All Articles: Shenmue III

The Kickstarter campaign for Shenmue III was one of a kind. And I mean that literally, as it eventually became the most-funded video game project of all time after 69,320 backers pledged $6,333,295 towards the development of the sequel.

That was a year ago, and now Yu Suzuki has offered an update on Shenmue III in a new video he recently posted to Kickstarter.

According to the developer, Ys Net started building a prototype of the game in January, and “battles and facial expressions are coming together.” Suzuki also confirmed that backer surveys are “still a ways off.” It’s not much, but it’s good to know that progress is being made.

Shenmue III is expected to be released for the PC and PS4 in December 2017.

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night and its record-shattering $5.545 million crowdfunding campaign was only able to hold on to the record for a month as Shenmue III‘s Kickstarter campaign surpassed it this morning. And fans still have a little more than five hours to add to its tally (currently sitting at $5.9 million), and further cement its status as the most-funded video game in Kickstarter’s history.

Game Director Yu Suzuki recorded a message for Shenmue’s many fans, thanking them for their support and inviting them to a special live broadcast to celebrate the end of the campaign. The livestream, which begins at 7:00 PM (Eastern Time), can be viewed at Twitch.TV/shenmue3official. Suzuki will be joined by Animation Producer Hiroaki Takeuchi, Main Character Designer Kenji Miyawaki, and other special guests.

And after that comes the hard part… waiting for Shenmue III’s December 2017 launch on the PC and PS4.

UPDATE: Shenmue III’s Kickstarter campaign closed with $6,333,295 in pledges, nearly a million dollars more than Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night.

The Kickstarter campaign for Yu Suzuki’s Shenmue III is nearing its end. With less than 36 hours remaining, the project has already racked up more than $5.1 million in pledges. Right now, it trails only Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night on the list of most-funded video games. To celebrate these milestones, Suzuki and his team at Ys Net have released a short scene from the game:

Ryo and Shenhua arrive at the Lake of the Lantern Bugs after their long journey. Entranced, they watch the gentle flight of the lantern bugs upon the mirage-like oasis.

Shenmue III still has a long way to go, but this is certainly a start. If all goes according to plan, it’ll be released for the PC and PS4 in late 2017.

Yu Suzuki and the team behind the Shenmue III Kickstarter campaign have announced that backers interested in a physical copy of the game for the PS4 can now obtain one if they pledge $60 or more. The news came down thanks to yesterday’s campaign update:

This is one of the most requested items on the list, and we are very happy to be able to include the Shenmue 3 PS4 Kickstarter Backer’s Edition as a Reward. If you are a Shenmue fan and PS4 gamer, this is the reward to have to commemorate the occasion!

Shenmue III’s Kickstarter campaign has been a huge success so far. As of this writing, the PC and PS4 game is 210% funded for a total of $4.2 million. Nearly two weeks remain on the campaign clock, so there’s a very real chance that Bloodstained‘s recent record-setting performance won’t stand for very long.