Shuhei Yoshida gets in a supports the Shenmue 3 Kickstarter – with $29!

PlayStation Lifestyle have recently conducted in interview with Sony’s head honcho Shuhei Yoshida.

One of the subject matters covered off in this interview was the Kickstarter for Shenume 3

Yoshida is quoted as stating that “Suzuki is “flexible” in terms of Shenmue 3’s scope” and also added that he himself has actually contributed $29 to the game’s Kickstarter drive.

The Shenmue franchise is supported by a large passionate community, when the announcement was made at Sony’s E3 press conference last week that the fans of the franchise could get their hands on Shenmue 3 if they all chipped in enough, there was an enormously large and positive response from the crowd.

To catch the full interview be sure to visit PlayStation Lifestyle however for the moment here is the interesting part:

So, the Shenmue 3 (Kickstarter) is the same way (as Amplitude). You know, they are passionate fans – a larger number of fans than Amplitude was – but it takes more Shuhei Yoshidamoney to produce a new Shenmue than a new Amplitude. So, it’s not a SEGA project. SEGA owns the IP, but it’s Yu Suzuki-san studio’s project, and his company is a very small indie studio. So he was exploring how to make Shenmue 3 because he wanted to continue the story and there are lots of fans, like in the video, kept asking him “where’s Shenmue 3?” So SCEA  third-party department  was able to agree with Suzuki-san and SEGA, so if the Kickstarter campaign is successful, then we know SCE third-party group will support in many different ways, including some funding. So, in order to make the Kickstarter successful, we decided to put the announcement in the press conference, because lots of people watch it. And then, it’s now successful, so it’s happening.

Suzuki-san, I think he’s being flexible in terms of the scope of the project. Depending on the funding, he will decide what will be Shenmue 3.That’s his message in the video – what game it will become depends on supporters – I supported it as well. I paid $29. [Laughs]