Jordan Weisman, co-creator of Shadowrun and co-founder of game company Harebrained Schemes, sat down recently with Gamasutra’s Kris Graft to talk about the Kickstarter campaign that funded Shadowrun Returns. Jordan describes the Kickstarter, which had an initial goal of $400,000 and wound up raising $1.8 million, as an “emotional experience” that put him in touch with Shadowrun fans.
Weisman also talks about some of the difficulties of having a Kickstarter excel so far beyond expectations, and gives some tips to game designers looking to harness Kickstarter to fund their ideas. Some points to highlight:
- Of all the money raised, only 65% could go into developing the game. The rest paid for Kickstarter fees, Microsoft’s royalties, and producing and shipping physical backer rewards.
- Weismann stresses planning and communication as the most essential parts of a successful Kickstarter. Make it clear to yourself and the audience exactly what game you’re trying to make.
- Even though they exceeded their Kickstarter goal, the Harebrained Schemes team had to keep their imaginations in check when designing Shadowrun Returns. Every new feature took more manpower, time, and money than expected.
If you want to read the whole article you can find it on Gamasutra.