It attracted a cult following, appeared in several lists of the greatest video games of all time, and is credited for pioneering game mechanics such as quick time events and open worlds. It received positive reviews for its graphics, soundtrack, and ambition, though its slow pace and mundane detail divided players. Shenmue became the most expensive video game ever developed at the time, with an estimated production and marketing cost of $47–70 million, though this also covered some of Shenmue II (2001).ĭespite sales of 1.2 million, Shenmue did not recoup its development cost and was a commercial failure. Development moved to the Dreamcast in 1997 and the Virtua Fighter connection was dropped. In 1996, Sega AM2 began work on a role-playing game for the Sega Saturn set in the Virtua Fighter world.
The environmental detail was considered unprecedented, with numerous interactive objects, a day-and-night system, variable weather effects, non-player characters with daily schedules, and various minigames.Īfter developing several successful Sega arcade games, including Hang-On (1985), Out Run (1986), and Virtua Fighter (1993), director Yu Suzuki wanted to create a longer experience, and conceived Shenmue as a multi-part epic. The player explores an open world, fighting opponents in brawler battles and encountering quick time events. It follows the teenage martial artist Ryo Hazuki as he sets out in revenge for the murder of his father in 1980s Yokosuka, Japan. Shenmue is a 1999 action-adventure game developed and published by Sega for the Dreamcast.
With an estimated delivery of December 2017, you might be hesitant about paying for a game at least two years away, but there's no need to worry with 31 days left in the campaign, there's still plenty of time to think.Action-adventure, life simulation, social simulation It looks like some heavy hitters are happily stepping up to the funding plate as well: so far, three $10,000 pledges which included rewards of a dinner with Yu Suzuki and a Shenmue script set have already gone, as well as one $10,000 pledge for the original Ryo's jacket.
$29 still gives new backers a digital copy of Shenmue 3 on PS4 or PC, with numerous rewards for higher pledges up to $500 for a toy capsule box set with four figures. Besides, Xbox already had its turn at exclusivity with Shenmue 2, and it sure went well for Dreamcast.
Only with Sony's help could Shenmue 3 ever be a reality, and after 14 years, it's safe to say another beloved series becoming a PlayStation exclusive isn't so bad, Xbox be damned.
However, there's a reason Shenmue 3 was announced at Sony's E3 press conference, and also is a PlayStation 4 and PC exclusive it's being published by Sony. " Our ambition is to deliver a Shenmue experience that will draw in newcomers to the series and reward diehard fans with its deep story and rich gameplay."Īccording to Suzuki, "With the advent of games using Kickstarter during these past few years, the new and now frequent demand from the fans has been, “Do a Kickstarter for Shenmue 3 !”Ĭonsidering that Shenmue was the most expensive video game at its time with a $70 million budget, it might seem odd that its Kickstarter goal is such a low figure. The sequel to the classic open world action RPG games Shenmue and Shenmue 2, Shenmue 3 will be built using Unreal Engine 4 and have "new fight mechanics to achieve a new level of interactive storytelling," according to its Kickstarter.