And you've had to pay full retail for the game before you've any idea what the end quality is going to be like. It's genius for games publishers as its guaranteed pre launch sales.

As I said earlier, I backed Bloodstained. I think it's a bit shady that deep silver then came in once it was funded. However if it was Konami, I'd have been wanting my money back given they had refused funding for all these years.

I'm looking forward to Activision's kickstarter for Call of Duty because they're just not sure the audience is there anymore. And EA doing one for FIFA to prove people want the licensed squads in their games...

I don't see it as a problem, it's a way of allowing people to achieve something that may have never happened. Obviously, there is great interest in Shenmue III but that was not so obvious to Sony or apparently Sega till now. We should be happy to get Shenmue III regardless of how it happened, I just hope Yu Suzuki and his team can deliver. No pressure

Just be happy its being made

Or it could have still died.

But then thousands of gamers would have already paid full price for the game (or more) without any recourse.

Making shenmue III was a risk for any company to fund. By starting it on kickstarter, you can literally properly measure how interested gamers are. There is really not much I can say that doesn't make sense. It raises eyebrows, no doubt but at the very least, SoNY should be able to properly finish funding and has the properly person to make sure it stays true to the original games.

I have backed ~50 game on kickstarter, 20 is out now, out of these 20, 17 is good and what i wanted, one is still patched and average but go in good way, and 2 have end bad...

For me kickstarter is amazing, cost less, get bonus, get involved in devs and make game who would not happenend otherwise !!

So, according to Shu Yoshida http://www.engadget.com/2015/06/17/an-intimate-chat-with-sony-playstation-shuhei-yoshida/

SEGA gave permission for Shenmue III on condition that it gets successfully Kickstarted. And Sony's involvement was possible only after that was the case. Of course, a free on-stage advertisement certainly helped the game reach its goal in record time.

Certainly with a fixed income, one might decide to fund a hyped project like Shenmue vs an indy title that really needs the money.

Don't like don't buy policy.

If Fifa and cod get there and raise 100-500M there what is the problem? People are free to expend or seek money as they want within the boundaries of law. Don't start drawing lines and asking special limits You don't want others telling you what you can or cannot do.

Seems like bitterness that games you preffer lose space, but you aint the center of the universe. So if 10M guys decide to fund cod 53 instead of 1k fund indie x that is what the Market wants. Bussiness, not charity or centered on you.

You know why I don't have a problem?

People already kickstart most major games anyway, it's called pre-ordering. It'd be a lot worse if the KS money only funded the game and people had to buy it again (with money that would go towards Sony/Sega).

I rarely pre-order though and I haven't backed this yet. Probably not and it looks like it really doesn't need my contribution at this point.