GOG has just released FTL: Faster Than Light. I've just found out it was funded by Kickstarter, with a very modest goal of $10,000 and ended up raising a little over $200,000. If I am not mistaken, FTL is the first Kickstarter game on GOG. (GOG should mention it in the game descriptions.)

As far as I know, FTL is the first major Kickstarter-funded game to be released, period.

Honestly though, I expect better visuals and sounds with $200,000. Not on the same level as big budget productions, but still better. I wonder how much of the money raised actually went into the development. I looked at the gameplay footage videos on YouTube, and I thought, "no way that could cost $200,000 to make. It is a good idea, but the production seemed to be a one or two-person effort." To be fair, the Kickstarter project for FTL was launched when the game development was already near completion. So the developer was not going to overhaul the whole game at that point ... I guess he probably just kept the extra money as tips. :P

Anyone who funded the project to the tune of $10 or more got a copy of the finished game. So while it's not the best example of Kickstarter funding put to good use, it's little different than a pre-order.

This game appealed to me, but had it not i'd still have considered buying it, to help foster the relationship between GOG and indie developers. i dig this idea of developers coming to DRM-free GOG, perhaps even bypassing publishers altogether, cuz their games sell so well here.

hehe as it was though, i received the game yesterday as prize in a giveaway
So today i bought the 8 games i was missing from the Diamonds of DnD promo :)
Oy iv'e too many games. And given numerous away. can't help but support a good thing!

Were there a lot of physical goods? DoubleFine spent around $400,00 (which was their original goal) on making and shipping physical rewards. Obviously FTL is on a smaller scale, but it can still take a good chunk of funding.

I just got it today, and I'm absolutely loving it. I'm not quite sure it would have needed 200,000, though. Then again, I've never tried commercially releasing a game, so I have no idea how many hidden costs there are.

they didn't need $200,000, all they asked for to get the game shipped was $10,000 ... the other $190,000 was from the massive number of people who were interested in it.

the target goal was to get 1,000 people to essentially preorder the game for $10, a rather decent sales figure for an indie game with a limited scope and budget ... I doubt that the game would have sold 1,000 copies if it had launched on GamerGate with no marketing.

most people who KickStarter-ed this thing were not interested in the flashy GFX, they got it for the mechanics and then paid extra to promote further development in this genre by other developers.

Hopefully it will be the first of many kicks up the ass's of the Kickstarter haters who continually spammed that the whole thing was a scam and the games run over their deadlines and/or be terrible

FTL met it's September deadline, and it's a damn good game

More power to 'em. I am really enjoying the game, and for the 10% discount price of 9 bucks, I know for a fact that I have spent 2, 3, even 4 times that in the past, for a game that dissapointed the crap outta me, and went into the dust or trash bin. The way I see it, the folks who supported it, got just what they were told they would get, and the fact that the developers may have actually done better then they hoped (and as someone above stated, who really knows what their true total costs were to complete the game and get it out) can only encourage them, and others to make enjoyable, fun, challenging games we gamers really want and appreciate. Win-win as I see it. I am sure there will be times when games will dissapoint as well, but that's also the risk we all take...word does get out, so we just have to take it upon ourselves to become as informed as we can...before supporting, or buying.

Resonance was kickstartered.

I didn't know this, how much money did it raise?

No, Resonance wasn't kickstartered. There was a very small Kickstarter project, but it was only to raise the entry fee into the Independent Games Festival and the goal was just $150 (they ended up raising $2,080).

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/VinceTwelve/resonance-retro-styled-adventure-game-contest-e

Man, I'm not digging the negativity in this thread. Bad mojo.

Personally, I love FTL. I think it's brilliant. I had no idea it was funded by Kickstarter but thanks to all the people who donated. It turned out to be a really enjoyable (and surprisingly replayable) game.

I FINALLY beat the game today. I had a really good run with the Engi cruiser and tore the Boss a new one.