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[PompiPompi]

I have restored work on Fatal Wars 2, and at some point in the future I will need proffessional art work for my game.
My estimation is that it will cost me about $3500-$4000.
Now, how do I get this amount of money? Heh.
I actually spent all my saving in the last year, because I am working at a very low wage work(in a university).

I tried to start an IndieGoGo for my game Dojo Invaders and saw you can't just start a page and except people to jump on your game. Even for a donation page I believe you need marketing and connections?
Or am I wrong and for a good game people will just jump on the funding page?

What other creative ideas you have for raising funds?

Edit: Also, do you think I can generate $4000 with alpha sales?

[ANtY]

I don't see donation working our nor earning $4000 from alpha sales (u'd need better graphics to achieve this).
I'd recommend u to try to find someone that will make the graphics for a % share of earnings from the sales of finished product. You can always try that IndieGoGo thing but I wouldn't count on this.

[Leroy Binks]

You cannot rely on the "if you build it, they will come" mentality, you must do your due-diligence.  When you put out your game, you were going to do a bit of marketing and attention getting, yes? Well, with your crowd funding you just need to start that early. Let people know who you are, what you are trying to do, and why they should support your game.  Let people in the gaming community know that you are trying to get funding.  Let people at the university know you are trying to get funding. You cannot just expect people to show up and donate, but excited people will get involved.

As far as connections go, you are making them here.  I can't say how to get the big industry contacts, but when I went to Comic Con this year I sat in on a discussion where I "accidentally" ended up meeting John Vogel of Mortal Kombat fame. Absolutely no clue he was going to be there, but I made it a point to reach out to him after the panel was over. Just talk to everyone you meet and say "hey, I'm making a game".

[PompiPompi]

Well thanks.
By alpha I mean complete gaming experience. So you have most or all of the core features, and basically people can play and enjoy the game as is. Only the artwork would be mine, which isn't that good(although I can make the effort to make it look better).
I never seem to udnerstand how networking help in that respect, does it mean that I will get featured in the press? Or that people will talk about my game or donate?

It's kind of the chicken and egg problem. I have come to realize art work is important for the success of the game, but I thought that if my game can be successful enough as is, I could fund the artwork.  

I think I will just keep on working on my game and have my own artwork and hope that people not intimidated by programmer art would like my game.

p.s. I might be able to get funding from my university as an enterpeurer, for instance. But I am not sure what are the implications of going that path. I am sure my university is going to take a share(which is not so bad), or worse, they want to get some of the IP.

[ANtY]

Why won't u try this?

try to find someone that will make the graphics for a % share

Just create a topic in Unpaid work / Collaborations

[Vino]

I know this isn't the question you asked, but why don't you try designing a game that doesn't need art? Then you could do the whole thing yourself, no need to pay an artist.

[PompiPompi]

It's not that I am completely incapable of doing art, it's just that "Art gets attention".
So making a game that doesn't need art kind of miss the point.

[Vino]

Well I should have said, an art style that you can handle at your level of art skills. Start small and all that.

At the very least if you can build something that looks half decent and plays exceedingly well it wouldn't be so hard to find an artist later to tie things down.

[ANtY]

or try this (if ur even reading my posts) http://2dgameartforprogrammers.blogspot.com/

[PompiPompi]

Thanks ANTy, yes I am reading your posts.
I don't think there are many artists who will work for %, with someone unknown like me and are also proffessional and good.
Proffessional usually want money(and for a good reason), rather than taking a risk with a project's success.
I am also taking a risk to work with someone for %, because he might not be dedicated.
If I am paying him money, he must complete the work otherwise he won't get "the money".
But, thanks for the advice.
That website you linked looks interesting.

[ANtY]

Yes, you'r right, anyways after seeing ur new sprites I think you can deal with it on ur own
(you just have to work on lineart a little)

[dustin]

I am also taking a risk to work with someone for %, because he might not be dedicated.
If I am paying him money, he must complete the work otherwise he won't get "the money".

If the game is complete except for art (or at a state where it could be released with art but your just adding features) it's fairly easy to get an artist that you can trust (one that has worked on and finished other projects).  Plus if they do quite you've lost nothing, you just get another artist.  Plus then you have some pretty screenshots to entice people with (which the new artist will redo but it should still help).

[eyeliner]

If you need that amount of dough, why not make a (small) game to finance another? Some game you can pull out quick and easy and sell for cheap to alleviate the funding.

[CEDE]

Hmm,

How much do you think you need all together. And what type of abilities do you possess. That may be good for a trade.

[PompiPompi]

Hmm,

How much do you think you need all together. And what type of abilities do you possess. That may be good for a trade.

Thanks for the offer! I have already made the artwork myself, was a lot of work, but it was worth it. XD
I might consider collaberating with artists in future projects, since doing artwork takes a lot of time.
For my SKILLZ, you can watch this video: