If you recall correctly, you’ll know that we did a report recently on Scorn receiving help and funds from a new business funding group named Kowloon Nights. Well, that same group will be helping/funding The Last Guardian director Fumito Ueda and GenDesign’s latest project.
As of now, publication site gamesindustry.biz has reported that Ueda spent time thinking over publishing offers for his upcoming project with GenDesign, but aims to flesh out prototyping before signing on with a publisher. To fund or compensate that time, GenDesign partnered up with Kowloon Nights — a company that backs small projects in a “hands-off” way.
If you don’t know, Kowloon Nights funds are provided by investors based in Asia (which are reported to be in the game industry) to allow developers to maintain IP and sequel rights.
Kowloon Nights general budget for participants ranges between $500,000 and $5 million and includes ten projects, with Ueda and GenDesign’s upcoming game as part of the fold.
It is worth noting that GenDesign’s game is the only one of the ten that is only receiving starter funding instead of it being funded entirely.
I’m not sure how Ueda and GenDesign’s project will pan out, but we can trace back to November 24th, 2017 when the team was looking for a Background Modeler, Effect Artist, Technical Artist, Animator, Programmer, Procedural Animation Programmer, Game Designer, and a Project Manager. In other words, this project wasn’t thought up a few months back.
genDESIGNではネクストプロジェクトに向けた人材募集特設サイトをオープンしました。ゲーム開発者のご参加をお待ちしております。https://t.co/vgfSuJ7Gtv pic.twitter.com/OdaY25Fr2B
— genDESIGN (@genDESIGN_Inc) November 24, 2017
The link does not work in the above tweet, but a rough translation of the letter reads:
“genDESIGN is now accepting applicants to work on their next project. They’re looking forward to working with all you game developers out there!”
Lastly, Ueda — the director of ICO, Shadow of the Colossus, and The Last Guardian — was a former Team Ico member, so I am curious to see how this new project that needs extra funding will turn out? Sadly, time will tell while we wait for more info to drop.
