In today's video game industry, developing an ambitious project is no longer something that can be accomplished solely with passion and good ideas. Even the smallest indie games require time, talent, and—above all—money.
When discussing a project like Holozing—which seeks to combine RPG mechanics, NFT collectibles, exploration, and online elements within the Web3 ecosystem—the question inevitably arises: Does Holozing need crowdfunding?
The reality is that it could probably benefit from one—though not necessarily because the project is in trouble, but rather because the actual cost of creating modern video games is vastly higher than most people imagine.
Many people still believe that an indie video game can be made with just a few thousand dollars and some spare time; however, that might have been possible over a decade ago.
Today, even a visually simple game requires multiple professional disciplines working together—including programmers, 3D designers, concept artists, animators, sound designers, composers, writers, UI designers, and server and marketing specialists. And when it comes to a Web3 game, the complexity increases even further. A project like Holozing aims not merely to be a basic NFT game, but to build a genuine playable universe featuring creatures, explorable maps, combat, and potentially multiplayer elements.
This entails enormous costs. Although exact public figures are unavailable, it is easy to imagine that a video game of this type could cost anywhere from hundreds of thousands to several million dollars, depending on the project's final scope and the visual quality they aim to achieve.
The modeling and animation of creatures alone can become a massive investment. Each creature requires concept design, modeling, texturing, rigging, animation, special effects, and testing. A single, well-crafted character can cost anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars, depending on the level of detail and the artist's experience.
And Holozing does not plan to feature just a single creature, but rather many different ones—each with its own distinct style—and potentially even evolutions or variants.
There is also an "invisible cost" that many people within the Web3 space tend to overlook: time. Developing video games consumes years of full-time work.
If a small studio takes two or three years to build a game, that means covering salaries, infrastructure, servers, software licenses, and various operational expenses for a very long period—before they even begin to generate any actual revenue. ---
Even a relatively small team can spend tens of thousands of dollars a month just to stay operational.
That is why crowdfunding could become a vital tool for the project—not only to raise funds but also to accelerate development, hire more talent, improve animations, create larger maps, bolster server infrastructure, and boost marketing efforts.
Countless technically sound video games fail simply because no one knows they exist; nowadays, online advertising costs a fortune—especially if you aim to compete against traditional games and other blockchain-based projects.
However, crowdfunding also carries significant risks—particularly within the crypto and Web3 space, where many people have grown wary after witnessing "rug pulls," abandoned projects, and exaggerated promises over the past few years. If Holozing were to utilize crowdfunding, it would need to do so with the utmost transparency—showcasing tangible progress, setting clear milestones, and maintaining constant communication with the community to avoid losing credibility.
Even so, there is something extremely valuable that Holozing already possesses—something that many projects never manage to achieve: an active community. Within the Hive ecosystem, the project has managed to capture attention even before its full launch; this holds immense value, as attracting interested users is often one of the most difficult aspects of the entire gaming industry.
Thus, the question may not be whether Holozing needs crowdfunding to survive, but rather whether it wishes to utilize it to accelerate its growth and aspire to something far greater.
For developing modern video games no longer costs just a few thousand dollars, as many people believe. Today, building a competitive game can consume hundreds of thousands—or even millions—before reaching a stable final version capable of competing within an increasingly demanding industry.