And I thought it was only Japanese companies who did announcements of announcements.

With Kickstarter, it kind of makes sense to announce you're starting one. That way, you don't waste funding days trying to get the word out. I'm curious what this is. If it's Shantae HD for Wii U, I might as well give WayForward Technologies my bank account and routing numbers.

Oh look, yet another company running to exploit the gullibility of their fanbase via Kickstarter when they see steady work in the industry otherwise.

What? You know it's true. I generally like WayForward despite the spectacularly average quality of their releases, but they have no business putting up a Kickstarter when they're making major digital releases for Nintendo and Capcom.  This company just put out DuckTales and Mighty Switch Force 2. If their games sell so badly that they need Kickstarter to keep putting games out, why should anyone donate to them?

Something tells me this has to do with a Shantae game.

Capcom pays them to make the games Capcom wants them to make. You can't assume it would be as easy to get funding for their own pet project. And yeah, I would be absolutely shocked if this were anything other than Shantae.

Because sales don't equal quality.

Wayforward Technologies funds the projects their passionate about by making licensed games. That's why they make a lot of them, but at least they put some effort into them even if the games aren't perfect. I prefer their original IPs which don't get made as frequently. If Kickstarter helps them put the games I want from them out quicker, I'll send a few bucks their way. I've yet to be let down by them and I have no reservations about their reputation. It's the same reason I couldn't bring myself to contribute to Shadow of the Eternals.

I'm rooting for Cat Girl Without Salad.

And likewise the lack of sales doesn't equal genius. At the end of the day, it just means that people don't think your work is worth buying.

I have no problem with WayForward wanting to make their own stuff, even if their unlicensed stuff tends to be pretty lackluster. My issue is that this is one of the more prolific studios in the industry, and I have very hard time believing they don't have the funds to fund their own project once in a while or the ability to con a publisher into funding it for them.  The last time I checked, Kickstarter was put up to be a way to help up-and-comers have a shot at making their dream.  It's not there to be the slush fund of companies that could otherwise afford to make that product.

You must have checked a couple years ago. It hasn't been exclusive to that for a while.

As I said, that's what it was "put up" to do. Seeing these established companies milking their fans for money so they don't have to spend any of their own just irks me. It feels against the spirit of the program.

There. I've said my piece. You all can go back to debating amongst yourselves how much you're going to pay WayForward to make a new Shantae game.

Interesting. I wouldn't be surprised if the results of the Shovel Knight Kickstarter influenced them to go down this route. I'm glad to see more companies use sites like this and turn to their fans to get funding for their projects.

I answered your question, but the opposite of that answer isn't really a valid counterpoint. Still, the most the important part of my post was:

I definitely don't think it's as black and white as "lack of sales means no one wants your games." That's like saying "no experience means you can't possibly create something good" at which point Kickstarter shouldn't even exist. If someone believes in a project, that's reason enough to help fund it.

And to clarify, I don't really donate to Kickstarter projects. I fully expect something in return so I always choose the tier that gives me the final product. I suppose technically I pay a little more for that tier and it could be considered charity, but in the end, I still want things. I'm not noble enough to just hand out hard earned dollars. I want to be entertained even if it's more of a future investment for that entertainment.

They don't want to make their own games "once in a while." They want to make them without having to go the licensed IP route. Kickstarter allows them to skip the process that's slowed the production of their pet projects. Since those are the ones I care about, they can have some of my money.

And going through a publisher means working on their schedule, according to their rules and their whims. That's why self-publishing is so important to smaller developers and indies.

I'm mostly curious to see what the project might actually be before passing judgement on it.  I like Wayforward's games, generally, but I've yet to play Shantae, to be honest.  A Wii version wouldn't mean that much to me, but it does seem likely that this is what they might promote.

I wouldn't even mind if were another revival of another forgotten video game IP(e.g. A Boy and His Blob), but that seems unlikely.



As for kickstarter, I'm glad it exists, because it does give an additional avenue for creative people to sell their ideas.  Adrock is correct; there is a way to support projects on kickstarter without feeling as if you've been taken.  On the other side of the coin, it is easy for some people to become overly-generous if they feel emotionally attached to a project or a artist/group responsible for making it.

Yeah, publishers (i.e.: the ones with the money) aren't too keen on funding independent developers right now - and they're *really* not too keen on doing it with pet projects... so, if WayForward is making a new Shantae or such, there's just no way a publisher is going to come near that.

Dear WayForward: make one of the tiers be where I can mail in a WF game and you'll have the team responsible autograph it. :D

Aren't they a small enough company that they'd probably do it?

I'm also curious about the reward tiers.  I'll bet they'll probably come up with something that's pretty creative. :)

If it's a new Shantae game I'm in, and specially for Wii U. Shantae in Motherfucking HD... shake dat ass! LOL

YES
YES YES YES YES YES

It's Shantae. I'm as shocked as you are. Here's a link to Wayforward's Kickstarter for Half-Genie Hero

I missed the early backer special so I'll contribute at least $15 for a download code of the Wii U version. Not bad considering I spent $12 on Risky's Revenge. I'm tempted to pledge $25 for the soundtrack because that theme song is pretty catchy.

DONE. I backed them more than I probably should have but...I love WayForward and I love Shantae and I kinda love the rewards they're handing out.

I'm a sucker.  I backed this for the $25 tier because of the theme song.  Sounds catchy.  Between this and NotMegaMan! No. 9, I seem to be shelling out more dough than I need to for games I won't play for at least a year.

I like WayForward a lot, and I'd like to see them succeed with this.  In the meantime, I need to actually go back and play some of the Shantae games.  They've interested me, but I've never actually gotten around to trying them out.                                                                     

Top secret reward for devoted backers if all stretch goals are reached: curvy Shantae body pillows.  (!?)


Ok, maybe not.

Barkley 2 did it.

Very good point! BUT HE FAILED!