Typically the goal of a crowdfunding campaign is the raise the minimum necessary funding to complete a project. We’re talking bare necessities, no frills or extras. So when The Station managed to hit 100% of its $7,439 funding goal on Sunday, backers were curious about what additional features might be tacked on to the project. In a recent update, the developers have proudly announced, there won’t be any.
“We hope this doesn’t disappoint you, but we won’t be doing any stretch goals as an effort to make sure we don’t let the game’s scope creep forward causing a delay. This project is ambitious and we seek to deliver it at the highest level of quality.”
In addition to easily hitting their funding goal, The Station was also quickly Greenlit on Steam. Ordinarily indie developers would want to ride out this wave of goodwill for all it was worth, but The Station seems to have more far-retching plans. The most notable of these plans is their Alternate Reality Website which explores the prologue of the game.
In The Beginning
The pregame story will be regularly updated to immerse players in the world of The Station. They will get a taste of the politics, characters, and technology that will ultimately drive the game’s narrative.
It’s telling that a dev team that manages to be both incredibly frugal and realistic in their goals is seen as somewhat of a curiosity in the crowdfunding landscape. While I certainly enjoy the added benefits stretch goals can offer, it’s refreshing to see a team fully commit to delivering exactly what they promised.
Most devs are only too happy to continue taking funds long after their goal has been met. This can often be the harbinger of scope creep and delays. But, The Station seems more focused on putting out their game just as it was intended without any additional fanfare. Why isn’t this the norm? Technically, they don’t need any more money, but it’s tempting to pledge some just to encourage this type of dedication.
