Fundraiser for RollerCoaster Tycoon Switch Port Causes Controversy

Posted by at 12:19 pm on January 24, 2018

Atari has launched a crowdfunder for a Nintendo Switch version of RollerCoaster Tycoon – and fans of the much-loved series have not reacted well.

Atari is using a website called Start Engine to call for people to invest in the project in the hope there will be a return on that investment. The project calls for a minimum of $10,000 – a goal the project has already met – with a $1.07m goal. There are 89 days left.

RollerCoaster Tycoon fans have rounded on Atari for a variety of reasons. First , there’s confusion about the need for Atari, a company that claims to be a publishing powerhouse, to crowdfund a Switch version of RollerCoaster Tycoon at all. Atari now is not the Atari of old, but it still owns a raft of classic video game franchises, and inks licensing deals with big media companies for their use. This is no indie developer calling on gamers to make their dreams a reality. In the pitch video, Atari boss Todd Shallbetter proudly proclaims Atari franchises have generated a whopping $2bn – and yet here he is, asking fans to fund the development of a new game.

Despite the outcry the project has sparked, Atari is soldiering on with the crowdfunder. It’s worth noting that the minimum investment is $250, so this isn’t like a Kickstarter. It’s more like a Fig pitch, which typically offers a return on investment.

So what do you get for your money? Atari says investors will earn a share of 50 per cent of profits until they make 120 per cent of their original investment, after which they’ll earn a share of 25 per cent of profits until 18 months after the launch of the game.

There’s a disclaimer here: “The percentages are subject to pro rata decreases in the event we raise less than the $2m we are seeking to raise in this offering and in the offering under Regulation D 506(c) in which we anticipate engaging.” That’s worth keeping in mind.

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