Not Following the Crowdsource Crowd

 

I really dig this game! ...ok I'll stop

Saying I enjoy Shovel Knight is an understatement. I’ve changed my phone background, jammed out to the soundtrack in my car, and started drafts for a Shovel Knight costume for Halloween. I’m in love. Shovel Knight is definitely one of, if not the best, game I’ve played this year. It’s a beautiful success story on Kickstarter, but that’s not enough to convince me to back games on crowdfunding sites.

Crowdfunding sites such as Kickstarter and Indiegogo have been a popular source of funding for Indie developers. With crowdfunding, developers can appeal straight the end user (in this case gamers) to invest in their project. This also allows open communication between developers and gamers, making game development a collaborative experience. In an ideal world, I would gladly participate in this model for game development. However, there are developers and companies who abuse investor trust.



Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn is Shaq’s way to redeem himself from the stain on gaming known as Shaq Fu. The way A Legend Reborn is going, Shaq might have to redeem himself again. The Shaq Fu team argue that Shaq’s appeal to Indiegogo isn’t a rich guy asking people for more money, but rather an opportunity to develop A Legend Reborn as a collaborative process. But judging from the perks offered, I would say otherwise. Many of the prizes include Shaq following you on Twitter and Instagram, eating lunch with Shaq, and a guest appearance from DJ Shaq at your next party. While a few perks are actually relevant to the game, most are dedicated to selling Shaq’s stardom.



The latest update is from a month ago. The Shaq Fu team hopes to finally sit down with Shaq to record the promised personalized messages and receive shipments from manufacturers. Perk delivery will finish before game development proceeds.

 

If Shaq and the team at Big Deez truly wanted this game to be made for the fans and by the fans, then where’s communication about the actual game to the fans? New concept art? Maybe some in-game music samples? Anything? It’s apparent Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn is an opportunity to continually sell Shaq’s face instead of create a decent game. That’s what made the original Shaq Fu so bad!


Looks like they already Fu'd it up

What is probably the worst abuse of the crowdfunding system is the recently canceled Yogventures. Yogventures is a sandbox game utilizing the IP of the Yogscast, a group of YouTubers with 7 million subscribers who provide gameplay commentary. Back in May of 2012, the Kickstarter successfully funded half a million dollars and was in development…until last month. Amidst the cancellation, problems behind-the-scenes including the loss of $35,000 due to loose employment guidelines were brought to light. The six-man team at Winterkrewl did not have the proper resources to complete a game of this scale, but it's Yogscast lack of communication to backers that made this a grand failure.

The description of the Kickstarter is written from Yogscast's point-of-view and even links back to their site.

With a huge subscriber base, Yogscast knew backers would flock to this project. But with vague descriptions such as Winterkrewl being a team of “long-time veterans and game companies,” fans had to rely on the Yogscast name to convince themselves this was a good project to invest in. What infuriates me is how Yogscast quickly distanced itself from Yogventures when it tanked. Despite the Kickstarter page positioning this as a “Yogscast game”, Yogscast seems quite content to call it “Winterkrewl’s game” when things went south.

To add fuel the fire, Yogscast insists they don’t have any legal obligations to refund anyone, which is true. It’s only by the "graciousness of their hearts" that backers get beta codes for TUG, a game they didn’t invest in. Yogscast shares responsibility in the failure of Yogventures because they hired the wrong people for the job. They’re dismissive actions and lack of communication during problematic development are an insult to fans and ultimately damaging to their brand.

If your name and IP are all over this game, do you only take credit when it’s convenient?

 

Of course, there are more crowdfunded success stories like Shovel Knight than failures like Yogventures. I hope games backed by crowdfunding gain a better reputation, for some are truly made with backers in mind. Unfortunately, the risk I could essentially throw away my money to poorly thought-out projects from the likes of Shaq and the Yogscast keep me from backing games. It’s a shame really, a model that allows gamers to communicate directly with developers to help shape a game is appealing. Alas, I feel more confident supporting a crowdfunded game after launch, even if that means some great games won’t see the light of day due to a lack of funds.