Billed as a Sims-killer, Habs by Sydney's Revie Studios fails to attract backers to their now cancelled crowdfunding campaign.
The ambitious $3.5M Kickstarter campaign for Habs, a challenger to the incumbent Sims franchise by EA, has been pulled after only five days attracting only 13 backers and $645 in pledges.
Habs is described by developers Revie Studios as “a life simulation game that will feature an intricate open world, a city full of life ready to be explored”
Evie O'Connor-Trevisan Creative/Co-Founder said in an interview with Pixel Sift earlier this week that the project was her response to how EA has handled The Sims franchise.
“There is not a lot of competition out there for The Sims,and as someone who has been a longtime Simmer, I want to offer my own game for it and answer all of the gaps The Sims has had,” said O’Connor-Trevisan.
“I am a fan and I know what people want so it’s effectively the idea of giving what the fans want rather than what EA shareholders want.”
When asked why Revie Studios was best placed to make a life simulation challenger to The Sims O’Connor-Trevisan said that potentially others might be better placed than them.
“On one hand, maybe we’re not (the best to deliver this game), but no one else is stepping forward and at least we are taking that pathto step forward and offer ourselves,” said O’Connor-Trevisan.
“But then maybe we are because I’ve been playing this game since I was nine, I’ve spent so much of my life and money on that game series,I love it dearly, and I haven’t been able to spend significant time in a game since I got bored of Sims 4. I’m desperate to play a game like that. “
The funding goal of AU$3.5M (approximately US$2.5M) if successful would have put it as the twelfth most successful video game project on Kickstarter, above titles such as Homestuck Adventure, Planetary Annihilation& Divinity: Original Sin 2 among others.
Revie Studios has not previously shipped any video game titles and according to a press release provided said that “Upon successful funding,it is envisaged development will commence almost immediately with Revie Studio's collaboration developer of choice.”
The campaign attracted significant criticism online from fans of The Sims and game developers.
Ray Trevisan, Director of Revie Studios, said that throughout the campaign the had made it clear that both he and his daughter Evie did not come from a game development background but they believed the concept to be sound.
“We tell people on our project page with absolute honesty,we don’t code and we don’t draw, that’s not to say that Evie’s concept doesn’t have merit,” said Trevisan
“Everybody that we’ve spoken to has been adamant that there is a clear market need, everything that we read keeps on telling us that the current market is dominated by one player and they disrespect their market and they charge far too much for it."
Following the cancellation of the campaign in an email to Pixel Sift Trevisan said that they were planning to regroup and reconsider their position and build a lot more community over the coming year.
“The lack of detail in the video killed any buzz, the look’n’feel (sic) of the Habs drew the most comments, and many didn’t look beyond to read the “not final product”disclaimer.”
“Next time around?, as we’re asking now on our website, we’ll have a database of registered,interested ppl (sic) – and in fairness to Kickstarter – they did warn us, our bad.”
