8-Year-Old Game Developer Easily Reaches Kickstarter Target

Ari Hackner is an 8-year-old boy from Los Angeles with a penchant for technology and game development. His mother setup a Kickstarter asking for $1,100 to help with expenses and launch a project designed to enhance his creativity and marketing awareness. With 16 days left, the Kickstarter has already amassed $1,530 and contains 32 backers. The rewards include a thank you note, pixel art drawing, 8-bit song, personalized animation, custom thank you card, personal Skype call and a play date at the Retro Arcade.

The Kickstarter specifically states:

“Ari intends to work on this game throughout the school year, but his priority will always be his school work.”

Ari appears to be an inspiring young man and has a driven focus to become a games developer. However, I wonder how much is down to his own personality and not the overbearing wishes of his mother. Additionally, while this comes across as quite cynical, it’s difficult to forget the case of Susan Wilson, a millionaire who scammed $21,000 from 1,149 backers. That’s not to say this Kickstarter is fraudulent, but it’s always important to proceed with caution and perceive any funding as an investment, with clear risks. This is especially the case when young children are involved.

I believe a complete rundown of the equipment required and how extra funding will be utilized would reassure some people. Nevertheless, I’m pretty sure this project is genuine and hope this is an enriching experience for Ari.