Using kickstarter to kickstart your title/studio

[Traveling Bard]

So, I plan on making a game and using kickstarter to help fund the purchase of graphical resources and time to work on the project. That last part means turning my full time job into a small part time job so I can work mainly on the project. High risk? Yes. Would living the dream be worth it? *expletive* yes. I have heard that many past kickstarter attempts that were done via rpg maker engines were flamed heavily for using it. My view is that as long as you aren't using the RTP graphics and audio and put real effort into the design & scripting to make it commercial quality then what does it matter what engine you used? What are your thoughts forum?

 

[Zalerinian]

It really depends on the quality of your game, and the idea behind it. There was another kick starter campaign for a game called unemployment quest that got funded, and it is highly, HIGHLY based on the default RTP. He did, however, make his own soundtrack, and the idea behind the game was likely what got people interested.

what I'm trying to say is, even though graphics give a game a better appearance and may give it more attention, they aren't really required to make a good game. there's a text-based game called Dwarf Fortress. A lot of people still play that because it's really complex and they enjoy playing it, but it has not graphics, it's just colored ASCII (printable letters) characters. However, because of the complexity behind it and the vast number of options and things to do, people love it.

So yes, having good and original graphics makes a game even better, but you just need ot be unique and original. So good luck, and I hope you're successful! I intend to do something similar, so I'm hoping that these kinds of things can be successful :3.

 

[Shaz]

The kickstarter for Unemployment Quest was NOT for development of the game. The game was already done. The kickstarter was to provide funds to get the game onto CD.


I agree - who cares what engine it's made with, as long as it's a good game? There have been some successful kickstarter campaigns for RPG Maker games, and many unsuccessful. Compare them, and see what they did differently with their presentation and pitch, what they emphasized. Success in kickstarter comes down to many different things, all brought together well.

 

[Archeia]

The one that made Unemployment Quest appealing is because of the theme too. That's why it got funded.

For Echoes of Aetheria or something like that, the negative advertising he received actually helped him achieve his goals too.

 

[Traveling Bard]

I don't want to sound conceited about it but I guess that's half the job of being a designer in the first place, being conceited enough to say that your idea is good, haha. My idea is good. It'll take a lot of work, but in the end it'll be worth it. I want to make a demo first as proof of concept which would help fuel the funding of the project. I feel if players get a taste of what my idea is like, then maybe they'll help fund it to make it happen. Downside is, I don't have the graphical skills for even concept art and I agree with Zalerinian that good graphics don't make a good game but they help it stick out a bit which is necessary in a pitch for funding. Thanks for all the input. I feel slightly more confident about it now. I'll probably put an ad in the classifieds for a realistic concept artist. Not sure how paid commission based work goes, but asking questions is what a forum like this is for thanks for being here!

Edit: Echoes of Eternia is the one you're thinking of, I think. Not sure if he was trying to go with something like Tales of Eternia(Tales of Destiny II) for the ps1 but honestly I couldn't tell from the few screenshots or the video I saw on kickstarter. He ultimately went with developing his own engine according to the ad's faq which is what sparked this post in the first place. He got flamed pretty hard it seemed.

 

[Kes]

There is another point to consider, which may, or may not, apply to you.  If I have understood correctly, only developers based in the USA can ask for kickstarter funds.  It seems that the scheme will take money from anywhere in the world, but will only distribute it there.  I find this deeply annoying for everyone based in the rest of the world.  If I have misunderstood, I would like to be corrected.

EDIT, just double-checked the details under your avatar, and see you're in Texas, so you are one of the fortunates; however, I'll let my post stand as it may be useful info for others.

 

[Sailerius]

It's a risky and difficult endeavor (coming from someone who recently did exactly that). Running a Kickstarter is very time-consuming and requires a lot of knowhow and resourcefulness. Do you know how to write a press release? How to engage the media? Can you concisely explain what makes your project unique? Unless you manage to go viral (you won't) or have a big name supporting you, don't expect Kickstarter to be an easy road to riches. You'll be lucky if you barely manage to scrape by and get the bare minimum you need to fund your project. You need to know how to budget and spend money wisely. If you mess up badly enough, you could end up tarnishing your reputation and sabotaging future efforts to get off the ground.

 

[Robin]

There is another point to consider, which may, or may not, apply to you.  If I have understood correctly, only developers based in the USA can ask for kickstarter funds.  It seems that the scheme will take money from anywhere in the world, but will only distribute it there.  I find this deeply annoying for everyone based in the rest of the world.  If I have misunderstood, I would like to be corrected.

EDIT, just double-checked the details under your avatar, and see you're in Texas, so you are one of the fortunates; however, I'll let my post stand as it may be useful info for others.

Kickstarter is open to those based in the UK too.

 

[Indinera]

Kickstarter is open to those based in the UK too.

And that's supposed to be enough? The world is not limited to the UK and USA alone. It seems Kickstarter only remembers that simple fact when it comes to *asking* money. Ridiculous and insulting.

 

[Sailerius]

And that's supposed to be enough? The world is not limited to the UK and USA alone. It seems Kickstarter only remembers that simple fact when it comes to *asking* money. Ridiculous and insulting.

It's not just a matter of what Kickstarter thinks is good enough. There are enormous financial and legal hurdles associated with getting it off the ground in other countries. They're a business; don't you think it's in their best interest to try to expand to as many markets as possible?

 

[Indinera]

It is a possibility but I'm really not sure what exactly could prevent to run it in, say, not just UK but the rest of Europe. If they can't, they are probably not doing it right or trying hard enough.

 

[Robin]

It is a possibility but I'm really not sure what exactly could prevent to run it in, say, not just UK but the rest of Europe. If they can't, they are probably not doing it right or trying hard enough.

I don't see how it's ridiculous or insulting. I expect they'll expand to other markets in time. If they're not "not doing it right" or not "trying hard enough", I'm sure there are competitors that fill that gap in the European crowdfunding market. I think Kickstarter are doing just fine right now though.

 

[Indinera]

Well it's unethical to ask money to the rest of the world if the rest of the world cannot benefit from the system as well. That's how I see it.

I wish people from these unwanted countries would stop backing projects altogether so as to pressure KS to adjust their system and let everybody use it regardless of their "origin". I've been in this business for a long time now and I can't name ONE other business model that is so segregative with countries.

 

[Shaz]

I don't have a problem with them taking money from other countries even though they only pay to the US and UK - people providing funding are supporting a project, not kickstarter itself. It would be wrong to not let me back a project just because I'm in Australia. What I think is "unethical" is letting you CREATE a kickstarter project in the first place, if they're not going to give you the funds received because of where you live. It should ask for all of those details up front and not even let you set it up if you're not eligible for payment.

 

[Indinera]

Hmm I can't say I agree with this. Every creator should have the same chances to receive funds for their projects regardless of their origin. It should be the quality of the project that matters, not where the creator lives.

 

[Shaz]

No, I don't think so. That's kickstarter's choice, and they have every right to limit their service to specific countries if they want to. Paypal do, so does Amazon with their game downloads, so does BFG with their streaming service. We don't have to like it, but it's their choice. Maybe they will offer it to other countries in the future, and there are things standing in the way that they have to resolve first.


My point was, if they're NOT letting developers in other countries receive funds right now, then they should not allow those developers to set up a project in the first place. Otherwise you'll get someone creating a project, getting all the funding, and not being able to receive it because they're not in the US or UK. How much time and effort have they wasted? What happens to the money pledged?

 

[Traveling Bard]

@Sailerius, thanks for the insight! To be completely honest, I have no experience with this sort of thing and doing kickstarter is like taking shots in the dark. I'm realistic enough to know my project most likely won't be funded but I won't know that unless I try it. Best thing I can do is design an awesome game and try my best to convey that it's awesome to potential backers. It won't be rushed and there will be a lot of research on my part on how to "do it right". High risk is the name of the game though. You can spend two years on making what you feel is an awesome title only to have it bomb. It's a tough world, but that's what makes it exciting and what makes me try hard. The point of this post was to see if by using rpg maker I would be wasting my time doing a kickstarter and it appears that it is not as long as the concept/game is good enough. So, I'll put in the effort and take it from there

 

[Chaos17]

Who said that Kickstarter doesn't plan to open to the rest of the world in the futur ? Because they didn't say so.

Is Kickstarter going to be available in other countries at some point?We’re working hard to open up to more countries! If you’ve been waiting, we really appreciate your patience.

Link : http://www.kickstarter.com/help/faq/creator%20questions#WhoIsEligToStarAKickProj

 

[endgametech]

Just wanted to chime in here, since I'm a non-US/UK that looked into creating a kickstarter for my upcoming game.

Here's essentially why Kickstarter was initially US only and now includes the UK but nowhere else:

Payment system. Kickstarter is partnered with Amazon Payments, as in you need an Amazon Payments Business account to even start a kickstarter(so no, Shaz, they don't let people start kickstarters and then not give them the money). To get an Amazon Payments Business account, you need a US Bank Account, a US mailing address, and a US Driver's License.

Kickstarter recently partnered with a payment company in the UK with the same deal, so now those in the UK can create kickstarters.

To address the Kickstarters run by non US/UK companies, they do it by partnering with someone in the US/UK. There used to be a company based out of Canada that allowed people to use their Amazon Payments Business account to start kickstarters, but Amazon closed all their accounts.

Hope that clears things up a bit on that front.

 

[Shaz]

It let me at least start to set up a kickstarter project. Of course, I didn't actually complete it. It must pull you up at some stage, then, and notify you that you can't go further. That's a relief.