Welcome back for another issue of the Kickstarter Weekly! For this 18th issue, I’ve decided to choose projects that stream on Twitch.tv. Sup, Holmes? is one of the best interview shows that delves into the creative minds of your favorite game developers. Choice Chamber is a game that incorporates audience feedback, which is used to determine how the game plays. Read on to learn more!
Sup, Holmes?
Project by: Conrad Zimmerman
Goal: $6,000
Current Funds: $13,453
End: April 11, 2014
Well, Sup, Holmes? was born! But it was canceled and then launched a Kickstarter-starter-starter. I tried.
Sup, Holmes? was Destructoid’s interview show before it was canceled—the last episode featured Chris Seavor of Conker’s Bad Fur Day. Jonathan Holmes was the host of the show, and it was engineered by Conrad Zimmerman. First, the team would stream the interview live on Destructoid. Later, viewers could watch it on YouTube, or listen to it as a podcast (my favorite way to enjoy Sup, Holmes?).
The show was canceled due to a lack of views, which is a shame. Gaming has become a mainstream entertainment medium; however, the developers behind these games don’t receive the attention. Jonathan Holmes gives these developers a voice for around an hour or two, and hearing each developer’s thoughts gives me a new appreciation for video games. For instance, if you visit The Koalition, you may have you noticed that I post a lot of content related to Lone Survivor? That’s because I learned about the game when Jonathan interviewed the game’s lone creator, Jasper Byrne. I remember giving Two Brothers a middling review score, but Jonathan’s interview with the brothers behind the game gave me a better idea of what the two were trying to accomplish, and I’m looking forward to their next game, Y2K.
Jonathan Holmes is one of the best interviewers I’ve ever heard of. He’s capable of asking the right questions, encouraging even the most shy developer to open up and discuss his or her creative process. Unsurprisingly, Sup, Holmes? has met and exceeded its goal; however, I want to bring attention to this project because it is one of the best shows available that helps us understand the people who create the games we enjoy.
Choice Chamber
Project by: OneMrBean
Goal: $30,000
Current Funds: $7,921
End: April 20, 2014
Twitch.tv has become a popular website for streaming video games and interacting with the gaming community. But what if the games we play are designed around live streaming? This is how OneMrBean intends for his game, Choice Chamber, to stand out from the rest of the gaming projects on Kickstarter.
In Choice Chamber, viewers decide everything that happens. The game is specifically meant to be streamed on Twitch.tv. When viewing a session, the audience will be presented polls indicating an event that can be altered. By typing in the chat box, viewers can help the player by providing hints, decide which events occur in the current session, or make life hell for the player (and you thought friendships were only lost over Mario Kart.) Some of the specific examples shown off in the concept art include building a bridge with speech bubbles and providing coordinates that indicate a boss’s weakness.
While Twitch.tv seems to be an integral selling point for Choice Chamber, it is entirely optional. In offline mode, the game’s AI makes the decisions in place of an audience. The game itself looks like a solid sidescrolling Platformer with an abstract art-style that looks like a child’s drawing come to life.
I can understand if some are initially skeptical, but I think Choice Chamber does look like a good platformer. I also commend them for their choice of genre, as it seems like the perfect genre for audience members to screw with the player. If you’re interested in this platforming substitute for Mario Kart (Mario Party…take your pick), then you can check out the Kickstarter for yourselves. The Koalition’s Jasmine Gipson also included Choice Chamber as one of her top five indie games to watch for.
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.
