New studios and crowdfunding, what do you think ? (VS E3)

Hey

I've recently came across another new independent studio starting a crowdfunding on Ulule... This new system of financing a new game is used quite frequently but I am pretty curious of how it is perceived by the community. Do young new studios have a chance against the big E3 ? I am also curious to know if you've ever participated in one, if you remember what games it was for and if it ever came to be published?

The game I've recently came accross seems pretty promising and its called Cellyon - boss confrontation and they want to do a PVE x MOBA game with a cartoonesque style (here is their video)

@mawimawiwi: Bloodstained is a crowd funded Kickstarter game and was present at e3. . . Kinda breaks the question here.

To be honest I don't fully understand the "versus" argument. When both buisness models can exist and succeed. I've supported many Kickstarter and Early Access games and yet I still came out of e3 wanting at least two AAA games.

Some Indie developers have been bigger success stories than some AAA games.

Varies from project to project, and developer to developer. Sharing the word as you have is a big help certainly, because Indie developers rarely have the sudden wow factor or funding to market and advertise a project to a broader player-base.

@RSM-HQ: I wasn't aware of that example, I vs the 2 systems because I feel like there is a big gap between a release from a big compagny that has the E3 visibility and a small independant studio. But yeah indeed if some small (yet rare) studios can make it to the E3 through a kickstarter that means the system is a working possibility to make it on the market.

And now I wanted to ask you how many of the project you invested in actually got a release? (if you followed them) and if you have any example (I am really curious about the CF model system).

And I am mostly talling about CF from scratches like the example of cellyon is that they have their idea and plan out but they dont have a playable version yet from what I've seen so no early releases possible to finance the game.

@mawimawiwi:

And now I wanted to ask you how many of the project you invested in actually got a release?

I'll give a few examples but I would say it's about 40-60_

Elite: Dangerous- crowd funded, released. ✓

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night- Kickstarter, not yet released (TBC 2019). ✘

War for the Overworld- Kickstarter, released. ✓

The Vagrant- Early Access, not finished (TBC ?). ✘

T&E: Back in the Groove- Kickstarter, not yet released (TBC 2019). ✘

And I am mostly talling about CF from scratches like the example of cellyon is that they have their idea and plan out but they dont have a playable version yet from what I've seen so no early releases possible to finance the game.

They can try Patreon, Kickstarter, private site funding (ala Elite), reaching concept out to a publisher, or cheaply build an Alpha and make it Early Access for funding.

If they had an Alpha and wanted free advertising the clever thing to do is offer free codes to popular streamers on Twitch.

When you look at the development for games like Undertale, Super Meat Boy, and Cave Story; it becomes clear even with nothing so long as they make a good game and push forward, it has a chance of making big.

@RSM-HQ: You missed the biggest one Minecraft, it purely only had word of mouth once the alpha was released and now look at it.

@npiet1: I never contributed to Minecrafts funding.

And only added games that came to mind on the last paragraph.

But yes, Minecraft is the most successful Indie title in the world at this point, and very relevant to this topic.

profit per developer for some indie games is exceptionally good. much better than any AAA firms most likely (per developer)

RimWorld developer for example some where in the neighborhood of 17 million dollars net profit (after valve takes its cut)

so..yeah

Crowdfunding in video games can be a hit or miss....I think you really have to read up on the people that's working on the game, presentation, and other factors.

Here's what i funded in video games

• Shemmue 3 - not released (TBC 2019)
• Battle Chasers - released Oct 2017 (Nice game overall) [I believe this was a new studio when they made this game]
• Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire - Released Spring 2018 (Great game!)
• Divinity: Original Sin II - released Fall 2017 (awesome game)
• Chronicles of Elyria - not released (TBC 2019)

So yeah it's about a 40-60 ratio. But i will say almost 100% have to delay their release as they have never yet met their initial release date....so be patient in them.

when you say 'funded' do you mean at the Kickstarter stage or the early access stage?

I have only been burned once paying for a game that was not released, and that one was also the only game that was not in early access when I bough it and that game was Survive the Nights

I think that it’s a good way for some to get their games made. Personally I haven’t contributed to any crowdfunded games. I might in the future but I generally prefer to wait and see how the game turns out and decide whether or not to purchase it as a final product.

@speedytimsi: Thanks for funding Divinity: Original Sin II! I absolutely love that game, however I was not a Backer but thank those that did :)

@Archangel3371: Does that also mean you personally prefer to wait until the full release of a game before investing or early releases are fine? (since it's not really a final product)

Minecraft didn't even came through my mind, it's been around for so long, I always think about struggling games when it comes to participative funding haha

@mawimawiwi: I prefer a full release I guess. There’s been no early access games that I’ve purchased so far.

@tryit:

I backed the above on kickstarter. I never really bought any early access right off the bat except maybe once and i got burned on it mostly because it was on discount. Most early access i bought has probably been in the state of early access for a year or more so i did not consider those games to be early access.

I feel the same way about games that have been in Early Access a long time.

in fact, the first two games I bought in early access I didnt even know they were early access at the time I bought them and both of them are on my favorites of all times

kerbal and 7 days to die.