We mentioned the Piepacker project a few weeks ago and just this week the project’s Kickstarter campaign has launched.
At the time of writing there are 22 days still to go – and backers have already pledged £97,338 of the project’s £53,783 goal.
Piepacker aims to be a multiplayer retro gaming platform that lets you play all the classics with friends in your web browser. As such, there is no software installation required.
Over 60 awesome retro games are already licensed, titles from the NES to the PlayStation 1. And to give it the 21st century online gaming feel, Piepacker includes an in-game video chat. Augmented reality 3D marks are also supported.
Magic URLs let you share virtual game rooms with friends, and they don’t even need an account.
While 60 games might sound enough, premium members of Piepacker will be able to play their own games using the proprietary cartridge reader, the PieReader.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/piepacker/piepacker-online-multiplayer-for-retro-games
If the campaign reaches $145,000 (just over £100,000) then Piepacker will include “a deeper integration of retrogaming achievements combined with an advanced leaderboard system.” As you can see from the figures above, Piepacker is well on the way to reaching its first stretch goal.
Other targets include Twitch support and Game Boy Advance and Game Boy ROMs drag and drop support for premium members. Pledges start from $40 for the basic digital pass and typical extras all the way up to $10,000 for the “Elon Must” package, which includes a trip to France to hang out with the developers.
Plenty of options exist in between if your budget is more modest, however.
Still haven’t backed Piepacker? Now is the time – head to Kickstarter to pledge your support.
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Christian Cawley is a writer and editor who covers consumer electronics, IT, and entertainment media. He has written for publications such as Computer Weekly, Linux Format, MakeUseOf.com, and Tech Radar.
He also produces podcasts, has a cigar box guitar, and of course, loves retro gaming.