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Why the Camelot Unchained Kickstarter is unique

SmudgePudgeSmudgePudge Member CommonPosts: 78

Camelot Unchained is a unique project for the amount of money they are asking for. I'll explain why I think that below but first let's look at some of the other Kickstarter projects CU has been compared to:

Divinity: Original Sin This is a sequel, in an existing world, and a classic genre game that is basically already built. You are pre-purchasing the game on Kickstarter. Even with all the posted content and known elements about the game they still only have 8900 'backers' who are really nothing more than customers.

Torment: Tides of Numenera Another sequel, in an existing world, classic genre game. Now this game was actually looking for backers and not pre-purchasers. They were able to tap into the huge Planescape fan base as well as the oringinal games fan base. Their daily progress looked very similar to CU's progress - Huge first day spike, big second day drop off, then steady daily grind until the end. One of the big differences between Torment and CU is the team behind Torment is much bigger than CSE and were able to promise the game sooner. Oh and for those of you thinking early access to the game matters look at Torment. You had to give $75 just to get beta and their first alpha access tier was $125. Pretty close to CU's model.

Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues This is another game that shouldn't be allowed on Kickstarter IMO. The very first post on KS showed in-game footage. Lord British didn't need Kickstarter, he needed marketing and pre-purchases. And that's exactly what he got. He promised 'Alpha' access at the $25 tier. He already has in-game footage yet his Alpha starts more than a year from today. What does that tell you? He is simply using the words Alpha and Beta to cash in. And he calls himself Lord British ffs. But again, this is a game that Garriot himself calls the spiritual successor to one of the most popular mmorpg franchises ever. Very safe, very obvious.

Project Eternity Classic genre game from a big name developer so they can promise the game sooner. Progress looked exactly like CU's. Absolutely no alpha access even if you gave them $10k and beta access didn't start until $110.

What's all this mean? I think it means a couple of things.

  • Camelot Unchained is the only game in recent Kickstarter history to be asking for 7 digits to fund a non-classic genre game. No one has tried a PvP only MMO. No one has built a game in the Camelot Unchained universe. It's a huge risk and extremely ballsy. But you can't look at those other games and really draw many conclusions from their data because they weren't/aren't trying to do anything even remotely as risky as CSE.

  • This idea that the Kickstarter isn't going well because of lack of content is simply wrong. Project Eternity and Torment had absolutely no content on day one and they signed up 16k and 27k on day one respectively. Why? Classic genre and existing worlds. It was a safe bet to back the game.

  • The community needs to do more. This is how we are going to be successful. You know what get's me excited? Torment is currently the highest backed gaming project in Kickstarter history at $4.1 million and they couldn't even fill their $5,000 and $10,000 tiers. They had 9 people give them $10k and only 3 people give them $5k. In the first week CU had 21 people give them $5k and 3 people give them $10k. That's $30k more money and 13 more people in the upper tier level. That says to me that there is a passion out there for a game like CU that doesn't exist for other games.

Comments

  • NanulakNanulak Member UncommonPosts: 372

    Good analogy.  You are right on the mark here.  CU is a truly a unique project that only the community can decide if it’s what they want versus a sequel of an existing game.

    Nanulak

  • meddyckmeddyck Member UncommonPosts: 1,282
    CU is more or less a sequel to DAOC no matter how much Mark denies it. It's not like this is the very first RvR game based on legends and myths of Arthurian England, Celts, and the Norse. Without DAOC, CU's Kickstarter would already have flopped. It's mainly due to DAOC nostalgia that the Kickstarter is where it is at today. I certainly would not have funded it if I had not played DAOC for 9 years.

    DAOC Live (inactive): R11 Cleric R11 Druid R11 Minstrel R9 Eldritch R6 Sorc R6 Scout R6 Healer

  • stevebombsquadstevebombsquad Member UncommonPosts: 884
    I don't believe that it will get funded. It has some neat ideas, but it caters to a niche market, and I am afraid that the niche may be too small. Also, MJ has left a bad taste in a lot of peoples' mouths and I don't believe they have gotten over it.

    James T. Kirk: All she's got isn't good enough! What else ya got?

  • TalinTalin Member UncommonPosts: 918
    Originally posted by grogstorm

    Good analogy.  You are right on the mark here.  CU is a truly a unique project that only the community can decide if it’s what they want versus a sequel of an existing game.

    While I don't disagree with this point, it does open two considerations to me:

    1. Willingness to fund years in advance = wanting the game to come out. I don't know that those are necessarily the same. I personally would be very willing to pre-order CU as the game develops and we have a better real understanding of what will be included in the game.

    2. Whether CU actually needs a successful kickstarter to be released. My gut tells me no, the game will continue to be funded and developed anyway even if the current kickstarter isn't successful.

    The real problem to me is the whole campaign and PR up to the kickstarter has been freaking brilliant, I have a hard time not donating money even though logically I think it is insane to fund something two years out from release. Interesting times we live in. :)

     

  • PhryPhry Member LegendaryPosts: 11,004
    Unique doesnt mean new though does it, and not even sure about Unique, it doesnt sound like a bad game. But it does sound very much like a PvP orientated version of DAoC, but without DAoC's PvE. It will be interesting to see how it gets on, as i can see DAoC fans being split between this game and ESO, though i have to say, when it comes to the whole 'realm pride' thing, CU might well have the edge, depending on how well they manage to implement their concepts. image
  • HokibukisaHokibukisa Member Posts: 185

    http://www.shacknews.com/game/torment-tides-of-numenera

    Torment's concept art is eye candy.

    "This idea that the Kickstarter isn't going well because of lack of content is simply wrong."

    No, no it f'ing isn't.

    image

  • MikeJezZMikeJezZ Member UncommonPosts: 1,267

    The more the PvP, and the less PvE, I'm getting more and more excited for this game.

     

    There's too many PvE oriented games. It is time to get some for the PvP crowd.

  • UlorikUlorik Member UncommonPosts: 179
    I'm probably boring peopple to death by now, but imho Camelot Kickstarter is unique because I think its a quite sophisticated way to do your market research. If there are enough backers then there will be enough people wanting to pay a subscription for  a RvR only game. And if that's the case CSE can then tap into other sources of funding. Wise move, as an investor I would probably want to see some evidence of this nature before putting my money into a unique game concept.
  • DavisFlightDavisFlight Member CommonPosts: 2,556
    Originally posted by Phry
    Unique doesnt mean new though does it, and not even sure about Unique, it doesnt sound like a bad game. But it does sound very much like a PvP orientated version of DAoC, but without DAoC's PvE. It will be interesting to see how it gets on, as i can see DAoC fans being split between this game and ESO, though i have to say, when it comes to the whole 'realm pride' thing, CU might well have the edge, depending on how well they manage to implement their concepts. image

    If you think this is just DAoC - PvE then you probably haven't read even a little of what this game is. The crafting and housing and sandbox elements that are part of the core of this game did not exist in DAoC.

    And not many DAoC fans are excited abobut TESO, it looks too much like a casual hand holding WoW clone. Everything is phased and instanced, no death penalty, no public dungeons.

  • CaldrinCaldrin Member UncommonPosts: 4,505
    Originally posted by stevebombsquad
    I don't believe that it will get funded. It has some neat ideas, but it caters to a niche market, and I am afraid that the niche may be too small. Also, MJ has left a bad taste in a lot of peoples' mouths and I don't believe they have gotten over it.

    They are already half way there and still ahve 22 days to go.. pretty sure it will make it..

  • EaderbrecaEaderbreca MMORPG.com StreamerMember Posts: 44

    You've brought up very good points.

    To me, it's unique because it's the first Kickstarter I ever bothered looking at. haha.

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  • SmudgePudgeSmudgePudge Member CommonPosts: 78
    Haha - well I think you are starting off on a good one!
  • SmudgePudgeSmudgePudge Member CommonPosts: 78
    Originally posted by Hokibukisa

    http://www.shacknews.com/game/torment-tides-of-numenera

    Torment's concept art is eye candy.

    "This idea that the Kickstarter isn't going well because of lack of content is simply wrong."

    No, no it f'ing isn't.

    If you are making the case that people backed Torment because of the concept art then I can certainly make a VERY strong argument that backing a game because of it's concept art is equally as crazy as backing a game with no concept art.

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