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<generator>Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/</generator><item><title><![CDATA[Monaco made good on Indie Fund $100K before launch, what it means]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/29/monaco-made-good-on-indie-fund-100k-before-launch-what-it-mean/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/29/monaco-made-good-on-indie-fund-100k-before-launch-what-it-mean/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/29/monaco-made-good-on-indie-fund-100k-before-launch-what-it-mean/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/29/monaco-made-good-on-indie-fund-100k-before-launch-what-it-mean/"><img alt="Monaco dev on not stealing from Indie Fund, myriad forms of funding" data-src-height="331" data-src-width="530" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2013/04/monaco-the-lookout-in-action.jpg" /></a></div>Since 2010, <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/tag/indie-fund">Indie Fund</a> has helped launch high-profile games such as <em>Dear Esther</em>, <em>QUBE</em> and <em>Antichamber</em>, each one recouping investment within <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/16/q-u-b-e-moves-12k-copies-in-first-four-days-recouping-full-ind/">days</a> or even <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/15/dear-esther-turned-a-profit-in-just-5-hours-30-minutes/">hours</a>. The first game in which Indie Fund ever put its faith (and money), <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/game/monaco"><em>Monaco</em></a>, launched last week and made back its $100,000 investment in negative time, before the game went live on April 24.<br /><br />Developer Andy Schatz opened <em>Monaco</em> pre-orders via the Humble Store in December, and Steam pre-orders went live on April 17. By April 20, <em>Monaco</em> had grossed $120,000, <a href="https://twitter.com/andyschatz/status/325672696937582592">Schatz said</a>, exceeding its Indie Fund investment a full four days before the game launched.<br /><br />"For me the most significant thing about the early success with regards to Indie Fund is that it shows that there are many ways of approaching funding, from crowdfunding to investment models like Indie Fund, to personal loans - I know a number of devs that have taken loans from other devs - to the traditional publisher model," Schatz told Joystiq. "More options means the studios can customize their relationships to fit their personalities and their projects."<br /><br />Schatz used the Indie Fund investment partially to pay contractors and then to sustain himself and company expenses, including trips to PAX. Regardless of the cold, hard numbers, we thought Indie Fund's investment <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/26/monaco-review/#review">paid off particularly well</a> with <em>Monaco</em>.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/29/monaco-made-good-on-indie-fund-100k-before-launch-what-it-mean/">Monaco made good on Indie Fund $100K before launch, what it means</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Mon, 29 Apr 2013 16:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/29/monaco-made-good-on-indie-fund-100k-before-launch-what-it-mean/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/20550950/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/29/monaco-made-good-on-indie-fund-100k-before-launch-what-it-mean/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>andy-schatz</category><category>funding</category><category>Indie-fund</category><category>Investment</category><category>monaco</category><category>pc</category><category>Pocketwatch-Games</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jessica Conditt]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 29 Apr 2013 16:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Indie Fund backing 'whimsical physics toy' Kachina]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/16/indie-fund-backing-whimsical-physics-toy-kachina/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/16/indie-fund-backing-whimsical-physics-toy-kachina/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/16/indie-fund-backing-whimsical-physics-toy-kachina/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<center> <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/16/indie-fund-backing-whimsical-physics-toy-kachina/"><img alt="Indie Fund backing 'whimsical physics toy' Kachina" data-src-height="329" data-src-width="530" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2013/04/kachina.jpg" /></a></center><em><a href="https://www.scrollkit.com/s/DBqqzHo/">Kachina</a></em> is a game by Ben Esposito, who did level design on <a href="http://joystiq.com/game/the-unfinished-swan"><em>The Unfinished Swan</em></a> with Giant Sparrow, in which you control a hole in the ground that moves around, swallows up animals and deposits them elsewhere. It's a game about a hole, <em>and</em> a game "exploring the relationship between modern American and indigenous Pueblo cultures through themes of erasure &amp; discovery."<br /><br />That seems like a wide-ranging set of goals for a small game, and Esposito is getting help in realizing those goals from the Indie Fund, which revealed <em>Kachina</em> as its next project. Originally a Molyjam creation, the "whimsical physics toy" is planned for commercial release on PC, OSX, and iOS.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/16/indie-fund-backing-whimsical-physics-toy-kachina/">Indie Fund backing 'whimsical physics toy' Kachina</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Tue, 16 Apr 2013 17:30:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/16/indie-fund-backing-whimsical-physics-toy-kachina/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/20542656/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/16/indie-fund-backing-whimsical-physics-toy-kachina/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>indie-fund</category><category>ios</category><category>iphone</category><category>kachina</category><category>mac</category><category>mobile</category><category>pc</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[JC Fletcher]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 16 Apr 2013 17:30:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[QUBE takes a spin on Wii U, 'quite possibly' Vita]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/14/qube-takes-a-spin-on-wii-u-quite-possibly-vita/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/14/qube-takes-a-spin-on-wii-u-quite-possibly-vita/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/14/qube-takes-a-spin-on-wii-u-quite-possibly-vita/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/14/qube-takes-a-spin-on-wii-u-quite-possibly-vita/"><img alt="QUBE seen running on Wii U" data-src-height="256" data-src-width="530" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2013/04/qube.jpg" /></a></div><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/game/qube"><em>QUBE</em></a>, the first game to come out of (the pockets of) Indie Fund, is on its way to Wii U and maybe Vita, according to a series of messages on the game's official <a href="https://twitter.com/qubegame/statuses/323105141161070593">Twitter</a>. Toxic Games reveals a picture of <em>QUBE</em> running on the Wii U (shown above), along with the note that it "can't wait to get this out." As for a Vita version, Toxic responds to an inquiry with, "Quite possibly!"<br /><br /><em>QUBE</em> launched on PC in December 2011 - and we found it to be "<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/13/q-u-b-e-review/#review">a delightful on-screen Rubik's Cube</a>" - and made its way to Mac one year later, in December 2012. The game recouped its $90,000 development cost in <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/16/q-u-b-e-moves-12k-copies-in-first-four-days-recouping-full-ind/">just four days</a>, selling more than 12,000 copies on Steam in that time.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/14/qube-takes-a-spin-on-wii-u-quite-possibly-vita/">QUBE takes a spin on Wii U, 'quite possibly' Vita</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Sun, 14 Apr 2013 13:30:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/14/qube-takes-a-spin-on-wii-u-quite-possibly-vita/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/20540195/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/14/qube-takes-a-spin-on-wii-u-quite-possibly-vita/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>Indie-fund</category><category>mac</category><category>nintendo</category><category>pc</category><category>playstation</category><category>playstation-vita</category><category>qube</category><category>toxic-games</category><category>vita</category><category>wii-u</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jessica Conditt]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 14 Apr 2013 13:30:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Swapper takes a spin on Steam this spring]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/20/the-swapper-takes-a-spin-on-steam-this-spring/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/20/the-swapper-takes-a-spin-on-steam-this-spring/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/20/the-swapper-takes-a-spin-on-steam-this-spring/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center;"> <iframe frameborder="0" height="318" id="viddler-6a3c71be" mozallowfullscreen="true" src="http://www.viddler.com/embed/6a3c71be/?f=1&amp;autoplay=0&amp;player=simple&amp;secret=18788143&amp;loop=false&amp;nologo=false&amp;hd=false" webkitallowfullscreen="true" width="530"></iframe><br /> <a class="hidden" href="http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/20/the-swapper-takes-a-spin-on-steam-this-spring/"><img alt="The Swapper takes a spin on Steam this spring" data-src-height="265" data-src-width="530" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2013/03/swaer.png" /></a></div><br /><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/game/the-swapper"><em>The Swapper</em></a>, an indie marvel more than two years in the making, is coming to Steam for PC this spring, and later to Mac and Linux. If the gameplay demonstrated in <em>The Swapper</em>'s Steam launch trailer looks funky to you, that's because it is - developer Facepalm created the entire game using photos of <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/10/indiecade-2011-molding-the-swapper-out-of-clay/">real-life clay models</a>. The above video offers the first glimpse at gameplay since May 2011.<br /><br /><em>The Swapper </em>is backed by Indie Fund, the company behind high-profile indies <em>Dear Esther</em> and <em>Q.U.B.E.</em>, and it already has a wall full of accolades, including a featured spot in PAX Prime's PAX10 last year and IndieCade's Special Recognition award.<br /><br />Facepalm previously mentioned PC, Mac and "<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/03/indie-fund-selects-the-swapper-as-next-investment/">maybe something else</a>" as potential platforms, and co-founder Olli Harjola tells Joystiq he's looking at other, mysterious consoles: "Let's say I'm currently open to putting the game on new platforms where we don't need to make compromises regarding the experience. There's nothing concrete yet."<br /><br /><em>The Swapper </em>will be a part of Indie Megabooth at PAX East (which starts on Friday, March 22), along with an appearance at GDC the following week.<div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/the-swapper/">The Swapper</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/the-swapper/#5749912"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2013/03/theswapper-01_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/the-swapper/#5749913"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2013/03/theswapper-02_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/photos/the-swapper/#5749914"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2013/03/theswapper-03_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><p><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/20/the-swapper-takes-a-spin-on-steam-this-spring/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>The Swapper takes a spin on Steam this spring</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/20/the-swapper-takes-a-spin-on-steam-this-spring/">The Swapper takes a spin on Steam this spring</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Wed, 20 Mar 2013 22:30:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/20/the-swapper-takes-a-spin-on-steam-this-spring/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/20512194/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/20/the-swapper-takes-a-spin-on-steam-this-spring/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>facepalm</category><category>facepalm-games</category><category>Indie</category><category>Indie-fund</category><category>mac</category><category>pc</category><category>STEAM</category><category>the-swapper</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jessica Conditt]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 20 Mar 2013 22:30:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Indie Fund backing Global Game Jam hit Mushroom 11]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/20/indie-fund-backing-global-game-jam-hit-mushroom-11/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/20/indie-fund-backing-global-game-jam-hit-mushroom-11/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/20/indie-fund-backing-global-game-jam-hit-mushroom-11/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center;"> <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="398" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/KcI2dafAHBw?wmode=opaque" width="530"></iframe><a class="hidden" href="http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/20/indie-fund-backing-global-game-jam-hit-mushroom-11/"><img alt="Indie Fund backing Global Game Jam hit Mushroom 11" data-src-height="266" data-src-width="530" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2012/11/mushroom111.jpg" /></a></div><br /><em>Mushroom 11</em>, from 2012 NYU Global Game Jammer Itay Keren, is an experiment in mobility and art design, and it's caught the eye (and wallet) of <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/tag/Indie-fund/">Indie Fund</a>. Keren won the Best Game Design award at GGJ 2012 with <em>Mushroom 11</em>, and has since focused on fleshing it out into a more polished, complete game. Check out some preliminary art and that wild gameplay mechanic in the above video.<br /><br />"The design space being explored by <em>Mushroom 11</em> is not something we've seen before," Indie Fund writes. "It's engaging and tactile and we're excited to support Itay and see where his design exploration leads!"<br /><br />Keren has previous development experience for mobile devices, but there is no word on potential platforms for <em>Mushroom 11</em>.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/20/indie-fund-backing-global-game-jam-hit-mushroom-11/">Indie Fund backing Global Game Jam hit Mushroom 11</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Tue, 20 Nov 2012 01:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/20/indie-fund-backing-global-game-jam-hit-mushroom-11/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/20384132/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/20/indie-fund-backing-global-game-jam-hit-mushroom-11/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>global-game-jam</category><category>global-game-jam-2012</category><category>Indie</category><category>Indie-fund</category><category>itay-keren</category><category>mushroom-11</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jessica Conditt]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 20 Nov 2012 01:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Indie Fund breaks its own rules to finance ports of The Splatters]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/04/indie-fund-breaks-its-own-rules-to-finance-ports-of-the-splatter/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/04/indie-fund-breaks-its-own-rules-to-finance-ports-of-the-splatter/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/04/indie-fund-breaks-its-own-rules-to-finance-ports-of-the-splatter/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center; "> <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="298" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/DwNn-fxXYjQ?wmode=opaque" width="530"></iframe><br /> <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/04/indie-fund-breaks-its-own-rules-to-finance-ports-of-the-splatter/"><img alt="Indie Fund backing ports of The Splatters" data-src-height="297" data-src-width="530" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2012/09/splatters.jpg" style="display:none; margin: 4px; " /></a></div><br />Indie Fund generally doesn't invest in ports. If a game doesn't succeed on its first platform, then there's no motivation for Indie Fund to back more iterations of it - it says such a tactic "may not be a wise investment." However, Indie Fund makes an exception for SpikySnail's XBLA game <em>The Splatters</em>, and is looking to bring it to PC, Mac and Linux.<br /><br />"SpikySnail aren't just making a port," Indie Fund <a href="http://indie-fund.com/2012/09/the-splatters/">says</a>. "They've learned from their design and believe they can improve it. They want to release a better game on a different platform."<br /><br /><em>The Splatters</em> sales on XBLA didn't generate enough revenue for SpikySnail to be self-sustaining and Indie Fund wants to help make that happen.<br /><br />SpikySnail intrigues Indie Fund because the team has a low overhead and is focused on design. Indie Fund believes "focus on design isn't just an aesthetic preference, but an important factor in creating a financially successful game." If <em>The Splatters</em> does well with a design overhaul, Indie Fund's philosophy will be supported.<br /><br />Read SpikySnail's take on the investment on <a href="http://spikysnail.com/2012/09/indie-fund-is-backing-the-splatters/">its blog</a>.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/04/indie-fund-breaks-its-own-rules-to-finance-ports-of-the-splatter/">Indie Fund breaks its own rules to finance ports of The Splatters</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Tue, 04 Sep 2012 21:30:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/04/indie-fund-breaks-its-own-rules-to-finance-ports-of-the-splatter/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/20316194/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/04/indie-fund-breaks-its-own-rules-to-finance-ports-of-the-splatter/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>Indie-fund</category><category>Linux</category><category>mac</category><category>microsoft</category><category>pc</category><category>port</category><category>spikysnail</category><category>the-splatters</category><category>xbox</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jessica Conditt]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 04 Sep 2012 21:30:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Antichamber and Indie Fund: A match made in M.C. Escher's basement]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/09/antichamber-and-indie-fund-a-match-made-in-m-c-eschers-baseme/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/09/antichamber-and-indie-fund-a-match-made-in-m-c-eschers-baseme/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/09/antichamber-and-indie-fund-a-match-made-in-m-c-eschers-baseme/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<center> <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/09/antichamber-and-indie-fund-a-match-made-in-m-c-eschers-baseme/"><img alt="Image" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2012/04/alexander-bruce.jpg" style="margin-left: 4px; margin-right: 4px; margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; width: 530px; height: 398px; " /></a></center><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/game/antichamber"><em>Antichamber</em></a> mastermind Alexander Bruce enjoys screwing with people's perceptions of reality, on the screen and on the show floor of PAX East. As part of the Indie Megabooth, Bruce had full reign to make attendees perform a mystery challenge as part of the Megabooth's signature rally. Bruce gave every hopeful participant that approached <em>Antichamber</em> a simple command: "I need you to stand on your hands."<br /><br />A few people removed jackets and dropped their bags in preparation for the inevitable fall they'd suffer trying to perform a handstand in the middle of a crowded Indie Megabooth; one young man guessed he would probably kill someone with his gymnastics. Before anyone attempted the actual handstand though, it hit them -- this was <em>Alex Bruce</em>, and he wanted them to <em>stand</em> on their <em>hands</em>. So they stepped on their fingers and Bruce signed their punch cards, grinning the entire time, every time.<p><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/09/antichamber-and-indie-fund-a-match-made-in-m-c-eschers-baseme/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Antichamber and Indie Fund: A match made in M.C. Escher's basement</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/09/antichamber-and-indie-fund-a-match-made-in-m-c-eschers-baseme/">Antichamber and Indie Fund: A match made in M.C. Escher's basement</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Mon, 09 Apr 2012 07:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/09/antichamber-and-indie-fund-a-match-made-in-m-c-eschers-baseme/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/20210759/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/09/antichamber-and-indie-fund-a-match-made-in-m-c-eschers-baseme/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>alexander-bruce</category><category>antichamber</category><category>handstands</category><category>Indie</category><category>Indie-fund</category><category>pax-east</category><category>pax-east-2012</category><category>pc</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jessica Conditt]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 09 Apr 2012 07:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Indie Fund backs Antichamber in an attempt to make the impossible real]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/03/indie-fund-backs-antichamber-in-an-attempt-to-make-the-impossibl/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/03/indie-fund-backs-antichamber-in-an-attempt-to-make-the-impossibl/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/03/indie-fund-backs-antichamber-in-an-attempt-to-make-the-impossibl/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center; "><!--[if IE]><object width="530" height="318" id="viddlerOuter-5e37bc1d" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000"><param name="movie" value="//www.viddler.com/simple/5e37bc1d/"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><param name="allowNetworking" value="all"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="flashVars" value="f=1&amp;openURL=72114361&amp;autoplay=f&amp;loop=false&amp;nologo=false&amp;hd=false"><object id="viddlerInner-5e37bc1d"><video id="viddlerVideo-5e37bc1d" src="//www.viddler.com/file/5e37bc1d/html5mobile?openURL=72114361" type="video/mp4" width="530" height="298" poster="//www.viddler.com/thumbnail/5e37bc1d/" controls="controls" x-webkit-airplay="allow"></video></object></object><![endif]--><!--[if !IE]> <!--> <object data="//www.viddler.com/simple/5e37bc1d/" height="318" id="viddlerOuter-5e37bc1d" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="530"><param name="movie" value="//www.viddler.com/simple/5e37bc1d/" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="allowNetworking" value="all" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="flashVars" value="f=1&amp;openURL=72114361&amp;autoplay=f&amp;loop=false&amp;nologo=false&amp;hd=false" /><object id="viddlerInner-5e37bc1d"><video controls="controls" height="298" id="viddlerVideo-5e37bc1d" poster="//www.viddler.com/thumbnail/5e37bc1d/" src="//www.viddler.com/file/5e37bc1d/html5mobile?openURL=72114361" type="video/mp4" width="530" x-webkit-airplay="allow"></video></object></object><!--<![endif]--><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/02/indie-fund-backs-antichamber-in-an-attempt-to-make-the-impossibl/"><img alt="Image" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2012/04/antichamber.jpg" style="display:none; margin-left: 4px; margin-right: 4px; margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; width: 530px; height: 298px; " /></a></div><br /><em><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/game/antichamber">Antichamber</a> </em>is the seventh title to receive the financial backing of Indie Fund, who has recently helped in the success of such titles as <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/game/qube"><em>Q.U.B.E.</em></a> and <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/game/dear-esther"><em>Dear Esther</em></a>. <em>Antichamber </em>has won almost as many awards as the number of years it's been in development -- casually since 2006 and full-time since 2010 -- and has been nominated for three more than <em>that</em>. We'll wait while you calculate that one (remember to carry the two).<br /><br />Developed by Alex Bruce, <em>Antichamber </em>is a practice in psychological, philosophical, impossible puzzle games that has captured the attention of festivals and reviewers for years, and with Indie Fund backing we're looking forward to seeing this one finished sometime soon.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/03/indie-fund-backs-antichamber-in-an-attempt-to-make-the-impossibl/">Indie Fund backs Antichamber in an attempt to make the impossible real</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Tue, 03 Apr 2012 00:15:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/03/indie-fund-backs-antichamber-in-an-attempt-to-make-the-impossibl/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/20206801/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/03/indie-fund-backs-antichamber-in-an-attempt-to-make-the-impossibl/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>antichamber</category><category>finance</category><category>Indie</category><category>Indie-fund</category><category>pc</category><category>puzzle</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jessica Conditt]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 03 Apr 2012 00:15:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Indie Fund selects The Swapper as next investment]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/03/indie-fund-selects-the-swapper-as-next-investment/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/03/indie-fund-selects-the-swapper-as-next-investment/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/03/indie-fund-selects-the-swapper-as-next-investment/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/03/indie-fund-selects-the-swapper-as-next-investment/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2012/03/theswapper.jpg" style="border-width: 0px; border-style: solid; margin: 0px;" /></a></div>Eerie and remarkable puzzle platformer <em>The Swapper</em>, <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/10/indiecade-2011-molding-the-swapper-out-of-clay/">last seen at Indiecade last year</a>, has been chosen as the next financed title by the Indie Fund. The fund, <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/07/indie-fund-now-accepting-applications/">put together by a team</a> of indie developers, is designed to make sure developers of great games get the money they need to reach players. Past recipients of the Fund include games <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/16/q-u-b-e-moves-12k-copies-in-first-four-days-recouping-full-ind/">like <em>Q.U.B.E.</em></a> and <em>Dear Esther</em>, both of which <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/15/dear-esther-turned-a-profit-in-just-5-hours-30-minutes/">recouped their investment</a> very quickly.<br /><br />So if you weren't already on the lookout for <em>The Swapper</em>, time to get out the telescope. The game is made by two young developers from the University of Helsinki (who told Joystiq that the title's unique graphical look was made using pictures of models built with clay), and though they've said it will likely arrive on "PC and Mac, maybe something else," they haven't announced release plans just yet.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/03/indie-fund-selects-the-swapper-as-next-investment/">Indie Fund selects The Swapper as next investment</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Sat, 03 Mar 2012 01:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/03/indie-fund-selects-the-swapper-as-next-investment/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/20184973/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/03/indie-fund-selects-the-swapper-as-next-investment/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>developers</category><category>facepalm-games</category><category>funding</category><category>indie-fund</category><category>pc</category><category>the-swapper</category><category>university-of-helsinki</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Mike Schramm]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 03 Mar 2012 01:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Dear Esther turned a profit in just 5 hours, 30 minutes]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/15/dear-esther-turned-a-profit-in-just-5-hours-30-minutes/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/15/dear-esther-turned-a-profit-in-just-5-hours-30-minutes/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/15/dear-esther-turned-a-profit-in-just-5-hours-30-minutes/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center; "> <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/15/dear-esther-turned-a-profit-in-just-5-hours-30-minutes/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2012/02/dear-esther.jpg" style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; margin-left: 4px; margin-right: 4px; margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; " /></a></div>Last year Indie Fund voted to support <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/game/dear-esther"><em>Dear Esther</em></a>, a rebuild of the popular <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/game/half-life-2"><em>Half-Life 2 </em></a>mod, and it gave developer thechineseroom $55,000 in one lump sum. Indie Fund had its reservations: In an email to thechineseroom's Dan Pinchbeck before handing over the money, Indie Fund said the Steam audience may not understand <em>Dear Esther</em> and it proposed a release on PSN instead. This didn't happen, and thankfully so.<br /><br /><em>Dear Esther</em> recouped Indie Fund's $55,000 investment yesterday in just 5 hours and 30 minutes, selling 16,000 copies and becoming the top-selling title on Steam for the entire day. This means all the sales now are going directly to thechineseroom, whether to fund another game, add to this one or take a team-building sky-diving trip, we'll have to wait and see.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/15/dear-esther-turned-a-profit-in-just-5-hours-30-minutes/">Dear Esther turned a profit in just 5 hours, 30 minutes</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Wed, 15 Feb 2012 20:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/15/dear-esther-turned-a-profit-in-just-5-hours-30-minutes/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/20172665/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/15/dear-esther-turned-a-profit-in-just-5-hours-30-minutes/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>dan-pinchbeck</category><category>dear-esther</category><category>Indie-fund</category><category>Investment</category><category>pc</category><category>profit</category><category>STEAM</category><category>thechineseroom</category><category>top-selling</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jessica Conditt]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 15 Feb 2012 20:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Q.U.B.E. moves 12K copies in first four days, recouping full Indie Fund investment]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/16/q-u-b-e-moves-12k-copies-in-first-four-days-recouping-full-ind/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/16/q-u-b-e-moves-12k-copies-in-first-four-days-recouping-full-ind/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/16/q-u-b-e-moves-12k-copies-in-first-four-days-recouping-full-ind/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center; ">
	<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/16/q-u-b-e-moves-12k-copies-in-first-four-days-recouping-full-ind/"><img alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2012/01/yellowcube.jpg" /></a></div>
Beyond being a game we're quite fond of, <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/game/qube"><em>Q.U.B.E.</em></a> is also profitable as of <em>right now</em>. Well, okay, a little bit before now, as the folks who funded the project -- the major league indies who comprise the "Indie Fund" -- have already recouped their expenses, according to a <a href="http://indie-fund.com/2012/01/q-u-b-e-recoups-investment/">recent blog post</a> at their official site.<br />
<br />
"We are happy to announce that <em>Q.U.B.E.</em>, the first Indie Fund-ed game to market, took only four days on Steam to generate enough revenue for Toxic Games to repay the full investment amount of $90k," the post reads. The project was originally supposed to cost just $42K, but the eventual budget ballooned to $90K, paid out in several big chunks. Thankfully, that investment paid off with 12K sold copies since the game launched last week.<br />
<br />
The post also notes that Toxic Games is already discussing the possibility of moving <em>Q.U.B.E.</em> "beyond PC," though it's unclear whether that just means "to OS X" or to somewhere even more enticing (XBLA/PSN, perhaps?). We've asked Toxic Games for more info, naturally.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/16/q-u-b-e-moves-12k-copies-in-first-four-days-recouping-full-ind/">Q.U.B.E. moves 12K copies in first four days, recouping full Indie Fund investment</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Mon, 16 Jan 2012 23:30:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/16/q-u-b-e-moves-12k-copies-in-first-four-days-recouping-full-ind/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/20149733/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/16/q-u-b-e-moves-12k-copies-in-first-four-days-recouping-full-ind/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>indie-fund</category><category>pc</category><category>qube</category><category>sales</category><category>steam</category><category>toxic</category><category>toxic-games</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Ben Gilbert]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 16 Jan 2012 23:30:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Faraway coming this fall, backed by Indie Fund]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/24/faraway-coming-this-fall-backed-by-indie-fund/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/24/faraway-coming-this-fall-backed-by-indie-fund/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/24/faraway-coming-this-fall-backed-by-indie-fund/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<center>
	<iframe frameborder="0" height="298" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/28075552?title=0&amp;byline=0&amp;portrait=0&amp;color=64D4FF" width="530"></iframe><img border="1" hspace="4" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2011/08/faraway824.jpg" style="display:none" vspace="4" /></center>
Little-Eyes' iOS game, <em>Faraway</em>, in which a shooting star loops around other stars to trace constellations, has was first announced in early <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/09/eliss-creators-next-game-faraway/">2010</a>, and has had no hint of a release date until now. The website gives the game a "Fall 2011" release date -- and also features the lovely trailer above, which is "all coded, no video editing," according to creator <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/stephbysteph/status/106365172796493824">Steph Thirion</a>.<br />
<br />
Helping the game get to that release window is the <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/tag/indie-fund">Indie Fund</a>, which announced today that Faraway is the fifth game to receive its support. It also announced that <em>Faraway</em> will be playable at PAX, sharing booth 878 with <a href="http://joystiq.com/game/spelunky"><em>Spelunky</em></a>. That sounds like a pretty good booth. You should maybe think about checking out that booth.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/24/faraway-coming-this-fall-backed-by-indie-fund/">Faraway coming this fall, backed by Indie Fund</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Wed, 24 Aug 2011 18:30:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/24/faraway-coming-this-fall-backed-by-indie-fund/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/20026007/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/24/faraway-coming-this-fall-backed-by-indie-fund/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>faraway</category><category>indie-fund</category><category>iphone</category><category>little-eyes</category><category>mobile</category><category>pax-2011</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[JC Fletcher]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 24 Aug 2011 18:30:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Indie Fund assists with Monaco, Qube, and Shadow Physics]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/02/indie-fund-assists-with-monaco-qube-and-shadow-physics/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/02/indie-fund-assists-with-monaco-qube-and-shadow-physics/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/02/indie-fund-assists-with-monaco-qube-and-shadow-physics/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<center>
	<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/02/indie-fund-assists-with-monaco-qube-and-shadow-physics/"><img border="1" hspace="0" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2011/03/indiefund31.jpg" vspace="0" /></a></center>
One year in, the <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/tag/indie-fund">Indie Fund</a> is currently providing money for the development of three games. Nathan Vella, Ron Carmel, and Kellee Santiago of the Indie Fund - all established indies themselves - and fundees Andy Schatz (<a href="http://www.pocketwatchgames.com/Monaco/"><em>Monaco</em></a>), Steve Swink (<a href="http://www.pocketwatchgames.com/Monaco/"><em>Shadow Physics</em></a>), and Daniel Da Rocha (<a href="http://www.toxicdesign.co.uk/toxicgames/"><em>Qube</em></a>) gathered in a panel to discuss the successes and failures of the alternate funding method, which is designed to "put itself out of business as soon as possible," as Vella put it, to promote self-sufficient indies.<p><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/02/indie-fund-assists-with-monaco-qube-and-shadow-physics/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Indie Fund assists with Monaco, Qube, and Shadow Physics</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/02/indie-fund-assists-with-monaco-qube-and-shadow-physics/">Indie Fund assists with Monaco, Qube, and Shadow Physics</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Wed, 02 Mar 2011 17:20:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/02/indie-fund-assists-with-monaco-qube-and-shadow-physics/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/19864270/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/02/indie-fund-assists-with-monaco-qube-and-shadow-physics/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>andy-schatz</category><category>daniel-da-rocha</category><category>gdc-2011</category><category>indie</category><category>indie-fund</category><category>kellee-santiago</category><category>nathan-vella</category><category>pc</category><category>qube</category><category>ron-carmel</category><category>shadow-physics</category><category>steve-swink</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[JC Fletcher]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 02 Mar 2011 17:20:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Indie Fund now accepting applications]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/07/indie-fund-now-accepting-applications/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/07/indie-fund-now-accepting-applications/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/07/indie-fund-now-accepting-applications/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/category/weird-but-true/" rel="tag">Weird But True</a>, <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/category/opinions/" rel="tag">Opinions</a>, <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/category/new-in-pop-culture/" rel="tag">New In Pop Culture</a></p><center><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/07/indie-fund-now-accepting-applications/"><img hspace="0" border="1" vspace="0" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2010/07/indiefund7710.jpg" alt="" /></a></center>If you need money to bring your indie game concept to life, and you don't want to enter <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/tag/activision,indie">Activision's design contest</a>, you now have another alternative: The <a href="http://joystiq.com/tag/indie-fund">Indie Fund</a>, created by a team of established indie devs, is soliciting <a href="http://indie-fund.com/apply/">applications</a>. To apply, you need a playable prototype, a video and, you know, a cool game.<br />
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The fund, "established as a serious alternative to the traditional publisher funding model," invests in games by small teams, in order to allow those teams to remain independent of publishers. "<em>World of Goo</em> cost $120K to develop," the application page notes. "<em>Braid</em> cost $180K. That's about the right size project for Indie Fund right now, and it necessitates doing things on the cheap." So, if your game concept is a realistic first-person shooter with MMO elements, get <em>right</em> out of there.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/07/indie-fund-now-accepting-applications/">Indie Fund now accepting applications</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Wed, 07 Jul 2010 21:30:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/07/indie-fund-now-accepting-applications/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/19545381/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/07/indie-fund-now-accepting-applications/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>2d-boy</category><category>indie</category><category>Indie-Fund</category><category>pc</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[JC Fletcher]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 07 Jul 2010 21:30:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[2D Boy's Ron Carmel explains Indie Fund]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/09/2d-boys-ron-carmel-explains-indie-fund/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/09/2d-boys-ron-carmel-explains-indie-fund/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/09/2d-boys-ron-carmel-explains-indie-fund/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center;"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2010/03/carmel-gdc-indie-fund.jpg" /></div>
Speaking at <a href="http://joystiq.com/tag/gdc-2010">GDC 2010</a>, 2D Boy's <a href="http://joystiq.com/tag/ron-carmel">Ron Carmel</a> discussed the game industry's typical publishing model, why it doesn't work for independent developers, and how the newly established <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/03/indie-fund-created-to-help-fund-indies/">Indie Fund</a> will fix it. According to Carmel, publishers offer too much money to indie developers and take too much in return, relegating developers to the role of "tenant farmers," forced into a constant shift between seeking funding and development "until something goes wrong and you can't find funding and you go out of business."<br />
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Still, Carmel recognizes that publishers are taking the financial risk on projects, so it makes sense that they would see most of the profits. However, even with the advent of digital distribution, which removes a great deal of risk for publishers, developers still see traditional publishing deals -- along with the minimal royalties that come with them.<br />
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Asked Carmel, "How do we do for funding what Valve did for distribution?" The answer, according to Carmel, is Indie Fund, which will essentially turn the traditional publishing deal on its head. The Indie Fund aims to differ from traditional publishing deals in a few significant ways. The Indie Fund will offer a transparent submission process, make its standard contract details publicly available and provide a flexible development schedule. <br />
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Perhaps the biggest bullet point of all, however, is that Indie Fund doesn't seek to own developer IPs or exert any editorial control over the IPs it funds. It's also worth noting that Indie Fund won't actually publish or market the projects it funds. Those tasks are left up to developers, though Carmel noted that the members of Indie Fund would be happy to share their experience in securing distribution deals with services like Steam.<br />
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Indie Fund's contract details aren't yet available, though the stated goal is for developers to see a much bigger return on projects than they would through normal publishing channels. According to Carmel, the Indie Fund seeks only to recoup investment costs and receive a slice of profits "much, much, much smaller" than traditional publishing deals.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/09/2d-boys-ron-carmel-explains-indie-fund/">2D Boy's Ron Carmel explains Indie Fund</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:40:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/09/2d-boys-ron-carmel-explains-indie-fund/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/19389887/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/09/2d-boys-ron-carmel-explains-indie-fund/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>2d-boy</category><category>gdc</category><category>gdc-2010</category><category>independent</category><category>Indie</category><category>indie-fund</category><category>ron-carmel</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Richard Mitchell]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:40:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Indie Fund created to help fund indies]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/03/indie-fund-created-to-help-fund-indies/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/03/indie-fund-created-to-help-fund-indies/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/03/indie-fund-created-to-help-fund-indies/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.indie-fund.com/"><img width="580" vspace="0" hspace="0" height="347" border="1" align="middle" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2010/03/indie-fund.jpg"  alt="" /></a></div>
A group of well-known independent studio vets has formed a new fund for <em>other</em> independent developers. Members of <a href="http://joystiq.com/tag/2d-boy">2D Boy</a>, <a href="http://joystiq.com/tag/number-none">Number None</a>, <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/tag/thatgamecompany/">thatgamecompany</a>, <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/tag/capybara">Capy</a>, Flashbang Studios and AppAbove Games have banded together to create the appropriately named <a href="http://www.indie-fund.com/">Indie Fund</a>, which they hope will become "a serious alternative to the traditional publisher funding model." The fund will ideally help independent studios "get financially independent and stay financially independent."<br />
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The Indie Fund is already backing some unnamed projects, and the group plans to reveal more details about the fund at GDC next week. Specifically, 2D Boy's Ron Carmel will host a panel at the conference entitled "<a href="https://www.cmpevents.com/GD10/a.asp?option=C&amp;V=11&amp;SessID=10601">Indies and Publishers: Fixing a System That Never Worked</a>." The panel will focus on the "adversarial" and "unhealthy" nature of the relationship between developers and publisher and, naturally, what could be done to improve it.<br />
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Expect the panel to be included in Joystiq's <a href="http://joystiq.com/tag/gdc-2010">GDC 2010</a> coverage, which begins next week.<br />
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[Via <a href="http://www.gamepolitics.com/2010/03/03/new-fund-indie-developers-backs-indie-developers">GamePolitics</a>]<br /><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/03/indie-fund-created-to-help-fund-indies/">Indie Fund created to help fund indies</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 23:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.indie-fund.com/>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/03/indie-fund-created-to-help-fund-indies/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/19381928/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/03/indie-fund-created-to-help-fund-indies/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>2D-Boy</category><category>appabove-games</category><category>cancer</category><category>capybara</category><category>flashbang-studios</category><category>Indie</category><category>indie-fund</category><category>number-none</category><category>thatgamecompany</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Richard Mitchell]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 03 Mar 2010 23:00:00 EST</pubDate></item></channel></rss>