As much as it pained me to do it, I reported on Project Awakened failing its Kickstarter goal, after more than half a decade of trying to make the game a reality. Phosphor Games Studio have now released a response via their Kickstarter page, saying "we're not done yet." And they also want your help in getting the game made, with the promise of earlier content.
Specifically, here's what Phosphor had to say:
To Our Amazing Supporters
THE END OF KICKSTARTER HAS COME
Despite your fantastic support, we didn’t quite make it. We still consider it a huge success to have so many of you come to share our vision of what the future of action gaming could look like!
For nearly 7 years now, the core vision of Project Awakened has survived a publishing icon crashing around it, a team of unemployed devs trying to rebuild it with no funding, and years of hopeful, excited discussions with publishers and financiers that one by one turn to nothing. So, missing the mark on a Kickstarter isn’t going to break its spirit…this game of ours has learned to take a punch.
We will not let this dream go, because this is the game we have always wanted to make and share as artists, and play as gamers. Thousand of you have shown us that you feel the same way.
Phosphor is inviting any potential backers to complete a survey on their website, asking you how they should go about getting this game made, to make the best use of their next crowdfunding campaign, to be done on their website. The new pledge goals are as follows:
$0 - $350K:
(around the amount we received during the Kickstarter campaign): while we will be eternally grateful for your support of our vision, we will be unable to take your funding. The project will be returned to the drawing board and continue on the long road it has been traveling on.
$350K - $500K:
- - We will start the new 6 week fundraising campaign on www.projectawakened.com via credit card and paypal. We will have all the same stretch goals, and all the same reward tiers (and more!) that we had in the Kickstarter Campaign
- - we will HAVE a dedicated team working on the game!
- - We will commit to having the Create-a-Player Sandbox Prototype for you later this year
- - We will commit to getting to Closed Beta on Project Awakened by late 2014.
$500-600K
- - Everything above, and we’ll move the closed beta up to the first half of 2014
$600K +
- - We start working on all of the stretch goals for beta. This includes more single player missions, full MP support, better modding support, etc. Whatever we can get funded over time we’ll get into the game!
With this new plan will also come earlier content: their Project Awakened Create-A-Player Sandbox Demo. This will be based in part on their previously announced modding tools and create-a-player, giving players the chance to try out some powers, outfit their character with a decent set of customizable options, and some AI to mess around with. For an example, take a look at the video below.
Project Awakened is being developed as a next-gen title, designed for PC, and possibly coming to consoles, eventually. If it can ever get made, the game promises to give players dozens and dozens of options in how to play, with a distinct dystopian world that's part Grand Theft Auto sandbox gameplay meets X-Men theme. Is this a game you want to play one day?
http://www.youtube.com/embed/-kn8xwa50O8?feature=player_embedded