Summary
TheHogs of War Lardcorekickstarter campaign came to an end last November, missing the mark to reach its goal. However, Urbanscan Limited has some plans to keep going with this remaster of the PS1 cult classic.
The originalHogs of Warwas developed by British studio Gremlin Interactive. A turn-based tactical title in the vein ofWorms, the game satirizes early-20th century warfare. It depicts a world of humanoid pigs fighting for control of the swill supply found in the ‘Saustralasia’ region, with factions that represent real-world countries (such as ‘Tommy’s Trotters’ being Britain and ‘Sow-a-Kraut’ being Germany). The game is filled with puns, comical representations of war, and comedic cutscenes with exaggerated British accents and satirizations of educational war films. It’s de-facto theme song is evenThe Liberty Bell March, which has a humorous connotation thanks to its association withMonty Python’s Flying Circus.
What Happened To Hogs Of War Lardcore?
On October 17th 2023, a new Kickstarter campaign was released in an effort to remaster 2000’sHogs of War.The remaster was dubbedHogs of War Lardcoreand asked for £150k (about $190,464) to make the game, with named stretch goals up to 720k and secret stretch goals from 750k-900k. The campaign ended a month later, raising £47,478. Despite not reaching its goal, Urbanscan Limited (the new company of Gremlin founder Ian Stewart) plans to continue development, with its website stating that a new development timeline should be coming sometime in 2024.
What Went Wrong With Lardcore’s Kickstarter?
Lardcore’s Kickstarter campaign used a formula that’s pretty typical for videogame crowdfunding.The most successful videogame Kickstarter campaignsare usually based on an older franchise. This may take the form of a spiritual successor (such asBloodstained: Ritual of the NightorYooka-Laylee), butLardcoreis more likeShenmue 3—a campaign that directly revitalizes an existing IP. This has been an incredibly popular genre of crowdfunding campaigns, but it’s not without some skepticism. The disaster that wasMighty No. 9’s campaign comes to mind, but the more recentShenmue 3might have imbued more cynicism against the concept. Then again, the PS1 cult classic is an obscure title that doesn’t really have the brand power of the aforementioned examples.
However,disappointment with other Kickstarter-funded gameswasn’t the only factor at play. The update made onLardcore’s Kickstarter campaign in the aftermath noted that Urbanscan made the mistake of ignoring the PC market. This looks to be in reference to a proposed PC port ofLardcorebeing a £550k stretch goal, more than thrice the funding goal for just the game. Not only did this lofty requirement effectively cut out the PC market, but the port of the original game on Steam has gotten mixed reviews—meaning that PC-based gamers lost out on both fronts.
This Wasn’t The First Hogs Of War Kickstarter Campaign
Before theLardcorecampaign, Stone Sword Games worked with Ian Stewart in 2020 to produceHogs of War: The Miniatures Game, a board game version of the original game. The Kickstarter campaign had an initial goal of £18k and made £112,121. There’s the potential that a second Kickstarter campaign soured potential backers, but the first’s success and complete fulfillment to backers likely had no such effect. The contrast is more likely down to the lower asking price and how well-established tabletop games are on crowdfunding sites—with evenhuge IPs likeApex Legendsusing Kickstarterfor a board game.
Hogs of Waris inaccessible on consolesoutside the secondary market, and its PC port has had a mixed reception. Whilst it nonetheless remains beloved by many, the franchise is at a crossroads now thatLardcorehasn’t pulled through. Urbanscan still has a great deal of faith vested in it, however, so as long as its team stays in touch with its community, it should have the chance to pull through.
