Video gaming sees its highest crowdfunding year to date
Love it or hate it, the concept of crowdfunding came into its own last year – at least in regards to video games – with a record-breaking amount of money raised for gaming-related projects on prolific backer site Kickstarter.
As reported by industry analysts Ico Partners, 2020 saw a total of $23 million USD raised specifically for video game-related projects on the crowdfunding site – representing a 35% increase in backer donations when compared to 2019. Ironically, the actual number of projects themselves was slightly down on the previous year, with 1,331 Kickstarter projects accounted for, compared to 2019’s 1,403.
Of course, not every project that opens itself up to the crowdfunding market will achieve its goals, and of the aforementioned 1,331 projects, only 408 actually hit their respective targets. Most notable among these are Suikoden spin-off Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, which absolutely shattered its initial Kickstarter goals by raking in a staggering $4.5 million USD in funds.
Despite these impressive numbers, Ico Partners suggests that video games continue to have a rollercoaster ride on Kickstarter, and are yet to return to the same level of prevalence as the medium held in the earliest years of crowdfunding. Regardless, 2020 has seen a definite upturn in both project interest and success stories, which is likely to continue in 2021.
Games projects raised $23m on Kickstarter in 2020 [GamesIndustry.biz / Ico Partners]