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Creator Yu Suzuki Addresses Some Questions About Shenmue III's Non-Kickstarter Funding
Series creator Yu Suzuki has offered an admitted late response to inquiry about how Shenmue III could possibly be made with only a $2,000,000 Kickstarter campaign.
We knew Sony would be helping to support the project both financially and in an assortment of behind-the-scenes ways (like announcing the Kickstarter campaign during its E3 press conference), and though much of those numbers are still mysterious, Suzuki elaborated a little bit on the support in a the most recent update on the game's Kickstarter page.
Suzuki writes of wanting to bring the series back, "After learning of Kickstarter, I knew it would be possible to get Shenmue 3 started. Wanting to make the best game possible, I also knew that I would have to look to more traditional means to obtain all the funds that would be needed to create the game I had envisioned." He continues by writing, "Sony and Shibuya Productions have been wonderful partners because they believe in Shenmue and want to see the best for the fans and the game. Their investment in (and support of) Shenmue have helped to realize a sequel that will stand proud with its predecessors. While it is not business practice to discuss the specific details of such arrangements, I can say that with their assistance on the production and marketing end, and in Sony’s case with some publishing support as well, Ys Net is able to use more of the money we collect through Kickstarter purely for Shenmue 3’s development."
Suzuki also offered some teases for stretch goals in the update writing, "At the $5 million mark, there will be an all new gameplay feature I would be excited to be able to add to the Shenmue legacy. If we should make the $10 million Stretch Goal, a much larger, completely open world will be yours to explore." He did assure, however, that even if the Kickstarter doesn't grow any larger (the game currently has $3.6 million dollars from backers) that the game will release. "Even if these Stretch Goals are not reached, Shenmue 3 will already be a sequel true to its name, and one we can all be proud of. It is my hope though, that together we can make this Shenmue just as revolutionary as the first two were," Suzuki writes.
You can check out the full update by heading here.
For an interview with Suzuki about the announcement and his legacy, head here.
[Source: Kickstarter]
Our Take
Kickstarters are tricky, as Mike Futter pointed out in a previous opinion piece, and though Sony is helping to make sure the game gets completed and will likely be helpful on many levels, I definitely understand concerns from backers about where their money is going and if Suzuki really needs it to complete the game. His update is still somewhat vague, but ultimately I'm glad to see that the game is being made, even if we all already know how it will end.
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