02/04/15 - Update From The Founders

[Tyrant 6,483]

02/04/15 - Update from the Founders 

 

First, I hope that you guys caught that we put our full team names/pictures/mini-bios on our site earlier this week.  We’re very grateful that we’ve been able to assemble this level of talent for our core team.  Check them out here!

 

We’ll have more detailed Q&A type interviews with the team members coming over the coming weeks.  If you have specific questions for any of our team you might ask them in this thread on our forums, no promises that they can or will answer them all, but hopefully we can answer a few! 

 

Now for the meat of this update:

 

We've gotten a lot of questions about funding for Crowfall, so let's talk about money.

As you folks know, MMOs are an expensive business.  We know, we’ve made a few of them.  The costs of an MMO are dominated by the salaries of the people who build it; professional engineers, artists, designers and many other roles that all expect and deserve to get paid.

 

The good news is that today we have more options than ever to fund game projects (beyond the old standby of selling our soul -- and the rights to the entire game -- to a worldwide publisher).

 

In the last few years, crowdfunding has emerged as a new option for raising funds directly from consumers.  As most of you know, sites like Kickstarter allow backers to pre-purchase products to support the creator(s) in bringing a product to market.

 

Our company has taken some money (in the form of equity investment) already.  We used this money to start our company and begin the development of Crowfall.  It's worth noting that Todd and I, i.e. the founders, were also the first two investors.  Neither of us are "rich" -- historically, we're hired guns, paid to make games by other people or companies.  We believe in Crowfall -- so much, in fact, that we've invested our savings and went without salaries for over a year to get this venture started.  We took this risk, and our families supported us in doing it, because we fundamentally believe that there is an audience for this vision.  We are fully invested in this project, and in this company.

 

To get this game brought to market, we intend to use every method at our disposal to fund the game through completion. 

Specifically: 

• We will likely sell more equity (ownership in our company) in the future,
• We will license some of the overseas rights for Crowfall.  We're going to try and keep control of the English-speaking territories.
• And, yes, we will do a crowdfunding campaign.  We aren't asking you to fund the entire game, but your participation is a key piece of the funding puzzle. 

A successful crowdfunding campaign does more than just provide funding; it also demonstrates "market viability."   It shows that Crowfall has a committed audience, and that we're making a game that people want to play.  Our story is stronger, and that dramatically improves our ability to sell both equity and license overseas rights.  It's a real force multiplier in giving us the resources we need to build a world-class game.

 

To be clear: we have a LOT of experience working with publishers, and if that's the only way to get this game made, we'll do it... but the moment we sign away world-wide rights, we lose some of the control over our vision.  Publishers are in the business of creating mega-hits, and the way to make a mega hit is usually to change your design to appeal to the mass market.

 

Frankly, we’ll do whatever it takes to make this game for you (within our legal and ethical constraints, of course) but we would much rather answer to you, our customers.  

 

We also believe in the power of Crowdfunding, particularly for games that are innovative and/or tightly targeted to an under-served audience.  We also love the intimacy it creates between developers and the core audience.  Committed players help keep our development process honest, and consumer-focused.  Both Todd and I have experienced decisions being made about our games that were not in the best interest of the players and the game, to serve other corporate interests.  We want to cut that middle man out, and work for you: our players. 

 

For those of you who don’t feel up to backing a product before it is market-ready: we understand, and we absolutely respect your position.  Hopefully you’ll give Crowfall another look, once we bring the game to market.

 

For those of you who are willing to back us: thank you, and please know that we are looking for more than just your money.  We want your input, your attention and your passion.  Every great game goes through a lot of iteration during development.  We are going to be leaning on you, our early adopters, to help us achieve this vision.  To keep the game focused on an experience our core fans will love.  To help us make the difficult, reality-based decisions about how and where to spend our limited resources. 

 

It’s going to be adventure, and we would love you to be a part of it.  We believe this game deserves to be made.  

 

We hope you feel the same way, and will give serious consideration to backing Crowfall when our crowdfunding campaign launches.

 

Thanks for listening,

 

Gordon & Todd

ArtCraft Entertainment, Inc.

[Getz 113]

Count me in.

Edited February 4, 2015 by getz

[wonderbread 318]

NICE

 

where is the link to back ..

Edited February 4, 2015 by WonderBread

[illyanas 94]

Ok that's a tiny but important bit of information.

 

I see the oversea license thing a bit worried. As a German who already applied in a mostly north American guild I hope that it is possible and viable option to play on NA servers. Pls try to make multi region servers happen.

I saw what happened in GW2 with different region servers. I would've liked to also play against Americans or Asians etc.

Edited February 4, 2015 by Illyanas

[Eldreth 185]

Shutup and take my money!

[Lyk3nothx 72]

And when will the crowfounding campaign launch, exactly?

 

Also, please a little more info in this:

 

• We will likely sell more equity (ownership in our company) in the future,
• We will license some of the overseas rights for Crowfall.

[karnos 554]

 

 

• We will likely sell more equity (ownership in our company) in the future,

 

Is there any way for an individual to get in on this? I want to support you as much as possible, but throwing $1000 into kickstarter for some silly cosmetic bonuses and beta access isn't really my style. On the other hand, I think this idea can go places, and I'd be very interested in buying $5000-$10000 worth of shares at pre-IPO pricing.

[doc gonzo 3,087]

fair enough about money...and I'm glad to read you folks trying to raise capital directly rather than deal with the vagries of accountants

 

not the Topic I was hoping for today...again....the Crow is a cruel troll of a birdy...

 

I'm hoping to grief you bastards in game as hard as you all have been doing to us with these teasing mi I Reveals....!!!

Edited February 4, 2015 by doc gonzo

[teh_ninjaneer 493]

Is this where I post the picture of Fry with a handful of bills and claim I'm throwing money at the screen but nothing's happening?

 

I have never crowdfunded a game beyond 20 bucks to get some Early Access on Steam.  I will seriously consider going a little more this time.

[talfryn 603]

Hmm probably should have plopped my question here.  heh

 

Have you guys decided what crowdfunding platform you'll be using?  i.e. Kickstarter or Indiegogo etc.

[chancellor 1,805]

We need to know more about your vision for this game to make a good decision regarding whether we will play it long-term or not.

 

For instance, how does the Hunger work exactly?

[seventhbeacon 4,041]

Right or wrong, I am kind of hoping the overseas markets do not include China, for the obvious issues that come up in almost every MMO ever made: gold-farming.

[tanom 188]

When do you plan to start this kickstarter?

[stevencolbear 100]

"We will likely sell more equity (ownership in our company) in the future,"

 

Will you post details for general folk/ players for this or will this be behind closed doors between business owners stuff?

Edited February 4, 2015 by stevencolbear

[Helix 3,340]

[karnos 554]

Right or wrong, I am kind of hoping the overseas markets do not include China, for the obvious issues that come up in almost every MMO ever made: gold-farming.

 

That is fairly irrelevant to what he was talking about.  Selling rights to overseas markets means letting them set up their own servers in localized languages.  Gold farmers types would be playing on the USA servers so they can obtain gold that exists on the servers that their customers play on.

Edited February 4, 2015 by karnos

[xcomvic 862]

As long as there is a pledge where I can play alpha, you got my money:)

[wonderbread 318]

probably will start the kickstarter with the big reveal.. 

[Eldreth 185]

I've crowdfunded a very selective set of games. Star Citizen and Pillars of Eternity are odes to some of my favorite PC genres, have some proven developers working on them respectively, and I believed in their vision enough to lay down the dolla dolla bills.

 

WHERE DO I SIGN.

[vVe 460]

I have no issue backing.

 

 But the only time I do is when there's beta access, So plox have that!. 

Edited February 4, 2015 by vVe