Ys Net has revealed a new character set to appear in Shenmue III, as well as announced that production team Lakshya Digital is lending a hadn with character production.
Regarding the new character, pictured above, Ys Net says, “We gave a first look of this character earlier. You’ll have to wait and see how she fits in with the temple in the background.”
Here is Ys Net’s introduction of Lakshya Digital:
Shenmue III will have a host of new, compelling characters from all walks of life.
And while we can’t say just how many, it will be a lot! The game art studio Lakshya Digital will be cooperating with us to bring these great characters to life. Lakshya Digital is based in Gurgaon (one of India’s financial and technology hubs) and has studios in Pune and Seattle, where production work for the game is underway.
Shenmue III is due out for PlayStation 4 and PC in the second half of 2018. It will be published both physically and digitally by Deep Silver.
Ys Net has released a special video interview with Shenmue series creator Yu Suzuki conducted by animation producer Hiroaki Takeuchi on the production of Shenmue III titled, “Then, Now, and Tomorrow.”
The official Shenmue III holiday 2017 greeting card was also released:
Get the video interview and transcript below.
Hiroaki Takeuchi: It’s my pleasure to be here today.
Yu Suzuki: And mine as well.
Hiroaki Takeuchi: It is a treat to sit down and have a talk with you.
Yu Suzuki: Thank you very much.
Hiroaki Takeuchi: Since that surprising announcement two and a half years ago, how have things gone overall during that time?
Yu Suzuki: Time sure has flown by. Putting the team together took quite an effort, but I feel the team we have now is a good one. The real fight starts here.
Hiroaki Takeuchi: I see. I’d like to hear your take on these past two years working on the game development and team staffing, and if anything has gone particularly well or rather not so well.
Yu Suzuki: Sure. Using Unreal Engine 4 has been a first for me, but it allowed for more conventional techniques than I expected, which in turn also brought with it completely new efficiencies. Along with those two points, it has allowed us to bring the graphics quality past what I had first envisioned.
Hiroaki Takeuchi: I have also been keeping a close eye on how the graphics look, and they get better every time I come to check. Do you feel they are fitting in more with what you had imagined?
Yu Suzuki: Yes, the graphics are certainly improved over what I had in mind. While there are of course things that would not compared to a triple-A title, they are better than what I had originally planned for and have started to come into their own.
Hiroaki Takeuchi: Very exciting.
Yu Suzuki: The thing that has been harder than expected for me has been using the engine as is. Because as someone who used to write everything from code, I want to see and touch what’s inside, but can’t.
Hiroaki Takeuchi: I can imagine. Having previously created games starting by writing the programs, you would have some of that here to a degree. And along those lines, what do you feel has represented the most challenge, or rather turned out well in terms of development?
Yu Suzuki: Well, one thing I do feel better about lately is Shenhua. You could say she is my life’s work, and along with her expressions for one, I know I must forever keep on making improvements. It is a work without end. Both Ryo and Shenhua. I think we are now at the point with Shenhua’s model that I can say it finally is something I can approve of. Now it is a matter of getting the expressions and movements right.
Hiroaki Takeuchi: As fans already know, Shenmue hosts a wide variety of characters. How does character development look? Will there be even more characters to pack in?
Yu Suzuki: That’s right. In December—well it’s already December—so this month it looks like we’ll really be upping the count. It will go up to around 100 characters. The character design studio Lakshya Digital is working with us now, and we are seeing some really great models. I know these characters will make an impact and leave an impression.
Hiroaki Takeuchi: Can we expect characters wthat we won’t be able to unsee? (Laughs.)
Yu Suzuki: I can say that. (Laughs.) They’ll have some personality, shall we say. Look forward to them. They’re fun just to look at.
Hiroaki Takeuchi: Is there anything that you want to work on the most? Is there any challenge you want to take up?
Yu Suzuki: Well… I want to do something a little different with the battles. When it comes to fighting, there are things that I want to make my own, so I was thinking to do things a bit different from last time. We have been running some tests. It is not a game like Virtua Fighter that is about the timing. So, I hope… it will take the form of a puzzle game that anyone can play, with strong emphasis on choreography.
Hiroaki Takeuchi: Well! Is that to mean you don’t have to rely as much on play skill? Do you picture then fights blended into cutscenes to some degree?
Yu Suzuki: They may be influenced by whether you pick up some item, and so on. Incorporating more puzzle-type elements. That’s what I would like to do. And QTEs, along with other things.
Hiroaki Takeuchi: Can’t forget the QTEs.
Yu Suzuki: It would be nice to do a different kind of QTE.
Hiroaki Takeuchi: So much to look forward to. Can we expect to see these features added soon?
Yu Suzuki: Don’t expect them too soon. (Laughs.)
Hiroaki Takeuchi: So, we talked about the characters before. The different facets of character development are coming together, but what is the progress on the character voicing?
Yu Suzuki: Ryo had been decided early on, but we couldn’t find a Shenhua. That is until very recently. We had a lot of auditions.
(*Concerning the Japanese voice actors: The English voice actors for the main characters have almost all been cast. Remaining casting and recording will continue next year.)
Hiroaki Takeuchi: Congratulations.
Yu Suzuki: It was just two days ago.
Hiroaki Takeuchi: That certainly is news!
Yu Suzuki: Yes, it is. Most of the other parts have been cast, and the voice acting auditions are almost finished.
Hiroaki Takeuchi: I see. Will we at last get to recording in 2018.
Yu Suzuki: That’s right. We will get at it starting in 2018.
Hiroaki Takeuchi: I think it is time to wrap it up, but lastly, would you like to say something to all of your backers?
Yu Suzuki: 2018 has been the year we breathed life into the Shenmue characters. Daily life is vital to Shenmue, and is a major theme throughout. The most important part of Shenmue is how the characters go about their casual lives. This year we set ourselves up to accomplish that. I want to thank you all again for your continued support.
Hiroaki Takeuchi: Indeed! We will keep our hopes up for everything ahead.
Yu Suzuki: Yes, please.
Hiroaki Takeuchi: Alright, then. Thank you for speaking with me today.
Yu Suzuki: And thank you.
Shenmue III is due out for PlayStation 4 and PC in the second half of 2018. It will be published both physically and digitally by Deep Silver.
Ys Net will debut new screenshots and gameplay details of Shenmue III during Monaco Anime Game International Conferences (MAGIC) 2018 on February 24, Shenmue III partner Shibuya Productions announced at the press conference for the event today.
Guests at MAGIC 2018 include:
Yu Suzuki (Shenmue III)
Yoji Shinkawa (Kojima Productions)
Oskar Guilbert (Dontnod CEO)
Philippe Moreau (Vampyr director)
Vampyr will also have a live demonstration. The Nintendo PlayStation will be playable. And Eur 100,000 investment award game creation contest will be held with Jordan Mechner (Prince of Persia creator), Philippe Moreau (Vampyr) and Maxence Devoghelaere (last year’s winner) on the jury.
A few new screenshots of Shenmue III were shared in advance of its MAGIC 2018 appearance.
Shenmue III is due out for PlayStation 4 and PC in the second half of 2018. It will be published both physically and digitally by Deep Silver.
Shenmue I & II announced for PS4, Xbox One, and PC
《莎木1&2HD》正式公布 2018 年内发售亚洲独占 PS4 海外版登入 3 大平台
在今天举办的Sega Fes活动上,世嘉正式公布了传闻已久的《莎木1&2HD》。《莎木1+2合集》将在 2018 年登陆 PS4、Xbox One 以及 PC 平台。游戏在保留原版特色的同时也有诸多改进,比如分辨率全面提升;现代/经典操作设置选择;PC画质选项;改进的用户界面;日语/英语配音自由切换。
Sega has announced Shenmue I & II for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. It will launch worldwide in 2018. In Japan, it will only be released for PlayStation 4.
Here is an overview of the game, via Sega:
Since their original release, Shenmue I & II have established a passionate following and are revered as one of gaming’s greatest series of all time. These revolutionary masterpieces deliver a gripping story of retribution as Ryo Hazuki sets out to avenge his father’s death and attempts to unravel the secrets behind a mysterious artefact known as the Dragon Mirror.
Shenmue I & II comes complete with the original feature set that defined modern gaming, including enthralling jujitsu combat, investigative sleuthing, and RPG elements in addition to memorable mini- games. Shenmue I & II is set within engrossing real-time open worlds that feel truly alive thanks to day-to- night cycles and weather changes, with a population of civilians who follow their own schedules.
This is the definitive version of these all-time classics and will be the best Shenmue experience to date. The re-release will stay true to the originals with modernised features including fully scalable screen resolution, choice of modern or classic control schemes, PC graphics options, an updated user interface and the option to enjoy either the original Japanese or English voiceovers.
Along with our publishers, Deep Silver, we have an announcement for the release date of Shenmue III. Our report follows with a comment from Mr. Suzuki.
Announcement by Deep Silver
“Deep Silver today announce that their upcoming release Shenmue III has been moved and will now release in 2019.
The extra time will be used to polish the quality of the game even further, to the high standards it deserves and release the product in the best possible timeframe.”
Comment by Yu Suzuki
To all of our backers, we are very sorry for the delay. After much discussion with our partners, Deep Silver, we have concluded that extending the release will allow us to deliver Shenmue III at its best. We promise to use this time to improve the quality of Shenmue III.
We cannot thank you enough for your enduring support.