Brandon Boyer, IGF chair and former Offworld gaming blog editor, is trying to put together a new gaming website called "Venus Patrol." He's already soliciting funding for the project--with generous backers donating over $17,000 of the $50,000 goal, at the time of this post. Boyer has also cobbled together some bonus items for different tiers of donations, and while that's not an unusual fundraising practice, the incentives include some rare collectibles from great indie developers like Vlambeer (Super Crate Box) and Adam Atomic (Canabalt), among others.

Boyer describes the direction he intends to take with Venus Patrol on the project's official Kickstarter page. He hopes to set the site apart from other gaming publications by having it be "more about videogames' place in the wider cultural body, and how they influence other aspects of creative culture -- design, animation, music, film -- and how those other media influence (or should influence!) games in return."

Boyer also asserts that the Venus Patrol website is just the beginning:

Venus Patrol is just the first volley in a much longer game: the roots, foundation, and interstellar pirate radio station on top of which a number of other in-progress projects that branch out of the web will be built.

The extras Boyer has put together for different tiers of donation are also very impressive, facilitated by some very talented artists, designers, and developers. (Each tier of donation also yields the bonuses of the preceding tiers.)

Donating a measly dollar or more earns folks an exclusive wallpaper by Katamari Damacy creator Keita Takahashi, as well as a set of Minecraft character skins by Pendleton Ward, creator of the Emmy-nominated animated TV series, Adventure Time.

Those who donate $25 or more will get three exclusive games from developers Adam "Atomic" Saltsman (Canabalt), Vlambeer (Super Crate Box), and Superbrothers (Sword & Sworcery EP). A quirky fourth title, Johann Sebastian Joust by Copenhagen Game Collective, is also in the mix, and uses the PlayStation Move controller to pull off some competitive slow-motion fencing.

Ponying up $75 or more will get you the Moon Grotto 7", which is a vinyl EP featuring Sword & Sworcery music and remixes by Scientific American. Also included is a special edition of Mathew Kumar's magazine "exp. -3," as well as a deck of "Monster Mii" trading cards designed by comic artist James Kochalka. Also, throw in a patch of a Venus Patrol emblem by Canadian artist Divine Lu Linvega. "Many more awesome bonus objects," are also promised.

A donation of $200 or more will yield five "Great Showdowns" prints by Double Fine artist Scott C, whereas donating $300 or more will get you ten prints. There's also a "studio sponsorship" reward for those donating $3,000 or more, which includes thirty days of exclusive ad placement on the Venus Patrol website.

You can check out the fundraising video below, which is chock full of game developers singing Boyer's praises.