Over the past few years a crowd funding
website known as KickStarter has been picking up steam. Launched on April 28th,
2009, KickStarter has funded a diverse array of products, ranging from indie
films, comics, music, and food related projects. Recently though, video games
and gaming related projects have really bursted into the KickStarter
scene. It's a great tool for smaller developers of games and game-related
projects to receive financial (and moral) support from their supporters.
How does it work?
KickStarter has a fairly simple premise and executes upon it perfectly. First a group puts up their project, let's say an iOS game, with a certain amount of money they need to fund it. Then if people and like the project they pledge a certain amount of money. The creators of the project almost always offer different "rewards" for pledging various amounts of money. Let's use the iOS game as an example again. You find the game and like it, so you pledge one dollar. For that one dollar you would most likely receive a copy of that game, but for 10 dollars you'd receive a copy of the game and an art book or a mention in the credits. These "rewards" increase in value into massive amounts such as ten thousand dollars and up. If the project doesn't meet it's goal in the set amount of time, they generally hand out refunds to backers, although there are a few infamous stories of non-refunded failed projects like the Zion Eyez HD. Although it’s a very rare occurrence, it should be remembered when using KickStarter.So now that you know how KickStarter works I'd like to show you a list of all of my favorite video game-related KickStarter projects, both still in the funding process or already done with it.
ALREADY FINISHED CAMPAIGNS:
OUYA
Probably the biggest gaming-related project
to come out of KickStarter is the Ouya game console. The Ouya is an home
console with a price estimation of $99(US.) It's running an unannounced Android
operating system and all of it's games are based off of free-to-play models.
Plus, the Ouya doesn't have any discs or cartridges because all of the games
will be streamed or downloaded. Ouya also has a confirmed partnership with
OnLive which presumably means the Ouya will have access to its wide range of PC
and console games.
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ouya/ouya-a-new-kind-of-video-game-console
http://www.ouya.tv/
Wasteland 2
Wasteland 2 is a sequel to the amazingly
popular 1988 RPG Wasteland and the post-apocalyptic predecessor to the Fallout
Series. Started by inExile entertainment on March 13th, 2012 Wasteland 2
more than tripled its $900,000 by the end of its campaign. Unfortunately, not
much of the game has been shown besides a few peeves of concept art. A PC, Mac,
and Linux version have all been confirmed to be in development.
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/inxile/wasteland-2
http://wasteland.inxile-entertainment.com/
Leisure Suit Larry
Recently, developer Replay Games acquired the rights to the
infamous Leasure Suit Larry franchise, planning to reboot the game. Leisure
Suit Larry is a series of adventure games written by Al Lowe and published by
Sierra from 1987 to 2009. The main character, is Larry Laffer who, though still
somewhat lovable, is a balding, dorky, double entendre-speaking, leisure
suit-wearing "loser" in his 40s. The games follow him as he spends
much of his life trying (usually unsuccessfully) to seduce attractive women.
The games weren't a huge hit due to it's raunchy and sexual nature, but they
still have a sturdy following of fans waiting for the October 2012 release.
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/leisuresuitlarry/make-leisure-suit-larry-come-again
https://www.replaygamesinc.com/
iOS GameDock
Cascadia Games LLC, a Portland, Oregon based indie developer,
known for the Cavorite Series, are attempting to "turn your IPhone 4+,
IPad 2+, and IPod 4+ devices into a retro gaming machine."The package
includes the cradle for the device itself, the cables for video/ audio output,
and one or two Retrolink NES controllers. The GameDock supports all existing
iCade ready games, with more on the way, and can display the video and audio in
1080p. Cascadia additionally says their mission is to "bring a new
layer of authenticity to the modern pixilated-game renessaince." Cascade
needs $50,000 to follow through with their prototype and they currently stand
at around. This is a very cool idea that many people have been asking for that
in my opinion would solidify iOS gaming even
further.
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cascadiagames/gamedock-for-iphone-ipad-and-ipod-touch-devices
http://iosgamedock.com/
STILL IN FUNDING:
Mercenary Kings
The team behind Scott Pilgrim vs.
The World: The Game reunited to develop Mercenary Kings, a 2D action game that
combines precise platforming action and a compelling crafting system.
Accomplish various missions to unfold the story and gather materials dropped by
defeated enemies to craft your weapon of choice. Any part of your weapon is
customizable, each one altering the effect of your attack. Create an arsenal of
weapons either to match your own play style or to match the challenge of a
specific mission. Tribute Games, the developer, states there will be a heavy
emphasis of 4-player coop. The game is currently in the works for PC only but
if funding allows they would love to release it on different platforms. The
funding campaign ends on September 13th, 2012 so I highly recommend
checking out the site and backing it!
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/322438897/mercenary-kings?ref=category
http://www.tributegames.com/index.php?language=en
SharQ II
“Defend the penguins and fight
off hordes of rocket flying sharks in this fast paced twin stick shooter game
on Android!” That tagline says it all. Developer Rapscallion Entertainment is
trying something crazy and hilarious with SharQ II and even though I’m not a
huge fan of Android exclusive game I still am going the back the hell out of
this game. From what they’ve said about the game it seems to be a twin stick
shooter in which you control a heavily armed ship tasked with saving penguins
from relentless hordes of sharks while gaining money and upgrading said ship. Rapscallion
is asking a measly $2,000 in order to add a slew of new features, including a
survival mode, new music, and additional options in the store. They’ve also
included push goals for the game, so if they pass their $2,000 goal they’ll
make the game even better, with an upgrade to Unity Pro if they reach $6,000
and even additional sharks and game modes at $10,000!
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1342599001/sharq-ii?ref=category
http://rapscalliongames.com/
Deozoa: Legends of Eden
Deozoa is a monster catching video
game combining the rich storytelling of an RPG with the combat system of a turn
based strategy. As you explore through the world you will discover and capture
over 100 monsters called Deozoa. While this may seem exactly like a generic
Pokemonor Monster Rancher game, Deozoa separates itself with a host of unique
mechanics and features. Unlike other monster games, your 11 playable human
characters battle side by side with their Deozoa to fight their way to victory.
The game is currently in development for iOS, Android, Mac, PC, Linux, and
Ouya. From what I’ve seen the game looks like and Adventure Quest meet Dragon
Quest Monsters game, but with a unique art style. Deozoa’s funding requirements
are quite steep for a first time indie game at $78,000 but it looks worth it. I
highly recommend checking it out!
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/888104893/deozoa-legends-of-eden?ref=category
http://ignisstudios.com/
So! Now that I’ve listed some of my favorite KickStarter projects I’d like to hear some of yours. Sound off in the comment section below, send me a tweet @DrMrPHD, or shoot me an email at [email protected]! Thanks for reading!
