Gaming News Despite having already raised more than $35 million, this video game studio is the subject of a new funding campaign. Is that normal?
The Frost Giant studio may not mean anything to you, but behind that name are Tim Morten and Tim Campbell, two real-time strategy veterans since StarCraft 2. In 2022, the studio announced its first game, also an RTS, which is expected to be released in 2024 . And everyone can now join the adventure.
Stormgate: Bringing real-time strategy to life outside of Blizzard
Over the last 10 years, many developers who spent many years at Blizzard have left the company. Here and there they start new projects that are very much influenced by their experience. Frost Giant is one of those studios whose goal is to bring the spirit of “old Blizzard” to life through new licenses. During Summer Game Fest 2022 This young studio was founded by veterans has introduced Stormgate, a real-time strategy game set in a world that mixes science fiction and Stormgate.
We are promised a The narrative developed over several years, deep strategic gameplay and different approaches to the game in solo or multiplayer modes. Almost two years after its announcement, Frost Giant was released has already raised $35 million acquired and purchased from various investors Another $2.3 million through a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter. Apparently that’s not enough, because the studio is preparing to launch a new campaign, not crowdfunding. but investment.
The initiative is not expected to begin until next month, but A page has already been opened on StartEngine to “test the waters” and give interested parties the opportunity to reserve a spot. We talk about the possibility Buy shares in the company with a 5% bonus for pre-registered people. By participating, interested parties will not necessarily receive the game, in-game bonuses, a specific edition or various rewards. There is also a warning on StartEngine, as PC Gamer states:
Any investment is speculative, illiquid and involves a high degree of risk, including the possible loss of your entire investment.
But why did Frost Giant choose this option to bolster its finances for the release of Stormgate? The idea is not only to ensure that this particular game sees the light of day and benefits from sufficient communication, but to find people who are interested in the long term. For Gerald Villoria, the studio’s communications director, he justified the existence of the Kickstarter campaign with the costs of developing an ambitious game:
Budgets for modern AAA games often run into the hundreds of millions, not including marketing budgets. While $35 million may seem like a lot of money, it’s nothing compared to what the biggest studios are spending. What our funding did not cover were many extras and special features that are only possible with large publishing budgets. (…)
Securing the future and choosing self-publishing: Frost Giant Studios’ bet
As far as this participatory investment campaign is concerned, this is the case born to avoid the worries associated with recent industry news, marked by gigantic profits and more than 9,000 layoffs in 2023. Frost Giant has chosen to self-publish and is therefore in the fragile position of having to be successful in order to think about the future. Numerous small investors who support large financing rounds would give us some fresh air.
Major publishers seemingly (lay off) hundreds of video game workers every day and make decisions that prioritize short-term profits over the happiness of workers and players… We choose to control our own destiny and self-publish our game in the West with the direct support of our player community.
It remains to be seen whether the public will answer the call during the official opening of the campaign and to see if Stormgate is successful when it launches in Early Access in the third quarter. Given this, there is hope Stormgate had a demo that was one of the most played during the recent Steam Neo Fest alongside Pacific Drive, Homeworld 3, Balatro and Backrooms.
