Peter Molyneux is one of the grandfathers of gaming, although lately he’s become more of that crazy uncle that no one likes to talk about. He and his studio 22cans funded Godus with Kickstarter and Steam Early Access, but he says that developers should be wary of following his example – sound advice no matter which example we’re referring to.
Speaking to TechRadar, Molyneux explained that going with Kickstarter ended up being detrimental to the project, leading to overselling and other issues.
What I’ve learned is that doing Kickstarter and Steam Early Access, before you’ve got something which is defined and playable, is a hugely risky undertaking that can be very destructive to the final quality of the game. And if I had my time again, I wouldn’t do Kickstarter at the start of development, I would do it at the end of development or towards the end of development. I’m not saying I would never do Kickstarter again, but if I was to do Kickstarter again, I would say ‘look, we’ve done half the game, you can download this demo, you can play the game. You know what the game’s going to be, now we’re going to take it from this point to this point.
[…] There’s this overwhelming urge to over-promise because it’s such a harsh rule: if you’re one penny short of your target then you don’t get it. And of course in this instance, the behaviour is incredibly destructive, which is ‘Christ, we’ve only got 10 days to go and we’ve got to make £100,000, for f**k’s sake, lets just say anything’. So I’m not sure I would do that again.
I’m glad he has seen the error of his ways, and I think it is a big issue for developers who are trying to crowd source their ideas. In a bid to get money from a range of backers, people end up promising a wider range of things. It doesn’t make the project any better and often ends up diluting the original goal of the campaign. Just look at that potato salad Kickstarter – nothing had to change, it was perfect as it was and got a ton of support. Perhaps it wouldn’t have if the campaign had expanded to include a full course meal.
I don’t trust Molyneux the same way we all did back in the day, but it’s good to see him coming out with decent advice for other developers. Build your concept thoroughly and ensure that you know what you’re pitching for before you take to the internet to find money. Without a clear idea of what you’re doing, you’ll get pulled by the tide of people and questions, and lose any sense of your own ideas and dreams.
Last Updated: December 3, 2014
ToshZA
December 3, 2014 at 14:09
This is the first smart thing this guy has said in a decade. Did he remember to take his meds for once?
Dutch Matrix
December 3, 2014 at 14:20
No. He took his head out of his arse for once…
SargonTheGreatPandaOfAkkad
December 3, 2014 at 14:24
This is impossible. We all know that Peter hasn’t been able to remove his head from his arse since B&W.
MakeItLegal
December 3, 2014 at 15:13
comment of the day
Hammersteyn
December 3, 2014 at 14:12
He’s been in the industry so long they are writing fables about him
Captain JJ the fair
December 3, 2014 at 14:15
I don’t mind kickstarter or early access, but I completely agree with him. It might be good for some, but others just abuse it. Two games that I’ve bought on early access were released completely unfinished (Planetary Annihilation being one of them) and it really felt like I’d thrown my money in the water.
Hammersteyn
December 3, 2014 at 14:16
Grass simulator being another
Captain JJ the fair
December 3, 2014 at 14:18
I’m more interested in Stapler Simulator.
SargonTheGreatPandaOfAkkad
December 3, 2014 at 14:16
Actually – throwing money in the water is a lot more rewarding!
Captain JJ the fair
December 3, 2014 at 14:18
With Planetary Annihilation it really feels like it. I supported those guys from the moment they announced the game. They professionally disappointed.
Hammersteyn
December 3, 2014 at 14:20
Needed bigger planets. The death star was awesome though
Captain JJ the fair
December 3, 2014 at 14:24
The planets also feel so flat. I put quite a bit of money into supporting them, but I haven’t seen the value in my Randelas in the least. ALL I got for supporting them is an ingame badge that says “Alpha Supporter”
Did you see the absurd microtransactions they have? “Buy a commander for $5”
No thanks, I’d rather buy Total Annhilation for $3 on GOG.
SargonTheGreatPandaOfAkkad
December 3, 2014 at 14:24
The hurt is strong in this one.
Captain JJ the fair
December 3, 2014 at 14:25
Haha. Just feel a bit cheated. On a different note, I bought The Forest on Early Access too and those guys are seriously on it. Regular updates. They listen to their customers and actually add content suggested by the community. These guys I’ll back any day.
SargonTheGreatPandaOfAkkad
December 3, 2014 at 14:28
Some of them get it right. I picked up War for the Overworld and they give you regular updates, etc etc. So far I’m not disappointed. But I can see how disappointing it’d be to support something for ages only to get an empty shell of the game you were promised.
ToshZA
December 3, 2014 at 14:30
Interestingly enough a lot of people have been complaining about how long the updates are taking with WftO, apparently not much has happened in the last year?
SargonTheGreatPandaOfAkkad
December 3, 2014 at 14:45
The game is in a completely different space now than when I picked it up about a year ago. They’re a really small team – but they’re constantly pulling out new updates. People just want things done as quickly as AC these days. One year, one mediocre game. No thanks! Take your time with this one. 😉
ToshZA
December 3, 2014 at 14:48
Good news then to my ears – I don’t mind the wait 😀
SargonTheGreatPandaOfAkkad
December 3, 2014 at 14:51
It hits you right in the nostalgia. And I lose hours whenever I start it up building an evil empire. It still has bugs though. And doesn’t run as well as it should at times when your evil empire threatens to spill out of the darkness. But EVERYTHING you loved about DK 1 & 2 (and more) is there.
*Edit* I can share my Steam library with you sometime if you wanna take a look before buying or whatever when it comes out?
ToshZA
December 3, 2014 at 15:06
Dude, it’s been on my wishlist for just over a year already. I do check in on the updates, but I just don’t care much for anything that isn’t finished. So I’ll probably buy it the moment it comes out of Early Access anyway XD
Captain JJ the fair
December 3, 2014 at 14:31
*googles War for the Overlord
Okay, this one is going on the wishlist right now.
Bought 7 Days to Die the weekend too, they seem to be on it as well. Will start playing tonight for some madness.
ToshZA
December 3, 2014 at 14:32
WftO is the longest surviving game on my wishlist – it’ll be there until it leaves Early Access and gets good reviews. 🙂
Axon1988
December 3, 2014 at 14:55
I was looking at the special of planetary annihilation… Almost bought it as well. Then I remembered I don’t buy early access… Then I saw it was not on early access any more. Then I remember I already bought 4 games on this special and that I should calm the fuck down and play what I already have.
Captain JJ the fair
December 3, 2014 at 14:57
Haha. For $6 it’s quite a bargain, actually. So grab it on the next sale for that price if you’re still interested. I popped around ten times that much into supporting it.
Alien Emperor Trevor
December 3, 2014 at 14:59
I wanted to get it, then remembered @johnambitious:disqus saying it was a piece of crap & didn’t. So glad I listened. He’s quite trustworthy when you keep your eye on him. O_o
Captain JJ the fair
December 3, 2014 at 15:01
Haha. For $6 it’s not bad. It just lacks content (only one faction, very basic compaign). Just don’t expect Supreme Commander or Total Annihilation with planets.
Alien Emperor Trevor
December 3, 2014 at 15:03
That IS what I expected from their whole game blurb. Looks like it’s turned out like Supreme Commander 2 lite. Which is kak.
Captain JJ the fair
December 3, 2014 at 15:06
Glad to hear someone agrees with me on Supreme Commander 2.
Alien Emperor Trevor
December 3, 2014 at 15:09
I uninstalled the game in utter disgust after the first campaign mission. Because the main protagonist that popped up in in a little screen at the end to “mock” you using TERRIBLE voice acting said…. toodles. TOODLES. FUCKING TOODLES. FUCK YOU, GAME.
Captain JJ the fair
December 4, 2014 at 07:20
I hated how every single thing in the game becomes useless once someone builds an experimental machine. In TA and Supreme Commander 1, if an experimental machine showed up you kakked, but you lived.
SC2 also became a rush game where it wasn’t about expansion and strategy, it was about getting to high tier units the fastest.
Willem Swanepoel
December 4, 2014 at 09:07
I agree with you Planetary Annihilation was supposed to be a lot better than the previous games. It was for me a huge disappointment…
It makes it hard to support their next game which is a new IP. Human Resources i think … Robots and Aliens fighting each other and then harvest humans as resources. Looks really epic and fun but yeah they made Planetary Annihilation and it pretty much stops me from supporting them until I see a working Beta … that is close to release …
On the other hand, I was happy with my Divinity Original Sin early access. The game is a GEM and was very successful for a kickstarter project.
SargonTheGreatPandaOfAkkad
December 3, 2014 at 14:15
Bleh. All I read was “blah blah blah blah blah blah another excuse as to why people shouldn’t hate me or my great microtransactions blah blah blah.”
ToshZA
December 3, 2014 at 14:24
Yeah you got Godus on iPad – not on PC. That’s your fault. 😉
SargonTheGreatPandaOfAkkad
December 3, 2014 at 14:26
They promised me a reinvention of the God genre. They promised me things. And I can’t even sculpt land anymore without a prompt to buy more belief (50k packs) to move land a single bloody centimetre. IT’S A FARCE!
ToshZA
December 3, 2014 at 14:29
It’s mobile. Get it on PC (yes, you buy it) – and forget the micro transactions forever.
SargonTheGreatPandaOfAkkad
December 3, 2014 at 14:47
Why would I give that *insert appropriate title/name here* any of my money? I even offered to buy it for the missus (since she plays more Godus than I do on the iPad) and she was not interested. Like… it would be free.. and she wouldn’t hear of it. Lol. That’s how bad it is.
Alien Emperor Trevor
December 3, 2014 at 14:23
“overwhelming urge to over-promise”
BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA STOP IT MOLY-MOLY! I can’t breath! I bet he said that without applying even the slightest bit of introspection.
rollingmol
December 3, 2014 at 14:28
“There’s this overwhelming urge to over-promise” I stopped reading there.
Spathi
December 3, 2014 at 14:29
Guns don’t kill people – Stupid people with guns kill people.
Food doesn’t make people fat – Lazy ass people with no self control make themselves fat.
Speed doesn’t kill – Reckless driving kills.
Kickstarter doesn’t make you over-promise – Being an asshole makes you over-promise.
ToshZA
December 3, 2014 at 14:31
Winner!
Captain JJ the fair
December 3, 2014 at 14:32
Haha. Excellent!
SargonTheGreatPandaOfAkkad
December 3, 2014 at 14:47
I’m just big boned!
Willem Swanepoel
December 4, 2014 at 09:08
Buy this guy a fking bells bottle!!
Anon A Mouse
December 3, 2014 at 14:31
Star Citizen anyone?
RinceThis
December 3, 2014 at 14:32
I thought the same thing but didn’t want to paint myself a target! 🙂
Anon A Mouse
December 3, 2014 at 14:33
I felt the flames while typing it, but I like living on the edge.
RinceThis
December 3, 2014 at 14:34
Edge, this is underground on fire while being eaten by acid ants!
Captain JJ the fair
December 3, 2014 at 14:36
Wouldn’t that be antacids?
ToshZA
December 3, 2014 at 14:37
LOL!
RinceThis
December 3, 2014 at 14:41
Depends if your experience of eno is a bad one 0_O
Captain JJ the fair
December 3, 2014 at 14:43
I didn’t know it’s not supposed to be sniffed, okay! It doesn’t say so on the pack!
Anon A Mouse
December 3, 2014 at 14:44
Through the eyeball for the best effect.
Captain JJ the fair
December 3, 2014 at 14:45
Bubbles everywhere!
Anon A Mouse
December 3, 2014 at 14:44
That sounds like my dinner last night after a quick glance at the ingredients.
Captain JJ the fair
December 3, 2014 at 14:33
OVG thrives on being a target though, where is he when you need him?
RinceThis
December 3, 2014 at 14:34
Licking his wounds?
Captain JJ the fair
December 3, 2014 at 14:36
Haha
Spathi
December 3, 2014 at 14:32
You shut your mouth!!!
But seriously, there is absolutely no indication currently that they will not deliver.
Tiaan Pat
December 3, 2014 at 14:32
With that amount of funding? How can they not!
Spathi
December 3, 2014 at 14:33
How can they not deliver, or how can they not over-promise?
Tiaan Pat
December 3, 2014 at 14:34
They at least have shown off some of the game. If you are a backer you will at least know that there are progress.
Edit: Man I am struggling with that sentence :/ Fail
Spathi
December 3, 2014 at 14:35
No I agree with you, I’m a backer and an avid follower of SC. I just didn’t understand your previous statement.
Tiaan Pat
December 3, 2014 at 14:37
Sorry to many SQL queries has apparently fried my brain today! I miss understood your comment. I was saying that how can they not deliver, meaning that they have done so much and to not deliver now would be retarded!
ToshZA
December 3, 2014 at 14:37
Retarded, but tbh I’m expecting it.
Spathi
December 3, 2014 at 14:40
Well, it depends on what they do not deliver. I suspect and expect they will run into problems somewhere along development and realize that somethings are just not quite as possible as they suspected (or hoped), but the main features of the game will be present I believe.
ToshZA
December 3, 2014 at 14:42
But isn’t that the crux of what Moly has just said? Should your scenario come to pass (lol, where’s Gandalf when you need him?), then the problem is that they’ve over promised. They promise X for Y funding, but deliver Z for it instead. That’s what makes people mad.
Spathi
December 3, 2014 at 14:46
No I get that, but I believe that SC will deliver on all main accounts. In essence, there will be a huge living world economy, there will be a proper 1st person section, there IS exceptional flight physics and with “real life” physics, there will be ship boarding while in space, there is component based physics.
Whatever more he has in mind are extras and not the reason people back the game (I believe). If he does not deliver on one of the main accounts then yes, he deserves to get all the shit that Moly has received in the past.
ToshZA
December 3, 2014 at 14:53
Ok, so I 100% get what you’re saying, and I do agree for the most part.
I do need to ask though – what if you backed the game for a specific “extra feature” that doesn’t make it to the final game. We’ve seen one game pull a last minute change on what they promised, and that caused a major outrage. Some people didn’t mind, but others did.
What’s seemingly a minor detail for some people, could be a huge deal for others. I feel it’s better to ensure you deliver on everything you promise, so under estimate what you’re able to do – and then do more. Instead of promising the world and delivering a stable continent, promise a country and deliver that same stable continent. Metaphorically, back off dictators.
Spathi
December 3, 2014 at 15:11
I agree with you. And that is unfortunately where Moly is currently correct. Kickstarter will put pressure on you to say things and promise features that you as developer HOPE to be able to implement.
If I was Chris Roberts, I’d stop selling the game currently, make sure I deliver on what is promised and shut the hell up 😀
Anon A Mouse
December 3, 2014 at 14:35
And have a towel in your hanger.
Alien Emperor Trevor
December 3, 2014 at 14:56
The towel is vital to space travel. :/
Anon A Mouse
December 3, 2014 at 15:12
To quote Ford: If you want to survive out here, you’ve got to know where your towel is.
ToshZA
December 3, 2014 at 14:33
Economies of scale. There IS such a thing as too big, and too much.
SargonTheGreatPandaOfAkkad
December 3, 2014 at 14:49
Said no billionaire ever while looking at their bank account(s).
RinceThis
December 3, 2014 at 14:31
Oh Moly you kill me! http://hellogiggles.hellogiggles.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/23/tumblr_lpvcc8HfTm1qkh1ufo1_500.gif
SargonTheGreatPandaOfAkkad
December 3, 2014 at 14:50
I always wanted to know. The guy with the mole. Like… is the portfolio at the agency he is with… is it of him? Or his mole?
*WANTED* One GIGANTIC face mole. With person attached. Thanks.
RinceThis
December 3, 2014 at 15:06
Well it isn’t real 😛 And the dude is from the Wonder Years!
SargonTheGreatPandaOfAkkad
December 3, 2014 at 15:08
You have ruined everything. IT’S NOT REAL? Damn you, Austin Powers! Damn you!
RinceThis
December 3, 2014 at 15:11
Shit, SORRY!
Tiaan Pat
December 3, 2014 at 14:32
I don’t agree here. If you can’t manage your PR and over promise whose fault is that? Look at Mighty 9, an idea pitched people took it and bam they are almost finished now. Then there is Project Phoenix, the updates they are bringing out are amazing.
I say that it all depends on your team and how you manage it. If you over promise then it is your fault not kickstarters fault… tisk tisk
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
December 3, 2014 at 14:47
ERROR ERROR Molyneux v2014 is defective – FIRMWARE UPGRADE AND REBOOT REQUIRED!
HisDivineOrder
December 3, 2014 at 16:24
Did Molyneux take time from his busy schedule of not finishing Godus to talk about things he couldn’t turn into bajillions of dollars again? We already saw what happened when Microsoft gave him the keys to the kingdom, right? He promptly disowned PC gaming and screamed to high heaven how awesome Kinect was going to be.
Eventually, even Microsoft had to realize he was full of BS and let him go. Then he tried another fad, Kickstarter, and not long after that, microtransactions.
Neither worked out. So now here he is, talking about how Kickstarter was a bane. It’s not Kickstarter. It’s you, dude.
WitWolfy
December 4, 2014 at 07:41
He lost all credibility after the whole Milo being all smoke and mirrors scandal to hype that shitty Kinect.