It looks like Shenmue III is getting another high profile backer besides Sony. Concept artist for The Last Of Us and the upcoming Uncharted 4, John Sweeney, has created a limited run Shenmue III print (image above) stating that proceeds from sales will go straight to the game’s Kickstarter up until July 17. What’s more, the print has been officially commissioned by Sega themselves and is being sold through website Cook & Becker.
It seems that Sweeney is a pretty big Shenmue fan as well, if his statement is anything to go by, at least.
I’m so excited that Shenmue 3 is finally happening! I wanted to capture the moment just after Ryo’s father Iwao is killed by Lan Di. In the game the scene stops with Ryo cradling Iwao and screaming “No!”. I wanted to imagine a shot where Ryo is standing just outside the dojo where is father was just killed. It is cold and very early in the morning. Snow is falling. The morning light is still weak and only some of the wood interior is catching light from the outside. Ryo’s pose already hints at him seeking revenge.
If you’re planning on picking up one of the glossy prints to adorn your wall, you might want to act fast – there’s an extremely limited quantity being produced. Only eight large-sized prints and 100 smaller ones are available to purchase.
As of now, the Shenmue III Kickstarter effort currently stands at $4,548,172 with just nine days to go until fundraising ends.
