Wasteland 2, like Double Fine's adventure game, is one of Kickstarter's greatest video game project successes. And, like Double Fine's adventure game, it's also run into a snag because, well, y'all just gave it too darn much money.
The game is six weeks behind schedule, says developers inXile entertainment, and the reason is the "increased scope" that came from getting $2 million more than the $900,000 it originally sought. That means the game's planned October release will now essentially begin its beta. An estimated full release date was not mentioned in the latest update on the game's progress.
Now, inXile still has enough money to finish the game; the $2 million extra piled on top of their fundraising led them to put so much extra stuff in the game that they got behind schedule. They can still pay for it with what was donated. Different story from Double Fine, which rode gamer goodwill from a $400,000 goal all the way to $3 million total, then earlier this month said the game being built was now so big and so incomplete they either needed more money or had to cut it in half to meet a January release date. Double Fine chose the latter option, with the remainder to be rolled out a few months later.
Wasteland 2 and Broken Age (Double Fine's adventure) are two of Kickstarter's most conspicuous successes, and they kicked off a games development gold rush and a wave of good-time fuck-the-publishers sentiment. Thing about publishers, though, they may be the cash machine, but they can crack the whip. Crowdfunding donors are just the cash machine.
I point this out in hopes that Chris Roberts and the $5.7 million-funded Star Citizen project are paying attention, because I don't think this "OMG, we got so much money we can't finish the job on time" excuse is going to fly again.
Making the Date [Kickstarter]
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