The Kickstarter Fun Continues With Crowdsourced Hardcore Tactical Shooter

Andy Chalk

One Flag, One Fleet, One Cat
Nov 12, 2002
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The Kickstarter Fun Continues With Crowdsourced Hardcore Tactical Shooter

The Crowdsourced Hardcore Tactical Shooter is another videogame raising funds through Kickstarter, but it's having a little bit of a rough go with it.

The Wasteland 2 [http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/66710809/double-fine-adventure] is doing pretty well for itself too, bringing in over $1 million in two days. But in spite of the "everything has changed" predictions inspired by those successes, things aren't going quite so easily for the Crowdsourced Hardcore Tactical Shooter. It's Kickstarter campaign has raised about $47,000 so far, nothing to sneeze at but still far short of the goal, with just 17 days to go.

What's the hangup? Hardcore tactical shooters are a relatively narrow market, for one thing, although retro-styled post-apocalyptic RPGs aren't exactly mainstream either. It also doesn't have a funny Kickstarter pitch video; Christian Allen, the main leading the project, lays out his plan pretty clearly but without the memorable zing of the Double Fine Adventure and Wasteland 2 pitches. And to be blunt about it, the title kind of sucks.

But the biggest stumbling block, unfair though it may be, is probably Allen himself. He's a long-time industry veteran with credits in games like Halo: Reach, the F.E.A.R. 2: Reborn DLC and just about every Tom Clancy shooter in existence, but he's not a "name" like Tim Schafer or Brian Fargo. Schafer and Fargo aren't exactly Mick and Keef to the world at large either but to the more hardcore segment of the gamer audience - which is to say, people who are likely to kick in to this sort of thing - they have a recognition factor that most other indie devs just can't match.

That's not to say that lesser-known developers and studios won't be able to get what they need from Kickstarter, just that they'll have to set their sights lower, which Allen has done, seeking a relative paltry $200,000 for his game.

"Obviously, in this day and age, games cost more than a few hundreds of thousands of dollars to make. Engineers don't work for Cheetos and free beer (although it helps)," he wrote on the CHTS project page. "But it is enough to prove to our investors that the viability of the market, and set up the infrastructure for one of the really cool parts of the project: crowdsourced development."

Like other Kickstarter projects, this one offers numerous pledge tiers, ranging from $15 to $10,000; unlike most others, however, people who donate at the top tier will receive a gun - a real, live gun, specifically a Beretta 92FS [http://www.beretta.com/Defence-Pistols-Carbines/Defence/Full/92FS/index.aspx?m=82&f=2&id=795] 9mm sporting laser-engraved aluminum grips with the game's logo on them, "if allowed by state and federal law." If that's problematic, a customized gas-blowback airsoft 92FS is optionally available. That's not the sort of preorder bonus you see every day.

So if you're anxious to get in on the Kickstarter action but point-and-click adventures and old-school RPGs don't turn your crank, the Crowdsourced Hardcore Tactical Shooter might be just the thing to make you feel like you're doing your bit. Check it out at kickstarter.com [http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/355932838/crowdsourced-hardcore-tactical-shooter?ref=live].


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Weaver

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Apr 28, 2008
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I really wish it was rockethub that recieved this kind of publicity. You essentially can't use Kickstarter if you're not American, but Rockethub is open to all nationalities.

It's a shame really.
 

Falcon123

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In a world in which there is a HUGE saturation of FPS games with big budgets and insane special effects, I don't think there's much room for a project life this, at least when compared to the void in the point-and-click adventure and old school RPG genres. Wasteland 2 and "That Double Fine Adventure" are doing things that mainstream games do. I'm not sure what would make this different from other FPS games other than the fact that the budget is far lower.

Give me a reason to be excited, and I'll consider donating. But for now, I don't see another reason for another "Hardcore Tactical Shooter".
 

draythefingerless

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i like the name. no bullshitting you. also this would be the kind of shooter where actually using your gun means you fucked up somewhere.
 

Keava

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Falcon123 said:
In a world in which there is a HUGE saturation of FPS games with big budgets and insane special effects, I don't think there's much room for a project life this, at least when compared to the void in the point-and-click adventure and old school RPG genres. Wasteland 2 and "That Double Fine Adventure" are doing things that mainstream games do. I'm not sure what would make this different from other FPS games other than the fact that the budget is far lower.

Give me a reason to be excited, and I'll consider donating. But for now, I don't see another reason for another "Hardcore Tactical Shooter".
Erm. I take it You never played Rainbow Six series? Because CoD or BF aren't tactical shooter, since last Rainbow Six in 2008 I don't think there was even one solid tactical shooter released. Those games aren't about running and gunning everything that pops from the corner, You have to carefully plan routes for squads, make sure your team doesn't get flanked.
 

80Maxwell08

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AC10 said:
I really wish it was rockethub that recieved this kind of publicity. You essentially can't use Kickstarter if you're not American, but Rockethub is open to all nationalities.

It's a shame really.
Well kickstarter is only getting this because it's what Double Fine used. For what it's worth I agree but it's just circumstance here.
 

Korten12

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Aug 26, 2009
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I might invest in this... I loved Vegas 2 and have been itching for a really REALLY good tatical shooter for awhile now...
 

BrotherRool

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'm glad you're trying to give the lesser but still reliable names a bit of publicity too
 

Azuaron

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Woah... uh, you can't give away firearms using Kickstarter. First, the rewards have to be something created from the funded project and/or the person doing the project, and Christian Allen's not making those guns. (Edit: Oh, it seems he's "customized" them. Maybe that will work.)

Secondly, and more importantly, Kickstarter is tied to Amazon Payments' use policy, which prohibits selling firearms [https://payments.amazon.com/sdui/sdui/about?nodeId=6023].

So, sorry, no one's getting a gun. He'll be lucky if the mods don't remove his campaign.
 

Weaver

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Apr 28, 2008
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80Maxwell08 said:
AC10 said:
I really wish it was rockethub that recieved this kind of publicity. You essentially can't use Kickstarter if you're not American, but Rockethub is open to all nationalities.

It's a shame really.
Well kickstarter is only getting this because it's what Double Fine used. For what it's worth I agree but it's just circumstance here.
Yeah it's just sort of a regrettable situation. It's no ones fault or anything.
For what it's worth, Extra Credits used Rockethub.
 

NLS

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Falcon123 said:
In a world in which there is a HUGE saturation of FPS games with big budgets and insane special effects, I don't think there's much room for a project life this, at least when compared to the void in the point-and-click adventure and old school RPG genres. Wasteland 2 and "That Double Fine Adventure" are doing things that mainstream games do. I'm not sure what would make this different from other FPS games other than the fact that the budget is far lower.

Give me a reason to be excited, and I'll consider donating. But for now, I don't see another reason for another "Hardcore Tactical Shooter".
I think you missed the part where it said "Hardcore Tactical Shooter" and not "Call of Battle-Honor 2012". This game is probably more aligned to what the realistic FPS genre was 10-14 years ago, and we haven't had one of those kind of games in a long time.
 

Kae

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It's a little late to report this, but they definitely needed the publicity I mean they are not even halfway to they're goal yet, with 17 days left if they get a lot more publicity then they might get there, and do not be afraid to donate people if they don't make it to they're goal you will be refunded or so I've heard.
 

80Maxwell08

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Kaleion said:
It's a little late to report this, but they definitely needed the publicity I mean they are not even halfway to they're goal yet, with 17 days left if they get a lot more publicity then they might get there, and do not be afraid to donate people if they don't make it to they're goal you will be refunded or so I've heard.
Well to be technical they don't charge anything until the last day and they only charge if that person hits their goal. Either way if it fails you lose nothing.
 
Apr 28, 2008
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NLS said:
Falcon123 said:
In a world in which there is a HUGE saturation of FPS games with big budgets and insane special effects, I don't think there's much room for a project life this, at least when compared to the void in the point-and-click adventure and old school RPG genres. Wasteland 2 and "That Double Fine Adventure" are doing things that mainstream games do. I'm not sure what would make this different from other FPS games other than the fact that the budget is far lower.

Give me a reason to be excited, and I'll consider donating. But for now, I don't see another reason for another "Hardcore Tactical Shooter".
I think you missed the part where it said "Hardcore Tactical Shooter" and not "Call of Battle-Honor 2012". This game is probably more aligned to what the realistic FPS genre was 10-14 years ago, and we haven't had one of those kind of games in a long time.
In his defense, the term "hardcore tactical shooter" doesn't really mean what it used to mean. Which is a damn shame. I'd love for Allen to show everyone what a hardcore tactical shooter really is.

Also, on Kotaku apparently in an interview he said a publisher he pitched this idea to said "console gamers are too dumb for this sort of thing".

http://kotaku.com/5893236/christian-allen-wants-your-money-to-make-a-great-old+school-shooter-that-publishers-dont-think-you-want

Gotta scroll down to the bold part, but yeah, apparently that was a response he got when pitching it.
 

redisforever

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Oct 5, 2009
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Alright, I'm in. I'll give them some money, as much as I can afford, should be enough to get that patch. I'll wear it for paintball matches! I really want to play this game actually.
 

octafish

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Could the problem be that he is standing in front of posters for games that are the apotheosis of tactical shooters? I also love the bit were he basically says "We're talking about...Raven Shield".

I'd love another Raven Shield though.
 

krellen

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Jan 23, 2009
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I didn't hear the magic words: "Turn-based".

Guess I'll just have to give Brian Fargo more money instead.
 

Andy Chalk

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As someone mentioned, this isn't a launch-day report, but I thought it was worth a mention even though it's been running for awhile now for two reasons. One, because in spite of all the Kickstarter giddiness inspired by Tim Schafer (and now Brian Fargo), there are very few guys who are going to be able to raise anywhere near that kind of financing. Christian Allen is an industry veteran who Knows His Shit, but he's not a name, and so he's not going to get the same kind of attention. The serious crowdfunding successes will only go to the few devs out there who are high-profile enough to be instantly recognizable. Unfair, because a lot of "lesser lights" have great ideas and need money to bring them to life, but that's the way of the world.

And two, because, hey, this sounds like a pretty cool project.
 

scotth266

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Jan 10, 2009
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Right now he's about a quarter of the way there. Go man go. It may not be my kind of thing (at least from what "hardcore tactical shooters" I've played) but he should succeed if only to prove that Kickstarter is an effective way to judge gamer interest in certain genre types.