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Major Kickstarter game 'Broken Age' burns through $3.3m budget

by Mark Tyson on 8 July 2013, 11:15

Tags: Kickstarter, PC

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One of the top five most funded Kickstarter gaming projects has hit a speed bump as the prospective game makers have run out of funding cash. However Double Fine, the developers of 'Broken Age', aren't asking for more money to top up the $3 million plus they raised earlier, they have pledged to fund and complete the game with their own money.

Broken Age, formerly known as Double Fine Adventure, raised US$3,336,371 with a goal of only $400,000 on Kickstarter in March last year. Due to the enormous amount of funding they received the developers added stretch goals, sought to expand the game and have also therefore had to push back expected release dates. Now it seems like they might have stretched a bit too far as the funding cash pot is empty. However in a backer's only blog post project manager Tim Schafer has announced that no more funding will be required. On Twitter he summed it up; "Double Fine is NOT asking for more money. We are fine, financially. We are using our OWN money to deliver a bigger game than we Kickstarted."

Tim Schafer has an impressive adventure game pedigree, his project lead debut was on the classic 'Day of the Tentacle' in 1993, so it was not so surprising that his Kickstarter project was a roaring success. Schafer explained the current financial situation as follows "Even though we received much more money from our Kickstarter than we, or anybody, anticipated, that didn't stop me from getting excited and designing a game so big that it would need even more money". He added that after working on projects such as Grim Fandango or Full Throttle previously he finds it hard to think small "There's just a certain amount of scope needed to create a complex puzzle space and to develop a real story."

Now with the game needing more money and expected to be released some time in 2015 Schafer has committed to using his own money to finish it. Also to sooth impatient backers the game is going to be released in instalments. Using Steam Early Access users should be able to play an initial "finished, polished half of the game" in January. As a pre-release the game can have more content added and updated at no extra cost to purchasers.

Schafer ended with an upbeat progress report by saying "... the game looks, plays and sounds amazing. It's just taking a while because I designed too much game, as I pretty much always do. But we're pulling it in, and the good news is that the game's design is now 100 per cent done, so most of the unknowns are now gone and it's not going to get any bigger."

The Steam Early access idea could help out a lot with the game's funding as new people can 'back' the project that way. Also CNet points out that Double Fine have already added to the funds by selling the game as part of a Humble Double Fine Bundle in May.



HEXUS Forums :: 12 Comments

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taking bets this wont ever get published…..
I don't know anyone who actually thinks the kickstarter budget is the complete budget for a game - the numbers are just way too small and game development is expensive. Usually it's a very big statement of intent and helps secure artistic direction so allowing other funding to come on board at a later stage and with prior proven backing (so giving requiring less control be given to the source of that future funding).

I'm not entirely sure why this is a news article (not Hexus' decision, it was in the gaming press a few days ago so they're just passing it on as well I guess) - most other kickstarter games are also relying on self-funding from the studio or other partners.
The fact they asked for an extra $7million for Brutal Legend may make it slightly more newsworthy (yes I know there was more going on with that game, but nevertheless they have form).
Yeah 3mil isn't really much money when it comes to developing a full AAA game. Star Citizen is tearing through $15m without batting an eye and still seeking more.

If they're really in the position they claim though, with most of the technical and creative risk overcome then there's a good chance it'll get published.
HalloweenJack
taking bets this wont ever get published…..
Yep I recon that's a safe one lol