Remember Star Citizen? The game that has raised over $300 million, and has yet to see the light of day? Yes, it is, in fact, still a thing. You might have burst out laughing at the mere thought that it is still technically in development, but at this point the laughter may have turned to a long, deep sigh.
There was so much potential, such an insane amount hype. Now, most have largely forgotten about this money black hole that shows no sign of getting closer to release. Where did the money go, how did it all go so wrong?
Rapid Development Funding
In case you forgot, 2011 was the year that development started on this project. The idea was that Star Citizen would be a spiritual successor to Freelancer, a space simulator that allowed players to travel around planets, dock with stations, fight with other ships, and generally just enjoy the vast, empty expanses of outer space.
At first, production of Star Citizen was a modest affair and the odds were in its favour. It would be like Freelancer, but maybe a bit more detailed, and a bit more graphically impressive. But, as production went on, things got a bit out of hand. By 2018 it was announced that the game had raised over $46 million in funding. By the end of 2018 that funding had exceeded $250 million. Today, that funding is beyond $300 million.
Where Is The Money Going?
But what game could possibly require this sort of funding? None that exists, really. Even if you won really big playing online blackjack in Canada, you’d be better off keeping your winnings than investing in development. There is not a single game that has required this sort of budget, and why it is that backers keep pouring in more cash is a complete mystery.
Basic models of the game, and the bits and pieces that are playable, allow players to travel around space in ships, dock with stations, and walk around freely on planet surfaces. It is indeed impressive, but not even close to being worth $300 million, and many, many years of development.
Trying to justify the costs is, frankly, a joke.
When Is It Time To Collapse?
No, there is still no release date for the game. There is also no sign that production is speeding up, or developing into a finished product. Hints were that the whole production was due to collapse under its own weight on numerous occasions, but things have kept on trudging forward and the spark has just about stayed alive.
At some point, it may just become obvious that the obscene amount have funding has simply disappeared, and the developers are keeping things going for no other reason than to put on an elaborate show, and keep racking in more cash.
On the other hand, perhaps the game will be released at some point, and will be the greatest things since sliced bread. Or at least; the greatest thing since sliced bread, made of diamonds. The truth is though, at this point most have long ago lost hope, and interest.
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