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Skybound turns to crowdfunding for triple-A Invincible game

Thick Thighs Save Lives

NeoGAF's Physical Games Advocate Extraordinaire
invincible2.png


A video game for Invincible is in development over at Skybound Entertainment. Or rather, it will be after its crowdfunding campaign wraps on April 30.

The publisher is calling on the public to put their money towards a game based on the hit comic book and TV series. At time of writing, it's already raised $446,200, well above the $50,000 target goal.
Per Skybound, the project will be developed by over 30 employees who've previously worked at EA and Activision Blizzard. Thus far, the main selling point is that it'll be a "first-of-its-kind Invincible experience."

Last month, Skybound first teased the Invincible project was in the works when it brought on Chris Paulson. The Activision Blizzard alum was hired to help "activate" the commercial launch of a then-unnamed game Skybound was working on since 2023.

As part of its sales pitch, the studio is promising it'll be a premium game with multiple expansions and multiplayer. Its release will "enable future releases, expansions, new character arcs and adventures for years to come."

Skybound is leveraging its fanbase to get its game out the door​

Crowdfunding is nothing new for game projects, but things get more complicated when major companies are the ones asking for money.

Granted, funding for games is already complicated as is. Within the last year, there've been numerous cancelled projects and studio closures in part caused by pulled (or a complete lack of) funding from investors.
In going straight to its audience, Skybound is putting this project's fate in their hands. Of course, it helps that Invincible is extremely popular right now, between the show and its recent crossovers in Fortnite and Mortal Kombat 1.

The Invincible campaign runs from now until April 30.
 

Thick Thighs Save Lives

NeoGAF's Physical Games Advocate Extraordinaire
Highlights of their pitch from the crowdfunding campaign page:
  • AAA game studio with industry vets from EA, Activision Blizzard, AMZ Games
  • 30+ employees developing our first in-house AAA game based on Invincible
  • Invincible games from us: Fortnite, Guarding the Globe (Ubisoft), Atom Eve
  • Invincible Season 2 Rated 100% on Rotten Tomatoes
  • Skybound previously raised $18 million on Republic/Seedrs from ~6k people
  • 90m fans globally; Partners include Netflix, Amazon, Universal, Epic Games
  • Video games industry expected to reach $282Bn+ in 2024 and grow @ 8.76%
 
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Deft Beck

Member
Amazon can waste millions on multiple failed MMOs but they can't toss a few bucks over to Skybound to make an Invincible game?

I resent it when these huge IPs absorb the money and attention that could be going towards indie projects on crowdfunding platforms.
 
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TVexperto

Member
So how does it work? I invest 100 bucks.. how much ROI can I expect? Just a couple of bucks ? Or just a game like on kickstarter?
 
"it'll be a premium game with multiple expansions and multiplayer. Its release will "enable future releases, expansions, new character arcs and adventures for years to come."
"Games from us: fortnite"
"30 employees"

I love me some invincible but I'll wait to see the final product thanks
 

MDSLKTR

Member
Do they mention if the project has a whiff of sbi involvement? If it takes crowdfunding to excise it then so be it.
 

Fbh

Member
They are making a "AAA" game but the initial goal was only $50K? I know it says they raised $18 million from investors too, but even that isn't much in terms of AAA development.

Best luck to them I guess.
I don't even know how you'd make a proper adaptation. Maybe some sort of persona like approach where you save the world at night and during the day you have to listen to your annoying girlfriend complain that she has it rough too because college is hard
 
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Do they mention if the project has a whiff of sbi involvement? If it takes crowdfunding to excise it then so be it.
Why would they need sweetbabyinc? The show is as woke as you can get for modern media, just like the Boys, but that doesnt stop people from loving it.
 

Miyazaki’s Slave

Gold Member
I have to think given the number of people involved in the production of this game that the kickstarter is just icing. You cannot fund 30 people on 50k (or the 400k+ they have raised) that they set as a goal. *Edit* I used my super power of "reading" to find out they have already raised 18million. Given their aspirations for the game (and the flavor text on the kickstarter) that won't be enough. Probably using the fan support metric from Kickstarter to approach some firms with deeper pockets.

Kickstarter is a great marketing tool when you don't actually need the funds to start/continue/finish your development.

(pessimistic take: this is a hero looter/shooter ala Destiny)
 
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pqueue

Member
Robert Kirkman is a multi-multi millionaire from his comic sales, his partial ownership of Image comics, from his producer and licensing roles over the Walking Dead tv franchise etc.

Why does he not pay for the damn game himself?.
 

Miyazaki’s Slave

Gold Member
Robert Kirkman is a multi-multi millionaire from his comic sales, his partial ownership of Image comics, from his producer and licensing roles over the Walking Dead tv franchise etc.

Why does he not pay for the damn game himself?.
You NEVER use your own money when you can use someone else's. Let them take the risk.
 

Miyazaki’s Slave

Gold Member
Except Robert Kirkman OWNS Skybound Entertainment.

I don't see how this effects anything (the guy is smart...paying for 30 "hand picked industry vets" has got to be expensive AF).

Look at Mina The Hollower...you think Yacht Club games cannot afford to make a top down 2d pixel adventure game? Of course they can.
No reason to drain your runway when someone else can foot the bill.

This is conjecture on my behalf...I am not the guys CPA/Portfolio manager, but if I had access to a huge IP license I sure as shit would shop it around.
 
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baphomet

Member
Robert Kirkman is a multi-multi millionaire from his comic sales, his partial ownership of Image comics, from his producer and licensing roles over the Walking Dead tv franchise etc.

Why does he not pay for the damn game himself?.

His entire net worth wouldn't be enough to fund even a AA game these days.
 
What is woke about the cartoon?
Its has the same woke tropes people complain about in real life action shows and movies, which is why I asked what could sweetbabyinc do to the game to woke it up? If you love the show, than there nothing sbi can do to ruin it.
 

Arsic

Loves his juicy stink trail scent
Highlights of their pitch from the crowdfunding campaign page:
  • AAA game studio with industry vets from EA, Activision Blizzard, AMZ Games
  • 30+ employees developing our first in-house AAA game based on Invincible
  • Invincible games from us: Fortnite, Guarding the Globe (Ubisoft), Atom Eve
  • Invincible Season 2 Rated 100% on Rotten Tomatoes
  • Skybound previously raised $18 million on Republic/Seedrs from ~6k people
  • 90m fans globally; Partners include Netflix, Amazon, Universal, Epic Games
  • Video games industry expected to reach $282Bn+ in 2024 and grow @ 8.76%

Most of this is negatives to an average GAF member and not selling points lmao.
 

RedC

Member
Its has the same woke tropes people complain about in real life action shows and movies, which is why I asked what could sweetbabyinc do to the game to woke it up? If you love the show, than there nothing sbi can do to ruin it.
Hence why I'm asking specifically what's woke about the show. Otherwise, you just sound vague and abstract in your complaints.
 
Hence why I'm asking specifically what's woke about the show. Otherwise, you just sound vague and abstract in your complaints.
Eh, lets just forget it, my point was lost. No need to get into irrelevant specifics. Agree to diagree. The show is woke, and I love it, but I dont think sweetbabyinc can do anything to change how people would feel about it if there were to get involved. Unless they required something like stealth missions for Amber.
 

RedC

Member
Eh, lets just forget it, my point was lost. No need to get into irrelevant specifics. Agree to diagree. The show is woke, and I love it, but I dont think sweetbabyinc can do anything to change how people would feel about it if there were to get involved. Unless they required something like stealth missions for Amber.
It's all good.

I was just curious because for me, at no point was I watching the show thinking this shit is woke. :messenger_winking_tongue:

I was surprised at how well they added dimensions to characters that initially came across as one note.
 
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