Shenmue 4 trailer; stabilized the source and picked out some interesting elements

VGEsoterica

VGEsoterica

Member
50% of me thinks its AI and 50% of me thinks the framing, shot composition, camera movements and overall cadence feels spot on to a Yu Suzuki Shenmue title. And who knows...Ys Net could be using generative AI to try and sell the game / get something knocked up quickly for a reveal. It genuinely feels like a coin flip and Ive been behind a camera for 22 years working.

So I stabilized the footage in Resolve to stop it from bouncing so much so everyone can take a look at the video and see if they spot anything extra because why not

 
Seth Meyers Question GIF by Late Night with Seth Meyers


Who asked for a 4th Game? 3 was already
Never Again Ew GIF by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
 
Characters are wearing the same outfits from shenmue 3, the move sets are identical to shenmue 3, and the fact that it's a 4 minute trailer and was touted as being shown at the VGA's just screams a.i generated bs. No publisher worth a crap is paying a ridiculous amount of money to show a niche and jank game for 4 minutes at the VGA's.
 
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ChorizoPicozo said:
As humans we should be.... Right?
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Yeah, we should… I just didn't expect everyone to download the 'expert mode' update overnight

The way people just say 'AI' with zero room for discussion is always funny to me. Sure, there are obvious cases, but not every weird thing on the internet is an AI conspiracy
 
this is way too niche, complex and coherent to be AI.
I can believe it is an AI-assisted edit made by some absolutely mad fan, Shenmue fans are notoriously wild.

But coherent trailer + niche and fanservice done right + correct and interesting story beats + janky animations and apparently almost no graphical leap over S3 makes me think it's 100% true.

To put it simply: if it was AI, it would look way better than this.
 
YS Net's last game, Steel Paws, got delisted from the App Store in under a year. It's a one button platformer that makes Balan Wonderland look like Mario Odyssey. I highly doubt they're working on a more expansive Shenmue that tells as much story as what we're seeing in this trailer. They're a boiler room operation. There's no full time studio cranking out games.

If this is real, they're using AI to make the actual game and the amount of shit Yu Suzuki will get will be unprecedented. It's also going to play like cheap mobile phone garbage based on the quality of their output since Shenmue 3. He was palling around with crypto and NFT types after Shenmue 3 flopped so I wouldn't say it's out of the question. It's weird how he far his star's fallen. He was an untouchable legend throughout my youth.
 
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VGEsoterica said:
50% of me thinks its AI and 50% of me thinks the framing, shot composition, camera movements and overall cadence feels spot on to a Yu Suzuki Shenmue title. And who knows...Ys Net could be using generative AI to try and sell the game / get something knocked up quickly for a reveal. It genuinely feels like a coin flip and Ive been behind a camera for 22 years working.

So I stabilized the footage in Resolve to stop it from bouncing so much so everyone can take a look at the video and see if they spot anything extra because why not

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They ain't got the budget for this shit, and Shenmue 3 was a wet fart (spoken as a Shenmue fan, by the way). So, therefore, fake. Also, "Shenmue Fighter" is hokey and dumb.

I hate this AI nonsense.
 
Walliwallipaloo said:
They ain't got the budget for this shit, and Shenmue 3 was a wet fart (spoken as a Shenmue fan, by the way). So, therefore, fake. Also, "Shenmue Fighter" is hokey and dumb.

I hate this AI nonsense.
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I don't mind much about the trailer. It looks more fun and exciting than Chicken Chase 3. I don't favor the new aesthetic to the old, but that's a lost cause. I don't believe Yu Suzuki's studio is capable of making a good game, however. I've played all their stuff and it's all bad with the weirdest and worst menu designs I've ever seen to go along with the not fun gameplay.
 
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I tried to enjoy Air Twister. Somehow it's significantly less fun and exciting than Space Harrier.

Steel Paws is an abomination, a half step above an AI generated asset flip on Steam. It might be as bad as that, honestly.

So they're bad at making simple games and bad at making "AA open world" games. I'm not sure what the heck happened to Yu Suzuki.
 
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Yu Suzuki's team should collaborate with Sega and the Yakuza studio to share some experience and technology and just build a Shenmue game. Who knows, maybe they would also be able to deliver Shenmue 1 & 2 remakes to attract new fans since the ports are very archaic to play.
 
VGEsoterica said:
.Ys Net could be using generative AI to try and sell the game
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Yeah having watched it again there's definitely some screwy stuff, and YS using AI as proof of concept (which is almost certainly happening in the industry right now) isn't unrealistic.

I'll say again though that the fact that there's so much here, and that it feels so authentically Shenmue, makes me think that there's something to this. Even the most ardent fans are rarely this accurate and thorough when it comes to fake trailers.
 
HRK69 said:
I love how everyone is an AI expert all of a sudden (not aiming at OP or anything, just in general)
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Expert no. Extremely suspicious, sure. AI is not even mature yet (or wasn't for the past couple of years) and the internet is flooded with generated fake crap.

For the record though, I don't think this teaser is AI generated, even though there's a really big case against funding/developing and releasing another Shenmue title considering how the last one fared.

I am on the camp that wants to see the continuation, and hope we'll also get a better developed story and a conclusion, if this is real.
 
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Hero_Select said:
After how terrible Shenmue 3 was, why would anyone even want 4 anyway?
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Maybe if they spruce up part 3 (which they're doing) they can sell a part 4.

The fact that they're even bothering to go back to Shenmue 3 at all is probably the most convincing indication that they're not done with the series.
 
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Miles708 said:
Shenmue 3 had the heart and the spirit in all the right places, and the first half of the game is definitely "Shenmue". The pacing and the combat were abysmal though.
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Yeah, I throughly enjoy the first half of Shenmue 3 aside from the strange retcons. It's not till the second half where it comes off the rails. Even that wouldn't be so bad if the combat wasn't such a disaster. At the end of the day in terms of my greatest gaming disappointments I dont think it even cracks the top 10.
 
Just how bad its gotten when people will fight if its AI or not. We got to place where as soon as something looks like its not possible = AI. National Geographic awarded photo of a frog eating a fly....AI. Hot chick dating an ugly fat guy...AI. 4 year old plays guitar...AI. We are cooked and we not even halfway what AI could do.

On topic:

Shenmue 3 was absolute garbage and stolen money from fans. When Suzuki said he actually never played any modern game in a decade and that Shenmue is such a massive story that it needs 6 more sequels, someone at the office needed to kick him in the face.
 
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Sebastian1295 said:
Characters are wearing the same outfits from shenmue 3, the move sets are identical to shenmue 3, and the fact that it's a 4 minute trailer and was touted as being shown at the VGA's just screams a.i generated bs. No publisher worth a crap is paying a ridiculous amount of money to show a niche and jank game for 4 minutes at the VGA's.
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This makes me think it's real. They don't have tons of money so they're cutting corners and reusing the old assets.
 
Hero_Select said:
After how terrible Shenmue 3 was, why would anyone even want 4 anyway?
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Because the community that fought for 15 years to get III to become a reality wants to see the story of the games finished. It's far larger than you think it is beyond the NeoGAF bubble.

Shenmue III Enhanced didn't suddenly get announced because people don't give a fuck.

They've said many times they'd be understanding if it was wrapped up as an anime(and had it not been cancelled, it might have been), a manga, novel, etc. But the real desire is for a game.

This goddamned mentality is so irksome and it happens every single time this series gets mentioned.

I and II were arguably classics in their era, but even then the divisiveness of the style was there.

But it has a fervent fan base that really wants a conclusion. I'm a fan of the series and while I do agree III could've been better, I would like to see Yu Suzuki finish his vision in some way and a lot of people feel the same.

And Deep Silver coming in with money in one hand and a dagger behind their back was a major problem for III and there's evidence even from Yu himself about that.

"I didn't like it so fuck them fans or I didn't like it, why does anyone care" happens every time Shenmue shows up.

I'm a bit tired and stressed, sorry. But it's like...people fought for shows to be saved, like Lucifer or..others elude me, but they've happened.

Division 2 has a fairly decent and vocal fan base and demand got both additional content and a sequel to happen.
 
The fact they referenced am obscure Virtua Fighter 4 storyline when the Monk says the Tiger Swallow style must be eliminated makes me think it's real.
I think VF4 might've been 1 of Yu Suzuki's last big games before leaving Sega and there was plenty of cross over between the games in Shenmue 1 and 2.
 
AeonGaidenRaiden said:
Just how bad its gotten when people will fight if its AI or not. We got to place where as soon as something looks like its not possible = AI. National Geographic awarded photo of a frog eating a fly....AI. Hot chick dating an ugly fat guy...AI. 4 year old plays guitar...AI. We are cooked and we not even halfway what AI could do.

On topic:

Shenmue 3 was absolute garbage and stolen money from fans. When Suzuki said he actually never played any modern game in a decade and that Shenmue is such a massive story that it needs 6 more sequels, someone at the office needed to kick him in the face.
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Yu Suzuki mistakenly believed he'd sell enough copies of 3 to get a sequel produced. That was always the plan while he was at Sega - multiple Shenmue releases. The 2 decades of fans hijacking greatest game ever polls, campaigning Sega, and the world record breaking Kickstarter would lead one to believe the demand was there. If the game had been better than awful I think it would've happened. YS Net is a mobile phone game developer, unfortunately, and is not built for the task.

Shenmue developed by RGG would sell more copies than any YS Net developed entry. Just reskin the series and use Yu Suzuki's plot outline and we're set. People like this AI trailer because it shows lots of story development and new environments, not because they're salivating over the prospect of playing more Smartball and gambling with old ladies. I'm over Yu Suzuki.
 
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Shenmue 3 was always going to be about Ryo fighting Mr Muscles and whatever else happens in Niaowu. They didn't retcon the story. Nothing significant would've happened if this had come out on the Dreamcast. Rather, Bailu and the city would've been much detailed and more dense, probably with much better executed cutscenes and production values but the same dearth of plot progression. I was shocked when fans uncovered Dreamcast-era models for super generic "Mr Muscles":
IMG-7707.jpg
 
enjoyed bell woods said:
Shenmue developed by RGG would sell more copies than any YS Net developed entry.
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michael someone GIF

Just... stop with this "Yakuza > Shenmue" nonsense, please. Stop. These are apples over here, and over there, we have oranges. These things are not the same.

Letting Shenmue die is one thing. Exhuming its bruised corpse and letting those clowns make it dance for everyone's amusement is something else.
 
Walliwallipaloo said:
michael someone GIF

Just... stop with this "Yakuza > Shenmue" nonsense, please. Stop. These are apples over here, and over there, we have oranges. These things are not the same.

Letting Shenmue die is one thing. Exhuming its bruised corpse and letting those clowns make it dance for everyone's amusement is something else.
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I could see RGG team making a good showing with Shenmue. It won't happen , but it would certainly be interesting.
 
StereoVsn said:
I could see RGG team making a good showing with Shenmue. It won't happen , but it would certainly be interesting.
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Absolutely not. God, no.
This is like the people who mourn the death of Silent Hills. They're people from an entirely different fan-base, who admire completely different things. Just like Silent Hills fans aren't Silent Hill fans, the people who like the Yakuza franchise (deep shudder) don't appreciate the things that Shenmue 1 and 2 are about.

I'd rather it stay dead.

I'm sorry if this sounds personal, but as a Shenmue fan, I've had to sit back and listen to Yakuza fans talk this shit for years. "Yakuza mops the floor with Shenmue anyway." Um, no it freaking doesn't. It's its own thing.
 
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Walliwallipaloo said:
Absolutely not. God, no.
This is like the people who mourn the death of Silent Hills. They're people from an entirely different fan-base, who admire completely different things. Just like Silent Hills fans aren't Silent Hill fans, the people who like the Yakuza franchise (deep shudder) don't appreciate the things that Shenmue 1 and 2 are about.

I'd rather it stay dead.

I'm sorry if this sounds personal, but as a Shenmue fan, I've had to sit back and listen to Yakuza fans talk this shit for years. "Yakuza mops the floor with Shenmue anyway." Um, no it freaking doesn't. It's its own thing.
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Wow did Yakuza run over your dog or something?

Shenmue was clearly the foundation for Yakuza. Yes they have a different vibe and story but the DNA is essentially the same. Just accept it and move on.
 
I know 3 rubbed people the wrong way, but I felt similar when 2 released. Bigger isn't always better. I found it a downgrade coming from the first game. It felt empty, even though it wasn't. If that makes sense.
 
Ellis said:
I know 3 rubbed people the wrong way, but I felt similar when 2 released. Bigger isn't always better. I found it a downgrade coming from the first game. It felt empty, even though it wasn't. If that makes sense.
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You're not wrong, sadly. A big part of the charm was feeling grounded in a well-realized representation of a place. Funnily enough, I feel like it was even more magical for non-Japanese, because exploring the town was at once comfortable and familiar and yet strange and interesting.

Hong Kong just felt strange... and not very interesting. And the less said about Kowloon, the better.

Shenmue 1 was full of life and brimming with detail. There was a time when I wished almost every game could in some way be like Shenmue. Wait - that time never passed. I still feel that way.

but the DNA is essentially the same.
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Shenmue is atmospheric, and meant to be played like an adventure game with simulation elements. Yakuza is a meme by intent, and is almost completely toneless. If that's your bag, sure, but it ain't mine and the comparison grinds my gears.

It's third person. There's man-punching. There are mini-games. You can walk around and look at things.

And that's literally - literally - where the comparison ends.
 
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If its early footage as it indicates, might be real since it has really bad lack of detail and its safe to assume this wouldnt be big budget project, probably not barely AA so there would be good bit of jank etc
 
Walliwallipaloo said:
Shenmue is atmospheric, and meant to be played like an adventure game with simulation elements. Yakuza is a meme by intent, and is almost completely toneless. If that's your bag, sure, but it ain't mine and the comparison grinds my gears.

It's third person. There's man-punching. There are mini-games. You can walk around and look at things.

And that's literally - literally - where the comparison ends.
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Shenmue is very different but Yakuza told some of the greatest video game stories (even with the meme worthy and fan service material which is largely side content) so to brush it all off as toneless is silly. Like a Dragon and Gaiden among others are moving masterpieces. The studio is SEGA's most talented (and most honoring of their legacy with making sure all the conversions of old games they've included are top notch, down to being the first to bring back Model 3 arcade games like Virtua Fighter 3 and Daytona USA 2 within their latest games) even if they've been a Yakuza factory. I'm sure if given the task they'd adjust the balance to be more about story and adventure and less like Yakuza which started out as a beat 'em up with JRPG elements (and has since gone full JRPG). They've already employed every gameplay element any Shenmue could need, down to tailing or chasing people in Judgment. All they need to do is continue Yu Suzuki's story, maintain strong characters growing and bonding as seen in Like a Dragon and make battles more Virtua Fightery (they're even doing the next VF after their great 5 remake). Putting all their production values in a smaller focus over a padded sprawling JRPG means they can easily do any minor system "missing" from Yakuza like seasons (if Ryo is even meant to stick around that long) or more unique NPCs (though even Shenmue 1 has near nondescript characters wandering around Yokosuka and the harbor anyway). Either way it's not happening if nothing changes since SEGA was gracious enough to give Yu Suzuki the IP though I don't know the specifics of that deal so maybe in the future they can work together or take it back, not that they'd be so eager to fund an AAA Shenmue project themselves after everything.​
 
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Shenmue 3 was terribly disappointing. I was one of the excited ones at the announcement, too.


george bush GIF
 
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Walliwallipaloo said:
Absolutely not. God, no.
This is like the people who mourn the death of Silent Hills. They're people from an entirely different fan-base, who admire completely different things. Just like Silent Hills fans aren't Silent Hill fans, the people who like the Yakuza franchise (deep shudder) don't appreciate the things that Shenmue 1 and 2 are about.

I'd rather it stay dead.

I'm sorry if this sounds personal, but as a Shenmue fan, I've had to sit back and listen to Yakuza fans talk this shit for years. "Yakuza mops the floor with Shenmue anyway." Um, no it freaking doesn't. It's its own thing.
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RGG makes high quality story-driven games with fun mini games and good combat. What did Shenmue 3 offer? I'm an OG Shenmue fan and I find this dismissive attitude towards RGG confounding. YS Net is an incapable, amateur, underfunded, untalented studio. Let Yu Suzuki co-produce e as an honor to his vision and I'm sure you'll get your Smartball and chicken chasing mini games too.
 
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Ellis said:
I know 3 rubbed people the wrong way, but I felt similar when 2 released. Bigger isn't always better. I found it a downgrade coming from the first game. It felt empty, even though it wasn't. If that makes sense.
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Shenmue 2 is significantly better than Shenmue 1, imo. They are the same game for all intents and purposes and were designed as such in the first place. I long considered it one of the greatest games I ever played, if not the best. I guess we all look at things differently.

RGG wouldn't make a better Shenmue because they make big action packed games. They'd make a better Shenmue because they actually develop high quality games people want to play, unlike YS Net. I also believe they can make a "slower paced" style of game, rather than simply reskin Yakuza and call it Shenmue. Nobody wants YS Net's Shenmue 3 combat over RGG combat.
 
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I bought Yakuza the day it came out on the PS2 just to get a whiff of something that might feel like Shenmue. I was very disappointed in it. 20 years later, I've no doubt that studio would make a hell of a Shenmue sequel. YS Net is a boiler room operation that flirts with NFTs and AI. They're a dead end.
 
I thought Shenmue 3 was overall underwhelming. I still enjoyed it a bunch. The music in the game gives the feels. I hope 4 is real. That anime on crunchy roll was REALLY good and they fucken ended it, series can't catch a break. I wonder if RGG took a crack at the series?
 
The people who wanted Shenmue 3 was niche enough, but after 3 I imagine many of those wouldn't be so keen on 4.

If the trailer is real and Lan-di is not the main bad guy there is no way I would touch this as I couldn't face more games and waiting required to finish the story. I would wait for confirmation that this is a wrap.

So much of this was clearly based on the areas and animations of the DC games I am 90% sure it is fake.

The only way Shenmue could be worth it today is as a single game, rebooted with a definitive ending. Unless that is told via flashbacks taking only sections from 1 - 3 it would be too big or too cutdown to satisfy everyone.
 
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