A Kickstarter campaign sets new standards. More than 7 million dollars for a “small game with figures” was achieved by BattleTech.
When you ask gamers about a vision of the future in space filled with war, the answer will most likely be “Warhammer 40,000.” However, another franchise also plays in a very similar area and has now shown how strong community support is. Because a Kickstarter campaign for “BattleTech: Mercenaries” has developed into one of the largest support campaigns ever on Kickstarter.
What is BattleTech? BattleTech is a vision of the future that primarily takes place in the 32nd century. In space, large battles for resources have developed, and mercenaries are deployed in many places to enforce claims. However, they rarely fight on foot and are mostly in gigantic combat robots (“Mechs”). These “MechWarriors” are the central focal point of the tabletop game, but also of the video game spin-off.
On average, supporters finance the project with around 300 euros
How much money was raised? In total, the Kickstarter campaign raised $7,549,241 – that’s almost 6.8 million euros. With a total of 23,654 supporters, this means that on average $319 (~287 €) was paid as support.
That BattleTech: Mercenaries – like most tabletop games – is especially for people who like to dig deeper into their pockets to indulge in their nerd hobby can already be sensed at a glance at the Kickstarter campaign. As usual, there are specific thresholds in supporting the project that a “donation” must reach to enjoy special bonuses. The lowest reward starts at $15 and therefore brings a selection of various franchise books.
Those who have completely dedicated their hearts to BattleTech could also purchase packages up to $5,000 (approximately 4,505 €) and will then be showered with BattleTech content in the form of figures, books, and merchandise until the dust of the galactic war settles.
It’s hardly surprising that the (relatively low) target of $50,000 was easily exceeded by more than 15,000%. This makes this Kickstarter campaign one of the 20 most successful of all time.
Do gamers know BattleTech? Fans of video games have likely also heard of the “BattleTech” series over the past decades. However, most titles were published under the name “MechWarrior” or “MechAssault,” which were primarily distributed on Xbox and PC.
Most of these games are characterized by tactical combat and a high degree of customizability of the Mechs – weapon systems and armor could usually be customized in high detail to give the Mech advantages such as protection against missile systems, but also disadvantages such as slower movement with high armor.
Even if the franchise is still somewhat under the radar for the mainstream, this Kickstarter campaign clearly shows that BattleTech can compete with the big players and apparently has a loving (and well-off) fan community that keeps the franchise alive more than just.
There are often curious projects on Kickstarter – such as the console that is the size of a matchbox.
