No offense to anyone but I have feeling that Kickstarter for OS won't be successful (and I'm talking about gaol in 300k, for example, anything less than 100k-70k has chance to happen quite easily).
Yeah, I think that if they actually want the Kickstarter to succeed, they'll need to be a bit more specific about what the goal is than just "increase the team size to add some undetermined amount of features."
I think it does, but as Stabbey mentioned, they will have to have a clear set of goals outlined for people. Going in "unprepared" worries people. There was a project that some of the crew from Wizardry pitched for a continuation of the series. They didn't have much to go on other than their names and past titles. Their plan was very vague and limited. While pulling in near 200k to start, the questions by backers led them to canceling the project due to being unprepared.
While I don't see that as being a problem with this game (as they already have a fully functional game), they will need to provide a clear goal list of what they want to achieve for people to buy into it.
Many Kickstarters have stretch goals that do exactly what Larian is seeking now with such a decision. The difference is that they won't be using the Kickstarter to for the main project, but entirely for "stretch goals". The result could be enormously successful.
Think about an already finished game that you have played. Think about all of the features you wished it had extra. Think about the games you loved, but wished it had more content to play because it went by too fast (it always does when it is a game you love, regardless).
Not only that, but they get a massive feedback group from their backers to help them tweak, tune, and expand on many things.
Personally, I would love to see more companies take this approach even with an already fully funded project. How many times have we seen a game released where... well... it just felt like it was "rushed", or that it needed "just a bit more time or effort to it"?
I think Kickstarter isn't going to be a fad. Looking at the numerous game projects being developed shows that much of the old concept games that are revered are coming back. Games that publishes refused to fund or mandated bland systems to appeal to mass audiences at the expense of a genre focus.
We are seeing games like Wasteland 2 (Brian Fargo), a new game from Richard Garriott, Shadowrun (returns and online), Project Eternity, Star Citizen (Chris Roberts), etc... all developers from the era of golden age CRPGs. You also have games like Planetary Annihilation (RTS) and many other concept projects that are taking games AND hardware (OUYA,Occulus Rift) to the next level.
I am not sure how many of you realize how suffocating the publisher based model has been on creativity. It has kept good game concepts from being created and destroyed legendary titles.
The developers need to be able to achieve what they desire. Let them achieve their full desires for a game and you will start to see legendary games being released again (nothing is meaningful these days, most are weak and lack innovation). Most of the innovation is being done in the indie market.
My advice is they sit down, write up a clear and concise list of stretch goals based on the amount of funding they get. Create a pitch video that specifically states their case and markets their existing product while focusing on the "key" areas to which the kickstarter campaign will achieve.
They need to be reasonable with their time, one of the pitfalls of this is getting too much and it extending the time tables (Shadowrun hit this problem, but it only set them back by 6 months so far). If they are clear, concise and direct about what they want to achieve, well... it will do well in the campaign.
Just looking at the system already, it is well on its way to being a complex and detailed system. With Kickstarter, they can get the extra funding they need to expand and refine the game to the same level of achievement they had with Divine Divinity (which really was a milestone accomplishment at the time).
I see this as a win/win, but as was mentioned, it needs to be done correctly.
Also, I would strongly encourage Larian (if you can get your investors to sign on) to look into the "kick it forward" campaign that Brian Fargo pulled together. It takes a percentage of your profits 5% (after everything is paid and clear) and you (Larian) will choose where the money goes to new projects on Kickstarter. It is honor based btw, not a contract.
I know this sounds "idealistic", but if gaming is to achieve greatness as it once was, if it is to escape the strangle hold that publishers have on the industry, the small studios, the developers, the ones who "love gaming and love making them" need to be supported and encouraged to excel, expand, take risks, and innovate.