Ever since the presentation of Shenmue 3 at E3 which ended in the reveal that it would be a timed exclusive on Epic Games' digital market, fans have not been happy with Shenmue 3's timed exclusivity on the Epic Games Store. Aware of the outcry resulting from this decision, Shenmue 3 developer Ys Net, Epic Games, and publisher Deep Silver jointly issued a response to the massive backlash from backers and dedicated fans.

As Shenmue 3 did become Kickstarter's most successful video game project, it is now subject to backers' scrutiny. On Shenmue 3's Kickstarter page, the aforementioned joint response to tell fans they are aware of the controversy. Having assured fans in the statement they "want to make sure that the Backers are aware that we are listening to their concerns," Ys Net, Epic Games, and Deep Silver "ask all our fans to have some patience."

Furthermore, they explained that they had been demonstrating Shenmue 3 at E3 and intend to soon "assess the situation and together find a way forward to justify the trust you placed in us." Expressing gratitude for the "patience and support" of backers, the game companies provided some general information regarding Shenmue 3 and its release, which includes Shenmue 3's FAQ page.

Shenmue 3's FAQ page may offer a bit of consolation to PC gamers who don't use the Epic Games Store for their purchases. Under the "Pre Orders" section of Shenmue 3's FAQ page, it is stated that Shenmue 3 is going to release on Steam eventually. Additionally, the FAQ page states that Shenmue 3 is planned to be available for purchase on other online stores "12 months after launch."

As many still prefer Steam over the Epic Games Store, it would make sense that fans are upset over its timed exclusivity on the latter digital store. Given the previous backlash of Borderlands 3's Epic Games Store exclusivity, this makes one wonder if people will start to use the Epic Games Store platform more or if the discontent will just continue to grow.

As for why developers continue to use Epic Games' digital platform for exclusivity purposes, it has been said that the Epic Games Store offers developers a greater portion of their profits from sales. Thus, this would incentivize developers to conduct more business with Epic Games if they receive an increased share. In any case, Ys Net and Deep Silver appear to be attempting to find a solution for those disappointed with the decision.

Shenmue 3 will be released November 19, 2019 on PC and PlayStation 4.

Source: Kickstarter - Shenmue 3