Still in Alpha build, Introversion? Don't you think it's about time you hired some more people?

Prison Architect, UK indie developer Introversion Software's prison management sim that has yet to break out of its Alpha cocoon, has managed to raise over $8 million in crowdfunding cash. $8 million. I'm just going to let that sit there for a while. $8 million. At about Â£3.50 a pint, assuming London prices, that's 1.4 million pints of beer, more or less. That's settled, then; Introversion, you're getting the next round in.

Introversion's astonished at how well its crowdfunding has progressed. The game went into Alpha in September 2012 and, since then, over 250,000 people have played its game so far. Their contributions have poured in, and since Introversion is using its own crowdfunder rather than go Kickstarter, it keeps control of the process and its contributions. "We never would have believed that one of our games would be so popular," says Mark Morris, "and we want to thank everyone that is supporting Prison Architect and helping us turn it into a concrete reality."

All this from a development team that basically consists of three Directors and four Friends, including one Friend - Will Morris - who may, or may not, be related to one of the Directors. Or maybe he just looks as if he might be Mark's dad; but at any rate, given the amount of cash Introversion seems to have on hand, now might be the time to hire a few people. Just one or two. After all, Prison Architect shouldn't stay in Alpha forever, no matter how profitable that Alpha has become.