-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Double Fine Adventure Kickstarter project by Double Fine [ended, $3.3 Million funded]
- Thread starter Wario64
- Start date
WordAssassin
Member
$15 donated, will probably up it to $30 before it's over. By the time I've posted this, it'll be over $500,000 too. 
Quicksilver4648
Member
500 thousand. Nice. I wonder how high this will go.
EatChildren
Currently polling second in Australia's federal election (first in the Gold Coast), this feral may one day be your Bogan King.
Though there's still a wait to see how this actually pans out, if you really think about it projects like this, and Minecraft, send a poignant message about what could be in store for the industry's future. The modern technological conveniences of digital distribution, and now having direct, quick and reliable access to your entire fan base, puts a lot of pressure on the middle men and could pave the way for projects otherwise thought of as impossible.
And I think one of the most important messages here is not that Double Fine's pledging idea actually worked, nor that it worked so quickly, but that it only required ~10,000 people to fund a $400,000 project. Ten thousand people. How many games can you imagine other publishers have canned, and developers have had to can, for expecting ten times that amount of potential buyers and that still not being enough?
And I think one of the most important messages here is not that Double Fine's pledging idea actually worked, nor that it worked so quickly, but that it only required ~10,000 people to fund a $400,000 project. Ten thousand people. How many games can you imagine other publishers have canned, and developers have had to can, for expecting ten times that amount of potential buyers and that still not being enough?
MaxwellGT2000
Member
I know right? You can't go onto game sites without knowing about Minecraft and thus Notch at this point.
Also they just hit the half million mark! Tim gave his fans too much time, in 33 days they'll raise him 20 million and sacrifice 33 babies (one for each day)
Combichristoffersen
Combovers don't work when there is no hair
I want to see Tim's reaction to the numbers. Then I want to see a video of him dancing a jig.
GarthVaderUK
Banned
Over $500K, awesome!
This is amazing!
This is amazing!
Haunted
Member
That's what I wanted to say.
Not only his, but everyone at Double Fine. This is pretty incredible.
This is especially valuable for companies who make niche games with a very dedicated fan base. In the traditional way, these people can only spend what the game costs, here they can pay as much as they want to get the game done and show their support.
Seconded.
EatChildren said:
To me this says that games like this from this kind of talent aren't dead; you* have just been pitching it to the wrong people.
*The publishers. Not YOU you. Unless you're a publisher, in which case hissssssssssssssssssssssss
j0hnny_385
Member
here, here.
IMHO, this very moment could be a watershed moment for the industry (a lot of high profile devs are congratulating Tim via Twitter) because this, even though there's no game yet, proves the strength and the passion of gamers. For the first time, they can directly fund the stuff they love (talk about dollar votes, eh?) and see it come to life.
I maybe a bit nostalgic (a huge SCUMM golden age adventure fan), but I see this only in the positive light (are there any negatives, really?) and hope we see more stuff like this in the future.
Haunted
Member
http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/02/09/thought-double-fines-kickstarter-asks-some-big-questions/#more-93425
RPS article about this. Definitely worth a read.
RPS article about this. Definitely worth a read.
Brewster's Wallet
Member
I think the low-ish number of donors needed is the big thing here. Although we can reduce the ultimate today so far as you have a few big donors here that boost that amount slightly, the total without those is still mightily impressive and would be usable for a DD game on steam
Seraphis Cain
bad gameplay lol
The sad thing, to me at least, is that it seems like this whole fan funding thing is something that Japanese devs would never do. I dunno, maybe I'm wrong, but I can't see a company like say...SNK or Cave starting something like this. And that's a damn shame.
I know I'd personally love to see syn Sophia/AKI start one of these up to fund a new wrestling game on the VPW2/No Mercy engine.
This funding method will have an awesome impact on development (outside of the obvious). I mean, this project was born out of the love of Double Fine's community, the overwhelming joy of Tim&Co and will be motivated by the want to please his fans. In contrast with the publisher norm, this would have be created under the pressure of contracts and would be motivated by the need to sell sell sell to meet their publisher's quota. There's just a world of difference between the two.
TouchMyBox
Member
This is pretty incredible, I love this community.
Looks like Gaben was right.
Looks like Gaben was right.
TerryWogan
Member
Wait, so if I give $150,000 of funding to these guys, I don't get a share in the profits? That's not how investment works.
Hear, hear. But even looking at it superficially, the fact that the goal has been completely smashed in under a day is just incredible. I'm so thrilled for him and the company. It's really bound to be something special.
Can't wait to see how this all pans out. Haven't been this excited for something game 'industry'-wise in a long time, particularly when you put it like you have done above. And for several months (it doesn't matter how long it will actually take), we'll probably forget that there's going to be a creation of love at the end of it. Something that Tim wanted to do for the fans, and something the fans wanted from Tim. I just can't imagine anyone being disappointed when all is said and done.
Nabs
Member
Yep.
Hot Coldman
Banned
This really is an amazing feat. Surely a game with this much love going into it can only be a sequel to Trenched?
You aren't investing. You are essentially donating/pre-ordering. Big difference.
No, this is how sponsoring works.
Almost 400 posters to sign, someone's hand is going to be tired
Not to take away from the accomplishment so far, but with 10000 people stirring the pot (having inputs), I'm curious how the project will proceed trying to please every person involved. I certainly won't envy whoever they pick to be the community manager.
Not to take away from the accomplishment so far, but with 10000 people stirring the pot (having inputs), I'm curious how the project will proceed trying to please every person involved. I certainly won't envy whoever they pick to be the community manager.
MaxwellGT2000
Member
That's how I see it going down
Also I just noticed this little bit of Q&A
"Q: Where do I join the discussion community?
A: The discussion community is in the process of being set up and will be available shortly after the project is successfully funded. Everyone will be informed via the Kickstarter project page and email when the community is ready."
I bet they weren't expecting "shortly" to start the morning after, get to it Double Fine use that extra 100 grand
!Brewster's Wallet
Member
I'm sure it wasn't the first, but I enjoyed Building a Bastion done over at Giantbomb which followed the building of that game. And this looks like it's taking this one step further. The game could be excellent, but I'm really intrigued to see the process.
I actually could see a japanese software house like for example Capcom revive one of his beloved and iconic character through community help and partial funding maybe selling the prototype.
Oh wait.
Garcia el Gringo
Member
Kickstarter is making shit happen once again! I hope this is a great success for Double Fine. I'll give them money in advance for all their projects if it makes their jobs easier. Psychonauts 2 in particular would make me feel extra generous (as if Notch would need help funding that).
Brewster's Wallet
Member
Almost 400 posters to sign, someone's hand is going to be tired
Not to take away from the accomplishment so far, but with 10000 people stirring the pot (having inputs), I'm curious how the project will proceed trying to please every person involved. I certainly won't envy whoever they pick to be the community manager.
Yeah, that's my only tiny worry about the whole thing. The odd vote here or there might be cool, but I prefer when people of DF's creative ilk are just allowed to follow their ideas. Try to please everyone and you'll end up pleasing no-one. This method was supposed to eradicate that, and I'm sure Tim and Rhod know what they're doing.
TerryWogan
Member
Does this not irk people somewhat? I mean, great, we can fund our favourite developers to make the games we've always wanted. That's genuinely great. But by the same token, am I the only person who thinks this is essentially charity, and we're giving these people our money to make something, who are then going to potentially rake in the profits whilst all we get in return is a game?
I mean, sure, we get a game that perhaps we really wanted, and if that's worth $x to you and that's what you've donated, fine, you'll be happy about it. But still. This seems a little shady to me.
I'm just trying to be devil's advocate here. There seems to be overwhelming positivity about this in this thread, with nobody as far as I can see questioning it from this angle. I mean, am I right in assuming that Schafer and co will keep profits?
They should totally have a vote for what to do with the extra cash. Stuff like:
- Acquire an old IP (Grim Fandango, Full Throttle, etc)
- Make PSN/XBLA version
- Hire _______ as a voice actor
- Particular song licences for the soundtrack
- Improve the animation
- Make the game longer
- Add a new mode or something i dunno lol
- Acquire an old IP (Grim Fandango, Full Throttle, etc)
- Make PSN/XBLA version
- Hire _______ as a voice actor
- Particular song licences for the soundtrack
- Improve the animation
- Make the game longer
- Add a new mode or something i dunno lol
Wait, WHAT IS the game with the longest credits roll in gaming history?
Right now, with the game funded, you can just think of it as a 15$ or more pre-order.
First of all, no, it's not all you get in return. See the rewards tiers. People like both cool stuff and the warm fuzzy feeling they get when donating.
However, let's assume that people are exclusively donating fifteen dollars to get a free game. As I assume this will be the actual price of the game on Steam, this is not charity. In fact, it's better than a preorder: yes, we're paying to get the game, but we're literally deciding what the game is going to BE with this purchase, and we're deciding we want a PC Point-and-Click. Were it not for us, Double Fine would be forced to go the traditional route via publishers, and be forced to make a certain type of game, and likely be at least partially controlled by external parties.
We all get what we want. If I get a great game, and I didn't pay any more than I felt I should, why should anyone have a problem with talented people getting paid? I'm totally cool with that, and it's a shrewd business move by Double Fine.
Fjolle
Member
I got an answer from amazon about my account. Apparently it is set up to only receive money through mechanical turk.
They gave me two options.
1: Make a new account with another email.
2: Ask them to delete your amazon payments account, which will have no effect on the amazon main account. Then log in again and create a new one.
Lord Panda
The Sea is Always Right
Yeah it's an interesting issue. I know it's a donation but most donations are to non-profit organisations. I'm just happy to see a game produced by Double Fine that's not beholden to the publishers.
This isn't an investment. Don't donate if you want profit sharing.
Well, I payed $15 and in return I'm getting a game. I do that several times a week on Steam. The people putting in $250 are getting a game and a poster signed by their idols. I mean, everybody is getting something in return for their support. With a charity I feel good for an hour and that's it.