For this week’s issue of The Koalition’s Kickstarter Weekly, I’ve decided it’s time for another small break from covering the many hybrid-genre games on Kickstarter. Instead, I’m focusing on auxiliary gaming projects that either celebrate the medium or teach people how to break into the field. Pixel-Logic is a visual-heavy guide to learning about and creating pixel art, and WoW MoM is a documentary chronicling one woman’s surprising method for combating illness: World of Warcraft.
Pixel-Logic
By: Michael Azzi
Goal: $5,000
Current Funds: $5,582
End: December 29, 2014
Having dabbled in drawing, and having noticed the enormous popularity of the style, I’ve always been fascinated with pixel-art and learning how to do it. The problem is that reading a step-by-step tutorial isn’t in-depth enough to teach you everything to know about creating your own style of pixel-art; they mostly teach you how to emulate another artist’s style. Thankfully, Michael Azzi, otherwise known as his online aliases Frario and Michafrar, is creating a comprehensive guide to learning everything you need to know about simply a guide for recreating his particular style of pixel-art, not just how to simply do it.
I wouldn’t actually describe Pixel-Logic as a tutorial or even a guide, as the author calls it. To me, Pixel-Logic seems more like acomprehensive online course. I say this because Michael is approaching this project similarly to how an art teacher would: focusing on the history behind and key artists behind the style. Along with the extensive history of pixel-art, Michael promises to teach you fundamentals such as lineart, anti-aliasing, sprite animation, sub-pixeling and more.
Fitting for an art-guide, Michael intends for Pixel-Logic to be largely visual. Text will be limited and will instead feature tons of sketches. Michael is also inviting other guest artists to provide their take on pixel-art, keeping in line with the art-history approach to the guide. Stretchgoals include more artists, demonstration of more tools and techniques, and French translation. Pixel Logic should provide content that shifts away from text-book style of learning to easily accessible
What’s most important to know about Pixel-Logic is that it’s totally free, even if you decide you don’t want to back the project. While he’s already met his funding goalon Indiegogo, Michael originally fixed the price, similar to how Kickstarter works, so that backers know he won’t just run off with the money; you can even see the concept pages in his video. Along with his previous experience as a freelancer, contributing to the likes of Wayforward and JonTron, Michael Azzi’s Pixel-Logic seems like a credible project that’s worth donating to.
WoW MoM
http://vimeo.com/110925974
By: Michael Azzi
Goal: $45,000
Current Funds: $30,486
End: December 11, 2014
A few weeks back, I discussed an important Kickstarter project to me: That Dragon, Cancer, a game that provides details on the daily life of the developer’s son, who suffers from cancer. Comedian Andie Bolt isn’t a creating video games to cope with her mother’s similar ordeal; however, she took to the stage–and currently film–once she realized the positive impact gaming has had on her mother’s life. What game would that be, you might ask? Why, World of Warcraft of course!
What Andie found out is that World of Warcraft is not a unique coping method for just her mother; it’s actually the coping method for many of the community’s players’ issues. In fact, Andie explained that her aunt Teddie discovered the game after she lost her husband; she would later introduce Terry, Andie’s mother, to the game. In fact, the people whom Andie interviews seem to tell similar stories, making World of Warcraft a varied community with different hardships–not just cancer.
While Andie originally intended for her documentary to be a one-off video, she changed her mind after participating in The Nerdist’s podcast. During the episode, Chris Hardwick suggested that The Nerdist should fly Andie and her mom to BlizzCon. By doing so, Andie was able to shoot 17 hours worth of footage, soon to be edited into WoW MoM.
Andie created her Kickstarter page because she needs the $45,000 for editing. By receiving full funding, Andie will not only help connect gamers who are dealing with similar struggles but also bring awareness to NET (Neuroendocrine Tumor). Considering how often the media often blames video games for senseless violence, I think WoW MoM is a breath of fresh air that demonstrates that video games’ healing properties.
Other Projects
Have you seen any interesting projects on Kickstarter that you think deserve mention? Are you a developer who is currently running a Kickstarter campaign? Let us know in the comments section, or send an email to garrett@thekoalition.com.
