Gaming

Shenmue 3: What Is Sony Actually Doing?

Published

9 years ago

June 24, 2015

Shenmue 3 got the crowd cheering when the trailer was shown at Sony’s E3 press conference. When it started playing, the crowd went wild. Halfway through the trailer, it was slipped in that Shenmue 3 needed funds through Kickstarter. The crowd fell silent for a few seconds.

Then the trailer ended and the applause resumed, but people still weren’t quite sure what was going on. Shenmue creator Yu Suzuki stepped onto the stage and a countdown appeared on the screen. And when it ended people didn’t quite seem to know what they’d been counting down to.

Of course, we all know by now that the countdown was for the launch of the Kickstarter campaign for Shenmue 3. It was a little awkward to see the E3 presentation, watching Suzuki and the suit tell the crowd they’d only get a sequel to their beloved Shenmue II if they forked over $2 million. Watching the crowd try to comprehend what was happening was even more awkward, because it was so unexpected. It’s just weird to see a company the size of Sony asking for Kickstarter funds.

That wasn’t the only weird thing about the Shenmue 3 reveal. For one thing, $2 million is nowhere near what is needed to create the game. The first Shenmue cost $70 million to develop, to put it into perspective. Over on Reddit, Suzuki held an AMA to talk about the campaign’s stretch goals. He said they really need $10 million for it to “truly have the features of an open world.” He also said that the game has other financial backers, including Sony.

It’s all a bit strange, isn’t it? Sony has said the $2 million Kickstarter was really more of a way to measure public interest in Shenmue 3 than a serious step towards funding, but something about that doesn’t ring true. There are plenty of ways to measure public interest in something. Most of them don’t involve a huge corporation sucking upwards of $2 million out of the public’s pockets. And having one of the world’s biggest corporations use the world’s biggest gaming stage to announce a campaign on Kickstarter – a site built to allow start-ups to seek funding – seems almost comical.

The decision to launch the campaign at Sony’s E3 conference has, of course, been widely criticised for some very good reasons. Some people worry that the $2 million of Kickstarter funds are just going to Sony, which seems unlikely. What’s more likely is that Sony actually has next to zero confidence in the profitability of Shenmue 3. Of course, that makes their inclusion of its Kickstarter campaign in its E3 press conference pretty strange. Maybe its inclusion was just a result of the bad judgement of some Sony executive.

Not much is known about the precise funding arrangements of Shenmue 3, which Suzuki has said is due to the privacy policies of the various backers. But it would certainly be interesting to know just how much of Shenmue 3’s funding is coming from Sony. It might answer some of the (many) questions about what’s going on.

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Rhiannon Nee

Rhiannon likes video games and she likes writing, so she decided to combine them. As well as writing about video games, she also belts out the occasional science fiction or fantasy story, edits videos, and eats strawberry oreos. In that order.

Gaming

Helldivers 2 has quickly become one of Sony’s top-selling games in the US

Published

3 days ago

May 2, 2024

Zach Riley

Helldivers 2 proved to be a surprising success, highlighting the unpredictable nature of the gaming industry. As per Circana analyst Mat Piscatella, it currently ranks as Sony’s seventh highest grossing game in the United States to date, trailing behind a trio of Spider-Man titles, a couple of God of War games, and Ghost of Tsushima. It’s only been on the market for less than three months and is not even being sold at full price.

According to Piscatella, a significant factor contributing to the game’s success is its release on PC. He mentioned that, based on Circana’s Player Engagement Tracker, the game has consistently ranked first in terms of active users on Steam in the US since its launch, including April. The release of Helldivers 2 on both PlayStation and PC has been an extraordinary triumph.

He stated that Helldivers 2 has already become the seventh highest-grossing Sony-published game in history. Without a PC, it would not currently be considered one of the top 20 games. While I’m emphasizing the success of the PC SKU, it’s important to note that I’m not disregarding the success of the PlayStation SKU. I just wanted to clarify that. This launch has proven to be incredibly successful.

Prior to the release of Helldivers 2, Sony made it clear that they would be launching their live service-style titles simultaneously on both the PS5 and PC. The success of this approach will undoubtedly strengthen their strategic vision. It will be intriguing to witness if the company reveals official sales figures in the near future, as the title appears to be one of the platform holder’s most successful sellers to date.

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Gaming

The developer of Stellar Blade for the PS5 Expressing gratitude to the fans for their unwavering support amidst a recent controversy surrounding censorship

Published

3 days ago

May 2, 2024

Zach Riley

Shift Up, the Korean developer, seems to be reconsidering its contentious alterations to the Stellar Blade outfit. In a message to fans, they have urged everyone to stay tuned for updates and expressed gratitude for the passionate feedback from players. For those who may not be aware, a petition gained significant attention over the weekend when gamers discovered changes made to a few of the game’s costumes through a day-one patch.

The launch day update includes a fantastic New Game + mode, but some players were disappointed by the changes made to protagonist Eve’s outfit. These alterations sparked debates about censorship. Director Hyung-Tae Kim later clarified that this was the studio’s original vision, but he acknowledged that it may require further persuasion to win over users. Internal discussions were also underway to address any concerns.

Thanks to all our Stellar Blade fans for your passion & feedback. Stay tuned for updates🤍 pic.twitter.com/jCRzM4OQBS

— StellarBlade (@StellarBlade) May 1, 2024

There is no definitive confirmation regarding the reversal of the outfits, but considering the language used in the statement and the widespread controversy surrounding the alterations, it is highly likely that a future patch will restore the original costumes. If you want to get a sneak peek at all of Eve’s different outfits and learn how to unlock them, be sure to take a look at our comprehensive guide, All Outfits and How to Get Them.

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Gaming

Will Stellar Blade be available for PC?

Published

5 days ago

April 30, 2024

Zach Riley

It’s quite possible. Fans all over the world are interested in Shift Up’s highly anticipated action-adventure game, Stellar Blade. With its captivating post-apocalyptic setting reminiscent of Nier and a compelling protagonist named Eve, it’s no wonder the game has generated such widespread attention.

The game consistently impresses with its stunning visuals and high-octane action, leaving players in awe with each new trailer.

Yet, just like other noteworthy second-party and third-party game releases, fans are pondering: Will Stellar Blade be available on PC?

In this article, we delve into the details to determine the platform availability of the highly anticipated title.

Will Stellar Blade be available on PC? Allow me to provide you with the answer.

Unfortunately, Stellar Blade will not be available on PC, at least not initially. Currently, the game is only available on PlayStation 5 starting on April 26, 2024.

Regrettably, it appears that there is no indication of a potential PC release for Stellar Blade in the future. In most cases, trailers for PlayStation timed-exclusive titles conclude with a disclaimer that specifies the duration of their exclusivity.

In the Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth launch trailer, it is explicitly stated that the game will only be accessible on other platforms starting on May 29, 2024.

Regrettably, when it comes to the stellar blade, there is no indication of such.

It’s important to note that Sony Entertainment Interactive published Stellar Blade, unlike Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. This means that the chances of it being released on PC or other platforms in the near future are even slimmer.

However, it is worth noting that there is a chance the game might be released on PC in the future, given PlayStation’s track record of bringing their exclusive titles to the platform. However, it could be a while before this comes to fruition.

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