These days, wherever you go, there’s a Kickstarter project under your nose asking for some faith and cash in order to make a game. You might say that there’s a Wasteland of failed projects in crowdsourcing. Hell, you might even say that this is all just one big Torment, that has left developers inXile. Or you might just say “shut up with the damn developer-specific puns Darryn”.
“I think sometimes some of the projects that have failed is Kickstarter doing its job,” Wastleland 2 developer Brian Fargo said to Digital Spy in an interview about whether or not people were sick of Kickstarter.
Which is saying, ‘We don’t really want that, or there’s already too much like it’. I think it worked very well for us, and it worked well for [Tim] Schafer, because it’s quite honest to say this game wouldn’t have existed without it, period, because we’re a middle-ground developer, we’re not two guys.
According to Fargo, trying to pitch a game in a crowded genre is what makes for a tough Kickstarter to back, although the right pitch with the right talent behind it will see success. Just ask Keiji Inafune and his Mighty No. 9 project. “There was a Fallout audience that loved one and two, and they wanted something more like that than where Fallout 3 and New Vegas went,” Fargo said about the Wasteland 2 Kickstarter.
Not that those are bad, but they wanted a more tactical, isometric, post-apocalyptic role-playing game. In that particular case, it hadn’t been done. Now if somebody came up with another one after us, it wouldn’t do as well, I think, because we would have been scratching that itch.
Fargo has some good points. Kickstarter is still a viable platform, provided that you’ve built up enough trust with the gaming community to get them to back your project, knowing that they’re essentially paying for a full price pre-order that is years away.
It’s worked well for people such as Fargo and InXile Entertainment, Tim Schafer and Obsidian Entertainment. It’s also worked rather not so well for various other developers, whose projects have failed to generate enough scratch or interest whatsoever.
Last Updated: May 27, 2014
Alien Emperor Trevor
May 27, 2014 at 11:45
I’ve backed a few KS campaigns – I tend to look for more established devs & they must have something that interests me that I don’t think I’d be likely to find otherwise.
There’s in-Numenera-ble dull-looking indie crap there too. I’ve see a few people whining about how it’s “unfair” that devs like inXile or Obsidian get their projects funded but their super special awesome indie games with retro pixel art don’t.
RinceofFuturePast
May 27, 2014 at 12:02
lol and yes. Quite frankly, when in doubt, just make another Mario game. Works for Nintendodo
Alien Emperor Trevor
May 27, 2014 at 12:25
Or a 6th GTA ;P
RinceofFuturePast
May 27, 2014 at 12:32
Yeah, cus they didn’t make enough from 5 😛 Mind you, Mariokart 8 sold at least 5 copies. Enough for the design team to come up with 10 more ‘new’ games 😛
Alien Emperor Trevor
May 27, 2014 at 12:34
And the only reason it sold 5 copies is because people can’t read properly & thought they were buying Minecraft.
Kromas
May 27, 2014 at 12:57
Or Super Mario Bros. – WIIU Edition
Jedi JJ
May 27, 2014 at 12:11
If it’s good, geeks will come.
Just look at FTL
EDIT: I just walked right into that one…bring on the dissing!
Alien Emperor Trevor
May 27, 2014 at 12:36
NERD!
Jedi JJ
May 27, 2014 at 13:04
Nerd?
Wait what?
I know there’s a difference, that’s what I’m always telling people, but nerds are academics, which I certainly am not.
Really though, nothing about geeks coming?
Alien Emperor Trevor
May 27, 2014 at 13:09
Nope, not touching it. *innocent whistle*
Admiral Chief in Space
May 27, 2014 at 11:55
shut up with the damn developer-specific puns Darryn
Alien Emperor Trevor
May 27, 2014 at 11:56
Too late, I think he’s too Fargo-ne.
Admiral Chief in Space
May 27, 2014 at 11:56
Boooom
Jedi JJ
May 27, 2014 at 12:11
Alien Emperor mixing things up again with some sharp humour today I see.
Admiral Chief in Space
May 27, 2014 at 11:56
I’ll vote for them, but won’t give money to something I am not sure will be worth it
Jedi JJ
May 27, 2014 at 12:10
Same here.
Aldiggy2000 .
May 27, 2014 at 15:11
how else can you get your name immortalized in a video games credits without having to work for the company. My name will even be on a tombstone in Torment : Tides of Numenera . Pillars of eternity gave backers personalized profiles of their faces drawn to look like orcs or elves and even took backer designs for inns and items . fully credited those individuals in credits as well. amazing, don’t understand how someone could not want to kickstart projects