Developer, inXile, delivered the massively successful Wasteland 2 under the direction of Brian Fargo, and now Wasteland 3 is on the way. Set to release on PC, Mac, PS4, Xbox One, and quite refreshingly Linux (for those of us like yours truly running Ubuntu). The crowdfunding campaign just launched to RPG hungry backers.
Unlike its predecessor, Wasteland 3 is not funding through Kickstarter. This is despite Wasteland 2 achieving its Kickstarter goal of $900,000 in an impressive 48 hours. Wasteland 3 is instead being funded via Fig.
Getting Figgy With It
inXile’s Brian Fargo seeks $2.75 million, and sees Fig as hope for the future of crowdfunding. In a Sept. 28, 2016 Polygon article, Fargo cited Kickstarter’s overall loss of momentum for the switch. It’s Fig’s equity funding option that Fargo sees as a means of jump-starting the crowdfunding space, especially with larger $1,000 and up tiers. The idea seems to be that infusing crowdsourcing with more of a business-focus will eliminate the trend of one-time backing.
Fargo’s position on Fig’s advisory board probably adds to the pressure on both him and Fig to ensure Wasteland 3 is a runaway success. Fig has only been home to a handful of campaigns (with mixed results) after all. The most successful campaign to date, Psychonauts 2, was courtesy of Tim Schafer, another member of the Fig board.
Thankfully for Fargo, Fig, and anxious gamers, the Wasteland 3 campaign is off to an impressive start. Less than a day after launching, over $1.8 million has been raised, $1.45 million of which comes from equity backers.
Changes to the franchise aren’t restricted to funding method. Wasteland 3 will also see some gameplay changes for the series. A co-op mode joins the roster of features, and Wasteland 2’s turn-based tactical combat gets further refinement. You can kiss the desert goodbye, by the way, instead, prepare to trek through frozen Colorado.
As someone who really enjoyed Wasteland 2, especially the polished final iteration, I’m rather excited for Wasteland 3. Seems I’m not alone.
[…] week neophyte crowdfunding platform Fig is having. The launch of multiple campaigns, including Wasteland 3, and, more importantly news that the platform now has the ok to accept a broader range of […]
Any chance you can do a feature on the pros and cons and main differences between Kickstarter/Indiegogo and Fig (And perhaps other sites if possible)
That’s a great idea! I’ll go ahead and pitch that.
[…] Considering this isn’t inXile’s first campaign it’s a bit concerning to see them having so many problems. Problems they could have easily solved or avoided if they’d simply communicated better. Maybe they’ll learn their lesson when they release Wasteland 3? […]
[…] to make the move to Fig since the platform premiered. Following in the profitable footsteps of Wasteland 3 and Pillars Of Eternity II: Deadfire, are developers starting to abandon Kickstarter for their […]
[…] a lot of crowdfunded pies right now. They just released Torment: Tides of Numenera, development on Wasteland 3 is in full swing, and Bard’s Tale IV is due out later this year. With so many plates already […]