Tags: Kingdom Come: Deliverance; Warhorse Studios
After trying, extensively and, as it turns out, unsuccessfully, to pitch their realistic medieval sandbox action-RPG Kingdom Come: Deliverance to various publishers, Warhorse Studios and Daniel Vavra have decided to break the game down in 3 Acts and go the way of Kickstarter, with the funding goal set at £300,000:
A first-person, open world, realistic RPG that will take you to Medieval Europe in a time of great upheaval and strife. A humble, young blacksmith loses everything to war. As he tries to fulfill the dying wish of his father, Fate drags him into the thick of a conspiracy to save a kidnapped king and stop a bloody conflict. You will wander the world, fighting as a knight, lurking in the shadows as a rogue, or using the bard’s charm to persuade people to your cause. You will dive deep into a sweeping, epic, nonlinear story from Daniel Vávra, an award-winning designer from the Mafia series. Our unique, first-person combat system lets you wield sword or bow in both one-on-one skirmishes and large-scale battles. All of this - and more - brought to life beautifully with next-gen visuals delivered via CryEngine 3.
Why Kickstarter?
Our plan was to develop a prototype, pitch it to publishers, and finish development with the subsequent money. We tried to do it that way (and you can read about our experiences on our blog), but in essence, even though everybody we met commended our work, praised our game’s visuals, and believed in our ability to deliver, negotiations would inevitably hit a dead end at the point where the publishers' marketing departments got involved. Why?
"Your game is too niche. There’s no magic. People want wizards and dragons."
We beg to differ. The response from players has always been great. We think gamers like history – look at the success of Total War, Assassin's Creed, Mount and Blade, and Red Dead Redemption. There is no medieval first-person RPG out there, but it does not necessarily follow that nobody wants one - only that there is no easy box for marketing to pigeonhole it in.
Our investor is strong and capable of funding the complete development of our project. But he does not follow the game industry very closely, and needs proof that publishers and marketers are wrong about our game - that you are indeed interested in a mature, medieval RPG that emphasizes freedom and authenticity. And so we stand, as a studio, at a crossroads. Either those naysayers are right, and there truly is no desire for the game we are making, or we are right. Either way, we think Kickstarter is a great way to find out.
£15 gets you a digital copy of the game. Study the Kickstarter page for more rewards.
According to rumours, if the Kickstarter campaign manages to reach its goal, the rest of the development costs will be covered by a Czech millionaire. That must be the "private investor" that the pitch refers to.
After trying, extensively and, as it turns out, unsuccessfully, to pitch their realistic medieval sandbox action-RPG Kingdom Come: Deliverance to various publishers, Warhorse Studios and Daniel Vavra have decided to break the game down in 3 Acts and go the way of Kickstarter, with the funding goal set at £300,000:
A first-person, open world, realistic RPG that will take you to Medieval Europe in a time of great upheaval and strife. A humble, young blacksmith loses everything to war. As he tries to fulfill the dying wish of his father, Fate drags him into the thick of a conspiracy to save a kidnapped king and stop a bloody conflict. You will wander the world, fighting as a knight, lurking in the shadows as a rogue, or using the bard’s charm to persuade people to your cause. You will dive deep into a sweeping, epic, nonlinear story from Daniel Vávra, an award-winning designer from the Mafia series. Our unique, first-person combat system lets you wield sword or bow in both one-on-one skirmishes and large-scale battles. All of this - and more - brought to life beautifully with next-gen visuals delivered via CryEngine 3.
Why Kickstarter?
Our plan was to develop a prototype, pitch it to publishers, and finish development with the subsequent money. We tried to do it that way (and you can read about our experiences on our blog), but in essence, even though everybody we met commended our work, praised our game’s visuals, and believed in our ability to deliver, negotiations would inevitably hit a dead end at the point where the publishers' marketing departments got involved. Why?
"Your game is too niche. There’s no magic. People want wizards and dragons."
We beg to differ. The response from players has always been great. We think gamers like history – look at the success of Total War, Assassin's Creed, Mount and Blade, and Red Dead Redemption. There is no medieval first-person RPG out there, but it does not necessarily follow that nobody wants one - only that there is no easy box for marketing to pigeonhole it in.
Our investor is strong and capable of funding the complete development of our project. But he does not follow the game industry very closely, and needs proof that publishers and marketers are wrong about our game - that you are indeed interested in a mature, medieval RPG that emphasizes freedom and authenticity. And so we stand, as a studio, at a crossroads. Either those naysayers are right, and there truly is no desire for the game we are making, or we are right. Either way, we think Kickstarter is a great way to find out.
£15 gets you a digital copy of the game. Study the Kickstarter page for more rewards.
According to rumours, if the Kickstarter campaign manages to reach its goal, the rest of the development costs will be covered by a Czech millionaire. That must be the "private investor" that the pitch refers to.
