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Distance Alpha Racing Game Released to Kickstarter Backers

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Refract Studios, the group developing a crowdfunded arcade racing title called Distance, has released the first alpha to backers over the $55 pledge level on Kickstarter!

Refract Studios has been working hard on Distance since it was officially funded by Kickstarter back on November 16, 2012. That effort seems to have paid off, as the spiritual successor of Nitronic Rush has started strutting its stuff in the form of an alpha version for Kickstarter backers. Last week, the Refract Studios team sent out a web blast announcing that the Distance alpha would be available for all backers with alpha access ($55 pledge or higher). If you're a backer, make sure to check your email and redeem your code to download the game! Refract Studios has teamed up with Humble Bundle to distribute all the game codes and private backer-only forum access codes. Hopefully, that means that in the future, when new codes are released for other platforms, you'll be able to download them all from your centralized Humble Bundle page!

The game alpha is currently being distributed on both Steam and as a stand-alone installer, however, Refract Studios recommends the Steam version for one major reason. Updating the game on the stand-alone version requires you to re-download the entire game build, while using the Steam version allows for players to download small incremental updates.

If you're unfamiliar with Distance at this point, think of it as an arcade style racing game with multiple interesting game modes and a very retro Neon art style. To quote from Refract Studios themselves,

In short, it's Trials Evolution + Rush 2049 + Halo + Tron. The game takes the intense action of arcade racing and fuses it with the exploration of an atmospheric world.

Distance is definitely a fairly unique game that we look forward to hearing more about in the future! Even if you're not big into racing games, the unique gameplay combining track-racing and open-world exploration are definitely worth checking out. If you'd like to read more on Distance or to pre-order the game (which gets you beta access when it comes out), please check out the official links below:

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8 Comments Comment from the forums
  • Grandmastersexsay
    What a scam this crowd funding nonsense is. Good ideas don't have trouble finding funding, and video games require very little funding.

    Why don't the creators of this game just produce their product then sell it to the public like everyone else? Video games can get a beta tester out for virtually nothing but time invested. Minecraft was literally written by one guy. So the creators of this game want you to invest your hard earned money but they won't invest their own time without compensation? Doesn't sound like they have a lot of faith in their own product.

    I hope too many people don't fall for this crowd funding nonsense.

    I also get the feeling Tom's Hardware is getting payed by Kickstarter to put out all these crowd funding stories.
    Reply
  • @Grandmastersexsay are you trolling? Games require a lot of money and time. And remember, time is money. These people can't afford to work on the game without money. And this funding basically allows the developer to live properly, giving them time to develop. Crowd Funding is great, it allows people to invest in things that they want, and without it, small companies wouldn't get a chance at the big time these days as the industries become more split between the big companies and small ones. Ouya and Gamestick would not exist if it wasn't for crowd funding. Also Minecraft was made by a few people actually and took a lot of time, it was also released during alpha stages so they could earn money. But the developers still need to have some money to survive during development before release
    Reply
  • Grandmastersexsay
    11477622 said:
    @Grandmastersexsay are you trolling? Games require a lot of money and time. And remember, time is money. These people can't afford to work on the game without money. And this funding basically allows the developer to live properly, giving them time to develop. Crowd Funding is great, it allows people to invest in things that they want, and without it, small companies wouldn't get a chance at the big time these days as the industries become more split between the big companies and small ones. Ouya and Gamestick would not exist if it wasn't for crowd funding. Also Minecraft was made by a few people actually and took a lot of time, it was also released during alpha stages so they could earn money. But the developers still need to have some money to survive during development before release

    Whatever happened to people using business and personal loans to fund a business venture? With crowd funding, the borrowers have no stake in the game. It's their venture, shouldn't it be their risk?

    Are you with Kickstarter?
    Reply
  • alidan
    11477657 said:
    11477622 said:
    @Grandmastersexsay are you trolling? Games require a lot of money and time. And remember, time is money. These people can't afford to work on the game without money. And this funding basically allows the developer to live properly, giving them time to develop. Crowd Funding is great, it allows people to invest in things that they want, and without it, small companies wouldn't get a chance at the big time these days as the industries become more split between the big companies and small ones. Ouya and Gamestick would not exist if it wasn't for crowd funding. Also Minecraft was made by a few people actually and took a lot of time, it was also released during alpha stages so they could earn money. But the developers still need to have some money to survive during development before release

    Whatever happened to people using business and personal loans to fund a business venture? With crowd funding, the borrowers have no stake in the game. It's their venture, shouldn't it be their risk?

    Are you with Kickstarter?

    because banks don't give money to people? if you ever go through business side of a loan, they would rather give it to a bad idea from a bigger company than a fantastic idea from a company that would need to ride its success. most people need outside funding from individuals to get money for something they want to make what they want because a bank will never give it to you.

    now, if my understanding is right, there is a law preventing you from investing in a startup like that if you don't have something like 200 grand in cash on hand, it was years ago since i looked that stuff up, so the only way a small game can get made is if they kickstart it.

    now a good idea will get funding? are you stupid? you basically can't get funding for an adventure game, and till recently no one even thought a classic crpg was viable, good ideas constantly don't get funded because "we need a new cod, are you a cod clone? no? well don't let the door hit you on the $%^ on the way out, those smudge marks cost money to clean"

    or could it be you are rich enough that not getting payed a dime for 2-4 years is possible for you without a loss in quality of life?
    Reply
  • BranFlake5
    I'm gonna join the comment war... About the Ouya and GameStick, it was actually pretty disappointing to the backers. Also, the creators don't put as much effort as they would if they have to pay off loans. Kick-starting is a risk for all the parties involved and we can't shift our economy entirely to a Crowd Funding website. I think certain things work, other don't. Creators need to stop starting with their "Dream Project" and build up to it. These creators get such big ideas but they lack experience or budgeting skills. They could easily start with a cheap product (lets use apps) a free app, get it well known, design a better paid app, make a little money, satisfy users, earn money, design more, make more money, then go for the dream.
    Reply
  • Grandmastersexsay
    11477726 said:
    11477657 said:
    11477622 said:
    @Grandmastersexsay are you trolling? Games require a lot of money and time. And remember, time is money. These people can't afford to work on the game without money. And this funding basically allows the developer to live properly, giving them time to develop. Crowd Funding is great, it allows people to invest in things that they want, and without it, small companies wouldn't get a chance at the big time these days as the industries become more split between the big companies and small ones. Ouya and Gamestick would not exist if it wasn't for crowd funding. Also Minecraft was made by a few people actually and took a lot of time, it was also released during alpha stages so they could earn money. But the developers still need to have some money to survive during development before release

    Whatever happened to people using business and personal loans to fund a business venture? With crowd funding, the borrowers have no stake in the game. It's their venture, shouldn't it be their risk?

    Are you with Kickstarter?

    because banks don't give money to people? if you ever go through business side of a loan, they would rather give it to a bad idea from a bigger company than a fantastic idea from a company that would need to ride its success. most people need outside funding from individuals to get money for something they want to make what they want because a bank will never give it to you.

    now, if my understanding is right, there is a law preventing you from investing in a startup like that if you don't have something like 200 grand in cash on hand, it was years ago since i looked that stuff up, so the only way a small game can get made is if they kickstart it.

    now a good idea will get funding? are you stupid? you basically can't get funding for an adventure game, and till recently no one even thought a classic crpg was viable, good ideas constantly don't get funded because "we need a new cod, are you a cod clone? no? well don't let the door hit you on the $%^ on the way out, those smudge marks cost money to clean"

    or could it be you are rich enough that not getting payed a dime for 2-4 years is possible for you without a loss in quality of life?


    You seem utterly confused. A good game is not one that you would personally enjoy playing. A good game is one that is profitable.
    Reply
  • Grandmastersexsay
    11479946 said:
    I'm gonna join the comment war... About the Ouya and GameStick, it was actually pretty disappointing to the backers. Also, the creators don't put as much effort as they would if they have to pay off loans. Kick-starting is a risk for all the parties involved and we can't shift our economy entirely to a Crowd Funding website. I think certain things work, other don't. Creators need to stop starting with their "Dream Project" and build up to it. These creators get such big ideas but they lack experience or budgeting skills. They could easily start with a cheap product (lets use apps) a free app, get it well known, design a better paid app, make a little money, satisfy users, earn money, design more, make more money, then go for the dream.

    The problem is these people don't want to work for their money. They think everything should come quickly and easily. We all have the lazy friends who talk about business plans and finding investors, but never have it pan out. Most of them are more interested in starting the scam... I mean business than they are about their product. They'll spend millions in their head before they earn a single dollar.

    These crowd funding types just take it to the next level. You have to be a fool to invest with them, if you even want to call it an investment. It seems more like charity. These people don't need charity though. They need the tough love only failure can provide. They need to learn to work hard to accomplish their dreams, and not rely on the charity of others.
    Reply
  • mightymaxio
    I did like their first game they made as students from DigiPen called Nitronic Rush. Was a pretty sweet game so they formed their own studio afterwards. Love that game haha
    Reply