■ Who Gets a Survey?

Surveys will go out to all backers who pledged on Kickstarter and those who pledge on the Slacker Backer up through August 13, 2018 at 11:59 p.m. JST (7:59 a.m. PT).

*Backers will receive an email with instructions for the survey once preparations are complete. Surveys from Fangamer will be sent within 10 business days from the date of your pledge.

■ When will Surveys close?

Surveys will close September 30, 2018 at 11:59 p.m. JST (7:59 a.m. PT). We please ask that everyone respond by this time. We need your responses for game production and reward manufacturing, so make sure to respond within the survey period.

■ Can I Upgrade My Reward?

Reward upgrades (and add-ons!) will be available through the Fangamer survey site. We have received many requests asking about possible reward tier upgrades and add-ons, and now is the chance! *Please note that upgrades are available up to the $250 tier level.

For more information on the available upgrades and add-ons, please visit Shenmue III on Fangamer.

■ Which Reward Tiers can be Upgraded?

Reward tiers differ between the Kickstarter and Slacker Backer campaigns, so please see below which reward tiers can be upgraded.

*Backers who selected “No Reward” during the Kickstarter are also eligible for this service.

Kickstarter Reward Tiers that can be Upgraded

• $5 USD – Shenmue Lives
• $29 USD – Digital Copy
• $39 USD – Save Shenmue Digital Upgrade
• $60 USD – Physical Copy – PC
• $60 USD – Physical Copy – PS4
• $80 USD – Shenmue III World Telecom
• $100 USD – Shenmue 3 Trial Version
• $120 USD – Toy Capsules “I Should Buy One”
• $160 USD – Bonus Pack
• $175 USD – Printed Art Book
• $250 USD – Kickstarter Collector’s Edition

Slacker Backer Reward Tiers that can be Upgraded

• $13 USD – Digital Soundtrack
• $29 USD – Digital Copy for PC or PS4
• $30 USD – Shenmue III T-shirt
• $60 USD – Physical Copy for PC or PS4
• $100 USD – Shenmue III Trial Version
• $120 USD – Toy Capsules “I should buy one.”
• $160 USD – Bonus Pack
• $175 USD – Printed Art Book
• $250 USD – Shenmue Collector’s Edition

■ $7 Million Stretch Goal in Reach!

The Kickstarter and Slacker Backer campaigns combined currently stand at $6.9 million. We are almost at the $7 million stretch goal for the AI Battling battle system expansion! This is the last chance for stretch goals and we ask for your continued support!

*The Slacker Backer campaign and upgrades & add-ons through Fangamer will end on August 13th.

Battle System Expanded: AI Battling

This control system lets you automatically unleash the perfect technique in response to the opponent’s positioning and distance. R&D for this system is based on Yu Suzuki’s concept for players who are not used to fighting games or for those who want a full immersion battle experience. This battle system is highly compatible with the current battle system, and will be implemented upon reaching the stretch goal.

We would like to thank everyone for your patience and the inquiries you sent in anticipation of the survey roll out!

Once we have your responses in, we will continue to move forward with in-game implementation and manufacture ordering. This is a wonderful moment with the dev team and backers taking the project forward together! We’ll be looking forward to your responses!!

■ Shenmue III Backer Survey

Backer surveys are now underway. For information on your survey, please see the email sent to you by Fangamer. Shenmue III can only be completed with your responses! Thank you for your cooperation!!

Please complete or make any necessary changes to your survey by these dates.

• Monday, August 13, 2018: Last day of Slacker Backer campaign, reward upgrades and add-on.
• Sunday, September 30, 2018: Surveys closes.

For further information, please visit:

• Survey Support and Survey Resender

Choosing the PS4 or PC platform

We have a few notes to consider when choosing your platform. Also, if there would be any major changes in the requirements for either the PC or PS4 versions, the platform selection question of the survey is scheduled to remain open.

Choosing your PS4 region

Your PS4 region will be decided with your “Country” selection. Please note, if the disc region differs from PS4 system region, the unit itself, PlayStation Network online services or DLC may not function properly.

System Requirements for PC Version

• OS: Windows 7 x64, Windows 8 x64, Windows 10 x64 (64-bit OS Required)
• Processor: Intel Core i5-4460 (3.40 GHz) or better; Quad-core or better
• Memory: 4 GB RAM
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti or better (DirectX 11 card & VRAM 2GB Required)
• DirectX: Version 11
• Network: Broadband internet connection
• Storage: 100 GB available space
• Sound card: DirectX 9.0c compatible sound card
• Additional Info: Requires Steam Client to activate.

*Game is currently in development so system requirements may change without notice. We thank you for your understanding.

Fangamer and Third Party Use of Personal Information

Ys Net has a written contract with Fangamer to carry out the backer surveys. Fangamer is a formal representative of Ys  Net to help process and fulfill all backer’s orders through the surveys. Personal information is handed over and treated in accordance with the privacy policies of both companies for the purposes of conducting the surveys and reward delivery only. We thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

Have you gotten the Shenmue III survey yet? Which console are you getting it for? Discuss in the comments below!

Via Gematsu 

Endless Space 2, Amplitude’s Studios’ latest sci-fi 4X offering, officially released in May last year following a soft launch on Steam Early Access in late 2016. We looked at it in both its pre and post Early Access states for our sister publication, Mega Visions, giving it a well-deserved 5/5.

Since then, Amplitude has offered up a very generous slate of small, free DLC packs primarily featuring new questlines, heroes, minor factions, and quality of life improvements.

More recently, however, the Paris-based developer has turned turned their attention to paid-for content. In January, the “fan favourite” Vaunters faction from the original Endless Space broke the ice, followed by Untold Tales and Lost Symphony.

Endless Space, Finite Content

The former is a familiar bundle of the aforementioned. While being more content-rich than Amplitude’s prior complementary efforts, it’s still a pretty svelte package that adds a 4 minor factions (with whom you can interact with but not play as), heroes for each, plus additional questlines.

The problem is, most of this is simply thrown into Endless Space 2’s existing random number generator rather than taking centre stage in their own mini campaign or seperate mode. Ergo, start a new game and the overwhelming likelihood is that it’s going to take you a fair while to happen across anything new. Indeed, unless you’ve sunk some serious hours into Endless Space 2, you may well struggle to tell where the old content ends and the new begins.

Likewise, Lost Symphony adds 7 tracks to Endless Space 2’s already generous repertoire of grandiose, ethereal musical accompaniments, but throws them to the existing mix at random. Plus, it adds another fan-favourite minor faction to the fray: somewhat apty, The Harmony.

Endless Space 2’s soundtrack has always been a strongpoint, from the warbling, thoughtful minor chords of ‘Geodesic’ to the airy, ascending synths of ‘Dyson Sphere’. This further septet are just as much – if not more – of an aural treat than what’s gone before. We particularly liked ‘Digital Minds’, with its tense and sinister sounding electronica and powerful drum beat.

Summary

The problem with both of these mini-expansions is that the content they offer compliments the Endless Space 2 experience in quite a tertiary way, and paying real money for the mere prospect of encountering new quests or factions at random will not appeal to everyone, even at such a low price. There’s nothing ‘wrong’ here as such, but our advice would be to wait until Amplitude has turned out a few more bitesize morsels of paid DLC and then buying in bulk to get a more worthwhile, cumulative supplement to the base Endless Space 2 experience.

PROS

+ New content
+ Low price
+ Lost Sympony adds some truly excellent new music

A bunch of screenshots were released at the original announcement, but now we have some actual gameplay footage. The gameplay is pretty similar to the original Theme Hospital, except with updated visuals and brand new cases. You can take a look at the gameplay in the video above.

Two Point Hospital is scheduled to be released later this year on Steam.

The game will also come with pre-order bonuses, including special avatars, wallpapers. They will also give a 10% discount for those who pre-order right now. The link to the Steam page is here.

Puyo Puyo Tetris will be released for PC on February 27th, check out the press release and screenshots below, for more information.

Screenshots

Press Release

Puyos and Tetriminos collide in the frantic four-player puzzle mashup arriving on Steam with exclusive features & pre-order bonuses!

LONDON – February 6^th, 2018 – SEGA® Europe Ltd. and The Tetris Company, LLC are pleased to announce that the fast-paced, competitive party game mash-up, Puyo Puyo Tetris® will launch on Steam for PC, on Tuesday 27^th February 2018.

Puyo Puyo Tetris sees two puzzle game juggernauts collide as Tetris, one of the top selling video games of all time and one of the most recognised brands in gaming history, and Puyo Puyo from SEGA combine to create a fun-to-play, fast-paced, competitive party game like no other! There are a ton of different styles of gameplay – from the single-player Adventure and Challenge modes to the ferocious competition of the up-to-four-player Arcade modes. You can even take your puzzle skills online in the Puzzle League or Free Play multiplayer modes with up to four players. Play through Adventure mode to unlock new characters and backgrounds, and visit the in-game Shop which enables players to unlock new character voices and skins for Puyos and Tetriminos.

For those wanting to get in on the frantic puzzle action early, pre-order Puyo Puyo Tetris on Steam or other SEGA approved digital retailers* before 27^th February and receive exclusive wallpapers and avatars featuring your favourite Puyo Puyo and Tetris characters. Pre-ordering through Steam will also net fans an additional 10% discount.

Puyo Puyo Tetris is the latest best practice PC conversion from SEGA and boasts PC exclusive enhanced features including scalable resolutions, fully customisable controls and mouse-driven menus. As an added bonus and for the first time in the West, players of the new PC version have the option to enjoy the game’s original Japanese voiceovers.

Puyo Puyo Tetris adds to the ever-growing list of best practice PC conversions from SEGA and joins critically acclaimed titles such as Vanquish, Bayonetta and Valkyria Chronicles. For more information on SEGA and any of its products, please visit www.sega.co.uk. You can also follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook.

Hatsune Miku VR will support Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, launching for Steam this March. Check out Hatsune Miku VR‘s features below

Rhythm action game using VR controllers

Enjoy Miku’s original dance while playing the game

Eight songs with two difficulties for intense dance action (more planned to follow after release)

Game available in English, Japanese, and Chinese and more

There’s also a Hatsune Miku VR website which you can see by clicking here. 

If you don’t know, Two Point Studios is made up of gaming veterans from Bullfrog, Muckyfoot and Lionhead – as Bullfrog has a rich heritage of sim games, including Theme Hospital, you can see a fair amount of influence from Bullfrog’s old franchise and it looks like it’s meant to be a spiritual successor, of sorts.

I have to admit, I assumed that whatever Two Point Studios’ first game with SEGA was, it would be a mobile game. So (as a non-mobile gamer) I’m pretty happy to see this is coming to PC, via Steam and the SEGA Store. I’m also excited to get my hands on a new sim game like this – I loved the old ‘Theme‘ franchise (Theme Park, Theme Hospital etc.) and this looks to be quite a similar affair.

For more information, check out the screenshots and press release, below:

Press Release

Two Point Hospital Announced Alongside Ground-Breaking Treatment for Light Headedness
SEGA Europe and Two Point Studios set to Light Up the World of Medicine in 2018

London, England – 16^th January 2018 – SEGA Europe Ltd. and Two Point Studios today announced a revolutionary new treatment for ‘Light-Headedness’ in their newly revealed game, Two Point Hospital, coming to Steam in late 2018. In what ‘experts’ are describing as a ‘light bulb moment for completely fictional medicine’, the Farnham based studio are drawing plaudits for their inception of the ‘De-Lux Clinic’, which is being rolled out across Two Point County to tackle the recent epidemic of this filamentally flummoxing affliction.

Light-Headedness was first experienced by patient zero, known only as Trevor. You can follow the illuminating story of Trevor and his battle with this rare disease by watching our enlightening infomercial about Two Point Hospital here: <trailer link>

Two Point Hospital, inspired by and from the creators of Theme Hospital, is set to be a return to one of gaming’s most loved sim genres. Two Point Hospital draws on the experience of some the gaming industry’s most experienced and successful sim developers, who between them, in addition to Theme Hospital, have worked on titles like Black and White, Theme Park and Fable at studios including Bullfrog, Lionhead and Mucky Foot. Two Point Hospital will deliver a compelling experience packed with the humour, charm and replayability fans of the genre have come to expect.

“We’re delighted to finally announce the fruits of our partnership with Two Point Studios and reveal Two Point Hospital to the world,” said John Clark, Executive Vice President of Publishing for SEGA Europe. “We’re committed to finding and working with the best new studios, ones that fit with SEGA’s ethos to deliver new IP with strong franchise potential. Two Point Studios’ vision for Two Point Hospital and their ambitions for it fit perfectly with that notion and we look forward to releasing their game later this year.”

“Gary and I have been talking about this project for a number of years and are really excited to be announcing Two Point Studios’ first game” said Mark Webley, Co-Founder of Two Points Studios. His fellow Co-Founder, Gary Carr added: “The amazing team we have managed to bring together, and our partnership with Sega, has really allowed this first part of our vision to finally come to fruition”

Two Point Hospital will launch for PC via Steam and the SEGA Store later this year. For more information about all things Two Point Hospital sign up for our Hospital Pass at www.twopointhospital.com. Hospital Pass will give fans of the game a chance to access exciting news concerning Two Point Hospital before anyone else as well as the gift of an exclusive in game item once the game launches. You can also follow the game’s progress on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.

For more information about SEGA Europe, log on to www.sega.co.uk, follow us on Facebook or on Twitter.

Screenshots

Earlier today, SEGA announced Total War: Three Kingdoms, which is the next major historical game in the franchise since Total War: Attila. Three Kingdoms is scheduled to be released this fall for PC.

Check out Total War: Three Kingdoms‘ overview, courtesy of Steam.

The year is 190CE. China is in turmoil.

The Han Dynasty crumbles before the child-emperor. He is but a figurehead; a mere puppet for the tyrant warlord Dong Zhuo. It is a brutal and oppressive regime, and as Dong Zhuo’s power grows, the empire slips further into the cauldron of anarchy.

But hope yet blossoms.

Three heroes, sworn to brotherhood in the face of tyranny, rally support for the trials ahead. Scenting opportunity, warlords from China’s great families follow suit, forming a fragile coalition in a bid to challenge Dong Zhuo’s remorseless rule. Will they triumph against the tyrant, or will personal ambition shatter their already crumbling alliance and drive them to supremacy?

The crucible fizzes. Allegiances shift. The fires of conflict stoke opportunity. Only one thing is certain: the very future of China will be shaped by its champions.

via Steam 

In this trailer (above) we see Alfred the Great fighting at the Battle of Edington against Viking invaders. This battle is said to be the starting point for players in Thrones of Britannia.

Thrones of Britannia will see players take on the roles of different faction leaders and take on a series of events, each with branching dilemmas, based on historical events. SEGA has said that each choice the player makes will have consequences, allowing you to re-write history through battles and story events.

Thrones of Britannia is set for release sometime this year (no final date has been set). In the meantime, here’s the press release and a few screenshots to tickle your fancy.

Press Release

TURN THE TIDE WITH ALFRED THE GREAT IN A TOTAL WAR SAGA: THRONES OF BRITANNIA

New trailer reveals first playable faction leader, plus new details and victory conditions revealed

Alfred the Great’s victory at the Battle of Edington, in which he stood fast against the Viking invaders and changed the future of the British Isles, marks the player’s historical starting point of 878 AD in the forthcoming game A Total War Saga: Thrones of Britannia.

See King Alfred alter the course of history in the first in-engine cinematic trailer here: https://youtu.be/tTGZbXOZ9qo

Like Alfred, each playable faction leader will face a series of unique events and branching dilemmas based on historical events. The choices made will have far-reaching and impactful consequences allowing players to write their own story and re-write history.

Players can attempt to achieve victory in a number of ways: by aggressively expanding through force of arms, by increasing their faction’s fame through construction, advanced technology and influence, and by completing a series of unique objectives based on their chosen faction’s history. A final, ultimate victory condition can also be aimed for, presenting the player with a unique and significant late-game challenge.

Further new details on Thrones of Britannia can be found on the Steam page, here: http://store.steampowered.com/app/712100/Total_War_Saga_Thrones_of_Britannia

For more information:

Total War website: www.totalwar.com

Total War on Facebook: www.facebook.com/TotalWar

Total War on Twitter: www.twitter.com/totalwar

Weegee has responded to the controversy in video form, addressing much of the criticisms that have been levied against him. Rather than summarize his many points, I highly encourage you to watch his video response in its entirety, as it demonstrates the dangers of jumping to conclusions, and especially the hazards of trusting Polygon for – well – for pretty much anything.

Source: Weegee the God