Ancient Game of “Go” Spotted in Shenmue

Did you know that Ryo's father was fond of the game of Go? It is also one of the world's oldest boardgames still played today, and is renowned for its depth of strategy - it was only recently that AI has been able to beat a top human player at Go (a feat accomplished by Google's DeepMind AI).

Today's article was contributed by Shenmue fan and longtime reader of the blog, JCGamer (visit his Twitter channel). Also in the latter part of the post is a response from the Shenmue III team regarding the possibility of a playable version of Go being included in a future Shenmue game.

Message from the Author

"I played Shenmue when it was first released on the Dreamcast here in Canada back in 1999 and it is one of my most fondest Christmas gifts. All these years later after shedding tears of joy over the Shenmue III announcement I am learning Japanese and still playing Shenmue 1 & 2 which I consider to be one of the most unique gaming experiences out there. I consider it something that transcends both games and movies in terms of immersion."
- JCGamer

The Game of Go: Overview

In Shenmue 1 you can spot a 9x9 Goban (Japanese name for a Go board) at the right-hand side of Iwao’s desk.

Note: the game of Shogi (Japanese chess) is also played on a 9x9 grid, but for this article the discussion will be about the game of Go.

Become a Patron!

Yu Suzuki's Keyword for 2018: "Immersion" [Famitsu.com]

Japanese website Famitsu.com has carried out their annual survey, interviewing 107 game creators to ask their resolution for the year ahead and personal direction for 2018. 

"Game Creators' New Year's Resolutions for 2018"

Yu Suzuki has taken part, and his responses are given below.

Yu Suzuki, CEO of YS NET.

Q: What is your keyword & New Year's Resolution for 2018?

YS: "Immersion": focusing all my energy on Shenmue III.

Q: Please give an update on the current status.

YS: Shenhua's face has finally reached a state I am happy with. A difference of just 1 mm can greatly affect one's impression.

Going forward, I'll be refining things like her expressions and hair.

Given the characteristics of physically-based rendering, my feeling has undergone a change: Shenhua should not be "made", but rather "fostered".

This last comment from Yu is an no doubt a reflection of his experience with Unreal Engine, compared to methods of creation of the past. It can also be appreciated that the fine-tuning of her character model is a gradual, on-going process in order to bring it into line with his vision.

Translation by Switch
Source (Japanese): Famitsu.com

Become a Patron!

2017 Yu Suzuki's End-Of-Year Comments to 4Gamer | Romance in Shenmue 3

Each year, 4Gamer.net asks a number of prominent figures in the game industry a few questions about the past year as well as thoughts for the year to come.

This year, they interviewed the largest number to date, receiving replies from 182 people. And of course, Yu Suzuki was again among those.

The four questions, which follow the same format each year, are:

• Out of the games released in 2017, which title(s) interested you most / had the most impact on you? 
• Of all the entertainment content released or shown in 2017, which title(s) made the greatest impression on you? 
• Which person/people caught your attention in 2017? 
• What are your plans for 2018, and could you also give a message for our readers? 

Read on to find out how Yu answered these for 2017.

Become a Patron!

Commentary on Kickstarter Update #78: "Then, Now and Tomorrow"

An animated greeting from the Shenmue III Development Team

As a Christmas Day present to backers, a new Kickstarter update has been released. In addition to the animated greeting above (which features Shenhua, Ryo and Chai), the main part of the update takes the form of a video interview with Yu Suzuki reflecting on the past 2.5 years since the announcement as well as looking forward to the year ahead.

The interview was conducted by Hiroaki Takeuchi, Shenmue III's Animation Producer who also worked together with Yu as an animation advisor on the original Shenmue.

Related link:

• Video interview with Hiroaki Takeuchi, Shenmue III Animation Producer (July 2015)

In this post we will highlight some of the main topics Yu mentions, as well as pointing out one or two minor corrections for the English subtitles.

Become a Patron!

Merry Christmas 2017 from PhantomRiverStone.com

Merry Christmas Shenmue fans from the PhantomRiverStone.com blog! Thank you for your support during the year. I'm really looking forward to what is sure to be an exciting 2018 for Shenmue.

Here is a slice of Christmas-time atmosphere on Dobuita Street to enjoy. ♫♪

Yes, they even pipe out festive music from speakers on the lampposts - it would be amazing if they mixed in some of the Shenmue tunes too...

Become a Patron!

Shenmue Master's Interview with Yu Suzuki | Gamescom 2017

A new interview with Yu Suzuki conducted by French fansite Shenmue Master at Gamescom 2017 in Germany has been released.

A special aspect of this interview is the thoughtfully-chosen questions on aspects we do not often hear Yu talk about, presented with illustrative footage and narration explaining the motivation behind each of the questions.

The interview reveals Yu's thoughts on an appropriate pacing for Shenmue III, how the increased budget may allow a certain character to appear more often than originally planned, and the symbolism behind the hawk / eagle in the game.

View the video below (note: ensure YouTube captions are turned on).

Become a Patron!

Interview with Yokosuka City | The Story Behind the Shenmue Guide Map

The recent publication of an official Shenmue-themed tourist guide map for Yokosuka has caused a buzz of excitement within the Shenmue community. The result of a collaboration with SEGA, the two-sided 3-fold pamphlet oozes quality and the care that has been taken in putting it together is apparent at a glance.

Shenmue fans may also be wondering about how the map came to be created. Many questions come to mind, such as: was it something proposed by SEGA? How long did it take to create such a detailed document? What prompted the project at this particular time?

Armed with such pressing questions, I got in touch with the guide map's co-creator, Eriko Furusaki of the Tourism Planning Division within the Yokosuka City Economic Department, who very kindly agreed to give us some insight into how the map came to be.

Become a Patron!

"Sacred Spot" Guide Map: Official English Version

The official English version of the Shenmue "Sacred Spot" Guide Map of Yokosuka has been released on the Yokosuka City website.

Download link

The map can be downloaded in pdf form here:
http://www.cocoyoko.net/pdf/shenmue_yokosuka_map_EN.pdf (Wayback Machine link)

Become a Patron!