Shenmue III’s Yu Suzuki Confirms: “Sony & Shibuya Productions Are Not Seeing A Cent of the Kickstarter Funds”

Shenmue 3 4Ready to set the record straight,  Shenmue III creator Yu Suzuki revealed some details about the situation between the already successful Kickstarter game and its supporters Sony and Shibuya Productions.

Shenmue III surfaced on the crowdfunding platform last week and gained over $3 million in three days. The game is described as the true sequel to the classic open world acion RPG games, Shenmue and Shenmue II. Immediately following the debut of the campaign, criticism began to rise because of the rumored high profile Sony and Shibuya involvement.

During a recent update on the Kickstarter campaign, titled Shenmue III’s Funding and Budget StatementSuzuki announced:

“There have been many questions concerning Shenmue III’s budget and what outside sources will be added to the money collected through Kickstarter. I apologize for not having been more forthright in this area and would like to take this opportunity to help clarify the situation.

 

Shenmue 3 2“Ys Net and I have been putting in many long years trying to find a way to bring back a sequel that so many fans have waited so long for. After learning of Kickstarter, I knew it would be possible to get Shenmue III 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.

 

“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 III’s development. It is also important to note that your funds are going strictly to Ys Net for development of Shenmue III – Sony and Shibuya Productions are not seeing a cent of your Kickstarter dollars.

 

Shenmue 3 3“The outpouring of support from all of you, the backers, has been so inspirational. I cannot thank you enough. Having reached our funding goal, I am excited to say that the Shenmue story will go on, and our journey with Ryo and Shenhua will continue. Fans will be able to enjoy the sequel they have waited so long for, and newcomers to the series will be introduced to a unique gaming experience.

 

“Of course, like with any Kickstarter, additional funding will only help us make a better game. On top of everything Shenmue III will already bring, the Stretch Goals that I have laid out will add extra quests, events, and new gameplay systems that will make the game even more immersive and take the series to the next level. 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.

 

Yu Suzuki“Even if these Stretch Goals are not reached, Shenmue III 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.

 

“I understand this statement may by late in coming. Going forward, we wish to be as open as possible concerning the game’s development. I would like to again ask for your cooperation and support in helping make Shenmue III the best that it can be.”

Meanwhile, with 22 more days, the Shenmue III has raised $3.6 million from 45,000 backers.


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