How did they do it? Where is that money coming from and where is it going?
Star Citizen has an interesting past with a very loyal fan base. From the mind of Chris Roberts, the creator of the Wing Commander series, the game is an MMO with a persistent world. Action. Adventure. The whole deal. It's been commented on as The Lord of the Rings, but in space. It's taking all of those Wing Commander years and turning it into one big game. And it's been in production since 2012. The game has a fan convention for project backers, 4 years and going. It even has Wing Commander fan favorite Mark Hamill on board.
Alpha versions of the game are in backer's hands, but the game hasn't officially released. Note the word Alpha. It's not in Beta yet. This isn't like other MMO's on the market; out and constantly updated with weekly/monthly patches. Star Citizen isn't available to those who aren't backers. And Roberts is a great hype man who generally lives up to his promises. So people flood the company's website, spend money to support the game, and get their copy of an Alpha. Money goes towards subscription fees, in-game rewards, and purchasing digital land.
But it's also been in quite a bit of legal trouble for it's delays. One backer sued for a refund of the $25,000 he donated as he was not happy with the results of the project. Another high-dollar backer has also asked for a refund. And then there's Crytek, which has sued the developer for breach of contract. The game uses Crytek's CryEngine system. Star Citizen has been split into 2 games; an MMO and now a single-player version. The developer didn't up their contract to pay for the use of the engine with the second game. If Crytek wins or they don't come to a resolution, Star Citizen's development could be halted.
The devs need whatever good news they can hold on to, and ensure people spend more money. The bounding success of their fundraising continues. Good for them. Hopefully the legal troubles clear up and they are able to provide a finished product to backers sooner rather then later.
Alpha versions of the game are in backer's hands, but the game hasn't officially released. Note the word Alpha. It's not in Beta yet. This isn't like other MMO's on the market; out and constantly updated with weekly/monthly patches. Star Citizen isn't available to those who aren't backers. And Roberts is a great hype man who generally lives up to his promises. So people flood the company's website, spend money to support the game, and get their copy of an Alpha. Money goes towards subscription fees, in-game rewards, and purchasing digital land.
But it's also been in quite a bit of legal trouble for it's delays. One backer sued for a refund of the $25,000 he donated as he was not happy with the results of the project. Another high-dollar backer has also asked for a refund. And then there's Crytek, which has sued the developer for breach of contract. The game uses Crytek's CryEngine system. Star Citizen has been split into 2 games; an MMO and now a single-player version. The developer didn't up their contract to pay for the use of the engine with the second game. If Crytek wins or they don't come to a resolution, Star Citizen's development could be halted.
The devs need whatever good news they can hold on to, and ensure people spend more money. The bounding success of their fundraising continues. Good for them. Hopefully the legal troubles clear up and they are able to provide a finished product to backers sooner rather then later.
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