Shenmue 3 Expands Stretch Goals to a Whopping $11 Million

The Shenmue series is one of the most unique and imaginative creations the gaming industry has ever seen. Yu Suzuki’s vision paved the way forward for dynamic 3D open-world games and even though Shenmue was a niche franchise, it created a very passionate following. However, the tense cliffhanger at the end of Shenmue II left fans yearning for a finishing ensemble to this beautiful trilogy. SEGA’s demise and exit from the console market dealt the final blow and it seemed the hopes of a Shenmue revival were very optimistic. Why? Well, it’s important to recognize that Shenmue I cost $47 million to make back in 1999 on the Dreamcast. As a result, it’s difficult to fathom how anything less than $10 million could come close to becoming a faithful recreation. Yu Suzuki himself clarified that $10 million is the base figure to construct a true open world environment.

Shenmue 3’s funding has been a rollercoaster ride and already set a world record by receiving the initial $2 million target in 24 hours. Since then, the rate of financial support has curtailed off and it looks set to miss the $10 million figure. Of course, there could be a sudden surge with 21 days to go, but things aren’t looking too promising. Recently, the stretch goals expanded to $11 million which indicates the game might actually need $15 million+ to faithfully honor Yu Suzuki’s concept. There’s still some doubt if a 3rd party such as Sony will contribute the existing funds but it seems unlikely. I think this is a little shortsighted given the brand recognition Shenmue has and it could pave the way to a wealth of successful sequels.

How do you feel about the Shenmue kickstarter? Are the funding objectives too unrealistic?