Black Isle’s Project V13 Is A Text Book Example Of Crowdsourcing Gone Wrong

Given the incredible success and popularity of Kickstarter, it was only a matter of time before schemers ands shysters entered the picture, to potentially ruin the very idea of crowdsourcing for everyone. Gamastura has just published an expose that details one such example, a fairly recent one at that: Black Isle's Project V13.

As they point out, everything about it is supremely vague. Not just the game itself, but the game's makers as well. At the top of Gama's list is how the name of the studio is itself deceptive and misleading. The name stems from when Interplay's RPG division, which was formed to develop games like Icewind Dale and Fallout 2. The studio was later shut down when Interplay was unable to pay its employees, and its developers moved on to greener pastures like Obsidian Entertainment.  

Yet this new Black Isle is not the same thing. Granted, two members of the original team are present, but the primary forces behind Fallout 1 & 2 are not involved whatsoever. The name is being exploited, plain and simple.

Another major point of contention is how Project V13 has yet to be fully explained. Again, the name can be traced to something from the past. In this case, it was the codename for Fallout Online. But it's not entirely clear whether or not if this Project V13 is the same one as before. The need to be clear and concise is applicable in all instances, but its absence here is especially suspect.

The kicker is how putting any amount down does not guarantee access to the game. Even if it's a crazy high figure, like ten grand. Basically, the money will go towards building a prototype that will be shown to investors. Huh? For those wondering why this particular project isn't on Kickstarter, the reasons are fairly crystal clear: such nonsense would simply not be allowed.