Kickstarter continues to grow in popularity for funding games, thanks to the collective wallet of the internet.
Crowdfunding is kind of a big deal by this point, and Kickstarter’s year-end statistics prove it. Since the beginning of 2013, a whopping $106 million has been pledged to Kickstarter projects under the umbrella of the “Games” category. Over the course of the year, more than 4,000 Games projects were successfully backed. Not a bad year for the service, all in all.
Kickstarter and other crowdfunding sites have become more and more viable as options for indie developers. Last year saw about 2,800 Games projects successfully funded, with a grand total of $83 million pledged – and this year showed big increases to both counts.
A lot of this year’s funding went to big-name projects like Massive Chalice ($1.2 million), Mighty No. 9 ($3.8 million), and Torment: Tides of Numenera ($4.2 million). Still, the increase in the sheer number of games that met their funding goals means that, in general, Kickstarter saw a lot of success from smaller projects with more modest goals.
It hasn’t been that long since the Kickstarter craze began, and many of the popular game projects from the service’s early days are just now launching. It’s very possible that the site’s surge in popularity is due to those projects that have followed through on the promises made in their funding campaigns, and more people are putting their faith in these risky ideas. Don’t be surprised if Kickstarter and its ilk continue to grow in 2014.
Source: Gamasutra
