High-budget Kickstarters struggle, as Uber ends Human Resources campaign

In 2014, high-value Kickstarters for games aren't faring as well as they used to. The latest casualty is Human Resources, a real-time strategy game pitched by Uber Entertainment -- creators of Planetary Annihilation. Uber funded Planetary Annihilation to the tune of $2.23 million (on a $900,000 ask) in 2012. Seeking $1.4 million dollars for Human Resources, the company shut down its campaign yesterday after pledges totaling $384,358. In an update to its campaign, Uber design director John Comes wrote, "Every Kickstarter prediction model is showing that we will come up woefully short of our goal." It's not the only big-ticket campaign that's struggled this year. The Black Glove, an adventure game created by BioShock series veterans, looks to be trending far below its goal.

They're not alone, the data shows

Research by consultant Thomas Bidaux shows a decline in funded projects for the first half of the year. Further analysis by developer Priyesh Patel shows that the biggest declines came in large-scale projects with funding totals of $500,000 and up. While Bidaux projected a 20 percent drop in projects, Patel noted that large-scale campaigns only accounted for a quarter of funding this year so far, as compared to more than half in 2013. For Uber's part, Comes writes: "One thing is for sure, Human Resources, as pitched in this Kickstarter, is over."