This calls to mind the agreement Obsidian had with Bethesda when it developed Fallout: New Vegas.

FORBES: Bungie Developing 'Sci-Fantasy' Shooter Code-Named 'Destiny' For Xbox 360 And Next-Gen Consoles

After recently losing out on a bonus due to a clause in their contract with Bethesda requiring above an 85 on Metacritic for Fallout: New Vegas, the move to crowd-funding makes sense.

FORBES: Obsidian Launches Original RPG 'Project Eternity' On Kickstarter

These included Fallout: New Vegas, Darksiders, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, NBA 2k11, TRON Evolution, Call of Duty: Black Ops, Starcraft 2, Star Wars the Force Unleashed 2, Two Worlds II, The Sims 3: Late Night.

FORBES: Finally, Some Objective Figures On Games Piracy