Lost Projects We'd Love to See Kickstarted

Double Fine set funding records, so who else could try a similar route?

February 10, 2012

With Double Fine's Kickstarter project hitting the $1,000,000 mark yesterday, a new door opens for developers to approach projects they thought were forever lost. Double Fine isn't the first developer to use Kickstarter to fund a game, but in its first day it broke impressive records through the public funding site. They have the highest number of contributors of any project, and they raised more funds in 24 hours than any other project before it.

Not only did Double Fine announce they plan to develop an old-fashioned point-and-click adventure using the Kickstarter route, Markus "Notch" Persson also hinted this week that he'd love to help Double Fine fund Psychonauts 2. Both these avenues suggest new opportunities in funding and development.

Considering the overwhelming success and vote-with-your-money mentality of the public, as proven yesterday, there are several scenarios and games that could benefit from a similar funding route. Some of these situations run into licensing nightmares, but here are several options to think about.

Famous Developers Missing in Action

In January of 2007, Tim and Chris Stamper left Rare "to pursue other opportunities" and we haven't heard anything about them since. With creativity, clout, and an awesome resume of shipped titles, the Stamper Brothers could pitch a brand new idea and more than likely find some funding success from the public. If that fails, while they're no longer a part of Rare, wouldn't it be great to see a remake or sequel to Killer Instinct? 

We can't remember if this game sucks or was rad, so give it to us!

Long Development Cycle with a Small Team

Last December GSC Game World announced that STALKER 2 was cancelled, mainly due to the insanely long development cycle of the original game. In January, that all changed when they announced they were still working on it, but can we be certain it'll get finished? By opening up their funding to the public, PC gamers could ensure the game finds its way onto digital store shelves by pledging a donation towards its completion. 

STALKER 2 doesn't have to stay dead.

Big Names Breaking Away

Just this week, David Jaffe announced he was leaving Eat Sleep Play to form a new San Diego development studio. On what he's going to make next, he claimed he had four ideas and that "the one I do really depends on the team I can put together and the money that I can find to make it." Thus, it's a prime situation to turn to the fans with an idea and a need. If the world wants another title from the mind that brought us Twisted Metal and God of War, they can show it. 

A Lack of Localization

Console eras gone by have plagued North American and European audiences with teases of Eastern games never making their way West. Money and a lack of interest generally headline the reasoning behind leaving certain games in one part of the world and not bringing them elsewhere. Offhand, wouldn't it be amazing to see Mother 3 or Seiken Densetsu 3 making a legitimate appearance on Western shores? After a petition against The Last Story not heading West, it looks like it finally might. Imagine if the public could contribute to expediting the process with cash. 

We want to battlese these gators, but they don't speak English.

Classic Series Lost in Time

When asked about the classic series Duck Tales, Warren Spector has gone on record saying he "would really like to do a Duck Tales game." To many, the 8-Bit and 16-bit era of Disney properties from Capcom made a huge impact, and despite the tangled web of licensing properties, game engines, and who owns what, seeing those classics find a new life amongst modern consoles and gamers. 

We can barely remember this game, or memory is a duck blur.

Big Developers Avoiding a Money Sink

When the question was posed in the IGN office about a dream game finding a new life, the most common answer was Shenmue3. To SEGA, the series is an enormous money sink, and there's simply not enough sales data or interest to bring the series back to life. If the fans care as much as they say they do, couldn't it be possible to make this happen? It's a case of millions of dollars, but if a small developer can raise $1,000,000 in less than 24 hours, maybe it could truly happen. 

With 100% more quick time events, right?

What scenario would you love to see happen? Most dream games simply aren't plausible, but is there a small developer that could use the cash to create a memorable project? Can we get one of the Williams to make another King's-Space-Police Quest game? Leave your thoughts in the comments below. And vote for your favorite project in the poll. Who knows, maybe one of them will actually happen. 

thanks to IGN for the story