Shenmue 3 dev explains why Kickstarter rewards won't go to PayPal backers

Shenmue 3 developer Ys Net ruffled some feathers recently when it decided not to extended backer rewards that had previously been offered as “Kickstarter exclusives” to PayPal supporters. It was a strange move on the face of it, because the studio claimed there was a “strong response” from people who wanted to maintain exclusivity, but the results of two polls it conducted in December indicated the opposite: There were more people who wanted to open up the rewards than there were who wanted to keep them exclusive. But the majority of respondents said they didn't care one way or the other, and that's where things got tricky.

“Since the launch of the Paypal campaign we have received numerous requests to remove exclusivity from certain Kickstarter rewards and make them available for the Slacker Backer campaign as well,” a representative explained in an email. “We held the poll as a method to gain more accurate insight on backer opinions concerning this matter since we could not be sure that the requests we received represented the opinion of the vast majority of the backers.”

“The majority of respondents did not feel strongly enough about exclusivity to vote either yes or no. While the votes in favor of removing exclusivity marginally outnumbered those against, they did not represent a majority opinion in the poll. The poll numbers do show that there are also many backers who do not wish to give up their exclusive rewards,” the rep continued. “We feel that the logical conclusion to these results is to leave exclusivity as it is because there was not enough support to justify making an exception to go back on our original promise.”

Put that way, it's a reasonable position to take. Indifference isn't the same as support, and if the goal was to determine whether this was something people actively wanted, the poll results don't point in that direction. (Also bear in mind that less than a quarter of the eligible respondents actually bothered to cast a vote.) I don't necessarily think it's a good decision, but at least there's a rationale for it.

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.