The publisher’s new curated platform with Indiegogo
Square Enix getting into crowdfunding isn’t that unusual, but the way the company is going about it sure is. It’s partnering with Indiegogo for Collective, which is described as a “game pitching-and-publishing platform” that will be curated by Square Enix and give developers access to the back catalog of Eidos intellectual properties. What?
Not all of the answers have been made clear yet, but descriptions from the official site help somewhat. “After 28 days on the Collective feedback platform, if it’s clear that the community supports your idea you could find funding direct from the crowd via our partnership with Indiegogo.
“Each project pitch submitted goes through an evaluation phase to ensure ideas sit within the submission parameters, and if the community backs your ideas we’ll work with you on a due diligence process to give the community reassurance that you have the expertise and tools you need to create the game you’re planning to — plus we’ll use our experience of bringing games to market to help you work out how much you’ll need to raise to make it a reality.”
I’m most concerned with how the existing IP will be handled. One has to assume that Square Enix will be protective of those brands — and rightfully so, I should say. The website mentions that developers “could have the chance to work” with these properties. Either way, I’m curious to see how Collective pans out. More details are coming at GDC Next in early November.
