The Internet has changed and destroyed thousands of ideas, businesses, dreams and innocence, but it has also provided countless avenues for rewarding determination, innovation and, sometimes, really weird and crazy ideas. Kickstarter is one such project. It capitalizes on the millions of people using the Internet. Ideas are chosen to be brought to life through democracy: the users choose to fund, or not, a project with their cold, hard cash (digitally speaking).
Relying on “the people” to fund a $1,000 idea sounds reasonable, but asking anonymous, fickle users to donate millions of dollars to a project seems guaranteed to fail. And yet it hasn’t. Kickstarter has provided a successful alternative to traditional publishing and manufacturing outlets for those ideas that are too niché or too new. A digital watch that uses e-ink and connects to phones raised $10 million, and a new gaming console called Ouya received $8 million. It has proven a great avenue for independent authors and developers. There are now dozens of new projects everyday “” some are great and some are … less so.
An Album of Ocarina Music!
(Goal: $22,000)
This particular project is notable because the artist is from San Antonio (lunch on the Riverwalk is one of the prizes for donating) and he wants to make an album full of sounds made by an ocarina. The ocarina is a wind instrument that bears a lot of nostalgia for gamers because of its prominent use in “The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.” The ocarina sounds like a one-man Peruvian band.
RigidBot 3D Printer
(Goal: $31,500)
More and more companies (including the CLT department in the library) and hobbyists are using 3D printers, but the cost of owning one is still the big obstacle for most people. The cost of this one is about one-fifth of the price tag of the nearest competitor. The goal is to make 3D printing easy and affordable. There’s even an option to purchase the printer in parts, akin to goods from IKEA where the user can receive that warm feeling of “building” something themselves.
Twinsies Volume II
(Goal: $1,000)
This is by far the weirdest Kickstarter project. If you choose to donate money, the artist, Cheyne Gallarde, will dress up as you and publish your picture along with a picture of him resembling you in a book called “Universe of One.” It’s an odd concept but also very unique. Not to mention unnerving.
Soule Symphony No. 1
(Goal: $10,000)
The epic, fist-pumping soundtrack of 2011’s “Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim” played a huge part in making it such a popular game. Jeremy Soule is looking to make another album that conveys the immense scale of nature as a traveler treks across snowy plains, glistening lakes and snow-capped mountains as fire-breathing, soul-crushing dragons fly overhead.
The “Veronica Mars” Movie
(Goal: $2 million)
Rumors of a “Veronica Mars” movie have been in existence since the show first aired. The beloved show starring the adorable Kristen Bell turned to Kickstarter as their last hope of making a movie a reality. They asked for a lot of money but the demand far outweighed it. The total amount pledged as of this article’s writing is $4,373,138, and they still have 11 days to go. To see more of Kristen Bell being adorable, search for “kristen bell sloth.”
