Crowdfunding videogames is, by this point, not an uncommon concept. Neither is looking to the likes fo Kickstarter for assistance in bringing virtual reality (VR) projects to life. VRFocus has, on a number of occasions, brought you news of crowdfunding campaigns involving VR (and indeed augmented reality as well). Some of these have gone on to become big success stories, with others just doing enough to pass, whilst yet others failed to make the grade. A matter we’ve discussed recently on VRFocus in a feature on crowdfunding.
Unfortunately for the developers of Synesthesia their Kickstarter is the latest to end in failure. The project, by multimedia artist Lucas Masoch, would have seen a VR experience that would generate a sensuary visualisation of the music that triggers multiple senses, and having them ‘cross over’ in their effect (‘synesthesia’).
Masoch described the ability to experience synesthesia in the project listing: “As for me, I can see and feel music. Emotions in music have color, sounds have colors and forms, those forms have textures, and in the end it’s as if the music I listen to generates “phantom limbs” in my head that I can live inside of while I listen. But it’s more than that, because lyrics have meaning, and I can use their meaning to shape these forms into something that I can take away from. I often interact with these things in some way as well; I can almost touch them with my hands. This is why I’d actually prefer to say that I live in music, rather than just see it. And now I want to let you experience this too.”
Whilst the funding goal of the campaign was $5,000 (USD) when announced, by the time the clock ran out earlier today the project was still some significant way away from being fully funded. Whether or not this means the end of Synesthesia going forward remains to be seen, although by missing the target by such a margin Masoch may well reconsider the scope of the project.
Should further news develop we will of course let you know on VRFocus.com.
via Mint VR