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Rampant Studios offer you fame in exchange for cash
Indie studio asking for donations to fund third-person project, give you rewards in exchange.
Written by David Scammell, 04 August 2010
Have you always wanted to get your name in a game? How about a special thanks in the credits, or having a guard named after you?
If that appeals to you, upstart independent studio Rampant Studios might just have the answer - but only in exchange for cash.
The British-based dev team are currently offering a rather interesting proposition to gamers in order to gain funding for their latest project Lazarus, offering a variety of rewards to people who donate money towards the development costs.
The lowest reward? A signed postcard from the team. The biggest? Joining the team as a full-blown designer.
Here's a breakdown of the rewards the team is currently offering:
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$7 or more
A signed postcard from the team thanking you for your support. A mention in our development blog.
$15 or more
The previous perks plus: Get a virtual hug. (Sent in the mail!) Access to the behind the scenes blog. Your name in the game credits as a Funder. A free downloadable copy of the game. Exclusive desktop backgrounds featuring concept artwork.
$50 or more
Get all of the above perks plus: Beta Access. A free signed DVD copy of the game. A personal thanks in our next video. An invite to the game launch party in London, UK.
$250 or more
The previous perks plus: Access to the development wave so you can provide feedback on the game design and development. A T-Shirt with Lazarus. A guard named after you. A hand-painted mini figurine of a game character 3D-printed in flexible, durable resin. A printed game map signed by both crews.
$500 or more
Everything above plus: Special thanks in the credits screen. A signed copy of the artwork in a book. A 4' figurine of a character of your choice, hand-painted by our artists. A limited edition boxed copy of the game.
$1,000 or more
The above perks plus: A unique 6' figurine of your character choice hand-painted by our artists to your specs. A secret cheat code known only to you. Game credit as a producer.
$2,500 or more
The above plus you join our team as a designer. This is your chance to gain documented industry experience, an IMDB credit, a MobyGames listing as a contributor to a published game, and the associated press that comes with being the first person in history to buy their way into the games industry. You will have all the input that a game designer typically contributes. The amount of work you do is entirely your choice.
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The team's currently looking for $20,000 to fund Lazarus. Make it happen. Head through to indiegogo.com/lazarus to donate, or click the link on your right. You'll also be able to keep track of how much they've raised through the link, too.
And if you want to take up the chance of being a designer, make it quick. The team only has one slot available.
The concept for the third-person game itself sounds fascinating, with Rampant comparing it to "Disney innocence" mixed with "Tim Burton's twisted and dark humour". It follows the story of a wizard called Lazarus living in an alternate universe where magic has been banned. He killed his mother as a child, and more recently a princess who broke his heart. Mental.
The game's also being built in collaboration with Canadian graphics company Bamboo Raven, so it ought to look pretty, though no formats or release dates have yet been announced.
Will you be donating money to Rampant? Let us know by leaving a comment.
MaelstromB
4 August 2010 @ 20:20PM GMT