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From the latest Kickstarter update:
PC Option Revision
Please note the following revision concerning PC option availability.
In the previous Update On PC Version Rewards, the following option for the PC (Epic Games Store) version was announced:
"If selecting either the PC Physical or PC Digital version, an option to also receive a Steam key one year later will be available."
As negotiations with Valve are ongoing, we are not able to make a firm commitment at this point concerning the availability of the Steam keys.
Requests for Steam keys will be accepted through the survey, however, there is the possibility that Steam keys will ultimately not be distributed depending on negotiations with Valve. An announcement will be posted in the updates with the outcome of the negotiations.
We apologize for this revision to the previously stated PC option.
To repeat: "There is the possibility that Steam keys will ultimately not be distributed depending on negotiations with Valve."
"depending on negotiations with Valve."
"depending on... Valve."
So, basically, they're wording things here the way they are so that they can try to pin all the blame on Valve when (not "if" but, almost assuredly, "when") it becomes apparent that the game will probably never release on Steam. By which point it will be too late if you were banking on a Steam release a year later, because FUCK EPIC GAMES STORE RIGHT IN ITS FESTERING, ENCRUSTED ANUS WITH AN ELECTRIC CATTLE PROD WRAPPED IN RUSTY RAZOR WIRE AND COATED IN NECROTIZING FASCIITIS AND HYDROFLOURIC ACID AND WHITE HOT FIRE.
At this point, I feel like I'll probably just say fuck it and request a refund and wash my hands of this horseshit headache and be done with it, and the more I think about it and let it process, with each passing second, even, my decision to do exactly that becomes more and more firm.
(EDIT)
I've already requested a refund. I got Fangamer to resend my survey for Shenmue III and the "REFUND" request was already one of the options, so I chose that.
"We have accepted your Refund Request.
Your refund request has been accepted.
Refund processing timing may vary depending on payment service and transaction status. It may take 20 business days to 3 months from the time the refund request is made until the refund transaction is completed."
(/EDIT)
If, later, it turns out that the game actually will show up on Steam, after all, maybe I might buy it at that point (only after, of course, it hits a super-steep sale, as per usual, but also, especially, in this particular case, because I want to give Deep Silver as little money as possible). I probably just won't bother ever buying it at all, though.
Everything about this has left an ungodly sour taste in my mouth. To hell forever with the modern video game industry.
It is supremely disappointing given how much I had been wishing for/looking forward to even the possibility of there maybe someday being a potential Shenmue III at some point, even before the Kickstarter thing... only for them to go and abjectly fuck it up in the way that they have. My desire to play Shenmue III is outweighed by my hatred for the asshattery of the modern video game industry, at least for the time being.
(EDIT 2)
Comment I just left in response to the Kickstarter update (which basically just restates a lot of what I already said above, with less profanity):
I just had Fangamer resend my survey, and I requested the refund. I was going to wait for the Steam release, but if there's even a remote chance now that it won't happen, then I wash my hands of this asinine fiasco altogether. If, later, it turns out that Shenmue III actually will be released on Steam after all, I *might* buy it then. *Maybe.*
However, this debacle has left an incredibly sour taste in my mouth, so I'll be considering very carefully before I ever buy anything from Ys Net or Deep Silver in the future, including Shenmue III and any potential future Shenmue games. And, regardless of any other considerations, I will absolutely never be using the Epic Games Store for anything, that's for dead certain.
Everything wrong with the modern video game industry is perfectly encapsulated by this despicable situation, and I loathe it all with every fiber of my being.
(EDIT 4) And, already, an Epic fuckboi/rep management drone has replied to me. I have no intention of viewing the update anymore or any other replies the dumbfucks may make to my comment there, after my one, probably ill-advised response to that first asshat. Like I said, aside from the below, I'm done with this dumbshit. In fact, I just went in and changed my Kickstarter settings to no longer send me notifications concerning the Shenmue III project at all. (/EDIT 4)
(/EDIT 2)
(EDIT 3) As far as refunds go, though, it sucks shit for anyone who doesn't want to/can't use Paypal, for whatever reason. Paypal isn't an issue for me, thankfully, though I won't consider my hands truly washed of this until my $29 is back in my bank account via Paypal. (/EDIT 3)
(EDIT 5)
Just reported the Shenmue III project itself to Kickstarter, via "Concerns about rewards, project completion or creator communication." -> "I’d like to report abuse or suspicious behavior by a third party marketing or fulfillment partner." with the following report:
"All you need to do is view the recent updates to the Shenmue III project by Ys Net, the creator of the project, to see that they (along with their after-the-fact third party partners, Deep Silver and Epic Games) are engaging in (at best) dubious, dishonest behavior. I have already requested a full refund from Ys Net via their Fangamer survey page, so assuming that this refund properly goes through, I should not be needing to request any further direct action from Kickstarter itself. However, with that said, I still feel the need to express my displeasure with this project and the actions of its creators to Kickstarter via this webform, for what it's worth. I will not be backing any future Kickstarter projects by Ys Net, that's one thing for certain. In addition to that, this experience has soured me on Kickstarter and crowd-sourcing, in general, if creators such as Ys Net are allowed to treat their backers so disrespectfully and borderline fraudulently, with relative impunity. As such, as a result of this, it is very unlikely that I will back any other crowd-funded projects in the future, either on Kickstarter or elsewhere. Thank you for your time and consideration."
(/EDIT 5)
PC Option Revision
Please note the following revision concerning PC option availability.
In the previous Update On PC Version Rewards, the following option for the PC (Epic Games Store) version was announced:
"If selecting either the PC Physical or PC Digital version, an option to also receive a Steam key one year later will be available."
As negotiations with Valve are ongoing, we are not able to make a firm commitment at this point concerning the availability of the Steam keys.
Requests for Steam keys will be accepted through the survey, however, there is the possibility that Steam keys will ultimately not be distributed depending on negotiations with Valve. An announcement will be posted in the updates with the outcome of the negotiations.
We apologize for this revision to the previously stated PC option.
To repeat: "There is the possibility that Steam keys will ultimately not be distributed depending on negotiations with Valve."
"depending on negotiations with Valve."
"depending on... Valve."
So, basically, they're wording things here the way they are so that they can try to pin all the blame on Valve when (not "if" but, almost assuredly, "when") it becomes apparent that the game will probably never release on Steam. By which point it will be too late if you were banking on a Steam release a year later, because FUCK EPIC GAMES STORE RIGHT IN ITS FESTERING, ENCRUSTED ANUS WITH AN ELECTRIC CATTLE PROD WRAPPED IN RUSTY RAZOR WIRE AND COATED IN NECROTIZING FASCIITIS AND HYDROFLOURIC ACID AND WHITE HOT FIRE.
(EDIT)
I've already requested a refund. I got Fangamer to resend my survey for Shenmue III and the "REFUND" request was already one of the options, so I chose that.
"We have accepted your Refund Request.
Your refund request has been accepted.
Refund processing timing may vary depending on payment service and transaction status. It may take 20 business days to 3 months from the time the refund request is made until the refund transaction is completed."
(/EDIT)
If, later, it turns out that the game actually will show up on Steam, after all, maybe I might buy it at that point (only after, of course, it hits a super-steep sale, as per usual, but also, especially, in this particular case, because I want to give Deep Silver as little money as possible). I probably just won't bother ever buying it at all, though.
Everything about this has left an ungodly sour taste in my mouth. To hell forever with the modern video game industry.
It is supremely disappointing given how much I had been wishing for/looking forward to even the possibility of there maybe someday being a potential Shenmue III at some point, even before the Kickstarter thing... only for them to go and abjectly fuck it up in the way that they have. My desire to play Shenmue III is outweighed by my hatred for the asshattery of the modern video game industry, at least for the time being.
(EDIT 2)
Comment I just left in response to the Kickstarter update (which basically just restates a lot of what I already said above, with less profanity):
I just had Fangamer resend my survey, and I requested the refund. I was going to wait for the Steam release, but if there's even a remote chance now that it won't happen, then I wash my hands of this asinine fiasco altogether. If, later, it turns out that Shenmue III actually will be released on Steam after all, I *might* buy it then. *Maybe.*
However, this debacle has left an incredibly sour taste in my mouth, so I'll be considering very carefully before I ever buy anything from Ys Net or Deep Silver in the future, including Shenmue III and any potential future Shenmue games. And, regardless of any other considerations, I will absolutely never be using the Epic Games Store for anything, that's for dead certain.
Everything wrong with the modern video game industry is perfectly encapsulated by this despicable situation, and I loathe it all with every fiber of my being.
(EDIT 4) And, already, an Epic fuckboi/rep management drone has replied to me. I have no intention of viewing the update anymore or any other replies the dumbfucks may make to my comment there, after my one, probably ill-advised response to that first asshat. Like I said, aside from the below, I'm done with this dumbshit. In fact, I just went in and changed my Kickstarter settings to no longer send me notifications concerning the Shenmue III project at all. (/EDIT 4)
(/EDIT 2)
(EDIT 3) As far as refunds go, though, it sucks shit for anyone who doesn't want to/can't use Paypal, for whatever reason. Paypal isn't an issue for me, thankfully, though I won't consider my hands truly washed of this until my $29 is back in my bank account via Paypal. (/EDIT 3)
(EDIT 5)
Just reported the Shenmue III project itself to Kickstarter, via "Concerns about rewards, project completion or creator communication." -> "I’d like to report abuse or suspicious behavior by a third party marketing or fulfillment partner." with the following report:
"All you need to do is view the recent updates to the Shenmue III project by Ys Net, the creator of the project, to see that they (along with their after-the-fact third party partners, Deep Silver and Epic Games) are engaging in (at best) dubious, dishonest behavior. I have already requested a full refund from Ys Net via their Fangamer survey page, so assuming that this refund properly goes through, I should not be needing to request any further direct action from Kickstarter itself. However, with that said, I still feel the need to express my displeasure with this project and the actions of its creators to Kickstarter via this webform, for what it's worth. I will not be backing any future Kickstarter projects by Ys Net, that's one thing for certain. In addition to that, this experience has soured me on Kickstarter and crowd-sourcing, in general, if creators such as Ys Net are allowed to treat their backers so disrespectfully and borderline fraudulently, with relative impunity. As such, as a result of this, it is very unlikely that I will back any other crowd-funded projects in the future, either on Kickstarter or elsewhere. Thank you for your time and consideration."
(/EDIT 5)
