With E3 season right around the corner, most people are already kicking things off with their own dreams, predictions and truly wishful thinking. For many years, Shenmue III was part of each category - until it actually happened. Now officially on the cards, the team have updated the original Kickstarter page with a new progress report.
While the report may only clock in at just under a minute long, it offers answers to two frequently asked questions; 'Will there be new characters?' and 'Will we see more at E3?'. While the first would be an obvious 'Yes' response, the second likely took much more thought. The answer? No.
The video itself focuses on one of the new characters in a way that only really raises more questions than it answers. Mainly - who is this burly fellow? We're taken through the process of repeatedly watching character animations while the team pays close attention to any 'dents' in the polygon work. It's an interesting way to introduce a character outside of a game; one that will lead to a reputation following him into the final game. "Oh. It's morning aerobics guy.", we expect to hear from now on.
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The introduction of a new character isn't what leads to the cries of disappointed fans as the team announces their lack of involvement with E3, however. That's in the update post text itself. "While our schedule has yet to be finalized, we will be devoting June to game development and as a result, will unfortunately not be participating in any game shows.". Though it doesn't specifically mention E3 by name, June is its month. It's blunt. It's obvious. It stings like an arrow.
Of course, that doesn't totally rule out the plan. There have been plenty of instances in the past with developers attempting to lower expectations just so their surprise appearance feels even more potent. By the time Shenmue III was revealed, people were beginning to understand that it might just never happen. That changed. This can change. Just don't hold your breath.
Still mentioned as a December 2017 release on Kickstarter, Shenmue III's omittence from E3 will likely strike fear of delays into the minds of the many. We can hope it won't happen, but Kickstarter estimates have rarely been accurate.
