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Over the past few months we've talked a lot about the fallout of hype, and how it resulted in a tipping point for most gamers to the side of refusing to pre-orders games. One can almost say that it took 18 quintillion planets to let the penny drop. The Advertising Standards Authority investigated Steam, and found it wanting, with the promise of more game distribution channels to follow. At the centre of the controversy, and proudly advocated by its creators – the lure of unimaginable, larger-than-life-worlds-never-done-before promises. 'Give us your cash up front or you'll miss out on the greatest thing known to gaming.'
But we're here today, to talk about games that asked fans for even more cash, although far less hype (or none at all), were used to garner the support to birth those games into the digital world. Crowdfunding, of course, has also had its victims, and the system is anything but perfect – but it's the absence of mass advertising and hype against the less influenced decision of the backer that make it more acceptable. It's like there is a bigger space for the consumer to make his or her decision. Like there is less clutter, fewer voices and a responsibility that rests more on the backer than the media.
Here are six examples of very successful crowdfunded games that delivered – hyped up or not. We've also included the current digital prices (Steam, PSN, Xbox Marketplace) – as at the time of writing.
Don't feel like reading? Jump to the video at the end of the article.
1. Wasteland 2: Director’s Cut
- Genre: RPG
- Developer: inXile Entertainment
- Amount Requested: $900 000
- Total Amount Contributed: $2 933 252
- Reception: 87/100 MC
- Priced: PC R409 / Xbox One R399 / PS4 R324
2. Elite: Dangerous
- Genre: FPS Space simulator
- Developer: Frontier Developments
- Amount Requested: $2 020 875
- Amount Contributed: $2 551 663
- Reception: 80/100
- Prices: PC R420 / Xbox One R249
3. Hyper Light Drifter
- Genre: Action role-playing game
- Developer: Heart Machine
- Amount Requested: $27 000
- Total Amount Contributed: $645 158
- Reception: 84/100 MC
- Prices: PC R 146.73 / PS4 R279 / Xbox One R169
4. Superhot
- Genre: FPS
- Developer: Superhot Team
- Amount Requested: $100 000
- Total Amount Contributed: $250 798
- Reception: 83/100 MC
- Prices: PC R161 / Xbox One $25
5. Darkest Dungeon
- Genre: RPG, dungeon crawl, turn-based strategy
- Developer: Red Hook Studios
- Amount Requested: $75 000
- Total Amount Contributed: $313 337
- Reception: 84/100
- Prices: PC R161.40/ PS4 & PS Vita R319
Pillars of Eternity
- Genre: RPG
- Developer: Obsidian Entertainment
- Amount Requested: $1100 000
- Total Amount Contributed: $3 986 929
- Reception: 89/100 MC
- Price: PC R179.60
Video by madeyoulook
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