I am looking at some crowd funding site and stumble on this.

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/world-war-machine-a-post-human-action-rpg/x/7986795

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2014-05-19-square-enixs-collective-launches-first-crowdfunding-campaign

 

I can't believe this! a publisher using some developers to crowd-fund their games!!!!!!

Well based on this anti consumer practice
http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/04/16/square-enix-drm-essential-to-profits-for-foreseeable-future

I have to make sure Square Enix does not get any profit from me.

 

It seems that it is not their games, but indie games from indie studios. Square Enix's business idea in this seems to be offering support, visibility and possible distribution deals for those studios and get 5% of crowd sourced sum and 10% of revenue (if they distribute the game) as compensation.

 

To me it seems to be cheap and easy way for SE to search talents that they can use to develop their bigger tittles in future, given that it will get some wind under it wings.

It seems that it is not their games, but indie games from indie studios. Square Enix's business idea in this seems to be offering support, visibility and possible distribution deals for those studios and get 5% of crowd sourced sum and 10% of revenue (if they distribute the game) as compensation.

 

To me it seems to be cheap and easy way for SE to search talents that they can use to develop their bigger tittles in future, given that it will get some wind under it wings.

And the poor publisher have to pay indiegogo and paypal for processing fees in addition to Square Enix fees. Not to mention the negative preception people have on publisher.

 

I thought it should be opposite where Square should fund / invest in games rather then pushing the risk to gamers. Well times changes, lets see how many games will flop under Square name.

 

I wonder If said developer can get more or succeeded in funding if they do not use Square name at all.

Getting enough visibility that your game gets funded isn't always that easy, which I could see why indie studio would be interested of such partnership, and it don't actually cost them anything, but they need to rise 5% more money than what they would need without such partnership.

 

But it seems that this partnership didn't help this game to get enough interest to get funded. So it seems that this partnership program isn't instant success. But I would bet that this project wouldn't had any more success without this program.

I like the story concept of a post-human earth. Might be good for a movie. I don't know about the game. Looks like a MechWarrior shoot'em up type game. Not sure where the RPG comes into it. Not really my type of game tbh.

Wow, what a cheap way for the publisher to make some cash out of the crowdfunding hype.

 

It's basicly a revamp of the old publishing model, where the publisher is taking the financial risk, but also taking the profit. In this new model, the financial risk is eliminated for the publisher, but the profit is still there. Pure genius! I'm sure that idea came from an economist...

Edited June 20, 201411 yr by Zwiebelchen

I can't believe this! a publisher using some developers to crowd-fund their games!!!!!!

 

Already been done a while ago for Jagged Alliance: Flashback.

As far as the DRM thing goes you realize Square Enix also runs two MMO's right?  I don't think they mean DRM for their single player no online game, just saying.  They also made a point of saying it "can't interfere with playing the game".

 

I can't believe this! a publisher using some developers to crowd-fund their games!!!!!!

 

Already been done a while ago for Jagged Alliance: Flashback.

 

I don't see where it said Jagged Alliance: Flashback says it is partnered with a publisher

 

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2079547763/jagged-alliance-flashback

 

It says "While we have managed to secure the Jagged Alliance license, we have chosen not to pursue any funding through the license holder bitComposer, as we wanted to maintain and stay true to our vision of the game."

 

Google for news of Jagged Alliance being used by publisher but results are negative. Can I know where you get the information from?

^ Yeah, they mention that they got "approved," so to speak, for their project with a publisher, but chose to go with Kickstarter to retain full control over the project, rather than partnering with a publisher.

BitComposter owns Jagged Alliance. They won't have given away a licence so Full Control will be paying for its usage. I don't really need a source for that, bC is a company rather than a charity it's common sense. So one way or another bC will be making money off of the property and they will have paid (or be paying via percentage) for the right to use the name.

 

That may not be a classic publisher/ developer relationship, neither is the Obs/ Paradox one fro PoE, but it is relevant if "[you] have to make sure [publisher] does not get any profit from [you]".

Well, to be fair a publisher tried to get in on Pillars of Eternity when it was just Project: Eternity. 

 

I can't believe this! a publisher using some developers to crowd-fund their games!!!!!!

 

Already been done a while ago for Jagged Alliance: Flashback.

 

Plus, The Collective is nothing new. I was actually wondering when they were going to start their first crowdfunder, since they started up about a year ago.

 

I see nothing wrong with this.

 

Crowdfunding is not "ours".

some people are blind or worse. point is that if game is crowdfunded, why the heck should publisher get profit from it, if he doesnt have to take risks of funding it? I can accept that he got some marginal revenue for distribution 'IF' its even needed in these days of digital distribution

Considering the ****ty quality of some presentations on kickstarter, it was only a matter of time. Indie studios can't make descent videos (let alone descent games, ofc).

some people are blind or worse. point is that if game is crowdfunded, why the heck should publisher get profit from it, if he doesnt have to take risks of funding it? I can accept that he got some marginal revenue for distribution 'IF' its even needed in these days of digital distribution

Based on the interview (from a Square or Collective representative) there are two roles the publisher plays with the collective; the first is in potentially distributing the products of the collective, the second is being available to provide support during the development process including providing assistance in the form of staff from their existing studios.

 

If so, the publisher isn't receiving money but providing nothing (else why would anyone go to the collective in the first place?)

Indie studios can't make descent videos (let alone descent games, ofc).

That's a horrible statement.

They don't own the Descent property, so they can't, legally speaking.

 

I'll get my coat.

At this point many indies probably have more employees and clout than Interplay does, even if they technically still are a publisher.

 

(And of course Interplay is still (?) trying to crowd fund ProjectV13/ the relaunched BIS, and has been for ages)