InSomnia KickStarter Campaign Launched

Studio MONO, an independent developer straddling three continents, have today launched their Kickstarter campaign in order to continue funding their debut game, the beautifully atmospheric Real-Time Tactical Online RPG known as InSomnia set for release on PC in late 2014.

Already 18 months in to development, InSomnia has up until this point been self-funded by Studio MONO. The team has a clear and singular vision and is convinced that the gaming world wants an alternative to the creative cul-de-sacs that are most other online RPG’s on the market. A game that is genuinely unique, complex and challenging. InSomnia is that game. However, in order for it to become the game they want to release they need help.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?&v=zCUmDmTwIiA

In the current climate of ‘crowd-funding fatigue’, Studio MONO are fully aware that in order for InSomnia to receive the necessary financial support from the gaming public, they need to be offering a truly outstanding game as well as being fully transparent about the project, and be able to totally reassure anyone that backs the project that it will see the light of day. To that end, they have provided a number of answers to the frequently most asked questions that they receive:

FAQ’S

Who is Studio MONO?

Studio MONO was founded in Samaria, Russia in 2011 by a group of artists, technologists and enthusiasts united by a goal to create their vision of InSomnia. They feel that Triple A MMORPG’s all seem to be clones of several previously successful systems. They believe that the world wants an alternative, something unique, complex and challenging.

With a team comprised of individuals from all over the world including Malaysia, the US, Russia, Great Britain, the Netherlands and Ukraine, Studio MONO is a talented group united behind a single vision, containing professionals who have been active in the world of game design for many years.

Why should the public help fund InSomnia?

In the world of videogames, financing for indie studios is an ongoing challenge. Studio MONO has spent the last year building tools, samples, and honing their craft to develop skills as a team and crystallize the vision of InSomnia to enable them to have something to show potential investors. Over the past 18 months they have been doing all of this fueled solely by their enthusiasm for the project and the chance to build something unique with each other. They've done a lot of work but now they have hit a wall where they need funds to continue further.

Trying to secure funding from large investors and publishers for a game of this originality and cutting-edge design has proved impossible in the current risk-averse, sequel driven climate. Therefore their only remaining option is to turn to the gaming public – like-minded visionaries, gamers and fans – that can help them realize their dream by making this game a reality and to share in its success with them.

Why $70,000?

The primary goal is to raise enough money for development of the current game client up to a version one release, which will be a fully playable version with all the basic content. Currently they are working on the first playable beta release version that is scheduled to be available for download in 2014. Releasing the beta to the public requires further QA testing, infrastructure upgrades at Studio MONO (InSomnia needs secure and robust hardware to provide the best gameplay experience), and continued optimization and enhancement. Right now, the team are working for free and using their own equipment, resources and tools, but it’s simply not enough to produce a game of this scope. The $70,000 will be allocated to go to rental space for modest offices, additional hires in key skill areas, software and hardware upgrades, and to hire necessary legal, accounting and other project related personnel fundamental for a professional game company to function.

Studio MONO are not asking for this money for themselves, but instead for the hiring of new people, new hardware and for renting a big enough office space. To improve the development they need $70,000, which will enable them to produce a playable version of the game within a year.

What happens if the target is not met?

Studio MONO are in this for the long haul and intend to make the game and see it released even if they have to do it all on our own, but they are hoping for help to make the journey much more smoother. The biggest problems with a project like this are trying to do all the work in people’s spare time, or programming on outdated consumer hardware, or not having access to professional help in key support areas. Acquiring funding will take care of those issues and allow them to solely focus on making InSomnia the best game it can possibly be.

What makes InSomnia different from all the other online RPG’s on the market?

For fear of using an overly clichéd marketing phrase, genuinely unique game mechanics combined with a flexible character advancement system. A dynamic storyline that is constantly updated along with hidden content within the game. The action takes place in real-time, which is why Studio MONO are developing a unique toolkit. As players join, the ongoing story continues and is constantly updated. Characters created six months after launch will experience starting conditions different from those of a character who was created at launch. Events unfold in real time and will differ for everybody regardless of when they joined. Player choice may lead to points where players will be required to make difficult decisions that can affect the fate of their characters, their friends in the game, the ongoing story, or the world of InSomnia in general. 

A link to the KickStarter Campaign can be found below.