Tim Schafer Thought He'd Get Two Grand, Not $2 Million

[Sartan0]

I think there's a pretty clear message to be seen from this Kickstarter page.

People love playing video games and they are STARVING for a better business model.

That and/or they are really hoping for another "Day of the Tentacle" like game. That would give me much joy and renew my hope for more of the same.

What about Psychonauts 2? Lets kickstart that!

As was pointed out in another thread it is fairly clear that they had planned the other kickstarter before Notch brought up possible funding of Psychonauts 2. Now that the current kickstarter is doing so well that game will likely be the focus in the near term for Double Fine. They have something to prove now.

Fear not, however. I am sure they are going to do another kickstarter in a bit but I could see them waiting so as not to kill the golden goose.

 

[theultimateend]

Apparently I missed the memo on Mass Effect sucking?

Which one? Did you miss the bad animation, lousy storywriting, Chobot Sue, Origin linked, EA tweaks, Mordin recast, or the other bits?

Have a look round, they're here on the Escapist.

I think they are more baiting you to get into an ME fight.

Personally I'll love the game when it is around 5-10 bucks on steam someday.

"Oh hey." they'll say "we figured out how to host it on steam, please buy it now <3."

 

[Triaed]

Interesting to see such fan support, such impulse to making good game (or at least the promise of), the impetus a gaming movement can gain in an environment so plagued by whiners complaining about how piracy is killing the industry.
Kudos to Double Fine not for the funding, but for proving the other assholes wrong (now go make a damn good game!)

 

[spectrenihlus]

Tim just make it the way you want to make it. We will love it the way you make it. If you need I will come down to your office and say this to you in person, I live in San Francisco don't think I can't.

 

[Somebloke]

I keep wondering how they are going to make this video diary both give as much insight as we'd all like and still not spoil the game rotten for us.

 

[Kahani]

And now that Schafer has paved the way, will we see shift to independent companies Kickstarting games for open platforms? I sure hope so.

I'm going to have to say no. Paying money in advance to a big name as a one-off is one thing, but expecting people to regularly put up money to complete unknowns in the hopes they might make a decent game is just not going to happen. Just look at charities, for example. You can make a shit-load of cash having Comic Relief every couple of years, but random people trying to get sponsored throughout the year don't get anywhere near as much. A big fuss every now and then can get people's attention, but they'll quickly get bored, burned, or simply not have the cash.

 

[Android2137]

Apparently I missed the memo on Mass Effect sucking?

Which one? Did you miss the bad animation, lousy storywriting, Chobot Sue, Origin linked, EA tweaks, Mordin recast, or the other bits?

Have a look round, they're here on the Escapist.

WAIT WHAT?! MORDIN WAS RECAST?!

 

[Tipsy Giant]

Removing non-creatives can only ever be a positive!
This just proves publishers are nothing but bad loan sharks, in fact it's the same in most industries!

 

[Fijiman]

If I had money and a gaming worthy computer, I would totally donate. Although, with all that extra money, maybe they can afford to patch and update some of their games that are already out. If there's any money left over after that's done(and at this rate there probably will be), maybe they could then try and get the original Psychonauts back onto XBLA.

 

[mateushac]

I don't know about you guys. I find this a very nice example of how the consumer is, time and time again, showing their will is more important than the industry's, but I can't see this, in any way, being turned into a reliable business model.

(sry for bad grammar)

 

[surg3n]

I don't know about you guys. I find this a very nice example of how the consumer is, time and time again, showing their will is more important than the industry's, but I can't see this, in any way, being turned into a reliable business model.

(sry for bad grammar)

That's what I'm thinking too. And what disturbs me is how many people are keen to contribute to this, as if Tim Shaffer is some sort of charity.

The thing that strikes me, is it's investment without repercussion. A standard investment of $150,000 might net a fairly healthy profit. With Kickstarter, I might be missing the point entirely, but your contribution is not refunded, nor does it pertain to any shares or profit system. So, $150,000 given to a Kickstarter project is literally given away. Except that you can have a character in the game look a bit like yourself.

So what happens when this game is made, all the kickstarter money is spent, your contributions are all spent, and the game is making money? - without a publisher a game like that could make Tim Shafter a really rich man... and your $150,000 sponsorship is basically squandered where it could be invested and profitted from.

Kickstarter will never be a business model, don't let it - we already pay too much for videogames, Sony is determined to shaft us with PS Vita game pricing, downloadable games still cost about the same as boxed... do we really need to be paying more for games?. As a business model its not feasible, developers need to wind back their expectations - not every developer has Tim's personality and track record.

 

[face_head_mouth]

Yes, I'm sure this is a complete surprise, I'm sure Tim is totally shocked... either that or this was the plan from the start...

Ohh, look at Notch, becomming rich on a game before it's even released. If people will pay for a game that isn't finished yet, I wonder if they'd pay for a game that isn't even started yet. Even better, I wonder if they'd pay for the idea of a game that isn't started yet. Hell, if people will pay for a toothbrush with a tongue scraper, then they'll pay for anything. Tim owns you now, owns you all.

Where's the deception here? You are knowingly giving Tim Schafer money for a game that hasn't been created yet because of both his and Double Fine's past track record. Schafer and Double Fine have come through over and over again and they have a professional reputation to uphold; why would they not deliver, especially considering the damage they would do to themselves in the process? What possible reason do you have to be so suspicious of their motives?

I didn't like the Kickstarter idea when the Mojang documentary came up, and I don't like it now. It's not some glorious savior for indi developers, it's a way to get you to pay for something that doesn't exist, for something that might not ever exist. Tim Shafers company is not indipendant, Mojang is not indipendant, the major factor here is the massive amount of funding they have, whether it's kickstarter, a legally binding promise, or grandma's jewelry.

Aren't their legal consequences for not delivering on your promises in Kickstarter? I doubt very much that someone could just take your money and get away with it.
As far as the indie developer thing goes, I don't care whether you consider Double Fine an indie or not. If nothing else, I think they have an independent spirit; the fact that they have worked for major corporations in the past means nothing to me. You act like it's a crime to have resources at your disposal, or to run a business well. There's nothing sacred about being an independent studio, and the games you produce don't magically improve in inverse proportion to the amount of cash in your pocket.

I'm all for supporting someone making a game because people want it, rather than because it might make a profit - I'm completely against the idea that it's simply not enough to buy the bloody game when it's finished, we have to sponsor and mollycoddle developers these days to finish the job they started. It's getting pathetic, and it's not even a good genre for a kickstarter project. Contributers are supposed to get access to alphas, developer forum etc etc etc, all of which would just ruin the game - it's an adventure game, how much of it will be spoiled because the back doors have to be left open. I'd be happier contributing to an adventure game where absolutely nothing was divulged. Instead, your expected to pay for an adventure game before it's finished, so you can debug it and QA it, get sick of the damn game before it's even finished, and then have a warm glow at the end of it. You'd get more from Double Fine if you just ignored it totally and bought the game like a normal consumer buying from a normal developer.

You WILL be able to buy the game someday on Steam without donating a cent...because a bunch of other people were willing to pony up some cash beforehand. Alternately, if you donate $15 now and get the game when it's finished - you don't have to do QA or debugging, nor do you have to watch the videos or do anything you don't want to do. NO ONE IS FORCING YOU TO DO ANY OF THIS, AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU'RE SO PISSED OFF.

Sorry Tim, sorry Fantims, sorry kickstarter, but snap the fuck out of it - wipe away the dollar signs and consider the can of worms someone just opened. Is this kickstarter horseshit going to happen with more games? - are we really expected to pay for a game to perhaps be made! - WTF? - that's not a new and inventive market strategy, that's downright consumer rape.

"WAKE UP SHEEPLE ARRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!"
People paid to help get a game made from a commercially dead genre by the company of a man who has been involved with a number of that genre's most celebrated games. People did this because they trust him to deliver a worthwhile game (and I don't know why you are complaining about price when the donation for the game is $15 and it includes some bonuses for the price) and yeah, because they get "a warm feeling" from helping someone who probably provided them with some happiness in the past. This business model will not work with everyone. So what? Does Schafer have to feel responsible for the results other developers who try this business model may have?

Sorry for the rant, but your post actually pissed me off.

 

[The Lugz]

this, is the future right here

gamers demanding the game they want to be made and pay for it upfront, no disappointment no mess no middleman and no super expensive middlemen, just games.