E3: Shenmue 3 Gains A Publisher
After a record-breaking Kickstarter campaign, Shenmue III now has a global publisher. Developer Ys Net has announced that Deep Silver--which has previously distributed Saints Row IV, Dead Island, and Homefront: The Revolution, among other games--will publish the long-awaited RPG worldwide.
"I am very pleased to secure this global partnership with Deep Silver, which is comprised of incredible men and women who have a deep passion for bringing Japanese titles to the rest of the world," said Shenmue III director Yu Suzuki. "Throughout this process, Deep Silver has expressed a deep passion for Japanese games, the Shenmue franchise, and its fans--this gives me further confidence in Shenmue III and that we have found the best partner possible."
Deep Silver announced the news on its website and confirmed the game will "exclusively" launch on PlayStation 4 and PC, both physically and digitally. It also stated a release date is scheduled for some time in "the second half of 2018."
The news follows a crowdfunding campaign that ended at the highest-ever figure for a video game. Nearly 70,000 backers pledged $6,333,295, and more has likely been raised since. After Shenmue III was revealed on Sony's stage at E3 2015, there was some confusion over whether the PlayStation owner would publish the long-awaited game. Ys Net said at the time that Sony would provide "assistance on the production and marketing end" and "some publishing support as well," but that the manufacturing giant would not see "a cent of your Kickstarter dollars," with the whole sum going to Ys Net itself. It's unclear if the developer's arrangement with Sony remains in place following the deal with Deep Silver.
More Shenmue III news is expected at Gamescom 2017 in Cologne, Germany. GameSpot will be in attendance at the show next week bringing you all the latest news on the much-anticipated role-playing game.