'Shenmue 3' quickly smashes $2 million Kickstarter goal
The long-awaited sequel to the iconic Dreamcast franchise Shenmue is really happening. Shenmue 3, unveiled by series visionary Yu Suzuki at Sony's E3 press conference, has already hit $2 million on Kickstarter. It's almost certainly a crowdfunding record, and means fans will get to play as Ryo once more on their PS4 and PC. Given that Sega doesn't have an E3 booth this year, the game's revival is certainly a shock to fans. The original titles were cult classics on Sega's last console, but many assumed the publisher had given up on a third entry. The company is a little busy developing Sonic and Angry Birds crossover games for mobile, after all. That's why it wasn't surprising to hear that in order to fund a third entry, the Shenmue team is striking out on its own. The Kickstarter campaign is essentially an open challenge to fans: You say you've always wanted this game, now prove it.
With $2 million in the bank, Shenmue 3 is now slated for a December 2017 release. Of course, the game still has until July 18th to gather support, and the team has a raft of stretch goals including rapport and skill tree systems, extra mini games and an expanded Baisha Village. In addition to new gameplay from The Last Guardian and a confirmed Final Fantasy VII remake, this E3 has proven to be pretty special for Sony and PS4 owners.