Like a magic wand, Double Fine's decision to raise funds for its next project using Kickstarter appears to have opened the industry's eyes.

Crowdfunding is now being pitched as the perfect way to get projects deemed too risky by publishers off the ground – assuming they're headed by a headline-grabbing luminary, of course.

Gambitious might appear to be jumping on the bandwagon somewhat, but the firm's crowdfunding option takes the model a step further, turning those donating money into official investors.

Nice lean stake

As such, those putting up funds of whatever size will do so in exchange of an equity stake in the project – the kind of carrot on a stick that may enable the model to branch out to developers without an illustrious back catalogue.

"For indie developers it was deemed almost impossible to raise capital for new or existing game projects," explains MD Paul Hanraets.

"The traditional publishers have seen their role dramatically change, and have grown hesitant if not reluctant in investing in new game franchises. Unfortunately there are few alternatives to this traditional funding model.

"There is a strong need for new and innovative structures to back indie game projects financially; now more than ever. And we believe Gambitious provides that structure."

Gambition

Indeed, Gambitious' spiel makes direct reference to Double Fine's Kickstarter campaign, which has now sourced funds in excess of $1.75 million from more than 50,500 backers – an average of $35 each.

The company claims any attempt by indies to do the same would be "futile", unless they boast a "substantial fan base".

In contrast, Gambitious – which will launch in March – will look to source €20 or more from each investor, using the funding model developed by Dutch company Symbid.

"When developers register their project at Gambitious, they are in full control," added Hanraets.

"They indicate how much capital is required to fund their project and determine how much equity they offer in return. Then it’s up to them to market their title and convince the investors who visit the platform.

"Again, anyone can invest; from as little as €20 for each investment unit, to as much as €2,500,000."

A similar system - appbackr - which lets people back app development for a return on investment of up to 54 percent, has also been successfully operating in the games and app space. 

More details can be found on the Gambitious website.

[source: PRWeb]