Steam Tags was released a few days ago so I decided to take a look my recommended tags to see just how accurate it was. As I scrolled down the page, I was surprised to see “Kickstarter” as one of my top ones. It got me thinking about my recent game preferences, and indeed a number of the games I purchased or have put on my wishlist as of late have actually been games that have been funded through the crowd-funding website.
Sometime in the middle of 2013, I found myself getting more and more into the indie scene of both the music and the gaming industries. What sparked it, I don’t know but I did know I was drawn to the inspiring creativity that I saw and heard. I found myself wanting to listen to indie bands and wanting to play indie games. This want fueled me to attend a music festival for the first time in my life and to be honest, it was one of the reasons why I acquired so many games through Steam trading. I’ve made a couple of indie music producer friends prior to this enlightenment and while I did support them back then, I didn’t do so as strongly as I do now.
Kickstarter is great platform for indie producers/developers to get the initial funding they need to make their ideas come to life. I believe giving these small groups of creators the opportunity to do so helps drive innovation in our world. Because of this, in addition to pledging funds, I want to show my support for exceptionally outstanding campaigns that are ongoing by writing about them and introducing them to you. Although this blog is still small, I hope I can get at least one or two people to become aware of their works, or maybe even get others interested enough to pledge as well.
I plan to release a Live on Kickstarter! post on a Thursday, at least once a month or whenever something interesting catches my eye. First one should be coming up so stay tuned!
PanickedPixel 
I am not sure how interested you are in the journalism side of things, but I’ve had some good luck getting interviews through Kickstarter. Especially with the smaller games, these people really want all the coverage they can get, even from the smaller sites.
Good way to get some traction, at least, and it’s a lot more fun!
LikeLike
Actually, that was another reason why I wanted to start the column. I thought it would be a great way for me to meet some new people who are directly involved in independent development. I love talking to people who are passionate about their work and I think it’s important to encourage them as much as possible!
I’m looking forward to seeing what this column is able to accomplish in the future. 🙂
LikeLike
Kooky, Let me know if you would be interested in reviewing the Land of Eyas! We are currently running a fundraising campaign on Kickstarter. As C.T. said “Coverage” is important for us, but we are also interested in getting feedback on out game so that we can take it in interesting and unique directions – I think one advantage of being an Indie group is working more closely with our fans in the creative process.
LikeLike
Hi, Matthew! (I hope you don’t mind me calling you that). I just checked out your Kickstarter campaign and the information that came with it. The Land of Eyas seems like interesting and I would love to review it! Feel free to mail me at panickedpixel☆gmail.com (☆=@). Really loving your art by the way!
Indeed, being an Indie certainly allows for a much more personal experience for both the developers and the fans. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of accomplishing something in a collaborative effort. It makes a lot more people feel emotionally attached to the final product!
LikeLike
Thanks so much Kooky! I don’t mind being called Matthew 🙂
LikeLike