Former Double Fine COO Launches New Funding Platform

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A funding platform just for video games? Obviously this could end up just being a crappy Kickstarter clone but, if done right, I think this could really take off.

In 2012 Double Fine became the trailblazer for crowdfunding on Kickstarter, raising $3.3 million for point and click adventure Broken Age and learnt a few things about the new financial frontier along the way. So it seems only fitting that a new platform for game funding, Fig, is being headed up by Justin Bailey, former Double Fine COO.
 
It sounds like a great way to approach crowdfunding for video games. Unfortunately for J. Bailey there will always be skepticism that comes with a project like this for the fact that he worked with Double Fine. But I really like that there is an investment option in the projects it hosts.
 
Man they need to get the guys that KEEP SELLING DIGITAL SPACE SHIPS (yes I am an owner of some) to the star citizen fans. they are funding to an insane degree.
 
The problem with stuff not getting funded isn't kickstarter, is the lack of faith and the failure of actual products.

For every games that does well there are probably a few dozen that don't. Look at even some of the famous attempts. Peter Molyneux did his crowd funding, the game got more money than they asked for and didn't end up anywhere near what they promised. Studio 38 got all that money from RI (not crowd funding but close to the same concept) and couldn't complete the project, went bankrupt and lost all that money they had. On top of all that, you are paying for a game before it comes out with no real idea of what you will end up with and many times the dream at the start doesn't end up as the final product. People are getting tired of episodic games that don't release on time, getting tired of early access and crowd funding that doesn't give them anything close to what was promised or anything at all. Because many are getting burned more than they are getting what they really hoped to get in the end and are starting to realize never again will I support something like this.

A new platform isn't going to change that. The current platforms aren't the problem, it is the failures of the development studios that needs to be fixed. Fix that and then all other problems resolve themselves.
 
That's the thing. Even with the best intentions, more projects will fail then will succeed. A shotgun approach may end up with more games out there that people like; but it also may just flood the market with crap, give gamers fatigue and make it difficult for good games to differentiate themselves.
 
Tim is only there as an adviser, probably mostly for how to successfully pitch a game, not how to use the money after the fact, of which Mr. Bailey was actually very critical and vocal about during the development of Broken Age.
 
Armenius said:
Unfortunately for J. Bailey there will always be skepticism that comes with a project like this for the fact that he worked with Double Fine.
Click to expand...
I think the success DF has had is more a credit to Justin than any failures of which are mostly design & scope based. In other words, it's not his fault the games didn't meet some people's expectations, but he did a great job in doing what he could with what little he had. I'm sure the frustration he felt, which you could clearly see in his face on a daily basis, was a huge learning and motivating factor towards him developing Fig.

Crowdfunding like this is a relatively new thing and a past failures are always a great learning experience. The fans with a healthy understanding of what to expect seem to love being a part of it. Something is missing though, and perhaps Fig will help find what it is. I say go for it. The journey is always fun to witness, even if the game turns out to be a turd. Sometimes it even helps, ALA Spinal Tap :p
 
I would put this just below "Pitching Donald Trump as Consul to Mexico" level of bad idea.
 
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