We report on the latest Kickstarter happenings quite often here at Nintendo Life, and it's great to see so many great projects reach their funding goal purely on the basis of fan interest and support. It's not a guaranteed success for everyone though, so today we have some good news, bad news, and a rescheduling.
First off is a little bad news with Dino Run 2, which we reported on briefly in the final days of its campaign. As worthy as it might have been, the project only raised half of its required funding by the deadline of December 5th, so will not be released as planned. The creators remain optimistic though, and while all pledges are returned to backers, Pixeljam considers the exposure to have been more than worth the effort. The developer urges fans to keep in contact, and we may see those lovable dinos emerge from the brink of extinction yet, one way or another.
Another project that looked to be in some trouble recently was Lobodestroyo, a 3D platformer inspired by N64 collect-a-thons like Banjo-Kazooie. Even with a reasonable goal of $35,000 it was struggling to gain support and drum up enthusiasm. The last few days have surely been nail-biters for the production team as it edged closer and closer to the minimum goal. We can report now that the project has reached that goal thanks to an influx of backers, and will be coming to Wii U after Nintendo's console was bumped up as an initial goal platform. It's a comfortable fit for such a retro-styled platformer, so anybody who'd like to pitch in further can do so until the campaign's end on 11th December.
Finally, we have Festival of Magic. We've been keeping track of this one since its first incarnation as an episodictale to be released in five to ten hour chunks. As is the case with many development stories though, time and resources impacted on this plan which recently drove SnowCastle Games towards Kickstarter for support. Wii U has been a standard platform from the beginning for this throwback RPG, but the team was very aware that the campaign wasn't moving along at a strong pace. It investigated why this was so, and realised that timing was the issue.
Potential backers have been distracted recently by two new console launches and the commercial madness of the holiday season, so in a bold move the current Kickstarter project has been cancelled. This doesn't mean that Festival of Magic itself has been cancelled though, rather the campaign to get it funded will relaunch on February 20th next year; it'll return to Kickstarter on that day with a fresh start, a whole new attempt from scratch. Until then, the team promises to continue development and begin work on the campaign's structure, reward system, updates, and promotion; in this way, it can be sure that the title receives the focus that it deserves. It's a rare turn of events that will hopefully pay off for SnowCastle in the New Year.
Do you mourn the loss of the dinosaurs? Are you excited for a new take on some retro platforming or RPG action? Be sure to let us know in a comment below!
Comments 29
Yes! Can't wait to try out Lobodestroyo!
^Took the words right out of my mouth.
Until A Hat in Time makes an eventual announcement on the WiiU, Lobodestroyo'll have to do.
I actually supported Lobodestroyo, so I was very happy to find out early today that they could make it. They are very close to reaching their PS4 stretch goal now.
Woohoo lobodestroyo!
Congrats to Lobodestroyo! Looks like a lot of fun!
I was a backer of Festival of Magic and was disappointed to hear of the cancellation, but understand the reasoning why. I hope they are more successful in the new year. I played the demo as well and really enjoyed it. It looks like it is still available for download as well to anyone who would like to check it out: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/171497873/festival-of-magic/posts/679255
But another Kickstarter project that I am backing, Dex, reached their Wii U stretch goal today! It's a cyberpunk sidescrolling RPG. Here is the link to anyone who is interested in taking a look: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dreadlocks/dex-cyberpunk-2d-rpg
I backed Lobodestroyo after you guys showed it here, and these last few days have surely been amazing for the campaign. It sure did NOT seem like they would make it until the last-minute influx of backers. I'm so very happy for it; along with A Hat in Time, there should be plenty of good times in the future for collect-a-thon lovers like myself.
I also backed Lobodestroyo , glad to see it made it. Really gives me a Crash Bandicoot vibe so was naturally drawn to it.
I'm glad Lobodestroyo got funded, I thought it looked interesting.
Lobodestroyo looks so ugly and lifeless. I feel sorry for you backers, you do realise it was just a means to get money for the Ouya Free the Games fund right?
If you did a bit of research you'd see the flashing red lights all over this project. They have a stretch goal for PS4 that is only $4000 more than the original goal when Unity licensing fees for the platform alone are in excess of $15,000. They barely get any funding for the first 25 days and then start getting donations in excess of $1000 for a project that looks awful. They originally said Wii U is the most expensive platform to develop for and then the next day they decide it's the cheapest. This tells me they've done no research and have no intention of actually doing what they say they'll do.
Good luck to you investors, but I hate to see fellow Nintendo fans giving away your hard earned money to scam artists, especially for a game that looks as awful as this.
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I will be backing Festival of Magic when it returns, it looks amazing and the lengthy, episodic nature is exactly what we need on the U right now.
Wii U backers to the the rescue once again.
A real shame about Festival of Magic, though. I had such high hopes. (Hate me, I'm a never-backer by general rule.)
Congrats to Lobodestroyo, looks kind of... vacant. But I sincerely hope it can invoke the magical feeling of traversing an early 3D world from the seminal 3D platformers of yore.
Happy News!!! I've backed this one as well when I seen around 3 days ago they got to 30,000. I've gotten quiet addicted to backing WiiU targeted kickstarters the past couple of months
Nyeh, I backed Lobo, but only for the cross-promotion between it and Super World Karts (Backers of both unlock a special character in SWK)
Definitely can't wait to see how both of these games turn out, both look to become something amazing.
@Klinny Glad to see Dex made it! I may well pick it up once it hits the eShop.
@BlueGreen Trying to take your concern at face value here but your first statement belies what would otherwise be an impartial stance. Their Wii U change wasn't really out of the blue, and sadly a lot of devs are really misinformed or underinformed about how little Wii U development can cost. I don't think that's because they're trying to run scams, but simply that research may not be these guys' forte. (Takes all kinds to make the world go 'round!)
There have been a number of really fishy Kickstarters I've seen and Lobodestroyo wasn't one of them. Maybe their PS4 goal is much too low, but Sony's indie people have been good at getting in touch with small devs and a few projects aiming for the PS4 have asks in a similar range to this project.
@JustinH But asking for money when they have no idea how much a game costs to make is a fair indication this IS a scam. It shows they're not asking for money to cover the costs of releasing a game, but just seeing how much money they can scrounge out of the general public. If they really are a group of seven people willing to work for FREE for 13 months, I find it hard to believe they can't dish out a meager $35,000 to finish the project.
If I sound impartial it's because I'm a little insulted they're trying to play on our nostalgia to make a quick buck. The game looks absolutely awful, but people see Rare and Banjo Kazooie and feel like they should donate.
I guess we'll have to wait and see but if this ever makes it to Wii U I'd be very surprised. If it scores over 5/10 doubly so.
He looks like Crash Bandicoot on a full moon.
I'm slightly disappointed with Dino Run 2, since it seemed like really crazy entertainment...
Lobodestroyo is kind of a surprise. I didn't expect it to pass the funds line right on time. But my lack of interest in N64 titles in general might be the reason why I don't see too much appeal yet.
The Festival of Magic point is reasonable, so it's good to see they care enough for their project to pull it away until there's enough space for crowdfunding again.
Im really happy about Lobodestroyo. I hope it will be as fun as the trailer was
Im so happy for lobodestroyo! I cant wait to play it ^-^
I have the feeling that Lobodestroyo's trailer is going to be better than the game. Loved the artwork btw.
I hope I'm wrong and it turns out to be very good.
Festival of Magic looks very promising. I might even fund it when the new campaign kicks off.
I'll be upset if Lobo really is a scam, but its artwork and style are not an indication of this for me. The game could look and feel a lot better by the time it comes out, and not every world has been shown off. I've listened to some of the game music and it really takes me back. The people behind it seem really passionate, so I'm hoping that passion + the Kickstarter funding = a good game. Maybe I'll have egg on my face, but I'd like to not be so cynical this early on.
There are a couple things from that Lobodestroyo trailer that I need to see improve, but I'll definitely be keeping an eye on it!
@BlueGreen I share your concerns with these Kick starter campaigns. Even worse is when I hear people give these people/projects a pas because they seem passionate... Well, yes... People are passionate about getting money with no strings attached.
Moreover, how do we know they are passionate about their game? Artwork? Music? Writing? There's no shortage of skilled artists, musicians, and writers struggling to make an honest buck. Game design is where the passion for a game project is expressed. The design is tantamount to the success of a game.
To me, that underlying game design is what matters and that is often the aspect of the these projects least communicated. It makes me a little queasy seeing all the support for projects that masquerade as nostalgic throwbacks, or whatever, rather then communicate the significant elements of the design.
Reeks of salesmanship and little more to me. We can't forget that these funds are essentially free. Developers have other avenues available to acquire funds. Yes, risk is involved, but why should us gamers provide charitable funds simply to protect these developers from risk?
I grew up dirt poor (in an upper-middle class town) with a father in prison. I watched my Mom's boyfriends beat my younger brother. One even broke into our house and completely trashed (beyond recognition) it several times. Another showed up ranting with a gun and when we locked him out, he cut the phone lines and told us we weren't safe as he shot some of our chickens. (This was before we had cellphones.)
Anyway, that's a fraction of what families like mine go through. And we have always been fortunate, in my eyes. There are families out there in desperate need. Kids are gravely affected by these circumstances. (My brother, for instance, is now a complete lost cause... I could practically cry thinking about how much I've tried to help him and how much contempt he has for me and my mom when we are the only people that ever loved him.)
I just don't understand protecting what I see as little more than salesmen when there are people all over whose lives are hanging in the balance. There is so much more to this world to be concerned about.
Aspiring developers are not one. Let them have risk.
@ACK I'm not sure if I agree with your statements about Kickstarter alleviating risk for the developers. Generally, developers are only asking for the amount required to produce the game. This is the same amount they would be asking from a publisher if they were to go that route. Crowdfunding, however, allows the developer to retain freedom over the artistic direction of their work. Publishers are the one who take the risk when investing in a project, not a developer, and as such they generally only invest in a game that will make them tons of profits. This generally means that developers have to stick to what is known to sell well, and does not leave much room for experimentation. With Kickstarter, the developer retains the same amount of risk that they would have otherwise, if not more, as their game may not sell as well at the end of the day.
I do agree that backers are the ones who are generally picking up the majority of that risk, though. However, I am more than willing to take that risk if it means that I may get to play a game that I truly enjoy, that would not have been developed otherwise. I also do not consider it a charity; I expect a great game at the end of the day.
I am also passionate about Kickstarter, as it brings a sense of community into the development process. Backers are investors, and as such, we generally get a voice in how the game progresses. We also get to meet developers, which tends to humanize what has become a rather disconnected process. You mentioned the importance about helping families in need, and of course we should all strive to help out our fellow man whenever possible. Kickstarter may not save somebody's life, but I feel that it provides an important service to the preservation of the creative process.
Remember that Xbox one has a Day One Parity Clause which states that if you are to release a game on Xbox One, it has to be released the same day as all other systems, you can't just release a game on the PS4 or Wii U than release it on Xbox One a month later it has to be the same day as PS4 or before it.
@Blue_Yoshi I just hope the guys at Lobodestroyo realize this.
@Klinny Very well spoken. That is one of the better persuasive arguments for Kickstarter I've seen. And I do agree with a lot of it.... However, I can't help but be a cynic.
Partially due to the very real potential for fraud against good-natured gamers. The other is siphoning funds from the most passionate gamers by preying upon their dreams when the industry is in flux with threats from all sides. It's commendable to support the creative ambition of developers, but there is a point of diminishing returns where projects that falter or are unable to profit (beyond a funding campaign) proliferate and are a significant burden to the prospects of the industry at large. Specifically, developers who are releasing desirable games right now to an audience who have over-expended their funds on future potential. Does that mean less risky projects being supported by big publishers?
I mean, if I had backed a handful of projects, I wouldn't have afforded a game like W101 on launch day. (I also think Kickstarter has an effect of training gamers to wait in a way to that is counterintuitive. Companies need an audience at launch and if a significantly growing number are willing to wait out a discount or worse, then there is little hope for success in the marketplace. I know people who are so addicted to Kickstarter they spend the majority of their gaming dollars on potential projects. Even if those projects fall through, they budget in a way that they cannot afford many launch day games. The people I know historically haven't missed a Zelda or Mario release and this year they seem resigned to either renting,or waiting out a future sale, or simply being resigned to their cheap Steam an iOS games.)
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