crowdsourcing
Latest
City of Heroes spiritual successor plans Kickstarter for Sept. 8th
One of the candidates vying to be the spiritual successor to City of Heroes will be moving into its fundraising stage come this September. Missing Worlds Media's The Phoenix Project, is preparing a Kickstarter campaign for September 8th. The team says that if all goes well (read: the project gets the moolah it needs), the title could be launched by the end of 2015, although it's hoping to get an avatar creator in our hands by next summer. In an interview with Polygon, Technical Director Nate Downes said that the project is 25% to 33% done, although the game is being made completely by 136 volunteers who have other jobs or are full-time students. The Phoenix Project is being built using the Unreal Engine, as Epic has licensed the engine to Missing Worlds with no money down until the team gets funded. Downes hopes that fans will continue to rally to the cause: "This project has grown out of the community that was left behind when City of Heroes closed, so it's really just a lot of passionate people getting together to rebuild that home for themselves."
Jukebox Heroes: TUG and crowdsourcing soundtracks
While I'm still reasonably wary of Kickstarter and the pie-in-the-sky promises that have come out of these fundraisers, I can't deny that there have been potentially exciting ideas out there, especially in the field of MMO music. For starters, we might one day see Anthymn, a fantasy MMO completely based around music. It's a notion so breathtakingly cool that I fear it might never see the light of day while thousands of been-there-killed-that titles trudge into existence. But talking with the creators of that game really drove home the fact that music is such an integral part of our lives and can hold a similar place of honor in our virtual worlds. And then there's TUG, another quirky Kickstarter prodigy, which demonstrated how music and sounds can be used as social glue to pull people together. It showed us this with a wordless video that got its point across perfectly. Now TUG's devs are throwing out a different idea concerning music: Why not outsource some of the game's soundtrack... to the fans themselves?
Making music together: An interview with Anthymn
It's safe to say that many of us on the Massively team were seduced by the promise and potential of Anthymn when we first saw its Kickstarter campaign. The concept of an entire fantasy MMO that revolves around music instead of swords and sorcery is a refreshing approach in this day and age. The folks at String Theory Entertainment are downright passionate about bringing the power of music to online games. While Anthymn is still in an early stage of development, the idea behind it stretches back a decade or so. The developers aren't just using music as a quirky feature for the sheer heck of it, either; this is a studio full of musically talented folks who know how infectious and bonding a song can be. We sat down with the creative leads behind Anthymn to get a better feel for the project and the future of the game, with or without Kickstarter's help. Check it out after the jump!
Kickstarter plans North American expansion, launches in Canada this summer
That's right Canucks, Kickstarter's launching in your neck of the woods before the midnight sun sets for the season. The crowdfunding site released a teaser page today, announcing that it'll open up to Canada-based projects later this summer. It's not the first site of its kind to accept submissions from north of the border, but if Indiegogo hasn't been drawing in the results you need, you'll soon be able to give it a go on another platform. The Kickstarter team is mum on an exact launch date, but with a bit less than three months left in summer, the clock is ticking.
'Orchestral battle' Anthymn needs money for the music
"For the first time ever, players will shape an online world with music," promises String Theory Entertainment CM Daniel Marrable. He's referring to the MMO-in-progress Anthymn, which is currently in the throes of a Kickstarter campaign. Anthymn is a fantasy MMO that revolves around music for its classes, combat, and way of life. It's set in a land that's divided by musical races that are warring with each other for supremacy. A young maestro wants to create a national anthem that will not only unite his country but bring peace to the land. This quest will fuel players' adventures across the continent. String Theory wants to create a unique feel to the title, including systems such as rhythmic gameplay, apprenticeships, and community collaboration. If the concept art looks a tad familiar, it's because a few of the devs also worked on Guild Wars 2's art. Check out the video pitch after the jump, and drop a few bucks if you feel that Anthymn is a project worth supporting!
The Soapbox: How to run a successful Kickstarter campaign
The past few years have seen an absolute revolution in the games industry, with an explosion of studios securing funding through crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter. In a time when banks worldwide are tightening their belts, Kickstarter represents a lifeline for indie developers and a way for the bigger studios to work on their own projects free from the need for outside investors or publishers. But with the growing number of projects seeking funding each year, developers are facing stiff competition and the rising challenge of running a successful campaign. Most developers don't release all of their stats or write up advice and insights following a successful crowdfunding campaign, and those who do are often lost on obscure blogs that don't appear when you Google for advice. But I'm in the unusual position of both being a games journalist and having successfully Kickstarted a small game project (unrelated to MMOs and my work on Massively). Six months ago, I ran a campaign for my new sci-fi 4X game Predestination, and in the process I learned some valuable lessons on what works and doesn't work on Kickstarter. We've since published the campaign stats and gone on to help a few other campaigns hit their goals. In this article, I run down the lessons I learned the hard way during the Predestination Kickstarter campaign and give some advice for developers hoping to get funded.
Steam Greenlight pulls in 2 million voters, has a chat with its indies
Getting accepted through Steam's community-voting service, Greenlight, is an ongoing, complex project for many indie developers – and for Steam itself. Valve hosted a chat with Greenlight developers this week to discuss concerns, suggestions and propose what Greenlight may look like in the future. Valve is "actively looking into" releasing the Steamworks API so developers can prepare their games prior to being Greenlit, though it has no timeframe to make that public. Currently all games go to the same Greenlight, but Valve said it would discuss the idea of separating the service by "games that are ready to go" and "games that are in development." On May 1, Valve Greenlit a mini batch of games, and this system will most likely be the new standard, the team said: "Unfortunately, we have limited resources at the moment, so we cannot ship every game that we want. We're working toward having an open platform that Gabe has talked about, but we're not there yet."
Amazon's payment systems go kaput, taking Kickstarter with it
Were you planning to be the brave soul to bring Camelot Unchained's Kickstarter project to its goal? You might have missed your chance. Amazon Payments, the system which Kickstarter uses to accept pledges from browsers, started having trouble earlier today, meaning that several Kickstarter projects have run into trouble attracting more pledges or processing pledges for otherwise successful funding. That's bad news for anyone looking to make the last few dollars on a project before the project ticks over the last deadline. There's currently no ETA on service restoration; quite notably, the payment service is currently the only Amazon service listed as having difficulties. Camelot Unchained is put into a particular pickle with this development, as the project is still more than $200,000 away from its goal with less than two days remaining. Hopefully the service errors will be cleared up before several projects start to feel the sting. [Thanks to Mark for the tip!]
UK finally gets access to Google's Map Maker editing tool
Those red pins look almost like little hearts, revealing which countries have been showered with the affection of Google's crowdsourced map improvement tool and those -- like the UK -- that have so far been left out. We can now safely ignore the chart, however, as the UK has just received its dose of Map Maker love, taking its rightful place among nations like the US, France, India and even North Korea. Instead of just reporting problems, which has long been possible, Brits can use the browser-based service to contribute additional local knowledge about everything from bus stations to cycle routes, as well as natural features like parks and even bits of shrubbery. (Hopefully, only really amazing bits of shrubbery.) You can watch folks adding these sorts of things, almost in real-time, at the Google link below -- and it's weirdly addictive.
Camelot Unchained discusses the trouble with rendering engines
It's been said multiple times by the Camelot Unchained team that this game is meant to be large. The focus is on large-scale sieges, not a couple of guys banging on the front door of a castle. That means the game needs to be able to handle a huge number of players on the screen at any one time. How do you find an engine that can handle that? According to the latest update on Kickstarter, you build one. While the engine isn't built entirely from scratch, it isn't based off of an established engine, simply because it's being custom-built to handle the game's specific needs. The attached video allows you to see the engine in action, scaling from a handful of characters up to the moving mob pictured in the header. If you want to know more about what makes the game pretty to look at, this will be very relevant to your interests.
Reuters: Walmart looking into crowd-sourcing online delivery
Walmart is considering the slightly insane sounding idea of using its in-store customers to deliver online orders to help it compete with bricks and mortar-less competitors like Amazon, according to Reuters. The big box outfit currently ships internet purchases from just 25 of its stores using the likes of FedEx to handle delivery, but plans to drastically increase that number going forward. In theory, customers could sign up for the chore and drop packages off to customers who are on their route home in exchange for a discount. CEO Joel Anderson he could "see a path to where this is crowd-sourced," adding that "this is at the brain-storming stage, but it's possible in a year or two." Naturally, there's a gauntlet of insurance, theft, fraud and legal issues Walmart would need to run first -- along with the slightly skeevy idea of having a random stranger show up with your packages.
DIYRockets starts a challenge to build open source, 3D-printed rocket engines
DIYRockets believes that our chances of advancing space exploration improve when everyone can lend a hand. The company is putting its money where its mouth is by launching a competition to develop 3D-printed rocket motors using Sunglass' cloud design platform. Teams who sign up have to build an engine that could boost a nanosatellite-level payload into low Earth orbit using 3D-printed steel and other safe materials. The only major stipulations are that creators present a good business case and open-source their creations to help out other builders. DIYRockets' prize strategy reflects its for-the-greater-good ambitions: there's a $5,000 award for the best motor, but there are separate $2,500 prizes for both a student creation and the design that contributes the most to the industry. Registration officially starts on March 9th, and runs until April 6th, with the finished models due on June 1st. We'll be closer to a crowdsourced vision of space when the winners are revealed by July 1st.
The Missing Ink kickstarts for tablet versions
The Missing Ink is one of the most uniquely stylized MMOs that we've ever seen around these here parts, and our time with the game has made us crave it all the more. While the title is currently in open beta and preparing for a launch this year, RedBedlam has pulled the trigger on a Kickstarter fundraiser to bring The Missing Ink to iPad and Android tablets as well as help the studio self-publish the title. RedBedlam has a rough-working iPad version but could use the funds to help polish the user interface, advertise the game, and start work on an Android version. Past that, funds raised will be used for "content, content, content." At the least expensive sponsor level, players can not only contribute to the project but obtain a future copy of the iOS game at a discounted rate. [Thanks to Sounder for the tip!]
Petroglyph puts Victory on Kickstarter, hopes for victory
The stack of games made about World War II is pretty thick at this point, but Petroglyph is hoping to add another game to that lineup with its newest Kickstarter project, Victory. Fresh off of its departure from the End of Nations project, the studio is trying something different with the game's formula. It's a strategy game in real-time, but it's not an RTS; rather, it's closer to playing World of Tanks with control over an entire squad. As the project page outlines, players will be given control of a squad of units, which has to either defeat the enemy units or capture and hold key locations. Units that are killed are gone, with no base management or tech trees to worry about in the thick of gameplay. The game is not being designed as a free-to-play title, but it is meant for online competitive play. If this sounds intriguing enough to cut through the fatigue of endless World War II games, take a look at all the details on the Kickstarter page.
Google to crowdsource Indian mapping data, offers swag to top contributors
What's the best method of finding your way in a foreign land? Just ask the locals, and that's exactly what El Goog is doing in India with its Mapathon 2013 competition. The contest is running from February 12th through March 25th, and is asking residents of the Asian nation to add additional detail or update information in Google Maps using Map Maker. Working for Google without actually working for Google isn't very alluring, so to compensate participants for their knowledge and effort, the search giant is offering prizes -- slates, phones, vouchers (presumably for the Play store) and other merchandise -- for the top 1,000 contributors. If you're willing and able to get involved, head to the source link for the lowdown on how. When you finally get round to seeing the Taj Mahal in person and check your phone for the nearest watering hole, remember to raise a toast to Mapathon 2013 for getting you there.
Players look to crowdsourcing for EVE Online documentary
It's called A Tale of Internet Spaceships, and it's a movie that hasn't happened yet. A group of Swedish EVE Online players are turning to crowdsourcing in order to fund a documentary of their favorite online game, asking for a total of $6,000 through Indiegogo from fans. If funded, A Tale of Internet Spaceships will be filmed at this spring's EVE Fanfest in Iceland. Following the convention, the "full-length" documentary will be pieced together and finished by later this year. "We'll be bringing our cameras to document the community in action: to capture the spirit of the game and to explore the sometimes complicated relationship between said community and CCP Games themselves," said project manager Petter Mårtensson. "We hope to find the answer to why the players love and live EVE Online in the way they do."
Google's newly detailed North Korea maps offer a peek into an isolated land
North Korea has yet to welcome the internet with open arms despite Eric Schmidt's visit, but the internet is certainly welcoming North Korea: as of a sweeping update, Google Maps touts detailed cartography of the secluded state rather than the voids we've known before. The results still leave significant blank spots, although that's forgivable when Google Map Maker is virtually the only option to improve accuracy. We doubt a suspicious government is about to let Street View cars run freely on Pyongyang's streets when visitors can't even get mobile internet access, after all. Google already plans to patch those holes in a timelier fashion by incorporating future Map Maker changes as soon as they're proven accurate. While many of those covered by the update might never see it for themselves, Google's work at least paints a more complete picture of the world for the rest of us.
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]
World of Midgard opens up Kickstarter campaign
All right, so you've probably seen your fair share of Kickstarters for MMORPGs by now. Including ones aiming at being an old-school revival. And you've seen a lot of them offering to let you play on both mobile devices and on your desktop... Wait, that part is kind of new. And if it appeals to you, you should probably take a look at World of Midgard's new Kickstarter project. The game is currently running in a beta state, but the development team wants to move forward and complete the game in a suitable fashion. That means a need for money, and that's why the game is opening the doors to crowdsourcing. The project offers an exclusive mount for players who donate just up to the $15 level, with increasingly extravagant rewards for those who offer more. If it sounds like your cup of tea, take a look at the project and consider sending a few dollars along to help development.
Apple retail employees encouraged to report Maps issues
With many thousands of staffers in the US alone, Apple's retail team has numbers on its side. It also has geographic diversity, with stores in 45 of the 50 states. Lots of people in lots of places who presumably carry lots of iOS devices -- just what you need if, perchance, you're looking to clean up some facepalm-worthy glitches in a shiny new mapping dataset. Gary Allen of ifoAppleStore tweeted early this morning that store managers are asking employees to report Maps errors that they see in iOS 6 while they are out and about while working, on the clock. We've independently confirmed that a communication to that effect did go out to retail staff members (at least in the US and Canada), although we don't know precisely what it said. MacRumors suggests that the map quest will be fairly formal and well-organized, with teams of employees dedicating up to 40 hours per week, cumulatively, to the wayfinding fixes; submitted data would go through a dedicated Apple portal rather than being bundled with general user feedback. Allen's initial report suggested the effort would be voluntary. Of course, calling for fixes to map errors isn't purely the province of those who are being paid out of Cupertino's hoard of dragon gold: you too can help the cause by reporting errors and missing features in iOS 6's Maps app. Tapping the page curl on the lower right corner of the map reveals several controls including the "Report a Problem" button, which in turn gives you all the necessary feedback options. [via AppleInsider]