Kickstarter certainly started a revolution in the video game industry when it began being used by major independent game developers to fund their games. Double Fine, Harmonix, and Obsidian all contributed to the shift in the gaming industry, with each of them funding a few of their games through the crowdfunding service. Now, however, all three have pledged their support to the new Fig platform, which allows backers to actually retain a stake in the final product, possibly earning money off the revenue.
“Alex Rigopulos, Chief Creative Officer at Harmonix, will join CEO Justin Bailey (formerly COO of Double Fine) on Fig’s Advisory board, which already consists of video game legends such as Tim Schafer (CEO of Double Fine, developer of hits such as Grim Fandango), Brian Fargo (CEO of inXile Entertainment, developer of hits like Wasteland 2) and Feargus Urquhart (CEO of Obsidian Entertainment, developer of RPG hits like Pillars of Eternity).”
Fig launched last month with the promise of offering gamers a new way to crowdfund their favorite projects. Kickstarter offers backers special rewards, which usually include copies of the game, and other goodies. Fig changed things by allowing backers to actually act more like investors, taking an actual financial stake in the finished product.
While Fig hasn’t become the massive success that Kickstarter is just yet, the service is still in its infancy. With big name independent publishers like Harmonix, Obsidian, and Double Fine promising to launch Fig funded games in the future, it should become a bigger player in the crowdfunding scene very soon.
