Yu Suzuki has shared a new update on Kickstarter attempting to quell all concerns regarding Shenmue 3, including Sony’s involvement and the nature of the crowdfund.
Yu clarifies that based on the funding they have already received, Shenmue 3 will already be a true sequel in the Shenmue series. The extra funding will help them create a bigger world, with a gameplay feature at $ 5 million and a completely open world at $ 10 million, but again, Yu pledges they already have money to deliver a finished product.
Yu no longer hesitates to name Ys Net’s partners and their roles, perhaps because that silence was potentially jeopardizing the project. French studio Shibuya Productions and Sony are helping in production and marketing, and Sony will also help with publishing.
However, this deal still keeps Ys Net and Shenmue 3 independent of Sony. For comparison’s sake, last year’s remake of Grim Fandango was completely funded and published by Sony, and although they allowed it to be published on PC, that deal meant that the game would not be released on the PlayStation 4’s competitors.
If you need further proof of the game’s independence from Sony, you can check out the revised FAQ, with the section regarding Xbox One and Wii U ports now adding in Linux and Mac. Ys Net has still not decided on these platforms, including whether they will be stretch goals. It does say if these platform versions will be added as rewards, they will announce it on the updates page.
Clearly, $ 2 million isn’t nearly enough to do everything they and other parties would want with the game, and neither would the $ 3.6 million they have already raised. As of today, the crowdfund has somewhat stalled, and it is possible that it will never reach the much talked about $ 10,000,000 goal.
Are you still supportive of the Shenmue 3 Kickstarter? What do you think should Ys Net to regain trust of the public? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
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