Today marks the final day of our Kickstarter campaign, and while we did not reach our goal this time, this isn’t the end for The Violets of Amicus™.
Friday, March 14th was my (Dan’s) last day at my current job, Lightspeed Voice. I had been there for about three and a half years. It’s bittersweet. I am thankful for the opportunity to continue growing as a software developer, but I am excited for the next phase in my career. Today begins a new venture as I pursue mostly full-time development on this project. “But Dan,” you might ask, “How are you going to do this full-time?”
It’s been a roller coaster of a month. Obviously, not getting the funding from Kickstarter was discouraging. For those who have supported, I really do appreciate you more than words can express. Knowing that you’d be willing to support our team with your hard-earned money in continued development of Violet is quite the honor, and I will not take that for granted.
Once it became apparent that our Kickstarter was most likely not going to get funded, a revelation struck me: “Instead of 2 years development, what if I crunch the numbers with 1 year of development?” As it turned out, we had enough in our savings to continue full-time development on Violet for one year. Obviously there are roles and sacrifices to be made without the full funding, but it was possible.
The story doesn’t end there though.
When I gave my three weeks notice to my current employer, I floated the idea that I would be up for part-time work one day a week, along with a few other requirements. I didn’t think they would be up for these requirements. However, to my surprise, Lightspeed Voice was willing to keep me on for one day a week.
Obviously, this isn’t the ideal situation, as the plan was to work on the game “full-time” rather than “mostly full-time”. But, working on Violet for four business days out of the week is a really amazing opportunity when all is said and done! And I am really grateful to Lightspeed for keeping me on as a contractor moving forward.
Having another revenue stream really opens up possibilities. Mainly, it will pay the business expenses while not tapping into as much of our savings. This essentially means we can go two years of “mostly full-time” development! This is the next best thing to getting the funding from our Kickstarter! Obviously, for those who have backed, we can’t guarantee that the game will be completed in two years, as that was what the proper funding was for. But, I can say we’ll be even that much closer to completion!
This is an amazing opportunity and I am going to make the most of every day. I am also excited to continue leading our small and humble team in making this amazing game. We have a lot to accomplish in the next couple of years. Maybe we’ll decide to do another Kickstarter. With lessons learned and a naturally lower funding goal, we’d be sure to reach our next goal. Or, maybe we look for a publisher who can get us the proper funding we are needing. Maybe something else. Who knows? The main bottleneck was that a full-time job was preventing me from being able to “spread my wings” and see where this game can go. Now, I’m finally able to do so.
We’re still committed to bringing this game to life, and we’d love for you to stay connected with us as we continue our journey. Sign up for our newsletter to get updates on our progress, new plans, and future opportunities to support the game. Don’t forget to follow us on social media to stay in the loop and join our amazing community: https://linktr.ee/thevioletsofamicus
Your support has meant the world to us, and we’re more determined than ever to make The Violets of Amicus™ a reality. The second phase of The Violets of Amicus™ begins. Let’s go!