Double Fine Adventure Kickstarter project by Double Fine [ended, $3.3 Million funded]
- Thread starter Wario64
- Start date
OK, you're done here.
Are you aware of Double Fine's history? They've only just recently gotten their heads above water. Besides, point-and-click adventure games are not typically a profitable venture these days.
always use paypal for buying on internetLumpOfCole
Member
I'm a bit of a Kickstarter noob, but does it stop right at 400,000? Or can people donate more for a higher budget title?
I don't think she got it how we think she got it
Shao Kahn Brewing a Stew
Banned
Joe Shlabotnik
Banned
It keeps going until the funding deadline.
Bomber Bob
Banned
more than 100% can be donated
outunderthestars
Banned
It will keep going until the end of the campaign.
Vire
Member
Moar.
my mind is blown by all the scamming projects i could cook up
Uhhhh . . . .
He didn't say anything that was wrong, so I'm going to go ahead and assume that you don't know how payroll expenses work.
I didn't pull those numbers out of my ass by the way: I'm currently a 3D artist and animator at an indie studio in Seattle and I have friends who work for ArenaNet, Microsoft Game Studios, Zombie Interactive and EA as both artists and programmers.
I have a very good idea of what game industry salaries are. What, exactly, are your suspicions based on? They're definitely not based on any sort of reality.
What exactly do you think they're doing?
Wait, GABE gave 10k?!?
This goes against my personal interpretation over the years that Gabe didn't grow up on PnC adventure games and doesn't like the genre, hence why almost 3/4ths of modern adventure games that come out these years don't appear on steam.
If Gabe likes adventure games, why aren't adventure games releasing on steam. It must have something to do with Euro distribution. Hmm...
This goes against my personal interpretation over the years that Gabe didn't grow up on PnC adventure games and doesn't like the genre, hence why almost 3/4ths of modern adventure games that come out these years don't appear on steam.
If Gabe likes adventure games, why aren't adventure games releasing on steam. It must have something to do with Euro distribution. Hmm...
Yes, but the point of this is to raise capital without strings attached, not due to a lack of alternative options.
I don't understand how this project's budget is truly 300K (100K is for the documentary).
If it's going to take them 6-8 months, that's only ~5 fulltime bodies on the project.
I think it's obvious that Doublefine's "real" budget is probably closer to 600-700K, but they couldn't or didn't want to risk that much up-front. It's not like the title will sell 0 copies on Steam when it launches, so I assume they were thinking that if they can get a big chunk of the costs covered up front, then the title becomes low-risk enough to actually produce.
I don't mean this to sound accusatory - I think it's very smart. Whatever gets the game made.
It does set a bit of a dangerous precedent though - using Kickstarter to fund some but not all of a product's costs, assuming you can cover the rest yourself, runs the risk of people getting screwed if the product never gets made.
If it's going to take them 6-8 months, that's only ~5 fulltime bodies on the project.
I think it's obvious that Doublefine's "real" budget is probably closer to 600-700K, but they couldn't or didn't want to risk that much up-front. It's not like the title will sell 0 copies on Steam when it launches, so I assume they were thinking that if they can get a big chunk of the costs covered up front, then the title becomes low-risk enough to actually produce.
I don't mean this to sound accusatory - I think it's very smart. Whatever gets the game made.
It does set a bit of a dangerous precedent though - using Kickstarter to fund some but not all of a product's costs, assuming you can cover the rest yourself, runs the risk of people getting screwed if the product never gets made.
outunderthestars
Banned
Yea, because the feds won't track you down and charge you with hundreds of counts of wire fraud.....
EternalGamer
Banned
Double Fine's newly found Steam strategy is resulting in good things.
So Steam lost EA and gained Double Fine. I'd say that is a huge step forward and a small step back.
So Steam lost EA and gained Double Fine. I'd say that is a huge step forward and a small step back.
D
Deleted member 30609
Unconfirmed Member
EatinOlives
Member
I don't think he knows how anything works.
EternalGamer
Banned
Gabe just likes supporting talent. All the indie spotlights on Steam and Valves recruiting techniques make this clear.
a Master Ninja
Member
You should donate $10,000 and ask him about it at dinner.
D
Deleted member 17706
Unconfirmed Member
It's pretty incredible to watch the numbers go up by the thousands every few minutes.
I feel like I may be interesting an important moment in gaming history right now.
I feel like I may be interesting an important moment in gaming history right now.
Edit: Oh, I won't be charged until March. All good! I assumed charges began once the nominated amount had been reached.
outunderthestars
Banned
you can also change the amount of your donation or cancel it all together at any time.
bernardobri
Steve, the dog with no powers that we let hang out with us all for some reason
Nope, you can get into it even if they pass the line. The funding closes in March 13th.
Only because all the publishers have this mindset and nobody markets them.
I still think Gray Matter could've been successful if it wasn't dropped off the face of the earth by the publisher on release. It's the equivalent of this project. One of the greatest adventure game creators of all time making an old school traditional adventure game. But with no marketing, and it not being on steam, no one heard about it, no one cared and it died in the shadows without a whimper.
If anything, I want this kickstarter to be HUGE and give a giant middle finger to all those publishers out there showing them that hey, there is a market for traditional adventure games out there! You've just been covering your ears and ignoring it this whole time.
Telltale has been successful with their entries, and their games aren't even half as good as lot of the indie or European adventure games made these days with no budget and unfortunately no marketing push.
EternalGamer
Banned
According to the site, extra money goes back into production values.
Ah, I see. Thanks.
Whilst the option is nice, I won't be doing that! $30 seems fair to me.
Have Iron Bridgade and Stacking been confirmed for Steam?
LumpOfCole
Member
I feel like gamers are Skynet, and publishers are the humans. And we just became self aware.
D
Deleted member 17706
Unconfirmed Member
Fuck it, I changed my pledge from $30 to $100!
charlequin
Banned
Point and Click adventure games are not particularly expensive to make, on a basic level. As Tim noted, they've already raised more than double the total budget of Secret of Monkey Island.
graywolf323
Member
I'll chip in $30 once I get my tax refund
Not confirmed but both have appeared in the registry iirc.
civilstrife
Member
Here are my hopes:
-2D Hand drawn art.
-Not outright "Wacky"
Yes, Sam and Max, Day of the Tentacle and the like were great games, but the truly great adventure games, the "transcendent" games had a slightly more serious approach peppered with humor.
Monkey Island skewed more on the side of humor as the series developed, but the first two had cohesive and relatively serious plots peppered with fantasy elements, and some truly funny moments.
And then there was Grim Fandango. More serious in approach, with a touch of humor in all the right places. Pretty much perfect.
It was as though Monkey Island and Grim Fandango were inititially envisioned as serious, but the creators' humor crept through the cracks. Telltale sets out to write comedy from the get-go and seems forced because of it.
Take us to a world, Tim. Treat it with respect. I can't wait.
-2D Hand drawn art.
-Not outright "Wacky"
Yes, Sam and Max, Day of the Tentacle and the like were great games, but the truly great adventure games, the "transcendent" games had a slightly more serious approach peppered with humor.
Monkey Island skewed more on the side of humor as the series developed, but the first two had cohesive and relatively serious plots peppered with fantasy elements, and some truly funny moments.
And then there was Grim Fandango. More serious in approach, with a touch of humor in all the right places. Pretty much perfect.
It was as though Monkey Island and Grim Fandango were inititially envisioned as serious, but the creators' humor crept through the cracks. Telltale sets out to write comedy from the get-go and seems forced because of it.
Take us to a world, Tim. Treat it with respect. I can't wait.
EternalGamer
Banned
When it goes beyond its goal, they say they will push it to other platforms. IOS and Andriod first.
Typically doesn't take much of a PC to run an adventure game though.
charlequin
Banned
They said that if (when, at this point) they get over the $400k, one of the things they'll use extra funds for is to pursue ports to Mac/mobile platforms/etc.
We need to Kickstart a fund for $10k so someone can be at that lunch and ask Gabe when the hell Half Life is coming out!
Edit: Damnit beaten!
$500K is pretty much indie game level in these days, even some iOS games are in the millions. If you have $7,000 to spend from IGN coffers you can buy this: http://idgconsulting.com/content/economics-game-publishing-2011 and cry in a corner after you read it
I don't think Kickstarter projects are meant to fund the entire project, it's why it's a kickstart and not a "fund the entire thing and get money back if it's successful" (aka normal company funding structure...)
I don't think Kickstarter projects are meant to fund the entire project, it's why it's a kickstart and not a "fund the entire thing and get money back if it's successful" (aka normal company funding structure...)
boutrosinit
Street Fighter IV World Champion
Good on em.
Stacking is confirmed, and Iron Bridgade has been very strongly hinted at.
Thanks for the info.
And you're probably right, surely my laptop could manage a point-and-click. A hundred to Tim & co. it is!