You might want to dial back your hype for Shenmue 3 just a smidgen. Series creator Yu Suzuki has recently stated on a Reddit Q&A that the game’s Kickstarter campaign will need to go far beyond its $3m goal if it’s to ever be “truly open world.”
I will say this: if we reach the $5 million mark, one of the things I really want to do with Shenmue 3 will become a reality. At $10 million, it will truly have the features of an open world.
After its record-breaking climb to the original goal of $2m, Suzuki has confirmed since that the game has several financial backers that are providing funding for the title, but for Suzuki to fully realize the vision he has for Shenmue 3 – that is, making it fully open world – the campaign will need to reach a cool $10m.
But he doesn’t want to stop there, either. In the same Reddit Ask Me Anything session, Suzuki stated that, if Shenmue 3 is successful, he aims to make a fourth and possible fifth game to give the series a proper send off.
There are a total of 11 chapters that make up the whole story,” said Suzuki. “Over the past 14 years I originally planned for there to 4 or five games to the series. If at all possible, I would still like to realize the full story of 11 chapters.
What are you thoughts on the development? Are you just happy that Shenmue 3 is happening regardless of its final form, or are you concerned about its ability to deliver on 14 years of hype? Let us know in the comments below.