'Shenmue 3' Release Date Delayed After Meeting Kickstarter Goal of $2M? Devs Clarify Launch Date Issue

The promised "Shenmue 3" release date of 2017 may change according to the developers, Ys Net.

According to a report by Alan Ng of Product-Reviews, Ys Net has revealed that their targeted 2017 release date for "Shenmue 3" may change depending on how the development of the game goes along.

In an official statement by on the official Kickstarter page of "Shenmue 3", the devs said:

"A rigorous budget and schedule has been worked out with our production team and we believe our target of 2017 holiday season is within reach. That said, our goal is to make the best game possible (and one that the fans want!) so please understand the schedule may change as the project evolves. Frequent updates will be posted on the Update page," wrote Ys Net.

Product-Reviews noted that the possible "Shenmue 3" release date delay could be caused by the various stretch goals set forth by Ys Net themselves. They noted that if the Xbox One version stretch goal is achieved, then that would take more development time and the game could be delayed.

"Don't forget that there's also the possibility of an Xbox One version being added via stretch goal, so even that may prolong the release further if Yu Suzuki decides to go down that route," wrote Product-Review.

It is also noted that if more money comes to the project, the devs would be forced to make the game longer, thus requiring more development time, which would mean a delayed release date.

"If more money is pledged, then more content is obviously coming and it probably means that the developers will need longer to make the game compared to their first revision," Product Review adds.

Gamespot also reported that if the game reaches a $10 million budget, the game would have significant open world features, as confirmed by Yu Suzuki. Furthermore, he already has plans for "Shenmue 4".

According to the report, Suzuki teased some open world features that may come if the "Shenmue 3" budget reaches $10 million.

"There will be part time jobs that will be indicative of those you would find in China," he explained. "In the Stretch goals there will also be the old favorites," said Suzuki.

He also detailed the plans he has for future "Shenmue" games.

"There are a total of 11 chapters that make up the whole story. Over the past 14 years I originally planned for there to four or five games to the series. If at all possible, I would still like to realize the full story of 11 chapters," said Suzuki.