Kickstarter: The last hope for new Cave shmups?

[Estebang]

And G.Rev shmups, and Triangle Service, and Milestone, and whoever else.

So I just found out that the PC RPG classic (and Fallout inspiration) Wasteland is finally getting a sequel. It's being entirely funded by over a million dollars in donations. If it hits a million and a quarter--which it almost certainly will--they're going to make it an even bigger project. Still, it seems like it's going to be another one of those things that's delayed for years, botched somehow and ultimately fails to live up to expectations. (Call it Duke Nukem Forever Syndrome, or DNFS.)

Other recent gaming-related Kickstarter success stories:

- Double Fine's new game, which managed to score more than eight times its goal of $400K

- This silly, cheap-looking, over-ambitious piece of edutainment

- An RPG game engine that we barely know anything about

Such ridiculous wads of cash are getting thrown at fairly dubious projects of limited value like as these. To see so many people commit hundreds of dollars or more to them is pretty astounding, and the service could potentially be a scammer's wet dream. Vertical's also been financing some of their recent Osamu Tezuka manga releases like this, with no failures so far. As it stands, it's a goldmine just begging to be tapped by legions of struggling developers, who are either unaware of their fanbase or clueless as to how to exploit it.

What if a Kickstarter page went up promising a Mushi 3 or Ibara 2 (arcade release with a later console port) if people pledge a million dollars, or whatever it would cost? How many of us here with the means wouldn't donate something, assuming that everyone who gave at least the retail price of the port would get a copy? A good handful of us would likely pony up something in the three figures range...four figures, and you'd get the PCB too. If the word got out on sites like Siliconera and Kotaku, you'd probably see hundreds, even thousands of donations in the game-purchasing range.

Within the next five years, Cave will likely shutter their arcade division, and wind down shmup and shmup port development even more than they already have. This may even include smartphones. It's coming, and we all know it. Assuming there is a significant enough push within the company from people like Ikeda to continue satisfying fans, and to develop games motivated by love and prestige--not just profit--Kickstarter could be our perfect "get out of jail free card".

There is a catch--Kickstarter only allows donations to US accounts, though Cave could easily set up a stateside proxy. I guess the lack of Japanese donators would also be a problem. But if the goal wasn't reached, no one would have to pay.

In short, Japan needs to know about Kickstarter, and we need them to know. The fans are out there. They want to give you their money to fund your seemingly financially un-viable projects. Let them.

[trap15]

Typical Estebang thread is typical.

It's a pride issue; taking donations for something like that admits defeat. I would put money that even if Cave was about to close its doors it would not make a Kickstarter, even if they did know about it.

[n0rtygames]

Unfortunately Kickstarter states in their T&C that you need to be a US resident. For a Japanese based company, this may provide some barriers. I know as we were looking for them for initial funding.

[mesh control]

I'll give you a million dollars to make Guwange 2. I already suck at Guwange, but give me another one to suck at. That's the shmups forum, basically for ya.

&
LOL

[rancor]

yeah - great idea, but I really don't see a Japanese company accepting donations. It's a matter of pride.

I recently had some work done on my house here. Long story short - the carpenter goofed on something and my wife said it was no big deal. His supervisor came by when the job was done yesterday and asked my wife about some odd holes in the wall that had been made. My wife said it was fine because we would be covering up the holes anyway - no big deal. WELL - last night the carpenter came by our house at about 7:00pm and was literally crying (tears in his eyes) about the mistake he had made. Very deep bows. He brought candy for my wife and beer for me - this man was devastated. Pride in his work, almost to a fault. I have to admit it was a bit creepy having this older man on my doorstep begging for my forgiveness over a very trivial matter that most would roll their eyes over. He begged us to let him fix it right then. We had to tell him several times that the section of the wall would be painted/papered over and it wasn't an issue in the least.

Anyhow - there is NO WAY Cave would take outside money. It's just the way things work over here.

[Special World]

All they have to do is make and sell some more PCBs. Free money.

[AntiFritz]

If cave used kickstarter, they wouldn't get anywhere near 1 million dollars.... probably a few thousand max.

[Estebang]

If cave used kickstarter, they wouldn't get anywhere near 1 million dollars.... probably a few thousand max.

I thought this too, but the sums people are getting for their trivial and unpopular projects (i.e. a book for a webcomic about a dinosaur) are just too ridiculous. There's hard evidence to support someone like Cave receiving a lot of money.

Now, what Rancor wrote is pretty depressing, and would definitely put a damper on Japanese companies making use of the service. But I do think that Suda, Mikami, and Nagoshi are examples of developers liberal and Western enough to consider it, perhaps if they splintered off to make some pet project. Ikeda probably is, too...of course, he doesn't have much say in Cave's business decisions, if any.

It would help if they think of them as investments, not donations. People who pay enough would get the games, after all.

[Elixir]

Unfortunately I can't see too many westerners supporting (any foreign company) without considerable reassurance that their future games will be localized.

I think you're misunderstanding the term "donate". These people are "funding" the projects, with expectations that something will eventuate out of doing so. Donating selflessly is entirely different.

[Estebang]

Yeah, the term "donate" isn't exactly accurate here, but I'm not misunderstanding it.

And Cave would definitely have to promise at least a Western GoD release for anyone to fund the project (the price would be adjusted accordingly). Should have gone without saying.

[Gespenst]

Speaking of the topic:
http://kotaku.com/5893778/why-kickstart ... ead-genres

[TrevHead (TVR)]

Cant see them getting much cash from westerners who are still enjoying the current stock of CAVE games.

Is KS funding even legal in Japan? It isnt in the UK

[Ed Oscuro]

unpopular projects (i.e. a book for a webcomic about a dinosaur)

if you are talking about Dinosaur Comics...then lol

That doesn't really bode well for Cave since Dinosaur Comics is so popular over here.

[Estebang]

Not Dinosaur Comics.

Well, I'll have to admit that expecting Cave or most any Japanese developer to jump on the Kickstarter bandwagon is overly idealistic. However, if Rising Star ever wants to do a localization of Mushi HD and ends up having trouble funding it...they have a US branch now, after all!

[kttj]

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/107 ... d-universe

Another thread mentioned this, bought it is a relevant link. I think Kickstarter is a great place to see new designers getting into the shmup mix.

Also, hi! First time poster, long while lurker.

[geremy]

yeah - great idea, but I really don't see a Japanese company accepting donations. It's a matter of pride.

I recently had some work done on my house here. Long story short - the carpenter goofed on something and my wife said it was no big deal. His supervisor came by when the job was done yesterday and asked my wife about some odd holes in the wall that had been made. My wife said it was fine because we would be covering up the holes anyway - no big deal. WELL - last night the carpenter came by our house at about 7:00pm and was literally crying (tears in his eyes) about the mistake he had made. Very deep bows. He brought candy for my wife and beer for me - this man was devastated. Pride in his work, almost to a fault. I have to admit it was a bit creepy having this older man on my doorstep begging for my forgiveness over a very trivial matter that most would roll their eyes over. He begged us to let him fix it right then. We had to tell him several times that the section of the wall would be painted/papered over and it wasn't an issue in the least.

Anyhow - there is NO WAY Cave would take outside money. It's just the way things work over here.

Please send this man to Boston. Our carpenters will damage your sliding glass door, paint over rotten wood, leave your eaves open for a week or so and then start ignoring your phone calls when you ring them to finish the job.