Interview

UK devs on Kickstarter: Newcomers may struggle to cash in with crowdfunding, says Lady Shotgun Games

History and heritage essential

UK devs on Kickstarter: Newcomers may struggle to cash in with crowdfunding, says Lady Shotgun Games
With Kickstarter finally giving the green light to projects based in the UK, we decided to get in touch with British-based studios for their take on how the crowdfunding tool may impact the dev scene on these shores.

First up: Lady Shotgun Games design director Anna Marsh.


Pocket Gamer: Having watched developers in the US utilise Kickstarter, what do you think it'll do for the UK market?

Anna Marsh: I think a potential drawback of the system is that the games that are going to be successful will largely be those that have a heritage that backers know.

I think something that's totally original and new will have just as hard a time raising funds this way as via a standard publishing route.

Still, I think its a positive thing overall, being funded by people who are effectively buying their copy of the game in advance because they love the project is efficient and direct and will allow developers who wouldn't otherwise be able to get projects made to get stuff off the ground.

I've funded a few Kickstarters, if the games get released and I get my copy I'll be very happy with my investment.

How valuable is Kickstarter as a marketing tool?

I guess it could be positive but, again, unless you have something that's going to draw people in like a heritage they already know, discoverability will still be pretty hard.

Should crowdfunding be a tool primarily used to fund games that can't get publishers, or as some have suggested, is it still a viable option when the developer behind it either has the money to fund the game outright, or has the support of a publisher?

I'm wary of publishers using Kickstarter as a way to reduce their costs and therefore increase their profits. I would be very dubious about any project that has publisher backing looking for extra funds from Kickstarter.

I think where a developer has partial self-funds and seeks the rest through Kickstarter is the best route - that way investors know that the developers themselves are investing in their own project.

I woudln't trust anyone who won't risk their own cash on their own project.

Is there a risk consumers may suffer from Kickstarter fatigue at some point?

Yes, definitely, if too many games funded through Kickstarter don't fulfil their potential or just plain don't get released.

Would you consider using it to fund one of your games?

Absolutely. Allowing potential players to buy your game 'off plan' by funding it before its made is an awesome way of cutting out the middle man - it would really suit our ethical business model!

The 5 percent that goes to Kickstarter is a good rate compared to a bank loan or the money you'd be paying to a publisher or financier.

I don't know if the people behind Kickstarter then use their profits to fund arms deals and dodgy regimes that commit terrible human rights abuses, but lets hope not, eh?
Thanks to Anna for her time.If you're a UK dev with a view on Kickstarter's launch, drop us a line at keith.andrew [at] pocketgamer.co.uk.

With a fine eye for detail, Keith Andrew is fuelled by strong coffee, Kylie Minogue and the shapely curve of a san serif font.