Tomboz's Shenmue Fan Marketing Video Ideas and Coordination

spud1897

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Shenmue II
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Destiny 2, Shenmue HD ;)
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Hey all,

It seemed a good idea to have a thread for this so we can keep the structure and basic ideas together in one place as the Marketing Thread is more general discussion around marketing of Shenmue 3

So currently people taking part: @tomboz @Araviel @yuc02 @Wickio @Kyo_JP @Revan @mjqjazzbar @xatruio @DigitalDuck @Tsukuyomimagi99 @Tosh @DaMulder @Vivi-gamer @Nikita
@shibeouya
@Van Joel Sandwich

Anyone else who wants to join in do make it known.

For the benefit of keeping things tidy I've put things into spoiler boxes. @tomboz did you want to create a post under mine to manage any updates as we go in a similar fashion? Means you can edit as required and my post serves as a starter.

If I've missed anyone or anything let me know!

So I’ve given it a little more thought and propose making four or five videos under the working title of ‘What’s Shenmue’.

  1. ‘The impact of Shenmue.’ A video highlighting all of the things that made the original games great. This would be narrated using short audio clips from members of the fan base explaining what elements of the original games they loved and why. It would be played over footage from the HD remakes with each section using a different piece of Shenmue music. Some of the areas discussed may include things like combat, music, characters, environments, freedom and immersion.
  2. ‘The story of Shenmue’. A video highlighting key points from the story so far. It will include character summaries of key characters from the first two games that are known or likely to appear in Shenmue 3 (Ryo, Ren, Lan Di, Shenhua and Chai) as and when these characters are introduced to the story. This video would be for people new to the series and serve as a catchup so they could jump straight in to S3 without needing to play through the first two games.
  3. ‘The history of Shenmue’. This would focus on the development of the series looking more into the technical side of things and discussing the impact that the original games had on modern gaming (in terms of innovations), a look at the period when the series was in hiatus and the eventual Kickstarter campaign (we could include fan reaction here with people explaining how they felt when the Kickstarter was announced and how they are feeling now ahead of S3s release). We could also give a brief overview of YS and the projects he worked on before beginning work on Shenmue.
  4. ‘The future of Shenmue’. A look at the development of S3 and an idea of what people can expect.
  5. I think these four videos could then be edited together into a long form documentary style piece upon competition if needed.
I’d be happy to take on a lot of the work in terms of scripting and story boarding, but as I sold off my edit rig when I moved out to Japan, we would need people who can edit and people willing to share their thoughts on the original games that can also record audio to a decent standard. Aside from these things, any video captured from the HD releases would be very useful (although I could capture this if needed as I brought my El gato over here with me for another project).

Any thoughts or suggestions are welcome.

Edit: I have edited this post to include the thoughts and opinions of other posters and will continue to do so as the project progresses.

I think a good first step would be for us to put our heads together and agree upon why we love the first two games to establish what exactly will be covered in the first video. Hopefully we get some mixed responses, but I think we should be looking at between five and seven areas to keep the video short and snappy.

From there, those willing to edit can start putting together 30-60 second videos highlighting these areas/features and we can start collating audio recordings from those who want their voices in the video.

I’d also like to hear from anybody who could translate from English. I can definitely cover Chinese translation and Japanese too if needed, but would be particularly interested in hearing from anybody that is fluent in French, German or Spanish and would be willing to help out with subtitles.

First thing’s first, please could people complete the following sentence and add a second sentence explaining why.

The thing that I love most about Shenmue is the...

Something along the lines of...
[A]The the thing I love most about Shenmue is (the combat).
[B)(The fighting in Shenmue rewards skill and so it’s really satisfying when you pull off a difficult move or combo.)
[C](You can really tell that they put a lot of time into balancing it to make it feel as realistic as possible).
[A](It was better than a lot of the fighting games released at the time which is even more impressive considering it was only one small part of the game).
[D] My favorite thing about Shenmue is the (music).
[E] (The music really helped to give each area of the game a unique feeling).
Etc.

So effectively what we get is a range of views on each topic without going into too much detail and taking up too much time.

In an ideal world we would agree on 5-7 topics and then we would have twenty or so people recording a line saying ‘my favorite thing is...’ and then also giving a sentence on why they liked each of the topics we’ve agreed on. This will allow us to show the scale of the fandom by including a lot of opinions while also keeping a nice flow to the video both in terms of audio and video. We have to remember that the target audience for these videos are people who are not fans of the series and so are not going to want to sit down and watch a fifteen minute video with repeating or dull footage. For the most part I see it being a lot of quick cuts although would like to do something a little bit more cinematic for the section about the environments.
 
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Somebody in this forum has to be friends whith a big youtuber....
I we can get one big youtubeer so spread good things about the game will be very good.
Of course people such as Happy Console Gamer, Maximillian dood, Adam koralik and maybe some others will eventually make some vids on the game once its out or near the release.
Tho, I'm ready to help anyway I can.
 
It’s 1:40 am here so I don’t have time to write a detailed post right now, but I am leaving this here so that I have a post near the top of the first page to edit later. Thanks again to everybody who’s already shared their ideas and offered to help out. Also, thanks to those that have posted comments explaining what they love most about the series. I’ll try and collate the responses tomorrow before work and post them here so that others can get an idea of what others have said. I’ll also be putting together a first draft of the script for the second video (the story of Shenmue) over the weekend and will post it here for feedback. If anybody would like to volunteer to have a go at scripting the third video or at least putting together a rough outline (a timeline, mor or less), it would be very helpful. I actually expect this will be the most challenging of the four videos to put together so any help with it would be greatly appreciated. Cheers all.

These are the responses received so far. I’ll try to keep on top of adding these to this post as and when I receive them. I’m going to attempt to summarize these into as few words as possible to enable us to lock down exactly what topics will be discussed in the final video. Given that a lot of the responses are referring more to ideas or specific concepts than components that make up the games, this is quite difficult to do and so if you feel that I have not done a good job of summarizing, please do correct me. I want this video to be your thoughts and feelings but need to try and slim things down a bit to be able to include multiple views on each topic.
The thing I love most about Shenmue is: we as players don't simply control an avatar, we live his life.
The thing I love most about Shenmue is the friendships Ryo rejects and establishes.

In the first he has people who care about him but he distanced himself from them and it's quite sad, you can feel his self inflicted loneliness in his quest. In the second he starts to loosen up bit by bit, still blocking most out, but also moments of enjoyment. The bromance with Ren an obvious favorite. He doesn't judge his morals like say Xiuying, maybe that's why they end up a bit closer.
Then he meets Shenhua and you really start to see a difference in how he communicates.
Araviel’s favorite thing about Shenmue is the characters and relationships.
The first thing I love about Shenmue is because it was the first time I felt a game drew me into a living breathing world. I felt Ryos pain, I felt his friendships and I could relate to everything the story was telling me. That's without including the Arcade where I blew my time.

Shenmue 2 was different. I was in awe of the scale of the game. It was huge, I felt lost, exactly like Ryo would have. As the game went on it became about much more than vengeance. That said when Lan Di flew off I remember feeling pissed that I didnt get a crack at him. The same as Ryo did.
The thing that Spud loves most about Shenmue is the immersive world.
What I love most about Shenmue...

The practicality of the world and investigative puzzles; find out about Wude, speak to martial artists; to find three blades, speak to professionals.

As deeply (perhaps not meant for the scope of campaign to attract new curious/casual audience) as using the kung fu lessons to achieve success. Ryo's personal path to martial art enlightenment also soothes and improves you as the player and even might in real life (mind clear as a polished mirror, etc).

The deep lore, as well, such as daily routines or real weather in Japan--the NPC, weather and day cycle in general for either game--or the ancient Chinese inspirations; mostly, the Dynatic historical references and ... will elaborate later. Going to have a think and sleep on it.
The thing that Xatruio likes most about the series is the attention to detail.
The thing I love most about Shenmue is the incredible depth. I've spent literally thousands of hours playing the games, and know a ton of stuff about the games, yet every time I play through I discover something new, and it seems as though this discovery will never end.
DigitalDuck’s favorite thing about the games is the depth.
There are so many amazing aspects of the Shenmue series, from graphics to music, culture to new gameplay ideas, each one makes the series a must-play. But to me what is most impressive about Shenmue is how Yu Suzuki's vision has allowed each element to combine into creating a world that is, in his own words, a 'refinement of reality'.

Immersive locations, a strong cast, compelling storyline that is uplifting and thoughtful, it's really as if Suzuki-san is teaching us with his life experience and knowledge through this game.
Yuc’s favorite thing about the game is the cohesion.
"What I love about the Shenmue series is it's focus on developing a spiritually rich atmosphere. Shenmue realistically integrates elements from Buddhism, Confucianism, Shintoism, and Taoism. When you combine that with the ambient music and environments, you get an experience like no other. What makes the supernatural elements special in Shenmue is that they are rare compared to the extremes of other games.

What I like about Shenmue is it's focus on the martial arts. While a lot of games have martial arts as a mechanic, none focus on them in such detail as Shenmue has.”
The thing that Tsukuyomimagi loves most about Shenmue is the atmosphere.
Fan Narration:
@Tsukuyomimagi99
@yuc02
@DigitalDuck
@xatruio
@spud1897
@Araviel
@Guppy

Video Editing:
@Kyo_JP
@Wickio

Graphics:
Shenmue Forever (External)
@Wickio

Translation:
@Kyo_JP (Spanish)
@Tosh (German)
@Nikita (German)
@tomboz (Mandarin / Japanese)
@Guppy (Portuguese)

Footage:
@BlueMue
@Araviel

Apologies if I forgot anybody. Had to go through a few different threads to find everyone and everything discussed.
 
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I think we need another video like this as a morale booster during this precarious time.


It could meld with @tomboz’s idea about what we love about Shenmue.

Also to answer @tomboz’s question The thing I love most about Shenmue is it’s spiritually rich atmosphere.
 
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Hmm...
Maybe a few Easter eggs could be inserted in some sections of the videos where they are relevant.

Exemple including but not limited to :
the almost/avoided kiss of Disc4 when discussing how people like Sh2 disc4
Some funny qte fails when discussing appreciation of the related game section
Ryo's English/japanese "I see" at the end of some segments.
The infamous Fangmei frying-pan save of Ryo in the dinner battle.

I just thought having a few obscure/funny elements in the video
could help with creating interest and curiosity.
(I remember I got interested in the game because of a old game magazine,
was saying "Santa" could be met at appropriate dates.)
 
@tomboz this is my paragraph:

There are so many amazing aspects of the Shenmue series, from graphics to music, culture to new gameplay ideas, each one makes the series a must-play. But to me what is most impressive about Shenmue is how Yu Suzuki's vision has allowed each element to combine into creating a world that is, in his own words, a 'refinement of reality'.

Immersive locations, a strong cast, compelling storyline that is uplifting and thoughtful, it's really as if Suzuki-san is teaching us with his life experience and knowledge through this game.
 
In case anyone else is wondering, and possibly holding back when they needn't, could you please elaborate on what it means to "record audio to a decent standard"?
As these will be played over music, something recorded on a cellphone would work providing there isn’t too much background noise and it’s recorded at the right levels (not too loud or quiet). That last one is usually the biggest problem with projects like this.
 
I tried sending an audio clip on why I love the Shenmue series but the dojo won't allow me to upload it. So I'll just state what I said in quotations below.

"What I love about the Shenmue series is it's focus on developing a spiritually rich atmosphere. Shenmue realistically integrates elements from Buddhism, Confucianism, Shintoism, and Taoism. When you combine that with the ambient music and environments, you get an experience like no other. What makes the supernatural elements special in Shenmue is that they are rare compared to the extremes of other games.

What I like about Shenmue is it's focus on the martial arts. While a lot of games have martial arts as a mechanic, none focus on them in such detail as Shenmue has."

Hopefully you can add that quote to your video @tomboz
 
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I tried doing sending an audio clip on why I love the Shenmue series but the dojo won't allow me to upload it. So I'll just state what I said in quotations below.

"What I love about the Shenmue series is it's focus on developing a spiritually rich atmosphere. Shenmue realistically integrates elements from Buddhism, Confucianism, Shintoism, and Taoism. When you combine that with the ambient music and environments, you get an experience like no other. What makes the supernatural elements special in Shenmue is that they are rare compared to the extremes of other games.

What I like about Shenmue is it's focus on the martial arts. While a lot of games have martial arts as a mechanic, none focus on them in such detail as Shenmue has."

Hopefully you can that quote to your video @tomboz
When the time comes for audio clips I will probably set up a drop box for people to upload their files too. For now though, quotes work fine for piecing together the narrative of the video. Thanks for sharing!
 
If we are beginning recordings I'll do mine tonight when home from work :)
 
If we are beginning recordings I'll do mine tonight when home from work :)
I’d rather people waited until we’ve had some more responses if possible as I would also like people to record a short line on why they like some of the other elements of the game that will be included in the video as well. As I’m not exactly sure what they will all be yet, I’d rather not have to ask people to record and send files more than once if they don’t need to.
 
I’d rather people waited until we’ve had some more responses if possible as I would also like people to record a short line on why they like some of the other elements of the game that will be included in the video as well. As I’m not exactly sure what they will all be yet, I’d rather not have to ask people to record and send files more than once if they don’t need to.
Sounds like a good plan.

Whenever you're ready then give the go ahead. We've plenty of time tbf.
 
Sounds like a good plan.

Whenever you're ready then give the go ahead. We've plenty of time tbf.
For the most part, Yes, the time constraints don’t worry me. I plan on reaching out to Corey Marshall (narration) and Yu Suzuki (interview) and so will look to get some emails/messages sent out to them this weekend, but other than that, there really isn’t much of a rush at this point.

To be honest, I was expecting something a little more general in terms of what the fans were going to say (I like the combat/music/world/minigames,etc) and so I’m currently rethinking things to account for this. I really like the answers I’ve received, but I don’t think they will work with what I had originally planned to do.
 
Somebody in this forum has to be friends whith a big youtuber....
I we can get one big youtubeer so spread good things about the game will be very good.
Of course people such as Happy Console Gamer, Maximillian dood, Adam koralik and maybe some others will eventually make some vids on the game once its out or near the release.
Tho, I'm ready to help anyway I can.

Cough Cough, let's reach out to Angry Joe ............ cough cough
 
If we were going to reach out to anybody it should be the gaming historian. With Shenmue’s rich and interesting history, it seems like exactly the kind of thing he might cover anyway.

There's also this British Youtuber that covered Shenmue's history pretty thoroughly. He's a fan and it was by his video that I learned about Ryo's NFL cameo appearance years ago.

 
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