Shenmue 3 Reliant On Kickstarter, $ 2 Million Bare Minimum To Make Game With Just Story

Yu Suzuki has made it clear Sony's involvement in the game is limited. He had criteria for whatever company he would have partnered to make this game, and nobody qualified, not even Sony. Our article has more details on how this has played out.

[yarbie1000]

Dev already said most of the money is going to be coming from independent donors. So no, Sony isn't footing most of the bill. And Yoshida has stated they will support it just like they did with Sportsfriends (Anyone know what Sportsfriends is?} And that the size of the world would be based off donations.

Makes you scratch your head and wonder why no one would come forward to fully support this as many people are asking for it. You would have thought based on E3 Sony was a major player in this. But listening to the devs and Sony themselves, their not.

It does irritate me to hear so many people say 'their just gauging interest' BS! It's to literally make the game. And you don't gauge interest by asking for charity. You send out polls & surveys which is what they do for every other game

[trywizardo]

of course , they're putting the whole game outcome (2m just story , 10m fully open world) on the kickstarter , sony helped the kickstarter movement , but that's it

[MasterCornholio]

Can Sony give money via kickstarter?

[trywizardo]

sony said they're funding it , so that means the studio only needed 2m to start the project and sony will handle the rest , and now the only thing that's funding them is kickstarter

[Nirvana31591]

The Kickstarter will continue till the end of the month and Sony will provide the rest of the funding. They can't make this game for $10 million so there is no way this game will be possible with Kickstarter funding. Suzuki has already confirmed the have no plans to work on an Xbox version because Sony will be providing a majority of the funding.

[trywizardo]

@Nirvana : did you even read the article ?!
they refused Sony's help and other companies help . Because they have their own Ideas or something ...

[Eonjay]

So is not funding this game:
https://www.youtube.com/wat...

I almost fell for this click-bait lie.

[rainslacker]

Many games have donors outside the publisher, or in this case a console maker. The producer of a game is responsible for getting funding, whether fully from the publisher itself, or from the publisher and outside donors. Sony may be publishing the console version, and put money towards that end.

[Angeljuice]

Polls and surveys are not accurate. You'd be amazed at how many people are all over something until it comes to parting with money.

[Dir_en_grey]

It's simple, to have this game made correctly Mr. Yu Suzuki needs to have full control.
Owning the game is important for Ys net's vision and no company is just going to give away money without making money back.

Yu Suzuki's games always tries to be at the forefront of technology and thus costing a lot of resources to make. With crowdfunding at least Ys net gets to have backings by the fans to start out while getting help from Sony since they pretty much have the highest quality 1st party studios for the best tech support. This is probably the most cost efficient and fastest way to make the game. The combination probably can't be done with any other company imo, which is obviously why Mr. Yu Suzuki chose to team w/ Sony.

People saying charity obviously didn't read what you get for helping w/ the Kickstarter. The fans are more then willing to help the Kickstarter as they basically can pre-order this game for a VERY cheap price at the very least. Only $30, beats any other pre-order deal for any other AAA game out there if you ask me.
Win/Win situation for everybody.

[deadpoolio316]

Ummm He and his team DO NOT OWN the IP, Sega was I guess courteous enough to allow him to do something with it...Just because someone lets you use the rights doesn't mean you completely own them

[jetlian]

I said a fewvdays ago with KS only asking for 29 for full game this wasnt gonna be like shenmue of old. And it seems like im right. If they wanted 10 million should have asked for 60 out right.

[Dir_en_grey]

Yeah it's sad the Kickstarter slowed down...
I was thinking the same that they should at least ask for $60 to get the game...
I think a lot of people think that they get nothing for giving to Kickstarter though, hopefully many will realize that they are being promised a final product with merely $29 (at least set it at $30 right? they were too generous)

[medman]

I'll be honest...this whole Shenmue situation is getting mighty confusing. When I hear the creator say he's depending on stretch goals for the project, I'm concerned what that will mean if the stretch goals aren't met...particularly the 10 mil "open world" goal. Does that mean what gamers get will not be the game the creator truly wanted to make? Like I said, confusing.

[Dir_en_grey]

Every game is done and worked around a budget just in case you didn't know.

Even for the people that are confused and in doubt, should just give $30 and you are guaranteed to get a game made by what many people consider a legend.

This guy pretty much set the standard for 3D gaming, father of open world games, real time events, day/night cycles, and so many other innovative things that nobody thought was possible at the time he was making them.

[Bobertt]

It is to see how many people are actually willing to buy the game. I believe Shenmue 2 budget was 70 million and was one of the most expensive games back then so im guessing that put off publishers cause sales might not make up enough profit. Now its been 14 years and while all of the fans from before have requested it I can only imagine that its budget will be even higher now from inflation. It could cost as much as AAA games now. It will need new fans too to make a profit. I think its fine if Sony is going to fund the rest of the game if enough people want on kickstarter. The most I believe a game has gotten on kickstarter is $15 million and there is no way that would be enough to make with all the features if it needs 10 million to be true open world game. Also the developer wanted to make 4 or 5 games if fans like number 3 and then thet will need publisher.

[xKugo]

That's concerning to say the least. Sounds as if he didn't want this to be exclusive at all and had some strict criteria for whomever chose to partner with him for the game. Drastically different situation than what I first assumed it was :/

[plsburydoughboy]

Again, to be clear, Sony seemed really interested in the game. We don't know if they offered money or not, but it was Yu who decided not to go to them.

I'm sorry if you funded it thinking it was a guaranteed PS4 exclusive, but Yu had a bigger problem proving that there was no swindle involved. If you think about it, Sony is the last company that Yu should have approached. The last Shenmue was released on Xbox, and Sega enjoys a closer relationship with Nintendo, having given them the reigns for Bayonetta 2.

[Spotie]

Last... except for his relationship with Cerny, and the fact that Sony is the MOST LIKELY company to support a game like this.

Yep, dead last...

[Dir_en_grey]

No, the rights of last Shenmue (Shenmue 2) was bought out by Microsoft to release in the US, that's why the Dreamcast version never came out in the US while it did other regions; and the English dub for other regions was also removed on Dreamcast due to this deal.

Microsoft has been buying out existing IP's and tech (totally different then funding them) to kill the competition since the beginning, it's how they've always done business. It's sad many people don't realize this... Don't have to believe me, research it yourselves on how many tech and companies were killed this way by Microsoft.

[Sitdown]

But people cried..... And we saw the jubilee during the reveal. Sony won E3!...... Hurry, delete this foolishness of an article. :-)

[LifeInNZ]

The way this game was revealed at E3 was the lowest form of reveal yet. If it were not a plea for funding to get it made then Sony should have just opted for a survey.

I have never seen so many people excited about what is essentially vaporware.

Again, no problem with the announcement but would rather see it announced with a demo and not just a hey, if you want it then go to kickstarter and vote for it.

[Spotie]

You know, you could always just get a PS4. Then you wouldn't have to hide your insecurity behind all this trolling.

Otherwise, what's the point in spending so much time in articles about games you don't care about on a console you don't own or want to own?

[Sitdown]

If your comment was directed toward me, it's probably going to hurt your feelings to know that I've owned my ps4 since launch. See unlike you, I have no allegiance to a company, and don't mind addressing the shortcomings of a product I purchased....I don't need others agreement to validate my decisions. Ohh, I also attended the e3 experience for the 2nd year in a row, so it appears I might like this gaming thing.

People are quick to accuse others of what they themselves do.... Insecurity behind an inanimate object that doesn't know one exist? Haha.... Okay.

[LifeInNZ]

Cant have been aimed at me as I have a PS4 as well. Too many great console exclusives not to have both.

Its funny, people think that when the 360 and PS3 both sold 80 million plus consoles that it must have been to 160 million different people. Its incomprehensible that gamers may buy both consoles!

[Perjoss]

Didn't the original game have like a 60mil budget? what are they going to do with 3 or 4 mil?

[Brunire]

It was ahead of the curve at the time, and thus very expensive. It will not be that way this time. They also built it from the ground up back then.

It will not be nearly that expensive this time. Especially if they keep a similar aesthetic to the originals. He already said they will be using some assets from them.

[Redempteur]

The times have changed

Lots of the money in the original project were lost to :
-Marketing
-Engine develloppement
-Wasted dev time because they were doing something new.

Here , the thing is much more different.
-Marketing is not an issue because they get help from sony and the target scope of the game is already defined/set.( exposure in media is a big deal)
-The engine is done , it's Unreal engine 4 and the people working on it already have experience with it
-The tools to make the games are already done ( middleware software is already in place ) and the concepts are done since long ago.
>Thus, the game cost much lower than usual.
That said 2mil is JUST for a barebonnes version of the game with just story, for a shenmue-like experience , the game need much more at least 5 mil (10 would be the best )

[Dan_scruggs]

Hmmm. So everyone is sure that Sony is co-funding the game but they apparently didn't have a big enough budget to even tell the story at a bare minimum. Hmmm. Someone is lying.

[343_Guilty_Spark]

I've been a gamer for over 20 years and seeing a major game requiring a kickstarter just screams bullshit. I understand certain gamers love Shenmue and want to see a third entry, but the idea of a kickstarter for a project as massive as this is going be just seems like the start of a new disgusting habit to get gamers to fund the initial groundwork. Nevermind, that we have thus far seen no actual trailer or gameplay demo to show how this game might be or the fact there are multiple private donors including SONY for which 2 million would literally be a drop in the bucket.

As a gamer I will never invest in something that I haven't seen a least a glimpse of. I see this disgusting habit becoming more mainstream, but mostly because certain gamers allow nostalgia to override common sense.

[Redempteur]

Please stop spreading misinformations.
All of what you've said has already been proved untrue.
On the kickstarter page , you can see the very early work made on unreal engine 4. So Yes , we already have something in the game.
Second, sony is NOT funding the game.. the money goes to YS.net whose only goal is to make shenmue 3 happenning.
Third , it's shenmue , a project dead in the water for more than 15 years with no hope of being made otherwise.
Fourth, you can't expect a gameplay demo for a game that hasn't started develloppement yet , since , as explained by yu suzuki himself , most of the money for the project will come from kickstarter. you can't have a demo for something you haven't started to work on fully. ( just like there was no demo for bloodstained and just like there was no demo for mighty 9 ).

You are the one who lack common sense and you certainly lack the hability to do a simple google search for facts.

[GusBricker]

Then why isn't a Xbox One/Wii U or NX version, etc. included in the kickstarter, especially if they need that kind of money.

What a crock of shit this has turned out to be.

[MasterCornholio]

Because it would be more expensive to develop the game for additional platforms?

So they are playing it safe by sticking with the platforms with the largest install base.

[chaos999]

Don't be greedy Suzuki ^^

[tekksin]

Alls I'm sayin is if FF7 wanted a kickstarter, sony woulda gave them any dollar and cent they wanted lol.

[NNoyingHusband]

For anyone who is saying that Sony or someone else is providing most of the backing, Yu Suzuki himself has said that they are relying on individual backers primarily for financing. So stop spreading the lies that Sony will foot the bill entirely or for the most part!

[SegaGamer]

It feels like some people are trying to sabbotage this project by spreading false information. The gaming community wants this to happen, why can't these gaming journalists just shut up and get behind it too ?

[nyobzoo]

Adam Boyes talks about Shenmue 3 with Giantbomb and offers a little insight on how Sony is involved.

They start talking about it around the 51:20 min mark
https://www.youtube.com/wat...

If I had to guess, I say that Sony is marketing and the muscle behind the development but Yu Suzuki is the publisher. So whatever goals kickstarter hits, that is what will be in the game. Sony has no inputs into the game, they'll just be following Suzuki's orders.

[MasterCornholio]

That sounds quite strange.

:I

[fanboysmackdown]

As always when Sony is involved and it's at E3, things get murky, just like Last Guardian's upgraded PS3 graphics and FF7. Sony are the masters of E3 illusions. Let the hate fly.... don't care. Still am looking forward to Uncharted 4 and Horizon though as those titles are the real deal.

[TwoForce]

Well then.

[TwoForce]

Well, I argee that. But a lot of things happen, even it's good or bad. People will do anything to make sure this project to be funded. I'm not saying defending it or against it. You do know you have same reason to fight for Microsoft to make them become a king, right ? The same things with Playstation fans want to make sure Sony to become a king. No one is the worse or neither the best. We both have worse case scenario for a long time. But what piss me off, you said Sony fanboy is the worst and what about you ? Xbots are the worse just as Pony. You want to inorge the console war but you are in the console war because your troll and your " freedom " can cause people hate you and worse they can make you feel pain. Some people like you and some people don't like you. Don't bring fanboy into this because we both standing in middle of war that people never want this happen. It's not Sony fanboy or neither Microsoft fanboy cause this because the fanboys start the console war. Sony and Microsoft have both pro and cons, it's depend on their performance and we decided who can do better. If you like Microsoft then it's your opinion and if I like Sony then it's my opinion. Just don't be an arrogance. I respect Microsoft because I have honor. Well then, that's just my rant about this and fanboy.

[ShadowWolf712]

I'm curious, were people expecting them to outright abandon Team Ico's art style for the sake of photorealism?

[josephayal]

take my money

[TheDreamCorridor]

People do realise that Shenmue III is gonna flop hard, right?

Shenmue franchise has a history of over-production with under-performance.

Those two games were financial ruin for Sega. Sony being involved to a bare minimum is good in the end from a business standpoint, even if people don't want to admit it.

[Redempteur]

Who cares if it flops , the fanbase is asking for it. everyone is aware that it has limited appeal , or else they wouldn't require a kickstarter and some publisher would have tried years ago.

[ShadowWolf712]

I'm amused that people think that $10 million is gonna fund some open-world game when it took $47 million just to make the original Shenmue games.

Someone's reading into what he said. Odds are the amount of Kickstarter support is going to determine the amount investors, Sony included, are willing to put in... but no way it's solely Kickstarter money making this game.

[Keregan]

AHAHAH the final kick in the nuts, now the ponies start to realize that no Shenmue isn't exclusive, nor is FFVII remake, so that leaves Sony's E3 with Cod and Battlefront marketing deal (like dlc first who cares) more TV stuff. Basically, the real hilight were Uncharted 4 and Horizon, both looks gorgeous but will only release in 2016, the rest of the conference was smokes and mirrors. It's obvious that MS won that show hands down.