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Why I’m done with Kickstarting adventure games. 

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I wrote this editorial, but I don’t really think I can sell it so I’m just posting it here in the hopes that some might enjoy it.

We did it. Thanks to the newly energized crowd-funding phenomenon, 2013 will see the release of five high-profile adventure games, the first time since the genre’s heyday that fans have so many reasons to be excited. And now it’s time to step back, assured in a job well done, and await the results. Kickstarter cannot be the new de facto standard for how all adventure games get made, and there comes a time when we must move on.

Its role here has been important. Adventure games are unique in gaming history in that their decline was sudden and precipitous, more akin to the panic of a stock market crash than a transition in consumer tastes. The abrupt disappearance of adventures – and especially comedy adventures – has been regarded as hasty and unjustified by fans, but the supposition that adventure games have been commercially toxic has gone largely unchallenged, as almost all of adventure gaming’s top talent has been either forced out of the genre, or out of the industry entirely.

There has been a desire to prove the industry wrong over the years. Adventure games never went away entirely, but the people behind its greatest creative achievements were forced out, either to other genres, or exiled from the games industry altogether. Since then, the genre has languished, without a great deal of innovation, and, frankly, with writing that is usually far below the standard we once enjoyed. “If only our heroes were back, they’d prove the industry wrong,” we thought.

Then, suddenly, everything changed. Tim Schafer turned to Kickstarter and asked the fans to fund his triumphant return to the genre that made him famous. The result was resounding, definitive, and heard throughout the industry. An unprecedented 87,000 individuals open their wallets and heaped $3.4 million dollars on Shafer’s campaign, without so much as a title or a concept to motivate them, just the promise that the game would be an adventure, and it would be written and directed by Tim Shafer himself. The message was clear. Adventure gamers don’t just want new games, they want their champions back. To this audience, the writer is supreme.

Since then, seemingly one after another, the great writers of the adventure genre lined up on Kickstarter and asked an increasingly tired but infinitely altruistic audience to save them, too. First it was Jane Jensen, then it was Al Lowe, then the reunion of the decades-estranged Two Guys from Andromeda, and finally the return of the down-and-out private eye, Tex Murphy. Each of these projects had moments where they struggled, but one by one they all succeeded.

But we, the gamers, would never want to live in a world where we had to pay up front for every game before it even exists, often at generously exorbitant levels. Kickstarter is just that; a beginning. And those of you who have gotten our support have earned that trust over the course of many years. You are our champions; the exceptional few who will prove our point to the rest of the industry. Each one of you brings something unique and important to the table, and we need you to show what makes adventure gaming special and important.

Tim Shafer, your imagination and humor brings out the kid in all of us. Although you never lost your ability to make us laugh, your writing has had to share the spotlight with jumping, punching, and slashing in a way that has surely limited the kinds of stories you can tell. I can’t wait to see you get back to focusing on what you do best.

Jane Jensen, you’ve proven how monsters and limited ammunition aren’t the only ways to scare gamers. Creepy writing and layered narrative can tingle the spine in ways action games seldom aspire. You too never really left us, but your campaign was about more than just a game. It was an investment in a new, independent studio where you can tell the kinds of stories without fear of influence or interference.

Al Lowe, your story was perhaps one of the most infuriating. The Leisure Suit Larry series was taken from you and then dragged through the mud until its name seemed as good as ruined. Games for adults are no longer a novel concept, but the idea of real adult humor in games has almost completely vanished. You’ll show once again that there’s a difference between being bawdy and cleverly suggestive in a way that makes us laugh and flat-out obscene.

Seeing the Two Guys from Andromeda back together after over 20 years seems like a fantasy. Mark’s imaginative designs and Scott’s sardonic sense of humor proved to be a formula greater than the sum of its parts. Your vision is by far the most ardently old-school of all the new adventure Kickstarters, and I’m sure you will help to reclaim some of what you lost. Most of all, it’s important that we reclaim humor for gaming, as comedy is such a rare sight in the modern gaming landscape.

And Chris and Aaron, your Tex Murphy games were always on the cutting edge. While adventure game designers dragged their feet, you embraced new storage media and the 3D revolution with open arms, using them in transformative ways. The smooth, free 3D exploration and unparalleled cinematic presentation of the Tex games were unlike anything on the market, and had more people been as forward-thinking, the genre might have weathered the storm in the first place. More than that, no one portrayed characters better, from Chris’ charismatic portrayal of Tex himself, to the endearing cast of misfits that surrounded him, no doubt enhanced by the use of live actors.

[cont…]

     
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Kickstarter makes things happen that couldn’t otherwise. Many of these creators have suffered years of rejection in one form or another. It is doubtless that none of these games would be made – at least not in the same form – if not for the financial support of fans. Kickstarter was a last resort for these people, and it saved the day. We saved the day.

But Kickstarter is not a good way to shop for games. A Kickstarter pledge is a gift and should be given to those that have earned that kindness. It is not an investment, it is not a purchase. If developers turn to Kickstarter as a first option, even for commercially viable projects, simply because it’s free money that needn’t be repaid, it can be downright predatory, especially when employed by those who have not yet earned our trust and goodwill.

If these adventure game Kickstarters are about sending a message, we could have chosen a better crop of delegates to shout that message from the mountaintops. It will be heard, and whether or not it will be heeded depends on its own merits. Now it’s time to regroup, put Kickstarter aside, and save our money. There may come a time sometime soon when we will need Kickstarter to send a new message.

     
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that’s a nice sum up article, but I feel you should give in even more detailed answer to your question. I sympathize with a notion that Kickstarter is not all that “good”, but I can’t describe why, from this perspective as the whole thing is still fresh. But I believe that, even if Kickstarter way of funding doesn’t become “default”, it will impact the game production. Just like we “survived” casual games but its impact on the genre is visible - like in-game hints, option to skip puzzles…


So, if these games prove to be successful, why would Jane, Tim… return back to publishers? I believe they would simply announce new Kickstarter campaign for a new game.

     

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But Kickstarter is not a good way to shop for games. A Kickstarter pledge is a gift and should be given to those that have earned that kindness. It is not an investment, it is not a purchase.


i am with you and not at the same time, i will not have the right words to explain to you why, i will give it a shot ... i am with you that people who pledge at least for a certain amount would have their game free and exclusive too .. it is not logical and fair that i should pay for the game twice , once to support it into being made and another to purchase even as i heard somewhere that Tim will mention all the people and others that who pledged into his unkown game until know ... i am with the people who made Quest to Infamy as they did the right thing ,they worked hard , shown us a demo , and upon it they asked for pledging , and with reasonability at the goal too, nevertheless the demo itself had 2 meanings how serious are those guys are and they are , and 2nd if you dont like the demo and see it a rubbish , you wouldnt worth the trouble to spend a penny on pledging nor purchasing it.

and i am not with you as stopping or thinking of forgetting/Avoiding those kickstarters and the new ones we all sure will follow soon, as they are just waiting for the right time, because we had been suffering from developers at the last 4-6 years whom they not respect the mentality of the old Adevnture Gamers, like telltale for example they used MI and S&M to get our attention and once they became on the top of the scene somehow, they stared doing the games that target the mass players, not our not so big community of Adventure games Players. and i see we should use our money at pledging very carefully later on , not just give any begger (sory for the word) who says , spare a dime , but look for who will use that dime correctly after taking it .

and before the the two guys started their kickstarter and after Tim’s i wrote a thread at the old forum asking for them to ,it was A Call for more Kickstarters .. and surely i was attacked but every one at that time or lets say disagreed with me, but here we are .  i asked also for Jim walls ,and these are the people who we should give them all the support we can, as much as the pleasure they brought for us before…
imagine Roberta Williams starting a kickstarter would you dare to Avoid it.

 

     
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diego - 12 June 2012 08:05 AM

So, if these games prove to be successful, why would Jane, Tim… return back to publishers? I believe they would simply announce new Kickstarter campaign for a new game.

If these games are successful, they will have their own money to produce new ones, and won’t need to ask us. If Double Fine Adventure sells modestly—on par with, say, Machinarium—their profits will exceed what they made on the Kickstarter. I feel like THIS is the money that should go toward the next game. If they returned to Kickstarter despite having their own money they’d be no better than the lottery winner who asked for a million dollars. That would be predatory.

     
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Advie - 12 June 2012 08:28 AM

i am with the people who made Quest to Infamy as they did the right thing ,they worked hard , shown us a demo , and upon it they asked for pledging , and with reasonability at the goal too, nevertheless the demo itself had 2 meanings how serious are those guys are and they are , and 2nd if you dont like the demo and see it a rubbish , you wouldnt worth the trouble to spend a penny on pledging nor purchasing it.

To be clear, I am speaking more of the post-Double Fine, high-budget kickstarters, not little guys asking for $20,000. I’m talking about the projects that have the potential to make a lot of money after their release, and should be able to interest developers.

imagine Roberta Williams starting a kickstarter would you dare to Avoid it.

I would not give to Roberta Williams. I like Roberta a lot, but I don’t think it would be appropriate.

1) Roberta Williams is rich. She has money to fund a game herself if she wanted to. To ask us for money would just be a rich person asking to cover their losses if they fail.

2) Telltale is making a new King’s Quest, and they surely offered Roberta the chance to work on it if she wanted to.

3) Roberta likely still has enough pull that she could get publisher funding to do something if she really wanted to.

I feel like it would be incredibly inappropriate if she launched a kickstarter and (although she’s not interested in returning to gaming), that’s the sort of thing I worry about.

     
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Frogacuda - 12 June 2012 09:42 AM

imagine Roberta Williams starting a kickstarter would you dare to Avoid it.
1) Roberta Williams is rich. She has money to fund a game herself if she wanted to. To ask us for money would just be a rich person asking to cover their losses if they fail.

2) Telltale is making a new King’s Quest, and they surely offered Roberta the chance to work on it if she wanted to.

3) Roberta likely still has enough pull that she could get publisher funding to do something if she really wanted to.

I feel like it would be incredibly inappropriate if she launched a kickstarter and (although she’s not interested in returning to gaming), that’s the sort of thing I worry about.

well its just a statement to make positive point with the kickstareters and what would it bring .. as tim ,had grabbed Jane ,then Al ....etc. so what about those kicktarers can bring and really decent thing as it the way it is until now,

but I will be straight wiih those point what i think of .

1-Tim is rich enough to develop that working title (at least with his copyrights income would)]

2 - and about telltale,yeah they offered and she refused , because William will not afford to work with ...,to make a newa King Quest, she has willhave to work it herself ,eventually .

3 i dont know about that puclishers but does that mean that Jane really or some others couldn’t got a publisher if she worked on it or wanted! ..

i guess these kickerstarter does not pour its the process in those game titled just !  ,it more into that bringing that cliched phrase (adventures are dead) and the ability to bring it back and alive and booming again ..into making more and more Adventures afterwarda, eventually

     
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Advie - 12 June 2012 10:27 AM

1-Tim is rich enough to develop that working title (at least with his copyrights income would)]

This is incorrect. Tim is actually heavily invested personally into Double Fine to keep it running this long. He doesn’t have millions of dollars. Most of these designers don’t.

Roberta is not rich from King’s Quest royalties, she is rich from Ken selling the company to Vivendi.

2 - and about telltale,yeah they offered and she refused , because William will not afford to work with ...,to make a newa King Quest, she has willhave to work it herself ,eventually .

I really don’t get the impression she has any interest in ever making a game again.

3 i dont know about that puclishers but does that mean that Jane really or some others couldn’t got a publisher if she worked on it or wanted! ..

I don’t know if you picked up on this, but Jane got publisher funding DURING the Kickstarter campaign. That’s why they’re making two games instead of one. They got a cash injection from an investor.

Publishers are noticing people’s interest in these campaigns, and they’re going to react accordingly, especially if/when they make good profits after release.

     
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so all we can say ,no body want to make Adventure Games anymore!, and though they just need a kick to make them

     
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Advie - 12 June 2012 11:21 AM

so all we can say ,no body want to make Adventure Games anymore!, and though they just need kick to make them

Publishers didn’t want to fund adventure games because there weren’t many successful ones being made. If these adventures we kickstarted are successful, then publishers will start funding adventure games again. They will prove our point and they will get made again WITHOUT Kickstarter.

Kickstarter is a beginning. It’s a way to change things. It doesn’t mean we have to keep doing it over and over forever.

     
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Frogacuda - 12 June 2012 11:01 AM

I really don’t get the impression [Roberta] has any interest in ever making a game again.

Well, when Ken was doing a live interview for the SpaceVenture campaign he mentioned that Roberta had expressed interest in the idea of doing another game, but she just wasn’t interested in the commitment involved with such an undertaking at this stage. Apparently she’s writing a book at the moment, and that suits her because she can just pick it up and work on it in between pursuing other things, whereas a game would be a full time project requiring constant involvement throughout.

     
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Yeah, I heard that interview. It seems like she just has other priorities/interests, pretty much. She’s been very reclusive from the gaming world for a long time, too, never had much interest in keeping up with fans or anything like that. It just doesn’t seem to interest her.

But I think the games we do have coming in 2013 will get the message across just fine.

     
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then publishers will start funding adventure games again. They will prove our point and they will get made again WITHOUT Kickstarter

but nothing had been proving yet so we need to keep on the support

Kickstarter is a beginning. It’s a way to change things. It doesn’t mean we have to keep doing it over and over forever.

that kickstarters Phenomena eventually will end sooner or later .. i guess whether they guys succeeded or not

I think the games we do have coming in 2013 will get the message across just fine.

i double that!, and can say lets keep out positive expectations so high

     
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Advie - 12 June 2012 12:01 PM

then publishers will start funding adventure games again. They will prove our point and they will get made again WITHOUT Kickstarter

but nothing had been proving yet so we need to keep on the support

I’m not sure that’s productive. Flooding the market with games will mean inevitably many mediocre games that DO NOT sell well, which undermines the statement we’re trying to make.

     
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i have heard somewhere i dont remember something about compromising between Ron and Tim and on the other Side between the two Guys and Pinkerton Road, for the releasing dates ...

and i wouldn’t be afraid of an over capacity for Adventures releases, because we much below already

see the link below about the numbers of Adventure games that released during each year since the 80’s
http://www.pagodagamedatabase.com/years.php

     

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One thing that people often forget is that you’ll get the full game at considerably lower price when you support the developer during Kickstarter campaign. So in my opinion the ‘kindness’ is mutual - if you’re kind enough to support the developer, the developer is kind enough to ‘sell’ the game at lower price.

If developers turn to Kickstarter as a first option, even for commercially viable projects, simply because it’s free money that needn’t be repaid

What if you could buy, for example, a new Assassin’s Creed game one year before it’s released at 50% discount? How would that be such a bad thing for gamer? And Kickstarter isn’t free money for developer, every backer is probably one sale less of the retail product.

In many cases there’s critic that’s based on developer’s dishonesty. Yes that’s definitely possible, but the system shouldn’t be judged just because some people might use it wrongly.

And finally, Kickstarter isn’t a new way to buy games - it’s an alternate solution, and people can still buy the finished games as before.

 

     

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