Hi-Rez launches Kickstarter campaign to make fun of Kickstarter campaigns

Smite developers Hi-Rez Studios and Todd Harris have started a new Kickstarter campaign. They're asking for $50,000,000 to create 'game,' which isn't just a game, but an "experience." Among other things, it'll be "resource based," "2d," and even "drivatar." Ambitious goals.

Backer rewards for the parody campaign include "pixel art portrait of you (limit 1 pixel)" and "you will be able to use your name as the main character of game, via the in-game keyboard."

Kickstarter lists the creator's real name as Andrew Sexton, who we presume is Hi-Rez content marketing lead Andy Sexton. A few Hi-Rez employees have commented in the thread on the Smite subreddit and tweeted about the campaign. We've reached out to Hi-Rez for further comment on 'game.'

Thanks for the tip, Rhys.

[Update] Hi-Rez has sent PC Gamer a statement about the parody, copied below:

For a few years now Hi-Rez Studios has created a live action web series called "Minion Has Spawned."

The series is a fake reality show - showing life at Hi-Rez but it is in fact a self-parody.

The show is intended to entertain our community but we also touch on subjects that are topical within the game industry: In past episodes we've alluded to paid live-streamers & youtubers, console wars, overhyped marketing campaigns, and even the Gamergate controversy.

In today's episode we reference Kickstarter and to promote the episode a parody Kickstarter campaign video was posted.

To confirm our position, at Hi-Rez Studios we support Independent Developers and we very much support Crowdfunding using vehicles like Kickstarter. Many successful game projects have been funded via Kickstarter and we ourselves heavily utilize crowdfunding for our esports prize pools.

Per the Minion Has Spawned episode it is satire and the parody is mainly aimed at ourselves; game developers sometimes take themselves too seriously and can get pretentious and buzzwordy with marketing toward their ambitious goals.