Kickstarter Projects Fails

If you’re planning to fund a video game on Kickstarter – and judging by the spam in our inbox, plenty of developers are still trying – then you may want to consider converting the project into some kind of table-top title. A new report reveals that only one in four games tends to reach their target on the crowd-funding platform these days, and spend on games is down to $9.4 million in the first half of 2017 compared to $28 million at its peak during the same period in 2013.

It’s table-top board games that are doing the business: data shows that you’re actually more likely to launch a successful project in this category than fail. And campaigns like the Resident Evil 2 board game have been hugely popular, with that specific example making over $1 million. In fact, Kingdom Death: Monster 1.5 which launched earlier this year is the fourth most funded Kickstarter project of all time at $12 million – that’s double what even Shenmue III managed to accrue.

Why is this? Well, some of the early users of the site like Double Fine have moved to alternative platforms like Fig – but there’s no question that consumer confidence has taken a hit. Projects like the ill-fated mini-console OUYA or even the highly anticipated Mighty No. 9 have failed to deliver on their promise, and while there are many Kickstarter success stories, these high-profile flops have taken their toll.

Are you still a regular user of Kickstarter? Have you ever backed a project on the site? Do you think crowd-funding still represents a great way to get games made? Put your money where your mouth is in the comments section below.

[source gamesindustry.biz]