My Shenmue journey wrap up @GDC 2014, meeting with Mark Cerny, Yu Suzuki and MORE!
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UPDATE 3 (After Shenmue 3 Kickstarter): well, congratulations! Shenmue 3 is officially REAL and in a sudden turn of unexpected events I have personally got involved with Shenmue III project officially, please visit: Bit.ly/shenmueambofficial (Twitter.com/novinworksplus) to stay in touch. Thank you very much everyone! For more always: http://novinworks.com (Disclaimer: This update is been put here way after Shenmue 3 announcement and E3 2015 and it is in NOT associated with previous updates and original post!)
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Update 2: Regarding #5, Insert Coin Clothing is set again to release a new Shenmue item.
Update 1: Regarding #1, I was correct, as you saw Yu Suzuki has revealed Virtua Fighter Combo Fever, more info here.
Original Post:
1-As I learned from Mark Cerny, Yu Suzuki is trying hard to find publisher(s) and he is all around, talking to everyone, trying to get his project done, as it is not easy to convince companies in order to spend on such large scale projects these days.
So from the looks of it Shenmue 3 is still in Yu Suzuki's top priority list and he is doing his best to find different options, at this point if he pulls off anything it can be to raise money for the future of Shenmue, so it will be cool if we can show any kind of support, so let's make sure that we will check his company's official web site for further info IF anything: http://www.ysnet-inc.jp/
Also, back in Shenmue postmortem session at GDC 2014, I was able to notice tears (most likely due Shenmue memories) in Yu Suzuki's eyes while he was delivering his speech, something that perhaps LIVE cameras were not able to easily capture, I have no doubt that Suzuki san wants to deliver the full Saga and SEGA can let him to make it if they can figure out the funding issue just like Mark Cerny.
He is truly such a nice and kind man, I can talk about him forever, but let's keep this short.
3-I think right now it's an important time for us to keep asking more publishers for help, as wierd as it might sound since this is SEGA's in-house IP and they're not a small company but considering titles such as DOA5U (x VF5) or Project Zone X and some other examples we can not say such unexpected things are impossible.
Maybe time to include SONY, Microsoft, Nintendo, Valve, Bandai Namco, Tecmo Koei, CAPCOM and others companies more in our tweets along @SEGA_Official all together!
Something like this: @Playstation_jp @Xbox @Nintendo @NamcoGames @TecmoKoeiUS @CAPCOM-Unity @SEGA @SEGA_Official Please help #SaveShenmue
There's also a new division @SEGA called SEGA Networks and their twitter is @SEGA_NWS
4-By the end of GDC 2014, I attended an event where I met some SEGA of JAPAN's key staff, they were several talented people who have previously worked on hits such as Ryu Ga Gotoku (Yakuza Series), Binary Domain, Panzer Dragon, Phantasy Star Online and Project Diva and of course due game industry's rules I could not directly ask them about Shenmue but one of them said, we can tell you this much that at SEGA, we hear or see something about Shenmue via social media (Facebook, Twitter) and forums at least few times almost everyday! Before saying good bye to them, I could learn from them that SEGA's current departments such as Dept #1 (Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio) and AM2 are completely active. If so I believe that they are truly capable of developing any AAA and of course let's not forget Yu Suzuki's own YSNET company which perhaps can have some kind of cooperation with them if necessary and possible. 
5-Yu Suzuki might have been really considering the time, as most of the Shenmue series is still unreleased and he may have to conclude it sooner rather than later, so let's start a whole new level of full support! To get you started I'm sure that most current active communities such as Shenmue Dojo fan site and Shenmue 500K FB group will provide more posts and solutions shortly.
E3, Games Com and TGS are all ahead, so the future can be brighter than the past, also let's do not forget about SEGA's interest by giving us Shenmue goodies such as clothing, figures and Ryo in SEGA All Stars Racing games (recently)! They're owning and keeping the Shenmue IP, so there should be chances for Shenmue HD-remakes and Shenmue III.
At the end I want to thank you all for the engagement, hard work and pushing me to my limits in order to attend events such as GDC, put effort for Shenmue and get some things done in te game industry these past years. Without you it would have not been like this.
Special Thanks to Zimming and others for keeping in touch with me during the GDC 2014, love you all, this way or another I am sure we will help Suzuki san and the industry to #SaveShenmue someday.
Before we close this, I just want to share few personal ideas that may help us planning our next steps for the future of series (IF it can become possible):
1-Joint Publisher Idea:
Considering the high costs of next gen dev for the first year or two, and Shenmue's epic scale (visuals, audio, mechanics, motion, tools and etc) one publisher may not be enough!
So what if other companies can team up with SEGA and Suzuki-san? Remember Project X Zone? Or Tecmo Koei, didn't they present SEGA's character in DOA5 very well?
I don not know...but this is just a simple idea which maybe possible or may not.
2-The MIX idea:
Joint Publisher or publisher + Kickstarter (crowdfunding)!
Maybe never tried really, or at least we don't know today but it can be definitely studied.
3-MGSV Ground Zeros Prologue-like Idea:
Selling a portion of the game in the form of a prologue to grab some money that goes right into the development of the remaining chapters in a short amount of time.
I just hope YouTubers such as Angry Joe or media outlets such as Polygon don't give it a 5/10 like they did for MGS due shortness!
I think Kojima did this to save his AAA territory and MGS IP from any possible failure or loss to mobile and social games which are bombing right now plus making FOX Engine alone should have cost them tons of resources and money so to me his move was super smart.
Remember these 3 are all some quick simple basic ideas at this point, tomorrow will be a new day and who knows what can become possible or happen.
Regarding system:
Regarding the system I believe PS4 and maybe PC are good options as I learned during GDC that Xbox One might never sell in Japan (there is a two sided problem with marketing and developer's interest over there) plus Nintendo may strike back with a new system (so Wii U might be risky too as it's production may stop and ending up with a smaller fan base similar to Dreamcast).
Of course it is any developer's wish to get their game on as many as platforms possible but with that comes other costs that may not be easy to handle. Yet alone any exclusivity right if happens.
My most memorable moment of GDC:
R
ealizing how nice and kind Suzuki san is again, when he went up stage I shortly waved my hands, like Hey Hi, it's me! And he nicely replied back with the same body language and a smile. If you want to keep in touch with me and my team please follow / click the links below.
http://facebook.com/novinworks
http://twitter.com/novinworks
http://novinworks.com
I am usually more active over those pages and can get back to you faster.
Thank you everyone! #SaveShenmue #GDC2014 #YuSuzuki
A. N, March 2014
posted by novinworks @ 6:15 AM
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