Will Kickstarter Launch a Gaming Renaissance? 170
jfruh writes "Most gamers probably know that legendary game designer Tim Schafer turned to Kickstarter to help raise money a new adventure game; aiming for $400,000, he managed to raise more than $3 million. But you might not know that a host of other game projects are doing well on the crowdfunding site, with creators ranging from industry famous to unknown. By bypassing corporate funding and appealing directly to their audience, these developers are sparking a renaissance in quirky, personal games that probably wouldn't be backed by a big label looking for a sure-fire hit."
Wasteland 2 (Score:5, Interesting)
I personally am really looking forward to see what comes out of the Wasteland 2 Kickstarter.
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Re:Wasteland 2 (Score:4, Informative)
However my personal favorite is Al Lowe's new/remade Leisure Suit Larry, although I'm not quite sure if it'll make its goal... I have quite fond memories for that series.
But anyway, let's just see how many more old gems will get revived and how long it will take until the crappy ones start to creep in...
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I would love to see a new Al Lowe made LSL game. Why doesn't Al just start there? Everyone who wants to play a new LSL has played the old ones a dozen times, what's the point in doing remakes?
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So I doubt this would be possible via kickstarter
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I don't care if Al writes it in AGI. A new LSL game is worth more than any remake.
Re:Wasteland 2 (Score:5, Insightful)
Really? Well then I guess that the answer is no, this will not launch a gaming Renaissance. So far in my scans of these posts, I have seen a sequel, a remake, people fixated on return on investment, and the established developers getting priority over new, unproven programmers.
That sounds just like our existing games industry to me! The established industry still has an avenue for potentially unprofitable ideas. It's called indie developers.
Also, the idea of giving money to games you want to see made is not new, as people do the same with pre-orders. Some people had Duke Nukem Forever on pre-order for a decade!
Re:Wasteland 2 (Score:4, Insightful)
The pattern seems to be of remakes of and sequels to classic-style games from the 1990s, of a type which the mainstream games industry claims no longer has a market. The people with experience making such games have found a way around the traditional middlemen. I think there's room for this pattern to continue for five years or so, tapping the veins of creativity that were cut short by the consolidation of the gaming industry, before I'd start demanding completely-new titles (which may or may not be supportable through the Kickstarter model).
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This really just proves that there is not in fact a market for these mid 90s style games. These developers have simply found an alternate avenue for funding the development of games for this extremely niche market. Maybe.
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Some people had Duke Nukem Forever on pre-order for a decade!
Fortunately, bought that trash in the bargain bin for $5, and wasn't even worth that. "Here's an etch-a-sketch interface, sign your name!" What total crap.
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I do have a sad feeling that if only distinguished "ancients" like Brian Fargo can automagically hit their targets, get all their old friends from Black Isle/Interplay/Obsidian etc..
then Kickstarter is a lying cake! ("it's who you know, not what you know"....)
Disclaimer: was a programmer since the 80's do some teaching, want to scratch that indie game itch ....
(watching Kickstar
Eaubisoft (Score:1)
But going straight down as soon as somes start to use it for shitty projects and still get the money.
Just like present day.
Will it start a renaissance? (Score:3)
I surely hope so..... at least i backed 4 projects in two weeks :-)
P.S. I recommend a look here: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mercenary-games/vigrior-maneuver-warfare [kickstarter.com]
Re:Will it start a renaissance? (Score:5, Interesting)
Pretty much same here different games probably. I've funded 6 games in past 3 weeks or so. 5 of those have already hit their targets. Shadowrun Returns, Wasteland 2 and the DFA game are run away successes I think in this phase. I don't think the 6th one will make its targets.
I think it will be successful for well known but niche titles. I have very few problems giving my money to the original authors of the games as that is probably a safe bet. I have slightly more reservations with new content from unknowns or people who have only good mods in their pocket. But I have invested in both just to see if this spurs on new kinds of development but I'm not giving $15 or $1000 to just anybody as there are few guarantees here that the money will be well spent and I will see anything in return in 1-2 years.
I don't care for the latest action game or multiplayer whatever. I'm far more interested in games with content and choices and a little back story not ones that accurately model the reloading behavior of the latest military firearms. Unfortunately we seem to be getting better graphics and animation and worse content as years go by. These kickstarters are showing that there is a market for older style games from decades past that are being updated for today's computers without having to sell your soul to the publisher in exchange for money.
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Vigrior is having a hard time too. But i press my thumbs and try to do a bit of PR for them :-).
The new ecosystem. (Score:2)
1. Release a free version on iPhone or Android or Steam.
2. Get name recognition.
3. Go to Kickstarter and pitch your new game (or improved version of your original game).
4. "Upgrade" your free game with quick ads pointing to your Kickstarter project.
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"... Anyway, we want to let you know that we're definitely listening to your feedback and you can expect a full, considered response about Linux early this week. As a company, we are being very careful not to over-commit to ideas and features just to get more funding - everything we decide to include i
Re:Will it start a renaissance? (Score:5, Informative)
And Linux heads need to understand that porting games to Linux can be difficult. A big problem is when you start talking 3D. The 3D situation is a bit of a mess on Linux. If you want some more info on it from developers who have done work in that regard look for remarks by iD or Mozilla. Basically when you start talking more advanced features, only the nVidia binary blob drivers can reliably handle it.
Well that is a big recipe for fail if you are developing a game. You'd end up either having to spend tons more on Linux QA, or have a Linux client that was broken on a bunch of systems. You can avoid that by going 2D and using something like SDL which is pretty good at cross platform, but maybe you don't want to do that, you want 3D.
Plus there's the issue that maybe you don't want to develop the engine from the ground up. That's a lot of work, time, and potential for issues. There's a lot of game engines that can be licensed and many of the somewhat older ones can be had for not too much money. However if said engine isn't Linux, bringing it to Linux is a big undertaking.
Also all costs have to be weighed against returns. How many people are going to buy it only if a Linux port is available? You can't very well go and spend $30,000 on development and QA for Linux if you'll get $5,000 in sales for it, particularly if the project is on a small budget.
Finally for a small dev it can be a matter of who you have and what they are good at. So let's say they have no Linux programmers, or at least nobody who's got any real experience with this kind of thing. You then have to bring someone on to do that and they probably want a reasonable salary. This is on top of all the QA time and all that other shit. It isn't a case of "Just have this guy here work on Linux too," it can be bringing someone new in.
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How many people are going to buy it only if a Linux port is available?
Invalid question. The Kickstarter should cover development costs. Sales above and beyond the Kickstarter should be pure profit. You already have N number of customers who have purchased a copy. You MAY get residual sales after that, but if you are counting on them, you'd be an idiot.
Yeah, and with nearly twice the original budget (750K/400K)... you don't think they can find a Linux dev to toss some code around? Even if they pay someone 100K just for this one project, they still have a good 250K above a
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Dude, they're making a game with a budget of $1 million if they're lucky. Cut them a break if they don't target one of the platforms least used for gaming!
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Yeah, and... I frankly don't care. If all these developers want me to "pay it forward" (literally) they can "pay it forward" by cross developing the game... so the "least used for gaming" platform may get a foothold.
The Windows Gaming community has plenty of methods for funding games that people want. Donations, Alpha Funding, etc. If they truly want to reboot the gaming community, they'll need to make it as accessible as possible for more than just Windows/Mac. I'm not asking for open source. I'm not
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If this is supposed to be some gaming renaissance, why shouldn't Linux be considered? Apparently the rebirth of gaming can only be Windows/Mac?
It WAS considered. The reason why it won't be used is because it will cost more money and won't give any significant return. Also it will require either the existing programmers to learn the quirks of programming for Linux or it will require a seperate team to make the conversion later. Why throw a Renaissance if no one is going to show up?
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Let's wait (Score:4, Insightful)
As somebody who put in money for Wasteland 2, I'm negative about Kickstarter. I'll even join the official backlash team.
Let's wait until a single good game has been released under this model. Or really, a single good game has been released from somebody who doesn't already have a large fanbase and nostalgia helping him get attention.
Furthermore, there's really no accountability under this whole scheme. What if the game released is totally amateurish? What if the developers just pocket half the money? What if the money ends up not being enough and the game is only half completed? What recourse do the "donators" have?
System seems ripe for being abused...Leisure Suit Larry's kickstarter suggests the money is needed to make the game, glossing over that the game has already been under production for at least half a year. Presumably they already had the money, it doesn't mention where the donation's going.
If you want a consumer product, (Score:5, Insightful)
buy a consumer product. If you want to make an investment, make an investment.
Kickstarter is not a store, nor is it a brokerage. It is a place to donate and support things you'd like to see happen. Don't send any money their way if you're hoping for some sort of guaranteed return. It's a kind of participation, activism, or expression, not a kind of transaction.
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Wouldn't it be a good idea to, as a Kickstarter supporter, be paid back more if the specific project made lots of money?
Re:If you want a consumer product, (Score:5, Insightful)
What you are suggesting is called investing, not donation, it legally requires far more hurdles for a fledgling business to jump through to obtain. Furthermore, until the recent signing of the JOBS Act it was illegal for average people to make such investments within the US.
While I would love to be able to invest directly with local businesses there is a real concern about fraud when dealing with hundreds of thousands of small investment options. The SEC, or anything like it, is incapable of ensuring a limited risk to fraud for investors. We are in the infancy of crowd funding and while I yearn for a well regulated and open marketplace to invest in local business I think it reasonable that we take it one step at a time and not rush into things.
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It would be illegal for them to call it an investment, but what would happen if they just decided to give them money? For example, thanks for helping me when I needed it so here's some cash to say thank you. If I made a bunch of money from something that started on kickstarter I'd feel it was appropriate to do something for them. I'd feel pretty shitty about myself if I didn't.
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Kickstarter is not about donation OR investing.
It's about funding. You get something in return for your pledge. Most games on kickstarter offer the game at one of the funding levels, and swag or recognition at other levels. Many, things on kickstarter, I think, have poorly thought returns for lower funding levels (a complete game for $1? But it's supposedly going to be "worth" $40 when you finish it???)
Some of the returns are similar to donation prizes, but really, it's a place where you can say, by sen
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No, it's not. They have levels that you can buy into for each of the different products. For example Diaspora [kickstarter.com] promised everyone that donated $5 "Once the software is released as open source, we will send you a CD with diaspora all set up and ready to go, with a note from our team!". I don't think anyone has gotten that.
It's even worse on the hardware side of things. So far I've backed 4 things in the last year and physically have 1 of them. Anywhere from "Sorry guys my supplier changed all my quotes" to "I
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I didn't claim it was already made. They claimed that you were funding development of the Flex and he would be selling the Prime which is a replication of his prototype. As I read that all the Prime needed was produced.
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I don't know if MBAs are needed, but some common business sense may be applicable.
As it is, nearly every project I have backed has run late - anywhere from 2 weeks to 7 months and counting.
But projects running late is pretty much par for the course everywhere (and if not running late, then almost certainly over budget or underperforming).
I think backers need to have a bit of common sense as well, though.
The HexBright project is a good example. It's running late and yes the guy continued the engineering pro
Yep like any preorder you take a risk (Score:2)
When you pay for something before your receive the goods, you take a risk. You may never get them, they may not be what you want, etc. If you aren't ok with that risk that's totally fine, don't do it. However don't cry about it. Some people are fine with the risk.
Same shit with stocks vs CDs or the like in investing. If you have no risk tolerance, you place your money in savings accounts, CDs, and other instruments that have guarantees of value. They are as safe as you can get. However if you have more risk
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buy a consumer product. If you want to make an investment, make an investment.
Kickstarter is not a store, nor is it a brokerage. It is a place to donate and support things you'd like to see happen. Don't send any money their way if you're hoping for some sort of guaranteed return. It's a kind of participation, activism, or expression, not a kind of transaction.
Seeing as how (at least based on the evidence at hand) none of these outfits are operating as a true not-for-profit (some may operate without profit but that is something else entirely) then the word "donation" is NOT appropriate here. The word you are looking for is "snakeoil". They are selling (that is what you need to call it unless you are explicitly not operating with the intent to make a profit) a specific good (the promise of something magical and wonderful at some point in the future) and their cu
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It's not murky.
You give some money. They might produce game.
Crystal clear.
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So are you claiming it isn't like I said?
And I'm not sure where you pulled the negative interpretation from.
I donated to the watelander 2 one - I'm ust not stupid enough to not know that it's me donating money and them maybe producing a worthwhile game.
Oh sorry, anon coward of course, keep a trolling.
Re:Let's wait (Score:5, Insightful)
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100% agreement. I kicked the bucket for wasteland 2 based on nothing but the title. No concept art, no details, no script treatment, nothing but a title and a hope for the game I wanted.
Remember Barack Obama in 2008? He had the hope and change, but no details. He was an empty canvas of sorts on which you could imagine he'd do all the things you supported. There was something for everybody. Then he got elected, started making decisions instead of speeches, and the thrill was gone.
Every wasteland sta
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Many things on Kickstarter are already in production but need some extra funding to see final light. The Leisure Suit Larry people, as I understand it, are working on the "original" game with updated graphics after acquiring the license and original developer, but it obviously isn't done yet since some of the rewards are to add supporters in as in-game graphics. I use quotes around original because the original game was Softporn Adventure [destructoid.com] by Charles Benton, which was nearly identical but all text based (an
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What if the developers just pocket half the money?
I'd be more curious about where the other half is going. Don't you *expect* most of the money to go toward the developers?
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You don't buy shares of the project.Your money may be gone. If you value your money and common sense then stay away from kickstarter. There's going to be a backlash, yes. And the charge will be lead by the usual Blue Meanies and other assorted grey and featureless men
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I THINK the makers of Legend of Grimrock found the right balance between maintaining their vision and taking in fan suggestions. Which is irrelevant here since they weren't funded by kickstarter. Now imagine what would have happened if Bastion had been funded by
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I will be helping to fund Wasteland 2 and I do see it as an investment. Not every reward has to be monetary. A donation would imply that I am not expecting any reward for myself. It would just be to help others. That is clearly not the case here. My motivation is most definitely *not* altruistic. Far from it. It is 100% purely selfish.
There is most definitely risk involved. Brian Fargo could put his 2 1/2 million in a suitcase, and disappear with enough money to live comfortably for the rest of his life. Th
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System seems ripe for being abused...Leisure Suit Larry's kickstarter suggests the money is needed to make the game, glossing over that the game has already been under production for at least half a year.
All they have is a single background and a bit of animation that they used to pitch the game to publishers, they don't have a game. The publishers didn't want it, so they are now pitching it to kickstarter.
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The thing is, I don't think LL1 needs to be remade. The EGA original had its very own charme and high-definition propably won't be able to add anything to it. Besides, a 1:1 remake will propably be lost on the current generation of gamers. It's a tale of an idiot clinging to late 70ies stereotypes which will be lost on anybody born past 1960.
I playe
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Well that's why you're hedging your bets risk wise. Donate 25 bucks or 30 bucks or whatever, if it's terrible it's not a huge loss.
The reason big studios aren't behind these things is because if it takes 10-20 million to make a game and another 20-30 to market it they can't afford to risk that kind of money on a game that's going to make 5 million in sales. The movie studios do this sort of thing with fancy accounting, much larger distributions (worldwide) double monetization (movie+ dvd) and they're big
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Okay then "Big Publisher Damage Control Consultant", doing his job auspiciously as possible. The accountability is there. The reputation of those who asked for funding is already there. If studios don't follow through on their development promises, you'll be damned sure that people won't forget about it. They won't be seeing any more of that sweet KickStarter nectar if they try that monkey business. You screw your investors/customers over and they'll take their money elsewhere. That's how reputation w
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You left out a magic word ---> "new" I'm trying to be optimistic but i suspect i'm dead wrong - what we'll get is semi riskless stuff from well known almost immortal
zombie like devs from the 90's ( ---> :-|
Something inside me thinks the existing dead bipedal mammals think they can look young again by borrowing newer models... (maybe i'm just a cynic)
Andy
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Or really, a single good game has been released from somebody who doesn't already have a large fanbase and nostalgia helping him get attention.
Anyone who thinks Kickstart is a reasonable development model is crazy.
I donate money to Kickstart adventure games, to show that adventure games actually do sell and have a large audience. (You'd think that the dozens of Europeans adventure games that have sold well in the US over the last decade would prove this, but apparently no.) I consider this a donation, i
Renaissance? (Score:3)
In other discussions I've seen, the assumption seems to be that the first game that betrays expectations will doom the whole system.
I don't think that's true - this isn't an investment cycle, but more a method of pre-purchasing that cuts the last link that was tying small game makers to publishers - seen money for projects.
Collapse isn't inevitable - but I do see some interesting circumstances occurring as Kickstarter is forced to pull funding from some projects, or resulting in empty demo games with no plans for completion.
The idea is still critical though - a mechanism for the potential audience of an entertainment product to freely contribute to the seed money for that product. It will certainly be some rocky challenges ahead - but the core idea will survive, and I think will result in a lot of positive alternatives to insular corporate planning.
It's also a great alternative to the centralized planned culture of nations like France, so intent on protecting an elusive cultural ideal, they approach stagnation at times.
It's a great third way - a way with its own problems, but much to add compared to the extremes of strict corporate planning and liberal cultural protectionism.
Ryan Fenton
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Kind of an odd comment for some people to make, considering how often the publisher model ends up betraying expectations and it's still around (unfortunately).
No (Score:5, Interesting)
Kikstarter lets people who already have a name get funding for their pet project.
Re:No (Score:5, Informative)
Kikstarter lets people who already have a name get funding for their pet project.
Tell that to the oh-so-well-known game developers Justin Ma and Matthew Davis (not the actor), who run the Faster Than Light [kickstarter.com] Kickstarter project.
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Their game was already essentially complete and had won some indie game dev awards and got a lot of positive press. It essentially falls under "people who already have a name" at that point.
Without anything to show, you wouldn't get a junior job at a regular game development company, not even thinking about running your own project...
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Kikstarter lets people who already have a name get funding for their pet project.
How does that contradict the premise of the original question? Yeah, you need to have a name to get top-dollar funding. Unknowns will get some, but not as much as people who have a proven track record. This is a good thing, as maintaining that record is the only incentive that keeps people from doing a run with the money, or producing crap. (Personally, I think Kickstarter funds over a certain amount should be held in escrow, and released as specified milestones are achieved).
That doesn't mean that Kickstar
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It doesn't mean that it won't provide a way for niche genres to get funding.
What I am hoping Kickstart does, at least for adventure gaming, is to 'unkill it'.
The death and subsequent fear of the US gaming industry to touch adventure games with a 10-foot pole was due entirely to chance, as one studio collapsed while the other changing direction, added on top of absurd over-expectations, largely thanks to Myst, which is still the most popular game in terms of 'copies sold per installed computer'. Which me
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The word "pet project" has the negative connotation of illegitimacy. One could rephrase what you said as, "Kickstarter lets game developers who have a proven track-record get funding for projects without needing to go to an outside publisher."
We'll see how these projects turn out, but I've read developer complaints about publishers encouraging them to make safe, cookie-cutter, mediocre games; pushing the games out too early; and having a bad influence on creative decisions. Maybe the developers are just
Certainly a Boost for Small but Known Brands (Score:3)
Depends on what one means by "renaissance". Will Kickstarter see a large boost for unknowns making new games for the first time? Maybe, it will help get some ideas done that otherwise never would have seen the day, (see Diaspora), but I doubt it will cause a huge increase in such. What I think we will be, and are, seeing is a large influx of established games and designers creating new work that otherwise wouldn't have ever seen the light of day. With the one and a quarter of a million that The Order of the Stick Reprint Drive [kickstarter.com] made, I think we are already seeing this in the table top gaming community. Now other games companies [kickstarter.com] are pulling out old favorites and using Kickstarter to judge interest and essentially get pre-sales for a product. We are seeing the same thing with the Shadowrun Returns [kickstarter.com] game by the original designers. I'm hearing the same sort of things from friends who are comic book fans about new and old comic book projects. For what are essentially cottage industries with fans, I think it will help a great deal as one can essentially take a lot of risk out of guessing if something will sale enough to make the money back.
Personally, I'm beginning to really get into Kickstarter. New creative projects that I can not only look at getting, but if I really like it could even pay more for extras or even for things like getting myself added as a character in the video game. Some of the projects are small endevors that I want, but the larger demand just isn't there for. If I had to rely on brick and mortar stores or even the internet for such products to get produced, I'd probably never get them. With Kickstarter, a project can get the funding for it to fill what demand there is even if it's not enough to be sustainable for wide distribution.
The ultimate pre-order (Score:3)
I backed Wasteland 2. I would love to see another post apocalyptic turn based RPG, since Fallout 3 went in a completely different direction in regards to game play as it's predecessors.
Eventually one of these projects will fail, or not live up to expectations, but I hope that is the rare exception.
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If your pre-ordered thing doesn't get delivered then you won't be charged.
For sanity's sake consider it a risk and write off that money spent. If something comes out of it, rejoice. If not, find another worthwhile project. But for heavens sake don't feel entitled but to the anonymous glory of being one of the thousands who backed a thing when the big publishers would not.
Given the sorry state... (Score:5, Interesting)
... of the modern videogame industry while I'm also pessimistic about kickstarter I'd rather throw money at people who love and care about games then just watch every game become an MMO and chained to online DRM (Starcraft 2, diablo 3).
Kickstarter is really tapping into a lot of negative gamer sentiment, especially if you grew up in the 80's and 90's and watched PC game quality dive off cliff after the early 2000's. The last decade has been probably one of the worst decades for gamers and gamers rights on the whole. Map editors, tools to mod games? Sorry we'd rather sell you bonus weapons and extra maps as DLC at inflated prices.
Most newer generation gamers didn't grow up playing Doom, Duke3D, Quake and many other early PC games so they have no f'n clue how bad games have become.
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"Are you serious? You're drunk on nostalgia my friend."
Not drunk at all. I'm not saying there are not some good games being made today, but game quality (i.e. DRM, removing lan, chaining games to online, no map editors/modding, etc) are definitely objective REDUCTIONS in game quality and if you don't think so you're not very bright.
You can also compare the features in UT99, UT2004 to Unreal 3 to see the removal and reduction of things any serious pc game should have because of sloppy ports on behalf of gam
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The FMV movie thingy didn't really have anything to do with the decline.
The problem was when people thought that 'FMV' was, itself, a genre, instead of just a way to have cut screens.
We eventually gave up on FMV cutscreens in favor of just using rendered ones, but it hardly signified a 'decline', unless you think cutscreens were a decline, and they've been around forever, if you define 'cutscreen' as 'You can't do anything and you're having a conversation or some plot point is happening.'
Granted, with yo
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The first really heavily scripted game that gave the impression of openness was Wing Commander.Kilrathi spawned at the appointed time. Side scro
The risk of Kickstarter (Score:2)
Kickstarter is a huge gamble for everyone - in traditional publishing the publisher takes the risk and if a project falls flat they write it off. Big deal, they know that half of their investments are not going to fly, quarter will get their money back, 12,5% will make a decent profit and rest will be a success. But with kickstarter you have thousands of contributors for a project, and if, and eventually some project will, turn out to be a pancake on the floor there will be thousands complaining.
I wish all
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But it is just a matter of time before torrents of QQ wash us all into the sea so it might be wise not to spend money on kickstarter but build an arc instead.
I'm mulling over what it'd take to make me send disposable cash to a project. There are some things but as of now, I'm not seeing it.
But what I do see is the level of expectation that rides on the two-digit d
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I wish all the best for the model, but it is risky as hell - it only needs one colossal failure and people will not donate again.
Except that you can't have a colossal failure with this model. Say a project fails completely and all we get is some art sketches and an unplayable demo. Oh no, I'm out $15. I still have a dozen other projects in the pipeline to keep me entertained.
I fully expect that I won't end up playing half the games I'm backing - either they'll never deliver, or they'll deliver but I won't like the result. And I'm perfectly fine with that. Look, people bought Dragon Age 2, and Bioware's offices are still standing
There's more gaming than just video gaming (Score:5, Interesting)
I just want to mention that Kickstarter is also getting board games off the ground as well. I actually only first heard about Kickstarter after playing Alien Frontiers a couple months ago. It is an enjoyable and well received board game that is the result of a Kickstarter project. There are many board games in development because of Kickstarter as well.
don't take any offers from the big guys (Score:2)
All they do is suck the fun of the games and add crap DRM and DLC.
It's the beginning of the end (Score:2)
Video games, no... Board games, yes (Score:2)
With video games, I don't see it kicking off a renaissance. Huge AAA games still take millions of dollars and that model likely won't change. What may change is the development of Indie games or games that have a history to them.
With board games I do think there is and will be a change. A lot of board games coming out are by indie designers. Before they had to pitch their ideas to a publisher to get published. Now they can pitch their idea to a small group of consumers, get the first run printed and
Star Control Sequel? (Score:2)
I have just one question, will we see Toys for Bob (i.e., Ford and Reiche) start a kickstarter effort for a true Star Control sequel? Star Control 2 was one of my favorite games of all time. Heck, I even enjoyed (although nowhere near as much) the non-Ford/Reiche produced Star Control 3 (I know, heresy...). If there is any game that screams out as good candidate, surely this is it. I'd be willing to put my money where my mouth is and help fund it through kick-starter. Anyone else with me?
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Re:whats the return? (Score:5, Informative)
Who said "invest"?
From the Kickstarter FAQ: "A new form of commerce and patronage. This is not about investment or lending. Project creators keep 100% ownership and control over their work. Instead, they offer products and experiences that are unique to each project."
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Oil running out, rampant corruption and government abuse in so-called "first world" countries, corporations buying the best laws they can, lobbyists, but what we really need is a *game* renaissance. No wonder the powers that be are not afraid, you're a bunch of children.
Multi tasking. A concept familiar to all life forms above flatworms and politicians.
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But trolling /. is somehow different?
Keep up the important work ACs! The world needs you!
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So as long as there are any problems in the world (and by the way, there will always be problems in the world) no one should ever have any fun. All effort should be devoted to righting wrongs and correcting injustices. No time to spend with loved ones. No time to create or enjoy art. No
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Hey, moron, people do not solve world problems until they have solved their own problems. Like having a job. Specifically, having a job that gives them enough time and money for leisure activities.
You know what makes jobs? Having people attempt to purchase things from a company. At which point the company hires 'employees' to make those things and pays them money. This will cause those people to have the time and money to care about world problems.
In times of economic distress, you have to fix the economy
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That's some truly cynical and harsh commentary, but there's a large degree of truth to it. I'm trying to be cautiously optimistic about this whole Kickstarter fad, but I think a lot of idealistic, naive people are going to be very, very disappointed. It's amazing how many people donate to projects that have absolutely nothing to show for themselves, except a few paragraphs about how excited some developer is about his latest idea. If you're lucky, you might get a few details, such as the game engine bein
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Since the big publishers are unwilling to take risks, the customers do. Besides, this will not put the big publishers out of business. Somebody needs to make Uninspired Shoot3r as much as somebody has to shovel burgers down the gullets of the punters. Resurgence of quality TV will also not eliminate Reality TV shows.
The thing is, burgers, big publishers and reality tv has fanbois. They don't do sympathy.
Daikatana was cool for about two months. It was reviled even before that infamous
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4a (variant). Devspeak: "The game is DRM-free because we wanted to ensure a good experience for our customers." English: "Our contract doesn't include royalties. We get paid the same regardless of how few or how many copies the game sells. Under the circumstances, DRM is just more work for us, and our bottom line isn't dependent on sales or piracy. If we had to self-publish, this shit would be loaded with StarForce or require online connections for offline play."
Only an irrational developer would spend extra money that could have lined their pockets on something that, rather than increasing sales, will decrease them. There is always going to be some nonzero number of potential customers that choose to pirate instead of purchasing because they are against DRM or just don't consider a product that you don't even really own outright worth purchasing. DRM has been proven time and again that it will not stop the free riders from just downloading the superior DRM strippe
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I'm hoping Jane learned her lesson. I have high hopes for her new project.
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That might be a plus. Tablets and phones are still new territory, where no one has really laid down the law and said there has to be a right or wrong way to do things. Keyboard and Mouse kinda slipped into red headed step-child status as things like Halo emerged. This could be a boon for both.
Having to learn a new control paradigm (Score:2)
no one has really laid down the law and said there has to be a right or wrong way to do things.
That could also be a bad thing, as the control will get in the way for each new game that one learns to play. Having to learn a new control paradigm for each game, as opposed to good old "A to jump", could turn a potential customer off to buying a game.
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Sorry, for the late response.
Personally I imagine something better than just "press A to jump". Last year a friend broke out his cell phone to show me a game. His hands are big and mine are small. The control config was somewhere in between. A compromise, but it didn't make playing any easier; his hands were compressed and mine were struggling to reach the "buttons". Why are we imposing arbitrary limitations on a platform specifically designed to avoid those arbitrary limitations? Why can't I just drag and
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Why are we imposing arbitrary limitations on a platform specifically designed to avoid those arbitrary limitations?
Because switching to a multitouch screen just swaps one limitation (inability to move the buttons around) for another (inability to feel where your thumb is relative to the buttons).
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Wasteland, Day of the Tentacle, Leisure Suit Larry, these were all plenty successful without joystick support. They'll do just fine on the PC as well.
If anything, locking these people out of consoles is going to eat away at the console user base. Why would I buy a console when all the most thoughtfully designed games are happening on the PC?
Genres other than point-and-click adventure (Score:2)
Why would I buy a console when all the most thoughtfully designed games are happening on the PC?
You personally might not, seeing as you have expressed an interest in point-and-click adventure games, which do work best on a PC or on a tablet. But other people are fans of other genres that tend to be underrepresented on PCs. For example, perhaps there are multiple people in someone's house, either living together (often kids) or visiting for the evening, and one doesn't want to have to send them home to go get their PCs so that they can LAN up.
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Right, but people who like cute mascot platformers already have a mainstream option. There's a reason there's no cute mascot platformer on Kickstarter. The Kickstarter audience has self-selected such that access to game pads or joysticks isn't going to be an issue for anyone.
You might as well complain that your local art house cinema doesn't show Pixar movies.