Top 5 Tips For KickStarter Success From The Man, Tim Schafer

Kicking it up on KickStarter is not a guaranteed success when it comes to video game production. Some projects get through, others do not. However, Double Fine Production's Tim Schafer shares a few tips on how to always guarantee success from KickStarter with five easy-to-follow tips, following their success using the crowd-source funding option.

The tips come courtesy of IndieDB [via VentureBeat] where Schafer lays out the details for the top five ways to garner KickStarter success. Check e'm out below.

1. Prove the game has to be made

2. Prove the game has to be made a certain way

3. Prove your team is the one-and-only team to make it

4. Prove it’s critical that this game is made now

5. Prove it’s more than a game, it’s a significant event, and fans need to be apart of it.

So with number one that basically entails that the game needs an audience and that it's something people are craving. Schafer explains to IndieDB that it was pretty easy fulfilling step number one because adventure games are a very small niche these days and a lot of people wanted Double Fine to tackle an adventure title. So, yeah, that's pretty easy. This applies to any genre (except for maybe the shooter genre), because if people want a game that no one else is making it's the perfect opportunity to step in and sell that idea.

Number two is an interesting concept, because Schafer says that the KickStarter project opens up the door to those who backed the game to actually discuss the game with the developers and talk about how the game will be designed specifically as an adventure title. This is something that a lot of fans feel jilted on when they hear about games like the FPS version of XCOM from 2K Games, which just kind of pissed on the legacy of the first three strategy games and all gamers could do was whine, complain and scream at the top of their digital lungs (via typing of course) in hopes of getting the game changed.

Number three on the list is pretty self-explanatory. I mean, you wouldn't want the guys who made E.T. to work on Halo, just as you wouldn't want Rebellion working on Uncharted. Teams specified to excel where they're most proficient is a good selling point for KickStarter programs, and Tim Schafer reinforces that point.

Number four on the list essentially has Tim explaining why "Now" is the right time. I think that mostly has to deal with the fact that there really is a sense of urgency with some projects and how well people during a certain period can relate those projects. For instance, it would be pretty pointless for Rockstar to announce a plethora of gameplay details for GTA V on the same day that Max Payne 3 launches. It's commercial suicide. Just the same as announcing a "Fast-paced FPS, with killstreaks and perks" is another boneheaded move if you're planning on using KickStarter because you're essentially trying to get people to invest in a project that exists in just about every other project currently being milked in the AAA category right now.

Last and most important, is making sure that this event including the developers and the gaming community at large is more than just about selling a new video game. One of the highlights of the Golden Era of gaming was that many games felt nostalgic, bad box art and all. Many of these games back then felt like they were aimed at providing gamers an inescapable, memorable experience, from the booklet to the end credits. Schafer explains that it's not just about delivering tangibles (or in today's case, pre-order DLC bonuses) but also engaging the community so that it feels as if the project is a larger than life experience and that they get to be a part of it.

You can check out the complete article and how Schafer explains the initiative for garnering success on KickStarter by visiting IndieDB. Want to learn more about DoubleFine's Adventure Project? Feel free to visit their Official Website.