A couple weeks ago free to play MMORPG publisher gamigo announced the cancellation of the open world MMO shooter Grimlands mentioning "the intensified focus on publishing and distribution and reduction of high-risk development projects" as a reason.
That sounded extremely weird (I'm refraining from using stronger terms) considering that the game had been in development for five years and already had two very well received closed beta phases.
Today developer DRAGO Entertainment jumped on kickstarter to try and get the game going despite the cancellation, asking for a very reasonable $650,000, considering that the project just needs polishing for combat, animations and AI to be ready for prime time.
Lucjan Mikociak, Head of Development at DRAGO Entertainment explained the decision in a press release:
When gamigo announced they would no longer fund the development of Grimlands, we were all shocked, given we had spent more than five years on this game and are finally so close to release. However, at the same time the numerous outcries from Press and Players around the globe convinced us that the market eagerly awaits our title and that we have to keep working towards launch.
There is no way around it: Big games need big money. Since gamigo stopped funding us in January, we have survived thanks to friends and family support. However, in order to properly finish the game by year’s end, we need further funding of 650.000 USD. After talking to several publishers and investors we feel only Kickstarter allows this without compromising our vision!
Grimlands brings a quite interesting concept to the table, with third person shooter gameplay mixed with strong RPG elements, a completely seamless open world, customizable vehicles and very deep crafting, so it's good that the folks at DRAGO aren't giving up on it. Here's a list of bullet points describing it a little more in depth.
- True Mix of Shooter and MMORG with aiming, stealth and cover but deep character development and customization
- Unique crafting: Almost every item (Weapons, Ammunition, armor etc.) is crafted by players out of scavenged raw materials based on blue prints but depending on crafting skills, making each build special and giving incentives for player trading via the auction house
- Unique skill system: Without levels or points players advance their character skills by using specific weapons or functions; allowing for diverse character builds
- Huge, open game world with weather and daytime changes set in an post-apocalyptic setting
- A variety of upgradable vehicles that can be driven by up to four players and used for combat
- Both PVE with strong storyline told through hundreds of quests and various PVP options
- Strong clan support with territorial fights that gives real bonuses for holding key locations
- Dungeons for groups with easy to use group finding tool
You can check five new screenshots, the Kickstarter introduction video and a gameplay trailer below. At the moment the project gathered $4,014, so it needs support, that you can give here if you're so inclined.
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/121549233/grimlands-a-post-apocalyptic-rpg-shooter-mmo/widget/video.html
http://www.youtube.com/embed/BbrEGFCE58M