Kickstarter has a very interesting, pleasant premise; let gamers choose to fund the games that they want, allowing developers to create without needing a publisher. However, the idea isn't without its pitfalls. Many projects get cancelled and there is a lack of obligation for developers to follow-through. Luckily, there are steps you can take to increase your odds of backing a true winner.
First and foremost, you need to make sure that the idea isn't too ambitious for the developer. Watch out for small and one-man developers that use words like "open world" and "procedurally generating"; these are things that small teams normally lack the resources and man-power to complete. Projects like that aren't likely to get completed within funding (Or in the "Cult: Awakening" case, not making it with SEVEN HUNDRED PERCENT funding).
Once you've established that, understand the developer's history. A developer with the experience is more likely to know their limits and have realistic goals. With experience, a developer is more likely to make a competent product and on-time.
They might be capable of knowing how long a game will take to develop, but what about you? It's a major plus if the developer provides a detailed timeline of when to expect parts of the game to be finished. If they fail to make many of those dates, you could have a strong case to ask for a refund from the not yet bankrupted developer.
Lastly, have an idea where the money is going. A developer should be expected to provide details on where the money is going. You might not want to give money to a developer that's expecting to spend too much on personal expenses or cocaine. It builds confidence in who you are backing to know that they have a professional understanding of what to do with the money.
TL;DR Tips:
*Don't give to small/one-man development teams that use words like "open world" and "procedurally generated" that indicate a project too ambitious for them to handle
*Only give to those with experience developing professional products
*Only give to those that have a very detailed timeline
*Only give to those that have a very detailed breakdown of what the money is for
"If the problems are severe enough that the creator can't fulfill their project, creators need to find a resolution. Steps ***could*** [AKA, no specific obligation as to how to "fix" the situation] include offering refunds, ***detailing exactly how funds were used*** [AKA just saying "LOL, spent it all on rent, sry"], and other actions to satisfy backers."
--Kickstarter FAQ
Set in 16th century Japan, Assassin’s Creed Shadows will star Japanese shinobi Naoe, and real-life samurai Yasuke.
Microsoft is pushing for no "red line" for what games could come to PlayStation, and it all revolves around Satya Nadella and CFO Amy Hood's plans to increase every department's margins.
"The plan to move Xbox games to other platforms is codenamed "Latitude" internally, and I know there's debate and unease at Microsoft about whether or not this is a good idea. More upcoming Microsoft-owned games slated for PlayStation are already being developed. At least for now, they're potentially obvious games you'd most likely expect. And yes, while it's true Microsoft is a prolific publisher on PlayStation already, it has typically revolved around specific franchises like Minecraft. From what I've heard, Microsoft is pushing for no "red line" for what games could come to PlayStation, and it all revolves around Satya Nadella and CFO Amy Hood's mandate to increase every department's margins. "
Yeah, they are going to kill Xbox hardware.
"Yeah, they are going to kill Xbox hardware."
It's for the best.
Quit stringing along xbox fans and screwing over PlayStation owners.
i think it will kill off the xbox brand. windows will be fine.
but there is and would be a chance that xbox might be killed off in the future. if they fail to make the money they put in. imo.
"Microsoft is pushing for no "red line" for what games could come to PlayStation"
Forza and Starfield next?
Starfield would be no surprise and there's the rumor that it will come to Playstation after the Shattered Space DLC, Forza (along with Halo and Gears of War) I find less likely but I wouldn't be surprised if they eventually end up on PlayStation too, especially if Xbox give up on hardware and go the Sega route.
Not to worried about forza. I'd rather see others like what inxile and obsidian are working on. Starfield sounds like it needs more time in the oven so let it cook first imo. If starfield and it's a small if does release on ps it'll be in the fall around the time for dlc or right at the dlc and come packaged with it.
In the words of Phil Spencer when he was talking about Nintendo last year
“It's just taking a long time for Microsoft to see that their future exists off of their own hardware"
It's probably true though. What's fake about Ms releasing games on ps. It's not like it didn't just happen. 2 of the 4 they released were in Playstations top seller list.
Xbox has been leaving gaming and leaving hardware for 20 years according to Sony fanboys 😂😂
Bet you Blade is coming to the PS5. Disney probably insisted on it thats why they being silent on whether its exclusive. I'm more excited for the Gears and Master Chief collections though.
I hope blade does come to PlayStation. Gears and halo should too.
Let PS fans fund Xbox and gamepass. Xbox is dominating the PlayStation store 👏
Good for Ps fans too - PS don’t dev games anymore
ah yes, the classic "too big to fail" mentality. That served us well in the past.
This article is not all doom and gloom.
I highly suggest you read it before posting a comment here based on the headline alone.
are you Obscure user's child? or an alt account created today?
it's not doom and gloom for MS, it's for Xbox...Ms will be fine on it's own. when we will look back at the history of Xbox (hardware) from higher level, it will be marked as failure majority of the time.
It failed so much they got 69bn dollars to go shopping.
Damn, I wish I could fail so much someone would give me 69bn dollars! 😂😂
A trillion dollar company with a gaming division currently mired with controversy, layoffs, studio closures, an uncertain future, mismanagement and admittance they can't handle all the studios they've acquired among other things. I think the main focus of this news on this site called News 4 Gamers, would be focusing on that gaming division which IS looking kinda gloomy lately.
Layoffs and studio closures are whataboutism? Okay 😂😂
Imagine selling that many consoles and having to do layoffs at insomniac, your most successful studio 💀💀
Unhealthy business. I’m concerned for PlayStations future.
More whaboutism. On the topic of Sony, since you brought them up, remind me of when they spent billions on a publisher they later admitted they weren't equipped to manage, despite Phil Spencer saying acquisitions are good for the industry and resulted in mass layoffs and studio closures, even for a studio with one of their highest rated exclusives in years, which according to Microsoft themselves, met their expectations.
MS as a company will be fine. Xbox isn’t so secure though, as its status is dependent on how profitable its parent company thinks it is. Current trends suggest that MS sees more profit in making Xbox third party, and I’ve heard the box itself is actually losing them money.
If these things are true, the future of Xbox as a console manufacturer is certainly being called into question. Perhaps being a third party publisher instead would be a better strategy for them.
Cyan Worlds has confirmed that its remake of classic 90s puzzler Riven is coming to Meta Quest headsets this Summer.
BTW, here's an article on the cancelled Kickstarter project that inspired this blog: http://beefjack.com/news/su...
http://www.kickstarter.com/...
Just about 700% funding. Basically one guy claiming he will make a game with procedurally generated maps, story, LANGUAGES, etc...
Guess that's the downside to Kickstarter. Anyone can jump up there and exploit the system. You never know who you're really donating to.
kick starters can suck it. donate your money to something helpful.
Definitely something to watch out for. But kickstarter is also great, It's giving us things like Star Citizen, which is my no. 1 most anticipated game right now.
I think Kickstarter is a great idea. I really don't like the lack of accountability, or the inability to pursue recourse should a project not come to fruition due to abuse or the developer's own incompetence.
These are good points people should look out for. I've yet to fund any kickstarter because, while I know there are good dev teams on there, the abuse, and the amount of money people can get through that abuse, just turns me off. Until Kickstarter has something that allows me to fund with more confidence, I will not open my wallet for them. That Phoenix game though looks really good, and has been hard to put off.