Kickstarter Kompilation: August 2020 edition
Interviews aplenty fuel this month's highlights
Welcome back my friends to the pandemic season that never ends. I guess it's "summer" in the northern hemisphere; I'm certainly sweating more and require air conditioning, but the "vacation" which normally accompanies such weather is nowhere to be seen. Anway, let's see what video game crowdfunding projects are live this month!
As always, we have no insider information or financial interest in any of these projects, and no one at Retronauts has been compensated for including anything on this page. Also, in light of the ongoing global crisis, we recommend only backing crowdfunding campaigns if you feel comfortable with your own security and stability.
Like a Hurricane: An Unofficial Oral History of Street Fighter II
Platform: it's a book (not an ebook, a book-book)
Campaign ends: August 8
Estimated delivery time: March 2021
Minimum pledge to receive the book: £30 (about $39 US)
Retronauts listeners should be well familiar with Matt Leone whose involvement with our podcast dates back to the 1UP era. These days Matt is the Features Editor of Polygon and he has published a number of wonderful oral histories on legendary video games - Street Fighter II included. This project will compile his work into "a book that tells the story of what happened behind the scenes during the first era of Street Fighter (as well as what happened with spin-offs such as DarkStalkers, X-Men: Children of the Atom, Street Fighter: The Movie: The Game, and Street Fighter EX)."
The Myst Documentary
Platform: it's a movie (digital/DVD/Blu-ray)
Campaign ends: August 13
Estimated delivery time: December 2022
Minimum pledge to receive the movie: $30 US (digital copy only)
We can all agree that we need more movies about video games, yes? Not based on games, about games. With that in mind, here's a campaign led by director Philip Shane who wants to tell the story of Myst, the revolutionary computer game that became a huge hit back in 1993. To do so, Shane will interview Myst co-creators (and brothers) Robyn and Rand Miller "along with several other gaming and computing luminaries."
Note that to get a hard-copy of this documentary requires a pledge of at least $150 US.
Retro Tea Breaks Vol. 1
Platform: it's a book
Campaign ends: August 13
Estimated delivery time: November 2020
Minimum pledge to receive the book: £10 (about $13 US - digital only)
Like, er, Like A Hurricane above, Retro Tea Breaks Vol.1 is a book based on a series of interviews. Unlike Like A Hurricane, Retro Tea Breaks will not tell the story of a single game or even a series, but a variety of perspectives from "pioneers" of the early days of video game development. According to author Neil Thomas the book is "completely written and ready for publication" save for the bonus chapters which have been unlocked via stretch goals - one of which includes an interview with Lord British himself, Richard Garriot.
Note that to get a physical edition of the book requires a pledge of at least £15 (about $20 US).
Space Raft: The Game
Platform: NES
Campaign ends: August 28
Estimated delivery time: October 2020
Minimum pledge to receive the game: $10 US (digital only)
Demo Available
I think a lot of us who remember playing games in our childhoods do so via our faves but from the earliest consoles, video games have always been a commercial medium which meant there were plenty of licensed products looking to cash in on consumers' familiarity with movies, comics, or even hit bands. Space Raft is one such band out of Wisconsin (allegedly) who remember those days and think it would be funny to make "a Rock n' Roll retro-game experience" starring themselves, As the Kickstarter page puts it, "Space Raft: The Game attempts to recapture the idea of art as marketing and turn it back into art once again."
Note that to get an actual NES cartridge requires a pledge of at least $45 US.
Eiyuden Chronicles: Hundred Heroes
Platform: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One/Series X, and "Nintendo's next generation console"
Campaign ends: August 29
Estimated delivery time: October 2022
Minimum pledge to receive the game: ¥4000 (about $39 US - digital only)
Spiritual successor time? Spiritual successor time! It's been a while, but Eiyuden Chronicles is a game made by experienced Japanese developers who wish to create a new project similar to famous creations they made years ago. In this case, the magic word is Suikoden: Yoshitaka Murayama co-created the series and directed the first two games, while Junko Kawano was a designer and artist on the original game. There are other established names on the project, but these two are the ones listed at the very top of the page. The project was funded instantly and is now cruising into the multi-million-dollar range, so, no pressure!
Note that to get a physical copy of the game requires a pledge of at least ¥6000 (about $58 US).
