“It’s not unheard of for an unknown, upstart game creator to find a successful round of funding through [Kickstarter], but it is monumentally easier if you’re a developer that has either nostalgia, name recognition, or a solid reputation that gamers (and potential backers) can bank on. It’s just like in stand-up comedy or music—it’s easy to be successful at crowd-funding if you’re Louis C.K., Radiohead, Tim Schafer, or Paul Trowe. It’s going to be much more difficult if you’re the local garage band.”
SCOTT NEUMYER, POPULAR MECHANICS, MAY 2012
The advent of mobile gaming has provided a new entry point for independent game developers. As Canadian Business magazine noted, the cost of entry has decreased substantially. “The average cost of making a major console game for Xbox 360 and PlayStation3 is about $20 million, but almost anyone can churn out a new game app for the iPhone. And independent developers need only pay Apple’s $99 fee for a developer’s account to get their creations to the market—no Best Buy or Walmart shelf space required.”46
But even so, time and money are still required to develop quality games. Many independent game developers and smaller game companies, shunned by big game publishers who are focused on the next big blockbuster games, are finding funding through Kickstarter, the crowdsource fund-raising social media Web site for creative projects. Video game developers make a brief pitch on Kickstarter and then request a modest amount—sometimes just a few thousand dollars—from supporters to get started. “Rather than seeking help from publishers who demand a high rate of return and, thus, a product that appeals to a broad group of gamers, developers can turn directly to their most devoted fans,” the Washington Post explained. “And if enough of those fans are willing to pony up cash for the promise of a game that suits their tastes, it gets made, regardless of how quirky or niche-oriented it is.”47
Another social network, GAMEiFESTO, links together game developers for collaboration on projects. Participants select their role—including artist, coder, game designer, musician, producer, animator, writer, actor, sound engineer, quality assurance tester, and project manager—and request invitations to work with others. A number of top games at Apple’s App Store—including Temple Run, Tiny Wings, and Jetpack Joyride—are great success stories, started by small independent developers. But the cautionary tale is that it takes incredible persistence against great odds to make a successful game. Rovio made fifty-one failed app games in six years and nearly folded before Angry Birds became a worldwide success in 2009.