Jumping on the Kickstarter bandwagon is Camouflaj + Logan who want to make a stealth action game for touch-based platforms. They are seeking $500,000 for the game, which will focus on what they describe as a “believable, non-sexualized female lead.”
“Developed by industry veterans behind AAA games like Metal Gear Solid, Halo, F.E.A.R., Kinect, and cutting edge videos like the Skyrim television spot and the iconic iPod ‘silhouette’ ads, République represents a strategic alliance between Camouflaj and Logan to make an epic action game designed specifically for touch-based devices,” posted Ryan Paton. “On October 31, Logan founder, Alexei Tylevich, and I wrestled with feedback we received from industry colleagues who told us that our ambitions were too big. They suggested we do something simple and small like so many other games on iOS… Alexei and I spent hours reviewing the production and financial risks. We discussed our belief that gamers will embrace iOS when more games are made for them. By sunset, we were even more committed to doing something different, big, and risky.”
“We immediately went to work on developing a gameplay system that drives the symbiotic relationship between Hope and the player. Our internal design pillar is ‘Hope is Alive,’ meaning Hope is not a marionette for the player to manipulate, but rather a smart, believable, and empathic hero,” he continued. “Books like 1984 have served as key sources of inspiration not only for the narrative, but also the core gameplay. In République, players become Big Brother: Hope’s protector and growing threat to the Overseer’s grip over his secret nation as players gain control of any network-enabled devices, introducing really cool puzzle scenarios. With the tap of a finger, players can power down lights, wiretap calls, summon elevators and — like a good big brother or big sister — protect Hope by slamming doors on her pursuers.”
What the veteran development team hopes to do is push a true AAA experience on a mobile platform. “Thanks to the global proliferation of iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad, hundreds of millions of people are now carrying a powerful gaming device with them every day. Finally, game makers can truly speak to a global audience, an audience that — thanks to touch controls — can easily jump into the interactive experience,” wrote Paton. “iOS is becoming a great gaming platform, but where are the games for people who love intense action and story-driven experiences Where are the AAA games designed specifically for touch-based devices As someone who loathes virtual joysticks, I have great respect for what Chair Entertainment did with Infinity Blade: they built an action game specifically for touch devices. We aim to do the same.”
Rewards for those investing in the Kickstarter include a soundtrack CD, a making of DVD and a journal detailing elements of the world for those that invest enough.
“République will cost north of $1 million to complete. After months of meetings and due diligence, we have secured investment partners in Seattle area who are willing to pony up half of the development costs if we can prove, through Kickstarter, that there is indeed a market for a serious game like République on iOS. In exchange for outside investment help, we must promise a percentage of net profits. Creative control and IP ownership is not (and will never be) on the table,” said Paton. “In the very happy event that we exceed our $500,000 Kickstarter goal, this will grant us more financial freedom and will allow us to build an even better game. We will also consider the idea of developing République for other platforms, however this is not a decision we take lightly, as we firmly believe in developing our games to the strengths of each platform.”
Source: Kickstarter.com
