Game-Specific Alternative to Kickstarter Announced

[News Portal]

Dutch company Gambitious is launching a new, game-specific alternative to Kickstarter at E3. The service will work slightly differently, with users buying shares in a game project that will be translated into cashy-money when or if the game is a commercial success, rather than angling for a particular reward. The service will start in Europe, but once the legal problems are overcome, they hope to see foreign cyber-shores.

Source: Games Industry International

Read full article by GON News

[IvanTSR]

This is awesome. Really exciting seeing this innovation in the industry - so many times I've been like, yep I'd pay money to see that game happen, then pay for it once it comes out.

Fantastic.

[Novocaine]

Interesting....

[Kinky Kel]

My cup runneth over.

What an interesting evolution to the gaming industry.

[Yurtles]

With Kickstarter taking a 5% cut of all these millions that're being raised I'm suprised alternative sites haven't popped up sooner. A couple of hundred grand just for some relatively simple web hosting and transaction facilities? Yes please.

[Sathias]

Excellent idea. This removes many of the reservations I had with the Kickstarter model. I suspect it won't be as popular with developers though.

[Bek]

Always good to see options, and I'd love to see publishers get less control over the designing of games, let the creative, skilled people who actually know what the **** they're doing make the decisions when it comes to DRM, region locking, gameplay mechanics etc etc when it comes to all those things publishers seem to love screwing the end user over with.

[Drakand]

yeah, i like this idea better than kickstarter, hopefully the legalities won't prevent is spreading

[Bluefire]

with users buying shares in a game project that will be translated into cashy-money when or if the game is a commercial success

Translation?
Donate 10k to a 1mil "kickstart" .. game makes 5mil profit ... get 50k back ?
Shiny!?

[PinothyJ]

I have never liked KS because it is nothing short of non-tax deductible charity. I, and many like me, have been screaming out for a KS that took the form of an investment over straight charity and I am so happy that my not-so-silent prayers were answered.

Translation?
Donate 10k to a 1mil "kickstart" .. game makes 5mil profit ... get 50k back ?
Shiny!?

If they are going for a 'share' option than I am sorry to disappoint but that is not necessarily how they work. With that being said I am curious to how they intend on structuring the scheme as shares only work if it is on-going (like a company) which makes things interesting for a Bastion or a Limbo.


We will have to see (it is not looking good as it was supposed to be launched some time last month)…

[coatsy22]

Is there a no-go point like with kickstarter, or will they just start pocketing everyones money immediately even if they never get up to the point of having enough to do the project?

To me this is the main selling point of kickstarter - your not out of pocket if its only partially funded which you are with traditional investment

[Sathias]

with users buying shares in a game project that will be translated into cashy-money when or if the game is a commercial success

Translation?
Donate 10k to a 1mil "kickstart" .. game makes 5mil profit ... get 50k back ?
Shiny!?

I don't think there would be *that* much of a profit-share, otherwise it gives zero incentive for a company to use that form of funding, they could only break even no matter how successful their work is.

I'd guess that the amount of profit-sharing would be one of the parameters outlined when the project is proposed to the public.

edit: Would help if I read the original article lol

"Instead, a developer decides what percentage of the required funding people can buy. Someone who invests money in a project, becomes a shareholder and is entitled to dividends."

So from that it seems we could both be correct, they could choose to have it funded completely by the public and share no profit, or they could choose a smaller percentage and contribute to the project as an equal shareholder.

[Gnavin]

So, just to bring me up to speed, what's the problems with Kickstarter? I've never heard of people having problems with them before.

[PinothyJ]

So, just to bring me up to speed, what's the problems with Kickstarter? I've never heard of people having problems with them before.

Because it is akin to standing on a street corner and begging people to give you money: it is non-tax-deductible charity. If there was a way that average Joe's could invest -- a la, if the project is a success than they get a return on their investment -- into the game that they are oh so excited about than the entire operation would be a lot more worthwhile and less pathetic.


Let us hope that it actually turns into something worthwhile…

[Gnavin]

Ah. I guess I don't mind giving my money to people to get things I want, without expecting anything more in return.