Wasteland franchise may return through Kickstarter campaign

Double Fine may have sparked a revolution of sorts last week when it raised oodles of cash to help fund its adventure game side-project through the crowdfunding site Kickstarter. The success of the sans-publisher experiment has since piqued the interest of game makers everywhere, including that of the PC RPG pioneer and current inXile Entertainment CEO, Brian Fargo.

“Pondering bringing Wasteland back through this crowdfunding. It's a world I have longed to work with again,” tweeted Fargo, referencing his 1988 post-apocalyptic RPG which served as the inspiration for the Fallout series. Responding to the immediate positive feedback, he added, “Very encouraging to see all the love for a new Wasteland. Crowdfuning might be the perfect way to make it a reality...”

Fargo, who also had a hand in creating classics like Bard's Tale and Baldur's Gate, confirmed his intentions to IGN, noting he and his team are already kicking around ideas for the Wastelander reboot. If it is a reality, Fargo insisted the game would not stray far from its PC gaming roots, explaining, “[It] would be focusing on top-down, probably isometric, party based, skill based – where if you'd just finished playing Wasteland and moved onto this you'd feel comfortable.”

Later, he delivered a similar message to followers, tweeting, “I want fans to know that a new Wastleand would be complete old school vibe and made with input from gamers. Made the gamers way.”

Fargo estimated it would take nearly a million dollars to develop a Wasteland follow-up. And while he admitted the Kickstarter model isn't likely to work for every studio, he said his project carries a special significance in the gaming community, insisting, “A lot of people have forgotten that there would have been no Fallout if there wasn't a Wasteland."

The Wasteland Kickstarter campaign is expected to go live within a month. Will you be part of the crowd?