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The Biggest Crowded-Funded Games
Guest Post | Dec 14, 2022
Image: Unsplash/Denise Jans
The landscape of the gaming industry has changed dramatically over the last couple of decades with a wide range of different factors behind this trend.
One of the most obvious drivers is the proliferation of smartphones. These pocket-sized computers have given almost everyone on the planet the ability to play games on the go, with more than a million different titles available to play on both Android and Apple devices.
The internet has also been a major influence in a number of ways. The most notable of these is that it has allowed people to play with their friends and strangers without having to be in the same room. There are plenty of ways this can be done, but the most common is to load up a game and join a public lobby.
However, players that want a more intimate experience with just the people they know can create their own private games. For fans of poker, the leading online card room, PokerStars offers its Home Games platform that lets players create their own clubs that they can decorate and set the rules for. This means players can still enjoy their poker nights with their pals, even if they’re in other parts of the country or even the other side of the world.
Aside from these two examples, another big factor that has helped to reshape the gaming industry has been crowdfunding. This is because it has helped to democratise the development and marketing of many different kinds of content, including video games, board games, and card games.
Through sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo, crowdfunding has helped to finance the development of thousands of different titles. While many have eventually flopped or ticked over with mediocre performance, some have gone on to become smash hits that are enjoyed by millions of people right around the world.
Exploding Kittens
Exploding Kittens might seem like a strange name for a card game, but it’s one of the reasons why it has been able to stand out and make history.
It made history in 2015 when it became the most-funded project on Kickstarter at the time. Even today, almost eight years on, Exploding Kittens remains the third-largest in the history of the platform having raised US$8.7 million.
It wasn’t just the final figure that was impressive, either. It was also the speed in which it hit eye-watering sums. In just the first 24 hours on the website, Exploding Kittens had more than $1.3 million pledged with 91,000 backers chipping in over $3.5 million by the fourth day. This was despite an initial target of just $10,000.
Since its launch, Exploding Kittens has gone on to sell more than 11 million copies with several expansion packs helping to keep it fresh.
Image: Unsplash/Igor Karimov
Divinity: Original Sin
It’s not just physical games that are crowded funded, either. Divinity: Original sin is an RPG video game that was partially funded through Kickstarter.
Although it didn’t quite reach the levels attracted by Exploding Kittens, the $1 million that Larian Studios managed to raise through the crowdfunding platform helped to cover the roughly $4 million development budget.
Following the success of the first, developers turned to Kickstarter again when they wanted to raise the funds for a sequel. After hitting the platform in August 2015, Divinity: Original Sin 2 received $500,000 in just 12 hours and, by the end of the campaign, more than $2 million was pledged.
The game eventually launched for Windows two years later, with console versions following in the months that followed.
Cards Against Humanity
But before either of these two projects made it to Kickstarter, Cards Against Humanity became a trail blazer in the crowd-funded game space.
Its campaign was much more modest. After going live on the platform in December 2010 with a target of just $4,000. This was achieved just a few weeks late and by the end of the fundraising period in late January 2011, the creators has raised more than $15,000.
Although this was pocket change compared to Exploding Kittens, Cards Against Humanity has gone on to be one of the most successful card games of the 21st century. The company that produces the game generates around $50 million in sales from it and the expansion packs and it reportedly worth around $500 million.
The National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association (NCFA Canada) is a financial innovation ecosystem that provides education, market intelligence, industry stewardship, networking and funding opportunities and services to thousands of community members and works closely with industry, government, partners and affiliates to create a vibrant and innovative fintech and funding industry in Canada. Decentralized and distributed, NCFA is engaged with global stakeholders and helps incubate projects and investment in fintech, alternative finance, crowdfunding, peer-to-peer finance, payments, digital assets and tokens, blockchain, cryptocurrency, regtech, and insurtech sectors. Join Canada's Fintech & Funding Community today FREE! Or become a contributing member and get perks. For more information, please visit: www.ncfacanada.org
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