Gambitious Brings Hybrid Crowdfunding To Video Games: Now Accepting Fan Donations And Equity

Crowdfunding is so hot right now, and not just the big, sprawling platforms like Kickstarter and Indiegogo but the proliferation of more focused/specialised funding platforms that aim to serve a particular niche. Recent examples include MedStartr, crowdfunding for healthcare startups; FundersClub which actually gives you equity for your startup investments (not just a set of stickers); and Appsplit, a crowdfunding for apps. You get the picture. Anyway, the latest crowdsourcing platform to join the fray is Gambitious — and the particular crowdfunding furrow it’s aiming to plough is video games.

Gambitious claims to be the first crowdfunding platform exclusively dedicated to the games industry. The funding model it’s introducing is a hybrid one — which means games developers can ask for either fan pledges/donations and/or, in the European Union, request equity investments. Gambitious says it anticipates being able to open up equity investments to the U.S. next year — following the passing into law of the JOBS Act.

The company requires developers to submit a detailed business and marketing plan to qualify for inclusion on Gambitious (developers still retain their IP). Then, if the game reaches its investment goal and turns a profit, any equity investors will receive dividends based on their initial investments.

“Crowdfunding is causing a great seismic shift in how projects get funded, however, there are risks of crash-and-burn due to unfulfilled projects and unfinished games,” said Gambitious CEO Paul Hanraets in a statement. “Unlike other crowdfunding platforms, Gambitious is designed specifically for the video game industry and ups the ante of developer credibility, investor engagement and development cycle understanding.”

“It is time to move from the wild, wild, west of crowdfunding to a more professional model,” added Gambitious Co-Founder Mike Wilson in a statement. “Crowdfunding is the best thing to happen to indies since shareware in the 90’s and Gambitious is a transformational way of funding the video game market — legitimizing, protecting, and maximizing the opportunity for all that want a stake in the game.”

The platform has launched with seven new projects asking for funds — from a mix of indie developers and veteran game designers. The seven are:

  • Candy Kids by Abstraction Games, The Netherlands
  • Cosmic DJ by Gl33k, USA
  • Mushroom Men by Red Fly Studio, USA
  • Piratoons by Fishing Cactus, Belgium
  • Super Micro Heroes by Mutant Games, Spain
  • Tink by Mimimi Productions, Germany
  • Train Fever by Urban Games, Switzerland

Upcoming projects include:

  • Earth No More by 3D Realms, USA
  • Pantzer Pets by Gamundo, The Netherlands
  • Stronghold Crusaders 2 by Firefly Studios, England