Make My MMO: Crowdfunding September 22 - October 5, 2013
Not all games that turn to crowdfunding need a boost to get off the ground. In fact, one new addition to our column this week -- 8BitMMO -- is utilizing this avenue to help accommodate the exponential growth it has experienced over the last couple of years. The other newcomer, however, is actually trying to build from the ground up; City of Titans wants to give displaced City of Heroes fans a new home.
In other news, Star Citizen was the news! Videos, interviews, new goals, and more poured forth from this crowdfunding giant this week. We also heard from Embers of Caerus (which has been pretty quite for a long while). Even Neo's Land chimed in with a new demo. And you can get the whole scoop here!
Dream a little dream, get a little green, and before long you'll have your very own MMO... at least that's what these developers are hoping! Games seeking funding to make their plans a reality are listed in this section.
8BitMMO (Archive Entertainment): MEGA-OCTOBERBIT-FUNDRAISER ends October 31, 2013
Retro-themed sandbox with 100% player built world
Funds go toward server upgrades and a Mac client
Alteil Horizons (Apocoplay): Kickstarter campaign ends October 6, 2013
A digital CCG relying on turn-based RPG-style tactics and sporting a day and night cycle that changes the behavior of specific cards
Artists from Zelda, Final Fantasy, web comic Ctrl+Alt+Del, and more
Citadel of Sorcery (MMO Magic, Inc.): Open donations, no end date
A vast, dynamic world where nothing is set in stone and each player will experience the game in very different ways
City of Titans (Missing Worlds Media): Kickstarter campaign ends November 4, 2013
Formerly known as The Phoenix Project
Self-proclaimed spiritual successor of City of Heroes
Epic Space (EpicSpace.net): Kickstarter campaign ends October 7, 2013
A 2-D sandbox shooter that seeks to add capital ships expansion to be crewed by multiple players
Procedurally generated space is infinite
Has already met goal
Neo's Land (NeoJac Entertainment): Kickstarter campaign canceled, campaign moved to official site
A sandbox where the community decides development by round table discussions
Massively news: Voxel-based building demo available
Story Quest Online (Naoulex): Kickstarter campaign ends October 21, 2013
A community-driven, open sandbox project influenced by The Elder Scrolls and Fable.
The Living (Cube Crew): Kickstarter campaign ends October 28, 2013
Open world filed with Zombies, zombies, and more zombies (who hunt in packs)
First-person shooter
Success has its privileges, like a spot in this section! Games that have reached their crowdfunding goals and are in current development are listed here. Once a game reaches the closed testing stage, it will move to the hallowed halls of Betawatch.
Camelot Unchained (City State): Official site
Elite: Dangerous (Frontier Developments): Official site
- Recent news: Trailer commentaryEmbers of Caerus (Forsaken Studios): Official site
- Recent news: Explorable demoFace of Mankind (Nexeon Technologies): Official site
HEX: Shards of Fate (Cryptozoic Entertainment): Official site
Pathfinder Online (Goblinworks): Official site
- Recent news: PvP dev blogShadowrun Online: (Cliffhanger Productions) Official site
Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues (Portalarium): Official site
- Recent news: Garriott fielded questions; Update and Unity scene jam winner videoStar Citizen (Cloud Imperium): Official site
- Recent news: Hanger patch; Roberts talks exploration gameplay; $20M down and more to go; Sizzle Trailer; next stretch goalStarCraft Universe (Upheaval Arts): Official site
Like few platforms before it, Kickstarter puts the power to determine the fate of fledgling MMOs in the hands of gamers themselves. Which will live and which will die? Check the pulse of all things crowdfunded in the MMO-sphere with Massively's MJ Guthrie every two weeks in Make My MMO. And for a look at non-MMOs in the crowdfunding realm, don't forget Joystiq's Crowdfund Bookie.