"Update on PC Version Rewards" (Shenmue III Kickstarter backer email)

[kane_magus]

From the email update I just received: "*If selecting either the PC Physical or PC Digital version, an option to also receive a Steam key one year later will be available. Backers must manually select this option in the survey to receive the Steam key."

In other words, it looks like I'll be waiting an additional year to play Shenmue III on Steam, because I am not using the Epic Games Store. I'm okay with that. I still think their reasons for not making a Steam key available on launch is goddamn dogshit, but... whatever. I don't actually care, as long as I get my Steam key. I've got too much other shit to play in the meantime to give much more of a thought about Shenmue III, since I've already waited almost two decades now, and I can wait another year. This has really soured me on the whole thing, though, and I will almost assuredly not be backing whatever inevitable Shenmue IV campaign comes along at all, especially if Epic Games or Deep Silver are still involved with it. Fuck Epic Games. Fuck Deep Silver.

And, of course, in the comments, the first thing I saw was some moronic asshat (double-)posting troll shit like "You pc master race are a bunch of pussies" (for being mad about Epic Games Store and wanting refunds).

Also, I just left my own comment in response to that update: "I just had Fangamer resend me my survey so that I could make the manual change (wait an extra year for a Steam key) that you mentioned in the above email. Strangely, however, in the survey link that was then sent to me, the choices for distribution are still only, explicitly, "Steam" and "Playstation® Digital Download." No mention whatsoever of "Epic Games Store" or anything like that. I left my choice set to "Steam," for now. If this is not the proper survey, or if the above mentioned additional choices have not yet been implemented, I don't know. In either case, I just find that to be tellingly odd."

I'll be checking the survey again later, in the coming days, for whenever they make that change they mentioned, because I am absolutely going to "manually select" the option for a Steam key.

And, of course, I've already got asshole apologists replying to me on there. *weary sigh* Incompetence all around. Seriously, just in general, the fanboi scrotumsuckers and/or reputation management drones are out in force today.

What would have really enraged me, though, is if I'd spent the extra money for a "physical copy" of the game on a disc, and then this horseshit:

"PC Physical version

"The PC Physical version will be delivered on disk. However, the disk will contain the Epic Games Store installer and not the actual game data."

So... what is the fucking point, then? So glad I only gave them just enough money to get my Steam key in a year. (Granted, I'd have been equally as pissed if it had just been a disc with nothing but a Steam installer on it. *shrug*)

As someone else pointed out in the comments, here is what they said in a previous update from not quite a year ago about the physical disc version:

"PC & PS4 Physical Version Disc Data

"We would like to address the many inquiries concerning the physical version disc data. Development is moving forward to have all necessary data to play the game contained on the disc. Please rest assured that the disc will not be just a prompt for an internet download."

So, they explicitly lied/backpedaled on that between then and now. Again, fuck Epic Games Store and fuck Deep Silver and fuck Ys Net.

Oh well, at they very least, they claim they'll be honoring refund requests for those who want them now, unlike what they were saying before.

Comments

[owsf2000]

You know, I was only planning on getting it on PS4. With all the horse shit they're going on about with the PC crowd - and especially with their bait and switch over the contents of the PC physical edition. (I mean come on, NOBODY would have asked for that if it was going to be nothing but a store launcher with a code. This isn't the first time I've seen it happen though.)

I think I'm out of Shenmue III, at least at launch and most certainly at full price. Fuck it and fuck them. It's been so long I really don't know if I give a fuck about the story anymore anyway.

If I see it on sale for 20 bucks some time down the road, sure, I might pick it up unless I hear even worse shit about the actual game itself prior to that rather than just the dickish nature of the devs and publishers. (Admittedly it's more the publishers than devs but I'm way past giving devs a pass despite who they choose to hang out with.)

[kane_magus]

I don't blame you one bit. If I hadn't already backed it years ago, I certainly would be waiting for a 75% or greater discount before bothering with it now.

And, even though I did back it, if they weren't making Steam keys available at all (regardless of whether it's a bullshit "one year from launch," due to dumbshit contract exclusivity reasons [as if Epic Games, who is directly involved in this, couldn't allow concessions for Kickstarter backers who were directly bamboozled by this blatant bait-and-switch bullshit to get Steam keys at launch, rather than a year later, if they really wanted to do so, which they don't]), I would absolutely be in the group asking for a refund now, too. Before, I was saying meh, whatever, I'll get Epic Games Store if I have to, but now, no, fuck Epic Games Store and Epic Games and Deep Silver and Ys Net and everyone involved in this monumental clusterfuck.

[kane_magus]

Like some in the comments are saying, Epic Games is apparently the only backer that Shenmue III really needed, and to hell with everyone else, it seems.

And to all the others who are continuously defending Ys Net and attacking anyone and everyone being critical of them and their greedy, boneheaded decisions, it's like, wow, you guys, do you have to work to suck Epic's dick so hard, or does it just come naturally to you?

[kane_magus]

Oh, and very specifically, fuck Tim Sweeny of Epic Games.

When future games go Epic-exclusive after offering crowdfunding rewards on other PC stores, we’ll either coordinate with colleagues at the other stores to ensure key availability in advance, or guarantee refunds at announcement time.

— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) July 2, 2019

In other words, "No, we're not going to stop dumping truckloads of money at the doors of developers of crowd-sourced games that previously offered Steam keys in order to keep their games off of Steam, either permanently or for a year or whatever, so deal with it. We might accommodate you a little bit better the next time it happens, if we feel like it."

[kane_magus]

Seriously, the more I see and hear and read about this colossal trash fire that is the Epic Games Store, the more I want it, and those who make/fund it, to die as immediate and horrendous a death as it/they possibly can, possibly involving a literal trash fire.

[kane_magus]