Why all Gamer's should take part in Feb 3rd's #SaveShenmue

On February 3rd the Shenmue community will unite on twitter with the #SaveShenmue hashtag to send a message to video game console makers and publishers that gamers want to see Shenmue 3. Social media is a powerful tool and all gamers, not just fans should take part because campaigns like this are a way for gamers to get companies attention.

It is hard to believe that social media can make a change, but Microsoft is a great example. After their E3 presentation of the Xbox One, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube exploded due to fans being angry over the companies new DMR policies. What happened? Microsoft did a complete 180 on their stance. Now was social media the sole reason for change, no, but it did give Microsoft instant input from gamers. Company's now look at social media now to gauge input from consumers. EA with Battlefield 4 problems, even Sony with the PS4. They have hired Gio Corsi as Director of 3rd Party Production. For those who don't know "The Third Party Relations team at PlayStation is well known for developing solid relationships across this industry, and this new group will work closely with our publishing partners to bring their beloved IPs to some new places. This means you’ll see even more great games on PlayStation platforms, including new IP’s, ports, and localized products. In addition, our partners who are currently in production will have us as a resource to strengthen their development process, ensuring quality and consistency on all Third Party projects." Third Party Relations were the ones behind bring Borderlands 2 the Vita. They also started #BuildingTheList throught Twitter last fall. If there was a game you wanted to see on a Sony console, tweet the name with #BuildingTheList and they would tally up the votes and compile a list. According to Gio there are "multiple talks underway".

GDC is coming up so we could see any number of announcements. Do you want to see Yakuza on PS4, maybe Legend of Dragoon 2 or Shenmue in HD? The point is there are companies out there listening and that's why February 3rd is important. TeamYu.net is one of the groups out there behind the Save Shenmue campaign. Over 96,000 people have signed up for there Thunderclap page. That means on the 3rd of each month 96,000 tweets will go out simultaneously to Sega, Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft to let them know people want to see this game.

Here is a quote from TeamYu.net, the guys behind this campaign, "We chose social media as the platform for our campaign because it's a great way to gather support from like-minded individuals and keep our cause in the public eye. Previous attempts by Shenmue fans to appeal directly to Sega, by sending letters, emails, and even toy capsules, have been completely ignored. Private communication is too easy for corporations to sweep under the rug, because only the sender of each passionate request will know about it. But on Twitter, our campaign plays out in front of a worldwide audience. The first monthly #SaveShenmue Tweetathon of 2014 reached the news feeds of almost 3 million followers, so the longer Sega dodges the issue, the more awareness will spread amongst their wider customer base, who we hope will join in and support our efforts at TeamYu.net."

@SupportShenmue on Twitter is also backing TeamYu.net "Shenmue III is the holy grail for gamers. Not just those who look forward to completing Ryo's journey to avenge his father's murder, but also for those who'd like publishers to remember that videogames are an art form, and that loyal customers are not to be cast aside when their demands are no longer convenient. If any company were to step up and #SaveShenmue, it would speak volumes to gamers of all persuasions, as it would right one of gaming's most infamous wrongs and serve as a giant token of respect for both the consumer and the medium as a whole. Otherwise, if the precedent of Shenmue's indefinite limbo is not rectified, anyone's favorite series could be next for abrupt suspension."

"It appears that in the minds of some gamers, Shenmue's cause deal with a long-term situation in gaming. The meaning of Shenmue's cause expand to other concerns, like on the perspective of the power that fans' demands and requests to game companies may have in the future. It strikes as a challenge, that depends of Shenmue's success if/when it'll come to PS4, whether future requests for other fan-ecstatic games may have the same future as Shenmue. Therefore, it brings on the surface another concern, which in the whole is one to be counted by all kinds of gamers, and in the same time it could prove as a strong point to be putted in front of potential supporters. That is your support, be it one as a Shenmue fan or a general gamer, it could impact and shape the situation for the next generations. That said, gamers should be urged to participate on a campaign like that, one that targets to convince a major console manufacturer to bring on its console a vastly requested fan game, because the success or the failure of that endeavour, would set the example for the future campaigns and fan requests of all sorts. Support #SaveShenmue, so as -by proving Shenmue successful in all terms, especially financially- you would be able to have the right as a gaming consumer to request and demand for what you want, always."

These are just two examples of groups who are so passionate about a game and there is no way their voice will not be heard. As of the time of this writing Phil Spencer from Microsoft on Twitter had confirmed they will not pursue the IP from Sega, but that doesn't mean Sony is out of the running. At this years GDC Shenmue creator Yu Suzuki will be giving a postmortem on Shenmue and Mark Cery, lead system architect for PlayStation 4, will be translating the presentation. Who knows, but if you're a gamer or a fan of Shenmue you should help out with the campaign. If this succeeds then this could bring hope that other games could be made. Let your voice be heard.