After backlash about briefly refusing refunds, it seems Shenmue III Kickstarter backers will not be receiving any retail exclusive content with their keys.
The controversy of Shenmue becoming a time Epic Games store exclusive on PC has been well-documented, but now there’s a new problem plaguing the crowdfunded game. People who backed Shenmue III will not receive access to retailer-exclusive content, despite receiving the game and some exclusive content of their own.
“Standard and deluxe versions released through retail sales are not affiliated with the crowdfunding campaign,” Ys Net stated,” so will not be included with backer pledges. They will be available for sale separately.” While this makes sense from a business standpoint, with retailers having paid to get said exclusive content, it means that backers who already paid for the game will not be getting the complete version.
This decision becomes even more baffling when you consider that both the Kickstarter and Slacker Backer editions have exclusive content of their own. Throw in a season pass that has undefined content and is also not being given to backers and this becomes an utter nightmare for anyone trying to evaluate their purchase options – or if they’re still satisfied enough to want the game!
If you’re still interested, Shenmue III will be coming to PlayStation 4 and Windows PCs via the Epic store on November 19th. I’ll be real with you: if you want to get into Shenmue, just play Yakuza instead. I haven’t touched either, and I can still see the difference in fun factor in even the earliest Yakuza titles. To all those who have backed this game and are committed, good luck.
