Star Citizen Reaches $78.4 Million From Crowd-funding, Ships Go on Sale, and One Guy Spends $22,500 on the Game Before the Official Release.
[dropcap size=small]S[/dropcap]tar Citizen is going to be the most successful crowd-funded project, of any kind, in history. The game’s total funding now stands at just under $78.5 million, and that is about a million dollars a week over the last two weeks. Click here to see the crowdfunding chart.
Consisting of first-person gameplay and a massive multiplayer universe (with single-player available), Star Citizen sets a new precedent for space exploration in a simulation unlike any before it, including the support for Oculus VR headsets.
Using a version of the CryEngine, Star Citizen and it’s single-player campaign titled ‘Squadron 42’ take place in the Milk Way Galaxy during the 30th century as a part of the United Empire of Earth or UEE, a fictional variation of the early Roman Empire.
Aside from aerial combat and customizing one’s gear and ship(s), the gameplay is largely focused on developing (and earning) citizenship a part of the UEE through serving in the Military and contributing to the expansive societal measure. Players who serve enough time in the forces are speculated to earn benefits like reduced taxes, though this has not been confirmed. The economy of the UEE plays a heavy part in the player’s decision making and storyline, though the interaction between players is a major portion of the experience.
All additional funds raised for Star Citizen will go towards expanding the scope of the game. Wing Commander creator Chris Roberts says, “I don’t think we’re close to the addressable market” meaning how much the game still had to grow.
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[dropcap size=small]H[/dropcap]ow much would you spent on Star Citizen? According to Wired, the average Star Citizen supporter has contributed $96 to the game. Wulf Knight, a 39-year old IT guy, is not your average Star Citizen supporter. At $22,501, you might think that Knight would be feeling some kind of buyer’s remorse after spending so much, but he doesn’t.
“I’m a professional, I’m married to a professional, and I have no debts, so I have resources to put into my hobby,” he said. “You could spend this much restoring a car. I know people who have $3,000 paintball markers.”
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He also spent $10,000 on the Wing Commander package, a special bundle that comes with 44 ships and access to Star Citizen‘s in-game “1 Million Mile High Club” VIP lounge. “I’ve got a Pokémon complex, I have to have them all” says Knight.
In other Star Citizen news, a high-powered deep space fighter is available for sale through Concept Sale and you can have it, but its gonna cost you. The ship isn’t even in the game yet, but Cloud Imerpium Games says,
“The ship design meets our specifications, but it is not yet ready to display in your Hangar or to fight in Arena Commander.“
An upcoming patch for Star Citizen will introduce the Vanguard. “Shoot First, Last Call”
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Star Citizen is predicted to eventually reach $100 million, and the way funding has been over the past few weeks, the game will hit that mark before the end of the year before it’s TBA release date in 2016.
