Ok, before I dig myself too far into a hole to ever come back, let me say this:

I think both Kickstarter and Double Fine, as companies, are awesome. Between Tim Schafer's artistic vision on games like Psychonauts, and Kickstarter's ability to help launch numerous start-ups and entrepreneurs, the two, individually do what they do well.

Are we understood? I hope so, because chances are, you're not going to like what I have to say next.

I have a really hard time stomaching the fact that Double Fine, a company that so many think of as 'independent' has, in reality, had a slew of success since Tim Schafer left LucasArts all those years ago, but can then pitch a point-and-click game potentially worth $1.6M at the time this article was written.

Even more odd, I find, is what it says about the industry and its fans, on the whole.

Double Fine, founded in July of 2000 by ex-LucasArts employees Tim Schafer, David Dixon and Jonathan Menzies, is a company that has come to be known for its quirky, typically non-conventional and often 'indie'-styled games. This eclectic mix has brought about the likes of Psychonauts, Stacking and Brütal Legend--all of which, at least after significant time on the market, have grown siginificant fanbases--and while all published by external companies (Majesco, THQ and EA, respectively) each likely brought the company a decent profit at this point.

It is these lauded games that allow companies like Double Fine to turn out games like Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster for the Kinect, which, while creative and largely engaging for families with young children (like Schafer's own family), end up costing more than they'll ever make.

Less often will you find true 'indie' studios like Supergiant Games (Bastion), Playdead (Limbo) or Zeboyd Games (Cthulu Saves the World) making games they can afford to take a hit on, despite the success of their initial releases.

Why is this, you ask? Well, for one, how many of you could have named the developers of any of those titles, and beyond that, how many more of you can name the lead developer at any of those companies? While familiar enough to answer the first question, without the aid of Google I doubt even I could answer the second.

Having your company reach such a level of success that it allows your lead developer to become an industry figurehead like Schafer--think Epic's Cliffy B or Lionhead's Peter Molyneux as well--is just one of many signs that you may have transcended that hip "indie" moniker.

So, along with dumping the "indie" cred, Double Fine ought to give up on an idea like crowd-sourcing to pay for their next title. If not because they can afford to pay for in-house development and assume the risk involved, than because it's preying on the fans, who would likely buy your game anyway, and their heartstrings with a "this can be a game you develop" approach.

So, that's gripe number one. Double Fine, if you can't afford to develop and publish a point-and-click adventure in 2012 on your own, after 12 years of what we'll call "moderate success" (a generous short-sell), then you are doing something wrong. Despite how much we love you, and believe me, we do. Double Fine's Kickstarter succes is evidence enough, but coming to the fans for the money makes me lose respect for you.

Also, congratulations on your insane success, but if you only expected needing $400,000 to make this work, don't you think you could come up with some better use for the remaining $1.2 million you've made? Does the name Child's Play come to mind?