I'm not demanding 100% transparency. But if a Kickstarter project just started development, I'd still like to know as much as the project starter can put out there as possible. Kickstarters like Yooka Laylee do a decent job still showing how they plan to spend the budget and what the stretch goals are. While with Shenmue 3 I have no idea what they mean with Rapport System or Skill Tree System beyond what maybe could be speculated from the names alone.
Yu Suzuki: I expect individual backers to provide the majority of funds for Shenmue
- Thread starter ShogunDarius
- Start date
adam boyes made it very clear on the stage that shenmue 3 was not their project. everything since that has made it very clear that they are not involved in any aspect of the kickstarter, and quite frankly all the thinkpieces trying to say that they are is getting frustrating.
Theonik
Member
Just because Sony isn't heavily contributing to the development costs doesn't mean they don't have some sort of arrangement in how the game is promoted. Think of other Indie games Sony promotes.
a post on the PS blog, a few advertisements on PSN, and being part of an E3 supercut?
I also wouldn't be surprised if Sony actually helped him convince Sega to allow him to use the Shenmue license.
Realistically, there's a lot of things Sony could have helped with in the background other than actually give funding that would end up helping development of the game a lot.
Realistically, there's a lot of things Sony could have helped with in the background other than actually give funding that would end up helping development of the game a lot.
The indie devs I've talked to are *very* grateful for that. Don't knock the power of PS Blog.
It sure as hell beats what MS does in comparison (a tweet by Larry)
Aenima
Member
Is Third Party Productions that is supporting Shenmue. The ones bringing Yakuza 5 to the west (Digital only) the ones that brought USF4 to PS4 (Digital Only). Its a game division for ports and localizations of nich games that dont have alot money to spend.
All those uninformed sites, made it look like they only needed the 2M and Sony would invest the full project. Thats not the case, Sony is helping bringing the game for PS4, and thats all. PC version have other investor. And if MS and Nintendo steped in they cold also have the game on they own consoles.
Note, that im as uninformed as those uninformed sites.
But this is what I undertand the situation stands.I agree with you there. They should explain at least a bit more about those goals. We are funding a game, the gameplay should be our foremost concern.
Funding is their own business. If Shenmue was a stock sure I'd want to know about all of the financial details about the company. However I think people confuse KS with "investing". It's more akin to preordering.
Honestly you're being totally delusional.
Sony is an external partner and has helped them to make the project become reality over the last year, they'll have a financial involvement in this. They just won't throw 20 millions at Suzuki.
yeah that's true. i'm being slightly cynical.
actually i wouldn't be surprised if shenmue 3 gets some actual time during a conference next year or in 2017.
Sephiroth_VII
Member
Not correct:Is Third Party Productions that is supporting Shenmue. The ones bringing Yakuza 5 to the west (Digital only) the ones that brought USF4 to PS4 (Digital Only). Its a game division for ports and localizations of nich games that dont have alot money to spend.
All those uninformed sites, made it look like they only needed the 2M and Sony would invest the full project. Thats not the case, Sony is helping bringing the game for PS4, and thats all. PC version have other investor. And if MS and Nintendo steped in they cold also have the game on they own consoles.
Note, that im as uninformed as those uninformed sites.
AV Watch interview with Andrew House said:
Ah well there you go. They need to now condense that and update the KS page. Not everyone is going to know about the AMA.
Probably because what Sony is offering is considered more valuable than what some segment of Shenmue fans who don't own a PS4 or moderately capable PC could offer in donations.
The partnership is likely the same as what Sony has offered to many other indies in the past, including Hello Games with No Man's Sky. Ys Net is making the game. Sony is throwing them some money and a bunch of free technical support to help the project get completely as efficiently as possible, but it isn't Sony's game. In exchange they get some form of console exclusivity.
The only difference is while Hello Games was an established studio with existing financial structure to start development of No Man's Sky Yu Suzuki and Ys Net is being assembled for this project and has no starter capital. The Kickstarter generates that.
At least they're being honest about the arrangement from day one. At no point did the Kickstarter page say "PC and consoles" or some other such ambiguity. From day one it was "if this gets funded it's PC and PS4".
Also, this isn't going to be something like Sleeping Dogs, Yakuza, or GTA. It will be open world in a far less spacious sense, Suzuki has made that very clear. This is first and foremost a conclusion to the story. The scale of the game is secondary to giving fans closure.
that's what i've been saying though. sony's involvement has been massively overstated by FUD spread by posters on this forum and through outlets like polygon.
besides that, i've been saying that console exclusivity is still not 100% certain. and it isn't. andrew house's comments lean a certain way, but it isn't a smoking gun when you look at what others involved are saying.
It's a shame that platform wars might really hurt the game. It makes me a little angry, but whatchagonna do?
young testosterone filled, frustrated males need an outlet for their tribalism I guess.
Theonik
Member
They also get advance payment on some of their PSN sales but the price for all this support is usually timed console exclusivity. This is going to get more promotion than a normal Indie title of course due to how Sony is seeing it as a big PR stunt, but the price for all that is probably that they might not be allowed to talk about some things.
Neff
Member
I get that minimum goals are important for KS projects. But something like Shenmue? 2 million would get you a port of the original game or a slice of DLC, but not much more than that. It simply doesn't add up. I think they'd have been better off straight up asking for the 10m they want, because the KS is slowing down quickly.
Still, none of us knows how much they need, how much they're getting from behind the scenes backers, or how the money will be distributed. we'll see.
we'll see how it goes. hopefully this all gets cleaned up by next week.
who knows, maybe andrew house was totally right but no formal announcement has been made yet.
ultimately this just comes back to the vague wording on the kickstarter.
This is the second time Suzuki has had the Shenmue license. Also it cost money to put the game to other consoles and I think he only wants to focus on the PS4 plus PC for now.
Chaos2Frozen
Member
Yes you should be sorry.
Why the fuck would it matter if they're helping make the game people want for a long time come true?
There's a lot less certainty about if a project is going to be finished when "pre-ordering" a Kickstarter though. So knowing how they're going to spend the money that they're getting would still be nice.
Naw, wanting to know is fine. It's when people get angry and start some bizarre hate campaign against something they know little about and have no real interest in that things get weird.
At least Yu wasn't swatted.
Nightengale
Member
Functionally, I'd call it closer to a donation.
Console exclusivity is certain, Sony is not helping and financially backing them for nothing, clearly. Deals are in place for that.
Think about this like a Grim Fandango/Day of the Tentacle situation.
What is not certain is the scope of the game and final financial backing from the partners involved. That will be decided once the Kickstarter is done.
No reason to talk about other platforms in this thread, game is PS4/PC.
This should be about raising more funds to get a better game which is closer to a full open world Shenmue experience than to a Telltale season.
What can they do with 6m?
4m was barely enough for Obsidian to make an oldschool low-fi BG2 game.
It's not a pre-order, it is a pledge/donation. If you think you are buying something and are owed something, Kickstarter is not for you.
Shrike_Priest
Member
So, this makes the scope of Shenmue 3 a lot clearer. It's going for a really intimate, legitimately indie vibe. It's not going to be about an epic adventure with tons of locations, but about doing stuff in one small location.
This is going to be marketing suicide, BUT it's the right way to go. I just hope they don't skimp on making the battle system work. In a post Arkham-world they need to upgrade it, but it really was the best combination of proper "fighting game mechanics" with multiple enemies at the time. Here's hoping they don't lose focus of that.
Content bloat and "square mile marketing" needs to die, asap.
This is going to be marketing suicide, BUT it's the right way to go. I just hope they don't skimp on making the battle system work. In a post Arkham-world they need to upgrade it, but it really was the best combination of proper "fighting game mechanics" with multiple enemies at the time. Here's hoping they don't lose focus of that.
Content bloat and "square mile marketing" needs to die, asap.
Well the first part has pretty much been happening.
R_thanatos
Member
Yeah , that is required now A place to discuss shenmuie 3 during the campaign is required on other social medias.
i think you're right. the navel gazing won't do anything about getting the kickstarter more money.
okay, let's try closing the book on this and start looking towards actually helping the funding.
as someone who has already put considerable money into this? what's even left?
Sephiroth_VII
Member
...the CEO of SCEI saying it's exclusive isn't a smoking gun that it's exclusive? Sure.
EDIT: Hadn't seen your last post. Let's move on.
test_account
XP-39C²
That is true, although one goes in with the intend to get what the tiers say they offer. You expect to get what the tiers offer, while a donation is more like a gift. But yeah, one should keep in mind that Kickstarter projects arent guaranteed to happen even if the money needed is reached, that is true.
Theonik
Member
Not really. The odds you get something is pretty much the same unless you are under the illusion that you are privy of the dealings of the companies who produce these products.
The difference is, on a KS you put your money upfront with no refunds, whereas in most cases you can cancel a pre-order right up until you get the game.
openrob
Member
Yu Suzuki had clarified that in interviews and reddit AMA. Have a look around and see if you like the answers.
In terms of your second sentence. Thanks for your comments, I think it helps clarify the situation for people like myself who have full confidence in this game and were willing to back asap. What I would say is that this game has been hoped for for 14 years. The game will be released regardless but we want to make it the best possible game.
The kickstarter has a few weeks left, I would ask that you, in that time, browse some of the information that has/is being released and see if the answers meet your satisfaction. If they do, I would encourage you to be part of the project and back
Majority can be construed in a couple of ways. For example, if Yu expects Kickstarter to end around $5 million and Sony/external financing has only pledged up to $4.9 million, that is still a majority from KS.
Like there wouldn't have been bitching and complaining no matter what. What's a shame is that in this instance, haters may have actually had an effect.
And if it is a $3M visual novel, what does that make it shit?
hey, look, we'll see how things play out. all i'm saying it that the view from the top isn't always clear. it's likely accurate.
Discotheque
Banned
Shenmue 4?! Lol fuck off, he should be intent on finishing the story with 3 and 3 alone
With how hard it was to get this game made (and hell the project is still in doubt even now tbh) this should be the last one he has planned
Anything more is a nice bonus but make this your end of the intended story
With how hard it was to get this game made (and hell the project is still in doubt even now tbh) this should be the last one he has planned
Anything more is a nice bonus but make this your end of the intended story
Jawmuncher
Member
I would love to back. If I could play 1&2 without jumping through hoops. I really am still bummed about this. Regardless it'll be curious to see how Shenmue 3 goes with its budget after KS is done.
i disagree. compromising so much on the vision is just going to end in a product that is unsatisfactory for fans.
who's to say shenmue 4 doesn't build on the framework of shenmue 3?
I am not sure any shenmue fan is going to agree with this.
A lot of people believe this is a Sony funded game, and that Sony is using kickstarter to raise money. If you don't think that is going to turn many many many people off from donating, well I don't know what to say.
I wholeheartedly agree with this post.
Nightengale
Member
I'm just glad we're getting Shenmue 3. I'd be okay with a goddamn comic, novel, movie even.
Wanting to know how they are going to allocate funds is not the same as demanding to know the source and amount of said funds though.
Flipbook or hastily put together flash animation even.