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Sony is officially helping with funding and development with Shenmue 3

joecanada

Member
Yup. Been saying this since last night. Shenmue got attention from people who had never even heard of it last night. It got attention from loyal fans and from people who had forgotten they ever played it! Being on that stage was wonderful. Sony could have easily filled the time with a more profitable AAA mainstream title. But they gave them time, and thank God for that.

Nope. Im pretty sure that guy just walked by and some Sony execs said "hey isn't that the Shenmue guy" and then he said "hey I'm doing a kickstarter can I mention it on stage" and then the sony execs said "sure man why not we needed to fill some time on this stage anyway , it's just e3 probably noone is watching but go nuts dude" and he was like "hey thanks man"....

yup, pretty sure thats how business works....
 
Sony already agreed to the project or it would not have been on stage. Its that simple.

The Kickstarter was nothing more than a PR ploy. If the kickstarter somehow failed Sony would have been the "goodguy" and stepped up and "saved" it to critical niche applause. Its success just means they used emotional strings to get a large number of people to pay well beyond normal pricing.

Actually you can get the game for $29 via kickstarter....pretty sure that will be about half the price of the game at retail. And if anyone paid more than 29 just to support the game and not for the rewards at those tiers...well, they can remove those pledges at any time over the next 31 days.
 

stn

Member
I honestly don't even care how we're getting Shenmue. Anyone questioning this kick starter should put into perspective the 14 years (!!!!) people have waited for the story to be concluded.
 
Who are we to say it would or wouldn't have happened if they pursued things differently, really. I mean, take the Bayonetta 2 example: Nintendo, in that case, took a risk, and probably suffered for it. Sony didn't, not in the same way, and the way they put it Monday makes it feel like it was to cover them from responsibility or something.
Ok so you are going to spin in circles around it. There's been no indication that Sony would have fully funded this game without Kickstarter. Maybe they should have put that notice, but I don't know if that would have damaged the game enough so it doesn't get made. But it is getting made and the people who read all the content will get everything they paid for. There was 0 mention that it would come on anything else.

I'm going to be happy that I will pay for this game for 70$ when it is out while you complain that the only way to get the game to be made was done since it was a little shady.

It's about ethics in crowdfunding.

/s
The whining has been so comical.
 

Grizzlyjin

Supersonic, idiotic, disconnecting, not respecting, who would really ever wanna go and top that
I kinda figured this was the route they would go. I'm not even mad.

I loved Shenmue, but I honestly can't really say I missed it that much. Maybe Yakuza was scratching that itch. Still good news, I bet Sega is kicking themselves...
Until they try to ride the hype wave with a Shenmue Remake
 

Ralemont

not me
You are funding a game that does not requires funding. You are giving away your money to prove to some executives that the games is viable (as if there weren't better market analysis tools to reach the same conclusion)

Where have those tools been since Shenmue 2?

You guys really would defend anything from your lovely corporations as long as they give you ur vidyagaems. This is why plutocracy is a thing.

I am giving a game developer money to receive a video game in return, and giving them a measly $29 at that. I'm not really in the mood to feign outrage because I'm bored and need to make an issue out of something that quite literally doesn't have a victim. Sorry.
 

hohoXD123

Member
Why could Yu not have started this fund raiser independent of either Sony or Microsoft, gauged interest, and then worry about the publisher later?

Those of you crying "lol whine" are missing the point. Here was a game that many wanted to play for years. Suzuki needed money and he went to Sony for backing who then insisted a caveat (kickstarter). Comparing this to Shenmue ii appearing on xbox is comparing apples and oranges. You now have a segment of early fans that can't even get their mittens on this which is absurd considering that the industry have proclaimed the series to be niche to begin with
This clearly isn't a $2 million game though, he couldn't have just set up this kickstarter, reached funding knowing that the amount probably wouldn't be enough and he'd need publisher support with no guarantee of getting it. He could have ended up in a situation with no publisher deal but his fans still expecting him to make the game with their money. He could have made the goal in the tens of millions it would have needed but that would have turned many people away. Outside of some insane company doing what Nintendo did for Bayonetta, this was Shenmue 3's most realistic chance of getting made.
 

Erevador

Member
Sony Guy: Hello. The guys who made Shenmue would like to ask you to help them fund a new Shenmue game on Kickstarter. We're giving them a big stage to promote here at our press conference.

Ethical_Consumer: WHOAAAAAHHHHHHH SHENMUE III IS COMING OUT - WHAT? KS? SURE TAKE 2 MILLION IMMEDIATELY

Sony Guy: Huh, we didn't think you'd be that excited. Actually, we were thinking about funding the game but weren't sure if it would lose us a lot of money. What the heck - we're in!

Ethical_Consumer: Wait, what? No. fuck off Sony. fucking tactics again, trying to outsmart and hoodwink me. Pledge revoked.

Sony Guy: Oh. I guess you don't want Shenmue 3 after all...uhh...okay...

Shenmue 3 cancelled. Hooray!

I don't get it.
Exactly. This should be in the OP.

This is a perfect summation of the insane thinking that has dominated like half this thread.
 

wildfire

Banned
This is great news! This means there is a lot more security when it comes to the project being completed and with the pulling power from Sony hopefully this could have Sega producing Shenmue 1+2 HD.

I'm sure Sony will be helping out the marketing and production side of things with a bit of investment from their end but what most people seem to be missing is that they are doing this from a 3rd part perspective so their actually involvement with the game design and development side of things will probably be pretty slim.

True the risks of a failed project are much lower with Sony's involvement. The people who aren't happy with Sony doing this but haven't actullay backed Shenmue should consider this is why people aren't cancelling their pledges.

That said someone made a good point in a thread that was locked.

Sony being involved limits platform options. Other games that restricted themselves to certain platforms only did it by choice and were willing to port to new platforms if enough pledges were made to fund the port. The risk of a platform holder getting involved limits the influence of thousands of people who own an Xbox or Wii U and were interested in Shenmue getting ported to these devices.
 

Piggus

Member
There are people giving way more money than the retail price the game will have.

Wow at people really defending this. Do you guys think the only way Sony could measure interest for this game was through launching a faux kickstarter?

Since you're apparently a professional market analyst, by all means enlighten us.
 

dugdug

Banned
This is incredible.

Shenmue 3 finally exists. And now, it went from being the greatest reveal of all time to a conspiracy less than 24 hours.

You guys are crazy.
 
All of you complaining about this can shut up. Kickstarter has shown its ability to raise game funds has a ceiling, and we've never seen a project break 10 million dollars. If Sony needed to see proof of concept interest to pony up, then so be it.

It's a much better outcome than what we had before - no Shenmue 3, which was a fucking tragedy. Sony adding funds means we get the best possible version of this game.
 
Then what was the damn point of the kickstarter? To gauge response, there are other ways to do that, many other ways.

What the fuck.

Asking people to put real money on the line is different than asking them to fill out a survey or read what they post on message posts. Do you understand that?
 
If Sony is funding it, that's great! I realize that some people are questioning how the game is coming into existence but I'm really happy regardless. I have no right to complain. I get to play Shenmue 3. :)
 
What's the difference?

Holy shit, that spin, you deserve the PR job tier

I......I can't.


Sony Owns the IP of one which truly sets a bad precendent in the industry if they are asking the fans to fund their own game

VS

Asking the fans to fund the game for a beloved franchise owned by someone else that they do not own, and will also help fund the project lending resources and the next.

How...

Do..

You..

Not...

Get..

That...
 

wtshaolin

Banned
giphy.gif


Holy crap at the concern trolling and "you're being exploited" talk in this thread.
Still a month left to cancel pledges and they are getting a copy for half normal price...

No one is being exploited. Honestly, just cut the crap and remember that the game wasn't being made for 14 years. :/

Thank you. Ask and ye shall receive, lol.
 
Kickstarter is not to gauge interest. That makes no sense. If you knew it was to gauge interest, the amount you'd donate would be meaningless. You'd know it would be refunded.

It is to transfer risk. There's nothing wrong with that IMO.

Mitigation of risk on to consumers in this way reminds me of citizens mitigating banks' risks by having their taxes bail them out.

Blearhghgh
 

Opto

Banned
Well hopefully they just cancel the game and people can go without playing Shenmue 3, that way Sony can pocket the 2+ million (even though it isn't going to them at all) and invest in more Destiny expansions.

You seem to think the only two desires are them cancelling the game or being fine with corporations using kickstarters to get a pool of donations they don't have to pay dividends to. Do you work for Sony?
 
Sucks that it won't be on my preferred platform, but I'll have bought a PS4 and upgraded my PC by the time it comes out. Most important thing is that the damn thing is getting made, just hope it goes smoothly and turns out well.
 

NastyBook

Member
Apparently all the bombs last night dried out the oceans and there's nothing but salt left around here.

Some of these posts today...smh.
If I was a salty fanboy I would probably be claiming this was a 'bad practice' and that they weren't clear enough and thus 'we shouldn't support this'

Those would be my talking points.
I wish I could laugh harder, but I'm at work. :D
No it shouldn't. They put on there the platforms it was aiming for. There is no false pretense it's going anywhere else. Sony was smart not to put the name on there because what happens if it doesn't get funded. Sony is now responsible for killing the dream of Shenmue.
Damn, that would've been like killing the Dreamcast twice.
 

RurouniZel

Asks questions so Ezalc doesn't have to
There are people giving way more money than the retail price the game will have.

Wow at people really defending this. Do you guys think the only way Sony could measure interest for this game was through launching a faux kickstarter?

And I don't regret a penny of it, sucker.

I'll be getting my physical PC edition with OST and artbook, plus my name in the credits. The only thing I've been debating is if I want to UP my pledge at this point. XD
 

Nzyme32

Member
It's completely normal for games to have other investors providing funding in agreement with the success of a Kickstarter campaign. While it would be nice to know who those investors / developers are and the full disclosure of reasons for why it is going through Kickstarter (rather than saying on stage that "this is very much their project, but we wanted to show it off on our stage" which isn't really the case), I don't get the outrage - we are getting Shenmue 3 and this is likely the only way it will happen.

Really begs the question why PC retail backing is available but not PS4 retail. I understand that generally PC users are heavy backers, but it seems pretty odd not to have the other option
 

Crocodile

Member
Read the Kickstarter Page, watch the video and come back

Did they update the page/video from last night (I can't watch video now)? Because they sure as hell didn't tell us directly Sony was funding it (yes you could likely guess it was them but that's not the same as being told) and it wasn't abundantly clear to me who the developer was.
 

DC1

Member
Except for the part where Sony isn't publishing this game but HELPING to fund this game
And?

Edit...
Forgive. It appears that you are in support of uncommon sense.

The KS was a great idea. All parties involved will benefit from the undeniable success.

Edit 2...
Dangit... I was wrong! You are actually questioning this move and mutual agreement.
 

KORNdoggy

Member
I'm a fan of any approach that gets me Shenmue freaking Three.

Bingo

I'm really not sure whats wrong with this approach? It gauages interest in franchises that otherwise WOULD NEVER BE MADE, and gives an increasingly fearfull industry the confidence they need to fund a game and take a risk.

I'd be ok if all games worked this way. Ultimately i'm paying my money and getting a game as a result. That's no different to the traditional form of development and publishing, only in the case of shenmue ( or amplitude) if this went through traditional channels we wouldn't even be getting those games at all.
 
Yu Suzuki bought the rights to everything new, but Sega retained the rights to Shenmue I and II.

Given the obvious interest in S3 and the fact that it has been greenlit, I bet there are some interesting conversations happening right now at Sega regarding how they can cash in on the overwhelming midshare this IP now has even among people that never played either S1 or S2. Whether that's a remastered version of those games or just re-releasing the original digitally, time will tell.
 

jaypah

Member
Guess what Phil Spencer could have done the same thing but instead he just whispers you sweet nothings. Sony actually took action and is putting their money where their mouth is.

They want to see the receipts i do not blame them. I remember when certain Vita games would be digital release only, then people said they were disappointed and wanted retail releases, so Sony released them for retail and they bombed. So Sony is asking those same gamers, to put their money where their mouth is.

How do you know MS didn't try? Maybe they were turned down becauae they have zero Japan presence? Bringing Phil into this was just....weird.
 

fedexpeon

Banned
You are funding a game that does not requires funding. You are giving away your money to prove to some executives that the games is viable (as if there weren't better market analysis tools to reach the same conclusion)

You guys really would defend anything from your lovely corporations as long as they give you ur vidyagaems. This is why plutocracy is a thing.

I am going to get the game either way if the project is completed.
Yup, they are totally "exploiting" me when I already know about the risks involved with these types of project.

Buying a $60 from a fully funded game, pledging a $60 from a potential funded game.
Who cares.
Transferring of money is still transferring of money.
People have disposable income for a reason, and being "exploited" by a corporation is a good thing because in the long run, they will produce a good product ie mac air.
 

Rozart

Member
Wait...so people can cancel their pledges? If some of you guys are unsettled by this, just pull out. What's with all the 'They need to cancel the KS and refund ppl their money'?

Its a conspiracy now??
... ayt then im out
Ryf6FeM.gif

My favourite is the one where this is all a big hoax and Sony was gging to fund it either way-- KS interest be damned. So that even if the KS were to fail, Sony would still swoop in at the last min to save the project and come out as Mr.Good Guy Sony. Obviously.

Haha this thread, man.
 
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