GameDaily reports that Fig is offering indie developers a new open-ended funding option.
More information.Fig, which is a crowd-investing platform and publisher in its own right, operates a little differently. With their latest funding vehicle, Open Access, Fig is looking to rework how developers approach crowdfunding over the long-term, rather than being solely beholden to a 30-day campaign cycle where raising money ends as soon as that timeframe is up.
"For developers, this is a form of crowdfunding more along the lines of how games are developed," Bailey told GameDaily over email. "They get a chance to work on more of a milestone schedule and get feedback iteratively, and the community gets a chance to play early builds and be part of the development experience. Almost every time a Kickstarter fails to deliver, the first thing the community says is, 'just give us what you've got.' Now that's an integral part of the process that happens immediately."
Open Access walks a similar path to "open beta" and "early access" games being released on platforms like Steam and Epic Games Store. (Even Fortnite Battle Royale is considered "early access.") It uses an "open-ended structure to test out game features through milestones, which are tied to content." Backers and investors are able to pay for these rewards and "receive immediate access to the latest build of the game," although games are being updated throughout the development cycle throughout Open Access campaigns.
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