$5.5 million! You’ve unlocked the Bengal carrier, added motion capture to Squadron 42 and earned the exclusive Record Breaker skin.
When we set out to crowd-fund Star Citizen we asked for two million dollars, the absolute minimum with which we thought we could build a solid game. And then we planned stretch goals so that we could include everything else we imagined. We expected three million, hoped for four million, dreamed of five million and so on. And the absolute top option, the impossible dream, was six million.
Six million was what it would take us to build the game we were imagining with all the bells and whistles we wanted included. Well, here we are with just over eight hours to go and that impossible goal where everything is unlocked is suddenly in sight. At six million you’ll launch the game with 100 systems, a full orchestral score and a free copy of the first Squadron 42 mission disk, Behind Enemy Lines.
It’s not as sexy as the carrier, for sure, but would certainly be pretty amazing if we met every one of our goals. So let’s push this campaign all the way to the last minute. We can make this march!
Sick!
I like free.
GOAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLL
Not only did I want to see this game made, I also wanted to give a big middle finger to the likes of activision and EA. They don’t care about us or games. The PC community is completely under estimated. Well heres your proof you worthless disc stamping morons. 6.3 million for something that hasn’t been built yet. We win.
Couldn’t agree more.
100% agreed. So tired of consolized ports. Just like the very first Wing Commander game I purchased 25+ years ago, I want this thing to push my PC to its max capabilities and then some.
I couldn’t agree more, I got the FU PC gamer message loud and clear when EA stopped making madden on pc…
100% correct!
I’m truly fed up by the way PC gamers have been treated of late – GTA4, the latest COD games – all ‘optimised’ for PC. EA & Activision take note … if you abandon the PC gamers … then THIS is what will happen.
I see more and more PC games developed this way – I know that Chris Roberts is a legend in his own lifetime, and he probably raised more money than a ‘nobody’ would have, but other PC game writers must be looking at this and thinking … do we really need a Publisher?
Damn straight mate.
Don’t get me wrong, 6.3 million is an accomplishment and I’m as excited as anyone. Just to put that in perspective, EA got over $90 million the first week for Madden Roster Update Regurgitated Same Gameplay 2013. Just saying…
Still, the fact that we hit all the stretch goals has me extremely excited for the game.
Indeed!
Unfortunately true…. But still an incredible achievement for space sims, Cloud Imperium, Chris Roberts and the community in general. I hope that EA, Acti, Ubisoft are taking note. When a company actually listens and takes care of its supporters, the supporters will in turn do the same for the company. No one i know would lift a finger to help those companies if they didnt have some of our favorite franchises in there pockets. This shit has got to stop.
The $90 million was sales revenue. The $6.3 million for Star Citizen is the development budget (as well as the extra matching funds that were promised by some bigger investors contingent on meeting the $2 million level–I don’t know how much was promised–one million? Two?). Also, I would not be surprised to see an additional million or two trickling in over the following months, since upgrades and stuff are still being offered. That puts the total budget somewhere near nine or ten million–which is in the same league as the Wing Commander IV budget was–though the Star Citizen money may get a bit more bang for the buck since the lack of needing to build sets and shoot film (since the video will be computer-rendered instead of live action) will save some costs.
So, in short, we are talking about a development budget that matches Wing Commander at its best, and I fully anticipate that the production quality and entertainment value will also match Wing Commander’s best (adjusted for the advancement in computer and graphics technology since the 1990s).
Indeed!
(Woops, replied to a sub comment.)
YES! Absolutely! And while we can look at the sales revenue of miscellaneous EA schlock… who know’s how much Star-Citizen will SELL when it, you know, comes out!
This EA and Activison bashing is getting a little pathetic IMHO.
It feels like everybody joins in because its “Cool to bash EA and Activision” and i wanna be in the “inner-crowd” not left outside.
If you dont like EA and Activision thats fine, but this pathetic bashing needs to stop.
Every goal surpassed and a fully funded game ready to be made, this truly is a great community of like minded individuals! Many thanks to to you Chris Roberts for your dream and vision of this epic undertaking. . . But more than that thanks for bringing us together to help make what will no doubt be the greatest PC Game ever made for the PC Gamer!
I’ve never owned a console (PC all the way!) Primarily due to the ridiculous costs associated with the boxes. Now I get to snicker at my Xbox owning buddy who said: “There isn’t enough demand for a PC gaming world” Hah!
yeah we don’t screw around. “red leader, don’t go to base Yet, lets take out the other death star too!”
Is it wrong to feel that 6 million isn’t enough?
I’ve heard other people voice skepticism about if this scale of game can be produced on a budget of 6,000,000.00. I’m inclined to agree with the skeptics, but will cheer on the RSI team, regardless.
I have no doubt that they can put out a solid dang game for six million. I would be absolutely astonished/surprised if they managed to get most of the promised features out at release.
small story: at the age of 12 i really didn´t like chris roberts because i couldn´t afford the pc and hardware needed to play wing commander, and it took alot of time and loss of quality until it was converted to amiga 500. he shifted the gaming experience to the next level with wc, wc2 and even more with strike commander at the cost of a new pc-setting.
now nearly 22 years and lots of other games later i am already a big fan of the star citizen project. chris, make it the big awesome and huge game again everyone is looking for. and please: do not care for console adoptions or any restrictions due to lower hardware settings. i am already considering buying a benchmark pc at the time this game is released, and i´m pretty sure i´m not the only one.
and pls give us the opportunity to support the developement with new pledges.
with best regards from germany,
tom
Chris and Team..
I just want to say thank you for doing this. I am a life long PC Gamer and was an avid WC & Privateer fan. I was constantly upgrading and tinkering with my PC to make your games run as best as possible. Fast forward 20 years and here I am eagerly awaiting a new game from you.
I am now in my mid 30′s and already planning my next PC build just for this game.
LONG LIVE THE PC!!!!
seems we experienced pretty much the same when we were young, although living on different continents. let us mid-30s dominate the star-citizen universe, okay?
cheers and long live the pc!!!
Mid-30s Corp? I’m in.
You mean no chatting with 10 year olds who can’t spell and troll at every opportunity? That’s the perfect game right there.
I’m 22, what is this?
No seriously. Does it have to be exclusive? Can’t we all just get along? I think this might be the first game ever where i’ll even care to join a guild or clan.
Does the 5.5 stretch goal mean that there will be only this carrier to play or did it unlock the carrier class?
We’ve unlocked the Bengal type Carrier, it is the same type as the carrier from all the trailers but that one is from legendary Squadron 42. So it won’t be the same one, precisely.. It could even be a smaller carrier if this Squadron 42 carrier is heavily modified.
Ill ask the obvious question then: Is the Bengal Carrier going to be an in game available class ship that players have to acquire or is it like the corvette and going to be added to the addons list? Say for 10k or some ridiculous amount?
I don’t want to give my middle finger to anyone, but this is grand.
I started reading science fiction in English (me Norwegian) from fourteen years old. Been doing it ever since, not perfect in spelling though. Nowadays I am a gamer and a writer.
I was ten years old when i said to my elder brother that we would have the first man on the moon before 1970… and I was right on the money
So let me state again, this is joyfully grand
My Black Wolves (Mechwarrior Online “clan”) are chomping at the bit to play this. Really looking forward to how politics and economy play out!