| Hi everyone, it's Jason Schreier. Over the past week, a group of Japanese video game developers has raised more than $2.6 million on Kickstarter for an old-school role-playing game. That some 27,000 people kicked in money proves once again that nothing appeals to people like nostalgia, even if the recreation is a little distorted and absent familiar names. One of my favorite video game series in the 1990s and early 2000s was Suikoden, an oddly titled but poignant set of games full of war, politics and brutal twists. Pronounced swee-koh-den, the series never sold nearly as well as its biggest competitor, Final Fantasy, which had eye-popping 3D graphics in contrast to Suikoden's quaint 2D style. But the games were beautiful and beloved. Each one lets you build an army by going around the world and recruiting colorful characters, sort of like a cross between Game of Thrones and Pokémon. But Konami Digital Entertainment Co., the publisher of Suikoden, abandoned the series many years ago. The most recent game, a 2012 spinoff, wasn't even released outside of Japan. Now, series creator and director Yoshitaka Murayama is continuing where he left off with Eiyuden Chronicle, a spiritual successor that promises to be Suikoden in all but name. (Even the name doesn't stray too far.) Three million dollars isn't enough to make a modern video game, so the Eiyuden team said it plans to sign with a publisher. The wide support on Kickstarter could help it secure a deal, as has been the case with other crowdfunded entertainment projects. It also helps prove what those of us who grew up with Suikoden have already theorized: There are lots of fans hungry for a game like this. Crowdfunding now exists as something of a necessity to fill a gap in the industry. There's a vibrant community of independent developers toiling away on small-budget experiences while big publishers like Electronic Arts Inc. and Activision Blizzard Inc. spend $100 million or more on a game they hope will bring in billions of dollars in revenue. But recent years have brought the demise of mid-sized games, which might require a few dozen people to make and generate sales in the millions or tens of millions of dollars. They're too small for big publishers and too big for indie ones. Murayama follows a series of game developers who have solicited money from fans to revive abandoned franchises. The most successful video game projects on Kickstarter are almost entirely successors to beloved mid-sized game series that are no longer active, including Yooka-Laylee (a new spin on Banjo-Kazooie) and Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night (a modern take on Castlevania). Sequels to beloved but commercially unsuccessful titles, like the psychedelic action-platformer Psychonauts, have raised millions of dollars through crowdfunding. The crowdfunding trend has resulted in some great video games, although there have also been some bombs. The less said about 2016's Mighty No. 9, the better. At least it inspired Capcom Co. to revive the source material for Mega Man 11, a worthy successor released two years later. In the video game world, crowdfunding isn't quite as lucrative as it was in the past. (Ouya, a failed video game console, raised more than $8 million in 2012.) Several high-profile flops have left fans skeptical of opening their wallets. But Eiyuden Chronicle is proof that the right project can still bring in millions, give some of the power back to the people who design and code games and satisfy our desire for reliving old favorites. —Jason Schreier | 
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