I’m now well-versed in the world of Kickstarter, thanks to making these weekly updates as I scour through the projects, so I thought I’d drop this little bit of knowledge on all of you: as of March 4, 2014, Kickstarter has received a BILLION dollars in pledges with the help of almost six million people. If you geek out about stats, check out all they ways they broke this information down.
Koe (声) – A JRPG with Japanese at the core of gameplay
This game was brought to our attention by one of our Facebook fans. Luckily for them, the project has already passed its pledge amount and will be funded, but funding to those stretch goals will make this game even more fun (and educational – that’s what we want, right?)! For fans of websites like Duolingo, Koe is modeled after games like Pokemon and Final Fantasy, with a turn-based battle system and the added bonus of teaching you Japanese as you play. Through gameplay, you’ll learn Japanese syllabaries, Kanji, and Japanese words and phrases. Check out the Kickstarter for yourself to see how the creator is balancing video game play and teaching. If nothing else, watch the video and check out the Tako you get to battle!
Under $20 Rewards: This Kickstarter is funded in British Pounds, so pledging at the 10 Pounds level puts you at approximately $17. Luckily, this is all you’ll need to receive a digital copy of the game with exclusive Kickstarter content!
Ends March 30, 2014.
Rundercover – The Audio Running Game
For those of us that might need a little bit more motivation than others to get up and out and running, a lot of great apps are popping up. Rundercover takes the unique approach of treating the runner like a Secret Agent, with missions that unfold much like the picture above. Tailored to be used outdoors, its the first app I’ve seen that relies on voice commands (not sure how I feel about that with my already self-conscious running) and they heavily stress how real it’s going to sound – which is intriguing to me. I’m not sure how “beginner friendly” the app will be, but it sounds like a good way to shake up your current running regime if you’re stuck in a rut!
Under $20 Rewards: For $10, you’ll get the app and access to a backers-only discussion forum. If you pledge $15, you’ll get the $10 reward level, plus $10 worth of game coins for upgrades.
Ends April 2, 2014.
Ownshelf App for sharing eBooks with friends across devices by Rick Marazzani
I have a confession to make. For all of the digital ARCs I get, I will still always love printed books the best – I like the weight of books, I like to share them, and I feel that much more accomplished turning physical pages. That being said, Ownshelf does a great job of assuaging some of my complaints about eBooks. The “dropbox for eBooks” makes it possible to share DRM-free copies with your friends and family, as well as making the eBooks easier to read across different formats. The app they are developing will bring this service to a wider audience, but can already be tested out for free on their website! Bookworms rejoice, eBooks will not kill the printed word and apps like this will only help to spread our love of reading even further and easier.
Under $20 Rewards: For $20, a limited number of Early Bird Bookworms will get TEN YEARS of access to the Ownshelf Premium Experience. Act quickly, they’ve got 218 slots left as of this article!
Ends on March 23, 2014.
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