crowdfunding Archives

AppWizard

May 22, 2025

$800 million and 13 years later, here’s how you can play one of the world’s most expensive PC games for free

Star Citizen, developed by Cloud Imperium Games, has raised 0 million since its crowdfunding launch in 2012. A free access period for new players runs until May 27, allowing them to create a supporter account and access various content typically reserved for premium accounts. Players can engage in activities such as mining, cargo transport, and bounty hunting in a multiplayer environment. The minimum hardware requirements include a quad-core CPU, a GPU with at least 4GB of VRAM, 150GB of storage, and a minimum of 16GB of RAM. An SSD is recommended for better performance. The game is compatible with gaming laptops that meet the specifications.

AppWizard

April 9, 2025

They can’t keep getting away with this: Star Citizen has now raised over $800 million after 13 years, and it’s still in alpha

Chris Roberts, CEO of Cloud Imperium Games (CIG), expressed optimism about the release of Star Citizen, stating the company is closer than ever to achieving version 1.0 of the game, though no timeline was provided. Since its crowdfunding campaign began in 2012, CIG has raised over million, with the game generating over 0 million annually since 2022. Version 4.0 of the alpha was released in December 2024, introducing a server meshing feature. Despite advancements, the alpha version remains incomplete, with promised features still in development. Roberts indicated that overcoming server meshing was the last major technological barrier, and he assured fans that the envisioned gameplay would not take decades to materialize. However, as of now, Star Citizen remains in its alpha phase.

BetaBeacon

March 27, 2025

Abxylute One Pro handheld Android game console hits Kickstarter

Abxylute has launched a new handheld game console called the Abxylute One Pro, which features a faster chip, improved joystick, speaker, and support for video output. The new model is powered by a MediaTek Genio 510 chip with 2 ARM Cortex-A78 CPU cores and four Cortex-A55 cores, along with Mali-G57 MC2 graphics. Despite some features remaining unchanged, such as 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, and a 5,200 mAh battery, the Abxylute One Pro is a significant upgrade from its predecessor.

BetaBeacon

March 18, 2025

AYANEO Pocket S2 is an Android handheld game console with a faster processor, bigger battery, and improved controllers

AYANEO is releasing an upgraded version of its handheld game console called the Pocket S2, which features a larger display, next-gen processor, and other improvements. The device promises better graphics and CPU performance, extended battery life, and a compact and lightweight gaming experience. Pricing and availability details have not been announced yet, but it is expected to be in line with the premium price tag of its predecessor.

AppWizard

March 11, 2025

After suing a Disco Elysium writer to prevent him from making his own game, a tech CEO who’s allegedly banned from the Disco Elysium subreddit is trying to crowdfund a spiritual successor

Hopetown, a psychogeographic RPG reminiscent of Disco Elysium, is set to launch on Kickstarter on March 17. The project is developed by Longdue, which includes new talent from the Disco Elysium team. However, it faces legal disputes involving Moola, the founder of Longdue, who is suing former Disco Elysium writer Argo Tuulik and ex-employee Dora Klindžić over a non-compete clause. An injunction prevents Tuulik and Klindžić from working with their new collective, Summer Eternal. Moola has been banned from the Disco Elysium subreddit for allegedly promoting Hopetown and defending Longdue amid criticism. Despite controversies, Hopetown features narration by Lenval Brown and technical support from Piotr Sobolewski, both associated with Disco Elysium. Longdue, established in November, is in preproduction, raising concerns about its readiness for crowdfunding. The gaming community remains skeptical about investing in a project from an unproven studio, especially with competing indie RPGs emerging and Studio ZA/UM teasing a follow-up to Disco Elysium.

TrendTechie

March 7, 2025

Split Fiction от авторов It Takes Two слили на торренты

The cooperative adventure game Split Fiction was released without anti-piracy measures, leading to its breach by the hacking group Rune within thirty minutes of launch. Despite this, the game has achieved a 97% positive rating on Steam and peak online player counts exceeding 50,000. There is currently no Russian language option, but Mechanics VoiceOver is working on professional voiceover and has started a crowdfunding campaign. A neural translation mod is available for the PC version, which can be installed by placing it in the specified directory. The game is designed for cooperative play, allowing a second player to join without purchasing the game again, and supports cross-platform play.

TrendTechie

February 4, 2025

Overclockers.ru: Telegram заблокировал канал торрент-трекера RuTracker

Telegram has suspended the official channel of the torrent tracker RuTracker (@rutracker_news) for copyright violations. The channel, created in 2017, had around 29,000 subscribers and posted only 21 times since its inception, with the last updates in January 2025 regarding outages. RuTracker, launched in 2004, has faced legal challenges, including a court-ordered block in Russia since 2016, and continues to operate despite being largely inaccessible to most users in Russia. In early 2021, RuTracker raised over 1.8 million rubles through crowdfunding for hard drives to store rare torrents. Telegram's suspension of the channel is part of its stricter policies against internet piracy, which have led to the removal of other channels associated with pirated content, such as Z-Library and Anna’s Archive.

AppWizard

December 2, 2024

Pillars of Eternity director thought it had a 50/50 shot before it crowdfunded in 27 hours

Obsidian Entertainment faced uncertainty before the success of Pillars of Eternity, particularly during their Kickstarter campaign when crowdfunding was still viewed skeptically. Josh Sawyer, the game's director, initially doubted the viability of a throwback CRPG and considered leaving the studio to pursue the project independently. He urged the studio's owners to embrace the idea, leading to a pivotal moment in their trajectory. On the day of the Kickstarter launch, Sawyer felt a mix of hope and skepticism but became more optimistic as funding surged. He recognized the project's potential when it surpassed million, marking a significant milestone in the campaign's success.

AppWizard

November 27, 2024

Even if Avowed does well, it doesn’t sound like we’ll get Pillars of Eternity 3, at least not from Josh Sawyer: ‘I am more interested in doing original IP’

Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire was inspired by the Infinity Engine games and explored themes like colonialism through a pirate adventure but did not perform well commercially, disappointing game director Josh Sawyer. He reflected on the crowdfunding model that influenced Obsidian's cautious approach. Sawyer mentioned his advisory role in Avowed, contributing some writing and system design. Despite the lack of success for Pillars 2, the idea of a Pillars 3 persists, but Sawyer's enthusiasm has waned, suggesting that the Pillars universe may evolve into Avowed. He also expressed interest in creating original intellectual properties rather than revisiting established ones.

AppWizard

October 24, 2024

Will these PC games ever come to Steam? We predict the chances of WoW, Minecraft, and more

World of Warcraft, originally released in November 2004, has a 30% chance of releasing on Steam due to its complex subscription model and integration with Blizzard's Battle.net. The Ultima series, first released in 1981, has a 60% chance of appearing on Steam as EA is reintroducing classic titles on the platform. MiHoYo's games Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail, and Zenless Zone Zero, released in September 2020, April 2023, and July 2024 respectively, have a 40% chance of releasing on Steam, depending on MiHoYo's revenue strategy. Fortnite, released in July 2017, has a 2% chance of coming to Steam as Epic Games seeks to retain full control over its revenue. Riot Games' titles, including League of Legends and Valorant, released between October 2009 and June 2020, have a 15% chance of being on Steam due to their profitable ecosystems. Minecraft, launched in November 2011, has a 50% chance of releasing on Steam, though integrating its Java and Bedrock editions poses challenges. Star Citizen, which began its first playable module in August 2013, has a 15% chance of coming to Steam due to its unique monetization strategy and ongoing development issues.