Salka

Fund Tim Schafer's next game YOURSELF!

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But here's another problem: what's in it for us? Look, I'm more than happy to fund Double Fine's game, but as Kickstarters get increasingly ambitious, someone will eventually ask "if we're putting down so much money, surely we should get a cut in return?" I think that's an entirely reasonable request.

I think Jake has covered this, but what you're describing is INVESTMENT. This is merely FUNDING something you would like to see happen. It's completely unreasonable to request a further return as it was made clear from the outset that that's not what this is about. Kickstarter allows endeavours to offer "rewards", but these cannot be financial in nature.

In short: If you don't like the deal (pay for a game upfront), then don't do it. That's business!

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Only about 3 500 dollars left...

Finally, Amazon unlocked my account (Amazon Payments is a terrible thing) and I was able to support this awesome thing!

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They've nearly broke $1 million! Seriously, where's the Firefly KickStarter?

Heh! The KickStarter site keeps crashing because of all the people wanting to see it break 1 mil :)

This is the largest amount of funding ever raised on KS, incidentally!

Edit: They've done it!

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Jesus Christ, this, along with other stuff, has made this day among the top one thousand days I've lived. Not only is this game being made, but, just as interestingly, we get to follow the development without any marketing spin. Fun times!

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I bet Schafer is overjoyed that he doesn't have to be the resident publisher-ass-kisser for once and gets to make a game.

Quoted for "yeah".

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In short: If you don't like the deal (pay for a game upfront), then don't do it. That's business!

I think my point is being lost here. So I definitely funded this in a heart-beat (I put down $250), and I funded Venus Patrol for a similar amount. I've done a couple of other (design related) Kickstarters too. I'm more than happy to fund this stuff.

But again, if donation-based funded can raise $100,000 and $1,000,000, could crowd sourced investments raise even more money? There's a big difference between spending and investing. Perhaps people would be willing to put up *even more* money if there was even a small chance of a return-on-investment. With that in mind, would we be able to fund a $10,000,000 game?

I may be totally wrong, but I think it's an interesting thought. An investment-based Kickstarter may be a formidable contender to the developer-publisher model.

EDIT:

They've nearly broke $1 million! Seriously, where's the Firefly KickStarter?

This is kinda my point. I'm guessing a low budget for a season of Firefly would cost around $10-$20 million to fund. Given around the same number of contributors the Kickstarter would fail. I love Firefly, but I wouldn't spend $2,500 for a season of it. But as an investment, $2,500 isn't all that much.

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Without having thought about it much, and without knowing the first thing about economics or how normal people think and act, I would definitely put down much more money for this game if there was an actual chance of return. That is, I would probably opt out once I saw the endless pages of contracts and forms I would have to sign for something like that to be legal.

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But again, if donation-based funded can raise $100,000 and $1,000,000, could crowd sourced investments raise even more money? There's a big difference between spending and investing. Perhaps people would be willing to put up *even more* money if there was even a small chance of a return-on-investment. With that in mind, would we be able to fund a $10,000,000 game?

I may be totally wrong, but I think it's an interesting thought. An investment-based Kickstarter may be a formidable contender to the developer-publisher model.

I get you now. I agree. That IS an interesting thought. Hmm. I wonder if you're right.

This is kinda my point. I'm guessing a low budget for a season of Firefly would cost around $10-$20 million to fund. Given around the same number of contributors the Kickstarter would fail. I love Firefly, but I wouldn't spend $2,500 for a season of it. But as an investment, $2,500 isn't all that much.

That's a given if the same number of people interested in this game are the same number who are interested in Firefly/Serenity, but I'd wager it's not. My guess would be that Firefly has a MUCH wider appeal than old LucasArts adventures, though.

I certainly wish they'd try it!

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Jesus Christ, this, along with other stuff, has made this day among the top one thousand days I've lived. Not only is this game being made, but, just as interestingly, we get to follow the development without any marketing spin. Fun times!

I know. This is the most excited I've been about the possibilities of the internet as a force for good since I first logged onto it. Hurrah for cool people :tup:

And here's a heart-warming pic of the Double Fine staff celebrating:

AlQErziCIAIw6zN.jpg

Edited by ThunderPeel2001

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I also like the bit before that, too:

This isn’t a sign of how all games will be funded – obviously not. This isn’t the death of publishing, or whatever other rather silly comments some have made today. But what it is, is a loud, clear signal from the gaming audience that the middlemen are not always necessary, they are not necessary for the creative industry to succeed. Because this isn’t a lone example, this is one of many creative projects that have found their way to success through the patronage of their customers. Whatever happens next, direct funding is going to play a large part in it. And it’s impossible not to observe that on a day when gamers give a million dollars for a game that doesn’t yet exist, Ubisoft’s customers couldn’t play games they’d paid for and received. The contrast is important to notice.

A wonderful juxtaposition!

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Ok I don't know why but Amazon decided to let me pay after a few tries. But they've event sent me an email demanding I send them my SSN, which still makes me wonder what is wrong with them. Other people at my office were able to pay without a problem.

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Yeah, what an incredible turn of events. I hope my chin-stroking didn't come off as grumpy or cynical, because I'm totally over-the-moon about all this. :tup:

Last night, especially, was insane. I was playing Starcraft + Skype with friends, telling them about this thing and how much Double Fine raised. Except after every game I alt-tabbed back to Kickstarter and had to revise the number! By the end of the night, they were at $650,000. When I woke up this morning they hit a million.

The best part is that it couldn't have happened to a more hard-working, passionate, talented bunch of people. They deserve every penny!

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1,2 million dollars in 28 hours time! :tup::tup:

Damn you gamers, you are all incredibly awesome.

The best day in the whole era of internet was yesterday.

But on a serious note, where's Chris Remo?

If I read right, it was Notch who put the 10000 dollars on the project and said he would've put more but that's the top limit for Kickstart donation. He also apparently said he won't be the one going on office tour and the DATE with the two hunks.

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Woo! This is heart-warming and amazing! :tup:

About crowd sourced investment. As already mentioned, the legal work required to make that sort of thing work would probably be so staggering that most companies simply wouldn't dare to try such a thing. I don't know much about legal issues, though, except that everything you do could potentially turn into one, especially if it involves money.

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That's an interesting question -- if everyone who wants it pre-orders it, but all the extra money goes into making the game better, there will be zero profit. But then I guess they'd just start another Kickstarter for the next game. :)

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I'm not sure if I want in on the beta either to be honest.

Given the magnitude of expectations I have with this project, I'd like to go into this pretty blindly in terms of how the games plays, story etc

I have to wonder how the beta process will work, I finally got round to watching the video last night and it seems Schafer is keen to let those who donate have a say but to what extent and how will it be implemented?

Nowadays it seems betas that get a public release are one that test a specific part of a game such as the multiplayer element whereby it's the overall online mechanics/gameplay that are being tested. I'd imagine a beta for an adventure game would have to be drastically different without revealing too much of the actual game? I'd hate to have to play through it again just for a couple of fixes/tweaks found in the beta, but then there's no way they'd release the full thing as a beta.

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So excited and happy about this. It'll be interesting to see if the old masters of the craft have still got it.

Rumor has it it's a Shivah reboot.

Good reference, but wrong Gilbert. :mock:

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Good reference, but wrong Gilbert. :mock:

Lier.

I heard it's Emerald City Confidential Exposed: 2 Hot 2 Handle.

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So excited and happy about this. It'll be interesting to see if the old masters of the craft have still got it.

Good reference, but wrong Gilbert. :mock:

Rong ilbert

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Rumor has it it's a Shivah reboot.

Ooh, I can't wait to see how they handle the

wrestling

mechanics in a next-gen engine!

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Wow, $1.5 M seems a certainty already, but with 32 days left, who knows how much they'll hit. I think it'll be $2 M at least.

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About crowd sourced investment. As already mentioned, the legal work required to make that sort of thing work would probably be so staggering that most companies simply wouldn't dare to try such a thing. I don't know much about legal issues, though, except that everything you do could potentially turn into one, especially if it involves money.

It is probably far more simple than you think. It might be as simple as creating an ad-hoc corporation. Corporations are essentially groups of random people polling their money for some goal. Corporations, as a legal widget, were initially set up to handle large public works like bridges and municipal buildings and stuff, but they at some point got appropriated into simple profit creating vehicles. There is no reason one couldn't set up a corporation whose goal is breaking even or making a very small profit.

However, I don't think this is a good model for more experimental games as it is ultimately going to favor safe bets as much as publishers currently do. Unless the corporation is formed with a specific goal in mind and all the shareholders are on the same page. Which can be done.

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Tweet from Schafer:

$1,343,061! We've passed the budget of Day of the Tentacle and are closing in on the Full Throttle budget ($1.5M). I'm adding motorcycles!

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