I think there were several factors that led to the decent amount of funding received for the project, and it does bode well for the game itself.
First of all, Howard Tayler has been producing the web comic for over ten years now, and it is a popular comic. He will be creating all of the artwork for the game himself. He has also playtested the game and is a self-confessed boardgamer. He really seems enthused about it in the video on the Kickstarter page, enough to break into a play by play of the play (yes, I purposely said play three times), which is always a sign that a gamer really got into a particular game.
Secondly, Living World Games has already got the production of the game worked out with Ludo Fact in Germany, and promise a copy to their supporters before the next Gen Con in August.
Thirdly, supporters also receive a pdf to print out an play to give them a feel for what they have supported, including the learning scenarios from the game. It would be nice to have gotten an advance look before pledging, but at least those who pledged will have an idea of what to expect.
Finally, Living World Games has already produced 1955: The War of Espionage, and list several other interesting games in development on their website, so they meet our criteria of having the experience to know what they are doing, but young enough to be one of those companies who are using Kickstarter the way we believe it was intended, to give young companies the boost they need.
So congrats to Living World Games for their successful run, we look forward to seeing Schlock Mercenary. Actually, I’m going to go check out some of the comics now.
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Thanks for the write-up!
I was amazed at the response to the Kickstarter. Based on my experience with merchandising for the comic, I was confident we’d hit the funding goal. I had no inkling that we’d shoot up to $82k, especially not during a month when I was also offering new merchandise (calendars, shirts, mugs, etc.) It was really astounding.
We’re now heads-down on production. I have a stack of “draw this” notes waiting for me to tuck into next week, and we’ve already laid out some of the vector files for the promos.
I can’t wait to sit down at my table at GenCon and play with unsuspecting (or suspecting) fans.
Sounds like you had all the ducks in a row before you brought the project to Kickstarter. When people see that they can feel confident lending support to the project. Nicely done and we’ll look forward to staying on top of developments as far as Schlock Mercenary.
Not sure what you’ll do with that bazillion dollars though… Is that more or less than a gazillion? My math skills aren’t that tight.
No problem Howard, Thanks for stopping by! Congrats, and make sure to save us a spot at that table at GenCon.