Kickstarted Shenmue 3 pushed into 2018

Years after breaking all kinds of Kickstarter records, Shenmue 3 becomes the first big game of 2017 to get the nudge into next year.

The first, not the last

As any gamer knows, every year brings a sometimes pretty big selection of massive games that get delayed. Sometimes this means to Holiday time, but most of the time it means into the following year.

I think last year might have been a high-water mark for that, but 2017’s delays have just begun. So, you never know. And they’re starting with a bang too, as Shenmue 3 has been tabbed. The game is monstrously anticipated. Actually, even as a non-fan of the series, I’m even anxious to see how it turns out.

Originally announced as a Kickstarter title, Shenmue 3 first dawned way back in 2015 at E3. Sony scored the coup, announcing it as a PS4 (and PC) exclusive title. Even with their backing though, it would still have to be Kickstarted to move forward. Take your pick as to whether that was a genuine effort (to gauge interest) or a pr stunt. Either way, it worked very well indeed.

Shenmue 3 scored big on the crowd-funding platform, raising over $6 million USD. As website MCV point out though, things weren’t exactly smooth from there on. Shenmue 3 ran into issues with money, and actually held another funding drive. *See the comments section (no, really) for more on this, as the second drive wasn’t billed simply as a push for more cash.

It seems that that might not be the issue here though, as Yu Suzuki says that the game is simply taking longer than he though it would. A bigger game is sure to please fans, even though the delay isn’t a fun prospect.

As to when we might finally see Shenmue 3 hitting retail, there’s no word. All we know at this point is that you won’t be able to drive a forklift or aimlessly roam around Shenmue’s world till at least 2018.

Source: MCV