Wait for it
Waaaaait for it.

DOUBLE VISION!

You will hear a MASSIVE RIMSHOT in 3... 2...1...

BOOM BOOM TSCHHHHHH

fuck you double fine, you should have released the game this july, that what happens when you get too much free money, you forget why the hell people supported you. greedy lazy idiots like you are ruining kickstarter

Well they are the ones who started the Kickstarter craze, I just hope they aren't the ones to end it too.

I suspect some publishers are laughing their heads off at this news, as forcing a developer to work to a timescale is one of those they bring to the table. Mind you, its often too short a timescale, so...

Or perhaps not trust big names on Kickstarter, heck most people who donated are people who grew up with Psychonauts and Brutal Legend.


Speaking of big names lets hope the samething will not happen to Obsidian and InXile.

What does Kickstarter have to do with Steam Early Access?

I think a lot of people suspect this is going to happen with some of these projects. I don't think a lot expected it with a big name like Double Fine though. I have been thinking that from now on I should only back game projects that have put in work to show already (like FTL or a prototype in the design category), even if they are a big name. This reinforces that. If the project creators have the plan ready and can answer tough questions but just need some capital to get the ball rolling, that would be a project I'm interested in.

It's not Double Fine that's losing out here (except maybe some reputation), it's the backers.

I have long thought that copyright isn't needed with Kickstarter projects. I have thought that project creators can build the foundation and users can fill in the little details. Even if a game is short and unremarkable, just get the foundation for it done so that users can use source code and tools to their hearts' content. The project creators don't have to hog all the action (none are capable of it anyway). Even better, let them charge for it. Not charge like a product but like a service. This way, Double Fine doesn't have to try to raise every dime themselves like they're trying to do now. I'm sure some modders get requests all the time. I would get tired of that until someone offered to pay me for my service, even if anybody can use it however they want once the mod is released. The project creators could still get in on this too.

Shit, just going by mods for Morrowind, I bet a ton of people would pay just to have someone else compile the specific mods they want in such a way that they do not conflict or even pay someone just to go into .ini files to change some values to their satisfaction instead of spending three full days reading online guides and readmes on how to do it, let alone paying someone else to make a new mod. Kind of like a mechanic shop. Really, code resembles more of an engine than anything else. Even mods can use some customization to suit a player's particular system and taste. Sometimes they need fixing too.

edit: Copyright is very sticky though. The closest thing one can have to try to get rid of it is by using a CC0 license.

I have very little sympathy for this because from the moment the damn thing ended people were screaming not to fall into this trap, yet they did it anyway.

I'm not really defending it. Just saying that "What would they have done with $400,00 if they can't do it with $3m?" is kind of a false comparison.

Well, this was a bummer to get in my inbox. I'm a little bit disappointed in Double Fine, but mostly I'm worried about the deluge of faeces that will result from this. Kickstarter isn't a store, and a lot of people seem to have trouble understanding this. Although I only donated 15$ myself, I'm fully aware that this project may be an absolutely epic fail in the end, and that what should matter is that we gave them a chance at the project.

You're overstating the importance of "backer-only" updates. This is relevant to anyone interested in the game, and is hardly confidential information.

I agree with that.

They needed to make a nice looking AGS game like Gemini Rue with a kickass soundtrack and pocket the profits. That is how kickstarter works, you aim at a niche and make money for the next thing. It's really a shame they fucked it up this badly and lost sight of the whole point.