Project Godus: Peter Molyneux e l’economia della curiosità

Abstract

The article describes some of the strategies employed by game developers when approaching crowd funding platforms such as kickstarter and traces a short history of crowd funded independent video games. The second part of the article is devoted to the description and analysis of 22Cans' Godus, a crowd funded 'god game' whose promotional strategy relies on a peculiar kind of economic scheme, that we dubbed economy of curiosity. By blending gamification, production of paratextual materials and an array of funding options, Godus stands as a compelling example of complex, multi-layered audience engagement. The participation in the project of celebrity designer Peter Molyneux seems to reinforce Godus' strategy of funding by adding a component of personal fandom to the equation.