Sites like Kickstarter can be a great way for up-and-coming developers to get the cash needed to make something playable. They can also be a great place for laughs.
Entrepreneur glazedmcguffin has started up an Indie GoGo site (basically Kickstarter in all but name) with the goal of creating "the next great game, a Modern Warfare & Battlefield 3 killer".
"I'm developing a new game franchise that will change the way first person shooters are played", they write. "It's innovative, fun, and features unmatched online multiplayer gameplay. It is competitive with the Modern Warfare and Battlefield franchises."
Exciting! Intros over, it's then down to business. "I'm seeking funding. Non disclosures must be signed for details beyond a certain point for competitive reasons, such as the full design document". You know. In case someone else in the industry stole his idea for a multiplayer shooter to compete with Modern Warfare.
What do I get in return? Well, while most actual Kickstarter projects give the charitable something like a t-shirt or their name in the credits, glazedmcguffin knows this industry too well, charging $500 to get your face in the game (subject to ESRB approval!) and $10,000, presumably to a media outlet that actually pays for coverage, for "Access to select interviews about the project".
As of posting the "game" (which sounds more like either a school project or a scam) has received...$0.
It's like the bottom end of the industry smashed into the top, and everything got horribly, and hilariously, mixed up.
Development of Innovative Video Games [Indie GoGo]