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Shenmue 3: What Is Sony Actually Doing?

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Shenmue 3

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.

Shenmue 3 Kickstarter Trailer

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.

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.

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Sony is reportedly engaged in discussions to form a partnership for a potential bid on Paramount

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There hasn’t been much buzz lately about any new acquisitions in the world of video game intellectual property. According to a recent report, Sony is currently engaged in discussions with a well-funded partner to potentially acquire the renowned film studio Paramount, along with all the exciting possibilities that come with such a merger.

As reported in the New York Times (thanks, ResetEra), Sony Picture Entertainment is reportedly in discussions with Apollo Global Management, an investment firm, as per two sources familiar with the matter. In the past, Apollo had made an offer to acquire Paramount for a minimum of $26 billion, but their bid was ultimately turned down.

The terms of the joint bid are currently under discussion, and there is a chance that the two parties may decide against making a formal offer. Unnamed sources have revealed that Paramount is currently in exclusive discussions with Skydance, preventing any official offer from being made at this time. Investor opposition to the recent deal that Skydance brought seems to have been significant.

The potential impact of such an acquisition is immense. First and foremost, it would introduce adaptations of Sonic and Halo into the expanding media empire of the PlayStation platform holder. Following the announcement, Paramount’s stock experienced a significant 11% surge in after-hours trading.

What are your thoughts on the news? Is there a possibility of Sony acquiring Paramount? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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Helldivers 2 Players Face Overwhelming Hordes of Factory Striders

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In the ongoing conflict against the Automaton invasion fleet, the Helldivers 2 players have successfully halted their advance. However, the situation has now reached a tiresome stalemate. Yet again, the machines refuse to take a break from their relentless pursuit of progress, with reports emerging of the Factory Striders being deployed in record-breaking quantities.

There have been reports of alleged machines that were supposedly encountered during Operation Swift Disassembly, which was just the beginning of a larger campaign. However, these accounts should be taken with a grain of salt, as they are unverified and seem to be more on the imaginative side. Factory Striders have gained a reputation as formidable weapons platforms that can produce more Automatons while enduring significant damage. If the machines are able to withstand such a relentless assault, it will be necessary to develop innovative strategies.

Have you come across groups of Factory Striders in Helldivers 2? Which strategies are proving to be the most effective in taking down these armored brutes? The Orbital Railcannon Strike will prove to be a valuable asset in the comments section below.

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Todd Howard affirms that the timeline of the Fallout series is coherent and well-constructed

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The recent release of Amazon’s adaptation of Fallout has ignited a renewed interest in the series and brought attention to the captivating alternate history that forms its foundation. Fans have expressed concern that the TV show’s events might be at odds with the plot of the Obsidian Entertainment video game New Vegas. Warning: Spoilers ahead for New Vegas and Amazon’s show!

Bethesda Game Studios director Todd Howard and Fallout TV executive producer Jonathan Nolan recently sat down with IGN to discuss the timeline. Howard was taken aback when showrunners Graham Wagner and Geneva Robertson-Dworet presented him with the surprising concept of obliterating Shady Sands, the bustling capital of the New California Republic, in the aftermath of the events in New Vegas. Howard eventually warmed up to the idea: “After discussing it, we realized that this could be a significant story moment that many things hinge upon.”

It seems that they had to make some tough decisions to ensure everything fell into place, but Howard emphasizes the importance of preserving the integrity of the Fallout timeline: “We take great care with the timeline. There seems to be some confusion in certain areas. However, all the events from the previous games, including New Vegas, did occur. We take great caution in that matter. We’re really pushing the limits here, but the explosions occur right after the events of New Vegas.

What are your thoughts on this? Is it up to par? Even though it may not have a significant impact on the overall quality of the games or show, it is comforting to know that those in charge are paying attention. We value your feedback and would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below.

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