Last year, Square Enix launched a crowdfunding initiative for indie developers, dubbed “The Collective”. This morning, the initiative went live and Square Enix revealed the first three developers that will use The Collective to attempt to fund their games.
Ruffian Games, developers of Crackdown 2, are launching a 2D building and resource management game. You manage a Scottish clan competing in the Highland Games, build structures, and launch your clan members at opponents. This one is called Game of Glens, and you can learn more about it here.
The second game is an action RPG featuring mechs, titled World War Machine. This game is developed by Tuque Games and has a focus on customization. It will feature both a single-player mode as well as co-op support for up to five players at a time. You can learn more about it here.
The last game is Moon Hunters by Kitfox Games. This is a 2D, top-down open-world adventure for 1-4 players. It uses 8-bit graphics and takes place in a procedurally generated world. You can learn about it here.
Each of the above three games can be voted on, regarding whether you would crowdfund it or not. If a game can generate enough support, it moves on to the next phase in the process—actual crowdfunding via IndieGogo. If the crowdfunding phase is successful, and the game is completed, Square Enix will offer to distribute the game for the developers, although this choice will be left in the hands of the developer.
Square Enix previously stated that developers will have a chance to utilize certain Eidos I.P. as well, should they participate in The Collective.
The Collective was launched shortly after Square Enix’s recently-appointed president, Yosuke Matsuda, expressed his desire to change how videogames are developed. Matsuda stated that he felt a business model where games remained in development for several years and made no money until they were actually released was becoming increasingly less viable in today’s industry. Instead, he proposed, the solution might be to learn something from Kickstarter and Steam’s Early Access Program, both of which involve fans in the process in return for their support.
