Shenmue 3 Breaks Another Kickstarter Record - Update

[Lizzy Finnegan]

Shenmue 3 Breaks Another Kickstarter Record - Update

[kickstarter=ysnet/shenmue-3]

With hours remaining, the campaign for Shenmue III has become the most-funded video game Kickstarter of all time.

Update: The Kickstarter campaign for Shenmue III closed at 9:51 PM EDT with a total of $6,333,295 pledged.

Original Story: On June 16 Shenmue creator Yu Suzuki launched a Kickstarter campaign in order to obtain funding for the long awaited third installment in the Shenmue franchise, making the announcement [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/conferences/e3-2015/14121-shenmue-3-kickstarter-announced-at-playstation-e3] during Sony's 2015 E3 conference. The campaign broke a record on day one when it became the fastest crowdfunded game to reach $1 million, and became fully funded just hours after it went live.

Today, with mere hours left before the campaign closes, Shenmue III replaced Bloodstained, seventh most funded of all Kickstarter campaigns [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/141147-Castlevania-Producer-new-game-Bloodstained-Successful-Kickstarter].

The final hours of the campaign will be counted down live via Twitch stream [https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ysnet/shenmue-3/posts/1296558] beginning at the times listed below:


Yokosuka: July 18, 8:00AM JST
Hong Kong: July 18, 7:00AM HKT
Bailu: July 18, 7:00AM CST
Los Angeles: July 17, 4:00PM PDT
New York: July 17, 7:00PM EDT
Berlin: July 18, 1:00AM CEST
Paris: July 18, 1:00AM CEST
Rome: July 18, 1:00AM CEST
London: July 18, 12:00AM BST
Moscow: July 18, 2:00AM MSK
Seoul: July 18, 8:00AM KST


You can tune in here to watch the stream when it begins.

[Twitch=http://www.twitch.tv/shenmue3official]


Permalink

 

[Draconalis]

Yawn.

Get back to me when it's raised 85 million like Star Citizen.

 

[Scars Unseen]

Yawn.

Get back to me when it's raised 85 million like Star Citizen.

Star Citizen "only" raised $6.2M during its Kickstarter campaign(through a combination of KS and Paypal). So Shenmue is pretty close to beating them on that front. As for the funds raised afterward, that's less crowd funding and more pre-ordered microtransactions. It's certainly been effective, but not quite the same thing.

 

[Draconalis]

As for the funds raised afterward, that's less crowd funding and more pre-ordered microtransactions. It's certainly been effective, but not quite the same thing.

That's the way it may seem and how people might treat it, but that's now how it's intended. You're pledging an amount and as a reward they give you an item.

It's still crowdfunding. All of the money is going towards the development of the game in one way or another.

I'd also like to point out, that at a certain pledge level for all of these games on kickstarter, you get a copy of the game. One could easily call that a pre-order as well.

 

[Scars Unseen]

As for the funds raised afterward, that's less crowd funding and more pre-ordered microtransactions. It's certainly been effective, but not quite the same thing.

That's the way it may seem and how people might treat it, but that's now how it's intended. You're pledging an amount and as a reward they give you an item.

It's still crowdfunding. All of the money is going towards the development of the game in one way or another.

I'd also like to point out, that at a certain pledge level for all of these games on kickstarter, you get a copy of the game. One could easily call that a pre-order as well.

That's a fair point, and one I don't entirely disagree with. I do think there is a tangible difference between a system that asks you to pledge once and one that gives in-game rewards for pledging multiple times though. It's the same difference between a game that asks for your money up front and one that has in-game purchases available. Star Citizen's funding strategy targets the same sort of impulse buyer that microtransactions do, so I think the comparison is still valid.

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

Well this is what happens when you get people to invest hours and days into a story that ends on a cliffhanger and an authoritarian chop from sega's anxiety axe. Yet they continued to fund poor sonic to his boom doom. Half life is almost the opposite where the funds are definatly there, just not the developer's desire. Actually I have no real motive for posting this at all, just the crazed old ramblings of a lost soul perhaps.

 

[Draconalis]

That's a fair point, and one I don't entirely disagree with. I do think there is a tangible difference between a system that asks you to pledge once and one that gives in-game rewards for pledging multiple times though. It's the same difference between a game that asks for your money up front and one that has in-game purchases available. Star Citizen's funding strategy targets the same sort of impulse buyer that microtransactions do, so I think the comparison is still valid.

I've never tried to pledge twice on any kickstarter project I've put money in, so I'm not sure if it stops you or not. If it does, I'd say your point was pretty solid. If it doesn't nothing stops people from doing for any kickstarter that they do with Star Citizen.

Star Citizen just incentivizes you to not put money down and forget about the project as they continue to work.

I THINK the Yuka-laylee project is sitll accepting money post kickstarter.

 

[Scars Unseen]

That's a fair point, and one I don't entirely disagree with. I do think there is a tangible difference between a system that asks you to pledge once and one that gives in-game rewards for pledging multiple times though. It's the same difference between a game that asks for your money up front and one that has in-game purchases available. Star Citizen's funding strategy targets the same sort of impulse buyer that microtransactions do, so I think the comparison is still valid.

I've never tried to pledge twice on any kickstarter project I've put money in, so I'm not sure if it stops you or not. If it does, I'd say your point was pretty solid. If it doesn't nothing stops people from doing for any kickstarter that they do with Star Citizen.

Star Citizen just incentivizes you to not put money down and forget about the project as they continue to work.

I THINK the Yuka-laylee project is sitll accepting money post kickstarter.

I believe that KS just lets you increase your pledge during the campaign rather than make multiple pledges. And yeah, I think it's becoming more common for developers to continue accepting Paypal pledges after the KS campaign. Few, however, are as easily monetized as Star Citizen. Hard to compete with highly detailed starships on that front.

And I'd just like to point out that I'm not really bashing Star Citizen for this. It's a hugely ambitious game, and none of the stuff they are giving in exchange for pledges is exclusive(to my knowledge), so it is different than the sort of microtransactions that I find toxic in the mobile gaming sphere. I pledged my initial amount during the KS campaign, and because of all those impulse buyers, I'm getting a much larger game than I might have otherwise.

Mostly I'm just giving my reasons why I don't think that Star Citizen's situation is all that comparable to other crowd funded games.

 

[Draconalis]

[

And I'd just like to point out that I'm not really bashing Star Citizen for this. It's a hugely ambitious game, and none of the stuff they are giving in exchange for pledges is exclusive(to my knowledge), so it is different than the sort of microtransactions that I find toxic in the mobile gaming sphere. I pledged my initial amount during the KS campaign, and because of all those impulse buyers, I'm getting a much larger game than I might have otherwise.

Mostly I'm just giving my reasons why I don't think that Star Citizen's situation is all that comparable to other crowd funded games.

I never thought you were. You're making points and I'm making counter points.

I know it's rare on the interne t, but I figured we were just having a nice discussion.

If I came off as aggressive in any manner, I assure you. I'm not trying to be.

 

[Oly J]

as one of those who finished Shenmue II on the Dreamcast and waited as long as anyone for Shenmue 3's announcement, this makes me happy (and yes, you're damn right I've backed it...well technically I took the PS4 physical copy reward, you might call that preordering, this is the only instance I've ever done that) I don't have a point to make or anything I'm just happy for the success here

 

[Scars Unseen]

[

And I'd just like to point out that I'm not really bashing Star Citizen for this. It's a hugely ambitious game, and none of the stuff they are giving in exchange for pledges is exclusive(to my knowledge), so it is different than the sort of microtransactions that I find toxic in the mobile gaming sphere. I pledged my initial amount during the KS campaign, and because of all those impulse buyers, I'm getting a much larger game than I might have otherwise.

Mostly I'm just giving my reasons why I don't think that Star Citizen's situation is all that comparable to other crowd funded games.

I never thought you were. You're making points and I'm making counter points.

I know it's rare on the interne t, but I figured we were just having a nice discussion.

If I came off as aggressive in any manner, I assure you. I'm not trying to be.

No, no, you've been great. I am having a conversation with a person on the internet and it is great. Would you like some tea? All I have is Japanese though.

 

[Draconalis]

No, no, you've been great. I am having a conversation with a person on the internet and it is great. Would you like some tea? All I have is Japanese though.

Only if it's green tea and you have the appropriate little sugar snacks.

 

[Scars Unseen]

No, no, you've been great. I am having a conversation with a person on the internet and it is great. Would you like some tea? All I have is Japanese though.

Only if it's green tea and you have the appropriate little sugar snacks.

It's a sencha [http://www.amazon.com/Japanese-Iyemon-CHA-Matcha-Sencha/dp/B00OMRJQYI/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1437176871&sr=8-3&keywords=iyemon+cha] blend, and quite delicious. Not sure about sugar snacks, but I do have matcha cookies.

 

[Outcast107]

No, no, you've been great. I am having a conversation with a person on the internet and it is great. Would you like some tea? All I have is Japanese though.

Only if it's green tea and you have the appropriate little sugar snacks.

It's a sencha [http://www.amazon.com/Japanese-Iyemon-CHA-Matcha-Sencha/dp/B00OMRJQYI/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1437176871&sr=8-3&keywords=iyemon+cha] blend, and quite delicious. Not sure about sugar snacks, but I do have matcha cookies.

Whats this? A internet conversation that is decent?!?!

A large influx of BEES SHOULD PUT A STOP TO THAT!


OT: Eh, never play the game so don't see the big deal. Though glad people get to enjoy their favorite game once more.

 

[RaikuFA]

No, no, you've been great. I am having a conversation with a person on the internet and it is great. Would you like some tea? All I have is Japanese though.

Only if it's green tea and you have the appropriate little sugar snacks.

It's a sencha [http://www.amazon.com/Japanese-Iyemon-CHA-Matcha-Sencha/dp/B00OMRJQYI/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1437176871&sr=8-3&keywords=iyemon+cha] blend, and quite delicious. Not sure about sugar snacks, but I do have matcha cookies.

Whats this? A internet conversation that is decent?!?!

A large influx of BEES SHOULD PUT A STOP TO THAT!


OT: Eh, never play the game so don't see the big deal. Though glad people get to enjoy their favorite game once more.

Got any room for MORE BEES!!!?

 

[Blazing Hero]

I am super happy with the outcome. I actually put down $1400 because I was so excited.

 

[hentropy]

And now the waiting begins... we can only hope now that there's enough interest generated to get HD remakes and to finish the series for good.

 

[FogHornG36]

Well this better be good, because if its not, it will be the literal destruction of kickstarter.

I know that sounds like hyperbole, but this is the biggest campaigning ever, it was launched at E3, and backed by a major video game company.

 

[ccggenius12]

Got any room for MORE BEES!!!?

(Somehow,) THE SITUATION HAS ONLY BECOME MORE CIVIL WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF MORE BEES.

OT: I don't have ready access to the first two, and this is a direct continuation. This means I'll be waiting for the actual release, when I'm sure Sega will smell the easy money. Besides, CoolMiniorNot keeps eating all my discretionary income with THEIR Kickstarters.

 

[RaikuFA]

Got any room for MORE BEES!!!?

(Somehow,) THE SITUATION HAS ONLY BECOME MORE CIVIL WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF MORE BEES.

OT: I don't have ready access to the first two, and this is a direct continuation. This means I'll be waiting for the actual release, when I'm sure Sega will smell the easy money. Besides, CoolMiniorNot keeps eating all my discretionary income with THEIR Kickstarters.

I'll only buy 3 if I can get 1 and 2 remastered.