fundraising
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Spellirium hits $10K in pre-order fundraiser
Spellirium – the graphic-adventure, wordsmithing puzzler from Ponycorn overseer Ryan Creighton – successfully raised $10,000 through a pre-order fundraiser that he describes as a "Kickender." Pre-orders at all tiers – $15 to $1,000 – get into the Spellirium alpha for PC and Mac. The game is almost done, and all funds go toward finishing the final cut scenes and adding sounds and polish. "That was the hardest ten grand I've ever made. And I was a paperboy," Creighton tweeted. Pre-orders are still open, and the Kickender is now on goal two, which is "Act 3, Adequately Animated." Check out Creighton's pre-order pitch video on the Spellirium site, but be warned – once you open the page, it auto-plays some intense medieval folk music. Spellirium is also up for a run on Steam via Greenlight.
Shadow of the Eternals gets a secondary Kickstarter campaign
Precursor Games has launched a second, simultaneous crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter for Shadow of the Eternals, the episodic horror game serving as a spiritual successor to Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem. This is a supplement to the crowdfunding project that Precursor launched on its own site on May 6. The Kickstarter campaign looks to raise $1.35 million, while Precursor's campaign asks for $1.5 million. "Due to overwhelming popular demand, we are happy to announce that an official Kickstarter campaign has launched for Shadow of the Eternals," Precursor says. "This gives potential pledgers even more options to contribute to the game." Precursor's campaign accepts payments through PayPal – unlike Kickstarter – and doesn't necessarily have to reach its goal to take whatever money it raises. That campaign has 24 days remaining and has raised $156,000. The Kickstarter campaign has 36 days to reach its goal, otherwise Precursor won't receive any of that money. Precursor will use the money raised in its crowdfunding efforts to launch a pilot episode in Q3 2014, and pay for the engine and core system development. Future episodes of Shadow of the Eternals – there will be 12 in total – will be "significantly cheaper and faster to produce," and Precursor will announce more episodes based on the success of its fundraising(s).
Glitch art book shatters fundraising goal
Glitch may be down, but it's not out. The whimsical, non-violent MMO closed its doors on December 9th of last year, but fans of the game still hold its memory close to their hearts. That's exactly why former art director Brent Kobayashi (AKA Meowza, AKA Kukubee) decided to gather together everything that he and the Glitch art team designed over the years, including never-before-seen concept art and some worlds that didn't make it to the game. Through Indiegogo (one of the many alternatives to Kickstarter), Brent set up a project to raise $17,000 for production of a hardcover book showcasing the art of Glitch. But as happens with the internet, the initial goal was shattered with the current money raised at just over $105,000 with 34 hours left to go on the campaign. The good news is that this book will certainly become a reality. The better news is that you still have time to grab one for yourself! [Thanks to Sounder for the tip!]
WoW Cinder Kitten fundraiser garnered over $2.3 million for Superstorm Sandy relief
No stranger to assisting those in need after natural disasters, Blizzard announced its latest round of fundraising via a cash shop pet in the beginning of November -- this time a Cinder Kitten to benefit those affected by Superstorm Sandy. And World of Warcraft players responded with an abundance of generosity, snapping up the fiery feline and raising a total of more than $2.3 million USD. All of the proceeds from the pet purchase were given to the American Red Cross to support its ongoing relief efforts in the areas affected by the superstorm. As Blizzard says, "Thanks to everyone who made a difference." [Thanks to Chris for the tip!]
ExtraLives aims to hit $100K for charity with Pokémon marathon this weekend
The good folks at ExtraLives.org have raised $91,837.25 since 2009, and they're hoping Pokémon will help put them over the $100,000 mark this coming weekend. Starting up on Saturday, December 29, the team is going to start up three different Pokémon sessions at the same time, marathoning Nintendo's addictive little monster capture RPG all the way into 2013.They'll start with the old Game Boy titles, and then make their way up into the DS era, campaigning the whole time to try and raise money for charity.The marathon will begin at noon on Saturday, and each of the three streamed screens will be running a different version of Pokemon, so you'll get to see for sure just how different the game is if you go with Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle for your first pet. The infamous Pokémon bootlegs will also be making an appearance. All the money will be going to Free the Children, so it's for a great cause.Our heartfelt holiday donations: Let us show you them.
ESA raises $800K for charity at 'Nite to Unite' event
The Entertainment Software Association held its 15th annual "A Nite to Unite - For Kids" event in San Francisco last week, and we'd like to congratulate the ESA on raising over $800,000 at the event through the dinner, silent auction, and casino festivities. That money will go to the ESAF, a charity arm of the organization that has raised more than $12 million so far to provide resources and opportunities (many of them related to digital entertainment) to children around the country.At the gala, the ESA also honored Valve co-founder Gabe Newell with the 2012 ESA Champion Honoree award for "using his technological creativity in interactive entertainment to help teachers utilize new learning software and to develop critical problem-solving skills in students." Sounds like a real honor, and it's all in the name of a great cause. If that's what he got for helping teachers, though, what would they have given him for Half-Life 3?
Indie space sandbox Xenocell asks for launch funding
Xenocell is almost ready for launch, but it needs your help to get across that finish line! Wait, you say you've never heard of Xenocell? That's probably because it's a below-the-radar indie title that's only now starting to make itself known to the larger community. Xenocell is a scifi sandbox MMO in which players take on the role of marooned colonists who crash-land on an alien planet and have to rebuild society from scratch. Its fundraiser page says that the team needs $20,000 to help launch the title and support it through the first two months. We've got an overview video of Xenocell for you to check out after the jump and see if this game is worth supporting. [Thanks to Boris for the tip!]
YouTube Campaigns lets nonprofits draw our interest without the telethons
Trying to launch a concerted nonprofit video campaign can feel like tilting at windmills: you might have one moment of undivided attention from viewers before they're off to watch cats and Nigerian pygmy goats. Google wants to make the most of that time through its YouTube Campaigns initiative. The strategy brings on-video overlays and channel sections that show viewers both a progress meter for the campaign as well as a handy links to explore and share what they've found. If all goes well, charities and like-minded organizations get more donations and YouTube views, while we in the general public are reminded that there's more to life than K-pop videos. It certainly beats manning the phones for a celebrity fundraiser.
Star Citizen adds Kickstarter to crowdfunding drive
After its official website (and only source of crowdfunding income) went offline due to server-crushing amounts of traffic, Chris Roberts' Cloud Imperium Games have opened an ancillary Kickstarter project to support Star Citizen.The main difference between the Kickstarter and the website itself – beyond the stark difference in fundraising goals – is the Kickstarter's special $5.00 donation level, which grants the ability to change a ship's hull design to players that have already donated on the main site. The rest of the game's registration process, as well as all of the other donation rewards, remain the same regardless of where the donation originated.As of press time, the official site has reached approximately $1.13 million of its $2 million goal, while the Kickstarter has earned $208,370 of its $500,000 target. Funding on the official site continues for another 21 days, while the Kickstarter remains active for another 30.
Hailan Rising raises funds for 'love-child of DAoC and CoD'
MMO Kickstarter projects are coming out of the woodwork now, and each one has to sell its concept to would-be donors or else face possible extinction. Today's scrappy contender is Hailan Rising, the "love-child of Dark Age of Camelot and Call of Duty," according to the devs. Hailan Rising is a fantasy PvP MMO that ditches classes and levels for a more level (but not equal) playing field. It features instant action, strategic territory control, randomized loot, and over four billion possible character builds. The game is built on the Unity 3-D engine. The project is being worked on by a couple of MMO studio vets: Adam Smith (Knight Online) and Jess Mulligan (Asheron's Call, Ultima Online). Mulligan said he was attracted to the title's unique PvP mechanic, adding that "this is the fastest and most competitive PvP environment I've ever seen in an MMO." The team's Reloaded studio is looking to raise $275,000 to finish the game for a potential 2013 launch on Mac and PC. If the stretch goal is met, the developers are eyeing mobile platforms as well. Hailan Rising has been in development since 2010. [Additional source: Reloaded press release]
Shoparoo promises a fun iPhone-alternative to box top school fundraising
If you're a parent like I am, you may be collecting box tops for your school. Box tops are great -- they help schools raise funds in a really effective way. For those who don't know, select merchandise in grocery stores contain a redemption value for school fundraising, usually a few pennies per item bought. Due to the labor of dealing with these box tops, they can also be a big pain. Someone has to collect them, bundle them, count them and track them. Now there's a new entry in the school fundraising arena. The free Shoparoo iOS app isn't intended to replace box tops. It offers another distinct avenue for parents to raise money for schools. Today, I had the pleasure of talking to Jared Schrieber, the Co-Founder and CEO of InfoScout, the company behind Shoparoo. "Box top fundraising is wonderful," he told me, "but it could be so much better." Shoparoo has partnered with Proctor & Gamble and Unilever, who produce brands like Dove, Suave, Ragu and Skippy, to raise money for schools. Consumers essentially donate their purchasing habits. You use the app to submit receipts from super-centers, groceries, clubs, pet stores, dollar stores, convenience stores and drug stores. The data is as anonymous as you want to make it. You can scratch off credit card numbers, names and even embarrassing purchases. None of the information is tracked directly to you. You snap a pic (within seven days of purchase) and your school benefits. What companies like P&G and Unilever get out of this is a way to evaluate purchasing habits by household. Seeing entire real-world receipts puts purchases into context. They get to see how families buy, both across retailers and across time. In return, your school earns about 2 cents per $10 purchase, up to 8 cents for purchases over $100. That doesn't sound like a lot, but (1) you don't have to actively buy anything specific, and (2) with enough parents participating, the money can grow over time. Plus, Shoparoo intends to offer "bonus purchase" items, so parents can earn more by picking preferred brands. InfoScout plans to cut its first set of checks each year on July 31st, delivering them to schools during the first few weeks of August. Leaderboards allow schools to track their most proficient donors, and social networking encourages parents to spread the word. See Shoparoo's Facebook page for more details. How can you get your school involved? Chances are good that Shoparoo already lists your school in its data base. Just submit an email address (it can be as throwaway as you like) and start shopping. Schrieber suggests that you contact your current box tops coordinator, your PTO/PTA and email your principal to get started. Many schools highlight the program on their websites and Facebook pages to support the effort. Even small amounts of money can make real differences in schools. Whether you're supporting a music program, providing field trip grants or donating to a winter coats program, schools know how to make parent fundraisers pennies count. Shoparoo promises to help earn those pennies.
Shadowrun Online fundraiser comes down to the wire [Update]
There's this thing called Kickstarter. It's OK if you have never heard of it; it's not like it's sweeping the internet or anything. Anyway, Cliffhanger Productions is relying on Kickstarter to help fund Shadowrun Online, and with just hours to go until the final bell, the project is several thousand dollars short of its $500,000 goal. If it hits $500,000 by 4:00 p.m. EDT today, the project will be fully funded, but if not, Cliffhanger stands to lose a substantial investment in the title. We thought we should mention this for those of you who are Shadowrun fans and would like to see this project succeed. The dev team has added the special offer of the game's soundtrack to those who pitch in $9 or more in these final hours. To help you make up your mind, Cliffhanger has posted a character creation video that shows off some of the possibilities for making your Shadowrun Online avatar. We've posted the video after the break. [Update: Shadowrun Online made its $500,000 and then some with plenty of time to spare!]
OUYA wrapping up funding with limited brown metal console, Vevo deal
To put it mildly, the OUYA console has had a better than expected funding run -- the project is now past the $6 million mark, or six times what it originally needed. The team still wants a little something to end the last week of fundraising with a bang. It just unveiled a limited edition brown, brushed metal version of the console with a controller to match; all it takes is a $140 pledge during the final push to August 9th and you've got the Yves Behar-chosen color for yourself. The special run should arrive as part of the wider March 2013 launch. If the original silver hue will do just nicely, thank you very much, OUYA has struck another content deal and will launch Vevo's music video hub side-by-side with the console. Click past the break for a peek at the controller, and consider a pledge on Kickstarter if you just can't stand the thought of having the same console as everyone else.
Insert Coin: Playsurface open-source multitouch computing table
In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line. A Microsoft Surface in every office? Yeah, fat chance. At $8,000, you may never see Samsung's SUR40 glow in the wild, but budget versions of the backlit HD table have begun popping up, such as the Merel Mtouch, which retails for half the price. Still, four grand is a lot to ask from casual users -- we need a bargain-basement option to help catapult the concept to success. The Playsurface could be one solution, with an open-source design and a much more affordable price tag. The multitouch computing table is the product of Templeman Automation, and its creators have begun promoting their concept on Kickstarter. In its current iteration, the Playsurface will ship in two flavors -- short, to double as a coffee table, and tall for stand-up applications -- with a $1,750 pledge netting backers a complete kit. Setting out to fulfill the goal of widespread adaptation, the creator is promising one Playsurface kit with a $1,750 pledge, including a Windows computer, a short-throw 1280 x 800-pixel DLP projector and a transparent touch surface, all housed within a self-assembled wood enclosure. There's also an infrared LED strip to aid with input recognition and something called a "Blob Board," which serves as a dedicated hardware processor tasked with touch detection and connects to the computer via USB. A $350 pledge gets you a Blob Board alone, while $650 is matched with a table (sans computer and projector) and $1,250 will net you a full kit, less the computer. There's just shy of four weeks left to go to get your Playsurface pledge in -- hit up the source link to make it happen.
Museum of Art and Digital Entertainment to raise money through games marathon
The Oakland-based Museum of Art and Digital Entertainment has been trying to carry out a second round of donation-based funding for a few months now, but things haven't quite come together as well as planned. So, things are getting serious: They're going to play some video games.Starting this Friday afternoon, the museum will be hosting a marathon of various games, including Super Metroid, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Fallout 3, and Resident Evil 3, along with a few other classics. The event will be streamed on the museum's website, and the goal is to raise $1,000 for every game that's defeated on the stream. If more money than the $20,000 goal is raised, they'll keep playing until one game is beaten for every $1,000 earned.All the funds raised will go to the Museum, to keep up the collection there and continue all of the programs the organization hosts (including, just recently, one of the locations for MolyJam). MADE is accepting donations from now through the marathon this weekend.
Wargaming.net honoring U.S. Veterans on Veterans Day
Tomorrow, Americans will be celebrating Veterans Day and honoring the service of our armed forces. Wargaming.net has announced that it will be joining the celebrations by donating proceeds from World of Tanks gold bundles to the Paralyzed Veterans of America organization. For every $14.95 gold bundle purchased, Wargaming.net will donate $5, and for every $49.95 gold bundle purchased, it will donate $15. So if you want to support war veterans while blowing some tanks to kingdom come, head on over to World of Tanks and join the fight. [Source: Wargaming.net press release]
Astronaut: Moon, Mars and Beyond handing out trips to the (virtual) moon!
As Project Whitecard wraps up its Kickstarter fundraiser to raise funds for Astronaut: Moon, Mars and Beyond, it wants to give a little extra incentive for any would-be donors. Anyone -- past, present and future -- who gives to the NASA project will be entered into a drawing for one of 50 free copies of Project Moonwalk. Project Moonwalk is a video game simulation of the 1969 Apollo 11 mission, designed to be not only fun but also educational. The game hits the high points of space race history, from Sputnik's launch to the lunar landing and subsequent return to Earth. Made with the Unreal Engine, Project Moonwalk will be released this fall. Currently, Astronaut: Moon, Mars and Beyond has raised over $41,000 through Kickstarter, well exceeding its $25,000 goal. If you're interested in helping in the second great space race, then you have six days to get your pledge in to the cause before the fundraiser ends!
Astronaut: Moon, Mars and Beyond meets fundraising goals, updates FAQ
Astronaut: Moon, Mars, and Beyond has taken several small steps over the course of its short lifetime, but can it make one giant leap to a full-fledged release product? It's off to a decent start, judging by its Kickstarter fundraising tally. The devs have issued a press release proclaiming the success story and are drafting a FAQ document designed to get more information out there to potential investors (and eventually, players). The latest version of the FAQ is viewable on the official website, and we've included a few highlights for you here: The game is a follow-up to Moonbase Alpha (released in 2010) Project Whitecard and Wisdom Tools are the developers per a "Space Act Agreement" with NASA The target audience will be the 5-24 age and the gaming and science enthusiast markets The game will be available for iOS and Windows PC; other platforms are being considered Unreal Engine 3 is being used to develop the game A beta is planned for December 2012
WoW-a-thon for Dragon*Con MMO track staffer
Many people, when they think of online gaming, think of 13-year-olds on Xbox Live shouting expletives and teabagging your freshly killed corpse, but those of us who have spent enough time in the community know that there's much more to it than just that. Kevin Stallard, of Dragon*Con MMO track fame, is setting out to prove just that. Kevin's close friend and Dragon*Con staffer Jay Sturrock was recently diagnosed with cancer, and anyone who has ever been diagnosed with cancer or known someone who has can tell you that treatment is not only emotionally exhausting, but financially taxing as well. With this in mind, Kevin is looking to put his World of Warcraft habit to a good cause. On July 9th, Kevin will be holding a 24-hour "WoW-a-thon" at Battle & Brew Gaming Pub in Marietta, GA. Throughout the course of this gaming marathon, Kevin invites fellow gamers to join him either at the pub or in Azeroth and, if they're able, to pledge some money toward covering Jay's medical bills from the treatment. Can't make it to the event itself but still want to help? No problem, just keep an eye on the official event page where PayPal information will soon be posted. We wish Kevin and Jay the best and hope the Massively community will pitch in for this noble cause. [Update: Grim was nice enough to jump in on the comments to inform us that the PayPal link is live. You can find it on the right sidebar of the Dragon*Con MMO track's official site. Get those donations going!]
Peel iOS remote raises $16 million in funding
We've posted about the Peel universal IR remote before. It's an interesting setup using a third-party unit that looks almost like a pear, designed to fit right into your living room wirelessly. It connects to an iOS app and turns your iDevice into a universal remote for any other units you might happen to have. In addition to the slick design, there's a nice bit of TV browsing functionality included. It's a remote designed not only to help you control your TV, but also give you an idea of what you actually want to do with it. It's that kind of overall thinking that got the unit into Apple Stores, and now the hard work has paid off. Peel has picked up a round of funding to the tune of over US$16 million. There have been a few other ways to connect the iPhone up to IR remotes (the Redeye has been another popular solution), but this is the biggest vote of confidence we've seen in such a device yet. Peel certainly isn't quite a mainstream device, but this funding is definitely a leg up. There's been a trend toward using smartphones to interact with and control other devices, and Peel looks to be in exactly the right place to take advantage. If nothing else, hopefully this will help Peel get some units out the door; Amazon currently lists the product as shipping "within 1 to 2 months." $16 million should help out with that.
