Kinetic Void
| Kinetic Void | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Badland Studio |
| Publisher(s) | Badland Studio |
| Director(s) | Sean Pollman |
| Designer(s) | Sean Pollman |
| Programmer(s) | Matthew Hardy |
| Artist(s) |
Kevin Czajkowski Fernando Pires |
| Composer(s) | Artem Bank |
| Engine | Unity |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux |
| Release date(s) | November 21, 2014 |
| Genre(s) | sandbox Space trading and combat simulator |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
Kinetic Void is a sandbox space trading and combat simulator video game by developer Badland Studio, which was released on November 21, 2014.[1][2] The developers claimed that when finished, Kinetic Void would let players take on the role of a space pilot trying to earn a living in the conflict between rival factions in a randomly generated galaxy,[3] but in 2014 Art as Games called it "hollow, unfinished, and now abandoned by the developer" and used it as an example of a Steam Early Access game that promised far more than it could deliver.[4]
The game was successfully funded by Kickstarter on May 30, 2012. The developers reached their goal of $60,000 in the last 8 hours, with a total of $66,528 pledged.[5][6]
Kinetic Void was released via Greenlight on Steam on November 30, 2012.[7][8] The first alpha was distributed on Steam for Windows on 20 March 2013.[9] The alpha for Mac and Linux went live on 25 April 2013.[10]
Development
Full development started shortly after the success of the Kickstarter, but Sean Pollman and Matthew Hardy started working on the back end of the game several months earlier.[11] About four months before the kickstarter, a user of the SomethingAwful forum named SigmaX joined the team as the art director. Shortly afterwards Kevin Czajkowski joined as a 3D artist. SigmaX departed as the new studio he was working for had a non-compete contract. About a month after the success of the Kickstarter, Fernando Pires joined the team as a texture and visual effects artist.
Critical reception
Following full commercial release, Kinetic Void was critically panned by Steam users and games media sources alike.[12]
More recent reviews on Steam indicate a lack of content and general dissatisfaction.
References
- ↑ Pollman, Sean (13 February 2013). "Last update on a release date". Retrieved 24 February 2013.
- ↑ "Kinetic Void, Game Debate". Retrieved 24 February 2013.
- ↑ "what is Kinetic Void?". Retrieved 24 February 2013.
- ↑ "Kinetic Void". Art as Games. November 21, 2014.
- ↑ "Successful Kickstarting". Retrieved 24 February 2013.
- ↑ "Kicktraq of KV". Retrieved 24 February 2013.
- ↑ "Kinetic Void on Steam Greenlight". Retrieved 24 February 2013.
- ↑ Wilkinson, Alex (30 November 2012). "The Greenlight for November". Retrieved 24 February 2013.
- ↑ "Alpha announcement on Kiskstarter". 20 March 2013. Retrieved 21 March 2013.
- ↑ Pallman, Sean (25 April 2013). "Patch 0.010a Mac and Linux builds live". Retrieved 27 April 2013.
- ↑ Pollman, Sean (1 May 2012). "KV thread on somethingawful". Retrieved 15 March 2013.
- ↑ Rubin, Brian (1 December 2014). "Kinetic Void - Toss it Back in the Void". Retrieved 2 December 2014.