Trying to crowd-fund a videogame is never an easy task, even when a studio is significantly through development and seeks a relatively small amount. That task is even greater when the project is in its early stages and the studio is looking to raise a significant amount of cash. But when you have a pedigree like Cyan – Myst, Riven, Obduction – that challenge becomes far more achievable, with its recent Kickstarter campaign for Firmament hitting its funding goal.
It was no small challenge Cyan set itself, looking for backers to pledge $1,285,000 USD (£996,020 GBP) within 30 days, in an all or nothing campaign. The studio proved it could be done, hitting the target yesterday (25th April) with over 17,000 supporters, and with a few hours still to go the funding counter is still going up.
To celebrate Cyan released an update on the Kickstarter page revealing it had hit all of its Community Social Media Goals and more importantly, even if it doesn’t hit the $1.4 million stretch goal for Mac, PS4, and EFIGS versions it’ll still commit to producing those versions anyway. Which means PlayStation VR support has been confirmed. Additional language support will also be implemented.
So if you are a PlayStation VR own and want to pledge there is still time. The basic funding tier for securing a copy of the videogame is $30, with a digital strategy guide thrown in. Or for $49 you’ll get Firmament and some exclusive DLC only available through Kickstarter.
As with any project of this scale, you’ll need to be patient, with Cyan estimating a release in July 2020. Delays can happen – as any regular Kickstarter backer will know – but the studio does have a solid history in this field so you should be in good hands.
Designed from the ground up for virtual reality (VR), making use of the technology’s unique qualities, Firmament is a brand new IP from Cyan, a whole new universe for players to enjoy. Combining stunning visuals with plenty of puzzles, players are accompanied by a mechanical adjunct: a helpful clockwork companion, which provides assistance along the journey. VRFocus will continue its coverage of Firmament, reporting back with progress updates as they’re released.