These guys raised $6 million US in a few months for their game project, which is to be released next year in BETA.
Star Citizen is an upcoming Sim/ RPG type game by the dude who created Wing Commander back in the good old days.
For now, the pledge/ fund raising is closed. The website is being updated - so you'll have to get info on the game from other sources (there are plenty out there). This is how they thanked their pre-purchase pledge customers
http://www.robertsspaceindustries.com/maint.html
With language like this, it's no surprise that these guys have the confidence and good will of their customer base:
Star Citizen will be released because of your dedication and your willingness to put your money where our mouths are. Our gratitude is immeasurable; we owe you our livelihoods and will not soon forget it.......We want your input on what we're doing and we want to share our plans with you; the occasional passer-by doesn't concern us.
I gave them $60 based purely on their track record and on the videos and descriptions of the game they had online. Many thousands of other like me have done the same.
It's amazing what great customer relations can do for the bottom line....