The latest trend in “indie” gaming seems to be Kickstarter funded project, where developers ask gamers and fans to pitch in and help fund the costs of making the game. This is inherently a good thing, since more games will be made, and more importantly: game diversity will increase as a result. But something happened over the past few months that could negate how Kickstarter was supposed to work in the first place: established video game developers have been raising millions for their games. For instance, legendary game developer Tim Schafer raised over $3 million for Double Fine Adventure on Kickstarer. Imagine how many games could have been funded with that money, games made by new and up and coming developers?
“Kickstarter was supposed to foster new developers, artists and filmmakers. And now it’s becoming just another funding scheme for the established guys”I dunno about you, but I’d much rather give my Kickstarter contribution to a young new developer or a bunch of college kids in their garage working on the next great thing, rather than give it to Tim Schaefer. He’s Tim fucking Schafer, he’s a legendary videogame maker who’s now pretending to sit on street corner with a cup and beg his fans for a few bucks. As if he couldn’t go out there and raise some venture capital money for his game. He could. When you run your own established game studio with 65 employees, which Schafer does, then you don’t need Kickstarter to fund you. Of those $3 million Schafer raised, dozens of smaller indie teams could have been funded to create games of all sorts.
The money donated to Schaeffer is money that won’t be donated to those who really need it — the video game developers just starting out, working in their garages, or their mother’s basements. They’re the new and up and coming Tim Schafers. Kickstarter was made for them, not established developers who own their own studios with dozens of employees.
Kickstarter wasn’t supposed to work this way. Kickstarter was supposed to foster new developers, artists and filmmakers. And now it’s becoming just another funding scheme for the established guys. A few years from now, Kickstarter could very well go the way the Sundance film festival went: started for the indie filmmakers, and has since morphed into the same celebrity bullshit that’s available in Hollywood. Where the weather is better.
E3 2012 is just weeks away, where the next generation of gaming consoles are expected to be unveiled. If you’re nostalgic like us, check out this video from 16 years ago at E3 1996, where the Nintendo 64 was first unveiled to the world. 16 years… has it really been that long?
You can do a lot of things to brick your Xbox 360 console and get banned from Xbox Live, but Carlos Valenzuela took it to a new level. He used an older white Xbox 360 console and packed it with two 1KG bricks of cocaine. He tried to smuggle the drug into the US, but was stopped at a Texas border. Police noticed that Valenzuela looked nervous and kept looking at a package on the seat next to him. The police brought in the drug sniffing dogs, who went crazy for the bag. It turned out it was an Xbox 360, but on further inspection, the console was stripped of much of its hardware and was instead stuffed with cocaine.
Introducing the brand new Microsoft Smash Bros! Where you can play as Master Chief from Halo. And Master Chief From Halo. And purple Master Chief. And dark green Master Chief. And online multiplayer where you can unlock more Master Chief armor. And featuring launch DLC with more Master Chief! And more Halo!
This is by far the most awesome Call of Duty parody we’ve ever seen. It just hits the nail on the head. Again, and again, and again. Whoever made this deserves an award of some sort. So we’ll give it the DigitalBattle Most Awesome Parody Video Of The Year award.
Call of Duty, Battlefield, Medal of Honor — judging from the box art, they all look the same. Judging from their b-movie story lines, they’re all the same as well. Bla bla bla nuclear weapon stolen, bla bla bla terrorists are gonna use it, bla bla bla you’re our only hope. These types of shooters make us love Bioshock and Half Life even more.
Dear Valve: hurry up on Half Life 3. Sincerely, the entire gaming world.
If the first Half Life 3 teaser poster wasn’t enough for you, artist Sergei Lesiuk bring us another awesome fan-made Half Life 3 poster, this time, it blends in elements from Portal, and features the ever-mysterious G-man in the background.
