I have an idea about abandoned projects and replacement patreon sites. Is anyone interested?

[Cyberpink-dev]

I was only talking about creators that start a game, release a first version and then work on it as they go and patrons are just supporting them.

Yeah I'm talking about them too. They release pre-alpha, alpha, beta stage stuff but also intend to release the full 1.0 release on Steam and sell it. So implying that there is a final version coming at some point. A set of features that will be in the game.

 

[Marcibx]

Yeah I'm talking about them too. They release pre-alpha, alpha, beta stage stuff but also intend to release the full 1.0 release on Steam and sell it. So implying that there is a final version coming at some point. A set of features that will be in the game.

You are misquoting me. I said "I was only talking about creators that start a game, release a first version and then work on it as they go and patrons are just supporting them. My argument does not apply to cases when something is sold or is built with the intention of being sold (getting something earlier what would become available later for free anyway I do not consider as selling)."

If they start developing a game with the intention to release it at some point on steam, then they fall to the second group and not to the hobbyists.

 

[yueziyue]

In my opinion, the relationship between supporters and developers on Patreon is a sale and purchase relationship.
Developers build an initial version, and then show it to interested people. Interested people choose to support these developers on patreon, not without purpose, but hope that developers can continue the project and create Products with good-looking graphics and high gameplay.
But patreon's system has a key problem: it allows supporters to pay first, and developers can quickly get payment from supporters, but only the developer's verbal promise is obtained.
I think that in the system design of patreon, a mechanism should be designed to prevent this from happening. If developers want to get the fees paid by the supporters, they must continue to develop the products they promised, otherwise the supporters will pay The fee must be refunded.
Think about it: A supporter pays for a certain project promised by the developer that he will continue. Does he have no purpose at all, purely to encourage the developer? Or is it to pay for the hard work that developers will go through?

 

[Cyberpink-dev]

But patreon's system has a key problem: it allows supporters to pay first, and developers can quickly get payment from supporters, but only the developer's verbal promise is obtained.

You can say it's a problem, but I think it's also a big strength. Like everything in life, it's a double edged sword. Making a game takes years. Doing all that out of your own pocket is an extremely heavy financial hit. Especially if it's some odd game that might not get mainstream appeal. Up front payment can spread out the burden and also gauge the interest in the project. That's the positive side. Negative is the no accountability problem.

If developers want to get the fees paid by the supporters, they must continue to develop the products they promised, otherwise the supporters will pay The fee must be refunded.

This would be one solution for the problem but I think it swings too hard and hits way too many developers. The whole point of Patreon development method is that the developer doesn't go into dept if they fail with the project.

If Patreon had "You must deliver" requirement then I wouldn't have bothered with it. I already put like 1000 hours into the development and plan on using the little money I've made to fund voice acting. I don't want to use my personal money for this project. If there is a requirement to pay all the patreons back if the project fails though, then I might as well have started from paying it myself and selling the game on Steam.

Oh and also, who decides if the project succeeded or failed? The developer could release "v1.0" that's barely better than alpha.

 

[Marzepain]

Interesting discussion, but the whole money thing is the wrong angle here.

• The AAA games are a product of the industry and have a monetarily value that is supposed to be bigger then the investment.
• High end Indy games are mostly a product of artist doing it out of passion, but trying to live from it.
• Low end Indy games are mostly created by hobbyists accidentally creating something sellable, but doing it for fun next to their day job.
• The open source games games are generally made by students doing it for school to gain some experience and to have some fun.
• Erotic games are mostly created by geeks and LGTB to get their freak on. (And I mean that in a positive way)

People have more motivations then money for making games.
Besides money can spoil motivation by some Psychological effects.

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"Extrinsic motivators (rewards) tend to reduce

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(people's interest in, or commitment to, what they're doing)."
People that have been led to see their task not as something desirable in its own right, but as a means to an end, something you have to slog through to get the payoff.

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"Not only this but rewards are dangerous for another reason: because they remind us of obligations, of being made to do things we don’t want to do."


What I think should be done about abandoned games
Teamwork
Teamwork means that you are not just accountable to your fans or patrons, but to your team mates and don't want to let them down.
If someone has to quit, because life happens, there is still someone left to continue the game.

Planning
Planning is part of process quality. Planning a software project is hard and a game is even harder. It does however facilitate a team and other stakeholders.
Simply by writing down what has to be done creates a shared vision for everybody interested. If somebody abandons the game It can be picked up by somebody else even if the person abandoning it can't give any information anymore.
I consider an outline of a story also as planning, since the story has to be developed further.

Attitude
Game making is hard. Difficult games like roguelikes are played by people who think hard things are fun. That's not for everybody. The SEAL's only need a few good man. There is no shame in quitting a game.

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Few can finish a game even less can make a living from it. It's rare to make a living from it and still have fun.
The key is to make it fun for everybody. Keep it that way and the results will come. Keep it up long enough and the game will be done.