Kickstarter has suspended the crowdfunding campaign for the point-and-click adventure Elementary, My Dear Holmes. At its suspension, the campaign has received $58,770 from 861 backers of its $50,000 goal.
Late last month, Ouya announced that Elementary, My Dear Holmes and Gridiron Thunder had qualified for Ouya’s Free the Games Fund. The two games were questioned however due to both receiving very generous pledges from first time Kickstarter accounts. Victory Square Games head Sam Chandola has since issued a statement to Polygon, explaining the suspension and the future of Elementary, My Dear Holmes.
“First of all, a big, big thanks to all our backers who put their trust in us. The response we received for Elementary, My Dear Holmes was tremendous and it touched us all deeply,” the statement reads, in part. “When the uproar against Elementary, My Dear Holmes was brought up, we contacted Kickstarter and Amazon, asking them to investigate the accounts and take action accordingly. We wanted to get on top of this and did not want anything to do with any of what was happening as it was an extremely negative campaign for us.”
“We had been hoping that the suspicious accounts would have been suspended so that we could keep on going strong and without controversy, but instead it was the project that got so. We are, naturally, deeply saddened by this. But if this is what it takes to put and end to the negativity, so be it.”
“We love point-and-click adventure games and this will, by no means, stop us from pursuing Elementary, My Dear Holmes. We are devoted towards the project and will be seeking private equity to finish this up. And I’m happy to say that based on the initial traction that we got here, we are already in talks with some Venture Capitalists who are willing to back this project privately.”
“Elementary, My Dear Holmes will see the light of day – and will see the light of day sooner than later.”