I keep promising the people of France that I will cover a French game, and I will, but not in this edition. I stumbled across a project here in the UK that I though was worth this segment. Imagine that you run a cool, semi-retro online gaming magazine. You have been doing so for 12 years, and have managed to produce 94 issues, just six away from the big 100. Then, hackers decide to corrupt your system beyond repair, erasing all that work and effort.
This is the story of Rodent.
Project: The Return of Way of the Rodent
Funding Target: £14,000 (approx. $17,850)
What Is It?
I’m slightly ashamed that I have never come across Rodent before, given that we at Warp Zoned cover the world of video games in a similar style. Having been a writer here for over six years, it pains me to think what would happen if our archives were lost. I would probably have to send our commander-in-chief / publisher John a really old bottle of Scottish whisky.
But a website or magazine is more than the words and images stored on a computer, or the little bits of data swirling in cyberspace. So Richard Koworld and Rocky “Rockwaldo” Howard are hoping to recover the posts from its online community in a brand new website, and gather the 50 best posts in a book, dubbed Our-Type: 12 Years of Alternative and Irreverent Writing on Classic and Contemporary Videogaming.
Why Fund It?
It is a terrible crime that has been committed here, with hackers destroying the CMS that Rodent relied upon, with 94 issues of an online magazine spanning 12 years suddenly gone overnight. You have the chance to right this wrong, and gain an insight into the world of video games and video game journalism that defined the UK in the early days of the Internet.
Think of it as funding a remastering of a classic game, but instead, it’s a magazine, being rebuilt from loose threads, some backups, and memories. It is a massive task, with over a thousand articles, essays, and cartoons. And the team also wants to add in lots of bonus material, from things that originally missed the cut to brand new musings.
The new Rodent site will be free of charge for the public to access it, but the guys need your support to help it get there. Glancing over the rewards and campaign, they have a great sense of humour, and I look forward to welcoming Rodent back to the rat-infested sewer that is online gaming journalism.
Best Rewards?
- VIP online access to the archive, plus your name in the book – £10
- Limited Edition Rodent t-shirt – £22
- One copy of Our-Type: The Rodent Book, with your name in the book as well – £25
- Bonus loot pack featuring one t-shirt, five limited edition stickers, four limited edition badges, plus name in the book – £36
- The same bonus loot pack, plus a copy of Our-Type: The Rodent Book – £58
- Coder’s Wardrobe… All three limited edition t-shirts, plus VIP access, and name in the book – £65
- Book Launch Loot Party… All of the above, plus an invitation to the book launch in the UK – £110.
Until Next Time…
If you are really keen on Rodent, the last tier of £999 and above will have you travel with the Rodent team to Funspot 2018. The price includes entry into the event plus three nights accommodation, possibly a first for Kickstarter.
And once again, to the wonderful wonderful people of France… je promets de couvrir un jeu français dans un avenir proche.
