Defense Grid 2 launches Kickstarter, includes Radeon HD 6870 for $325-tier backers

Add Defense Grid: the Awakening developers Hidden Path to the pile of game creators diving into the scrum for a piece of the Kickstarter pie. They're looking to raise a full million as a stretch goal, but have milestones at every quarter-mil that will allow them to deliver at least part of the DG2 experience. They've also partnered with AMD to give away up to 565 Radeon HD graphics cards to contributors above the $225 line, which is certainly a unique incentive for PC gamers.

At the $250 level, there are 265 HD 6770s available, which are going for about $125 on newegg at the moment. Bump up to the $325 tier, and you could own one of 300 HD 6870s, which are about $180 on their own. Other reward tiers include Razer Naga Hex gaming mice, and the usual t-shirts and unique physical editions we've come to expect.

This particular fundraiser is tiered. If it can raise $250,000, Hidden Path will release a new, 8 level expansion for Defense Grid: The Awakening. At $500,000, they build a new engine, remaster all of the old levels in it, and add multiplayer support. $750,000 will get us a level editor, release on more platforms (Mac, Linux, etc.), and some more multiplayer features. $1 million is the final goal, allowing the development of a full sequel with a new campaign, new aliens, and new towers.

There are still 34 days left to back this one, but some of the tiers have limited quantity "early bird" bonuses, that get you more stuff for less money. So if you want the best value, you may want to back sooner rather than later.