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Pro All-or-nothing model allows commitment with certainty
Knowing that there is enough funding will allow long-term budget planning. Knowing that there's not funding allows users to move on.
Pro Strong games community with good public reputation
Due to several high-profile successes, Kickstarter is known for funding games. This has created a public perception of legitimacy for Kickstarter projects, which other crowdfunding options may lack.
Con Goals need to be higher than on competing services
There's a 5% fee for using the service, a 3-5% fee for processing payments and since rewards for various pledge levels are not optional they often end up being physical goods that have to be shipped and that adds cost of the goods, the time it takes to create the goods and the cost of shipping...
Pro Minimum risk to all parties
Since nobody is giving you money for development, you owe nothing to anyone. Since you have income independent of the game, your personal security does not hinge on its success.
Con Development is constrained to hobby time
Since your income is decoupled from the game, the game has to come second. Depending on your other obligations this could result in very little time allotted to development.
Con Lack of obligation can translate to lack of motivation
The prospect of losing something is often a stronger motivator than the prospect of gaining something. When nobody will lose anything concrete if development stalls, it can be harder to maintain focus.
Pro Low risk to patrons
Campaigns are ongoing and funded based on observable work, so the potential patron doesn't have to worry about the project dying after payments are collected.
Pro Projects can change and adapt over time
Without the advance payment of a large lump sum of donations, creators are free from the associated commitment to the specific goals those donations were based on. This also reduces the need for exhaustive time and budget estimates, which can be daunting for new and inexperienced developers.
Con Difficult to make long-term projections
Because patrons can pull out at any time, you can't necessarily rely on a certain rate of pledges even if you maintain consistent work.
Con Potentially inappropriate for commercial products
Patreon's structure and culture assume free distribution of the creators' output. Collecting secondary revenue (e.g. unit sales, in-game ads) is not strictly prohibited, but may be seen as a violation of trust if not handled carefully.
Pro Free to use
Ratafire is a free to use fan funding tool.
Con Not very well-known
The site is still very new.
Pro Allows both all-or-nothing and flexible-funding plans
While all or nothing is an option, flexible funding gives people the option to receive money even if the goal isn't met.
Con Poor gaming community can dull pledgers' enthusiasm
Without the game-funding reputation of Kickstarter or the novelty of smaller sites, IndieGoGo campaigns can receive dubious reactions from the public.
Pro You only need one
A successful crowdfunding campaign requires social marketing and community management. Gaining an investor requires convincing just one person that your project is worth it.
Con Comprehensive business plan is essential
If you can't show where the money is going and how long it's going to take to yield returns, you're not likely to get any.
Con Equity commitment
An investment is not a loan which can be paid off; it's a permanent piece of the action. Part of your earnings belong to the investor, indefinitely.
Pro Doesn't require a goal
No goal needs to be set to start fundraising.
Pro Processes payments directly
Rally has a in-house proprietary payments system. There's no middleman such as PayPal or Amazon needed to transfer money.
Con No real gaming community is available
The site's community is mostly interested in organizing fundraising around various social, economical and political causes.
Pro Get end-user feedback earlier in development
Because early access doubles as a public playtest, you can get valuable user feedback while there's still time to implement changes.
Con Not viable until the game is in a playable state
Early access depends on consumer interest, and few consumers will be interested in an unplayable pre-alpha build. Another option must be used for early development.
Pro Partnered with A&E Project Startup
Campaigns on RocketHub may receive donations from A&E, and may be featured at projectstartup.com or on A&E television.
Con Relatively obscure
As of August 2014, RocketHub does not rank among the top 10 crowdfunding sites by traffic, and no high-profile games have been funded there.
Pro Can set a funding goal based on units sold
Ulule recognizes that one of the most common pledge perks is the final product itself, and allows a campaign to fully embrace the pre-sale model.
Pro International, multilingual community
Ulule supports posting your campaign in multiple languages, and converts currencies based on the user's preference.
Know any negative aspects of this option?
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