There once was a time when video games were considered an activity for basement dwellers. The same persists to this day to a somewhat lesser extent. The fact that video games can become a full-blown industry, garnering billions in finances and big-name sponsors, was beyond comprehension for most. Defying all odds and speculations, video games are now a highly competitive and lucrative industry. Every day the industry is revolutionising its market system and branding strategies. Due to their nature, video games and the entire industry is constantly changing. Publishers and platforms are always looking to maximise the number of participants by bringing in new features and updates to their products.
Video games, in general, are an absolute hassle to publish, even with the help of an acclaimed publishing studio. Developing and investing in a video game always comes with certain risks. These risks often come with few guarantees, and established publishers in current times do not want to partake in these risky endeavours. Newer publishers try to stay away from new and coming developers because that is where the risk becomes higher. This, in turn, leaves the new and aspiring game developers without substantial finances to fund their projects. Many developers hit a dead end like this and, more often than not, are forced to abandon their entire projects.
Normally, releasing a video game for people to play takes years of development. A minimum of 4-5 years is considered a reasonable time to develop a video game completely. After the game finishes its initial phases of development, it is then released onto the market so people can purchase and start playing. Of course, it does not mean that the game is completely let go of development. Occasional and routine updates are always made in order to keep the game optimised and filled with content. Speaking from a developer’s perspective, a video game goes through a couple of stages, namely the closed and open beta phases. These are technical testing phases where numerous tests are run to see if the game runs smoothly and if there are any problems which might hamper the gaming experience. Most of the funding is needed in this phase, and managing the funds and attracting sponsors and publishers becomes necessary for a steady in-flow of support.
Star Citizen is a video game published by Cloud Imperium Games. The idea behind the game itself came from Chris Roberts, who previously worked on a space trading-based video game. However, with Star Citizen, he intended to explore far beyond the norms of the video game industry. The plan for the game included expanding the boundaries so far explored by any space trading game and adding combat and real-time space corporation mechanics. The core game was to be a real-life simulation with real-time sequences and consequences of running a space economy. A video game of such grand design meant a lot of time invested in its development and also a lot of money going in to keep the project afloat.
The project was undertaken by Chris Roberts, along with two others. Cloud Imperium Games were not an established video game publishing studio. It was also founded by Chris Roberts with the sole purpose of making Star Citizen and related modules such as Squadron 42. The studio and the creators had no financial backing from any major sponsors or studios. Yet still, they managed to keep at it and develop the game thus far. How they achieved such a monumental feat might sound like an old trick, but for a rigid industry like this, it is nothing short of astonishing. The finances to fund the project came through a Kickstarter program. Kickstarter is more or less like a crowdfunding platform that can be used to raise funds for a project with great prospects. The project of the game Star Citizen might come across as a lucid dream to many to be donating their money. However, the creative thinking of the developers changed the course of the general perspective greatly.
The initial funding for the project was slow, and the future projection was not looking up. The developers came up with an idea to fill the deficit, which was never tried before in the industry and in other industries, it was only an emerging aspect. The studio created an entire website dedicated towards the game. Still, the difference was that the website was made in such a way that gave anyone visiting the site the feeling of an actual space industry. The website was designed to look and feel like a futuristic space corporation where the prospective players will start their journey. It became one of the most immersive websites of that time, and it only got bigger and better every year.
The project is now 12 years old after its initial development began in 2011. At this point, we should remember that a big video game project usually takes about 4-5 years to fully develop and publish in the market for playing. However, Star Citizen is still a game under development 12 years later. The game is still in its Beta phase, which means core and essential adjustments are still being made and parts of the original plans are still being integrated in the game. Typically that would mean that the game is not available to the public for full purchase and play yet. But that is where the genius of it lies. Although the game is still in its Beta phase, millions of players are already playing the game. As of now, the game has a base of 18,657,400 active regular people playing the game with contents which have so far been released by the developers.
The game in this matter deviates a little from the mainstream video game release and business style. Generally what happens is that a game is released to the populace after it is deemed playable and is made available in various vendors like Steam and Epic games so people can buy them. Star Citizen, being still under development, is not available to any such vendor. Instead, the game is marketed through the interactive website mentioned before. The website is designed to attract people who want a diverse taste, swaying from the usual course of business. Additionally, since the contents of the game is enormous in opacity, the interested purchasers only have to look for content modules to buy.
Realistically speaking, if space trading and corporations were a thing in our world, all an aspiring space entrepreneur would need to do is buy a spacecraft or ship. That would be the very first and ideal step. In Star Citizen, people need only to pay for a ship with certain traits to unlock the game, instead of paying for the whole game, which would cost a monumental amount. By purchasing a ship, the players will unlock the entire world of space trading and combat simulation and will have unrestricted access. Of course there is always newer content being brought into the game which charges a certain amount from the player base. Despite sounding like a subscription system, it really is a new take on entrepreneurial development.
With the help of the system, the developers have been able to keep the project going strong for over a decade. It is an astronomical achievement because even a real life startup or business project would have struggled to figure out such a way should the struggle become unhinged. Due to the same trope of inadequate funding, many startups and business initiatives are being shut down. However, the developers of Star Citizen have shown a great way of utilising what resources they had to the best of their capabilities. From designing an immersive website to attract new players to allowing a new frontier of purchase system, the micro-management by the developers has been awe-inspiring. The Cloud Imperium Games really delivered on what they promised. It is a crucial aspect for any business to actually deliver on their promises to their prospective customers. Star Citizen found arguably one of the most effective and unique ways of doing it. This tactic, if thought closely enough, can be implemented in other businesses and their branding and marketing strategies as well. The essentials to success following this path really boil down to resilience and the commitment to make the venture succeed and deliver on their promises.
Author- Shiddhartho Zaman
