Shenmue 3's budget finally reached $20 million and do you realize OG Shenmue's serie cost was in fact less than $70 million because there was marketing bullshit (more likely between 47-70. Plus, you must divide cost several times for Shenmue Saturn alpha, Shenmue 1, Shenmue 2 and a part of Shenmue 3).
Even with the help of Sega of Japan, i really doubt a "shockwave'" in the industry. Now, open worlds can reach 1000 staff (around 200 for OG Shenmue) and gameplay elements of Shenmue 3 didn't convince a lot of people.
Yu Suzuki is a legend but had his time...
I don't care about Rovio.
But i just saw several polls on era years ago, good replacement or not, fair or not, Yakuza is more popular than Shenmue on Era (more voters than Gaf)
Maybe Shenmue can win a poll on Gaf but it's a more niche forum for now.
Sorry.
Shenmue III was held back by a lot of different elements. One of the most important factors was Sega didn’t let Yu use the fighting engine for Shenmue/Virtua Fighter. He had to construct an entirely new system on a limited budget. He had to keep kickbackers in mind due to their contribution being a third of the entire budget for the game.
Sega effectively shot him in the foot from the get go. Whatever else he could throw in the game was barebones. Because a brand new fighting engine likely took up a good chunk of development time. On top of this he had to effectively create a world that still felt like Shenmue, while following his plan for this Chapter of the story.
Shenmue was never open world, and I don’t think that is what he envisions. It is a game that provides the illusion of one, due to its carefully crafted nature, attention to detail, and freedom to explore. Inside of that is a very linear game that follows an adventure game style, coupled with a normally in-depth fighting system and hoards of mini-games. It’s effectively a game inside of a game. The story of Shenmue pushes you forward, while the little things keep you coming back.
I can’t knock Yakuza for becoming a popular game, it is good at what it does. However, I do not think it is an innovative series. Shenmue was, and its effects across the gaming landscape are still being felt today. I think it’s fair to say Yu Suzuki would push whatever boundaries he thinks are worth doing if he has the budget, and in those circumstances a new Shenmue game may not even end up exactly what fans imagined, or even wanted.
But it could end up being another great thing for the gaming industry as a whole. Chances look slim though with SEGA acting like a buffoon.
