Formula Fusion (futuristic racer by former Wipeout devs) Kickstarter is up

V

VLiberty

Member
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/formulafusion/formula-fusion-next-gen-anti-gravity-racing-game

EDIT: They've lowered the console goal to 100k£. The 35k baseline has just been reached.

£35000 is the base line, but for what I can get they would need a very higher amount of money(around 150k) to fully develop this project.

They have a VR integration stretch goal(250k), as well as a next gen console(350k) and Vita (400k) one.

They're working with The Designers Republic.

I'm very interested in this one, but I hope it'll get to consoles somehow, even though it seems unlikely.(350k looks crazy high)

Rename me in Studio Liverpool and then close me if old :(
 
35k seems like a really small amount for this game.

edit: Wait, kind of kickstarter is this? The minimum goal doesn't guarantee the existence of the game?
 
It's awesome that they're bringing Designer's Republic back into the fold.

I'm glad they went back to the drawing board on their ship designs too with something more evocative of Wipeout. The ones they had in their last trailer were....not great.
 
jett said:
35k seems like a really small amount for this game.
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That's what's throwing me off... Guessing this is more of a marketing thing than money they need to actually finish the game.

In any case, love Wipeouts designs and will probably back this :)
 
the esports angle is smart given how Ubisoft dropped the ball on Trackmania. That audience will be hungry for mod and server support.
 
VLiberty said:
...

£35000 is the base line, but for what I can get they would need a very higher amount of money(around 150k) to fully develop this project.

...
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Blarg. I remember something like this coming out when Molyneux was being raked over the coals. Try to raise a smaller (more reasonable) amount than you need and try to acquire additional funding along the way. Such a shitty thing to do to the people who are probably your biggest fans.
 
Here's the quote about the £35,000:

The low target of £35,000 is a statement to our determination and commitment to make this succeed. £35,000 represents a base line plan to start gathering momentum - this will allow us to create the "base game", which will feature eight tracks created by the WipEout 3 track team. After this, with each "stretch goal" we hit, we will commit to fully developing those specific features outlined in each stretch by the dates given underneath, BUT... let us be clear on this: the plan isn't to completely get rid of these features if we DON'T hit our stretches, but rather we would need to reassess how we are going approach those targets and reschedule accordingly. The truth is though - nobody wants to work guerilla-style, snatching development time when possible, working remotely and calling in favours; we have been through all that and now we need to push forward with a feasible plan.

£35,000 will see the development staff being paid a low cost salary whilst the directors of the company continue to work for free. It will also enable us to bring in a couple of contract workers to continue with the great work we have done so far. In addition, it will protect us for a couple of months from the financial pressures of running a business, with all the usual costs associated with that. It will also allow us to go through Greenlight on Steam and to release a stable and commercially ready Early Access version of one track. We aren't talking about the usual stuck-in-alpha-never-finished kind of games that are becoming more common on Early Access - ours will be a statement of where we want to take the game, a version you can play and get a good feel of the finished product. Finally, £35,000 will allow us to effectively sell 'pre-orders' in accordance to the build plan right up to release in March 2016. It will be an extension of the Test Pilot Program we already have - but be made available without the exclusive content we have already promised to early TPP adopters. This money will be pumped back into the continued development of the game and all it's versions.
Click to expand...

As far as I can tell, the only thing guaranteed by that £35,000 is an Early Access release with one track. Even that is not totally clear from the language. They mention a "base game" with eight tracks, but the quote says they would be gathering momentum towards a base game--it does not say outright that the base game would be guaranteed. Also, the £75,000 goal says "esports integration and portal." esports integration into WHAT, exactly? Portal for what, exactly? The single-track EA release? The eight-track base game that's implied to be promised but not seemingly guaranteed? The 20+ track game also promised elsewhere in the project description but not mentioned in any of the stretch goals (unless it's the "special edition")?

Worse, a whole bunch of the reward tiers don't appear to include the game AT ALL. And it's unclear as to whether some of those rewards are physical or digital--the Designers Republic £30 tier, for example, shows a whole bunch of TDR swag. Neat! But then those very same items are listed as DIGITAL add-ons in the project description. But that tier also has shipping costs. So which is it, physical or digital? Oh, and the TDR tier doesn't get you the game.

This should be a goddamned home run: ex-Wipeout devs, Cold Storage and TDR, all working on a spiritual successor to Wipeout. Why did they have to go and fuck it up with an awful Kickstarter that obscures the important details you would want to know as a backer, like "what am I paying towards" and "what will I get if the project succeeds?"
 
FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

I'm a huge WipEout fan, but this Kickstarter campaign is very ill conceived.

They wont finish the game unless they get 150k and for 25k more they will make the effort of putting it on Steam.

Wat.

:(
 
As a Wipeout maniac I'm very, very tempted to back heavily (and get my name in the credits), but I have no PC and only really want a console or Vita version. I wish they'd promise one or the other (or both), which have hosted Wipeout games before, rather than PC, which has never been famous for Wipeout.
 
Ehhhh, visually it looks great, other stuff sounds great, but the low goal and confusion around how this is going to work out is really offputting. No way they came make anything like the trailer for 35k GBP. I want this game to happen but this KS really rubs me the wrong way. Would buy game, don't think I can back the KS.

DrGonzo615 said:
Want to donate but it looks like they are only offering backers the PC version? Or did I miss something?
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This is pretty common, but sometimes you can ask to get a console code--usually NOT if console is a stretch goal/after release thing though.
 
Okay, I got a response from R8 Games:

For £35,000, we promise to deliver both the early access track through Steam Early Access and the base game featuring eight tracks in Q1-2 next year. Any money gained from Early Access will be funnelled straight back into the development of the game.
Click to expand...

They're gonna reword the project description to be more explicit about what they're delivering.

EDIT:

zephervack said:
FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

I'm a huge WipEout fan, but this Kickstarter campaign is very ill conceived.

They wont finish the game unless they get 150k and for 25k more they will make the effort of putting it on Steam.

Wat.

:(
Click to expand...

It sounds like the game is definitely coming to Steam for 150k. The 175k stretch goal is for a Linux/SteamOS version that'll run on Steam Machines.
 
The Designers Republic being on board settles all my worries that this would be just a futuristic racer, without all the stuff that I found so interesting about Wipeout.

Might be the first Kickstarter I ever back.
 
Yeah honestly, this is about the worst Kickstarter campaign as far as the tiers are concerned that I have ever seen. Extremely limited. Overpriced. Just no incentive really. Unfortunate too as I love Wipeout. Love it.

In fact it is so ill conceived part of me wonders if it is all a ruse just to generate interest from a real publisher.
 
Oh man, they brought tDR onboard for the design?
Urge to contribute, rising.

Edit:
And they're bringing CoLD SToRAGE back for the soundtrack.
Screw it.
I'm in there.
 
chrominance said:
Okay, I got a response from R8 Games:

They're gonna reword the project description to be more explicit about what they're delivering.
Click to expand...

Oh, early access. Sounds better, but still, they're going to need more money than they're asking for to make this really work I'm sure. Great they're going to reword it but they should have had it looked over beforehand, it's confusing even ignoring the lowball goal.

djplaeskool said:
Oh man, they brought tDR onboard for the design?
Urge to contribute, rising.

Edit:
And they're bringing CoLD SToRAGE back for the soundtrack.
Screw it.
I'm in there.
Click to expand...

Yeah, half of this sounds absolutely perfect. But the other half of "how they get this to actually happen" just isn't convincing me.
 
Thread title excited me but this is a terribly executed kickstarter. Not giving them any money until the game is out.
 
yes! so behind this!
AU7Amsc.gif
 
Ehhh...

£35,000 will see the development staff being paid a low cost salary whilst the directors of the company continue to work for free. It will also enable us to bring in a couple of contract workers to continue with the great work we have done so far. In addition, it will protect us for a couple of months from the financial pressures of running a business, with all the usual costs associated with that. It will also allow us to go through Greenlight on Steam and to release a stable and commercially ready Early Access version of one track.
Click to expand...

What? If they wouldn't have said anything, I would've thought this is just a marketing thing, but how in the world are they calculating this stuff? 35k £ is an annual salary for a single artist in the UK - How exactly does that finance multiple people + contractors?

I'm guessing they've already built a lot of the game? 35k to make a game like Wipeout is maybe financing a month of development, if that. Why not just ask for a proper amount? The developers of Wipeout should easily be able to get 200k (which is still a far cry from what the actual development budget will end up being) or more out of this - Asking for a mere 35k is making me wonder whether or not they actually did a proper budget plan before they started their Kickstarter.
 
chrominance said:
Okay, I got a response from R8 Games:



They're gonna reword the project description to be more explicit about what they're delivering.

EDIT:



It sounds like the game is definitely coming to Steam for 150k. The 175k stretch goal is for a Linux/SteamOS version that'll run on Steam Machines.
Click to expand...

That makes more sense.

Im still weary though, any gameplay footage, seems like some of the press has been able to play it already.
 
thomasmahler said:
I'm guessing they've already built a lot of the game? 35k to make a game like Wipeout is maybe financing a month of development, if that. Why not just ask for a proper amount? The developers of Wipeout should easily be able to get 200k (which is still a far cry from what the actual development budget will end up being) or more out of this - Asking for a mere 35k is making me wonder whether or not they actually did a proper budget plan before they started their Kickstarter.
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This is the only question I think needs answering. With a target of less than a year, already secured partnerships, and a sizable raft of assets, it does sound like they've already put a lot of work into it.
Low cost seems to be just for a very small game, which will expand pending further capital.
 
A lot of those goals don't include the game, and the game seems quite expensive for a kickstarter looking to get lots of backers.
 
I'm a huge Wipeout fan but there are two problems I see here. Why does none of the rewards include the potential console version? Also making the console stretch goal such a late goal seems ill conceived considering Wipeout was always primarily a console game.
 
Looking at the backer levels, I'd be a lot more inclined to go with one of the higher levels if they were offering a vinyl press of the soundtrack. For a game so heavily intertwined with its soundtrack and art work, seems like a bit of a missed opportunity.
 
Bumhead said:
Looking at the backer levels, I'd be a lot more inclined to go with one of the higher levels if they were offering a vinyl press of the soundtrack. For a game so heavily intertwined with its soundtrack and art work, seems like a bit of a missed opportunity.
Click to expand...

I'm holding out for an 8-Track pressing.
 
I want to give them my money, and this is the only kickstarter I've really considered supporting but something about it all...feels more like a donation atm unless it's at the top end of the backing, can't afford it atm but I would love to. Really don't want to see this drop off either. Hmm.
 
Loch Doun said:
I'm holding out for an 8-Track pressing.
Click to expand...
And me for the special edition wax cylinder for my Edison Phonograph.

Xater said:
I'm a huge Wipeout fan but there are two problems I see here. Why does none of the rewards include the potential console version? Also making the console stretch goal such a late goal seems ill conceived considering Wipeout was always primarily a console game.
Click to expand...
Possibly more customers on PC. Studio Liverpool was closed by Sony, after all.
 
Also no way Sony is going to let them release this on Playstation consoles. If they see them trying to release it on others they may even stop them? I mean it's pretty damn similar and they still own Wipeout right...
 
Skyzard said:
Also no way Sony is going to let them release this on Playstation consoles. If they see them trying to release it on others they may even stop them? I mean it's pretty damn similar and they still own Wipeout right...
Click to expand...

It would probably depend on how similar the gameplay is. Just being an anti-grav racer wouldn't do it; Fatal Inertia was even on Playstation consoles.

It is a little weird how often the campaign references Wipeout. I thought other campaigns took pains not to mention their obvious inspirations for legal reasons.
 
Xater said:
I'm a huge Wipeout fan but there are two problems I see here. Why does none of the rewards include the potential console version? Also making the console stretch goal such a late goal seems ill conceived considering Wipeout was always primarily a console game.
Click to expand...

'cause the console versions are stretch goals, and if they never reach those goals they wouldn't be able to deliver a console version to backers who backed at $30 explicitly for a PS4/X1/etc version

Generally, really successful kickstarters that blow through their stretch goals add the newly achieved ports/versions into the existing pledge brackets or create a new bracket for them.
 
It does... look like old Wipeout.. but ... something is missing that I can't quite put my finger on. Like it's a take on itself. The type and other design elements don't seem quite as sharp as I'd expect. DR used to be super severe.
 
Dunan said:
As a Wipeout maniac I'm very, very tempted to back heavily (and get my name in the credits), but I have no PC and only really want a console or Vita version. I wish they'd promise one or the other (or both), which have hosted Wipeout games before, rather than PC, which has never been famous for Wipeout.
Click to expand...
Yeah I kinda feel the same way. As a huge WO fan, a PC game does me no good. I have a feeling they're going to have trouble meeting their base goal let alone any stretches.
 
Skyzard said:
Also no way Sony is going to let them release this on Playstation consoles. If they see them trying to release it on others they may even stop them? I mean it's pretty damn similar and they still own Wipeout right...
Click to expand...
Pretty sure they are on good terms and the fact that they're releasing it on Vita potentially is going to make Sony very happy.
 
le-seb said:
And me for the special edition wax cylinder for my Edison Phonograph.


Possibly more customers on PC. Studio Liverpool was closed by Sony, after all.
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I think it's just way easier to give keys on PC. Basically free/near zero effort on Steam that I can tell, not sure how that stuff even works on console. I think you get a limited number of review copies and would probably have to get codes in bulk manually. App Store doesn't allow it at all, not sure about Google Play.

Skyzard said:
Also no way Sony is going to let them release this on Playstation consoles. If they see them trying to release it on others they may even stop them? I mean it's pretty damn similar and they still own Wipeout right...
Click to expand...

I really can't see Sony being that childish about it.
 
The teaser they released some time ago looked slow and bad (they're basically modified F1 cars that fly), so I'm not really interested. Make it look cool AND fast please.
 
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