Shenmue III‘s long-awaiting release is coming, yet the last few weeks have left many fans upset about Epic Store exclusivity on PC. Unfortunately, it appears another bit of controversy has arisen, this time with regards to content Kickstarter Backers will receive. According to one backer, correspondence with the developer revealed that preorder bonus content for retail stores will not be offered to those who supported Shenmue III’s development. Perhaps the most controversial part of the developer’s answer to such an inquiry is its informing backers that the bonus content will be sold separately, meaning said backers should purchase the DLC at a later date.
On the game’s recent Kickstarter update, a commenter named Antonio Miranda posted a reply they reportedly received from Ys Net when asking about the preorder content. Miranda’s full post can be read below:
I just got a reply from YS Net regarding Season Pass and Trial Version: (tl:dr – backers won’t get content in pre-orders/deluxe edition, including the season pass)
Dear Antonio,
We apologize for the long delay in responding. Your feedback is appreciated and we will look into having your noted points in future updates.
Standard and deluxe versions released through retail sales are not affiliated with the crowdfunding campaign, so will not be included with backer pledges, however, they will be available for sale separately. Kickstarter Backers will receive the Kickstarter version, Slacker Backers will receive the Slacker Backer version. Both have unique content respective to their versions not available in the retail versions.
A season pass is not included.
Trial version release date info has yet to be confirmed and will be announced in the updates when details are available. You will be receiving your trial trial version, but we must ask for your patience for a little longer.
There will be more information following in the days ahead concerning updates.
Sincerely,
The Shenmue III Team
Of course, there are many ways to look at this response. For one, Kickstarter backers will receive whatever Ys Net initially promised, which includes neither preorder bonuses nor Season Pass content. Still, it’s easy to see why some backers may feel upset about this decision. After all, they lent their support and personal funds to the project years ago. Do they deserve a little something extra for going above and beyond before anyone else? This will most obviously be a topic of debate. And who’s to say who is wrong or right in this regard?
Following a recent delay, Shenmue III will hit the PlayStation 4 and PC later this year on November 19th.
[Source: Shenmue III Kickstarter via Wccftech]
