Is SHEMUE 3 KickStarter a marketing campaign?

[Fei-Hung]

I think it's what most people said, everyone knows Shenmue is a huge financial risk:

1) Sega died because of it
2) Sega & Shenmue fans didn't support it much at all on the Xbox leaving the trilogy to die
3) Shenmue 2 cost $70,000,000

It's a huge financial risk and more importantly it's a way to get fans to put their money where their mouth is. $2,000,000 is pittance considering how much Sony will be putting behind this if the kickstarter goal is met. This I think is just to see how much interest there is in a Shenmue 3 being made, whether people outside of core fans will buy into it and if there are enough core fans that will actually back it.

I've been waiting to see the end of this saga since Shenmue 1 was released on the Dreamcast. $29 for the game is nothing and if they offered a physical copy I would have happily paid $60. The fact Sony has managed to arrange for this to happen by navigating licensing issues, building a team around Yu Suzuki to bring it to where it is and to fund 90%+ of the game is a miracle in its own right.