Our Crowdfunding Diaries series continues with London-based game developer, Six to Start, what one successfully raised $72,627 (over its incipient pledge of $12,500) for its innovative fearless app, Zombies, Run!
Before Tim Schafer's Double Fine note pledge, Zombies, Run! had been crowned being of the kind which the biggest video game project up the body Kickstarter in 2011. Fast forward to donation day, the Zombies franchise continues to become wealthy, with over 300,000 players worldwide, another app, 5k Training, and Zombies, Run! 2, expected to cast this Spring.
Adrian Ho, Co-Founder/CEO of Six to Start, and some of the world's leading online and succeeding each other with intervals of one reality game designers, talks with us onon in what manner Kickstarter literally "kick-started," his guests's expansion from agency to prosperous game developer in its own erect.
What's the story behind Six to Start?
The copartnership started in late 2007, funded in apportionment by NESTA, sweat equity and client projects. We're based in London and own associates in San Francisco and Toronto. We cause games and transmedia experiences for clients in the UK and overseas. Previously, I was Director of Play at MindCandy, to which place I designed and produced Perplex City.
What made you decide to try crowdfunding?
Our commerce started as an agency, creating expressive games to help market and stir up new products and shows for multiform clients. For example, we consulted steady storytelling for BBC and created transmedia experiences during the term of shows like Misfits. We got to a theatre where we wanted to make our confess games - -and this requires a different set of skills. We needed to validate a ion concept, and a channel like Kickstarter seemed a suitable fit. The funding we wanted for game development was too small with regard to angels and we preferred not to give up equity. Plus, this was a incidental game and no one had truly made money in it yet, likewise even if we had gone to angels, it would take been a challenge to show comparables; inside of this lies the problem with funding radically new measure.
Why Kickstarter?
It was the chiefly attractive. We felt Indiegogo didn't be obliged the mind share or level of commerce we were looking for. Gambitious wasn't away the ground yet and the genre of gaming didn't coincide with our performance. If you're going to exalt money for a game, might taken in the character of well go down the pre-society route. Why not Kickstarter every time? You'll realise elegant without grandeur quickly if people want to purchase your game.
Walk Me Through Your Campaign Process
We had one idea for an ultra-immersive recital, game and fitness app and created a video showcasing a scrap of the prototype. We cut into disrepute internal expenses and set a batch of $12,500 that would get our minimum product standards. We looked at other Kickstarter projects; we noticed it was a gratifying idea to have a lot of rewards. Kickstarter says that the medium reward of $20 is most plain. In retrospect, we could have charged else for the higher tiers, as we ended up through a waiting list. All-in, it took not far from two months from campaign launch to us acquirement money in the bank.
What would wish happened if you hadn't gotten the shoot forward funded?
We probably would have killed it; we viewed Kickstarter viewed like a pretty good gauge for universal validation.
How did you market the campaign?
We leveraged our admit networks and sent emails to multiform websites; we got some big hits. It was a fiction concept and so it went a coin viral via Facebook and Twitter.
You exceeded your goal dint of quite a bit. You collected $72,627 from 3,464 backers in the compass of 30 days.
We purposely aimed with respect to a low pledge. It worked used up well. We used the "excess" standard of value to create more content for the app, like well as for development on the Android. We won't perform crowdfunding again for future Zombies titles for the cause that the franchise has proven its lucky hit. This platform is about people buying into your delusion.
You had promised a delivery epoch of February 2012, did you come face to face it?
Yes, 7-8 months from the campaign, we released Zombies, Run! It was tight towards the end, end we made it. We kept backers updated. We sent them messages and screenshots of growth progress.
What advice do you wish for game developers looking to hurry crowdfunding campaigns?
Crowdfunding is great as far as concerns risky, niche ideas. But, not everyone is Tim Schafer. We noticed that folks tended to ask for too a great quantity money, and in the end, didn't realize funded. The sweet spot is because indie game developers with 2-3 vulgar herd. They can ask for $50,000. Beyond 10 employees, it doesn't certainly work. Equity crowdfunding still has to submit to the test itself; I'm not sure in what state convincing it is as an alternative. Why give up equity when you be possible to raise funding via Kickstarter?
As Kickstarter UK hadn't announced its by authority launch date at the time, Six to Start ran their campaign by way of Kickstarter US.