You’ve actually gotta hand it to Shenmue followers. Few online game fandoms have been this persistent in efforts to maintain alive a cult hit. Their newest motion: Renting out a video board in New York’s Occasions Sq. to demand a publishing companion staff up with collection creator Ys Web to ship a Shenmue 4.
As IGN factors out, quick ads within the coronary heart of Manhattan can nonetheless value as little as $40, so it’s not like this was a mighty crowdfunding marketing campaign just like the one which raised tens of millions in 2015 and delivered Shenmue 3 in 2019. It’s nonetheless a formidable gesture of loyalty to a online game collection that obtained the traditional sport trending on X (the previous Twitter) and grabbed plenty of mainstream consideration.
Broadcast stay throughout our #Shenmue Day stream, #LetsGetShenmue4 hit the streets of New York with a full on 15 second commercial on Occasions Sq.! 🏙️
Shenmue followers do some insane issues to attempt to get recognised…are you watching @SEGA @SEGA_OFFICIAL?👀 pic.twitter.com/gzfLzQWZb9
— Shenmue Dojo 🐉 (@Shenmue_Dojo) June 4, 2024
The marketing campaign obtained began after collection creator Yu Suzuki gave an interview in early Might during which he stated he was down for a Shenmue 4, assuming a publishing companion could possibly be discovered. That’s all Shenmue followers wanted to listen to. The hashtag #LetsGetShenmue4 began trending on Tuesday because of a coordinated social media marketing campaign led by the fansite Shenmue Dojo.
Why is Shenmue so in style?
For these unfamiliar with the sport, Shenmue (1999) and its sequel Shenmue II (2001) have been action-adventures following the story of protagonist Ryo Hazuki. Basically a martial arts combating sport, Shenmue and its sequel have been early exponents of the fashionable open-world strategy, going up to now to ship an immersive story for Ryo’s life that gamers ended up driving forklifts and doing different menial jobs, whereas additionally visiting arcades to purchase gachapon toys or play traditional Sega arcade cupboards. Shenmue is extensively celebrated for its no-detail-is-too-small strategy to Ryo’s life.
Shenmue and Shenmue II have been additionally intently related to the Sega Dreamcast, the final console that firm produced, nonetheless revered (and lamented) by hardcore video video games fanatics because it was discontinued in 2001. They held a torch for the collection for nearly 15 years till Suzuki appeared at PlayStation’s E3 2015 keynote to announce a crowdfunding effort to create Shenmue 3. It raised its preliminary aim of $2 million lower than 9 hours after the preliminary announcement, and ended up elevating greater than $7 million to assist develop a sport that in the end launched in 2019 on PlayStation 4 and Home windows PC.
Whereas the crucial reception to Shenmue 3 was middling to nonplussed, Shenmue followers reveled within the supply of a long-demanded sequel, in addition to the fan service it represented and their grassroots triumph in getting it printed. Clearly they’re feeling the identical vibes once more with this newest marketing campaign. And who might begrudge this type of enthusiasm, actually?
We’ll see if any writer picks up the bit, although. Deep Silver was the Shenmue III writer, and its mum or dad firm, Embracer Group, has been staggered by layoffs and a collection of costly bets on licensed titles that didn’t pan out. It has since offered off Warhammer 40,000 Area Marine 2 studio/writer Saber Interactive and break up into three spinoff firms as a part of an total cost-saving technique meant to appease restive traders.
