Harebrained Schemes - 2014 in Review Update

Harebrained Schemes latest website update wishes everyone a Happy New Year, and looks back at what the developer accomplished in 2014.

2014 has been the biggest year ever for Harebrained Schemes in so many ways, and it can only get bigger from here. Just in case you forgot what with all the things that happened this year, let’s have a quick recap.

We released 2.5 games this year: Dragonfall in February, “one of the most memorable and complex RPG stories of the decade.” according to PCGamer’s TJ Hafer.

Golem Arcana in August, our first physical game here at Harebrained, and Dragonfall: Director’s cut in September, which won RPG Gamer’s Game of the Year among many other accolades.

We also started work on our newest project, Necropolis, which you may have heard a little about from @TheBrazenHead or http://necropolisgame.tumblr.com

We also welcomed on a lot of people to the team this year. Mino, Angelica, Rebecca, Liz, Erik, Tristin, Will, Nate, Zach, Spencer, another Chris, Cassidy, Dennis, and Doug all joined our ranks (and I don’t think I forgot anyone, but we now so numerous as to take up corners on two floors of the building, so that’s exciting!)

Harebrained’s extended family grew as well. Our engineers Brenton and Sheridan both got married, and Andrew, our lead writer for Dragonfall, welcomed Monica (yep, like that Monika) into his life in mid-May. Chris, our lead Engineer on Golem Arcana, also welcomed his son Eli last December.

As we grew though, some of our beloved Harebrained folks flew away- some for warmer climes, such as our lead environment artist, Jenn, who left us to go eat peaches in Georgia, and some for colder climes, like the designer for the APEX Mission, Simon, who returned to his native Canada to twirl his prestigious mustache.

We look forward to seeing you again in January with our newest Kickstarter project. Happy New Year!

-The Harebrained Schemes Team

More information.

I definitively cannot wait to see the next Shadowrun kickstarter this month. Most of us who follow the news should know it will be set in Hong Kong this time.

I just hope they make enough money to make a larger game this time.

HBS gets a instant pledge from me too for this one, proven beyond a doubt that they can make a great game.

I'm definitely backing them this time.

I'm really happy with them - and enjoy the game. Actually there has been some very good kickstarts last year (abit most of them were late delivering ).

I don't really understand the need for another Kickstarter. What did they do with all the profits from the first two games?

Going back to Kickstarter after what could arguably be considered a great success will breed ill will amongst the fans.

Looks like someone didn't read the update. If you did read the update it has information they are developing other games, and moved into a bigger studio.

This cost money and kickstarter is a way to get the next game funded. Anyway I will support them as their the only developer making Shadowrun RPG games.

Originally Posted by ForNein
I don't really understand the need for another Kickstarter. What did they do with all the profits from the first two games?

Going back to Kickstarter after what could arguably be considered a great success will breed ill will amongst the fans.

Why not? I certainly will not feel any ill will towards them, not with the way they've been delivering. As I see it, Kickstarter is a substitute for the Publisher, and most of the established game companies still use those even if they've had successful titles. Self funding is pretty uncommon as far as I'm aware of.

Indeed. Thinking that successfully delivering on a Kickstarter should be viewed as a disqualifier for attempting another would be almost wilfully perverse. Backing a Kickstarter is an investment, and one of the things smart investors look for is a track record. There's no better evidence that someone can do something than having already done something similar.

Originally Posted by ForNein
I don't really understand the need for another Kickstarter. What did they do with all the profits from the first two games?

Going back to Kickstarter after what could arguably be considered a great success will breed ill will amongst the fans.

I think this is as silly idea.

Think about, they get people to invest in their game(which you get a copy of) and they get a guaranteed sale. For small companies it makes sense to do it this way. Why would you feel "ripped" off?

While I couldn't care less for this studio and their games, I see no "evil" in returning to Kickstarter once again.
They have positive experience with it and people who backed their previous games know they'll deliver a good product (I wasn't one).

This way they can go invention instead of cloning common grinding garbage and far better option than to sell their soul to a certain devil!