The Double-Funding Trap
Projects like Armed Fantasia (Wild Arms successor) and Penny Blood launched dual Kickstarter campaigns to prove market viability, then signed co-publishing deals. If the publisher restructures or decides a turn-based JRPG lacks commercial headroom, they can pull remaining tranche commitments at designated milestone cure windows.
Milestone Approval Asymmetry
Publisher contracts routinely specify subjective approval standards ("satisfactory to publisher in its sole discretion"). If pre-alpha feedback diverges or market sentiment cools, publishers leverage standard 30-to-60 day cure notices to exit without paying remaining production tranches.
The Survival Descope Protocol
When external funding evaporates, studios must instantly calculate whether their crowdfunding reserve supports a scoped-down Steam Early Access release, a spine-only demo to shop to other publishers, or an orderly backer disclosure before insolvency strikes.