More disappointment for backers.
Kickstarter backers for the upcoming, and long-awaited, Shenmue 3 have been hit by another wave of bad news as developer Ys Net have confirmed only those who pre-purchase the standard or the deluxe edition at retail receive any bonuses.
The news came from user Chairmanchuck on the forums of ResetEra, who inquired about what bonuses Kickstarter backers can expect to receive for their backing. He then posted the response:
We apologize for the long delay in responding. Your feedback is appreciated and we will look into having your noted points in future updates.
Standard and deluxe versions released through retail sales are not affiliated with the crowdfunding campaign, so will not be included with backer pledges, however, they will be available for sale separately. Kickstarter Backers will receive the Kickstarter version, Slacker Backers will receive the Slacker Backer version. Both have unique content respective to their versions not available in the retail versions.
A season pass is not included.
Trial version release date info has yet to be confirmed and will be announced in the updates when details are available. You will be receiving your trial trial version, but we must ask for your patience for a little longer.
There will be more information following in the days ahead concerning updates.
It’s another blow to dedicated fans who took the time and money to back the game. The run-up to the release of Shenmue 3 has been somewhat tumultuous with the changes happening to what backers are going to receive. Many were already not happy regarding a Steam key being promised for PC users right up until E3 when series creator Yu Suzuki confirmed during the PC Gaming Conference that the game would be exclusive to the Epic Games Store (EGS).
They then initially refused to offer refunds to backers, though since then Epic has been offering returns for those not wanting an EGS key. This new information comes as an added blow and post-launch content are likely to require a purchase if backers wanted more content from the game.
The game is due to release on November 19th.
