Video Games Live Kickstarter closes successfully with $285K

The Kickstarter campaign for the third Video Games Live album, Level 3, ended this morning as a success, with more than $285,000 raised.

The total came in at 14 percent above the funding drive's $250,000 goal, after reaching that number earlier this week. The final tally fell short of the Kickstarter's first stretch goal, which, at $300,000, would have allowed for a "special foil" on the album and embossed cover artwork done by a "world-famous pop culture artist."

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't get a bit emotional yesterday when we finally achieved our goal," said Tommy Tallarico, co-creator of Video Games Live, in an update posted to the Kickstarter page Sept. 13. "It's been such a honor for me over the past decade to help give video game music and the entire video game industry the artistic recognition it deserves."

Tallarico teamed up with fellow video game composer Jack Wall for Video Games Live, a concert series for video game music that debuted in 2005 and has toured the world since. The Kickstarter funds will go toward recording and production of Level 3, which will feature a 72-piece orchestra, a 60-person choir and a rock band.