STALKER 2 still needs to find development funding

Why don't they just ask for community donations while they wait for a publisher to spot them?

I'd donate towards STALKER 2, even if there's a chance the game never gets finished and I lose that money.
 
Graal said:
Why don't they just ask for community donations while they wait for a publisher to spot them?

I'd donate towards STALKER 2, even if there's a chance the game never gets finished and I lose that money.
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A minecraft approach? While you, and to an extent myself, might be happy parting with our $$$ in hopes of eventually seeing a finished product this is a very, very, slippery slope for developers. (I'll see if I can find an article i read the other day on this topic) For that model to work without the risk of contributors dragging GSC to court over failure to deliver (it will happen) they need to release a version of the game which you and I would then "buy" expecting to see regular updates and eventually a completed product. Problem is that unlike minecraft, STALKER2 is a SP experience that has a beginning middle and end. So if you play through it in Alpha or Beta chances are good that it may not change much, interns of plot etc, between Alpha or Beta & final product. Meaning that while we contribute to the completion of the game many wont actually play again after their original playthrough. Meaning those that buy the game later in its cycle or post its release scores (getting the best quality game for their $$$) while early adopters got a bugy, maybe even unplayable, game for a large portion of development. Also how long does the dev get to complete the game? Since no formal contract exists between dev and contributor, should something go catastrophically wrong and the develop does close what are the chances of people getting not only their moneys worth but their money back? Somehow I can't imagine many being happy with that arrangement, I certainly wouldn't be.
 
OmegaFenix makes a valid point, if those that paid to see the game get to its final state play the game through it development cycle are less likely to play the game again after going through the first play through. Also he is correct about the what if situation, if the developer closes shop or something and the game never releases would you be happy forsaking all the money you put in for nothing?

Graal, its a nice idea, but how much contributors would you need considering not everyone would be able to give the same. Then whats stops the developer from finishing the game with the funds and saying its not complete and milking the end users for a bit before they annouce they are going to release. And then are you willing to pay full retail or cost price?
 
Is that what is happening with Grim Dawn? People are playing it through the development cycle?
 
czc said:
Is that what is happening with Grim Dawn? People are playing it through the development cycle?
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Grim Dawn is an RPG, its replay value is much higher than STALKER. The amount of people who replay STALKER is significantly smaller than those who replay a more traditional RPG or Diablo style hack 'n slash.
 
No, not entirely like Minecraft. Just donations. You wouldn't be 'buying' anything, as you'll only get access to the game after it's done, and you'd have to be aware that it's not dead certain the game is going to be finished.

Probably not a lot of people would donate to it, though. And it would require a lot of donations to sustain development.
 
Graal said:
No, not entirely like Minecraft. Just donations. You wouldn't be 'buying' anything, as you'll only get access to the game after it's done, and you'd have to be aware that it's not dead certain the game is going to be finished.

Probably not a lot of people would donate to it, though. And it would require a lot of donations to sustain development.
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I wouldn't donate, Id want something for my $$$. My Grandfather had a saying "Paper is patient." Implying that you can write anything down, keeping to what was promised is an entirely different story. There would be no guarantee that they would ever actually finish it and now with THQ, who published the last 2 STALKER titles also in financial difficulties I wont be holding out for STALKER 2 seeing the light of day anytime soon. If I had the £££ I would buy the IP, it has alot of potential.
 
Donations only work for small indie games it wouldn't work for a AAA title. Even Minecraft which has made load of money was made by one person and only after 2 years or so afaik of development did he hire more staff members and that was only to do community management stuff. So you can imagine how much it would cost to keep a crew of 20+ devs afloat, not to mention like previously stated Minecraft was actually sold as a alpha/beta product and not just someone asking for donations.
 
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