Square Enix’s crowdfunding platform, “The Collective,” launched in full today, following a pilot testing phase conducted in January. As part of its launch, mecha action RPG World War Machine by Turque Games will be the first game to make it to the crowdfunding phase.
Here’s how The Collective works: developers make a submission with their game pitch, similar to what they would do on Kickstarter. Once the pitch has been made, the Collective community examines it on the website’s feedback forum for the next 28 days. If enough people support the game—which they express by voting for it—it moves to Phase 2.
Phase 2 is the crowdfunding phase. At this point, Square Enix steps in, helps developers figure out how much money they’ll need to fund their project and provide other kinds of support. If all goes according to plan, the project will move to IndieGoGo, where the crowdfunding process will begin.
In order to qualify for The Collective and Square Enix’s assistance, you need to adhere to a few rules. Your game must be:
- Be developed for PC
- Be digital-only
- Have a budget that’s realistic for crowdfunding
- Not have already been through crowdfunding previously
- Be submitted by a person that can lead development (ie is an industry professional)
Eventually, Square will also let indie developers have access to some of their dormant I.P., starting with Gex, Fear Effect and Anachronox. Details on that front are still being worked out, and more I.P. will be added over time. In the meantime, The Collective is now accepting submissions. You can visit the website here.
