Former DICE project lead Ben Jones successfully Kickstarted Into the Stars, but didn’t find it easy.
In recent weeks there’s been a lot of discussion about Early Access and Kickstarter following the GODUS debacle. People are becoming increasingly wary of funding games in advance, a fact that has not gone unnoticed by Fugitive Games. The studio recently raised enough to fund Into the Stars, a project they describe as Oregon Trail meets FTL.
Speaking to IncGamers, Development Director Ben Jones stressed that the crowdfunding landscape is changing and that gamers are becoming more aware of the risks involved when funding a game in advance.
“We did an exhaustive amount of research prior to it and we still weren’t prepared for everything that’s involved during a campaign. Beforehand I thought we had all this content lined up and it should have been enough to keep people satiated and interested, but it’s never enough. Everyone wants more all the time.
“But I wonder if that’s a symptom of the landscape in Kickstarter changing. My perception is that participants on Kickstarter are much more savvy now and they demand more of you in terms of communication and information about the product. I think they’ve got a lot more picky, and that’s why now you’re seeing really strongly run campaigns for games that look fantastic which are struggling to meet their mark.”
Into the Stars managed to surpass its Kickstarter goal of $85,000 by $26,274, so Fugitive Games obviously managed to provide just enough to convince gamers to part with their cash. With so many new games coming out on Early Access or looking for funding through sites such as Kickstarter, it’s becoming harder to decide which games to back. It’s encouraging to hear from developers such as Fugitive Games that they realise they have to go the extra mile to sell their ideas to prospective backers and convince them it will result in a solid finished product.
We’ll be talking more to Fugitive Games next week about Into the Stars.
