In not too surprising news, the much anticipated Shenmue 3 has been delayed from its original release date of December of 2017 to the second half of 2018. In a brief update to Kickstarter backers, Shenmue creator and project Director, Yu Suzuki, explained the delay by saying “By utilizing new technologies, we have been able to discover new possibilities and expressions. 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.”
Originally announced at the 2015 PlayStation E3 press conference, Shenmue 3 was set to continue the story of Ryo Hazuki, which we last left in Shenmue 2 back in 2001. They launched a Kickstarter to help supplement and fund the title and asked for $2,000,000 to do so. Shenmue clearly stayed strong in people’s hearts as the Kickstarter went on to raise $6,333,295 and become the most successful video game Kickstarter game of all time.
While it’s always sad to have to wait to play a game you are truly looking forward to, a delay is, in most cases, for the benefit of the final project. As legendary Nintendo developer Shigeru Miyamoto has said, “A delayed game is eventually good, but a rushed game is forever bad.”
Are you saddened by this news? Were you one of the original backers of Shenmue 3? Let us know below and share your stories with this wonderful franchise!
