We have some good news and some bad news for Shenmue fans, today. The bad news is that Shenmue 3 has been delayed, and is now scheduled to launch in the second half of 2018. The good news is that Shenmue 3 has been delayed. We’ll clear that up in a bit, but first, hear from Yu Suzuki, the game’s director:
“In many ways, the game has become bigger and more beautiful than I initially expected. We do, however, need more time to deliver the game to you. In order to achieve the game concept you supported and my sixteen year-long personal dream, we have revised the development schedule. We are moving ahead with a plan to release the game in the second half of 2018.”
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This has been received, believe it or not, with fairly open arms by the majority of Shenmue fans. Most of the time when a game is promised at a certain date, fans will be understandably upset with it is delayed. Shenmue 3 never did have a concrete release date, just a general window, and fans understand that the game is ambitious in scope and execution, much like the original two games.
This is a game that we have been waiting for for years, and something that absolutely needs to be done right. There isn’t a true Shenmue fan on the face of this planet who is interested in a rushed Shenmue game. Comments on YouTube and gaming forums have all echoed the same sentiment: “Good. Take your time. Get this right. Make the game we all want and deserve.”
It’s also important to keep in mind that Shenmue 3 is a crowd-funded game, not directly tied to the expectations or development timelines of a major investing publisher. This, much like the delay, should be seen as a positive thing. The creative team behind Shenmue 3 and the fans, as investors, are the two most important influential forces in this game’s development.
At this point, we’re just elated to know that Shenmue 3 is on the way. Hopefully we’ll see more gameplay soon, as we’ve heard that the game is further along than we’ve been let on. We’ll keep you up to date.
