It was announced that Shenmue 3, which was originally set to be shipped via Steam for backers who selected the PC platform, would now be an Epic Game Store exclusive title.

In their Kickstarter announcement, Ys Net has said:

"We are happy to announce that Shenmue III for PC will be will be an Epic Games Store exclusive. Development for Shenmue III has been moving forward using Unreal Engine and the support we have received from Epic has been excellent. But most importantly, in looking for the most enjoyable experience on PC, it was decided together with Deep Silver after much discussion that the Epic Games Store would be the best distribution platform option."

This is, unfortunately, a punch in the gut for PC backers for many reasons, including:

• Ys Net has indicated that Shenmue 3 would be published on Steam for the past few years and has in fact, a coming soon page on Steam storefront.
• Ys Net & Deep Silver's assertion that the EGS is the best platform to ensure the most enjoyable PC experience is an outright lie. EGS is well known and proven to be lacking in many areas, including player data security.
• Announcement was made out of the blue without consultation or warning, just months away from release date, and without any options or alternatives for backers.
• It has been confirmed that no refund requests will be entertained.

This is an outrage, especially considering the shady business and anti-consumer practices that the Epic Game Store has been exhibiting.

We understand there is no way Ys Net and Deep Silver will back out of the deal with EGS.

We understand that the very large amount of money they have received from die-hard fans through pledges and pre-orders looks like small change compared to what Epic has probably offered them.

We understand that Ys Net and Deep Silver cares very deeply for the funding and profits they can get their hands on.

BUT...

Understand that we, the backers of Shenmue 3, do not care much for the Epic Game Store.

Understand that we, the backers of Shenmue 3, do not wish to support the Epic Game Store.

And that without us, the backers of Shenmue 3, you would not have reached this deal with the Epic Game Store.

 

The SOLUTION is really simple...

We just want a non-EGS option for Shenmue 3. This can be in the form of:

• Steam keys, or
• DRM free version that is not tied to any platform.

Mr. Yu Suzuki,

A lot of goodwill has been flushed down the drain with this one move, and offering one (or both) of the solutions above will ensure you retain whatever goodwill you have left, and maybe even regain some of it. Despite what Epic is trying to show through their vast wealth, your fans are what will make or break you.

We love Shenmue and would want to support it to the end, which is why we have backed the game in the first place. We hope that you feel the same way about us, the fans, too.