Indie studio Heart Machine is experimenting with Patreon because ‘money is tough to come by’
A screenshot from Possessor(s). | Image: Devolver DigitalHeart Machine, the studio behind games like Hyper Light Drifter, Solar Ash, and the upcoming platformer Possessor(s), launched a Patreon last December. Like many other developers, it has dealt with its share of struggles, including layoffs late last year. With the many challenges in the gaming industry right now, the studio is experimenting with using Patreon as a source of revenue and to help build community.
aThe Patreon's there, really, to open up to the community and talk about certain things when it comes to game development,a Heart Machine founder Alx Preston told The Verge at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco last month. aI think there's still a lot of distance between developers traditionally and the audience that consumes what they make a what we make a so finding ways to dig back in and have a conversation there is important.a
It could help on the money front, too. aIndustry dynamics have changed a lot, so money is tough to come by in a lot of ways,a Preston said. aWhatever we can do to support ourselves and stay alive longer term is an important thing to turn to, as well.a
The indie games space has run into a fair share of challenges …