Biophilia Kickstarter Project

[NakedAndLaughing]

Very disappointing. This can't die...

[martin]

375'000 bucks in around 28 days for something that has already been there (and should just be transferred to another platform).... no big incentive there
let's be honest: this seemed very unlikely to happen from the start without massive support from companies or the industry... I thought they had some big pledgers "in petto" for the 2 or 3 last days of the campaign... as often a little blue-eyed...

[specky]

"We want to get the poor Asian and African areas where no one has an iPhone to be able to use the Biophilia apps, that will be a dream come true"

[vos]

no music box in my living room

[kamisamadoll]

Very sad that's cancelled.

Why the hell don't the engineers offer the code from the iOS version? So it would be developed with the help of many guys from the whole world as an OPEN SOURCE PROJECT and totally for free... and she could invest the money in the program to teach in the schools, etc...

?? why do you think they didn't gave the code ?? Im not a programmer, but I really think the iOs-coding language is totally different to the android and windows stuff, so the iOs code will not help alot for the android and windows versions...

[m.thr.n]

Björk cancels Kickstarter campaign for Biophilia Android and Windows 8 app

Was hoping to raise £375k to port acclaimed iOS album-app, but only reached £15.4k in first 10 days

Björk's Kickstarter campaign to crowdfund the development of a new version of her Biophilia album-app for Android and Windows 8 has been cancelled, just 10 days after it launched.

The campaign was aiming to raise £375k in 30 days for the port of the critically-acclaimed iOS app, but a third of the way through, it had only attracted 263 backers and £15.4k of pledges – just 4.1% of the funding goal.

Visitors to the project's Kickstarter page this morning see this message: "Funding canceled. Funding for this project was canceled by the project creator about 19 hours ago."

It's one of the most high-profile failures on Kickstarter, in stark contrast to the campaign last year by US artist Amanda Palmer, who tried to raise $100k for a new album, book and tour, and ended up with $1.2m from nearly 25k backers.

Björk's campaign had an educational focus: she wanted to port Biophilia to Android and Windows 8 in order to get it onto the devices of more students, particularly those in the developing world, as part of a wider BioPhilia Educational Program to teach children about science and music.

The original app offered interactive modules for each song on Björk's Biophilia album: games, animation and remixing technology arranged within a single mother-app.

"The most interest has come from students from low-income households and schools with underfunded art budgets , and the only way to bring the project to those people is to have biophilia reprogrammed for Android and Windows 8," explained the Kickstarter project's original pitch.

In recent days, new rewards had been added to the project to persuade people to pledge, including album artwork and app-still prints, as well as limited-edition gold and platinum discs.

Björk also published a handwritten note to potential backers. "This is an odd one for me to ask of you but it proved unbelievably complicated to reprogram Biophilia for Android & more," she wrote.

"It will take 8 programmers 5 months!!! But I feel I cannot leave this project before this has been done since it seems to be the area where it can bloom most. We are already getting a regular school curriculum written out and so incredibly many have reached out to us so eager to adapt Biophilia's musicology angle to their schools."

The phrase "odd one for me to ask of you" may hint at one reason for the project's failure: people may have wondered why Björk wasn't funding the new app herself or with partners as she did the iOS version.

They may also have balked at the project's £375k funding goal – not necessarily seeing it as too much, but more to do with confidence that the project would get funded.

However unfair – it was clear in this instance that Björk wasn't trying to line her own pockets – there has been a backlash of sorts on Kickstarter against projects launched by people perceived to have their own funding reserves.

Veteran developer Peter Molyneux experienced these kinds of grumbles within the games industry, for example, with his Project Godus campaign, although that was successful in surpassing its £450k goal.

Some of the most successful Kickstarter projects, including Amanda Palmer, the Ouya games console and Pebble smart-watch have deliberately aimed low (low being $100k, mind) in order to show more momentum early on, and avoid people being put off by the fear that they're backing a doomed project.

So what now? Björk hasn't commented publicly yet on the cancelled Kickstarter, but it would be a shame if the Biophilia port itself was cancelled.

Its educational focus may well make it eligible for funding from alternative sources: European funds, perhaps, or non-governmental organisations. An alternative might be to approach Google or Microsoft to see if they'd be interested in funding an HTML5 version of the Biophilia app.

(source)

[human]

Very sad that's cancelled.

Why the hell don't the engineers offer the code from the iOS version? So it would be developed with the help of many guys from the whole world as an OPEN SOURCE PROJECT and totally for free... and she could invest the money in the program to teach in the schools, etc...

?? why do you think they didn't gave the code ?? Im not a programmer, but I really think the iOs-coding language is totally different to the android and windows stuff, so the iOs code will not help alot for the android and windows versions...

Believe me. There is a framework from adobe that let's you compile your apps for different mobile platforms: ios, android, etc...

I don't know it in detail, but with the source code, it would be portable. The code it's not the same, but you could get it with the adequate changes.

The problem is that Björk is still thinking like microsoft and apple (closed platforms).
She should think more in open platforms based in linux, like ANDROID or UBUNTU.

But I don't know why, but I think that bjork will get it in android at least...

[benjicoq]

the adobe framework works only in you start deleloping with this in mind. you can't just take an iOS app like biophilia and shazam ! There would be a lot of work anyway.

[human]

the adobe framework works only in you start deleloping with this in mind. you can't just take an iOS app like biophilia and shazam ! There would be a lot of work anyway.

Yes, but the could code biophilia for android and windows 8 in one just effort.

And the code should be of course adapted, but that's not the ammount of work, like doing it for the first time...... The code shows what the app does inside. It would be ported very fast. Be sure.

And belive me now. That's what Björk is going to do. To find some cheap engineers who translate it to other platform... You don't really need app-genius to translate something... The content is already created. It would be just a translation.

[benjicoq]

Yes, but the could code biophilia for android and windows 8 in one just effort.

Of course! But what makes you think it was not their intent anyway?

The code shows what the app does inside. It would be ported very fast. Be sure.

and bjork would lie to us because.... ?

[human]

Yes, but the could code biophilia for android and windows 8 in one just effort.

Of course! But what makes you think it was not their intent anyway?

The code shows what the app does inside. It would be ported very fast. Be sure.

and bjork would lie to us because.... ?

Like I said. 375.000P ist a huge amount of money for just a translation.

How much cost biophilia for ios?

[human]

Yes, but the could code biophilia for android and windows 8 in one just effort.

Of course! But what makes you think it was not their intent anyway?

The code shows what the app does inside. It would be ported very fast. Be sure.

and bjork would lie to us because.... ?

I don't think she wants to lie... It's just what these app-guys cost. Too much for a simple translation.......... In the case she wants to clone biophilia. If she wants an improved version, it would be much more expensive.

[benjicoq]

Yes, but the could code biophilia for android and windows 8 in one just effort.

Of course! But what makes you think it was not their intent anyway?

The code shows what the app does inside. It would be ported very fast. Be sure.

and bjork would lie to us because.... ?

Like I said. 375.000P ist a huge amount of money for just a translation.

How much cost biophilia for ios?

we already told you the 375.000£ was for the port to android , windows 8 AAAAAAAAND pay the volunteers who work for the workshops, for the Biophilia educational program... it was explained from the beginning . It's the first thing written on the kickstarter page :

Help us bring Björk's Biophilia app to Android and Windows 8 for the first time and support the Biophilia Educational Program!

like i said. why would bjork say it's "it proved unbelievably complicated to reprogram biophilia for android and more" if its not true?



do you think she's talking out of her *ss? Of course she asked tech guys ! she's not stupid...

[benjicoq]

Yes, but the could code biophilia for android and windows 8 in one just effort.

Of course! But what makes you think it was not their intent anyway?

The code shows what the app does inside. It would be ported very fast. Be sure.

and bjork would lie to us because.... ?

I don't think she wants to lie... It's just what these app-guys cost. Too much for a simple translation.......... In the case she wants to clone biophilia. If she wants an improved version, it would be much expensive.

considering how she already tried to minimize the costs of this project, you really believ she would stick to very expensive guys when cheaper ones exist? do you really think she just asked one group of guys, and did not checked all the possibilities?

[human]

But how much is only for the app guys? I think MOST OF that ammount. At least it's not documented. So I can think that.

And get relaxed. We both love Björk

[human]

Yes, because they are the same guys who did the app for ios. And she worked hard with them.

[human]

Are we going to have biophilia por android soon for 12€?

We've decided to stop the kickstarter campaign. Seems like the costs were too gigantic and we too optimistic, so it seemed cleverest to pause it for now. Things seem to be changing fast; perhaps in a year, even months, there will be a far cheaper way to reprogram this. We are extremely grateful for the help we got, though, and want to extend a big thank you to all our contributors, great and small. You guys generously offered your own hard–earned money to something bigger than yourselves that you believe in, and we are deeply touched by your contributions. Once again, thank you. We are still looking at ways of making this happen so send your email address to kickstarter@bjork.com and we‘ll keep you posted when there‘s any new developments.

The Biophilia Team x

What do they mean with cheapest way to reprogram it? It looks like what I said before.

[valtitude]

Oh Oh, when did she write this?

What does she mean in the end, that they will be starting from the schools with signatures and petitions to get an impact and get it developed? Sorry I know nothing of business strategies. I don't really understand / have a clear idea of what she means there ...

And what about the idea suggested earlier by paganpoet, about having a 'tiny shop' dedicated to the purpose on the longer run? It won't change anything to the need of 8 programmers and a 5 month-time, right?

So what are they going to do with this? And what can WE do - even if we don't / can't donate (sorry Björk ...) - in terms of publicity / sharing the news online, etc?

[benjicoq]

it was before she cancelled the kickstarter

[valtitude]

Oh Ok, thanks Benjicoq.

I wonder how graphologists would interpret her writing
It goes incredibly zig-zag and wavy, but in a regular way ...

Haven't they made a police font out of it?