It's been an interesting week in the gaming world, specifically because of the exploits of everyone's favourite publisher lambasting game designer Tim Schafer. What's he been up to you ask? Well, let us fill you in...
As is the way of the world these days the news immediately made its way onto the Twitterverse, where it was spotted by Markus 'Notch' Persson. If you're not familiar with Notch, he's the lovable fedora topped indie dev that put together a little game called Minecraft. It's popular and he got filthy rich off of it.
Notch - like most people who wear fedoras that just about fit their heads - is a stand-up guy and posted this message on Twitter: "Let's make Psychonauts 2 happen", followed by "Also, I'm serious."
One thing led to another and a spokesperson from Double Fine Productions popped out and said the duo were now in discussions, presumably making dreams come true.
A few days later Schafer and company decided it wanted to make a new adventure game, but with publishers sending them packing quicker than they could say point-and-click they turned to their loyal fans for funding.
This was a rather smart plan considering Tim Schafer wanted to make an adventure game and people wanted to play an adventure game made by Tim Schafer.
What we have here is a developer leapfrogging publishers and going straight to the end user to fund projects that are thought of as too risky by the usual industry bigwigs. This got us thinking...
Could Sega use a similar method to fund Shenmue 3?
It's a sequel gamers have cried themselves to sleep wishing for, but for one reason or another hasn't materialised yet. Probably because the first two games in the series ate up enough money to fill Scrooge McDuck's vault-o-cash a few times over and didn't recoup anything close to that.
However, by crowd sourcing funds it could eliminate the risk. Sure it would cost a incredible amount of money to make properly but we're betting there are enough fans worldwide to get the ball of money rolling.
Would you contribute? Sound off in the comments below and also let us know what gaming related ventures you'd like to see get crowd funded.
Comments
20 comments so far...
billysastard on 12 Feb '12 said:
no, they should not.
if they believe that the game will sell they should fund it themselves, kickstarter is for getting LOW BUDGET, original projects off the ground not for large multinational corporations to get "free money", if sega did this it would be like getting a $1m loan that was not only interest free but never had to be paid back and frankly if they did it and others followed people would soon get jaded with the whole thing and its the ones who kickstarter was designed to help that would loose out.
Windowlicker79 on 12 Feb '12 said:
I don't think this is such a good idea. Sega can afford to make it if they want to.
solamon77 on 12 Feb '12 said:
How much do you think they could possibly raise through Kickstarter? Shenmue 1 & 2 has already gone on the record as some of the most expensive games of their generation. Sega would have to raise 20 million dollars at least to kickstart development on a new one.
Team Yu on 12 Feb '12 said:
Exactly, if Sega wanted to make the game they would have done so by now. They clearly have no intention, which is why they should give the license to Yu Suzuki. The creator of the franchise wants to make Shenmue 3, so Sega should let him take that chance if they won't. More here: Facebook.com/TeamYu
El Mag on 12 Feb '12 said:
I can chuck in £6.30, Big Momma's House on DVD and a Hamburglar mask.
Do your bit people, Ryo's been stuck in a cave for over 10 f**king years!
Fr33Kye on 12 Feb '12 said:
You own a hamburglar mask?
And you're willing to give it up? What makes this shenmue game so special?
Welsh Jester on 12 Feb '12 said:
Yes, it's probably their secret weapon to bring back games like this and classics like Streets of Rage on a new Dreamcast 2 system. Plus they probably want to make sure it's the right move, they shouldn't release a game until they get it right.
The original Dreamcast was hardly a failure, since it's graphics were as good as at least 90% of what the PS2 had to offer and came out a year earlier it had some great games but the fanboy dumbness hype of PS2 killed it eventually.
Noobsaibot on 12 Feb '12 said:
There are very few games that could possibly be made in this way. This has worked for Tim & co due to the fact that it's the much loved Double fine and that it's a long lost and highly regarded genre being resurrected.
Obviously something like Shenmue III would be possible but maybe only on DC or at least to a DC level of graphic quality. The likes of Miyamoto, Kojima, Suzuki, Naka and the like would probably have publishers more than happy to get behind whatever they have planned so it's not much use to them (unless their ideas are seriously out there or, in the case of Shenmue 3, simply too small a market).
I can however see the likes of EA trying to be a bit slimey with this by purposely not funding games like Timesplitters or Mirrors edge with profits from other, higher sellers and instead using a system like this. To be fair, it would make sense from their perspective but i'd hate the idea of left field being further margainalized. Even for TS4 or ME2, I don't think EA will ever have the level of goodwill or enough support (yes, even for those games). Few series, genres or developers do.
TheLastDodo on 12 Feb '12 said:
Yes, then tell everyone donations can't be refunded and they're turning it into an FPS
rhyfel on 13 Feb '12 said:
no way the game publishers already rip there customers off with the prices of new games and DLC and now there asking us to fund the bloody games, why don't we just wipe there arses aswell.
rhyfel on 13 Feb '12 said:
no way the game publishers already rip there customers off with the prices of new games and DLC and now there asking us to fund the bloody games, why don't we just wipe there arses aswell.
Megatrons_Fury on 13 Feb '12 said:
I could go for a Shenmue sequel Howver Sega should pay for it themselves and it wont sell anyway.
Only Dreamcast fans if the first two and about 15 people who owned the 2nd game on the original xbox will buy it and we are a very small number of people.
johnafirth on 13 Feb '12 said:
I know there are bands that fund things this way, like Marillion and Ginger (Wildhearts), but they both have avid established fanbases, and also don't need tens of millions in funding. Shenmue, on the other hand, DOES need tens of millions in funding. Anyone want to tap up a couple of billionaires?
AvatarIII on 13 Feb '12 said:
the problem with this kickstarter thing is, yes it'll make money for the development of the game, but everybody that really wants to play it has already paid for it, which means at the end of the project a large proportion of the sales will have already been made, which means the project will succeed or fail on whether non die-hard fans will go out and buy it,
even if Sega ask for 20m, and for $40 you get the game on release, half a million people put in at least $40 and Sega make the 20m, what if the game goes over budget? but the half million people that were always going to get it already have it, so Sega puts money into advertising to sell it to other people, when a sequel to a semi forgotten franchise that was never on current systems is going to be a hard sell to newbies,
their options would be to cut down spending on development, and try and make the game in budget (which will end up in a s**t game probably, but what do they care, you've already paid for it HAHAHA) or spend more of their own money, make a great game, on the risk that no one will buy it? I'm pretty sure i know what they'll go for.
BG88 on 13 Feb '12 said:
wait for Deamcast 2 .... i still dream. I loved my Dreamcast i still have it up in the loft.
younus420 on 13 Feb '12 said:
Honestly i don't care if the graphics are good or not i would even play it if Sega does it with Dreamcast level graphics. At least it would be better than nothing.
DJPerkins on 13 Feb '12 said:
Why doesn't SEGA just release Shenmue 1 & 2 on PSN and XBOX LIVE and use that money to help make a third...
laminated0 on 13 Feb '12 said:
I and other shenmue fans have been going on about this for a while, plus sega are prob gonna give yu suzuki the rights to make shenmue 3.
The problem is how to go about making it and making it to the level of quality of the first 2 games without using the same excessive budget the first 2 used.
I don't think this fundraiser thing would be a fair way for the game to be made in all honesty unless sega hand over the IP and rights to yu completely and fans helped with the budget. But still it's a long shot.
Team Yu on 13 Feb '12 said:
It certainly is a long shot, but probably the only shot we have. The license clearly belongs with Suzuki now, and it's up to all Shenmue fans to keep reminding Sega of that. Twitter.com/TeamYu
dandare69 on 13 Feb '12 said:
i'd deffo contribute - i'd buy any console Shenmue 3 was on...that is all