Sometimes a failed crowdfunding campaign can really help a developer progress. After seeing how their project is received by potential backers they can make adjustments and fix issues. By learning from their mistakes developers figure out what they can improve on. Eventually, if they return to crowdfunding, they will come back with a better product. Or they could just come back and hope backers are more willing to overlook their flaws this time. Sanatorium has apparently decided to go the latter route.
The original Kickstarter was launched on July 13th before being canceled on August 4th. Our initial coverage called the developer out, not only for being a bit full of themselves, but also for being incredibly ambitious in asking for €80,000 for little more than a few lackluster character models.
Now with the release of a brand new Sanatorium campaign, I suspect these criticisms did not translate well. To be fair, the funding goal this time around is a comparatively modest $4,447. The budget cuts seem to have stemmed from the decision to cut the English version of the game and focus exclusively on a Spanish one. It’s difficult to know for sure, since the new campaign is only posted in Spanish. I’m having to rely on Google translator to decipher it, which works about as well as you’d expect.
Self-Limited Appeal
I get that crowdfunding is a global market, but with so many potential backers speaking English it seems shortsighted to exclude them from your potential audience. Not that they are missing out. The campaign is nearly a cut/paste of the same information from last time, which remember, was a total failure.
The ghastly character models are back, with no noticeable improvements. There are a few other attempts at modeling, but no actual levels or explanations. There’s no information about gameplay or even what the story might be about. I understand having trouble explaining game mechanics in a foreign language, but since the campaign is entirely in Spanish the developer should have at least broached the topic.
It’s disappointing to see a developer unable or unwilling to improve. Even if the campaign fails, crowdfunding can be an amazing asset for gathering feedback. But for that to be the case, developers must be wiling to listen.
