The Gallery kickstarter (panicked fan)

Post by **phillypro** » Thu Mar 28, 2013 12:38 am

so i just checked the kickstarter for "The Gallery" the first oculus centered adventure game

and guys...we have got to fund this thing...ive been watching this project since it started and i really want to see it happen...i really really do

its the first game that isnt just a port...and actually something just for us oculus guys...please do what you can ...throw the guy 5 bucks...doesnt matter ...tell friends spread the word

but lets get this thing halfway funded already ..im gonna put another 50 down in 2 days ...just to do my part

Post by **Frito** » Thu Mar 28, 2013 12:58 am

Yes, if you havent seen the new update with the hydras, DO IT NAO, its just a glimpse of the game but it really shows the idea behind it. 10+

Post by **android78** » Thu Mar 28, 2013 2:42 am

I really hope this gets funded. I put up my pledge, but we're still less then half way.
Maybe if we give a link it'll help:
http://kck.st/146enqj
One thought I had though, is that I put up for the physical copy... maybe I should have opted for the download so I don't have to wait for shipping to Australia.

Post by **geekmaster** » Thu Mar 28, 2013 2:46 am

android78 wrote:I really hope this gets funded. I put up my pledge, but we're still less then half way.
Maybe if we give a link it'll help:
http://kck.st/146enqj
One thought I had though, is that I put up for the physical copy... maybe I should have opted for the download so I don't have to wait for shipping to Australia.

I suspect that if you bought the physical copy, you will ALSO be able to download while waiting for your package to arrive...

Post by **nixarn** » Thu Mar 28, 2013 3:19 am

I'd really like a quick hydra + oculus demo. One scene would be enough. But I'd like it soon, preferable in May already.

Maybe if they offered that, a lot of Oculus supporters would support it too. With that being said, I did pledge already.

Post by **2EyeGuy** » Thu Mar 28, 2013 3:30 am

You could add a link to your signature...

Anyway, I backed it, then I increased my pledge when the update 1 came out (since it was a stretch goal feature). I'll probably increase my pledge again later if it looks like failing.

But if you know anyone who's interested in exploration games, adventure games, urban exploration, Virtual Reality, Razer Hydra, new technology, indie games, or kickstarting in general, now would be a good time to let them know.

It's really important to have games like this designed specifically for Virtual Reality, with the full potential, and none of the flaws of other games ported to the Rift.

Post by **Paintbrush** » Thu Mar 28, 2013 5:06 am

I really, really, REALLY hope this gets funded. Hope Oculus guys will do some game promotion too (after all, it's in their best interest to get as many games like this as possible).

Post by **3dRat** » Thu Mar 28, 2013 7:58 am

is this game oriented to dev-kit only? if so have you take into account the resolution problem?

anyway it seems I'll become a backer.

it will be interesting when in the next big game-expo where Rift goes there'll be some demos of games like this specifically created for the RIft... maybe then we really will start to see extreme reactions of hype!!

Post by **2EyeGuy** » Thu Mar 28, 2013 8:12 am

It looks like it's aimed at both the dev kit and the consumer version. I'm sure they'll take into account the resolution. The main place I can see resolution being a problem is when you are using your notebook. It's a pretty small notebook, and the marks for your map look small.

Post by **LNQ** » Thu Mar 28, 2013 8:22 am

Hope the Kickstarter picks up soon, but it might just be that the idea of a VR game is too hard of a sell to the general public before VR is actually here. Especially an indie VR game.

The game looks super promising, but it's very easy to understand why not everyone is flogging in to pledge. Here in MTBS3D we're living inside a bubble, after all.

Post by **MrGreen** » Thu Mar 28, 2013 8:24 am

Someone with better english skills than me needs to start a thread on NeoGAF. It would go a long way I think...

Post by **mgood** » Thu Mar 28, 2013 9:09 am

Every Kickstarter project I've seen accelerates as it nears the end of initial fundraising. I'm not worried.

Post by **rhinosix** » Thu Mar 28, 2013 9:21 am

The Verge forums might be a good place to post too if anyone's a regular there.

Post by **Dnhkng** » Thu Mar 28, 2013 9:37 am

Trending towards 97% of its target, as of today. http://www.kicktraq.com/projects/494598 ... -elements/

Post by **Bishop51** » Thu Mar 28, 2013 11:15 am

phillypro wrote:so i just checked the kickstarter for "The Gallery" the first oculus centered adventure game

and guys...we have got to fund this thing...ive been watching this project since it started and i really want to see it happen...i really really do

its the first game that isnt just a port...and actually something just for us oculus guys...please do what you can ...throw the guy 5 bucks...doesnt matter ...tell friends spread the word

but lets get this thing halfway funded already ..im gonna put another 50 down in 2 days ...just to do my part

Appreciated Phillypro! We've still got 19 days on the clock so no need to panic just yet but the extra support and outreach is definitely appreciated

There are two types of campaigns on Kickstarter; those launched by publishers with pre-established audiences and those launched without pre-established audiences. We're indie and we fall into the latter category which usually = blood, sweat and tears to the bitter end. We never expected millions, just enough to get us started.

We've got a number of pokers in the fire, so good things are still on the horizon!

geekmaster wrote:
android78 wrote:I really hope this gets funded. I put up my pledge, but we're still less then half way.
Maybe if we give a link it'll help:
http://kck.st/146enqj
One thought I had though, is that I put up for the physical copy... maybe I should have opted for the download so I don't have to wait for shipping to Australia.
I suspect that if you bought the physical copy, you will ALSO be able to download while waiting for your package to arrive...

If you opted for the "Game in a box" you still get access to the Alpha and downloadable versions of the game

nixarn wrote:I'd really like a quick hydra + oculus demo. One scene would be enough. But I'd like it soon, preferable in May already.

Maybe if they offered that, a lot of Oculus supporters would support it too. With that being said, I did pledge already.

We're going to do everything we can to give backers little tastes as things develop. We've set an August 2013 limit on an Alpha demo but that doesn't mean we won't pull people in before that to test smaller bites of things.

2EyeGuy wrote:It looks like it's aimed at both the dev kit and the consumer version. I'm sure they'll take into account the resolution. The main place I can see resolution being a problem is when you are using your notebook. It's a pretty small notebook, and the marks for your map look small.

Its actually fortunate in a way that the dev-kit uses a lower resolution in some aspects because it forces cleaner design. We always planned for a minimalist and natural interface design that doesn't break immersion. We'll find a balance that works

Dnhkng wrote:Trending towards 97% of its target, as of today. http://www.kicktraq.com/projects/494598 ... -elements/

Don't place too much weight in those trending reports. They fluctuate daily more than my Grandmas blood sugar level

They only represent a projection based on each individual day's take and they peak and drop dramatically depending on how each day performs.

Post by **BloodShed** » Thu Mar 28, 2013 11:47 am

Bishop51 wrote:We've still got 19 days on the clock so no need to panic just yet but the extra support and outreach is definitely appreciated

There's usually a good spike for Kickstarter campaigns right before the deadline. Still, I would personally like to see you guys get well over your conservative goal.

I believe one of the problems is that it's still so early for the Rift. A lot of people are waiting on the consumer version while others are still waiting to experience it first. For now, your primary audience is going to be the 9500+ backers (and untold number of post-purchasers) for the current dev kit.

Have you been in touch with Palmer or the guys at Oculus? It would be great if they could mention your game on the company blog and in one of their Kickstarter updates. Both CloudHead and Oculus have the same target audience and you both mutually benefit each other. I've seen a few people link you on the Oculus Kickstarter comments, but you deserve more exposure. You're already promoting the Rift! It only makes sense if they highlight more Rift compatible games.

I'm curious, are there still any thriving Myst communities out there? I used to play Uru Live for awhile, but that game is embarrassingly dead now.

Another suggestion I was thinking of, can you add an additional reward tier? Something between $50 and $100 ($80?). I think spending more than $50 on a game is fairly common these days. However, once you add another digit it starts looking expensive. I'm don't really have any idea of what you could offer, but I just wanted to mention it.

Post by **maboo63** » Thu Mar 28, 2013 12:07 pm

yeah it really would be helpful if oculus would also spread the word

Post by **Dakor** » Thu Mar 28, 2013 12:23 pm

I know everybody is looking only in this forum, but you might want to check out the Thread in the "Independent Game Development & Crowdsourcing Announcements"-Forum:
--> http://www.mtbs3d.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=143&t=16334

Is there also a Thead in the Oclusrift.com (was that the url?) forum? I don't visit it's any more since it's breaking my nerves seeing all those threads

But there are many people that got attracted by the hype (if there is one) and I bet it would push the Kickstarter.

Post by **brantlew** » Thu Mar 28, 2013 12:26 pm

That's not a bad idea. A mid-level $75-ish gift pack "could" incentivize many preexisting backers to "up" their initial contribution. All of those $30 and $50 level people (the bulk) would have an easier time ramping up midway instead of going all the way to $100 and potentially bringing in 25%-50% more cash just from pre-existing backers.

Post by **LNQ** » Thu Mar 28, 2013 12:31 pm

If there would be some kind of a cool all-digital reward tier in the $70 to $250 range, I could (and would) easily up my pledge from the current $30. I just don't like physical rewards. I see the digital reward tiers as win-win as they have lower production costs and I get rewards that are more of my taste.

Post by **Moggle69** » Thu Mar 28, 2013 12:48 pm

I never thought of the idea of physically moving debris out of your pathway for access. Very clever game design. VR really opens up to new ideas in a game that could never be done before. Well done CloudHead Games =)

Post by **Dakor** » Thu Mar 28, 2013 12:55 pm

Moggle69 wrote:I never thought of the idea of physically moving debris out of your pathway for access. Very clever game design. VR really opens up to new ideas in a game that could never be done before. Well done CloudHead Games =)

You mean you never heard of that awesome Surgeon Simulator 2013 Game?
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2F3ZWEEbF4[/youtube]
(no this very great game, has no hydra support you have to deal with that breath taking controls!)

Zombies on the Holodeck announced this feature as well, you will be able to build barricades and stuff with Hydra.
I bet all upcoming VR Games will some how integrate this feature since it just adds a huge packet of immersion to the game.
I just added Hand and simulated Head Tracking using Hydra to my UDK Game and even without the Rift it just feels awesome.

Post by **Kirito** » Thu Mar 28, 2013 1:00 pm

if oculus would mention the gallery link to their kickstarter on a vid or fb or a update i think that would help very much

Post by **Moggle69** » Thu Mar 28, 2013 1:05 pm

Moggle69 wrote:I never thought of the idea of physically moving debris out of your pathway for access. Very clever game design. VR really opens up to new ideas in a game that could never be done before. Well done CloudHead Games =)

Now if Oculus could release some official Haptic Gloves... we are set!

Post by **BillRoeske** » Thu Mar 28, 2013 1:13 pm

Whenever I see a game with stacking and unstacking things, I immediately think of Jurassic Park: Tresspasser, the most incredible box-stacking simulation of our time.

That said, I'll definitely be in as a backer because The Gallery has been looking like exactly the game I want to play in VR. I'm just waiting for my monthly grant to arrive from the Ministry of Household Finance (aka the wife). I know the amount doesn't get taken out until the end of the fundraiser, but call it a silly mental thing.

One thing that's occurred to me, Bishop, is that you may want to put out a Kickstarter update that focuses on how it plays with a keyboard and mouse. I've seen a few comments on Greenlight that suggest there are plenty of adventure game fans who are a little put off by VR at this stage. Don't leave them out in the cold.

I might even go one step further and suggest a mouse-only mode for people who can't handle WASD + mouse-look. That part, though, depends a bit on your game design.

Post by **Bishop51** » Thu Mar 28, 2013 1:25 pm

BloodShed wrote: There's usually a good spike for Kickstarter campaigns right before the deadline. Still, I would personally like to see you guys get well over your conservative goal.

I believe one of the problems is that it's still so early for the Rift. A lot of people are waiting on the consumer version while others are still waiting to experience it first. For now, your primary audience is going to be the 9500+ backers (and untold number of post-purchasers) for the current dev kit.

Its a bit of a chicken before the egg scenario on all ends of the equation. Oculus needs indies to develop so that there's content available for commercial release and indies need funding to actually do that work. We decided that offering dev-kit supporters and early chance to play with content would be the smartest move and give us the opportunity to support development on The Gallery. Its VERY difficult to find seed money for bleeding edge technology and software development, so Kickstarter was the best early bet.

Everyone wants something to play on the Oculus Rift, designed for the Oculus Rift and they want it like yesterday. We're providing that opportunity. We just need them to see us and unfortunately MTBS is not the primary vein on that front (though its been a great help!).

BloodShed wrote: Have you been in touch with Palmer or the guys at Oculus? It would be great if they could mention your game on the company blog and in one of their Kickstarter updates. Both CloudHead and Oculus have the same target audience and you both mutually benefit each other. I've seen a few people link you on the Oculus Kickstarter comments, but you deserve more exposure. You're already promoting the Rift! It only makes sense if they highlight more Rift compatible games.

&

Kirito wrote:if oculus would mention the gallery link to their kickstarter on a vid or fb or a update i think that would help very much

&

maboo63 wrote:yeah it really would be helpful if oculus would also spread the word

The only thing I can comment on here is that I've been in touch with Palmer and other staff at Oculus from the beginning. Oculus is understandably extraordinarily busy and they have major publishers vying for their attention. I can't speak for them on what they do or don't plan on doing to help us out but obviously The Gallery needs to target developers and early adopters directly as this group is our primary audience. We can only shout so loudly to the internet and much of that is completely out of our hands at this point. The best we can do is try to express just how passionate we are about getting the experience right for the Oculus Rift and hope that people respond to that.

LNQ wrote:If there would be some kind of a cool all-digital reward tier in the $70 to $250 range, I could (and would) easily up my pledge from the current $30. I just don't like physical rewards. I see the digital reward tiers as win-win as they have lower production costs and I get rewards that are more of my taste.

Its not a bad thought. I'll talk to everyone about it and see what we can come up with

Post by **Valez** » Thu Mar 28, 2013 1:37 pm

LNQ wrote:If there would be some kind of a cool all-digital reward tier in the $70 [...]

I second that. I backed $50 and chose the $30 reward, because I don't really need a physical copy (and want to save you the hassle/cost).
If there would be higher all-digital tier I would go for it.

Post by **Grix** » Thu Mar 28, 2013 1:53 pm

Dont panic, even if the goal is not reached, its not the end of the world. The game will still happen it will still sell a lot to us vr enthusiasts.

Post by **GeraldT** » Thu Mar 28, 2013 2:02 pm

And you can always repeat a kickstarter. But with the current trend I doubt it will fail - if they give a cool Rift video with the spraycan that is short and sweet on the spot, I can see game sites picking it which would result in them reaching the funding limit in no time.

Post by **NikoKun** » Thu Mar 28, 2013 2:06 pm

I already backed it, so I've just been trying to suggest it to a few friends.. heh

I really hope it gets backed.. It sounds so awesome, and it seems like he's got some great stuff already working!

Post by **JoeReMi** » Thu Mar 28, 2013 2:08 pm

Just created a Kickstarter account to back this. It looks awesome and an essential Rift title. I love the way the developer is so involved in these forums too

Post by **mahler** » Thu Mar 28, 2013 2:38 pm

Valez wrote:
LNQ wrote:If there would be some kind of a cool all-digital reward tier in the $70 [...]
I second that. I backed $50 and chose the $30 reward, because I don't really need a physical copy (and want to safe you the hassle/cost).
If there would be higher all-digital tier I would go for it.

Yeah I did the same thing for the same reason. And leaving some room for plegding more later if necessary.

Post by **BloodShed** » Thu Mar 28, 2013 2:45 pm

Dakor wrote:You mean you never heard of that awesome Surgeon Simulator 2013 Game?

A friend showed me Saving Bob. I was crying from laughing so hard.

Bishop51 wrote:Everyone wants something to play on the Oculus Rift, designed for the Oculus Rift and they want it like yesterday.

Exactly! That's why I think The Gallery should be sitting on at least 5000 backers! I am sure that the majority of Rift supporters are not developers. The remaining backers that are developers probably do not plan on releasing a commercial product either (like me). I just want to experiment with it. I have a rough game idea, but I'm already committed to a software side-project. So, I doubt I'll get time unfortunately.

Bishop51 wrote:The only thing I can comment on here is that I've been in touch with Palmer and other staff at Oculus from the beginning. Oculus is understandably extraordinarily busy and they have major publishers vying for their attention.

I can understand that. But honestly, we're talking about a symbiotic business relationship. Maybe if CloudHead is willing to write up the article, Oculus only needs to invest 15 minutes to review and post it. At the moment, Oculus can only feature two games: Hawken and Team Fortress 2. It makes sense to me that they'd want to get more news out about incoming software!

Bishop51 wrote:Its not a bad thought. I'll talk to everyone about it and see what we can come up with

That would be awesome. Though, I'm a collector; I prefer physical copies. Maybe offer similar rewards with a choice of digital vs physical? Filling the gap between $50 and $100 with anything should definitely help though.

Post by **kludd70** » Thu Mar 28, 2013 4:17 pm

I'll be honest. I want to support this for the Rift's sake, but I'm just not sold on it as a game yet. Not much is said regarding how it actually plays out. I'd imagine this is why it hasn't seen much support outside the rift community.

The impression I'm left with after watching/reading the kickstarter is that might not be much more than a series of randomly generated mazes. It says it's inspired by Myst, but what makes games like Myst so compelling is in how every area is unique and carefully crafted. I'm skeptical that you can pull off a game like that with randomization. The last thing I want in an exploration game is to be just waking down a bunch of samey looking hallways.

Just the impressions of a casual observer. I'll await the next update to hopefully clear things up.

Post by **rmcclelland** » Thu Mar 28, 2013 5:41 pm

Bishop51,

There are tons of people excited about the Rift due to the GDC demos. People are waiting in line for over an hour for a 5 minute demo. The talks have been overflowing.

You might benefit from more of a social media presence right now. There are going to be lots of people searching twitter etc for "Oculus Rift". You should be in those search results. I've hardly seen anything about The Gallery on twitter of Google+.

I really want this kickstarter to succeed also!

Post by **BloodShed** » Thu Mar 28, 2013 5:47 pm

kludd70 wrote:It says it's inspired by Myst, but what makes games like Myst so compelling is in how every area is unique and carefully crafted.

I can agree with that. IMHO, I did not see samples showing the variety of design that I would expect from a "Myst-like" game. It did not concern me too much because, as a work in progress, they may not have enough content to show yet. I can certainly see why someone would be skeptical.

By the way, I just saw that tmek posted a YouTube video and Palmer mentioned "The Gallery" @ 4:29. It was in response to a direct question about Rift exclusive content.

Post by **Aeroflux** » Thu Mar 28, 2013 5:50 pm

I plan to back The Gallery, just trying to scrounge together what little I can before the kickstarter ends. I used to explore the sewers as a kid as well...that and climb school roofs. I really wish we could fund the co-op stretch goal though.

Post by **Frito** » Thu Mar 28, 2013 10:39 pm

kludd70 wrote: The impression I'm left with after watching/reading the kickstarter is that might not be much more than a series of randomly generated mazes. It says it's inspired by Myst, but what makes games like Myst so compelling is in how every area is unique and carefully crafted. I'm skeptical that you can pull off a game like that with randomization. The last thing I want in an exploration game is to be just waking down a bunch of samey looking hallways.

Thats a valid point, but random areas mean unlimited replay... Im thinking the gallery its not about looking at pretty walls or vistas, but having that sense of the unknown or that creepy sense of being lost...

Post by **Bishop51** » Thu Mar 28, 2013 11:23 pm

BloodShed wrote:
kludd70 wrote:It says it's inspired by Myst, but what makes games like Myst so compelling is in how every area is unique and carefully crafted.
I can agree with that. IMHO, I did not see samples showing the variety of design that I would expect from a "Myst-like" game. It did not concern me too much because, as a work in progress, they may not have enough content to show yet. I can certainly see why someone would be skeptical.

By the way, I just saw that tmek posted a YouTube video and Palmer mentioned "The Gallery" @ 4:29. It was in response to a direct question about Rift exclusive content.

What we showed in our Kickstarter pitch was 3 "reality" based locations (Sewer, mine/cave, gallery) and 1 alternate reality location out of 6 total (Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Love, Death). We've got ambitious plans for all 6 painted worlds and they all showcase a particular experience based fantasy that highlights the strengths of VR (and the things you'd probably want to do while in VR). Part of it was simply time, we only had a few months of funds to pull our proposal together and part of it is simply about keeping some aspects of the game secret until we've had time to give them polish.

In the air world for example there's quite a long chain of events that you have to mitigate in order to find the key and your way out. It is very much like Myst in that the puzzles drive the narrative and vice versa. The consequence of working that way is that you end up designing game worlds that have a certain aesthetic. A lived in and purpose driven feeling.

Randomization and path-finding play a major role in our game but it isn't the focus throughout. It happens only in areas where that style of play warrants it. It essentially gives each player a unique journey to commonly experienced areas and goals. We're hoping that its an aspect people can share stories about

We're trying to secure a fairly low level of funds to do that work and start showcasing the full scope of the game to backers and the public.

rmcclelland wrote:Bishop51,

There are tons of people excited about the Rift due to the GDC demos. People are waiting in line for over an hour for a 5 minute demo. The talks have been overflowing.

You might benefit from more of a social media presence right now. There are going to be lots of people searching twitter etc for "Oculus Rift". You should be in those search results. I've hardly seen anything about The Gallery on twitter of Google+.

I really want this kickstarter to succeed also!

We've been doing our best but we're a small team. We've had some movement from earlier press releases, doing interviews, keeping up with the campaign, updates and staying active on Facebook (which offloads to Twitter), handling e-mails and outreach here and elsewhere. Its a lot to do, so we're stretched pretty thin. That's where we really need a hand from those that are interested and those that support. Getting out there and simply talking about The Gallery is a HUGE help to us at this point in the campaign.

That being said, there's some very good things happening behind the scenes! Can't talk about anything yet but we're hoping to have some news very soon

~ Denny

Post by **brantlew** » Thu Mar 28, 2013 11:26 pm

Have you guys considered posting some concept art or sketches? That might unveil the variety or scope of the game without giving much away and without taking a lot of time to put together.