There was heartbreak for the team at DreamQuest Games over the weekend, as its Alpha Colony Kickstarter missed its $50,000 pledge target by a mere $28, highlighting the all-or-nothing nature of Kickstarter as a funding platform.
As a result, the studio will not receive any of the cash despite coming so close, as the Kickstarter rules clearly state that if a project fails to reach its target within the specified timeframe, it cannot claim the money.
It's notable that this is the second time the game has failed to hit its Kickstarter target -- the first time around, the studio was looking for $500,000, and only managed to gather $101,472 before DreamQuest pulled the plug on it.
Alpha Colony was due to be a family-friendly exploration, building and trading sim for a variety of platforms, with a release next summer. However, DreamQuest founder Christopher Williamson posted on the studio's Facebook page yesterday, stating that he will now have to "focus on projects that will pay the bills."
"Obviously, we are very disappointed," he admitted. "We have invested 10 months and over $60,000 of our own money into this project. It is so frustrating to come so close, but clearly there simply isn't that much interest in building the kind of game I envisioned."
The message suggests that the team may put the project back on Kickstarter in the future, but that other more immediate needs must be dealt with first.
"I doubt this is the end for Alpha Colony," he added, "but I do have to be responsible business owner and father and accept the reality of where we are at the moment and what the world wants."
Alpha Colony Kickstarter misses funding goal by $28
There was heartbreak for the team at DreamQuest Games over the weekend, as its Alpha Colony Kickstarter missed its $50,000 pledge target by a mere $28, meaning it can't claim anything despite coming so close.