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Gaming’s own crowdfunding and investment site is getting a new, big-name investor.
Cliff Bleszinski, the founder of Boss Key Productions and former director of the Gears of War games, is investing in the crowdfunding platform Fig. Bleszinski and Fig have not disclosed the particulars of the deal. Fig is a resource where developers can ask fans to fund their game, but unlike Kickstarter, gamers can decide to actually invest in the game and get a chance to purchase equity in its success. That means you can help pay for development and then potentially get more than you put in once it is out on the market. Kickstarter alone generated $615 million in pledges in 2015 for all of its projects, but gaming is always one of its top categories.
Gaming is a $99.6 billion industry, but studios are still finding it difficult to get funding from venture firms and traditional lenders. This has opened up an opportunity for Fig to present regular people to invest in ideas that they love while standing to financially benefit at the same time.
“As the only funding platform created by gamers for gamers that offers rewards and investment-based funding, we are grateful for our investors and advisors who are leaders in the industry,” Fig founder and chief executive Justin Bailey wrote in a blog post. “Amazing to have you be a part of the Fig family, Cliff.”
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Right now, Fig has a crowdfunding project running for Consortium: The Tower from developer Interdimensional Games. It is a sci-fi role-playing game, and Interdimensional asked for $300,000. With about one day left in its campaign, 2,900 backers have pledged and invested $334,593.
Former BioWare founder Dr. Greg Zeschuk has actually invested in the game himself, and Fig’s pitch is that you could go in right alongside him on this venture. And if you invest $250, and the game sells as well as the previous Consortium game from Interdimensional (86,000 copies sold), the studio claims you stand to see a return of $407 for a profit of $157.
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