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[wanderingprostheyltite]

that's it, but kickstarter basically flips the thing; so the take on transparency should change to reflect that. sony doing this on a big stage in the same way they would any normal non-kickstarter product (or even with less info) isnt really indicative of that. it's not the same to pay beforehand than after, and pre-orders are independent of a game getting made or not. it's kind of a delicate thing and I at least think they should be more upfront about what this precisely is and what's the deal

I think the issue also lies with KS, their management and how they benefit from the system and don't exactly ensure transparency nor seem to investigate or pursue anything unless it's straight up scam related (even then there are cases where they don't lift a finger). Sony is likely aware of this (assuming intent to fund/publish) and taking advantage accordingly.

The nebulous nature of this commerce and fundraising sector of the internet is largely unregulated, and maybe there should be some laws in place to ensure more protection for those involved. As it is deemed a "donation" with "gifts" or "rewards" as non guaranteed compensation that's the loophole to get out of the base level legal snafus if things go horribly wrong, as they have for many a backer. I'm going on a tangent now but you can probably see the benefit in more monitoring of crowd sourcing on a ks by ks basis.

 

[Windom Earle]

It's the best thing ever because it's Shenmue 3. Don't like it, don't fund it.

 

[Sjefen]

this will probably be the fastest kickstarter ever, thanks SONY

 

[orthodoxy1095]

Idc as long as its well known that they are doing the kickstarter to see if there is an audience. Id rather have that than an exec just deciding no. Having it on stage in front of a million or so gamers most whove probably never heard of shenmue now are aware of its existence.

Still the biggest deal to me. People who never heard of Shenmue before heard of it tonight. That's crazy and wonderful.

 

[MrCunningham]

This was posted in the official Kickstarter thread by N.A., but I think it is also relevant to the discussion here too:

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=168254278&postcount=2761
http://www.ysnet-inc.jp/images/150616E.pdf

PRESS RELEASE
Ys Net Inc

Ys Net: 15 Years of Hope: The Shenmue III Kickstarter Project
Yu Suzuki begins crowdfunding project on Kickstarter for “Shenmue III”, the long awaited sequel to the groundbreaking Shenmue series.

Kickstarter URL: http://bit.ly/saveshenmue

Shenmue III Official Site: http://shenmue.link
Tokyo, Japan - On June 16th, 2015 Ys Net Inc, represented by Yu Suzuki, will begin a crowdfunding campaign on the world’s largest site of its kind, Kickstarter, to raise funding for the production of “Shenmue III”. The project period will last 32 days, ending on July 17th, with the funding goal set at $2 million.

Shenmue III will be an official sequel to the Shenmue Series. Licensing rights having been obtained from SEGA. The game is scheduled for availability on PC and PlayStation®4, with the release date scheduled for December, 2017.

About Shenmue
Shenmue established the open-world format for action RPG games. An awe-inspiring world with an immersive story, and featuring cinematic sequences, a realistic fighting system, and a carnival’s worth of entertaining mini-games, Shenmue garnered acclaim and adoration the world over. “Shenmue” and “Shenmue II”, went on sale by SEGA for the Dreamcast in December, 1999 and September, 2001 respectively.

©SEGA
Story Summary
The story begins in 1980s Yokosuka, Japan.
The main character, Ryo Hazuki has his father murdered before him by Lan Di, the boss of the underground organization, Chi You Men. Ryo learns of the existence of a mysterious pair of mirrors, and makes his way to Hong Kong to unravel the mystery and avenge his father. A stranger in a new land, Ryo gains the help of Ren Wuying, and together they make contact with Yuanda Zhu, only to see Lan Di make his escape. Continuing to pursue his father’s Killer, Ryo travels to Bailu Village in Guilin. Along the way, he meets a new companion, Shenhua Ling who will forever change his destiny.
The story of Shenmue was originally scripted for a total of eleven chapters. Shenmue II brought the story up to chapter six, with Shenmue III continuing from there at Bailu Village. What secrets are held within the twin mirrors? Will Ryo face his arch nemesis, Lan Di in a final showdown? What does fate hold in store for Ryo and Shenhua?

What to look for in Shenmue III
With many of the key members back from the original series, the unique atmosphere, world, and story that is Shenmue, will be faithfully attended to. Unreal Engine 4, the latest in game engine software, will be the springboard for Shenmue III’s development, giving the graphics and action an evolutionary leap forward from its predecessors. 14 years in the making, new game mechanics and battle system elements from Yu
Suzuki will highlight the gameplay. Special attention will be paid to create a gaming experience that will be enjoyable for those who have not played Shenmue and Shenmue II before, as well as rewarding fans of the series. Stretch goals for additional languages will add German, French, Spanish, and Italian. If the goals are reached, gamers all over the globe will have a Shenmue to call their own.

Why Kickstarter?
In the past 14 years since Shenmue II first went on sale, Yu Suzuki has been greeted by dedicated Shenmue fans everywhere he goes, always asking, “When will Shenmue III be coming out?” Especially within these past few years, with the advent of games using Kickstarter for development funding, the biggest request from fans has been, “Do a Kickstarter for Shenmue III!”

If Shenmue III was going to get made, Yu wanted to make it with the fans. Through Kickstarter, that possibility was now a reality. After thorough research and planning, the project was a go, and ready for Kickstarter at last.

Production Members
Producer and Director Yu Suzuki
Co-producer Cédric Biscay
Creative Director Tak Hirai
Main Scenario Writer Masahiro Yoshimoto
Main Character Design Kenji Miyawaki
Planning and Development Ys Net Inc
Licensed by SEGA Games Co., Ltd.

Support
Promotion Shibuya Productions
Development Neilo Inc.
Kickstarter Project Support Awesome Japan, Inc.
Promotional Video Director Kenji Itoso

Copyrights
Original Game©SEGA ©Ys Net

Contact
Ys Net Inc
Mail: contact@shenmue.link

Sega clearly still owns the rights to the IP, but no mention of them funding this at all, and it doesn't mention Sony anywhere either. Interesting.

this will probably be the fastest kickstarter ever, thanks SONY

Fastest gaming kickstarter? Definitely. The only other game related kickstarter to beat this would be Exploding Kittens which is a physical card game. But it isn't the fastest growing Kickstarter. Pebble Watch beats it by a big margin.

 

[Warewolf]

Great for Sony, great for fans, great for kickstarter, great for Yu Suzuki and probably the only way it would get made.

I kind of feel like Sony showing support by allocating time to the announcement at their conference is about the coolest, most sincerely pro-gamer move that could be made.

Bravo I say.

 

[Absoludacrous]

I don't like the idea of a platform holder being involved, making a deal to limit the game to their console, saying they're not, gettin credit, and coming out saying they were or just reekin on the benefits only if the kickstarter does well

I don't like it. kickstarter allows to dip a toe without saying anything and controlling how you come off from a thing without the real risk, and I think it's a bit potentially slippery, yeah. It's alright if you and others are fine with it, that's what opinions are for.

I agree, if Sony had planned this kickstarter to that degree, it would be weird and shady. But I think you're creating a scenario, that while possible given the current kickstarter setup, isn't very plausible. I would be incredibly shocked if Sony suddenly pulled the curtain back and said they were responsible all along. Maybe they helped facilitate the agreement with Sega, or had some other hand in it, but you're not going to suddenly see them take full responsibility and publishing duties for a game they don't own.

 

[Terrell]

It's sort of how I felt about the Veronica Mars movie. As happy as I am for Shenmue, I dunno. Feels dirty?

Yep. That's the exact right way to put it.

Uhm, no. Not really. Even if we were to say that every single multi-hundred dollar investor were doing it for "the collectibles" (which I highly, highly doubt... and that is still something preying on their nostalgia) what about all the minor purchases that are effectively paying for a game that does not exist in any form aside from scratch work on some napkin? This is worse than pre-ordering season passes, now you're asking for people to pay for a game that not only does not exist in any form but one that doesn't have a defined budget, doesn't have a full development team, and doesn't even have a publisher.

More over, this game doesn't even have a timeline or a release schedule. Its a concept.

Its risk aversion, and its a terrible precedent. Worse still, the details of the deals going on behind the scenes are totally obfuscated during this "funding blitz" and PR publicity stint.

Yeah, $2 million was a lowball goal just to give an achievable target for gamers to throw money at. Whoever the main publisher funding this is knows they're going to get more than what they asked for, and every single dollar is just less and less they have to pay to make it. The $2 million ask is bad enough in that it's gamers paying for a publisher's PR, but everyone knows it's going to be so much worse than that once the stretch goals start to roll out for game additions that cost practically nothing to implement, just to add more dollars into the bucket. We'll know that Sony's flipping the bill when we don't see an Xbox One stretch goal, at least.

It's exploiting gamers by pretending that they're doing us this huge favour by merely entertaining the idea that the game could exist, when in actuality it's a easy early-bird cash grab in the highest order, considering what the final budget for the game would have to be.

Yeah I mean before you know it, Microsoft will be Kickstarting Halo 6 and Sony will be Kickstarting Uncharted 5. This is the slippery slope to hell right here!

There's no terrible precedent here, unless you don't want forgotten fan favorites to be made and broadcasted to wide audiences that wouldn't otherwise see them. In which case I'm not quite sure what the hell is wrong with you.

This is a terrible either/or proposal you've generated, as though Kickstarter would be the only way possible for this to exist.
If you have to spoiler your argument, it's not an argument worth making.

I'll quote myself from the Shenmue 3 topic:

Shenmue ports aren't likely to be part of the deal unless Sega signs off on that.

Kickstarter is a great way to gauge fan interest. Fans actually have to put their money where their mouth is and they get the game (and other goodies for doing soo.) if a publisher tried to pull this with a game like COD then we would be on the same page.

There's better ways to gauge interest than "give me your money upfront". And doing this with Shenmue sets the stage for other games to do this, as well. At least, as long as gamers happily tow the line and don't question the judgment of such an action, which gamers seem to expect people to do, judging by some responses in this thread. It's dangerous and potentially exploitative to gamers in ways that nothing else can touch.

 

[Triggerhappytel]

ok, scenario based on the previously done publiser-gets-with-game-IF-it-reaches-number

- Sony announces on their stage Shenmue kickstarter. Says nothing to do with it. ever. at all. their thing!

- Kickstarter mentions PC/PS4. no xbone. Sony clearly involved to some extent while denying it.

- Kickstarter does amazing

- Next E3 / or before, Sony says they're publishing the game on console themselves due to the high demand and giving the players what their want /s

////// alternative ///////

- Kickstarter does not amazing OR game looks eh

- Sony does nothing. was never their thing!


if I had to guess this is how I see this play out, or actually playing out now due to the no xbone

is it odd to find something fundamentally wrong / worrisome with it in practice

isnt this something that could technically happen now that this is a thing, even if it ends up being not precisely the case here

There's no big conspiracy or underhand business practices going on. They want to gauge interest before committing funds to it. You may not like this, but it's totally understandable.

 

[Auto-Reply]

It's not a good thing if you put every unknown game up there, that would be just good exposure for the kickstarter project itself and not for the company/plattform. But Shenmue wasn't really any random game, even without the stage presentation they would easily reach funding on kickstarter.

 

[SparkTR]

It's extremely strange when you take a step back. Crowdfunding was (and is) a thing games journalists often refuse to cover due to the shady and possibly exploitative nature of the process, and now it's front and centre of the biggest show in gaming.

 

[hodayathink]

I don't think the fact that it's only on PS4 console-wise means anything in terms of whether Sony is publishing it. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but the only console that was on Shovel Knight's Kickstarter was WiiU. Does that mean Nintendo put some money towards that game before it's Kickstarter?

And let's not even mention the fact that this isn't the first (Sportsfriends) or even the second (Amplitude) time that Sony has publicized a Kickstarter for a game that was only on their platforms that they could have spent the money and published themselves. The only difference here is where those two games were only promoted on the Playstation Blog, they considered this one big enough to bring out on the E3 stage. And, again someone can correct me if I'm wrong, Sony didn't publish Sportsfriends, and isn't publishing Amplitude.

 

[orthodoxy1095]

This is a terrible either/or proposal you've generated, as though Kickstarter would be the only way possible for this to exist.
If you have to spoiler your argument, it's not an argument worth making.

Was it necessary to have Shenmue run through Kickstarter and put on Sony's stage maybe not, although I'd still argue it's great and helpful. Is it necessary for Kickstarter? I'm pretty sure that's what everyone who wanted another game figured would be the best and most likely route. I don't see many other viable ways for Shenmue to have gotten jolted back to life.

There's better ways to gauge interest than "give me your money upfront". And doing this with Shenmue sets the stage for other games to do this, as well. At least, as long as gamers happily tow the line and don't question the judgment of such an action, which gamers seem to expect people to do, judging by some responses in this thread. It's dangerous and potentially exploitative to gamers in ways that nothing else can touch.

People crowdfund other media like Little Witch Academia or Under the Dog. People crowdfund comic books. People even crowd funded regular books. I've never seen an outpouring of "concern" over those things. This seems to be another "gamer" thing to have concern over this.

 

[Pops Maellard]

It's sort of how I felt about the Veronica Mars movie. As happy as I am for Shenmue, I dunno. Feels dirty?

It feels really sleazy.

There's an AMA with Greg Garcia from a few years back where he was asked if he had ever considered kickstarting a final season of My Name is Earl. He replied something to the effect of "I really wouldn't feel comfortable asking the fans to bankroll that for me."

I'm surprised more people don't share this feeling.

Edit: Actual quote was "I don't think so. I don't think I would feel comfortable asking the fans to finance a movie. I'm not real familiar with Kickstarter, so I'm not being critical of other people that have done it but it would feel a little strange to me. If a studio wanted to do a My Name is Earl movie, I'd certainly be up to it."

 

[Terrell]

Was it necessary to have Shenmue run through Kickstarter and put on Sony's stage maybe not, although I'd still argue it's great and helpful. Is it necessary for Kickstarter? I'm pretty sure that's what everyone who wanted another game figured would be the best and most likely route. I don't see many other viable ways for Shenmue to have gotten jolted back to life.

People crowdfund other media like Little Witch Academia or Under the Dog. People crowdfund comic books. People even crowd funded regular books. I've never seen an outpouring of "concern" over those things. This seems to be another "gamer" thing to have concern over this.

Considering that a publisher already has their hand behind it from conception, yeah, I think there's plenty of ways this could have been jolted back to life. Bloodstained would be the counter-argument here, but Shenmue isn't Bloodstained and interest in Igavania games isn't even in the same stratosphere as interest in Shenmue. Interest in a new Shenmue was assured to be high. And even the Bloodstained situation didn't feel right.

If there was a forum for people who liked books the way we like games, I'm almost positive that Kickstarter and how it's used is debated there in relation to book funding. Hell, look no further than the Veronica Mars example that ivysaur gave on the first page to show that, yes, it is a highly-contentious use of Kickstarter by people who can legit afford to make something anyways, and will be disputed regardless of the medium.

 

[Dead Man]

Feels like making the risk public and the profits private. Not a fan.

 

[params7]

I agree with OP, and while watching all I could think of is how this will set a precedent.

Shenmue 3 will be successful. But it will start a trend. Major publishers will start using Kickstarter now to test waters before they fund.

 

[Sify64]

I don't think the fact that it's only on PS4 console-wise means anything in terms of whether Sony is publishing it. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but the only console that was on Shovel Knight's Kickstarter was WiiU. Does that mean Nintendo put some money towards that game before it's Kickstarter?

That's pretty simple to answer. The Shovel Kinght Kickstarter launched and wasn't actually announced to be coming to Wii U or 3DS. The only reason those platforms were added is because of large demand from Nintendo fans.

Of course, there was also demand for other platforms but with their small resources (new studio) decided to just focus on those platforms first which they stated in their FAQ and it worked out for them

 

[SolarMystic]

It kind of gave the impression that Sony is asking fans to fund it themselves. I'm not very comfortable with a multi billion dollar company using kickstarter so they don't have to fund it themselves.

I could be wrong, that's just the feeling I got watching it.

 

[mrklaw]

My confusion is that every tier except the very lowest one gets you a copy of the game on either PC or PS4. So most backers are getting a copy of the game in return for $29 (based on the basic game tier). Each of those backers is a sale that Sony is not going to get, and yet the assumption is they'll need to fund a significant amount to get it finished.

Seems like the more popular the KS is, the lower the potential sales are. Yes you get a few extra dollars per backer, but less than you'd have gotten from a full sale.

Do we have any examples of kickstarted games and how many they sold to normal non-kickstarter customers?

 

[Lastgengamer]

Yes that was unexpected, so much that I made a thread on another site, and concluded that if it keeps mid-tier games alive, it is a good thing.

Now if Sony would've just done the same for SOCOM HD and Medievil, this e3 would be the best ever.

Spoiler

It still was FF7!

 

[orthodoxy1095]

I agree with OP, and while watching all I could think of is how this will set a precedent.

Shenmue 3 will be successful. But it will start a trend. Major publishers will start using Kickstarter now to test waters before they fund.

Before they find what?

 

[MLH]

Yeah the on stage announcement sort of sours the the whole thing. I'm left with questions on who is really involved and why the lack of transparency? If gamers can fund this why restrict it to PS4 & PC?

At the end of the day, however, it's Shenmue 3! It exists and I'll gladly pay up for it.

 

[SporeCrawler]

I am just happy Shenmue III is happening I don't care how.

This is basically a return from the dead.

It is not like it is a Kickstarter for the next Call of Duty.

Shenmue was a dead franchise.

I could see that happen

Actistarter- fund call of duty and get rewards. If the goal is reached youll get 5 hours of more gameplay (funding goal 5 million) . Anybody that donates more than 5000 dollars gets a special edition call of duty night goggle

 

[kurahador]

It kind of gave the impression that Sony is asking fans to fund it themselves. I'm not very comfortable with a multi billion dollar company using kickstarter so they don't have to fund it themselves.

I could be wrong, that's just the feeling I got watching it.

Why Sony should fund it though? It's not their game nor their IP.

 

[Sify64]

I could see that happen

Actistarter- fund call of duty and get rewards. If the goal is reached youll get 5 hours of more gameplay (funding goal 5 million) . Anybody that donates more than 5000 dollars gets a special edition call of duty night goggle

Don't give them any ideas, lol
I'm pretty sure that it would succeed, sadly.

 

[Terrell]

Yeah the on stage announcement sort of sours the the whole thing. I'm left with questions on who is really involved and why the lack of transparency? If gamers can fund this why restrict it to PS4 & PC?

At the end of the day, however, it's Shenmue 3! It exists and I'll gladly pay up for it.

Like I said, if we don't see another console or OS to port to as a stretch goal, it becomes highly suspicious. So we'll have to wait and inevitably see what the stretch goals are to get a sense for who the "silent partner" really is.

 

[test_account]

It kind of gave the impression that Sony is asking fans to fund it themselves. I'm not very comfortable with a multi billion dollar company using kickstarter so they don't have to fund it themselves.

I could be wrong, that's just the feeling I got watching it.

It will most likely cost more than 2 million dollar to make this game. In the Bloodstained Kickstarter, i think they said it right out that they needed to fund $500k to show the publisher that there were still interest for such a game. These games have also started the developement cycle before the Kickstarter happened, and someone has to fund that too. But if there is "no interest" in the game (as in the numbers of backers are low), it might be a good indication that its no need to fund the game any further.

 

[Irminsul]

If Nintendo or Microsoft want to use their conference next year to pander to core gamers, resurrect dead franchises and give life to loyal fans, then by God Sony just set a great precedent. Bring back more stuff like this!

You mean like Bayonetta 2? Would've been fun to see what would have happened if Nintendo started a Kickstarter for this. I mean, people were angry at them even so.

"Precedent" doesn't fit exactly regarding this, don't you think?

 

[Terrell]

It will most likely cost more than 2 million dollar to make this game. In the Bloodstained Kickstarter, i think they said it right out that they needed to fund $500k to show the publisher that there were still interest for such a game. These games have also started the developement cycle before the Kickstarter happened, and someone has to fund that too. But if there is "no interest" in the game (as in the numbers of backers are low), it might be a good indication that its no need to fund the game any further.

As I said before, comparing a new Igavania without the established IP to a new Shenmue with the same IP is ridiculous.

 

[Clishem87]

Can an Xbox One stretch goal be added a couple of weeks down the line? What if Sony put up some cash for him to come on stage and announce kickstarter, everyone sees it is PS4 & PC, Sony seem to have an amazing E3 (big bonus points for nostalgia factor) then 2 weeks later reach $2.5m and it's coming to Xbox? Or Sony have put up a real amount of cash to keep it console exclusive, if Yu really wants it I don't seem why he would limit his audience?! I don't know anything about creating games but if you are doing a game for PC and PS4 then surely Xbox doesn't create too much of an extra work load for the potential extra money he could get to fund the game?

The way they have gone about this doesn't bother me too much, you fund if you want the game, it's not like you also have to go out and buy the game when it's been developed, your donation will entitle you to a copy when it's complete, why does it matter that your paying in advance for it? Plus it gives Yu a world stage to announce it on rather than a quick post on Twitter.

 

[test_account]

As I said before, comparing a new Igavania without the established IP to a new Shenmue with the same IP is ridiculous.

I didnt compare the IPs, i'm just saying why the Kickstarter is being used. Its been like 14 years since Shenmue 2, its a reason why it hasnt been funded earlier. In theory, the Shenmue 3 Kickstarter could have failed, then the game wouldnt have been made (unless some publisher wanted to step in, but why would they after seeing the poor reception on Kickstarter).

 

[Sendou]

I felt it was pretty weird. I mean I'm sure Sony has at least some money put aside for the game if it hits the Kickstarter target. It's not coming to Xbox One after all. But somehow $2 million is where they drew the line? Looking at the kind of... special games Sony has funded years past I'm surprised this couldn't be one. I'm just not a fan of these pseudo-1st party games where the risk is being shifted to consumers through Kickstarter. That said I'm happy for people that have waited for this moment for almost 15 years now. Fams were the ones who were advocating for a Kickstarter campaign so that's probably a big reason why Sony & Ys Net chose to go along with it. I just hope Sony, MS and god forbid Nintendo don't start exploring crowd-funding too much. Their job is to take the risk with game development.

 

[alexandros]

It depends on whether Sony will be funding part of the game or not. If they are not and it's just them giving more exposure to the game then it's very cool and I'm all for it. On the other hand, the lack of an XB1 version raises some questions. I guess we'll see, but for now I see nothing wrong with it.

 

[Fuz]

is... not cool?

and they kinda knew since boyes focused on THEIR PROJECT

but.. yeah. I know the 2mil is there to just be reachable and the game is gonna cost a lot more but asking fans to fund a game for your platform right there and there on actual E3 is a weird, weird thing.

I actually think Kickstarter is a great way for this game to be made, but not announcing it here.

I just want more info

- is Sony more involved?

- are they just gauging interest to actually publish it themselves or put more money in or something?


this just sets a really weird precedent. yay shenmue but I don't like it or it to start happening.

I agree, it's scummy and could set a dangerous example.

It depends on whether Sony will be funding part of the game or not. If they are not and it's just them giving more exposure to the game then it's very cool and I'm all for it. On the other hand, the lack of an XB1 version raises some questions. I guess we'll see, but for now I see nothing wrong with it.

They obviously are. Do you think $2M is enough to fund a Shenmue game?

 

[test_account]

I agree, it's scummy and could set a dangerous example.

Just wondering, what is dangerous about it?

 

[Shadders]

So I backed this during the conference last night. Making this the 7th Kickstarter project I've backed.

I just had a look through my previous pledges, over $300 on 6 projects and not one of them has delivered anything.

I've put $185 behind Shenmue, but I'm feeling I should be learning from my past mistakes.

If my record is anything to go by then Shenmue 3 is never coming out.

 

[Noaloha]

I don't see much reason to believe (suspect perhaps, but not believe) that the Shenmue Kickstarter has anything at all to do with Sony. I think they did just give up some stage time to Yu Suzuki's personal business project, with no linked monetary interests.

I'm guessing that Sony chose to donate the segment to the Shenmue KS announcement only because they already had the TLG and FFVII:R announcements in their pocket and they wanted that triple whammy of S-rank headlines for their own show. They just wanted the one true GAF-busting conference.


On the larger topic of KS being used not just as a business aid for start-ups and smaller, personal projects, but increasingly as a no-loss option for investors to gauge initial interest and inform their business projections... I dislike it, but not for particularly realistic reasons. I dislike it for similar-ish reasons that I dislike how Metacritic, ostensibly a consumer tool aiming to consolidate critical reception, might be appropriated by publishers as a tool on the game development side. There's no 1-to1 correlation there, but I react to both with similar feelings of "it's ugly, but it's not wrong." Objectionable, but not objectively so. Businesses doing business stuff, I'm hardly qualified to scream foul if a business wants to eliminate risk, make money, choose the most profitable option on the table, etc.

Would be neat on the Kickstarter if, as a crowdfunding platform, they were able to differentiate between the two practices. Keep KS as a low-end-of-the-sector tool for companies that need the consumer investment to even begin, and bring alongside a sister site named KS-Pro, Bigstarter, Toe-Dipper, or whatever that caters to bigger name entities looking to put a Proof Of Interest on any potential investor's table.

 

[Morokh]

It's a genius-level PR stunt for Sony because it's Shemnue 3, but overall a shady practice I'm not sure I want to see happen again.

 

[Dizzy]

Sony has to have a hand in this. $2 mil isn't enough for the budget alone.

That said I'm actually glad it went to kickstarter. For pledging $100 now I can have my name forever immortilized in the credits, I get to try the game early, and I can get the game on PC instead of PS4.

 

[Herb Alpert]

I dunno. I think it's weird.
Announcing a kickstarter during a conference. And an exclusive one.

I feel played like a damn fiddle. I don't really see the goodwill here.

 

[Shaanyboi]

Sony gets to associate themselves with Shenmue III without having to take any responsibility for ensuring it happens. They're happy. And all those people saying they want another goddamn adventure in forklift driving can put their money where their mouth is and have someone actually listen.

 

[John Harker]

Honestly it's a littl uncomfortable.

E3 costs publishers millions of dollars.
It's also worth millions, if successful... So much of it is for investors and retailers and press... I've seen calculations that try and estimate the monetary impact of every minute of a press conference of this scale.

To use this time to showcase something from kick starter is essentially saying "here's something WE DO NOT BELIEVE IN, but it's good PR for us to give you hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of publicity so please verify for me if you're worth investing in but even if you're not hey we still look good" - it's dubious, if they believed in the project why wouldn't you invest in it yourself?

I get that it's a barter deal but it's risky and sends a message that I'm a media vehicle, if you're a serious designer you don't really need a major publisher or investor if you make good media deals... Such a strange, mixed message to send to both talent and consumers

 

[DXB-KNIGHT]

Sony would've avoided such a reaction if they paid for it. Nevertheless yay

 

[Terrell]

I didnt compare the IPs, i'm just saying why the Kickstarter is being used. Its been like 14 years since Shenmue 2, its a reason why it hasnt been funded earlier. In theory, the Shenmue 3 Kickstarter could have failed, then the game wouldnt have been made (unless some publisher wanted to step in, but why would they after seeing the poor reception on Kickstarter).

People are putting $10,000 in their Kickstarter pledges. Diehard fans have suggested they'd do things for a new Shenmue game that would make the things crackwhores do for a fix look like child's play. Anyone who doubted it would get funded if it was Kickstarted is delusional. It's money that was going into the publisher's pocket one way or another. They're just asking for it (and any more they can get their hands on while they're at it) upfront.

 

[The Cartographer]

It would have been nice if Sony and SEGA (hahahahaha) completely funded the project but this situation is also acceptable IMO.

I'm just glad that Shanmue 3 is an actual thing now.

 

[alexandros]

They obviously are. Do you think $2M is enough to fund a Shenmue game?

Obviously not, but I don't have any proof that Sony is bankrolling it either. The reveal during the Sony conference and the lack of an Xbox version are signs that maybe there's something there but we don't know for sure.

 

[ugly]

Sony's gotta gauge interest. If the fans want it, then they can put their resources into making a great game. I imagine Sony would get behind it and add funding if the Kickstarter does well enough. Otherwise throwing so much money into high-calibre development is an endeavour with a fair stake at risk.

 

[xandaca]

It's cynical as hell, and blatantly so. Sony are obviously on board in a big way andputting up a ton of money to fund its development, otherwise they wouldn't have given the game time in their conference. They know they can reach $2m on blind support alone, so that's obviously a smokescreen, especially when putting any sort of substance into the game starts at much higher levels - specifically $4m just for the first of three 'additional' areas, meaning that's the actual starting point for 75% of the game. It costs $3.5m just to get a skill tree, in an RPG! It's taking full advantage of fans' love of the first two games and how long they've been waiting, knowing they'd pay through the nose for just about anything on nostalgia alone, while Sony either gets to save money on a game they'd blatantly be developing anyway, or receives an instant get-out clause in the unlikely event of there not being enough interest to hit that negligible early benchmark. If it doesn't reach $4m+, they can also deliver a quarter of a full game and say the funding wasn't there for anything more substantial. It's an atrociously exploitative precedent, but looking at the reaction across GAF and elsewhere, no surprise that Sony and co. feel fully justified in taking it.

 

[danthefan]

Could it be that Sony just wanted proof of demand and a Kickstarter is one of the easiest ways to achieve that?