Kickstarter: Difference between revisions

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{{Useful Notes}}
{{website}}
[[File:Kickstarter-logo-k-color.png|thumb|220px]]
[[File:Kickstarter-logo-k-color.png|thumb|220px]]


'''[http://kickstarter.com Kickstarter]''' is probably the most well known [[wikipedia:Crowd funding|crowd-funding]] website in existence. Basically, here you can obtain money for any creative project<ref>stuff like businesses, charities, etc, are not allowed</ref> you have by submitting a description of your project (usually alongside a shot video) and promising rewards to people who "pledge" different amounts.
'''[http://kickstarter.com Kickstarter]''' is probably the most well known [[wikipedia:Crowd funding|crowd-funding]] website in existence. Basically, here you can obtain money for any creative project<ref>stuff like founding businesses, charities, etc, are not allowed, but businesses can and do use Kickstarter to fund "limited edition" runs of creative works that they publish</ref> you have by submitting a description of your project (usually alongside a shot video) and promising rewards to people who "pledge" different amounts.


While the site has enjoyed a reasonable success beforehand, in February 2012 everything changed: not only did an iPhone dock become the first project to raise a million dollars, but legendary game developer [[Tim Schafer]] announced he was going to raise money for a new adventure game. Said project ended up raising over ''3 million'', with 1 million raised ''in a single day''. ''[[The Order of the Stick]]'' Reprint Drive also joined the +1 million club the same month.
While the site has enjoyed a reasonable success beforehand, in February 2012 everything changed: not only did an iPhone dock become the first project to raise a million dollars, but legendary game developer [[Tim Schafer]] announced he was going to raise money for a new adventure game. Said project ended up raising over ''3 million'', with 1 million raised ''in a single day''. ''[[The Order of the Stick]]'' Reprint Drive also joined the +1 million club the same month.
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:* ''[[Grim Dawn]]''
:* ''[[Grim Dawn]]''
:* ''[[HuniePop]]''
:* ''[[HuniePop]]''
:* ''[[Kodomo no Jikan]] (English translation of the manga, releases are set to start in October 2016 and finish in October 2017)
:* ''[[Kodomo no Jikan]]'' (English translation of the manga, releases are set to start in October 2016 and finish in October 2017)
:* ''[[La-Mulana]] 2''
:* ''[[La-Mulana]] 2''
:* ''[[Kingdom Come: Deliverance]]
:* ''[[Kingdom Come: Deliverance]]
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:* ''[[The Tale of ALLTYNEX]]'' English localization
:* ''[[The Tale of ALLTYNEX]]'' English localization
:* ''[[ToeJam & Earl]]: Back in the Groove''
:* ''[[ToeJam & Earl]]: Back in the Groove''
:* ''[[Torment: Tides of Numenera]]'' ([[Spiritual Successor]] to [[Planescape: Torment]])
:* ''[[Torment: Tides of Numenera]]'' ([[Spiritual Successor]] to ''[[Planescape: Torment]]'')
:* ''[[Undertale]]''
:* ''[[Undertale]]''
:* ''[[Underworld Ascendant]]''
:* ''[[Underworld Ascendant]]''
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:* ''[[RWBY]]: Combat Ready'' board game
:* ''[[RWBY]]: Combat Ready'' board game
:* ''[[Munchkin (game)|Munchkin Shakespeare]]''
:* ''[[Munchkin (game)|Munchkin Shakespeare]]''
:* ''Spirit Island'' board game
:* ''[[Spirit Island]]'' board game
:* [[Jonathan Coulton]]'s ''Some Guys'' album
:* ''[[Stars of Akarios]]'' board game
</div>
</div>


* '''Failures''' (Either cancelled or folded)
* '''Failures''' (Either canceled or folded)
** ''[[Ouya|OUYA]]'' (The most successful project at the time. People were disappointed with the under-performing console and the lacking games. The company later went bankrupt, and its assets were sold off to [[Razer]].)
** ''[[Ouya]]'' (The most successful project at the time. People were disappointed with the under-performing console and the lacking games. The company later went bankrupt, and its assets were sold off to [[Razer]].)
** ''[[Yogscast|Yogventures]]'' (Cancelled after creatives troubles, budget issues and bankruptcy.)
** ''[[Yogscast|Yogventures]]'' (Canceled after creatives troubles, budget issues and bankruptcy.)
** ''[[Red Ash]]: The Indelible Legend'' (Will be published regardless)
** ''[[Red Ash]]: The Indelible Legend'' (Will be published regardless)
** ''RetroBlazer''
** ''RetroBlazer''
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* '''Delayed''' (Released later than the intended date)
* '''Delayed''' (Released later than the intended date)
** ''[[Carmageddon]]: Reincarnation'' (Released in 2015)
** ''[[Carmageddon]]: Reincarnation'' (Released in 2015)
** ''[[Double Fine]] Adventures'' (In [[Development Hell]] for a time, became [[Broken Age]]) (2014, released in two parts.)
** ''[[Double Fine]] Adventures'' (In [[Development Hell]] for a time, became ''[[Broken Age]]'') (2014, released in two parts.)
** ''[[Manos: The Hands of Fate]] HD Restoration'' (Delayed by five years of restoration and a legal battle with Harold P. Warren's son, released by Synapse Films in 2015)
** ''[[Manos: The Hands of Fate]] HD Restoration'' (Delayed by five years of restoration and a legal battle with Harold P. Warren's son, released by Synapse Films in 2015)
** ''[[The Banner Saga]]''
** ''[[The Banner Saga]]''
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** ''[[Tex Murphy]] – Project Fedora (2015)
** ''[[Tex Murphy]] – Project Fedora (2015)
** ''[[Shadowrun Online]]'' (Intended for a 2013 release)
** ''[[Shadowrun Online]]'' (Intended for a 2013 release)
** ''[[Star Citizen]]'' (The most crowdfunded project ever, has missed all promised deadlines<ref>Star Citizen/Squadron 42 and Cloud Imperium Games are mostly controversial for missing every promised deadline (2014... 2016... 2018...) and due to their most impressive technical feats being the upscaling of features and content that other games successfully implemented on a smaller scale first (rather than anything truly innovative). As of [[Perpetual Beta|Alpha 3.21]], it is in fact possible to explore an entire star system using 90% of the roster of previously announced ships and land vehicles, but [[Never Live It Down|most gamers are still of the perception that the game has made no progress at all]].</ref>, but as of December 2023 it is confirmed that the single player <s>campaign</s> companion game ''Squadron 42'' is feature complete, [[Genre Savvy|without announcing hard dates this time]], suggesting that ''Squadron 42'' will at least release by the end of 2024<ref>To be fair to Cloud Imperium Games, the efforts of a disgruntled and [[Crazy Jealous Guy|obsessive ex]]-[[Fan Dumb|fan]] from Brazil cooperating with a [[Derek Smart|rival]] of the [[Chris Roberts|CEO/Founder]] in the early days of the project to sabotage it [[Malicious Slander|purely using false accusations]], the existence of an actual scam "game" ("Star Atlas") that [[Follow The Leader|stole the business model]] and just added [[Landmark Sale|the promise of NFTs]] for [[Good for Bad|spaceships clearly composed of]] [[Plagiarism|parts stolen from]] ''[[Elite Dangerous]]'' and ''[[Star Citizen]]'' vehicles to the mix but is [[Vaporware|everything]] the [[Hatedom]] claims ''Star Citizen'' is, the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] affecting development and the community's offline interactions, and of course the likely unachievable level of [[Perpetual Beta|feature creep]] has not helped ''Star Citizen''{{'}}s [[Rainmaking|reputation]] among outsiders looking at Cloud Imperium Games from afar. Nor does the name of the official annual convention, [[Unfortunate Names|CitizenCon]]. [[Rule of Cautious Editing Judgment|Best left]] at [[Natter|that]].</ref>)
** ''[[Wasteland (video game)|Wasteland]] 2'' (2015)
** ''[[Wasteland (video game)|Wasteland]] 2'' (2015)
** ''The Last Days of Coney Island'' (Animated shorts directed by [[Ralph Bakshi]] in [[Development Hell]] since the 90s, funded in 2013)
** ''The Last Days of Coney Island'' (Animated shorts directed by [[Ralph Bakshi]] in [[Development Hell]] since the 90s, funded in 2013, released in 2015)
** ''[[Project Nimbus]]''
** ''[[Project Nimbus]]''
** ''[[Planetary Annihilation]]'' ([[Spiritual Successor]] to ''[[Total Annihilation]]'')
** ''[[Planetary Annihilation]]'' ([[Spiritual Successor]] to ''[[Total Annihilation]]'')
** ''Hiveswap'',. the ''[[Homestuck]] Adventure Game'', funded in 2013 and to be released somewhere in 2016.
** ''Hiveswap'',. the ''[[Homestuck]] Adventure Game'', funded in 2013 and released in 2017.


* '''Other/Controversial''' (Either in [[Development Hell]] or in some other controversial situation)
* '''Other/Controversial''' (Either in [[Development Hell]] or in some other controversial situation)
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** ''[[Mighty No. 9]]'' (Marred with controversy that [[Broken Base|broke its fanbase in two.]] Delayed countless times, released in June 2016 to a mixed reception.)
** ''[[Mighty No. 9]]'' (Marred with controversy that [[Broken Base|broke its fanbase in two.]] Delayed countless times, released in June 2016 to a mixed reception.)
** ''[[Shenmue]] 3'' (Also [[Base Breaker|marred with controversy.]])
** ''[[Shenmue]] 3'' (Also [[Base Breaker|marred with controversy.]])
** ''[[Star Citizen]]'' (The most crowdfunded project ever)
** ''[[Super Retro Squad]]'' (Spiritual Successor to [[Super Mario Bros Crossover]]
** ''[[Super Retro Squad]]'' (Spiritual Successor to [[Super Mario Bros Crossover]]


{{creatortropes}}
{{creatortropes}}
* [[All or Nothing]]: If the project doesn't get the required funding, it gets nothing.
* [[All or Nothing]]: If an "All or Nothing" project doesn't get the required funding, it gets nothing.
* [[Follow the Leader]]: While Kickstarter had hosted hundreds of gaming projects before [[Tim Schafer]], ''[[Double Fine]] Adventure'' caused several high profile developers to join in. It also paved the way for much more expensive projects: before DFA getting over 100k on Kickstarter was a bit of a stretch, now several projects have tried and succeeded getting money around and over the 500k range.
* [[Follow the Leader]]: While Kickstarter had hosted hundreds of gaming projects before [[Tim Schafer]], ''[[Double Fine]] Adventure'' caused several high profile developers to join in. It also paved the way for much more expensive projects: before DFA getting over 100k on Kickstarter was a bit of a stretch, now several projects have tried and succeeded getting money around and over the 500k range.
* [[Sturgeon's Law]]: Most submissions are ''really bad'' and are typically not funded ''at all''.
* [[Sturgeon's Law]]: Most submissions are ''really bad'' and are typically not funded ''at all''.



{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}

Latest revision as of 14:05, 6 December 2023


Kickstarter is probably the most well known crowd-funding website in existence. Basically, here you can obtain money for any creative project[1] you have by submitting a description of your project (usually alongside a shot video) and promising rewards to people who "pledge" different amounts.

While the site has enjoyed a reasonable success beforehand, in February 2012 everything changed: not only did an iPhone dock become the first project to raise a million dollars, but legendary game developer Tim Schafer announced he was going to raise money for a new adventure game. Said project ended up raising over 3 million, with 1 million raised in a single day. The Order of the Stick Reprint Drive also joined the +1 million club the same month.

Schaefer's success then caused a large number of game developers to turn to Kickstarter and popularized the crowd-funding concept to a new height.

Notable Kickstarter projects include:
  • Successes
  • Failures (Either canceled or folded)
    • Ouya (The most successful project at the time. People were disappointed with the under-performing console and the lacking games. The company later went bankrupt, and its assets were sold off to Razer.)
    • Yogventures (Canceled after creatives troubles, budget issues and bankruptcy.)
    • Red Ash: The Indelible Legend (Will be published regardless)
    • RetroBlazer
    • Rampage 3 (After previous failed funding attempts on Indiegogo and Kickstarter, Uwe Boll posted an infamous video rant on YouTube insulting his non-backers.[2])
Kickstarter provides examples of the following tropes:
  • All or Nothing: If an "All or Nothing" project doesn't get the required funding, it gets nothing.
  • Follow the Leader: While Kickstarter had hosted hundreds of gaming projects before Tim Schafer, Double Fine Adventure caused several high profile developers to join in. It also paved the way for much more expensive projects: before DFA getting over 100k on Kickstarter was a bit of a stretch, now several projects have tried and succeeded getting money around and over the 500k range.
  • Sturgeon's Law: Most submissions are really bad and are typically not funded at all.


  1. ↑ stuff like founding businesses, charities, etc, are not allowed, but businesses can and do use Kickstarter to fund "limited edition" runs of creative works that they publish
  2. ↑ Bloody Disgusting article
  3. ↑ Star Citizen/Squadron 42 and Cloud Imperium Games are mostly controversial for missing every promised deadline (2014... 2016... 2018...) and due to their most impressive technical feats being the upscaling of features and content that other games successfully implemented on a smaller scale first (rather than anything truly innovative). As of Alpha 3.21, it is in fact possible to explore an entire star system using 90% of the roster of previously announced ships and land vehicles, but most gamers are still of the perception that the game has made no progress at all.
  4. ↑ To be fair to Cloud Imperium Games, the efforts of a disgruntled and obsessive ex-fan from Brazil cooperating with a rival of the CEO/Founder in the early days of the project to sabotage it purely using false accusations, the existence of an actual scam "game" ("Star Atlas") that stole the business model and just added the promise of NFTs for spaceships clearly composed of parts stolen from Elite Dangerous and Star Citizen vehicles to the mix but is everything the Hatedom claims Star Citizen is, the COVID-19 pandemic affecting development and the community's offline interactions, and of course the likely unachievable level of feature creep has not helped Star Citizen‍'‍s reputation among outsiders looking at Cloud Imperium Games from afar. Nor does the name of the official annual convention, CitizenCon. Best left at that.
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