Who would have thought a racing game centered around crashing, bashing and utterly wrecking cars could be appealing to gamers? That must be the question many publishers are asking themselves now, as developer Bugbear announced that Next Car Game has brought in over $1 million from Steam Early Access sales in just one week since its release. Surprised? We aren’t! The game is surprisingly fun, and while it still needs a ton of work, it’s definitely a concept we’ve missed since Twisted Metal and Carmageddon.
The revenues are proof that the concept of the game is a great one. Publishers refused to fund Bugbear last year, arguing that such a game does not have a significant market. Even the game’s kickstarter project (aiming for a $350.000 starting boost) failed. The developers eventually managed to raise $490.000 through their website, from various fan donations. That was more than they needed and got the project going. Now Next Car Game is doing well on Steam Early Access, lifting a proverbial middle finger towards all nay-sayers.
Granted, there’s not much in terms of what the game currently offers. Heck, it doesn’t even have a proper name yet (seriously guys, coming up with the name takes some creativity, not money). Some trial modes are currently available, and you can drive two cars on dirt and tarmac race courses, or opt for a FFA vehicular mayhem. The merit of Next Car Game lies in its surprisingly good visuals, and its fantastic vehicle destruction engine, which works surprisingly well for an early alpha stage.
With the added million in their pockets, Bugbear can finally start working on the game properly. In fact, a more complete version is expected to release sometime this spring. We wish them the best of luck, and are eager to see what they can muster up. Once again, games like Next Car Game prove that Early Access is a business model for the future, as long as these indie developers have the creativity and bring something original. And, on a personal note, I feel that while small teams like the DayZ team, the Rust team or the Next Car Game team lack a financial background, they make up for it in originality. And when the gaming industry seems to be adding numbers to titles year after year, this breath of originality is much needed. The success of their projects tend to agree with me, and I’m hoping more and more small developers with great ideas will be able to bring their projects to light through Steam.