Recently, Sieg Games announced the upcoming multiplayer mecha game Project MBR, also launching a Kickstarter campaign to support its development. Unfortunately, the campaign has been canceled.
While the developer received $16,552 from 171 backers on Kickstarter, the trajectory of the funding wasn't promising for reaching the $188,000 and change required for reaching the goal, so the developers decided to cancel the campaign.
Yet, development is continuing, as mentioned by producer Yoichi Miyaji (whom we recently interviewed, if you'd like to learn more about the project) promised in an update.
Unfortunately, ProjectMBR's Kickstarter ends today. However, the production of this project continues. This is not a business, it is a dream come true. To bring back to the Japanese game industry the culture of making games that creators want to make.
Japan's game culture is too commercialized, which is something that I and myself should reflect on. This is correct from one point of view, but from a cultural standpoint it is bad. Game culture has been nurtured by the passion of the fans. Games are now commercial content for consumption. This is very sad.
Art is born from passion. The creator's strong desire to achieve it is transmitted to people. Works with that passion will not be born if they are too commercialized.
From a professional point of view, gaming is not a hobby. Therefore, deficits should be avoided. However, if it is not in the red, it should incorporate the creator's passion and intention. This is the producer's job.
As a producer, I will continue to support talented creators. And please support our creators as you have supported us this time!
ProjectMBR will continue on Twitter, so please follow us there!
Thanks to all backers!
game producer
Youichi Miyaji
Luckily, it seems that things may be looking up, as Sieg Games mentioned on Twitter that overseas investors have reached out about the possibility of supporting the project. While we don't know whether this negotiations will bring positive results, the developer clarifies that the "Player-first" condition is non-negotiable.
If you're unfamiliar with this project and the team behind it, Sieg Games was founded by Yoichi Miyaji of Game Arts fame, producer of Grandia, GunGriffon, and the Lunar series. The game director is Ryuji Inomata, known for GunGriffon and Super Smash Bros. Brawl. The music is composed by Noriyuki Iwadare, who also worked on Grandia and Lunar, and more recently the Ace Attorney series and the upcoming Loop8: Summer of Gods.
The game's world is created by Koichi Inoue of Sunrise fame, known for his work on Mobile Suit Gundam 0083, Armored Trooper Votoms, and more.
Full disclosure: As a massive fan of Japanese mecha (and mecha in general), Game Arts' games, and Noriyuki Iwadare's music, the author of this article backed Project MBR the second the Kickstarter became available.
