Precinct Kickstarter goes bust; new staged funding option set loose
Despite the fanfare surrounding the return of Police Quest creator Jim Walls to adventure gaming, it was becoming apparent that the Kickstarter campaign for Precinct was not going to meet its necessary goal. Rather than simply give up, however, the developers have now launched a unique new "staged funding" campaign.
Unlike Indiegogo and Kickstarter, the new campaign for Precinct is not an all-or-nothing, full-game-or-bust idea, but rather a multi-step production vehicle. The first goal of $25k will finance a "proof of concept" to show off the user interface and basic navigation. A $90k goal promises a "vertical slice" that offers a more comprehensive playable sampler that will "likely be a partial or complete mission that shows off how you progress in the game." The next tier at $250k will enable a traditional demo that will "include a reasonable level of gameplay polish as well as story elements." The final stage of $400k will finance the full version of Precinct.
Also unlike other crowdfunding options, there are no extra pledge reward tiers for additional perks. Backers will get only the demo version(s) funded – and the finished game if completed – along with exclusive access to the developers for ongoing feedback. Another key difference is that the new Precinct campaign has no minimum pledge requirement, as "ALL backers receive a digital download of the finished game whether they pledged $1 or $10,000 throughout the project."
In case you missed it originally, Precinct is something of a spiritual successor to Police Quest as it follows the career of Officer Maxwell Jones through the "mean streets of Fraser Canyon, CA. Starting out as a rookie and then moving up the ranks, players face adrenaline charged scenarios and conduct real police procedures while solving crimes and arresting perpetrators." Exploring the real-time environments in first-person view, players will need to solve puzzles and overcome "intense fast action gameplay sequences that include shootouts, high speed car chases, investigations, foot pursuits, hand-to-hand combat, and more."
For additional details about Precinct and the staged funding campaign, visit the official website to learn more.
Game information
You might also want to know about
