The “hurry up and make the game already” demand is one I fully understand. I share the frustration with how long this process is taking – though I’ve learned from experience to accept that this is a multi-year process and try to focus on better and more constructive ways to pass the time.

We made an FAQ video to address this question head on:

And recently (October 2019) posted to Patreon with a “2019 Annual Report” about progress and future goals:

Some of these comments seem to suggest a basic misunderstanding about the stated goal and use of funds flowing from Patreon. These things are stated in clear and unambiguous language on the Overview page on Patreon:

“My goal is to build a production/design plan, have that plan approved by EA, and then raise funding to develop a new game.

I'm aiming at an as-yet unspecified date for the launch of the crowdfunding campaign (or announcement of a publishing/finance deal) and will spend the time leading up to this date preparing art, writing story/design, and sharing all of this with the Alice community.”

Further…

“How do I use the funding? The production of art and design materials related to new projects like "Alice: Asylum" requires a time/money investment. Each new concept image can cost between $750 and $1200 depending on the style, complexity of the image, and artist in question.

Your support helps me and my team maintain development momentum and share our art, designs, and games with the world.”

In short, the money we collect on Patreon is NOT used to fund game development and we’ve never suggested anything of the sort. Keep in mind “Alice: Madness Returns” had a total budget of nearly $20,000,000 USD. Alice: Asylum will cost at least that much – probably more.

At our current Patreon income levels – and if we spent NOTHING on salaries, art production, support staff, etc – it would take us 50+ years to raise that amount of money. And even if we were to attempt a large-scale crowdfunding effort for development funds – we’d still need the license/permission from EA to undertake such a thing.

Ultimately, Alice: Asylum will require investor or publisher funding (or a combo of the two). That’s what we’re working towards.

Bottom Line on Patreon: Patron money is spent to maintain a team of artists and support staff totaling eight people. The output from that team is shared via a constant flow of Patreon posts and recorded on the Asylum Wiki. The goals and use of funds are stated clearly on the Overview Page.

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Let’s talk about yachts, cocktails, parties, memorabilia, and more!

I (American McGee) own a sailboat – a 1985 Tosca 36’ - which was purchased in October 2013 using money from the sale of my personal car. Used boats are often a bargain! This is my primary hobby/escape. If you want to call it a yacht, feel free. But it’s a pretty humble “yacht” and one that I personally maintain in terms of mechanicals, electrical, etc. (Prior to getting into making games I was an auto mechanic so I’m handy with a wrench.) My “yacht” is kept at a marina in Thailand and serviced with parts/supplies from China – which means it has a very low overhead cost. Btw, I often finance my plane tickets from China to Thailand by carrying over cheaply bought supplies from China and selling them (with markup) to people who need those things in Thailand.

Money from Patreon has nothing to do with this aspect of my life.

Pirate Jam is an annual sailing game jam I host in Thailand. That event is 100% sponsored by companies like Epic, Unity, Devolver, Free Lives, and more. It allows me to combine my love of sailing with my love of games and to introduce game developers from around the world to the wonderful world of life at sea. Most people who attend this event describe it as “life changing” and incredibly positive.

Money from Patreon has nothing to do with this aspect of my life.

More than once I’ve seen reference to “cocktails and parties” and “partying their asses off.” Can someone please point me to evidence of that part of my life? Since the start of 2019 (around the time I found out my wife was pregnant) I stopped drinking… completely. Prior to that I liked my wine but I’ve not “partied my ass off” since I was living in San Francisco in my 20’s. Can someone please explain this one to me?

Money from Patreon has nothing to do with this (non-existent) aspect of my life.

Memorabilia and merchandise is something I’ve been making and selling through my online shop Mysterious since we started that business in 2015. From day one Mysterious has been successful and profitable. We continue to make new products bankrolled by the success of previous products and thus have been able to expand and grow the business. Now that our child has arrived in the world, my wife works at home full-time on designs and products for Mysterious. As a highly experienced fashion designer with years of experience in the industry, she’s got great taste and excellent connections to the production facilities we use to make our stuff.

Money from Patreon has nothing to do with this aspect of my life.

Again, I understand that the time it’s taking to get things moving with Alice: Asylum can feel frustrating. And I am doing my best to provide constant updates via social media and Patreon as to progress being made (or not) with our efforts. Channels for communication are always open and we’re more than happy to have in-depth conversations, respond to questions, and even made FAQ videos for important questions that come up often.

All of our current FAQs can be found here:

Please understand that while we continue to push things forward with Asylum, I’ve also got other, separate, things going on in my life. From sailing to Pirate Jam to making physical stuff at Mysterious, and that these things are self-supporting and independent in terms of financing – though there may be crossover in terms of promotion or marketing.

I hope that helps with some of the concerns I saw voiced.

Got ideas on how we can improve the presentation of our efforts and progress? Any other concerns you’d like covered? Let me know in the comments below!