It seems that Tim Schafer and Double Fine Studios have indeed kickstarted a fan-funding revolution as of late, with the cult developer exceeding his goal amount for the upcoming, self-published title that has been entirely funded by dedicated followers so far.
It’s an idea that has had various developers and studios considering a rethink of their current strategies, as it seems that eager gamers are far more willing to invest money in a risky project than the publishers are.
One such studio who are looking at using the Kickstarter model to fund their next game is InXile Entertainment, who want to bring back the Wasteland for a new generation of gamers.
“This is probably the last chance for a Wasteland sequel”, said InXile Entertainment’s Brian Fargo on the Kickstarter page.
We have tried to pitch this game multiple times to game publishers, but they’ve balked. They don’t think there’s any interest in a solid, old school type of game. This is our shot at proving them wrong.
Supporting Wasteland 2 is nothing more radical than pre-ordering a game from your favourite brick-and-mortar store. We believe strongly enough in this project and in your desire to see it become a reality, that we decided to go ahead with this Kickstarter drive to fund it.
Fargo has mentioned ideas for a sequel before, and so far, he’s got some serious talent on board for the project, should the fan-funding come through. Alan Pavlish and Micke Stackpole, two of the original designers on Wasteland, are keen for a sequel to the classic 1988 RPG, while Fallout 1 and 2 composer Mark Morgan has also indicated that he’s willing to work on the game.
Currently, the team needs to raise $900 000 in the next month for the sequel to be realised, and have so far gathered over $500 000 at the time this article was written. “We’re going back to the original and building from there. No first person shooter, we’re going top down so you get a tactical feel for the situation,” Fargo said.
And we’re not ditching the party play to turn it into some hack-and-slash bloodfest. It’s turn based, tactical, with a storyline that will be deeper and broader.
We’re determined to keep the gritty, grim and satirical writing. We’re going to pitch those moral dilemmas at you. You’re going to be faced with the consequences of your actions.
Looks like we’ll be entering post-apocalyptic surroundings again soon, as the funding rolls in for this adventure. Now if only someone would pledge some cash towards me organising a remake of Duck Hunt, this time with an option to shoot that damn dog…
Last Updated: March 14, 2012
