Two gaming posts in a row? It must be geek Christmas. This time it’s not about weird-shaped controllers, though; it’s about Gambitious, a crowdfunding platform specifically for video game pitches.
Quick rundown for those unfamiliar with crowdfunding. On this platform, aspiring game developers post their idea for video games they’d like to make, usually accompanied by concept art, a few graphical mock-ups, or a preview video. If the game looks good, people invest in the developer; at a certain level, the game is fully funded, goes into the development process proper, and eventually becomes a full game. Think Kickstarter.
What sets this site apart from other crowdfunding sites is that it calls to attention the fact that the gaming industry, as a whole, isn’t that great. It’s plagued with shady business practices, overly harsh deterrents for piracy, and a deluge of terrible, zero-effort games. A model like Gambitious could turn such an industry on its head.
Short list of ways Gambitious trumps the current industry model:
- Allows gamers to not only help develop games they want to play, but to own stock/shares in their success
- Close interactions with the audience during the development process lead to better gameplay
- Easier to use crowd talent, such as game music or artwork
- Piracy deterrents can be relaxed since the game doesn’t have millions of dollars riding on it
- Brings gaming back to the community instead of a faceless, hard-to-trust corporate entity
- Further solidifies the theory (supported by games like Minecraft) that it takes neither a big studio nor a big budget to design instantly classic games
Long story short, I’m excited, and I’ll be keeping an eye on Gambitious to see if anything great shakes out. If you’re a gamer, join me in the comments to further poke holes in the gaming industry.
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