Star Control Founder's Program not all it Seemed

When Stardock announced a few days ago that they were planning a new entry in the Star Control series, a number of people got quite excited as it was a much loved game. This excitement was compounded when they announced they would be enlisting the help of fans to create Star Control: Origins.

The Founder's Scheme was announced on the Stardock website with a description of how it would run:

Interested in participating in one of the most exciting reboots in gaming history? If Star Control is as near and dear to you as it is to us, fill out the survey linked below for a chance to join our Closed Founder's program! If your application is approved, you will gain access to The Vault and the private forums where you can get an insider's look at our development process as we move toward release. You will also have the chance to play each iteration of the game when we enter Alpha and Beta phases.

There was one important detail that wasn't contained in the announcement however; the price. It turns out that what was described as a way of sharing the Star Control love with fans was actually a way of procuring money two years before the release of their game instead. Many fans today received the following impersonal email:

Seemingly then, the Founder's Program is less about fan input than was previously thought and instead Stardock are using it as a form of crowd-funding. Why they have chosen this route instead of a traditional crowd-funding website such as Indiegogo or Kickstarter isn't clear at this stage but what is clear is that there are going to be some disappointed Star Control fans.