http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/575109064/penny-arcade-sells-out
UPDATE: FUNDED
http://penny-arcade.com/2012/07/09/penny-arcade-sells-out
Rewards:
Some of the rewards are pretty hilarious.
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UPDATE:
New rewards (Thanks Robert at Zeboyd Games)
This project will only be funded if at least $250,000 is pledged by Wednesday Aug 15, 4:15pm EDT.
UPDATE: FUNDED
http://penny-arcade.com/2012/07/09/penny-arcade-sells-out
Penny Arcade Sells Out
About eleven years ago Penny Arcade was on the brink of collapse. We had recently recovered the rights to our own work after accidentally selling them to a shady internet aggregator. The good news was that we could keep making Penny Arcade but the bad news was we had quit our jobs and we were broke. We talked about giving up and begging for our jobs back but I convinced Tycho to try something first. The Wayback Machine has a couple priceless snapshots of the day we decided to ask you for donations. Going back and reading those posts today is really amazing. For almost two years we ran this website entirely on your generosity. You paid for our rent, food, video games and in return we made PA three times a week as well as a bunch of extra content. A lot has changed in eleven years. PA has fourteen employees now, we put on two massive conventions every year, we run a worldwide charity, we produce our own video games and web show. It’s a major operation now and running it off of donations again seems impossible. Or is it?
Today we’ve launched a Kickstarter to fund Penny Arcade for one year advertising free. It is at its core a return to the concept we had eleven years ago. Back then we considered it begging but today it’s called crowd funding. I don’t want you to get the idea that Penny Arcade is any kind of trouble. Honestly if this Kickstarter doesn’t work nothing here will change. The reality is that we can continue working for advertisers but if we can, we’d rather work for you. Please take some time to check out the kickstarter page and read through all the details. There’s a lot to this idea including new projects from Tycho and I as well as some really cool rewards for backers. We’ve posted a FAQ on the Kickstarter page but please feel free to send me any questions you have about the project. This is a very big deal for us, it could mean a massive shift in the way our company works. Maybe this idea is just too crazy or maybe it isn’t. Either way I’m very curious to see how this goes.
-Gabe out
Rewards:
$1 +
Gabe will shout out your name as he chases a duck, there will be no ads (based on what stretch goal tier is reached), and you'll be listed on our "Supported By" page!
$15 +
All previous rewards, Gabe will think about you during sex, and a certificate of appreciation will be mailed to you. (Add $3 for non-U.S. addresses)
$25 +
All previous rewards, a never-before released digital version of Penny Arcade Book 1, Attack of the Bacon Robots, and Tycho will name your pet.
$75 +
All previous rewards and remastered digital versions of Tycho's Penny Arcade Singles (including My Belruel and Are You Really A Woman?).
$100 +
All previous rewards, a never-before released digital version of Penny Arcade Book 2, Epic Legends of the Magic Sword Kings, and Tycho will name your band.
$125 +
All previous rewards and an autographed (by Gabe and Tycho) 12" x 18" "Dickstarter" print on heavyweight cardstock. (Add $7 for Non-U.S. Addresses)
$150 +
All previous rewards and an exclusive t-shirt commemorating the Kickstarter (Add $12 for non-U.S. addresses).
$300 +
@cwgabriel will follow you on twitter for one year. Your day is now a constant source of his entertainment.
$300 +
@tychobrahe will follow you on twitter for one year. You can bombard him with 140 character requests all year long.
$500 +
Within reason, Gabe and Tycho will retweet one of your tweets.
$750 +
For next year's PA:The Series filming, you can be one of 50 people in a live studio audience component in Seattle, WA. (you need to handle travel costs)
$1,000 +
Get added to Tycho's XBOX Live friends list for a year. You'll be one of the 100 that MS allocates to each account, playing and setting up games throughout the year.
$1,000 +
Get added to Gabe's XBOX Live friends list for a year. You'll be one of the 100 that MS allocates to each account, playing and setting up games throughout the year.
$1,000 +
Shirt of the month club! You'll be delivered one exclusive-to-this-offer design or color variant per month, to your door. (Add $240 for non-U.S. addresses)
$2,000 +
Get a 5-year pass for all existing and newly created PAXes (including PAX Dev if you are in-fact, a developer).
$5,000 +
Lunch with PA Business. Have a lunch with Robert Khoo, Mike Fehlauer, Brian Sunter, and Jeff Kalles in Seattle. (You need to get yourself to the venue, sorry.)
$5,000
Play date with Penny Arcade! You and one other person can come to PAHQ (you need to arrange travel) for an evening of pizza and games.
$7,500 +
Intern at Penny Arcade for a day! You'll be put to real work under the supervision of Khoo. (you will need to arrange travel)
$9,999 +
Lunch with Mike and Jerry. Just get yourself to Seattle and we'll handle the rest.
$10,000 +
Even more rewards! Since KS has a $10,000 limit, we have a number of off-menu rewards for those looking for a more... exclusive experience. [1 x $25,000: Gabe will do an original medium sized painting of your favorite videogame character.], [2 x $25,000: You'll be given the grand tour of Penny Arcade HQ and afterwards we'll all go out for dinner and ice cream!], [1 x $100,000: You can appear in a non-commercial PA strip that you conceive with Mike and Jerry.] But you'll need to purchase these off-site at www.penny-arcade.com/kickstarter/
Some of the rewards are pretty hilarious.
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UPDATE:
New rewards (Thanks Robert at Zeboyd Games)
$35 +
All previous rewards and receive a copy of On the Rain-slick Precipice of Darkness 3 on Steam!
$150 +
Be a beta tester for On the Rain-slick Precipice of Darkness 4! Will also include a copy of the game on Steam upon release.
$1000 +
Be immortalized in On the Rain-slick Precipice of Darkness 4, as your likeness is turned into a NPC for the game. Includes a copy of the game on Steam. Please note, the "estimated delivery date" below was picked arbitrarily. We don't know the exact release date.
$2500 +
Jerry Holkins will do a Beta Read of your work (novel or otherwise), providing notes and opinions throughout.
$2500 +
Robert Khoo will do a full analysis of your business plan, how it fits in the marketplace, what you're doing right and what opportunities you might be missing.
$2500 +
Mike Krahulik (Gabe) will do a full portfolio review of your work, providing notes and opinions throughout.