Shenmue I & II HD preloads live

[Flagship]

They both got another update on Xbox One.

This is correct.

Just checked on XB1, the filesizes are now:

Shenmue 1: 5.0GB
Shenmue 2: 11.3GB

The version number for each game is now showing as v1.3.0.0 instead of v1.2.0.0.

The filesizes from the OP were likely partial, it's common for preloads to have a majority (but incomplete) amount of data early on (in this case around 3 quarters of it) before adding in the rest of the data closer to launch.

I believe/heard bits and pieces that this is a rule set forth from the platform holder to reduce the amount needed to be downloaded closer to launch (with shenmue it's negligible but it helps games in the 40gb-100gb territory). There were also cases of data-mining concerns when information got leaked over certain titles like GTAV (when the tracklist was leaked early) and to prevent cases where these titles are listed incorrectly and are available early/for free (or both at the same time!)

 

[Tony Z]

Still no preload on ps4,probably give us just the usual 2 days before preload,ugh!

 

[Sappharad]

I believe this is to prevent data miners tampering/observing the data and such early on as well as reducing the amount needing to be downloaded closer to launch (with shenmue it's negligible but it helps games in the 40gb-100gb territory).

Preloads are encrypted specifically to prevent what you've just described from happening. This behavior has been around in platforms like Steam since 2004, and works similarly on consoles. The encryption keys are released by the server at launch. This is why you can't you can't launch a pre-loaded game for the first time without an internet connection by changing the date on the clock, because it needs to phone home to the server to 'activate' the game and decrypt for first launch. In Steam's case, we know that everything is encrypted, for current-gen consoles I can't find any source confirming what extent they're protected beyond internet connection required for activation but I assume full encryption based on on the fact that there are no reports of people data-mining pre-loads.

The version number change implies this was an actual real patch and people with the disc based version will probably see the v1.3 update the first time they launch their games.

 

[Flagship]

Preloads are encrypted specifically to prevent what you've just described from happening. This behavior has been around in platforms like Steam since 2004, and works similarly on consoles. The encryption keys are released by the server at launch. This is why you can't you can't launch a pre-loaded game for the first time without an internet connection by changing the date on the clock, because it needs to phone home to the server to 'activate' the game and decrypt for first launch. In Steam's case, we know that everything is encrypted, for current-gen consoles I can't find any source confirming what extent they're protected beyond internet connection required for activation but I assume full encryption based on on the fact that there are no reports of people data-mining pre-loads.

The version number change implies this was an actual real patch and people with the disc based version will probably see the v1.3 update the first time they launch their games.

Yep I thought that was self explanatory.
Data miners was just an example as to why but what I'm describing is when the preload ITSELF is preliminary and incomplete.

The purpose here (which specifically is the way this and other games is mostly setup on Xbox Live, probably due to their requirements) is to provide the bulk of it install (3/4) a month or two early on, charge folks 10 days prior to release date (and at that point providing the retail version of the game sans any day1 patch).

The role that data miners use to play for certain titles did influence certain publishers how to handle the rolling out of data which is why it was worth mentioning. GTAV had many of it's secrets leaked because of preload (despite the differences in architecture back then).

Again, the reason for shenmue being rolled out this way it is on this platform is likely sega abiding by the rules set upon them (which is how I was informed by a rep, this was my first digital preorder) the rules themselves are approached that way for a reason (w/ 2 examples provided) I'll change the order of which they were mentioned on my earlier post.

But yeah folks, while the filesize is likely to remain: as of 23:45 12/08 that's what they are. I'll update should anymore activity happen.

To answer the other post: PS4/PC should be at the very least 2 days from launch if it falls in line with other SEGA Europe releases on those platforms. There's no cause for concern for it not being there atm (or so I'm aware).

 

[Yokosuka]

Don't play Splinter Cell Double Agent on PC. Believe me, the superior version is the Gamecube/PS2/Xbox Original version.

 

[Flagship]

Don't play Splinter Cell Double Agent on PC. Believe me, the superior version is the Gamecube/PS2/Xbox Original version.

lol I'm glad I wasn't the only one to notice that in Espirral's OP thread. Unfortunately I never played the 6th gen version but I did enjoy Double Agent on 360 immensely (especially the double agent levels) don't know if it holds up as much today compared to Blacklist's versatility but I very much got a thrill out of the gimmick.
I do own the 5th gen version and will definitely make a conscious decision to check it out, thanks for the heads up!

 

[Amir]

Don't play Splinter Cell Double Agent on PC. Believe me, the superior version is the Gamecube/PS2/Xbox Original version.

I did buy the OG Xbox version a couple of years back for about £2 and it was fun as fan of the original trilogy, think I got about halfway through.

 

[Life_247]

Shenmue II is based off the X-box version, which has 5.1 in the cutscenes and 4 channel audio in game. I also believe it had higher quality audio/bit-rate

So that probably explains the file size difference between the two games along with the fact that S2 is longer.

 

[arh]

The version number change implies this was an actual real patch and people with the disc based version will probably see the v1.3 update the first time they launch their games.

This was probably to be expected, but it’s quite disappointing. One of the big drivers for me, for having a physical edition, is that when Sony’s servers inevitably get turned off in the future, it would still be possible to play a relatively bug free version of the software, using only the data on the disk.

I guess that’s the world we live in now, and I’d rather take bugs being fixed later than never at all, but I would have hoped that a port of an ~18 year old game would not have required a day 0 patch.

 

[Tony Z]

I just watched a video on you tube of a giveaway for Shenmue collection,shenmue was 2.70 gb only. While 2 was over 9 gb. I know 2 was a bigger game, but that much difference? Also why is Shenmue 1 nearly double in size on xboxone ? Something is not right here.

 

[BlueMue]

It seems that it is a norm in developement cycles now to have release day patches.

 

[Flagship]

This was probably to be expected, but it’s quite disappointing. One of the big drivers for me, for having a physical edition, is that when Sony’s servers inevitably get turned off in the future, it would still be possible to play a relatively bug free version of the software, using only the data on the disk.

I guess that’s the world we live in now, and I’d rather take bugs being fixed later than never at all, but I would have hoped that a port of an ~18 year old game would not have required a day 0 patch.

I wouldn't say that v1.3.0.0 build is indicative of the retail disc being an older version (or v1.0), it's simply just a means of them to communicate where they are and their approach to dev build naming conventions (which tend to differ per studio) I wouldn't worry about it and I don't see it as being an indication for a patch. If a patch does come out afterwards: here's hoping it's not too huge or that the game has fundamental issues without it. I certainly don't think so.

.......

YouTube personality Shenmueso has shared with us the download size of S1&2 on PS4 in this video. PLEASE NOTE that it's a promotional copy and any of these filesizes may not be indicative of the retail build version size. Saying that: it seems likely that they could be: he did manage to launch the game and play it.

Shenmue 1: 2.7GB
Shenmue 2: 7.6GB



Interesting, that's quite a bit smaller then the Xbox One version (where it was at v1.2.0.0 and v.1.3.0.0). Could be many reasons that I'll spare you all from going into (it's not really important in the grand scheme of things/relevant here) but I'm glad for those who are in rural regions/third world countries who are purchasing this digitally (including some of my friends) they should be able to preload this by the time the game launches.

(Also, it's nice to hear that the main menu music has been retained!)

 

[arh]

Oh, sure - a version number higher than 1.0 doesn’t necessarily mean that there’s definitely a patch, but the fact that the preloads recently had an incremented number (at a time when the disks would likely have already been pressed), suggests that it’s *probably* likely.

It’s not the end of the world, but it would have been nice if the disk version were sufficiently bug free that no further patches were required :)

 

[Kodama]

Still no preload on ps4,probably give us just the usual 2 days before preload,ugh!

I gotta wait for my physical version to arrive first and then load... oh man I'm pumped!

 

[Flagship]

Oh, sure - a version number higher than 1.0 doesn’t necessarily mean that there’s definitely a patch, but the fact that the preloads recently had an incremented number (at a time when the disks would likely have already been pressed), suggests that it’s *probably* likely.

It’s not the end of the world, but it would have been nice if the disk version were sufficiently bug free that no further patches were required :)

if you ask me: I think the files were just incomplete prior and got completed just recently (from what i was told), but there's quite a lot mysterious here (the disparity between xbox and ps4 versions is probably due to platform specific files and the way their file system structure works, although there's no specific answer for that out there) so who knows for sure I guess. Neither are HDD space on anyone's (internal or external) HDD so that won't be a worry ?.

Yeah for sure on hoping the retail disc is mostly bug-free/complete (I think this game was mostly done for quite some time judging by Andy's [one of the d3t devs] comments on the old dojo) although saying that: I'd welcome new features/changes etc if they wanted to add that.

 

[Ianpm31]

Has there been confirmation that these games will have trophies?

 

[Kodama]

Has there been confirmation that these games will have trophies?

Yes

 

[Ianpm31]

Yes

Nice. Platinum as well?

 

[GYO6161]

Since Shenmueso's review is coming soon im assuming the embargo will lift in a matter of days this week?

 

[spud1897]

Since Shenmueso's review is coming soon im assuming the embargo will lift in a matter of days this week?

I'd expect initial YouTube videos and reviews around Thursday/Friday. Metacritic etc popping up around Tuesday next week and being updated for a week or so.