Chris Wright, industry veteran and founder of indie label, Surprise Attack Games, has today announced the launch of The Treasure Hunters FanClub, a new approach to funding independent video games.
The Treasure Hunters FanClub (THFC) brings together a group of industry figures that want to invest in remarkable and unique games from indie developers. Deals from THFC combine indie-friendly funding terms, mentorship from experienced members of the industry and go to market support via a publishing deal with Surprise Attack Games.
The THFC team is led by Chris Wright, who held senior marketing roles at THQ before founding indie consulting company Surprise Attack in 2011 and launching indie label Surprise Attack Games in 2013. Felix Kramer, independent producer and PR, is handling game scouting duties.
The initial members of the club include Morgan Jaffit (Defiant Development), Andy Moore (Radial Games), Andy Sum (Hipster Whale), Alex Preston (Heart Machine), Robert Bowling (Bowling Haus Ventures), and Scott Reismanis (dBolical).
Developed out of the team’s extensive experience working with indie developers as well as more than a year of consultations with developers and investors, the THFC seeks to provide an alternative to the currently available options and address the major issues that developers and investors face in working together.
The first project funded by THFC is Tear Through, from Australian developers, Walk with Kings. Putting you in the shoes of a SWAT team in high-pressure situations, this top-down co-op action game strives to deliver a sense of meaningful violence, where the player feels the impact of every decision and bullet fired.
The Treasure Hunter FanClub is now accepting pitches from developers with unique and original projects. More information on how to pitch and the kind of game that is suitable can be found at the website here.
Membership of the FanClub is by invitation only, but interested members of the industry can reach out to find out more and start a conversation via the aforementioned website.
So, let’s take a look at how all of this actually works:
- THFC and Surprise Attack Games scout and find interesting projects that need funding,
- These are presented to the members of the club as opportunities to consider. Interested members opt in if they want to contribute funding,
- Titles that go ahead will also get a publishing deal with Surprise Attack Games,
- The developers get funding on a milestone schedule as well as feedback and advice from members along the way,
- Funding terms cap the amount the developers pay back to the members at 2X the funding amount,
- Surprise Attack shares part of the publishing royalties with the members. In this way, THFC provides an uncapped upside to investors as well as capped repayments from the developer,
- Surprise Attack and THFC handle all the admin and management of the projects, making the process as frictionless and easy as possible for both investors and developers
As always, for those wanting to know more, there is more information available on the website.
So, do we have any indie developers amongst us? What do you think of this announcement? Let us know in the comments below.
Tegan began gaming with her father when they would play Street Fighter together on her Nan’s PlayStation. Since then she has fallen in love with indie games, AAA games (I’m looking at you Tekken) and everything in between. Starting off as a console player, and more specifically an Xbox player, Tegan has now recently begun her new gaming ventures on PC. You can find her playing dating sims on Steam @carrotphernelia if you so wish.
