Despite having one of the most generic game titles in history, Next Car Game has already racked up $1 million in sales, just one week after it launched in Steam Early Access. This isn't quite the one million copies that DayZ sold in just four weeks , but it's another example of how shockingly profitable Early Access can be for some developers.
I bet the money is nice, but this must also be incredibly vindicating to developer Bugbear. As it explains in the press release, it pitched the game to numerous publishers and was turned away after the publishers explained that there's no market for a racer focused on crashing and destruction. Bugbear then took the game to Kickstarter , where it failed to reach its goal of $350,000. The developer then asked for support through the project's website , where backers contributed more than $490,000, well clear of its original crowdfunding goal. Now Bugbear can add another $1 million to the money it's earned.
The Early Access version of the game includes a few trial modes—dirt and tarmac race courses, and a free-for-all destruction derby—along with two cars to drive and crash. Bugbear is now hard at work, using that money to build a complete, proper demolition racing game, which it plans to release in early spring. If you want to see what all the fuss is about, we have 11 educational GIFs that explain it most concisely.
