Given the most recent news about Broken Age/Double Fine Adventure and the backlash that followed, I thought it would be interesting to see what people thought of how the games they've funded are shaping up in general. Here's mine:
Satellite Reign - Just started, the game seems like it should be on track to making it. The recently posted developer video did a lot to ease my mind about the project. The guys working on it having a good track record makes it an easy bet. Hope it makes it.
Shovel Knight - Really enjoyed most of the games they've worked on in the past, and with capcom shitting the bed on Mega Man in the past few years even something as simple as a quality game in the same vein sounds like a load of fun. The guys seem to have a concrete vision and direction for the game, too. Easy decision to back. Since funding was completed all the updates seem to point in the direction that they're on the right track. Glad I backed it, and I hope it turns out well!
Torment 2 and WL2 - I figured I would combine these since most of what I have to say about one of them ties back into the other. I posted this in the DFA topic:
And I feel enough can't be said with respect to how well managed and thought through both ineXile's KS have been. Both of them seemed to have a very clear creative direction, had no problem properly articulating what we were going to see from them, and had very well implemented stretch goals that never felt arbitrary. Since funding was completed, my hype actually increased tenfold for WL2 after both the vision document and the alpha footage was released for the game. WL2 seems to be on the track to releasing on time, and feature complete. Given this, I had no qualms about backing Torment 2.
Project eternity - While I was a little skeptical upon the launch of the project (buy our game, it's obsidian's next project and you love obsidian, right?), the follow up posts after funding was completed did a lot to strengthen my resolve to back the project for a frankly embarrassing amount of cash. Love the art direction they are taking, the gameplay design seems great, and since funding completed the game seems to be on schedule. Glad I backed it.
Volgarr - One of the better of the earlier KS projects in terms of showing us what to expect I thought. Came out with a really great looking demo that really sold me on the game. Previous track record on great titles like Shinobi 3D and Spyro GBA helped make this one an easy backing. Since funding was completed I haven't heard much from the developers, but they did follow up on their promise to release dev builds as the project went on, and I've enjoyed all of them that I've been bothered to DL. Last I heard it got delayed into later this year, and I've not heard anything since. Hope the project is okay.
Dead State - At the time I felt this was a no brainer to back. Gameplay looked solid, track record was solid, idea was great, etc. Since funding however I've barely heard a thing about it, and have no idea where it's currently standing. This might be because they locked certain developer updates behind a backer paywall, but I feel that's on them more than me, tbqh. I hope it's turning out well, because I really loved the general idea.
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Shaker - Kinda sad to see this fail, although I fully realize why it did and honestly find it hard to fault people for not getting on board. The developers had an amazing track record, but fell into some pitfalls when launching the KS. They attempted the Obsidian route of trying to get backed on rep alone, but failed to realize that both having worked on games (and more importantly, IPs) much less well known than Obsidian did really put them in a bad spot. Even though it's easy to argue that Tom Hall's work and Brenda B's work on Wizardry games give Obsidian's back catalog a run for its money, most people just haven't played those games (sadly), and thus trying to gain funding based on those titles was faulty from the outset. This isn't even getting into the problems with showing John "About to make you his Bitch" Romero in the initial pitch video was very problematic. Even though I think the guy is fantastically talented in game design, his reputation post Daikatana is effectively poison, and he himself has done little to alleviate the perception that the project was a failure entirely because of his overambition and inability to manage projects. Once they revamped the project and started showing stuff I really got on board with the project, but you can only make one first impression...and they blew it =\
Whew, that took more effort than I thought, lol. What about you, gaf? Have the projects you backed been going well?
Satellite Reign - Just started, the game seems like it should be on track to making it. The recently posted developer video did a lot to ease my mind about the project. The guys working on it having a good track record makes it an easy bet. Hope it makes it.
Shovel Knight - Really enjoyed most of the games they've worked on in the past, and with capcom shitting the bed on Mega Man in the past few years even something as simple as a quality game in the same vein sounds like a load of fun. The guys seem to have a concrete vision and direction for the game, too. Easy decision to back. Since funding was completed all the updates seem to point in the direction that they're on the right track. Glad I backed it, and I hope it turns out well!
Torment 2 and WL2 - I figured I would combine these since most of what I have to say about one of them ties back into the other. I posted this in the DFA topic:
And I feel enough can't be said with respect to how well managed and thought through both ineXile's KS have been. Both of them seemed to have a very clear creative direction, had no problem properly articulating what we were going to see from them, and had very well implemented stretch goals that never felt arbitrary. Since funding was completed, my hype actually increased tenfold for WL2 after both the vision document and the alpha footage was released for the game. WL2 seems to be on the track to releasing on time, and feature complete. Given this, I had no qualms about backing Torment 2.
Project eternity - While I was a little skeptical upon the launch of the project (buy our game, it's obsidian's next project and you love obsidian, right?), the follow up posts after funding was completed did a lot to strengthen my resolve to back the project for a frankly embarrassing amount of cash. Love the art direction they are taking, the gameplay design seems great, and since funding completed the game seems to be on schedule. Glad I backed it.
Volgarr - One of the better of the earlier KS projects in terms of showing us what to expect I thought. Came out with a really great looking demo that really sold me on the game. Previous track record on great titles like Shinobi 3D and Spyro GBA helped make this one an easy backing. Since funding was completed I haven't heard much from the developers, but they did follow up on their promise to release dev builds as the project went on, and I've enjoyed all of them that I've been bothered to DL. Last I heard it got delayed into later this year, and I've not heard anything since. Hope the project is okay.
Dead State - At the time I felt this was a no brainer to back. Gameplay looked solid, track record was solid, idea was great, etc. Since funding however I've barely heard a thing about it, and have no idea where it's currently standing. This might be because they locked certain developer updates behind a backer paywall, but I feel that's on them more than me, tbqh. I hope it's turning out well, because I really loved the general idea.
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Shaker - Kinda sad to see this fail, although I fully realize why it did and honestly find it hard to fault people for not getting on board. The developers had an amazing track record, but fell into some pitfalls when launching the KS. They attempted the Obsidian route of trying to get backed on rep alone, but failed to realize that both having worked on games (and more importantly, IPs) much less well known than Obsidian did really put them in a bad spot. Even though it's easy to argue that Tom Hall's work and Brenda B's work on Wizardry games give Obsidian's back catalog a run for its money, most people just haven't played those games (sadly), and thus trying to gain funding based on those titles was faulty from the outset. This isn't even getting into the problems with showing John "About to make you his Bitch" Romero in the initial pitch video was very problematic. Even though I think the guy is fantastically talented in game design, his reputation post Daikatana is effectively poison, and he himself has done little to alleviate the perception that the project was a failure entirely because of his overambition and inability to manage projects. Once they revamped the project and started showing stuff I really got on board with the project, but you can only make one first impression...and they blew it =\
Whew, that took more effort than I thought, lol. What about you, gaf? Have the projects you backed been going well?
