The “Shenmue 3” kickstarter event proved to be successful as it generated $6.3 million to become the video game with the biggest kickstarter fund in history.
The “Shenmue” game kickstarter fund surpassed the $5.5 million acquired by Kogi Igarashi’s “Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night.”
Ys Net, the game developer, was only expecting $2 million from the kickstarter event, Gamespot reported. Because the fund exceeded the expectations, a number of stretch goals were reached that will expand the game’s scope to include skill tree and rapport system, as well as additional quests and expanded areas.
Series creator, Yu Suzuki greeted fans in a video on YouTube and said that he and the fans had shared a dream in the past 14 years, and that now is the time to make their dream of “Shenmue 3” a reality.
The event was first introduced at the E3 press conference last month which was meant to acquire enough funds to revive the game. Suzuki said the project would result in a full Shenmue experience and said that the fate of the game is in the funder’s hand. Suzuki said that $2 million is enough to start work on the project.
Though Suzuki noted that in order for “Shenmue” to become an open world game, the kickstarter fund must reach $10 million. Nevertheless, Suzuki said he will make what he can within the budget from the funder’s money. The series creator also assured fans that the fund will not go to Sony, which is involved in the project, because it will be strictly committed to game developing.
The kickstarter project offered some promotional incentives to engage fans to donate for the game. For fans who will donate $39, they will get an exclusive “Shenmue 3” wallpaper set and have their names added to the game’s website. The project also offered a $2,500 backer reward which includes the character busts created when designing the game’s main character, Polygon reported.
“Shenmue” developers also presented a chart of goals that will be determined by the fund that they would acquire. The amount of the fund after the kickstart project will determine how developers will improve the game. For example, $6 million for expanded battle system and advanced free battle, $6.5 million for ragdoll reaction, $7.5 million for high ground battle system, $8 million for mini games X4, and expansion of Choubu area, $8.5 million for kung fu mastery, $10 million for the expansion of Bailu village and $11 million for magic maze.
For years, fans have been clamoring for the return of the series or any development to the game. It has been 14 years since the second installment of the “Shenmue” series was released on the Xbox in 2001. Since then, there have been rumors and reports of continuing the series but nothing came out. The only games to bear resemblance to “Shenmue” were an ill-fated MMO and a shuttered mobile game.
Suzuki made it known that he wanted to continue the “Shenmue” series. The game developer said in 2011 that he really wanted to create “Shenmue 3” but lack of resources and fund hindered his ambition. For his plan to materialize, he needed a big sponsor for the game because he thought that only 200 people will buy the game. The original “Shenmue” game costs $70 million to develop which at that time was very expensive for a video game, though Suzuki said it was only $47 million as the rest were spent on promotions and marketing.
However, Suzuki said that he would not feel complete if “Shenmue” ended in the second game, and there are also fans clamoring for a third installment in the series. Suzuki has been planning to start the project. The game developer also added that they have already finished the storyline and they just need to develop the game.