Wasteland 2 - Why inXile are better off without a publisher

[Dhruin]

Gamasutra has a piece titled Why inXile, Wasteland 2 are better off without a publisher, answering the un-asked question:

"For Wasteland 2, the PC is the root of the product. The Fallout series, at least for now, is focused more at a console group, and for me, there's a major difference. There's a lot of people that loved Fallout 1 and 2, and Fallout 3 just isn't what they want. To me, Wasteland 2 is for those people," he said.

And since those nostalgic players are providing the funding for the game, Fargo said he's doing everything he can to ensure that their voices are heard. Fargo pointed out that Kickstarter backers won't have a final say on the game's content, but InXile wants to keep communication channels open so the team doesn't miss any key feedback.

InXile has already taken some cursory surveys about Wasteland 2, and Fargo said he's been surprised by what his backers are looking for.

"As an example, we asked fans what they'd like to see once we hit a certain funding level. More audio? A bigger world? And almost universally, people said, 'Please don't waste my money on audio.'"

Instead, players wanted InXile to include more text, giving the game a more robust, branching narrative. Adding voice-overs would only limit the game's scope, as dialogue trees would be bound by the game's audio budget. "It was an interesting thing to hear from [the fans], and I'm glad I heard that," Fargo said.

inXile has also posted hi-res versions of the first piece of concept art to use as desktop wallpaper.
Finally, Michael Stackpole writes on his blog about his excitement at the opportunity to make Wasteland 2 (thanks, NMA):

Wasteland’s strongest point was that actions had consequences. Radical concept, I know. Because of that, how a player approached the game would determine the result he’d get. It allowed us to provide a different gaming experience for different players. It required more than just a hack and slash mentality—sure, you could get to the end that way, but if you used skills and smarts, the path would be different, and often more rewarding.
This is what so excites me about Wasteland II. I remember all the things we wanted to do but couldn’t, simply because of the limits of machines back then. The game’s scope will be huge, and the things players can do, the strategies that will win the game, will likewise expand. Being able to add atmosphere through music and voice acting will make the game that more immersive. In the original game we could only supply a small slice of a world, but now we’ll be able to provide a vast landscape overflowing with adventure and discovery.

More information.

 

[rjshae]

It all sounds very glorious and I look forward to playing the end product. I suspect the challenge for the developers will be finishing within the budget. But what happens if they don't?

 

[bjon045]

The Kickstarter amount is probably not the entire budget. I imagine they could easily secure additional funding if required from more conventional means i.e. vc/bank loan etc. Maybe inxile has a bit of cash saved up as well.