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Guillaume
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« on: August 05, 2009, 03:43:53 PM » |
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Hey all,
Just wanted to talk a bit about this website concept I have, heavily inspired on several similar attempts in the music industry. Please tell me what you think of it, if you'd use it (as a developer or gamer), etc.
The idea would be a website where the developers post their projects- at first concepts and artworks, and then demos, screenshots, developer blog entries, etc. They then set various milestones (alpha, private beta, release).
The users can view all these projects, and then invest in the project they think are worth it. They can invest any amount from $1 to the sum they wish. That sum is not given to the developer yet, though.
When the game is released on sale, all the investments go to the developer. The revenues are then split; for example 70% to the developer, and 30% shared among the investors. Each investor gets a free copy of the game as well.
If the game does not make it to release before the set release date, then all the investments are fully refunded to the investors.
The investors also have access to bonuses, like the private beta, maybe bonus levels or credits, etc.
What do you guys think?
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Aquin
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« Reply #1 on: August 05, 2009, 03:45:57 PM » |
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Huh. I think it would need some fleshing out, but something like this can work. I'm curious to see where this goes, but I'm not intelligent enough to offer a pen to write the rules. But I offer you my sword!  I wouldn't mind following this model as a dev. |
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I'd write a devlog about my current game, but I'm too busy making it.
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Craig Stern
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« Reply #2 on: August 05, 2009, 05:17:50 PM » |
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That's a cool idea, and I can see the advantages of not giving the money to the dev until the game is released. On the other hand, that also means this won't do a thing to help devs struggling to afford to produce their games in the first place. I foresee another problem with this model: a 30% revenue share among donors seems like it would actually encourage donors to give as little as possible in the hope that others would give more, and thereby give them a profit. See what I mean? It should be set up to incentivize giving more money, not less. But this is a promising idea overall.   |
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ஒழுக்கின்மை (Paul Eres)
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« Reply #3 on: August 05, 2009, 05:31:39 PM » |
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i think "When the game is released on sale, all the investments go to the developer." makes no sense. why only give the developer the investments after the game is released? isn't during its production cycle when the developer has the most need of investment money, to buy tools and such to help make the game?
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Craig Stern
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« Reply #4 on: August 05, 2009, 06:23:56 PM » |
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i think "When the game is released on sale, all the investments go to the developer." makes no sense. why only give the developer the investments after the game is released? isn't during its production cycle when the developer has the most need of investment money, to buy tools and such to help make the game?
That's one half of it. But on the other hand, I think this will encourage people to donate--they won't have to worry about sending money to people who are just pretending to make games to scam people, or giving it to people who will give up halfway through the project. |
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ஒழுக்கின்மை (Paul Eres)
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« Reply #5 on: August 05, 2009, 07:06:22 PM » |
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then what exactly is a benefit to the developer for this? they get a few hundred dollars, maybe a thousand if they're really lucky and popular, in exchange for giving up 30% of the sales of their game forever? and they don't actually even get that money until the game is released? i don't know any developer who would think that's a good deal.
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george
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« Reply #6 on: August 05, 2009, 07:30:50 PM » |
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what if this site also dealt in a virtual currency of exchange among developers, much like barter brokers keep track of businesses that barter services? For example a designer could hire an artist through the site. The site would pay the artist in virtual currency, drawing from virtual currency the designer had in their 'pending' account. The designer gets this virtual currency through investment by players. The virtual currency becomes convertible to real money when the game reaches release milestones. Revenue sharing would still work in the way the OP described, but this way a usable currency is created and circulated among the site's developer community.
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John Nesky
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« Reply #7 on: August 05, 2009, 07:36:25 PM » |
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Out of curiosity, is there any reason for this website to be indie-games-centric, as opposed to a more general artsy pledge/patron website? And, either way, have you guys tried to find working examples of the latter?
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aeiowu
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« Reply #8 on: August 05, 2009, 07:40:07 PM » |
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John Nesky
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« Reply #9 on: August 05, 2009, 07:43:15 PM » |
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I was just looking for that website but couldn't find it. Thanks for jogging my memory. ^_^
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Craig Stern
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« Reply #10 on: August 06, 2009, 03:44:24 AM » |
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in exchange for giving up 30% of the sales of their game forever? Oh, I misread that--I was thinking that investors shared 30% of the donations! A better way to structure it might be for developers to get 100% of the donations up-front, and for investors to merely recoup whatever they invested out of the initial sales of the game. That way it would function like a proper advance, except provided by the community rather than a publisher. |
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ஒழுக்கின்மை (Paul Eres)
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« Reply #11 on: August 06, 2009, 05:46:07 AM » |
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yeah, that'd work a little better. however, if a developer wanted that, they'd just as well take out a loan from a p2p loaning service (there are several such)
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weasello
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« Reply #12 on: August 06, 2009, 10:45:13 AM » |
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The idea is something I'd be interested in, but it would have to have a lot of control on my side.
First, I'd need the money up front, not upon release. If you're worried about fraud, make the signup process really painfully accurate. People will jump through hoops to get investors, don't worry about that. If you know where they live and work...
I'd then want to cap investment returns. I would gladly pay 100% of game income to repay investors, up to a maximum of 150% return on investment. If you invest $1, you get $1.50 and that's it. Obviously the more you give the more lucrative return you would get.
Then, once the game is released, and once all the investors are paid back, I'd start making my own money. I'd buy into that system super quick.
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IndieElite4Eva
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nihilocrat
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« Reply #14 on: August 06, 2009, 01:56:08 PM » |
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team_q
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« Reply #15 on: August 06, 2009, 01:59:00 PM » |
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That seems really cool. I wish I could get something like that rollin'
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Developer
