My Game WorldAlpha

Well, I am in the process of completing my social strategy MMO WorldAlpha. It has been quite the ride. One of the biggest questions I've had is will people be willing to pay for this. So, I did the things other devs do, and started an IndieGoGo fund, as KS doesn't work here in Canada. It was mildly success with 44 contributions totaling $1,781. I've also just recently started to sell Founder's Packs at my site, in just a couple of weeks, I've had 5 contributors for $150.

Microfund idea

So, it is a beginning, but really as I have been in development for over a year, I wish there would have been an opportunity to crowdfund over the whole time, as well as build a bit more of a community that has shown support by funding it, even small amounts.

That's why I came up with a funding model that I don't think exists. An ability for devs to crowdfund throughout their whole dev cycle, and the ability for gamers to fund even small amounts of money if they like a game.

Steam Greenlight is a good way to get infront of gamers, but doesn't give gamers a chance to fund it.
Kickstarters and other sites allow a short time of crowdfunding, and requires funding of $5+ (I know there are some $1 levels, but that isn't typical)

Surely, there is a mix where indie gamers purchase microfund “coins” and give them out to lots of small projects that they are interested.
Devs get invested gamers and funding, and gamers get a chance to get behind lots of games that interest them.

Here are some advantages I see:

Developer Advantages

Ongoing - Unlike other crowdfunding that have specific timelines, we want to provide an ongoing presence during the life of development, so people can contribute as momentum builds.

Worldwide - This service will not be limited by geography, so any developer will be able to microfund.

Community Building - Unlike set timeframes for community building in other crowdfunding options, this will allow a continuous presence that will allow you to continue to crowdfund and community build on an ongoing basis.

Microfunding - Most crowdfunding starts at $5 or $10, which can be a barrier, this will let lots of gamers fund as small at $0.10. Sort of like the "bundle" ideas where a lot of people funding a small amount can raise big time money.

Gamer Focused - Most crowdfunding happens on a much broader site with much more than just gaming, this will focus purely on indie games. All types of games from Flash games, Browser games, Mobile, iOS, client games, and much more

Gamer Advantages

Accountablity - Gamers can choose to have funds held until developer has created a playable demo or beta release, or they can also choose to have it released immediately.

Microfunding - With the ability to fund as little at $0.10, gamers can get behind many projects with just a $5 or $10 contribution.

Anonymous - Gamers can choose to fund a campaign truly anonymously with no email or contact given to developer if desired.

So what are your thoughts? Would this be of interest to you as a developer? Before I go down this path, I need to get an idea if indies would support something like this.

The minimum contribution needs to be greater than transaction fees (credit card companies need to be paid) and your own costs. A minimum transaction would need to be a little higher, perhaps $0.50 or $0.75.

That said, development costs are not in the hundreds or in the thousands. When estimating the costs for a startup, the standard formula in the US is $10,000 per developer per month. So three developers for three months would be approximately $90,000.

You're talking more about a hobby project, so it is more like a donation box.

No, your idea isn't very new. It has been used for donations and post-development payments for things like the Humble Indie Bundle where the money goes to a charity. It just is not practical to run a business that way.

Lets try to explain again. A gamer would say contribute $10 to the microfund, and gets say 100 coins ($0.10 per coin). He then goes through and sees different projects some he gives 1 coin to others, he gives 20 coins to. Some would have perks, if you contribute 50 coins, you get into beta, etc.

So, yes the transaction fee would have to be considered on $10, but not on the individual coin contributions.

In regards to amounts raising, yes, it could take a lot, but as you mentioned Humble Bundles (for finished games) has raised millions at $5 averages for 5 games. So, if scaled, this could raise significant money.

I don't see how this idea is different from just accepting donations, which is a viable funding options for quite a few games, especially those with high replay / continuous play.

It is centralized, and it allows for very small donations as well as bigger ones. It also allows for concepts or pre-alpha stage games to get some community behind it.

Lets try to explain again. A gamer would say contribute $10 to the microfund, and gets say 100 coins ($0.10 per coin). He then goes through and sees different projects some he gives 1 coin to others, he gives 20 coins to. Some would have perks, if you contribute 50 coins, you get into beta, etc.

So, yes the transaction fee would have to be considered on $10, but not on the individual coin contributions.