A new IndieGoGo campaign has started from a group called Paragon Institute, a 501(c)(3) educational non-profit, that wants to buy Marvel Heroes Omega with an initial goal of $450,000. Once the needed funds are raised, they will be used to found ElderMage Studios "as a learning lab to partner experienced professionals with aspiring game developers" and includes a secondary mission to "preserve games that are no longer supported so that those who licensed them may continue using them".
The funding initiative is taking a proactive jump at raising needed cash as the "assets of the publisher are destined for sale and we intend to rescue the game".
The program has three options:
- keep the game as-is in partnership with Disney & Marvel
- create a new super-powered hero gaming universe with all references to Marvel stripped out, though game features would remain
- "leverage the platform to build an entirely new gaming universe"
To achieve our plan, we are currently seeking a minimum of $450k – $900k to acquire the intellectual property, cover due diligence and legal fees, procure necessary third-party support to host the rebranded game, and restore the game to use. Yes, this is a large expense but much less than the original tens of millions of dollars used to develop and operate the platform. Crowdfunding has certainly been successful in doing this in the past. There have been cases where assets have been purchased for pennies on the dollar (which would drive down the cost tremendously), but the closer we are to creditor claims the more likely we are to succeed.
Any additional funds will be used for enhancing the storyline, adding new features, incorporating more-current technologies, and expanding content. If Marvel is unwilling to collaborate, there could be additional expense in acquiring new assets for in-game use. There have been requests to port the game to a PC-based single-player or multi-player game; if there is enough demand, we can certainly entertain that request. But this will not be a minor undertaking and not the top priority.
Check out the Marvel Heroes Rebirth IndieGoGo page to learn more.
You can visit Dauzqul's MMORPG.com forum thread too.
