I have an odd theory about why users have trouble forgiving Deep Silver and Y’s Net for the Epic debacle. This is just me thinking in generalities and is not representive of the whole. I am also excluding trolls and anti-Epic band wagoners/opportunists from this theory. The former just wanting to stir up drama for laughs, while the latter just has an axe to grind. With that caveat out of the way, I’ll present my theory.
When it comes to Millenials and to a lesser extent Generation Z they don’t simply just judge a company on their products and/or services but their ethics. For example, say “Company X” makes great burgers, but contributes to global warming then Millenials tend to not support them. They feel that if they buy “Company X’s” burgers then they are supporting global warming. It isn’t just a product to them, it’s a matter of what “Company X” represents. This is why you see advertising nowadays aimed at Millenials not simply just selling their product, but also their position on social and/or political issues or what good their product does for the world. Something like “Every cup of coffee you buy, a portion goes to starving war orphans.”
When it comes to Shenmue 3, they now see Y’s Net as an unethical sell out who chose greed over their consumers. Which is ironic because Yu Suzuki strove to get a larger development budget for the benefit of the fans. However in supporters eyes if they support Shenmue 3 now, then they’re supporting unethical AAA business practices. While others simply just see it as supporting a product and I think that’s where the divide lies. Because if you look at this situation logically, most of the backers are getting what they paid for, and their issues have been addressed. Granted things could’ve been handled smoother, but hindsight is 20/20.
Anyways these are just my thoughts.