Usually, games go through a similar process: an idea is pitched to a publisher and the publisher decides whether or not to fund the project. But, Valve company boss Gabe Newell has shown interest in a new way of getting games green lit and funded, and it comes right from the support and wallets of the everyday gamer.

Rather than having to go through a publisher, who a lot of times have a narrow view on what content is produced, in Newell's eyes, the more ideal way would be to have the decision for content rest on the customers.

"One of the areas that I am super interested in right now is how we can do financing from the community. So right now, what typically happens is you have this budget - it needs to be huge, it has to be $10m - $30m, and it has to be all available at the beginning of the project. There's a huge amount of risk associated with those dollars and decisions have to be incredibly conservative.

What I think would be much better would be if the community could finance the games. In other words, 'Hey, I really like this idea you have. I'll be an early investor in that and, as a result, at a later point I may make a return on that product, but I'll also get a copy of that game.'

So move financing from something that occurs between a publisher and a developer? Instead have it be something where funding is coming out of community for games and game concepts they really like."

While this seems like a fun idea, its seems a little impractical for this to work on a massive scale for say, most AAA games that usually go into the tens of millions in production costs. But, all the same, it would be cool to live in a world where the gamers voice (and pockets) had some say in the development of games, for better or for worse.

Source: Kotaku
Sean Mirkovich (GamePro Online)