher tiers unapologetically, thats how much I love Shenmue.

If Shenmue 4 does go the Kickstarter route it will have to be 2-3 years minimum from now. The world is currently in a worldwide pandemic. Alot of people don't have jobs right now so the Kickstarter wouldn't get as much support as it could if launched next year. IMO
 
I probably shouldn't add to this but hahhahhahahaha

Where on God's green earth did you get that hair? 😂 😂

Edit:
Remember people, it's a joke. Its not suppose to be taken seriously
Just to clarify guys: I’m poking fun at people who tried to sabotage the Kickstarter project and not anyone here in particular ;)
 
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